Chapter 3: Accidentally

We can and must think about the question: why are we trying to imitate God? Why do we want ourselves in the place of God? Some say, this is the human nature. But, speaking about that, we must not forget, that we are not the masterpiece, but the experiment. We're not the scientists watching reactions consciously. We're just the mice, looking for the end of the labyrinth.

"What, what time is it?" he stammered.

She looked at her watch. "About quarter to eight. Why?"

"No, tell me the year, please."

"Seventy-two. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Seventy-two. OK." repeated Peter near to being stunned. How on earth did he get here?

"Are you sure you're OK?" she asked.

"Yeah." His voice sounded a bit stronger. "Yeah, thanks for your help. I'm just traveling. I'm going away soon."

"Foreign, ha? Well, people in your country don't introduce themselves?"

"I'm Nathan. Nathan Monroe." He said the first name coming to his mind. He didn't want to say his own, because he was in the past, and didn't want to cause some trouble by using his own name. He wasn't even born.

"Well, if you insist. I'm Olivia Tuzzio. So, do you have a place to rest for the night?"

"So far not. But I'm not staying for a long time. Really." And accidentally he heard her voice inside his head. "What a pity. If have wouldn't go he could rest at my place. Such a pretty boy."

And then she spoke. "Well, then, have a good journey. Bye"

"Yeah, thanks. It'll be a nice long one. Goodbye."

She was starting to leave and he waited before she got out of his sight. He didn't want to be seen. He was concentrating, he wanted to get back to Nathan's assassination. But it did not work. He tried for 2007. He tried it harder than last time. But he could not get back this time, either.

But how? If he could get here there must be a way out. He should be able to get out of here. He started to panic. He didn't know the answer, why he was here. Why not at the scene of the murder? And why here? He could have landed anywhere in history, why did he choose this one? Or did he hr choose this? He was unconfined. He sat down in the grass. Have he lost all of his abilities? He saw a used handkerchief. He wanted it to move and it moved. It flew into the air. So telekinesis has worked. Mind-reading has worked. In that case, why couldn't he travel through space and time?

Claire knocked on the door once again. There was no answer for her first try. Is it possible that nobody's there? She knew what has happened in the last couple of days, but there was only one thing in her life in California she couldn't take with her and didn't want to leave.

A woman, about the simple age in Sandra was, opened the door.

"Are you Claire?" she asked. She was definitely surprised.

"Is West at home, Mrs. Rosen?"

"No, darling, he's at school of course."

"Thank you" she answered as fast as she can and she started running. She looked at her watch: she has already lost ten minutes. Ten valuable minutes. Her heart was working like a powerhouse, but not just because of running. She didn't look back. She knew she had no time for it.

Niki heard the door opening again.

"Hello Samuel." she said.

"Hi Niki." he answered while he was leaning over her again, to look into her eyes. "I brought you help."

"What..." she wanted to ask what help but she felt fingers touching her forehead and then she felt she was in another world. She realized that none of the pain she felt was real. She couldn't move but why did she want to. She was in some white, fluid-like thing something like a mixture of milk and air. And she could breathe. She felt the oxygen in her lungs. She was calm. She thought if this was death. Because if it was, it was much easier and much more comfortable than she ever thought. She felt like she could fly.

And than, it all disappeared in one moment. The pain came back, her skin was aching even when she was breathing. Just like before. She heard something, something similar to a collapsing man.

"Abe! Abe!" Samuel was shouting to someone beside Niki. He fell down on his knees, calling Abe again and again.

"I'm fine." whispered a high voice, quite similar to Micah's. Micah came to Niki's mind. She wanted to sit up. She moved her right arm but then the pain forced her lying.

"You took too much." said Samuel.

"I'm OK, Sam." Abe said.

But she wasn't really listening to them. Suddenly she realized she could move her arm. She raised it again, just to get it into her sight. There wasn't a scratch on it. It was whole, the skin on it didn't seem to be damaged either.

There could only be one reason for that.

"You..." she stammered. "You have power?"

Samuel leaned over her but looked at Niki like he's just saw a nightmare.

Ando has just stepped into his cubicle. Hiro turned towards him.

"I'll do it." shouted heand disappeared.

He appeared in front of the Yamagato building. It seemed like it was in the morning, quite early. Just like he wanted. He saw a man at the other side of the street who was selling newspapers. He could hardly wait for the light to turn green but he didn't want to use his powers now, near so many people.

He bought a daily paper and looked at the date. It was March 29th, a bit more than a week after the day he left. He looked at something in what he could help. What he could change. He saw that there was an explosion and a huge fire at a skyscraper yesterday. He looked up and he was full of confidence. At last, he knew what to do. He could understand how Superman looked up in the skies, seeking for his duty. And than, he saw two familiar faces on the other side, just in front of the building. Ando and Kimiko were just walking inside. They were holding each other's hand. They were together. Hiro thought tears were in his sister's eyes. It took just a moment for his confidence to disappear like it has never been there.

Were they talking about this all along?

"Why did you come here? Shouldn't you deal with the funeral?" asked Bob.

"There are some things more important than that." answered Angela Petrelli. "I'm here to ask you a favor."

"What made you so careful lately?" he asked. He was surprised. He knew there was a much easier way for her.

"Because my favor has a lot to do with you." answered she quietly.

"We haven't spoke for a long time."

"Since Daniel revealed his plan." she interrupted.

"Yeah, precisely. So if it's connected with me, it should be very old."

"Almost thirty years."

He was stunned.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You have to find Nicolai."

"Nicolai?" He thought he'll never hear that name. "You mean..."

"Nicolai Starnov. The would-be dead son of our old friend."

"How do you know? Do you have proof?"

"I've spoken with him."

"What? What have you done? And when? And why are you telling me this just now?"

A terrible voice erupted before Angela could answer. The voice of a huge blast or jolt and the door of the office was cracked apart.

"Elle?" asked he as he saw his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"I guess I shouldn't disturb this pleasant family speech." said Angela with a grim smile looking at Elle's furious face.

"You don't have to leave. Sorry but I had to use a bit of my persuasive powers on the guards."

"You killed them?" asked Bob with disgust on his face.

"No, I didn't. Should I? That's what you wanted from me?" she shouted angrily. "Answer! That's what you wanted? Or were they valuable? Even more valuable than myself. Your own daughter."

"Elle..." called Bob her name.

"Shut up! I've had enough of all your lies and rules. I'm here to say I'm leaving. And don't start coming after me!

"Elle, please..."

"Don't cause me more damage that you've already caused!"

"What damage?"

"Don't try to fool me! You made me this way. You can't imagine what you've done. Cages and death threats all around my life. So, get out of it now!" She turned around and started to run.

"Elle!" He shouted and wanted to rush after her but she shot a lightning bolt that missed his head by only a few inches.

"Sweet little girl, isn't she?" said Angela. Her voice was still. "Turns out you weren't the best father ever. But we'd better talk about our own case."

"Were you sweet mommy that you're saying this?"

"I'll give you a childhood photo of Nicolai and you'll find him."

"Why would I do it for you?"

"It's not just for my cause. Remember who carried the gasoline in the mansion. I'm sure he remembers too. He killed Nathan so I'm pretty worried about you. Or about her."

"You bitch." Disgust was not just on his face now. It could be heard out of his voice, too.

Claire was almost driven out of her own mind. She was standing there, at the window of the room where the class was having Biology. It seemed a long time ago when they were talking about robots and aliens at the back of the classroom. And something was wrong. She saw him, sitting at the same desk, as usual but he didn't saw her. He looked like he was thinking, caring about nothing connected to the lesson.

The bells rang and they were all packing their bags. She started running again, inside the building.

"West! West!" shouted she as she saw him.

"Claire! What are you doing?" said he with surprise in his voice.

"Listen here" said Claire while lowering her voice "I'll leave town in an hour."

"What? You can't... What...Why are you doing this? Why do you want to keep your mouth shut?"

"They made a deal."

"They? They who?"

"The Company" whispered she "resurrected my father."

"What the?"

"It's a long story. And they sent him back to keep themselves safe. And now they want me safe so we're moving."

"Where? And why are you telling this?"

"I don't know. I don't know." Tears appeared in her eyes while she was speaking. "And I'm telling this because I love you. You understand me. All of my happiness, all of my pain. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me just tell where you're going."

"I would. But it's not just my thing."

"Then what else? It looks like it's just you."

She looked directly in his eyes."You wanted to keep your secret. Do it. There's someone after us."

"After us?"

"After everyone like us. He kills them. He's tall and has dark hair and goes by the name Sylar. If you hear that name, run! If you don't, stay put or run. Make sure he'll never find you. Please. Do this for me." Her voice sounded like begging.

"OK. But tell me where you are."

"I love you." whispered she.

"I love you, too." answered West as he hugged her.

They said goodbye, both with tears in their eyes. But there was someone who had clear sight on them. Nicholas didn't hear everything they were saying but he saw them clearly. And he felt like something has just exploded in his heart.

The second slaughter of the strangler. In two days. Matt felt like he was in a nightmare. He hoped he could wake up but there was no help. The murderer was real. But this time, the killer made a mistake. He left an eyewitness, a huge, dirty black guy who had to sleep in the streets of New York and nobody recognized he was there.

"Hey, cops, back off! I'm a muthafucka witness. I'm a volinteer so let me pee."

"We'll just ask a few questions" started Fuller. Matt got into his mind and suggested him to tell the truth about everything and tell it fast.

"So you say you saw someone last night." said Fuller.

"Yo, cop, did. Up there." He pointed almost to the top of the victim's mansion.

"You mean he was flying?" asked Matt.

"No, cop. Hee wuzn't. Cop, saw that muthafucka Spide-man movie? Na, this asshole was jus' like tha."

"Spiderman?" asked Matt again. "You're kidding."

"No, cop, I ain't. Jus' like Spide-man. Except he didn' wore da muthafucka red driss."

Matt was trying to read his mind. But he found just this. Looked like he was telling the truth.

"How much did you drink?" asked Fuller.

"Six, cop."

"Six what?"

"Beer, cop. Muthafucka beer."

"Let him go." ordered Fuller, with disappointment in his voice. "He's useless." claimed him when the guy was taken away from the scene.

"You might be right." said Matt quietly. Luckily, no one could read his mind because he was thinking about the exact opposite. Spiderman sounded ridiculous but Matt knew the witness could not lie. Not a chance for that.

Micah was just getting home from school. He was alone. More than that, he felt alone. He couldn't imagine anyone who could understand what was he going through. He didn't provoke anything he was just sitting at the back of the class, listening for nothing. When he was asked, he answered but he didn't do anything more. Anything extraordinary. He didn't want to be extraordinary. He just wanted the life of an average kid. With a family.

The bus stopped because the traffic light was red. He looked around, without any special purpose. But then he was that man. The man who was driving the van in front of the abandoned diner. He was sitting in a used hotrod but it was no doubt it was him. But he was taken away by the police. How could he be free?

The bus started and turned right immediately so Micah lost sight of him quickly.

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Mohinder from Dr. Wang. "I guess you're the star here."

"Yeah, but I don't know everything. I need you tell me all about your research."

"All about my research? Sit down, it'll be a long story."

"And please don't bother me with family issues." Her voice ignited a flame in him. It was so cold.

"I can't really do that. I guess you know about my sister."

"Let me make it clearer. Please concentrate on the turning points. The changes. The things that led you to this path."

"Well, that's not a family issue but, in fact just as interesting as that. Sylar. About half a year ago I managed to study him and his DNA gave me quite a few answers. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of that research."

"What were these answers?"

"I could precisely locate the genes responsible for all of these abilities. I think it all comes down to four genes and the mutations of them."

"Just four?"

"Seems few?"

"Awfully few, Dr. Suresh. There is a wider spectrum of these abilities we could imagine. It can't be just four genes."

"Who are you to doubt my family's theory? Are you sure your ability works properly? Since when are you studying this? Because this is a work of a lifetime."

"You're right. I can just guess. But if there are really just four genes doing this how could you explain the complexity and the variety of these abilities? There could be only one reason. The complexity of the molecules constructing the DNA. And for that, I see a very small chance. Tons of mutated molecules, fitting in the human DNA, I consider it nonsense."

Mohinder could hardly believe her but she seemed quite sure, the theory made sense, and she looked like she has already mastered this task.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Dr. Suresh" said Bob. "I need a favor from you. I'll send you photos of three persons. I would like to ask Molly Walker if he could find them." And how did this make sense, thought he.

"OK. Send the pictures."

Hiro was just standing there, staring on the front door of Yamagato. And he was yet to make a decision. Was he strong or cold enough to leave his sister and his friend? Was this their destiny? His real trial was coming. He could explore the future, he could see it. But the question standing in front of him was: does he want to see it? He saw terrible things and none of this was as surprising as this. None of this was so shocking. So shocking that he didn't want to see more of it.

He thought about the day of the explosion and disappeared.

It was an average morning. There was nothing extraordinary. Then it just happened. Several windows broke as the explosion erupted. Hiro stopped time and teleported up. Time was still frozen so he could bring everybody a few floors down, to various locations that they could get out of the building safely. He saw their faces as the alarm went off, everyone terrified. He knew he could never forget them. And his heart was full of happiness and pleasure. He knew Kaito would be proud of him.

He stayed for a few moments after he had rescued the last woman, to see what good he had done. Then he disappeared and appeared in his cubicle again. Ando was staring at him.

"What did you do, Hiro?" asked he.

"I did good. I saved many lives."

He saw the pleasure and the pride in his friend's eyes. But he also saw something different. He thought it was distress.

"Don't be afraid of my ability. There are some things I can't change.

The phone rang in Hiro's cubicle.

"Hiro Nakamura." he introduced himself.

"Good afternoon, Hiro." It was a man's voice. "I'm Bob. I need your help."

"My help? For what?" He was afraid. Although he saved a lot of people he didn't want his ability to be widely known.

"To save a man's life. And maybe the world too."

Bob has just finished the conversation with Hiro when Dr. Suresh called him.

Mohinder was standing in the lab with Dr. Wang who was doing something on her computer as he called his boss.

"She's done." he said while looking at the pictures. "Elle's moving. Probably by plane. She can land anywhere from Kansas to California."

"The others?" asked Bob.

Mohinder looked at a photo of a man with a quite big nose, fair, well-cut hair and a few wrinkles on his face.

"He's in New York. In Brooklyn at the moment Molly looked for him. And the kid." There was a kid in the photo who shouldn't have been more than five years old. "Molly can't find him. I guess he's dead."

"Are you sure?" asked Bob. He needed to be sure about this information.

"The only people who she can't find are the dead ones."

"Thank you, Mohinder." he said. Then, Nicolai was dead. But how could he speak with Angela? "Please, I need updated information on them."

"She's not a machine, Bob." raised his voice Mohinder.

"That's why I don't give you orders. That's why I'm begging to you." His voice was an old man's voice.

Monica didn't sleep well. She didn't knew what time was it when she heard some scratching sounds. She walked down the stairs, keeping herself quiet. Then they just appeared. Two hooded men jumped out of the kitchen and she was simply not quick enough. One of them pulled her down on the floor. Then the other one raised his fist and punched her face, making her unconscious.

The weather was in quite a weird mood that evening. Clouds have just appeared out of nowhere and immediately raindrops were starting to fall to the ground. About ten minutes later than its beginning the clouds and the wind and the thunder formed a storm.

Peter, who had nowhere to go, tried to warm himself up with his nuclear ability but it was far from perfect. He could regenerate but he was wet and tired, he wanted a bed. And, suddenly a seemingly idiotic idea came to his mind. He stepped to the first public phone and sought the name Tuzzio. Luckily it was a rare name and her house was not far away, if the others on the streets said it right.

"Hi" said Olivia surprised but with a smile on her face. "Oh, your fully wet."

"Well, I've just missed the connection."

"And what?" asked she. "Why have you come here?"

"Please. Can I stay? Just for one night?"

She looked like she was thinking about it.

"Please." said Peter.

"Well, if a sofa is good enough for you. And don't think I can't defend myself. And, in fact, what could you steal? I hate television, I don't keep any jewelry or money here."

"Anything is good enough what's warmer than the streets this night. And don't worry about that. Thank you."

He fell asleep immediately after he laid down on the sofa. He was a bit surprised that nothing happened that night. But he didn't sleep well. He woke up in the middle of the night. He felt like he was looking for something. He laid eyes on a notepad and a pen near the sofa. And suddenly he saw a picture. After that, he remembered nothing.

"Nathan! Nathan!" Peter heard a woman's voice from far away. He opened his eyes very slow.

"Nathan. Are you OK?" asked Olivia. "You yelled your own name."

"I did?" asked Peter. He wasn't on top.

"Well, yeah. And you did something at night. I heard you moving."

"I don't remember."

She looked around and found the notepad. She saw that he drew something on it.

"Well, I guess you're a talented drawer." She gave to pad to Peter.

There were three figures on it. The first person had only her back to see but looking at the hair and the coat Peter thought it might be himself. The second one was Olivia, and the third person was someone very familiar. Too familiar to be here. The two latter were having a conversation.

"You know this woman?" pointed Peter on the third person.

"Angela? Of course, I do. She's my colleague."