Chapter 17: Surface wounds

The name was Claude Rains and there was also a label, saying: "Waiting for reactivating. Sent to lab."

He wanted to see what that meant. He called the elevator and got down to the ground floor. There, he was stopped by a short, mid-aged security guard.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Petrelli. Can I help you?" he asked.

"Let me in the lab. I'm in charge now."

Naturally, it wasn't that easy and Nathan knew that. But after he said that Bob Bishop had gone mad, jumped out of the window and told him that he left everything to him, as the true heir of the Company, the guard let him in and then went away to find Bob's corpse.

The man called Claude Rains was lying on a hospital bed and he was chained just like Nathan was after he had been resurrected. When he saw Nathan, he made a grim smile.

"Haven't seen your bro for a while, man." he said, with a tiny accent. "Looks like he didn't screw everything up."

Nathan stopped for a moment to think. They both made mess. Many of it. But what did this guy really refer to? He decided to let the second sentence go away and cleared his brain.

"I haven't seen him around, either. Do you know anything about him?"

Claude laughed.

"It's been a long time since he came to me to stop him from blowing up New York."

"Yes, it really was." sighed Nathan. A lot of things had happened since then. "Why are you here?"

"I thought that I would ask this from you. What on earth happened? Bennet trapped me and the next thing I know is that I'm here." Nathan didn't answer. He was waiting for consequences. Things, that he didn't even know about.

"But you keep me alive." Claude said, with greed in his voice. "I'm important to you..."

"You were." interrupted Nathan. "You were important to Bishop. For me, you're not much more than a simple file, a simple story."

"Let me slip away. I won't get into your way again."

"I know, invisible man. But I must learn why were you so important that someone wanted to bring you back from death."

He turned and decided to go up into the office. He had to think a lot.

As Monica saw Wiklum's flat, she immediately decided that she won't stay here any minute more than necessary. It was quite scanty, the walls were painted with various colors and there were skulls of people and animals in the living room. She understood why didn't Damon like this place.

So, the next morning, they said goodbye to the old man and left his house. The morning was a gigantic hide-and-seek game for them, trying to hide from the ones who they didn't want to see, and trying to find someone else.

After many hours, they have found an armored police van. They came out of the bushes, with their hands up. Three heavily armored people stepped out of the van and slowly, restrained them.

"Thank you." sighed Damon, still shaking. He was happy that he could leave Wiklum and didn't get shot in the way out, either.

"What are you going to do?" asked Monica.

"This is abnormal." answered the officer behind him. "They don't listen to what we say, they attack police officers with guns."

"So?"

"You must understand, Miss, that this is something really extraordinary. Really out of control. Nobody has ever seen anything even similar to this."

"So?" asked she again, slowly becoming more and more impatient.

"We'll hunt them down."

Monica was shocked.

"You mean they slaughter them?" she asked.

"If that's necessary."

Something, a voice inside her burst out. She couldn't let that happen. They might be just gangsters, but they were people. She stopped, knelt down and began to cry. She thought that she knew now what was her gift for. She knew that she must do everything she is able to stop this.

"Please, officer, let me go."

The officer stopped, looked at her, beyond his mask and opened the handcuffs.

"No! Monica!" shouted Damon, as he was slowly put into the van.

"You're going to be safe." she said. "But I have something to do here." To earn redemption, she added to herself as she watched the van go away.

"Was this really necessary, Dad?" asked Claire angrily, after she had changed her bloody clothes.

"The most important thing about a threat is if it is really believable." he answered, with a quite calm voice.

"Why me then? You could have just shot like anyone else on the street."

"You need to understand, Claire" said he, standing of from the chair he was sitting in "that every ability requires a different strategy. Both for with a partner with the ability and against someone with the same ability."

"Don't tell me that my ability should be used for this." said she, ironically.

"In the given situation, I couldn't find out any better."

"And why do you have to dictate?" she asked, angrily.

"Because I've been capturing people with abilities for more than fifteen years. I'm the more experienced one of us."

"That's it." she shouted. "One of us. That's what you are. And I'm one of them. You're jealous that you're not like me."

Noah stepped in front of her daughter and looked into her eyes. If could have killed with his gaze, Claire had been near dead.

"If you stay in this industry well enough, you'll realize that I have nothing to be jealous to you." he stated. And he pulled a small box out of his bag.

"Want a real use of your ability? There's a loaded gun and a tazor in that box. We're going to hunt tonight and I need you to cover my back. Use both of them, each in one hand. Do you copy?"

Claire nodded curtly.

But as Nathan went up to his office, he was not alone.

"Oh." said Matt Parkman. "I'm just looking for this Bob guy. I didn't know I would find you here."

"You came directly to the right place." said Nathan calmly. "Though Bob's not here any more. He left charge for me."

"That's great." he said and he smiled. "Congratulations. Though I think he must have left you pretty much a mess."

"I can handle it. But what can I do for you?" His voice was calm and silent but his brain was working like a factory.

"There are two things. First, my wife is at the hospital near here. Could you have an eye on her for me?"

"Immediately." answered Nathan. "What's the problem with her?"

"Actually, it's not a problem." He gulped. "She's pregnant. I don't know since when but I think the baby will be born soon."

"Then I should be the one congratulating you."

Matt didn't react for this.

"There is something else. I want to talk with Molly Walker. A few moments, undisturbed."

"We'll find a way for that. But first, can I ask you a favor?"

"Yeah, sure." answered Matt in a moment.

"There is a guy, Claude Rains, down here. He doesn't want to talk but I would need him to. Could you help me?"

Matt nodded and Nathan could see that he trusted him. And he hoped that it will remain this way.

He was like a spider. Though it was getting more and more difficult to lonely find gang members, and alive, but that only meant that his plan was working.

Yet, he didn't know what he had been feeling. He didn't enjoy what he was doing, he didn't enjoy the power he was given. He could control a whole district. The people living on the streets also gave him a nickname, the Spirit Guide. But his days were bitter. All of Samuel's days were bitter since his brother had died. He was bitter, and revenge made his days sweet. He poured all his bitterness, anger and desire for revenge into the brains of the people, the gangsters he had met. A lot of blood was spilled. Soon, all of the people who were not involved in the civil was he had created, had left the area. But that was not enough for him. He wanted much more. He wanted all of the parasites of this society, people who were living from the work of the others, just because they had a gun and were able and mean enough to use it, to suffer and in the end, to die. And that was what he had planted to the head of another unknown gangster, unknown and dispensable individual.

War was spreading like a wildfire and Samuel was leading it.

Mohinder woke up in a hospital. He was on infusion, but no part of his body was aching. He looked up. It was night. Then, how much could he sleep? A day or even more? He looked around, there was another bed, to the right from his one, also with a tube and a bottle for the infusion but nobody was lying in it.

"I'm here." said a soft voice from the left side. He turned there immediately and saw Kamala sitting in a hospital chair, totally unharmed.

"We were attacked. How did we get here?" She didn't answer just let his memories return and have his guesses. "You've used your abilities. You burnt that man."

She looked down.

"I'm not proud of it. But we were in danger."

"And then, how did we get here?"

"I teleported you here."

"You teleported? Why didn't you say that? We could have got out much easier."

She looked in her eyes and he saw something very confusing. And that she was confused, in the same moment.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"You still don't know. You might presume but you don't know." She took a deep breath. "I was trying to tell you, I was waiting for the right moment. I was such a fool."

"Trying to tell what?"

"That I love you." she shouted. "I love you from the moment I saw you for the first time. You were so sad, so small but I knew your thoughts and I knew that you're a good man. But as a result of my emotions, I can't use my abilities. I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen."

"But you've used them. You've overcome this."

"I don't know how but I did. Maybe it was Nirvana, really. I don't know. I don't know so many things about me. Or you."

He didn't answer just looked at himself.

"Did you cure me?" he asked.

She nodded. He tried to grab her hand but she was too far.

"I don't know what are you capable of, Kamala. But if you are able to do anything special, I need your help." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm selfish. I don't know what to say. I haven't been in this relationship thing lately. I'm sorry but I can't give you many answers."

She stood up and grabbed his hand.

"It's OK. Tell me what to do. I'll help you if I can. I guess this is my destiny for the present."

"So, what are you? Really?" asked Maya from Reginald, as they were walking down in an empty alleyway.

"Me? I'm just a simple person who was gifted by God and make a tiny bit more to reach his goals than others."

"And what does your gift is truly?"

"I can manipulate earth, air, water and fire. But only given elements, I can't make it appear out of nowhere."

"Then, why is the killing?"

"It's some like a battery. It's the only way I can recharge my ability..."

"You are really gifted." said Maya, amused. "You can make it go away."

"But that's not the point!" said Reginald. "Even with this, I'm more useful than I am without it."

"For who? For those who you've killed."

"No. For them." he said as he opened an old, dirty door. There were three people in the small room behind it, all of them natives and all of them were smoking.

"Are you ready?" asked one of them, the oldest one, who had a white beard.

Reginald nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Senor Valdiran. I hope I can count on your services." he said as he shook hands with the old man.

"As far you don't make any serious trouble, I'll look in the other direction but if you get caught, I won't know you." He took another sip. "Who is she?"

"A friend of mine. She's Maya."

"Nice, nice." murmured Valdiran. "If you can introduce me to your other friends like her, I'll be even more generous."

"She's more than you'd think, Senor. And we don't need more of your generosity."

They shook hands again and he left.

"What now?" asked Maya.

"Now you'll see how things work. I don't want you to decide before that.

They didn't find the keys for the house but they didn't need to. After about a minute of looking for the easier way, Niki lost her patience and broke the door. Micah was walking right after her. They moved into a roughly decorated hall, with only one coat rack and a poster in it.

"What will we do?" whispered Micah. "Are we looking for something?"

"In my opinion, all I want is to thrash this place." answered Niki. Her voice was confident. She was sure what she wanted to do. She wanted to cause pain. She wanted this man to feel what he had done to them. Though this place looked like it didn't mean the same for Lazarus as it meant to them. She wasn't sure if this was really his home. She didn't know if he really had a place to call home. Suddenly, they heard something. There was something boiling in the kitchen. They slowly sneaked in.

Lazarus was sitting in a window, in the opposite side of the kitchen.

"It's an honor to meet you again, Miss Sanders. You've also brought your son. How adorable. Sorry, but I have to leave you." He picked something out of his pocket and threw it towards Micah and Niki. She immediately jumped in front of her son, just to protect him. This time, this was more important than rushing after him. After a few moments, she looked up. It was just a small ball, naturally burning. She rushed to the window and looked out but there was no sign of him.

"This is a maniac." said Micah quietly. "He loves to make people afraid."

"I know. But we'll see who laughs last." she said and began to break every piece of furniture into pieces.

Since Jessica had disappeared, Micah had never seen his mother so furious.

"Just as I've said, it's this only call. But this is really necessary." said Peter, stepping towards a public pay phone.

"Just as I've said, it's no problem. I have some things to do, too."

Peter stepped in. He didn't know what could he see more if he stayed with Nicolai. But his intuitions said that it won't be easy. Nothing will be easy. And to do that, he needed advice. And he needed his brother to know that he was as safe as he could be, and to know about this whole thing going on. That someone knows about their future. A future that can change the world forever. He wanted Nathan to see the possibilities and the threats in front of them. He dialed Nathan's cell phone. The line was busy.

"Come on, leave it!" he murmured to himself. "Pick it up, please." The phone gave for than ten rings. Disappointed, he put it down.

"I've got news for you." said Nicolai as Peter stepped out.

"What news?" he asked sadly.

"I've just arranged a meeting. Between you and my friend, Byron. The man who can see the future."

Monica was very surprised as the old man opened the door. Sweet smell of some incense surrounded her, and some smoke came out of the room, too, as she was standing there, looking in to Wiklum's eyes, looking into the masked face. But she couldn't see any sign of emotions there.

"I came back to you because I need your help."

"I speak only French. No English. I don't understand." he answered curtly.

Great, thought Monica. Here is she standing, in front of the needed help, and the old crap refuses, just because he didn't understand a word in English. Really great. She learned a tiny bit of that language, so she decided to try to speak on it.

"I came back. I want help. Help from you." There was silence for a moment. "I'll pay for you."

He seemed to understand what she was saying although she wasn't sure if she had used the correct words. This time, her ability couldn't help. He opened the door wider and called her inside.

"People like you don't come to me often, Monica Dawson." he murmured, in his deep, monotone voice. "Nana told me about you. And that is the woman I imagined. Strong, really strong in the heart."

"Do you know her?"

"I did, but it's a long story."

Silence fell between them again.

"Where do we start?" she asked.

"Looking around. For the translator, dead tell many things. And, I don't accept anything from living. Sometimes, the dead give me gifts, and that's enough for me."

Although Monica couldn't imagine what the dead people give to Wiklum, but she felt a bit more self-confident, knowing that the old man will be on her side. In fact, they were in the same boat. They both wanted this madness to end, the sooner the better.

Claude got a bit nervous as he saw Nathan coming down again, with Matt beside him.

"Who's this?" asked he, trying to conceal his distraction.

"The person who will reveal your secrets, Rains." whispered Nathan. "Go on, Matt."

"What shall I look for?" asked he.

"Hey, men, what the hell do you want to do?" interrupted Claude, while he was trying to shake his chains, to free himself.

"Why was he so important that Bob decided to resurrect him?" asked Nathan.

A scene came into Claude's mind, which was also seen by Matt. They were traveling with Bennet to the bridge where he shot him. They had had a conversation before it.

"He was hiding someone." said Matt.

"Sonofa..." rattled Claude.

"Who was it?" asked Nathan. "One of us? With abilities?"

The scene changed. Claude was talking with a guy, Arabian or Indian. They were talking about a person with abilities. who needed protection. To be protected by both of them, from the Company. It seemed that it wasn't really important for Claude at the first time.

"The target's got an ability." said Matt.

"Get out of my head!" cried Claude.

"What's the ability?" asked Nathan.

Claude and Matt both heard the Arabian man's voice.

"She can absorb abilities from other people, like invisibility from you, alchemy from the boss, and so on. But she can only use it if she keeps his cool. Once her emotions take over, she's totally powerless." He leaned closer to Claude. "I can't lose her, Claude. She's the only one left from my family. You know my relatives were killed in Kashmir but she survived."

Claude nodded curtly.

At the same time, in the real world, Matt told Nathan about the girl's ability.

"We should find her before someone else does." whispered Nathan. "Where is she and what's her name?" asked he from Claude. As he didn't answer, Matt got inside his head once again. After a few moments, he answered.

"She was known as Kamala Abderrahman but as she is living now as a monk, she don't use her name."

"Where?" asked Nathan.

"Demak is the place's name, maybe. A temple in India."

Noah broke the lock as quietly as he can. He slipped into the room, with one weapon in each one of his hands, like she had advised it to Claire. She stepped in directly after him.

"All clear." he whispered.

They were in a place that resembled to a dining room, with some old wooden furniture and some plates, when Claire asked her father.

"Couldn't he just give you a fake address?"

"If I was him, I would have told the truth." he answered quietly.

"He told the right address." called out another voice, similarly rough like Noah's one but with a Russian accent. They turned around and saw a dark-mustached man, staring right at them but without any weapon.

He moved his hand and an invisible force drew both of the weapons out of their hands. They couldn't even move. He pushed moved the table with his mind and smashed Claire to a cupboard, and as it broke apart, even through it, into the wall. She collapsed as some pieces of glass and wood were in her head.

"No!" shouted Noah. "Kill me, if you want something, you bastard."

"Certainly, I will." he answered. "But first, you must tell me where do you come from. Who do you work for?"

As he was saying these words, he moves Noah to the other wall of the room, pressing his back to it.

"You won't get a word out of me." hissed he.

"Sure, you will." said the Russian man confidently. "If you won't, you are going to die in immense pain." He moved his finger and blood began to flow from Noah's throat.

"Didn't you change your mind?" he asked but no answer came.

Suddenly, the Russian shouted and collapsed. Claire was standing behind him and she was holding a tazor in her hand.

"Surface wounds." she said. "Now, let's kill him." And she got the gun in her hand.

"No." interrupted Noah. "We need him alive. For this time. I'll go out to the car for my suitcase. Watch him!"

Wang had just left her work for about five minutes, to drink a coffee, to keep her awake. Although not all of her needs were at disposal but she really had a lot of work to do. In fact, a lot of things to think of. Ando was mostly around her but he wasn't really interested in the principles of her work, so he was hardly useful.

When she came back, the computer didn't react to anything she tried. She unplugged it as there was no other way to shut it down and tried to switch it on again but instead of the usual screen, a creature like a dragon appeared in the monitor.

"My God." she sighed.