"Why are some people chosen to receive gifts? Is it some divine force that decides those that are worthy? A dark power that punishes sinners by making them different? Perhaps it is our genes; a chance combination of DNA. Or maybe, it is just random. Whatever it is, one think is for sure:

There is no going back."

-Mohinder

"Don't hurt me…please…I'll do whatever you want…don't hurt me Carter… Carter… Carter… Carter… CARTER!"

Carter Daniels shot up from his bed, ramrod stiff. He panted, clutching the sheets to his chest, eyes staring out to the opposite wall. Carter had never understood the meaning of a cold sweat until this moment. Shivering, he could feel the beads of perspiration running down his shoulder, along his back till they soaked into the waistband of his pajamas.

Hank's panicked cries rang in his ears, taunting him. Carter was use to having nightmares that starred Hank Delpine, but not like this. Not with him as the instigator. Not him as the villain.

He wished it were just a dream. That it was his own mind, trying to comfort itself after the past year of torment by letting him have fantasy revenge.

But it wasn't. Somehow, he had forced Hank to fear him. With shouts and glowing hands.

"Carter?"

The young man turned his head towards the closed door of his room, eyes trying to adjust to the low light.

"Yea mom?"

"You are getting up, right? You have school in an hour."

"Yea mom…yea."

"Ok…the shower should be ready, and we have donuts. Just remember, you get 4, but leave some nutty ones for your dad."

Carter nodded, knowing that his mother couldn't see it. "Ok mom." The young man closed his eyes as his mother's footsteps drifted away from the door, leaving him once more with his thoughts.

&&&

"Hey Carter…Earth to Carter!"

Carter blinked, looking away from the window towards his editor. "Sorry Kelly…you say something?"

The editor of the school newspaper shook her head. "I said, why are you staring out that window for so long. Something interesting out there?"

The young man chuckled weakly. "Nah…just t-thinking." Pulling away from his dark thoughts, Carter stood up from the windowsill and walking towards the small desk that served as Kelly's workstation, watching as she moved photos around the sample front page. "H-how's the p-p-p-paper?"

"Coming along. You sure you are ok? You seem more twitchy then normal." She said, her words in no way mean or spiteful. Carter was use to her sense of humor and didn't let it get to him in the slightest.

"Fine…j-just a lot on my m-m-m-m…m-m…mind!" He final managed to get out.

"I can tell." Kelly said, swiveling in her chair to look at him. "Come on…something is up. You were brooding by the window, you are stuttering real bad…"

"I d-don't br-br-br-brood!" Carter whined, moving over to play with a rubber ball that sat on another editor's desk.

"Ok, you were just staring out the window acting all broody but really weren't." Kelly amended. "What gives?"

"Nothing." Carter said, stilling batting the ball in the air as he headed over to the white board, reading every article that would be in the next paper. "Good articles this w-week."

"Mm-hmm." Kelly said, focused on trying to get the sports page to fit together. "Your fall TV review was real good…and I think I'll put your article about the chancellor's welcome back picnic on page 3."

Carter frowned. "Th-th-thought that was page one?"

"We have a new page one…isn't it up on the board?"

Carter looked up, scanning the columns until he came to the one listing the front-page stories. Bypassing the two he already knew would be there, he looked to the third. Glancing over at the title, he felt his heart seize up.

"Pretty weird story, huh? Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, huh?" Kelly laughed. "Hank Delpine has a nervous breakdown. Maybe he was right…there is a God." Se looked over back at her computer, not noticing the stricken look that had crossed Carter's face. "They had to drag him out of the stair well…not sure what made him snap but I hope its permanent." Kelly had never forgiven Hank for the way he had treated the entire paper. He had made a big deal of calling it a Zionist Filth Rag and calling for it to be struck down. And the way he had treated Carter had placed him quickly in her big book of hatred. No one attacked one of her reporters and got away with it.

"Who knows…" Carter whispered.

"What you say?"

"Who knows if it's p-permanent." He said softly. "C-could w-w-wear of."

Kelly swiveled around in her chair. "What do you mean, could wear off?"

Carter froze, realizing that he had just been caught while off in his own dark musings. Backpedaling quickly, he turned back to the board. "Just m-mean he could be ba-ba-back to normal…spring r…r…right back."

"Uh…huh….you sure you are ok?"

"Just f-fine…what else is in the p-paper?" He asked, switching topics quickly.

"Just some reviews…got a new columnist too."

Carter looked down the list of feature columnist, stopping at the new girl. "'The Love Professor. Who's t-that…" Carter began, only to freeze. His hands were glowing again, little wisps of light flowing past him towards…

"I've never noticed how beautiful your eyes are…" Kelly said with a goofy smile.

"Uh…m-maybe I should g-g-g-go…"

Kelly was up from her chair in an instant. "No need…let's talk. You know, you're really smart too…and funny…and good looking…" She continued to slink towards him, hips bouncing back and forth slightly.

'Shit!' Carter thought, backing away from his now enamored friend. Looking at his own traitorous hands, he held one out towards Kelly, who was looking at him with big puppy dog eyes. "Stop." He glanced at his none responsive hands, then back at Kelly.

"Nope…I think me and Cartie Wartie spent some time together.

'Cartie Wartie?' He thought. "Uh…I c-c-command you to st-stop." He said, receiving no response. "C-come on…don't move? No entry…pl-please?"

"Stop playing games and lets make with the snuggles." She said, pressing him into a wall and nuzzling his chest.

'Dear God…come on Carter…think of something…just calm down an…' he paused, noticing his hands flash. 'Calm down?' another flash. 'Calm?' The glow lasted a bit longer. "Kelly…calm."

The effect was instant. Kelly stopped dead, blinking in confusion as the light from his hands entered her body. Glancing up at him from her position, she slowly let go. Carter licked his lips, straightening his shirt.

"Oh God Carter…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me…" She rambled.

"I do." Carter said.

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yea…I came over you."

"…mind repeating that?"