"There is a moment… where the path we have taken, the journey we've begun, finally reaches its end. And it does not matter if we wished to begin this journey in the first place…or if we dream of it never ending. Everything begins…everything ends."

-Mohinder Suresh

(The Travelers: Wadsworth, Ohio)

"How much longer?"

"If this guy ain't lyin' about the time that safe is suppose to open, then we got another 20 minutes."

"Good." Said the man who was apparently the leader of the group. "Everything still clear out there?"

The second man at the door nodded. "Not a soul in sight."

The leader nodded. "What about those 5?"

The third man, the one charged with watching the hostages, shrugged his shoulders. "Talking to themselves, but they ain't causing trouble."

"Talking?"

"Not like they can do anything, we frisked them for weapons. Let them talk. We get nervous, and we can make sure they ain't seen again."

The leader pulled him aside. "No." He hissed. "We get caught, we only face 5 to 10. We kill them, that's life. And I ain't rotting in prison. So keep your trigger finger from itching."

"What's to stop them from gang rushing us, then?"

The leader smirked. "We don't HAVE to tell them we ain't plannin' to kill them."

&&&

"I think they're talking about us." Linda muttered.

"Probably figuring out which one of us to rape, and which one of us to kill." Kelly said. "Either way, we're screwed."

"Pun intended." Carter added. His leg bounced up and down rapidly as he looked around their small section of the store. He paused at Hank, who had his head down, mumbling under his breath. "What are you…"

"…hallowed be thy name…"

"…are you praying?"

"Thy kingdom come…"

"He's actually praying." Carter exclaimed softly.

Linda shrugged. "Let him. What could it hurt?"

"Nothing…but I'd personally prefer it if he could help us get the hell out of here."

The clerk looked at the four. "Out? Are you mad? They are armed! Just let them take the money and leave."

"And you're assuming they will just let us go?" Kelly asked. "News flash…people who wait around 8 hours for a safe to open aren't playing with a full deck."

Linda nodded. "The longer a robbery, the more likely you have to cap the witnesses."

Kelly frowned. "You act like your speaking from experience."

"Uh…"

"This is getting us no where." Carter snapped. His head darted about quickly. "We need to be ready to deal with these idiots if they try anything."

"deal?" Linda asked. "You don't mean…"

"No whammy, no whammy…stop? Oh yea, I mean that."

Linda frowned. "Carter…you seem jittery…its almost time, isn't."

"Time?" The clerk asked.

"Of the month." Kelly supplied. "You do not want to see what he's like then…he gets all bloated and bitchy…"

"Hey, quiet down!" One of the robbery shouted. He pointed his gun at them. "This is a lot louder, but it will be for a second."

The group nodded quickly, adverting their eyes. Turning back to the leader, the robbery didn't notice the look the 4 friends shared.

&&&

(Maddy Alverez: Hollywood, California)

Maddy watched as her sister slept, peaceful, ignorant of just how screwed up their lives had gotten.

She had gone down to her parent's lawyer yesterday to talk to him…and the news hadn't been good.

&&&

"What do you mean I'm broke!?!"

Allen Wiefrich cringed as the young woman leaned over his desk, practically screaming in his face. He had expected her to take the news hard…but he had hoped he would be able to finish the meeting without finding himself suffering bodily hard. At the moment…that looked like a pipe dream.

"I'm sorry Miss Alverez…"

"I don't care about sorry!" She screeched. "I care about the fact that my money has been stolen!"

"It hasn't been stolen." Mr. Wiefrich said. "It just isn't there."

"The definition of STOLEN!" Maddy screamed, slamming her fists into the desk.

The lawyer shook his head. "I am sorry Miss Alverez. If you would just let me explain…"

Madrid began to pace back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. "Ok…ok…you want to try and explain to me…exactly where the millions upon millions my parents made…went?"

Allen shifted uneasily. "It seems that your parents were living too rich for their good. They were donating so much money…I guess…"

"Are you saying…my parents gave away all the money they had to needy people in third world countries?"

Her lawyer nodded. "I'm sorry…I know this is hard…but think of all the good that money did for those people."

"Screw those people!" Madrid screamed. "I'm trying to raise a 3 year old. Do you realize just how expensive those cute little overalls are?!"

"Calm down, Miss Alverez!"

"Calm down…calm down…." Maddy screamed as she stormed out of the office. "I have no money….I BROKE, BITCH!"

SLAM!

"…well…" Allen muttered to himself. "That went better then I expected."

&&&

Madrid sniffed, forcing herself not to cry as she sat down next to her sister, stroking her hair as the little girl dreamed. 'Oh God…how am I suppose to do this…I'm not ready to be a mom…I'm not ready to worry about money and making bag lunches and handling a household. I'm not ready…I'm not ready to do this on my own!'

"Maddy?" Vally whispered, opening her eyes. "Maddy…wat's wong?"

The young actress gathered her sister in her arms, hugging her tight as she collapsed onto the bed, sobbing slightly. "Nothing's wrong…nothing's wrong…everything will be ok…everything will be ok…"

&&&

(Lee Malion, Galatea: Boston, Massachusetts)

Lee lifted the dollar bill from the album, examining it carefully. Holding it to the light, he viewed the piece with a critical eye.

"A confederate dollar, in mint condition. Perfect texture, preserved for years. This must cost…thousands of dollars." Lee smiled to himself…

…before he lit it on fire.

"No!" His father cried out, struggling to stand up. Galatea pressed down, her fingers digging into his shoulder and causing him to whimper. "Please…"

Lee shrugged. "Sorry dad…I just can't help myself." He flipped open a second album. "All you ever cared about were your coins. We couldn't take mom to the doctor when she go sick…but oh, we could afford to buy a 1902 penny. Galatea…" he tossed the piece to her, and she pressed down, twisting it into scrap. "I nearly starved that first year in that crummy apartment with no heat and rats the size of toasters, but hey, you could afford to buy this bill signed by Richard Nixon!" He ripped said bill to shreds, ignoring his father as he broke down in tears, his life's work destroyed. 'He never cared enough to cry about me…I was always the disappointment!' He threw the album into a trash can and lit it on fire. 'Doesn't even know me…doesn't know anything about my dreams, my loves, my fears…oh, but he can tell you this coin was minted in 1939, right before the war!' He threw it in the fire. 'or that this one costs 100 dollars! Or this one was minted in Pennsylvan…'

Lee froze as he stared up at the penny, the little 'P' engraved on it seeming to wink at him. His mind called back information he'd long forgotten, now crystal clear.

'It would work…'

He turned to Galatea, who stood waiting for her next command.

"Knock him out." Lee said harshly, locking eyes with his father as Galatea punched the back of his skull. This dad fell back, out cold, as Lee tipped the burning garbage can over. "oh no, Galatea, I just spilt all that fire on the carpet. We better go."

"Okay!" She said happily, following him as floor began to burn. "Where are we going now?"

"Home." Lee said, holding the penny. "I need to get drawing…"

&&&

"$13 dollars!?!" One of the robbers screamed. "We held up here for $13 lousy dollars!?!"

"Would you call down?" The leader screamed. "Let's just get…"

But the third robber had already grabbed the clerk and begun to shake him. "Why didn't you tell us you had only $13?!?"

"Didn't…know…" He gasped out.

"Oh, you didn't know…he didn't know…" The man pointed his gun at the clerk's head. "Little rat set this up…"

The leader grabbed his hand. "What did I tell you about killing?!?"

The third robber nodded. "you're right." He spun around, blasting a hole through the first robber's head.

"AAAA!" Kelly screamed, scooting back.

Hank did the sign of the cross. "God have mercy."

"Never liked him anyway." The third robber muttered. The second robber stared at him in shock, but turned around when he found the gun pointed at him. "What?" The second one turned back, looking out for cops, ignoring what was about to happen behind him. "Now then…" The third man said, turning back to the clerk. "I just wasted my night because of you…I think I deserve reimbursement." His lip twitched up. "My pound of flesh…as it were."

"Please…" The clerk whispered, closing his eyes, shaking as he felt the gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

The burglar shrugged. "Sorry…nothing personal…"

"Let him go."

The two robbers turned to find Carter and Linda standing before them, tensed and ready to fight. Linda's eyes darted around the 7/11, searching for…something. But Carter was solely focused on the man with the gun. Hank had shoved Kelly aside, using his body as a shield.

"Playing hero, are we?" The man asked, turning the gun on Carter.

"Yea, I am." Carter said softly, his hands beginning to glow. The burglar lowered his weapon, staring in shock.

"What the hell are you?"

"Me? I'm PANIC!"

Thrusting his palms out, he sent a wave of energy right at the burglar, startling him and causing him to cry out as he was hit. Carter raced forward, grabbing the clerk.

"Get to safety…go!" He yelled, his eyes flicker silver, the same color as the energy pooling in his hands.

Meanwhile, the second gunman had turned around, shocked to find his partner on the ground, trembling. "What the hell?"

"Hey!" Linda shouted, eyes blue as she focused on the Slushie machine. With a groan, the watery drink burst free, spraying into the burglar's eyes. She focused, and smiled as she sensed the water pipes below them. Her head moved up just a tad, and the pipe burst, sending a geyser up and slamming her opponent off his feet and onto the floor.

"Dread! Fear!" Carter shouted after each punch, fists crashing into the murderer's face. He was whimpering now, trembling as Carter continued the assault. "Terror!" he roared, clamping his hands on the man's head and giving it all he had, every once of his strength The man went limp, out cold, as Carter staggered back.

"Carter!" Linda cried out, rushing to him. She caught his arm, steadying him. "Carter…"

"I'm fine…just…over did it…" He said, neither noticing as the robber Linda had faced lifting his gun…

BANG! BANG!

Carter and Linda whipped around, staring at Hank and Linda. The two were holding the weapons dropped by the other robbers, staring down the second crook as he fell to the floor, blood from the twin shoulder wounds leaking onto the floor.

Hank grabbed Kelly's gun and began to wipe it down. "We need to go, now. The van should be waiting, and I don't think we want to explain this to the cops…" Doing the same for his gun, he tossed them aside. He ran towards the door, turning to look at them. "Come on!"

The 3 nodded, and raced out of the store.