(The Travelers- Somewhere in Pennsylvania)
Silence.
It dominated the van, the group all lost in thought. They had driven for several hours the day before, but the lack of sleep had been too much for them. The 4 had been forced to find a hotel, and had bunked down for the rest of the day the following night, their sleep dreamless.
The next morning found them driving again, but they were still lost in their thoughts, unwilling or unable to talk about what had happened 24 hours ago. It was strange to think about how so much had changed in such little time. Even considering the fact that the four of them were on the run from a mysterious organization; or the fact that Carter could control people's emotions and Linda manipulate water.
For Hank and Kelly, 24 hours ago they had merely been passengers on this trip, brought along because they could help the two super powered beings in their escape. Even with Hiro's comment that they would, 'Save the World', neither had actually believed it.
Now, the two of them had been involved in a hold-up…one in which they had killed a man. It had been a matter of self-defense…but still, they had killed a man.
The act had shaken them both in different ways. For Kelly, it was shook that she could do such a thing. Living in Flint, her father a police officer, Kelly Raegan knew that sometimes, the only choice you had was kill or be killed. But that didn't mean she was ready to do the killing. She was a reporter…she didn't get involved with the story, become the story…she was just suppose to observe…
For Hank Delpine, he faced a different question: Had there been another way? God preached love and tolerance…yet he also knew that God smote the wicked. But Hank was not God. Who was he to say who deserved to live and who deserved to die? What right did he have? And what frightened him more…would God forgive him?
Dr. Linda Frey was disturbed for her own reasons. This had been the first time in over 10 years that she had be involved with a robbery. Not since she had left Las Vegas, since she had last seen DL and Niki…had Linda been anywhere near a crime.
And for the first time, she wasn't the one robbing the store.
It was a weird full-circle type feeling. Coming back to what she had been, to what she was now. She hadn't even thought about how much she had changed…how she had transformed from the young teen, knocking off grocery stores to pay of a cocaine habit, selling her body so she could afford the bullets needed to protect herself on the strip…to the brilliant young professor, shaping young minds and more worried about her stock options then where her next meal was coming from.
And as she drove the van deeper away from her foster home…she wondered if she was driving back to her past…or into her future.
Amazingly, it was Carter Daniels that was least disturbed by the turn of events. He did not seem shocked by what had happened, or saddened. Around him…an air of acceptance hung.
It was he that broke the silence.
"When I was a young boy, meeting my adopted parents for the first time…my father, he asked me what I wanted to be. I remember him asking…did I want to fight fires? Did I want to cure diseases? Did I want to fly in space?
"I said "no". I knew what I wanted to be, and it wasn't anything like that. My dreams, they were grander then anything my father could believe. I told him, "I want to be a hero, Mr. Daniels- I use to call him that, before I got to know my adopted parents- I want to save the world." You would have thought he would have laughed, made light of that. But he just knelt down next to me and said, "Carter, you can be whatever you want to be…if you try hard enough, anything is possible." That's what my father told me.
"And he was right. If you open your mind to it, you can achieve anything. It doesn't matter how unlikely…you will get what you desire." Carter grew silent, a smile creeping onto his face. "I know what I want to be…what I was born to be…I want to be a hero."
The van remained silent, as everyone processed what the young man had said.
"Carter?" Linda finally said, something dawning on her.
"What?"
"It's been over 3 days since you last whammied yourself."
Carter froze, looking down at his hand. It had been. Had it really been that long since he had last commanded himself to be confident and courageous? Had he gone this long without breaking into a stuttering fit? Surely, by know, the effects of his powers should have worn off. They always did…until now.
"Carter…" Kelly asked, "…what does that mean?"
"I don't know." Carter replied. "I don't really know."
&&&
(Madrid Alverez- Hollywood, California)
"I'll give you 30 bucks."
Maddy raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
"I am waiting to the part where you go, "Just kidding, I will pay you 3000 bucks."."
The pawn shop owner looked at her, then back down at the diamond bracelet. "40 dollars, and you can have this TV."
The actress shook her head. "I don't need a TV."
"Fine, then just the 40 bucks." The heavy set man punched in a few numbers on his old fashion cash register, the machine dinging as the tray slide out. Grabbing two dirty twenties, he thrust the bills out towards her. "There you go."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Honey, do I look like a man that tells knock knock jokes?" The pawnshop owner's shook his head. "Listen, I like you…I can tell that you are brand new to this sort of thing. So, tell ya what…let me let you in on the taxes you have to pay."
"Taxes?" Madrid asked, face scrunched up.
The man nodded. "First off, I believe you that this bracelet is the real deal. I've seen enough of the knock off stuff to know when I am being scammed, and you are tellin' me the truth. So, we start with 3000 dollars. Now, there must be a reason you don't want to sell this on ebay or to a real jeweler, so you have to pay a Stolen Goods Tax. That's 700. Yea then have the Odd Item Tax…it runs you 250, as it will be real hard for me to sell this then off. Oh, and a 10 dollar tax…that's for me to cover, duh, legal taxes."
"That…still leaves me with 2040 dollars." Madrid said after a moment.
"Oh, did I forget the 'You're Madrid Alverez, and if you don't want my talking to the tabloids, you'll pay me $2000 to shut me up' tax?" The pawn dealer laughed. "Always forget that one." He leaned over the counter. "Listen sweetie…I liked your dad's movies. Shame he had to die. Same with your mom. But do you really want your pretty face in some dirt mag, talking about how you have to pawn your jewelry off? Trust me…they can make it look like that money is going to more then just groceries." He pulled back. "Well?"
Madrid glared at the man, before reaching into her purse and pulling out 6 more bracelets. "That will be 280, right?"
The man grinned, putting the twenties away and grabbing 3 hundred-dollar bills. "Keep the change." Madrid snatched the bills from his hand. "Geez…show some kindness…not like money grows on trees."
Madrid paused, squeezing the bills with her right hand…and producing duplicates in her left.
"Not exactly on trees." She said, hiding her smile as she left the shop. "But pretty close."
&&&
(Lee Malion-Boston, Massachusetts)
"You're what?"
Lee grinned as he tossed the apple in the air. "Quitting."
"Lee…is this some kind of joke?"
"No joke." The graphic artist said. "no joke at all."
Lee's boss shook his head. "Listen…if this is about that poster, I'll admit it: I pushed you. I should have let you take your time." He held up his hand. "The guard told me about what happened…I'm not angry. Infact, I looked over the new one, and it is amazing."
"Its not about that." Lee said. "Though…glad to know you liked the poster."
"I did…was thinking about giving you a raise…set you up with some of our bigger clients."
Lee was surprised by that, pausing for a moment, only to return to throwing the apple. "Listen, I am glad to hear that…but I just can't do this anymore."
"Why not, Lee…I thought you loved drawing."
"Oh, I do." The man said. "Thing is, I got this new girlfriend. She and I, we spent some time together this last month…"
"So that's why you asked for the vacation." The boss said with a wide grin. "Man…she must be one pretty girl to get you to take off work."
Lee nodded. He had always liked his boss. A bit to worried about deadlines, that was for sure, but a good guy to work for. 'Yea, we fought from time to time…' Lee thought as he sat down in the guest chair, '…but you always was fair. Hee…I'm actually going to miss you, Mr. Reynolds.'
Tuning back into the conversation, Lee grinned, taking a big bite of the apple. "The thing is, me and her got talking, and I realized that while I love working here…there I so much more I could be doing. All these different avenues…" He leaned forward. "I've conquered the world of posters and CD covers. I want to try something else?"
"Like what?" His boss asked, genuinely interested. "Painting?"
"Not quite…there is no poetry in that. No…I have some more eccentric plans. Plans I can't pursue while working here."
Mr. Reynolds nodded. "I can accept that…barely, but I can." He stood up, shaking Lee's hand. "I'll miss you Malion."
"And me you." Lee said. The artist turned towards the door, hand on the knob. Just as he turned it, Reynolds' voice caused him to pause.
"Lee…you mind me asking what your big eccentric plan is?"
The graphic artist turned, his smile just a little to broad.
"Coins…it involved coins."
&&&
"Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom…"
Hank, Linda and Carter moved out of the way, letting Kelly rush through the doors of the rest stop. She dashed past the people in line for McDonalds, and ducked into the lavatory, practically squealing in delight. She had been crossing her legs for the last few hours, trying to hold it in. But Kelly wasn't exactly in the mood to wet one of the 6 clean pairs of panties she had brought.
The other three stood around the door, waiting for Kelly to get done. Hank pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head, Linda turned towards the wall to study a map, and Carter tried to stay in the shadows.
They had learned in Wadsworth that Linda, Kelly and Carter's pictures were all over the news, or had been, at least. Apparently, Carter's parents had notified the police that he'd run off, and someone had connected the dots. They knew Linda and Kelly were connected to his disappearance, that they were with him.
'Of course, they assumed all three of us are lovers.' Carter thought to himself. 'Granted, I've had some dreams revolving around that…' He shook his head, riding himself of those thoughts. Instead, he focused on Hank. 'Thank God no one's figured out he's missing.' Hank had told the Christian League to make it look like he was going to study at a church in Nebraska, getting hands-on experience. That would buy him a month at least. They weren't thinking about what would happen after that.
They weren't even thinking about what would happen next week, let alone months from now.
"Ahhh!" Kelly exclaimed, walking towards them, her face happy and bright. "I feel all better." She paused. "Can I get a Big Gulp?"
"NO!" All three of her traveling friends shouted.
"Spoil sports." She muttered, crossing her arms.
"Come on." Hank said. "Let's getting moving before…"
"What the hell?!" Linda said, pointing past Hank.
The group turned just in time to watch a cloud of black smoke blast through one of the entryways. People were scrambling, trying to outrun the blast, but it was moving to quick. It overtook them, enveloping them and hiding them from the rest of the now panicking crowd.
"MOVE!" Carter shouted, turning, making ready to high tail it out the door…
…only to find the cloud already there.
"COUGH!"
"Hank!"
"Kelly!"
"Guys!"
"Carter?"
"Dr. Frey, where are you?"
"Follow my voice."
"COUGH!"
"Guys?!"
As suddenly as it appeared, the smoke began to clear, blasting out of the rest stop and into the night. People all over were struggling to take in fresh breaths of air, clear their lungs of the dark smoke that had overcame them.
Hank was on his knees, panting hard. Kelly was nearby, eyes burning, rubbing them with her shirt.
"Everyone ok?" Linda asked.
"I'm fine." Hank managed to get out.
"Me too." Kelly said.
Silence.
"Carter?" Linda called out. The professor stood up, looking about the area. "Carter, where are you?"
"Carter?" Kelly called out. "This isn't funny!"
Hank was panting harder now…but for a much different reason. "Daniels! Where are you? Daniels!!"
&&&
Up on the hill, on the opposite side of the road from the rest stop, the man known only as Seth looked down at the young man slung over his shoulder, before making his way into the night.
Author's Note: First off, to all the readers that haven't been reviewing…shame, shame, shame. Authors live off your reviews. Every time you give a nice long review, you will receive exclusive information, questions answered, and hints at what is to come.
Every time you don't, a puppy is killed.
Review this week, and learn the origin of this story, and the what Carter was originally suppose to be.