"Ando…leave us." Kaito commanded.
"Sir…"
"Do what he says." Carter said. "This is not a battle for the likes of you." He adjusted his grip of the Kensai, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he readied for the battle to come. "This is between and the swordmaster."
Kaito nodded. "Yes Ando…go."
Ando switched to Japanese. "But it is Hiro's sword…he left it with me to protect."
"I will get it back…but I need you to leave, now, Ando…I can not face him and guard you. That is an order…now go!" Ando glanced back at Carter one last time before he finally relented, leaving the two. "You can not win, Carter Daniels. You do not possess the skill to face me."
"My great grandfather was Kensai, the sword saint. Maybe something rubbed off." Carter paused. "Sword saint…the voice of God…well, that worked out rather nicely…wasn't even trying." The two began to circle each other, beginning a dark, dangerous dance.
Kaito was impressed. Carter, after his first hasty attack, had not pressed forward, a wise move. It was something Hiro had yet to learn, always rushing when one can see so much better when standing back.
The tension snapped, the two leaping at each other, swords clanging as the smashed them together. Carter removed himself from the lock first, bringing his blade up and blocking the slash Kaito aimed at his head. Carter seemingly danced away, once again entering the guard position, deflecting several of Kaito's attempts.
"Good." Kaito said simply, positioning himself for another flurry. "But…beginners knowledge will not help you here." He darted forward, their swords clashing as the moving about the alley. They moved in harmony, one evading while the other pursued, prey and predator in an age-old performance. "Impressive"
"You'll find I'm full of surprises!" Carter quipped as he continued his defensive stance.
Kaito focused, waiting for the moment he needed. He didn't want to kill Carter, just disable him, wound him so he and Angela could capture him and bring him in. Both had agreed that, despite their feelings about the state of The Company, Carter Daniels was one of the reasons it had been created.
There.
A slip in Carter's defense. A tiring of his arms, his sword brought slightly too low…
Kaito rushed in with several flourishes, before gracefully raising his sword up, driving the point towards Carter's shoulder…
The young man smirked.
Instantly, Carter sprang his trap. The fatigue Kaito had seen disappeared, and Carter checked his defensive slash, reversing direction and catching Kaito's blade with his, sending both weapons flying.
Kaito stared at him in shock. Only a few people would use that move…but the way Carter did it…
"Who taught you that move!?" Kaito bellowed, slipping accidentally into Japanese.
"Your father, Kaito-san." Carter returned in Japanese, giving him a cheeky grin before diving for the weapons, Kaito following him. Through their positioning, each found themselves holding the other's sword. Carter glanced at the Kensai in Kaito's hands, then the sword in his own. It was much longer the one he had been using, better suited for his height, actually. He raised an eyebrow at the symbol upon the hilt. "And what do you call this blade?"
"The tensukasai….godfire." Kaito answered.
"well…that works out even better." Carter grinned, eyes flashing silver as he channeled his whammy energy out of his hands and into the sword, igniting the blade. "Oh yea…so much better."
&&&
"Ugh…what a mess." Madrid said is disgust, lifting a pair of boxer shorts up by the tip of her fingers, utterly repulsed.
Sergei shrugged. "Not that bad."
"No, looks a lot better then my old place." Lee agreed, even as he ran his hand over a table and came back with a palm covered in dust bunnies.
Madrid and Galatea shared a look. "Men."
(The Fugitives-Mohinder Suresh's Apartment)
"Hey…how would you have gotten in here, if it weren't for the man that knows how to pick locks?" Sergei said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Galatea/Jessica (it was getting harder to tell who was who) responded by cracking her knuckles.
"New strategy, R2…" Lee said in a British accent. "Let the wookie win."
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Galatea roared.
Lee hid behind Sergei. "Nothing, dear."
Sergei shoved Lee away from him. "Do not involve me in your petty squabbles, Malion." He moved towards Madrid, letting the two on again/off again lovers bicker between themselves. As long as Lee didn't begin summoning his locust or Galatea begin punching holes in the wall… "How are you holding up, beautiful?"
Madrid sighed, savoring Sergei's hand on her shoulder. The older man was a comfort that the former actress needed at a time like this. "Alright…better when we find Vally."
"Do you truly believe we will find the answer here?"
Madrid frowned. "We have to…"
&&&
Hank stood still, watching as Angela slowly walked past him, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Amazing…I've seen several cloakers in my life, and an invisible man. But you, Hank Delpine, you are simply inspiring. Full invisibility to all senses…you can even hide your body heat and avoid detection from electronic devices that measure your presence." She slowly turned her head to her left, standing next to Hank and Vally, the little girl firmly in his arms. "But…can you block my friend?"
From a store emerged a dark skinned man, silent and calculating, bald head and dark eyes making him an imposing sight. The Haitian slowly walked towards them, Hank cursing as the Haitian blocked his powers. Angela reached out for Vally, Hank moving to stop her, only to get punched by the Haitian. Angela ran a hand along Vally's hair, the little girl screaming in outrage.
"Don't worry, sweetie…once my friend here is done with you, you won't miss your daddy…you won't even remember him."
"MONSTER!" Hank shouted, diving at Angela, swinging a punch, only for her to catch his arm and throw him aside.
"Do it." Angela demanded, the Haitian slowly touching Vally's head…
&&&
"Helena is in a panic." Tina said, leaning against the door to Kelly's room.
Kelly didn't look up. "Oh?"
"Thinks Carter is in danger."
"That's bad."
"I am drunk, naked and covered in fudge, ready to party."
"Get on my bed, once I finish this I'll lick you clean." Kelly said, still typing.
Tina smirked, running a hand along the back of Kelly's neck. "And here I thought you weren't listening."
"I'm always listening." Kelly said, typing quickly. "And I also knew about Carter."
Tina nodded. "Get something on your mental GPS?" 2 weeks after they had arrived in Mackinaw, and after being strapped to a chair and lectured into submission, Kelly had finally accepted that she had a superpower, the ability to see the world like a big map. At first, it had been little more then sensing the layout of a building, but practicing with Tina's help had allowed Kelly to expand her senses several miles, but only if she locked in on someone she knew. The way Carter's dot kept dancing around had clued her in on the fact that something was up.
Tina thought that maybe, one day, Kelly would be able to find anyone…anywhere. And Tina knew a lot, having been a big help.
And it didn't hurt that Tina was as sexy as hell, experienced in the sack, and up for some nerve calming sex.
"So…what are you working on?" Tina asked, sitting herself on the bed.
"I'm giving directions to Hana, who is sending me footage from security cams in the area. I'm using that to give Helena directions, then telling Hana when she can delete the footage from the records."
Tina grinned. "Aren't you just a sexy, walking version of Barbara Gordon." She picked up a file and glanced over it. "And how is our other pet project coming."
Kelly and Tina had begun a side project a week ago, seeing if they could figure out if there was a common thread between people of the same bloodline and their powers. It had all started when Kelly, commenting about Carter and Vally's shared fiery forms, had gotten Tina to admit that she and her father seemingly had opposing powers: His to heal at a touch, hers to burn and destroy.
"I have some interesting theories." Kelly said, typing a command to Helena. "Now, the dominant part of a power doesn't seem to have a connection. I mean, from what you told me about Micah, he was born to a superstrenth woman and a phaser. Same with Carter: His mom was a fire started, his dad could charm people with near hypnotic intensity."
"But the shared fire…"
"A minor trait." Kelly said. "Carter gets it from his mother, and he passed it down to his daughter. I wouldn't be surprised if it is now a dominant minor trait…"
"So your saying that the way a power manifests can be a reflection of a minor gene that is passed on, while the main part of the power is seemingly…random? Like how some healers can do it through blood, while my father does it through touch, and thus my power is activated through my hands?"
Kelly shrugged. "I'm a reporter…I only report."
"And I'm a psychologist. If you want to know how these powers effect the mind, that I can do." Tina paused. "The mind…wait…" She quickly flipped through the file. "Look at this…"
"Kinda busy." Kelly said, typing in another command, all the while trying to instant message her new chat buddy who was a seeming expert on the legend of Kensai.
"This is important." Tina said. "Carter can manipulate the chemicals in the brain. Eden McCain, Carter's sister, can implant thoughts. Terrence can manipulate the nerves. Their father could charm, a form of mental manipulation…" She continued to flip through papers. "My God…its nature and nurture."
"Huh?" Kelly asked.
"Terrence had an abusive uncle that use to beat him, burn him, cut him. Then Terrence developed the ability to block the signals nerves send to the brain. Eden always wanted to lead, to have people listen to her, even when she was mute…then found a voice that could command everyone."
Kelly pushed herself away from the computer. "Carter always said he dreamed of himself getting over his fear…of being brave and confident…"
"Then he found the fire to remold himself." Tina finished. "My father wanted to save his mother's life, then did. I wanted to melt my father's face off, then tried to. Tell me Kelly…did you get lost easily? When your friends went to the mall, was it common for you to get pulled into a crowd and have trouble finding them? Did you ever lose your parents in a store while you were a kid and wish you could find them?"
Kelly thought back, remembering all to well the day when she was a little girl, and how, while at the mall, she had been attacked by a drunk and nearly molested. The entire time, she had wondered where her mother was…wondered what was taking her so long…
Then…she had felt the man who made smoke come towards her, even before he entered her viewpoint…
"No way…" Kelly whispered.
Tina smiled, laughing nervously. "Way…the minor stuff, that's set in stone. But the power itself…it isn't in the blood…its all in the brain. Our brains rewire…and allow us to create the power we most desire."
Kelly licked her lips. "Which begs the question…what does a 2 year old want most?"
&&&
The Haitian frowned. This wasn't how it was suppose to go. Whenever he had reached in to alter a person's memories, it was like sifting through soul, pulling the memories out like grub worms and tossing them aside. Easy, simple, fast.
Now, however, he found himself all alone, the world gray and endless. He took a few steps, knelt down to feel the ground, only to find it like stone.
"You should have listened to me." A woman said, the Haitian glancing up at the newcomer.
Had he known her, he would have thought he was talking to Madrid Alverez. The woman was nearly her twin: Same long dark hair, same tanned skin, same body…only this woman stood about an inch or two taller, her nose was a bit different, and her eyes sparkled with interest. She was dressed in a tight pink t-shirt that showed off her breasts and left her belly bare, tight black jeans…and Carter Daniel's famous duster.
It is said that people, in their minds, have one definitive version of themselves, a persona they see as their ideal self.
It should have come as no surprise that for Valencia Alverez, hers was a fusion of Madrid and Carter.
"Who are you?" The Haitian demanded.
The woman smirked. "I am Valencia…or, at last, what she will become." She took a step closer, her leather boots clicking as she walked. "I am Vally at her full power, in her prime, her dreams and hero worship combined." The woman that called herself Valencia laughed. "I will admit…it's hard to imagine I come from Dora the Explorer Redux."
"You are the little girl?" The Haitian asked in shock.
Adult Valencia nodded. "I am the image she dreams of, every night, when her daddy tucks her in. All her life, Vally has seen heroes…from her father on the big screen, to her worship of Madrid who could do some many cool things, to her father, the silver angel that rescued her. I am the hero she was longs to be…brought forth by her desire to be a hero…to be special." She smirked as her eyes glowed pink. "Don't you see?"
Before the Haitian could react, Adult Valencia was on him, striking him down with a spin kick before slamming her fists into his gut, causing him to double over.
"I am the future." Adult Valencia said softly, her body exploding into pink flames. "I am the daughter of the Metatron and the General. I am the Light of God…and when Vally grows up…I'll be a reality." She grabbed the Haitian by the throat and asked, sweetly, "Now…get out of my head." When the Haitian did nothing, Adult Valencia shuddered in anger. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
&&&
"NO TOUCH VALLY!" Vally screamed, remembering what Maddy and Daddy had taught her to shout if anyone bothered her. The Haitian crying out as he was flung back, a blast of pink flames sending in crashing into Angela.
Hank groaned, groping for something on grab onto. "Huh…where is that bitch…lets see her try that a third time."
"Uncle Hank, bad word!" Vally squealed, grabbing his hand. "Go…help daddy!"
Hank forced the cobwebs from his head, activating his powers and making them disappear just as Vally stuck her tongue out at Angela.
&&&
Merrick sat alone in his room, surrounded by orbs of different sizes, each holding different materials, from water to wood to coal. His eyes shut, he focused slowly on opening and closing his hands, working through his frustrations even as the different materials contracted and expanded.
His thoughts turned to his son, how he should never have waited like his father said to bring Hank in, begin his training. How he should be right now educating his boy about the ways of The Alliance, preparing him to become his number 2 instead of using that fool Aradiky…
How he and Hank should be preparing to kill off Ashleigh and Anthony and taking their place as the leaders of the family.
And now…Hank was with Carter.
Merrick let out a bellow, slamming his hands down. The orbs all shuddered, water firing from a few orbs with enough force to cut through walls, wood exploding into flames, coal shuddering and shrinking until it began to glow.
Standing up, Merrick's shoes crunched the glass underfoot as he walked over and picked up the diamond that now sat where the coal had once been. Shrugging, he pocketed it and left the room.
&&&
Carter launched himself again, slashing at Kaito, the businessman just managing to avoid him and his blade. The battle had become all the more dangerous due to his igniting of his sword, making each swipe another chance of either a cut of a blast of whammy energy for Kaito.
Ando, who had defied Kaito's demand out of loyalty to Hiro's father and Hiro's sword, watched on, though his attention was divided between the fight and reading the message from his new IM pal.
TerryFromElsewhere: hey, can i get more info on kensai? think friend related to him
Looking up to see Kaito charge at Carter, the young man just managing to block the slice that would have taken his hand, Ando quickly turned back to the phone.
Ladiesman217: will later, busy
TerryFromElsewhere:?
Ladiesman217: my friends father is in a fight
TerryFromElsewhere: shoulnd't you help him?
TerryFromElsewhere: shouldn't
Carter snarled, Kaito managing to slice into his thigh. "I needed that scratch to awaken me!"
Ladiesman217: can't
Ladiesman217: sword fight
Ladiesman217: the other guy took my sword
TerryFromElsewhere: swordfight?
TerryFromElsewhere: the other guy…black duster…had a little girl with him?
Ladiesman217: …how ya know that?
TerryFromElsewhere: …
Ando was pulled from his musings when he heard Carter curse, looking up to find the young man on his knees, Kaito's sword at his neck.
"You fought well…do not waste your life." Kaito said coldly.
"If I gave up Vally to you…then my life would be worth nothing."
Kaito nodded. "As hard as it is for you to believe…I understand the depths a father will go for his child."
"what about a mother?" Helena asked, emerging from behind Ando and placing a gun to his head. "Let him go, Kaito."
Kaito frowned. "Do you really believe I can do that? The girl must be protected, Helena…you were part of the company…I helped train you…why do you not trust us?"
"And you should known better then anyone that I protect what is mine. I protected the Company…but my son and granddaughter comes first. And I swear to God, Kaito…let him go or I will kill this boy, then I'll kill you."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Angela Petrelli is here…as is the Haitian…you are outnumbers…"
"The bitch and the Frenchman are out cold." Hank said, appearing behind Kaito and wrapping an arm around his neck. Vally glared at Kaito, kicking him in the shin, before rushing into her daddy's arms. "You know…I am a master of torture…use to do it to Carter all the time. But now…now that me and him are on the same side…I'm doing everything to make up for all the pain I put him through." He tightened his grip as Carter quickly moved towards his mother, Helena motioning for Carter to follow her towards the van she had set up in Mackinaw Crossings just for something like this. Carter, one hand holding Vally close, the other wrapped around the sword he had decided to take, moved quickly beside his mother, glaring at Kaito and Ando. "I am a ghost, old man…you come after us…and the last thing you'll hear before I kill you…" He leaned in close. "is silence."
And with that, hank disappeared, Kaito whipping around, trying to find him.
But Hank, along with Carter, Vally and Helena…were gone.
&&&
"I think he looked good." Mohinder said, his companion shaking her head.
"You're crazy."
"Well, he looked better then he did a week ago…they say he'll be out soon."
"I hope so."
Mohinder opened the door, taking a few steps into his apartment before the door slammed shut. He turned, wrapping an arm around Molly, eyes widening. "Nikki?"
Galatea grinned. "Not quite, Doctor Suresh."
Sergei stepped forward, barbs poking out of his fists. "We just want to talk."
Lee nodded, summoning two walking chairs. "So please, be our guest."
Suresh took a few deep breaths, wondering what new hell he found himself in. "Let Molly go. Please…I'll do whatever you want…" Madrid stepped forward. "Wait…"
"Madrid Alverez?" Molly asked, confused. "My mom has all your movies. What…what are you doing here?"
Madrid smirked. "We are here for a favor…and despite what Dr. Suresh thinks, we aren't here for him…" She knelt down slowly to look Molly in the eye. "We're here for you."