Biddy gripped Hank's shoulder, eyes wide with panic as the ground beneath their feet rolled and twisted about manically. Hank wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her away from a rapidly growing crack.
(Paris, France)
"What's going on?!" Biddy cried, a bit of concrete bouncing against her head and flying back into the air, thudding several feet away. She trembled as se felt her muscles lock up, lumps of stone forcing her power to activate, bouncing back all dangers but also freezing her in her place.
Hank struggled to drag Biddy along, the task made harder by the bits of debris he had to dodge if he didn't want to…well, die.
"No clue…I'm pretty sure though it has something to do with my mom."
"You think?" Biddy asked, a bit of her old BeeBee self slipping through. Hank finally managed to dragged her away from one of the massive cracks in the road, and not a moment too soon. Just as they made it to the sidewalk, a boulder burst from the ground, unfurling and twisting until it took the form of a hand.
Hank shook his head. "Oh, just wonderful!" A second slowly rose from the ground, fingers twitching as it zeroed in on the two of them. "Time to go!" Hank muttered, instantly going invisibly, taking Biddy with him.
"Yous thinks you can avoid mes like that?" Quint called out, his Jersey accent cutting threw the panicked screams of the French. "Yous thinks that there disappearin' act will hides ya from me?" He laughed, the stone hands he had created raising high in the air. "Try this!"
Hank's eyes widened as the two stone hands slammed into the road, crushing pavement and sending a massive wave of that knocked him and his fiancée off their feet. Hank shook his head, forcing himself to remain invisible.
"I can dos this all day!" Quint called out, fingering the horn pendent around his next while slamming the stone fists once again.
"Even more wonderful." Hank muttered bitterly.
&
(Charlie and Renee Raegan- London)
"When is your buddy going to get here?" Charlie asked, blowing in his hands in a vain attempt to try and warm them up. The London afternoon was a cold one, zapping the strength from him. And considering he lived in Michigan…
Renee frowned. "He isn't a buddy."
Charlie nodded. "Figure of speech. When does this guy you know get here?"
"Soon." Renee stated. "And if you must know, he was a rival."
Her husband frowned. "A rival as in, "We both tried to get the same car and he got the better loan" or rival as in a professional?"
"Professional." Renee admitted.
Charlie turned her slowly. "You're kidding." When she did nothing to convince him she wasn't, Charlie began to pace. "You mean to tell me we are risking capture by Interpol to meet with someone that you use to compete with!? I've met a few of your rivals, Renee…hell, we've gone to enough of their funerals…I saw you dance on Rio Del Lupine's grave!"
"It wasn't a dance!" She stammered, saying softer, "It was a jig."
"WE ARE RELYING ON A CRIMINAL TO FIND OUR DAUGHTER!!"
Renee growled. "The last time I checked, you had no problem palling with criminals, Chief."
Charlie glared at her. "That was a low blow."
"Trouble in paradise?"
The two turned as Rodreck, Renee's old rival, stepped into view. He was dressed rather dashingly, in 2 piece black suit and olive colored vest, elegant ivory cane in hand. He had a pencil thin mustache, his dark brown hair receding slightly and gray at the temples. He walked up to Renee, bowing slightly
"Hello luv." He said with a smile, looking up at her before rising back up to face Charlie. "And who is this? Another pigeon?"
The former Chief of Police frowned, taking a step forward. "Her husband."
Rodreck grinned. "Is that so, old man? And how long have you and the missus been married?"
"Over 25 years."
Rodreck raised an eyebrow, turning to Renee. "When you run a con, you really make it a long con."
Renee was on him in a second, knife at her rival's throat. "Are we going to talk about the deal or what?"
Rodreck managed a grin. "Always fast on your feet." He pulled her hand away, fingers slipping down the chain that hung around his neck…and stroking the horn pendent that hung on it. "Come on."
&
(Bennet House)
"Why is she not back yet?" Carter cried out in frustration, pacing the length of the living room. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is out there…what if Sylar…"
"Carter…you're wearing a hole in the carpet." Madrid said softly.
Meredith scoffed. "Yeah, worrying…that will really bring Claire back sooner."
Sandra Bennet glared at the other woman. "At least he is worried." She snapped.
"I'm worried!" Meredith exclaimed. "But I also think Claire is just having a sleepover and worry-boy here is just making himself sick."
"Oh, you think that, do you?" Carter questioned, frustrated. "Call off the police search, my white trash mama thinks my sister is A-ok!"
"Carter, not now." Sandra pleaded. The day had been nerve-wrecking for Sandra Bennet. She had to deal the drama that was Claire's birth mother, who seemed to think just because she squeezed the girl out from between her legs she had the right to comment on the situation. Add onto this the arrival of Claire's half-brother Carter and his family, thinking they were there to help Claire. Carter and them had woken up late in the afternoon, suffering from Jet Lag, only to find Claire still not back, causing him to become near irrational.
Thank God Lyle had volunteered to watch over Vally.
Meredith glared at him. "Do you have a problem with me, or somethin'? Because I sense hostility."
Carter raised an eyebrow. " Do I have a problem with you?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Do I…have a problem with you?" He began to laugh some more, the sound almost grating to hear. "Nah…why would I have a problem with you? You just abandoned me, left me all alone in this cruel, cruel world…nah, why don't we go take a paddle boat ride, mommy?"
"Excuse me…" Meredith piped up, "but I didn't just 'abandon you'. I gave you away to a nice orphanage…"
Carter was laughing again.
"Nice…nice?" His laughed died in his throat, a growl ripping from his lungs. "NICE?!" Silver whammy energy exploded from his back. He took several deep breaths, fighting to keep in control. Slowly, the flames receded. "You know, orphanages are not like they are in Annie. A little less singing a lot more with the beatings. Though, one of the women did enjoy singing Def Leopard as she hit me with a paddle…"
Sandra's eyes widened, her need to worry about Claire battling with her horror of what Carter was describing. "You're joking."
Carter narrowed his eyes, pulling off his black t-shirt and lifting his arms. Sandra felt her stomach heave as she looked at the hideous scars that lined his armpits. Madrid closed her eyes, all to aware of the scars but having never heard the story behind them. Even Meredith appeared a bit ill.
"They did it were no one would see them." Carter said, his voice hollow. "Got these when I was 4…the worst is when they do it and the inspection board comes the next day. They taught us to stand there, with our arms straight down…the blood would clot to your shirt and the cuts would slowly scab over the material. And because they didn't want you wasting shirts, they couldn't afford to cut them off, so they just ripped them clear away…ripped the wounds right back open."
Sandra lost the battle, rushing to the kitchen. The sound of her heaving could be heard throughout the house. All she could think about was how lucky she was that Noah had been given Claire…that her husband had decided to keep their little girl instead of giving in and giving her up.
Carter pulled his shirt back on. "But my miserable childhood doesn't matter right now…what matters is that Claire is gone and we need to find her."
"you deserved it."
Carter slowly turned, eyes narrowed, his breath coming out in short bursts. "What did you say?" He asked.
"Carter…" Madrid whispered, walking towards her husband. She could tell by the shake of his hand he was not as calm as he was forcing himself to appear to be.
"I said you deserved it." Meredith declared. "You obviously did something to deserve everything they did…not my fault if you were a bad boy."
"Bad?" Carter hissed. "Bad? What could a child do to deserve the beatings I got? What could I have ever done that was so wrong? Well…what?"
It was in that moment that Sandra realized Carter wasn't asking the questions sarcastically, demanding Meredith face up to her incredibly stupid comment.
Sandra realized the truth: Carter actually thought he deserved it all.
"Meredith…leave." Sandra said coldly, waiting for Carter's birthmother to leave before she spoke. "You weren't to blame." She whispered.
Carter turned to her, trying to smile. "You don't know that…I broke the rules, Mrs. Bennet. And when you break the rules…"
"What rules could you have broken that would justify…that." She questioned.
Madrid thought she had seen the scariest things in the world. Merrick holding her daughter…the Company prisons…but nothing matched seeing her husband, one of the most fearless and powerful men she had ever know…look absolutely terrified.
"No." Carter said, his voice weak. "We…we need to focus on Claire…"
Sandra shook her head. "You're no good to Claire if you aren't at full strength…Carter...tell us…"
"You have to be quiet." Carter whispered, staring down at the carpet, mouth open slightly. "At night…don't make noises, don't wake the other children, especially the babies. If you wake up the babies, that is bad. Don't scream…don't cry if you're scared. Don't make a sound when you have a nightmare, don't even whimper. If you do, you'll wake the babies…only bad boys wake the babies up. The babies need their sleep, its bad to not let them sleep…you're bad if you don't let them sleep…"
Madrid trembled, remembering all too well the many nights she had woken up to find Carter staring up at the ceiling, eyes wide. She would ask him if he was alright, and he would always say he was fine, in the softest voice possible, then ask her to check on Vally to make sure she was awake. And only when Madrid assured him that Vally was fine would he actually close his eyes and sleep.
Sometimes she had found him like that in the morning…and no matter how tired he seemed, he would always resist the urge to get up…
"God in Heaven." Madrid whispered, tears falling free.
Sandra felt another dry heave coming.
"I tried not to cry." Carter whispered, eyes shut, his body shaking. "I don't anymore…you can't wake the babies up, you can't make a s…s….s-s-s…" He grimaced, body trembling hard. "I…I learned not to s…s…speak…" He stuttered, silver flames appearing around his head…before they violently shattered. He fell to his knees, his breath coming out ragged. "Tried to fix it…couldn't…only cover it up…."
"What…what are you…" Sandra began.
"He whammied himself." Madrid answered softly. She'd always had a feeling Carter had used his powers on himself…this was her proof. "He boosted his confidence and courage, altered the chemicals in his brain to remove his fear…but he never got rid of them."
Sandra kneeled beside him, the mother in her forcing her to comfort this broken man before her. "It wasn't your fault." She whispered. "You were just a child."
"B…b…bad…" He ground out.
Sandra shook her head, suddenly feeling such a rage at the men and women that had done this to the young man before her…wishing Noah was with her…and thanking God he wasn't, as she knew well what she would ask him to do if he was. "No!" She snapped, Carter flinching. "You weren't…you were a child…you did what children do…it wasn't your fault."
Carter blinked, finally looking up at her. "I…I was a good boy." He finally got out.
Sandra pulled him into a hug, letting him cry on her shoulder. "It's ok…it's over…"
None of them noticed Vally watching from the door, tears in her eyes.
&
(New York City)
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SOLD IT!?"
Galatea had never seen Lee like this. She had seem in power hungry. She had seen him angry. She had seen him near insanity, fancying himself a supervillain.
But she had never seen him with this much red hot fury.
Galatea was frightened.
Jessica was aroused.
The representative for the auction house trembled. "I…I am sorry sir! I terribly am! But a last minute deal was breached…we had to take the offer."
"I offered you money yesterday…I offered you millions for that sketchbook!" Lee snarled. "What could they have offered you…"
Mr. Winthrop waved his hand quickly towards several paintings. "Completed Isaac Mendez's. A treasure trove! Some of these have never been seen…"
Lee looked at the paintings hanging on the wall. "Who the hell would trade full paintings for a sketch book?"
Mr. Winthrop tried to move away from Lee, only for the artist to grab him once more. "They said that since no one had seen the sketchbook it was of higher value to them. That's why they gave us all these paintings!"
Lee grit his teeth. "I could have given you 10 times the worth of these paintings…"
"I'm sorry…but I can make you a great deal on the paintings…"
Lee shook his head. "I want the name of the buyer." He said coldly.
"I…I can't. Its against the rules…"
Lee pointed to a painting of 2 Japanese man standing below a "HOMECOMING" banner. "Galatea, destroy that."
Galatea frowned. "Are you…"
"Jessica, destroy that!" Lee called out.
Galatea shook as Jessica took over, giving him a saucy grin. "Mmm…mama likes this side of you." She walked over to the painting cocking her fist back.
"It's a masterpiece! You can't!"
"Oh, I'll buy it…" Lee said, "But this will still hurt you…"
"Petrelli!" Mr. Winthrop cried out. "I sold the sketchbook to Angela Petrelli!"
Lee nodded. "Now…was that so hard?" He snapped his fingers. "Jessica, Galatea…come on."
Jessica happily followed. "You know, we could make a really good evil team…"
Lee shook his head. "Did that, got the t-shirt, Carter has a better dental plan. Come on."
&
"Come on, yous can't hides forever!" Quint called out. He had created several more hands out of stone, the massive limbs forming a fence around the block and keeping anyone out. "Shows yourself, kids!"
Hank and Biddy were held up behind some garbage cans, Hank struggling to keep them hidden. "How are you holding up?" Biddy whispered.
Hank grit his teeth. "Never…held for this long…beginning to hurt…" He shook his head violently. "I can make it."
The earth rolled as Quint slammed two of his rock hands down.
"You can't." Biddy whispered. "We need to do something." She looked around. "Damn it…if we had a gun I could take him out…"
"No way…" Hank snapped. "You can't risk the baby."
"Nothing can hurt me, Hank…remember, everything bounces off?"
Hank looked at her. "He can still shake you…he can still scramble you up so bad…that he…the baby…"
Biddy's hands flew to her stomach has she realized the chances a fetus would have being slammed around her womb. She would survive…their child…
Hank shook his head. "No…you need to think about the baby now." He turned, standing up slowly. "On the count of three, I'm going visible. You wait for an opening and get back to Morbius…get Helena and Vic."
Biddy grabbed his arm. "He'll kill you!"
Hank turned to her, smiling weakly. "Can't think of a better way to die, beautiful."
"HANK!"
Hank turned his back on her, darting out of the alley and running full force towards Quint. "You want me! Here I am!"
Quint grinned, Hank almost making it too him before a stone cage burst from the ground, trapping Hank inside. He gasped as the rock began to close in on him, squeezing him tight. "OH…I don't want yous. I wants the missus!"
&
"You hurt my daddy."
Meredith had been seated on Claire's bed, indulging in a cigarette and trying to forget the fact that she had ruined both of her children's lives. Claire by taking advantage of her, using her for money and a place to crash…and Carter by being too quick in giving him up, never wondering for a moment if he would end up someplace safe. Now, her daughter hated her…and her son was leaning back and forth between broken puppy and bat-shit crazy.
And thus, a smoke was needed.
She'd only gotten through one when the little voice had filled the room, causing her to jump. Meredith turned to find Carter's daughter…
'My granddaughter'…standing in the doorway, her face twisted in a cute little pout. The teddy bear she always carried was held firm in her left hand, her right reaching up to shut the door. She was done up in pink and pigtails, the very image of a daddy's little girl.
"What was that, sweetie?" Meredith asked.
"You hurt my daddy." Vally said again, her eyes red from crying.
Meredith tried to smile. "Your mom hurt me worse. She packs a mean punch."
The joke fell flat.
"You hurt…my daddy." Vally repeated once more, trying to swallow up the tears that were coming.
Meredith sighed. "Listen, you're young…I know this seems like I'm the bad guy…and maybe I am…but I did it…"
Meredith froze. Not because something had spooked her or startled her.
No…because she suddenly found herself feeling utterly weak.
Falling to a heap on the carpet, she managed to raise her eyes, barely able to tremble as Vally stepped into her view. The toddler's body was now pink energy, her hair blood red flames, her eyes golden and filled with anger. The little girl held up her hand, pink whammy flames dancing on her fingers.
"You hurt my daddy," She said, her voice shivering strangely. "So I hurt you."
Meredith grunted as her powers kicked in, flames appearing in her hands. But unlike other times, when the flames never harmed her, this time Meredith could feel the heat roasting her flesh, singling her skin and making her weakly cry out. Vally grit her teeth, her whammy flames piercing Meredith's very soul and causing the woman to let out silent screams. It felt like she was being torn to shreds, as if every tiny piece of her was being laid out in the sun to fry in an eternal heat.
Then, it was gone.
Vally stared at Meredith, golden eyes boring into Meredith's, not reacting in the slightest as bloody tears dripped from the woman's eyes. "Hurt daddy again…I hurt you again." The toddler nodded as she depowered, then skipped out of the room, leaving Meredith to tremble on the floor.
&
"My God." Linda whispered, looking upon the wreckage of the Primatech building. Some of it still stood…but much was little more than rubble.
Marshal took a few steps forward, eyes wide. "Its…its gone. Everything is gone."
"What could have done this?" Linda whispered.
"Joseph."
The two turned, Linda holding up her hands to summon a blast of water, Marshal going into a hybrid wolf form. But instead of a threat, they found Terrence slumped against a slab of concrete. His leg was twisted badly, his shirt bloody, a piece of lumber covered in that same blood lying to his right from where he had ripped it out of his shoulder, his t-shirt pressed against the slowly bleeding wound. His eyes were hazy from bloodloss, his tanned skin marred with cuts.
Marshal took a step back. "What…what did you say?"
Terrence looked at the former agent of the Company. "Joseph…he did this…Marshal…Joseph…he's going after Sylar….he's going after Carter…" Terrence coughed. "He's going after Vally…Joseph…"
&
Carter stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes red and puffy, body still trembling.
"Carter…" Madrid said softly from her spot on the bed. The two were in Lyle's room, Sandra offering it to them for privacy. Vally was sleeping beside her, the toddler having walked in a hour ago appearing incredibly worn out. "Do you want to talk or…"
"Courage." Carter said simply, firing a whammy blast at the mirror. He grunted as it doubled back at him, covering his body.
"Stop it…" Madrid pleaded.
"Confidence." Carter said, firing another blast.
"You don't have to do this!" Madrid begged.
"Courage." Carter said again.
"Damn it, you don't need this!" She cried. "You're still the man I love."
Carter turned towards her, his eyes still haunted. "But not the man I want to be." He turned back to the mirror. "Confidence."
&
"How much air yous think hes gots left?" Quint called out, the stone cage squeezing Hank a bit harder. "One gasp…two…how mores before I breaks his ribs and makes his heart pop outs of his mouth?"
Biddy trembled from her hiding spot.
"Hows many licks does it take tos get to the centers of yours boyfriend?" Quint asked. "I coulds never make it withouts biting!"
"STOP!" Biddy cried out, leaping from her hiding spot. "PLEASE! I'll…I'll do what you want…just let him go."
Quint smiled. "Thanks…but I prefers this more." He clenched his hand, the cage tightening.
"NO!" Biddy screamed
CLANG!
Biddy blinked, staring in disbelief as the stone cage crumbled to dust, Hank falling to the ground, unconscious. She rushed to him, gathering him in her arms and staring at their savior.
The woman was dressed all in black, from her black boots to her black bodysuit, to the black mask that covered her head. Only the green lens that covered her eyes broke the darkness that was her outfit. In her hand she held a wicked blade, one that reminded Biddy at once of Carter's 'godfire' samurai sword. She examined it, before suddnenly thrusting it behind her, shattering a stone hand that was trying to sneak up on her.
The woman turned to Quint, holding up her blade. "1 down…"
Behind her, two men and a teenaged girl stepped from their hiding spots, each dressed in the same black outfits. The younger of the men held out his hands, purple flames much like Carter's whammy fire appeared, transforming into guns. The teenager's hands also burst into white flames. The older man hung back, joined by the woman.
"Orders mom?" The teenager asked.
The woman's tone made it clear she was smiling. "Destroy him."
The two nodded, before rushing Quint.