"What line divides the path of good and evil? Is it solid, a wall never to be breached? Or perhaps it is blurred, a smudge that we easily step over? Or...worst still...is there a line at all?"

-Mohinder Suresh

&

Sylar pulled himself up from the crater in the ground, trying to get his bearings. After Joseph had clapped his hands together, the dark haired man had found himself flying through the air, smashing through tree branches before he crash landed deeper in the California forest.

He groaned, allowing his body a moment to heal, pulling twigs from his chest and arms.

SNAP

Sylar cried out as he was hit again, Joseph darting into the shadows before the former super villain could get a lock on him.

"Enough of this." Sylar muttered, focusing on the forest around him. "You can't hide from me. All the powers I have…when I find you, I will freeze your hands, clamp your mouth shut, and then I will find out exactly what makes you tick." His head twitched violently. "Ooohhh, you are not helping me on my path to redemption…I'm trying to play nice, and you keep tempting me with yoru wonderful power." He took several steps forward. "Now…lets listen in on what lies in your heart, shall we?"

Staring out, Sylar focused on the sounds going on around him, seeking the elusive beat of Joseph's heart.

"Foolish boy."

Joseph's voice wisped across his ears, causing Sylar to spin around, only to find the darkness. "You use super hearing against the master of sound?"

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Sylar screamed in agony, blood pouring from his ears as the super sonic pitch ripped through the forest. It was like a dog whistle times a million, a horrible screech that popped Sylar's eardrums like pimples and brought him to his knees.

Joseph emerged from his hiding spot, smirking as he killed the sound, Sylar's eardrums slowly healing. "That was the sound of my blood pumping through my veins, amplified and pitched up." He turned his head sideways, taking in his vow. "Stupid boy…you think your feeble powers can save you?"

Sylar reached out, using his telekinesis to clamp down on Joseph's throat, cutting off his air. "I have more powers than anyone…and soon, I will have yours." The 50 year old merely stared at him.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Sylar was down again.

Joseph rubbed his bruised throat. "You have powers, that's correct…"

Sylar fired a blast of ice, only for Joseph to rapidly snap his fingers, shattering the frozen projectiles with ease before he was on him again.

"But you don't know how to use them to their full potential." He clapped his hands, Sylar crying out as his ribs shattered. "You have all those abilities…you could be a god…but you wield them like a firehose at a china cup. You lack grace, precision…all you care about it being fast and showy." The older man smirked. "You fight like I imagine you have sex….quick to start, hard in middle, pathetic ending that comes to soon."

"Shut up!" Sylar roared, trying to grab onto Joseph and melt him with Zane's power.

SNAP

Joseph looked down at Sylar's prone form. "But the worst of it, boy…is that you were evil for all the wrong reasons. You wanted power…to be special…that's why you cuased pain? Huh…pathetic worm. You know nothing…you truly are a blind man firing into the crowd."

"And…what about you?" Sylar asked.

The older man stared at him coldly. "Me? I have my reason, boy. It was decade ago. I worked for the Company…I was one of their greatest agents. I even worked with Bennet…18 years I worked for them. I made friends…went on adventures…then I dared…to fall in love. She was beautiful, Sylar…an angel from Heaven. Why she ever loved an old man like me…I couldn't….I couldn't lie to her, Sylar. I couldn't hide who I truly was. So I told her…every word." Joseph turned his back on Sylar, staring out at the night. "And that's when killed her. The Company could not condone their top agent revealing his identity. Only…they couldn't even get that right. I found her, hours later, still dying." He tugged at the furry knap of his bomber's jacket, the white fluff stained a dark brown. "This is her blood…all that remains of her now. I could…I could have survived her lose, Sylar…if it had been only her…if not for lose…of what I found in her womb." He turned, tears in his eyes. "No parent should have bury their child." Eyes closed, he took a long breath, steadying himself. "And so I turned to darkness…because I want this world to know my pain. Every man…every woman…I will kill them all. And I will take their children, every last one of them…and I will slaughter them too. And only when I am the last…will I finally die. That is why I do what I do, boy…this world needs a better class of villain…and you…Mr. Sylar…" Joseph held up his hand. "Just ain't cutting it."

BANG

Joseph roared as the bullet from Bennet's gun tore through his shoulder.

"Sylar, throw him!"

Sylar nodded, using his telekinesis to toss Joseph deep into the forest. Bennet rushed to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"We have to follow him…" Sylar argued.

"You don't fight Joseph…you run and pray he can't chase after you…now come on!"

&

(Petrelli Mansion)

"Mrs. Petrelli…we weren't expecting you!" The housekeeper said in surprise.

"Of course you weren't. But I am here now, so you can show me and my companions in." The housekeeper nodded, opening the door wide and letting Angela and her guests in. "Now leave us…I have business to attend to." The housekeeper nodded, quickly leaving to go work on other chores. "Have I done well, master?"

Lee nodded, holding out his hand and turning the Angela paper clone back into parchment. "Now, lets fine that book."

Galatea frowned. "Where will we find it?"

Lee rubbed his chin. "Lets see…the sketchbook reveals the potential future of Carter Daniels, my friend, who happens to be the father of the most powerful hero ever born, and he himself happens to be one of the scariest men I've ever met…and Angela Petrelli is an ice cold bitch, from what you've told me…"

"Never met the woman myself…" Galatea said, closing her eyes…

….and letting Jessica take control.

"But I remember her son…he talks in his sleep…and may I say, the things he said…disturbing."

Lee nodded. "TMI, as the teen girls say." He tapped his chin. "So we can assume that she has this big safe…in her office."

"How do you figure?" Jessica asked.

"Because all bad guys have safes."

As the two headed up the stairs, neither noticed the housekeeper watching them from around the corner. Neither noticed as she picked up the phone.

Neither noticed as she placed her called.

&

"Mr. President…" Special Agent Lorenzo Bast called out, hurrying into the Oval Office. "We just got a lead on the man that tried to rob the Philadelphia Mint."

"Suggestions?"

Agent Bast held out a folder. "We take him out…swift and easy. He may have info on Carter Daniels."

"Again with Daniels." The President complained. "He isn't a terrorist…he's the head of an electronics company!"

"That may be…" Agent Bast said, fingering the small golden horn pendent that hung from his neck, "…but he is still a threat to some of us."

&

(The Rocky Mountains)

Carter glared at their driver, rubbing Vally's back gently as she watched the woman carefully. Madrid was rubbing her guns, just itching to blow the woman's brains out. The driver, for her part, didn't seem that scared. She actually was rather professional looking, what with her short black bob, high cheek bones and form fitting black uniform.

"I know you are scared…" She began.

"I'm not." Carter answered coldly. "But you should be."

"You won't hurt me." She said simply.

Carter pointed at Vally. "I can't stop her from doing some mean things." Vally flashed the woman a grin, eyes glowing pink. "So…start talking."

The woman nodded. "My name is Katharine McMillan. I am part of the Alliance…but not the part that is on your side. I work for Marie Delpine…"

Madrid cocked her gun.

"Listen to me!" Kath pleaded. "I work for her…but I don't believe in what she stands for. Marie and the 7 Horns…they are dangerous…extremists."

"Do tell." Carter said calmly. "I know they are interested in ruling the world…"

"Its more than that." Kath looked around. "Listen…they use me to get into places, to gather info. I worked with The Company…know how they nick. You want to know what Noah Bennet fears, I can tell you. The fetishes of Angela Petrelli…"

Carter slapped his hands on Vally's ears.

"…or their master plan…I can tell you. Another group, a year ago…Pinehearst. They want an army, led by them, to set up a grand rule. But Marie…Marie wants something a lot worse."

"You said she was threatening Prof. Frey." Madrid interrupted.

"She sent one of the Horns after her and Marshal in Odessa…"

Carter frowned. "Linda in still in France…"

"Not thanks to your parents, Carter." Kath answered. "She is trying to cripple your support system…she already tried to kill Hank, she will try to kill others. You need to protect them."

"Why?" Carter asked. "Revenge for Merrick?"

"She could care less about Merrick. In Marie's eyes, he failed, and while she is mad at you for killing him, she is mad at him for not surviving."

"Then what…she wants Vally?" Carter asked, hugging his daughter close. "I'm getting sick of that song and dance."

"For once this isn't about Vally." Kath stated. "This is about you."

Carter frowned. "Why me?"

"Marie and the 7 Horns feel…that we…people like us…"

"Need to rule?" Madrid asked.

Kath frowned. "Should be the only ones. As in mass genocide of all people that aren't like us. Marie is setting up to kill everyone on this planet that doesn't meet her expectations…and that means only 1 would get to see another sunrise. She makes Pinehearst and The Company look like UNICEF."

Carter sighed. "And let me guess…she thinks I'm the only one that can stop her?"

"Literally." Kath said.

"And how is that?"

"Because you are the only one that can challenge her."

"How?"

"because you and her…share the same power." Kath answered. "Carter…she manipulates emotions too."

&

"One to the right." Jessica said, slamming her fist through the wall and ripping the safe free. "Two to the left." She threw it down, removing the sketchbook. "And away we go."

Lee grinned. "I have the two best girlfriends."

Jessica glared at him. "Galatea is your girlfriend…I'm just stuck for the ride."

Lee raised an eyebrow as he thumbed through the sketchbook. "Really…because last time I checked, it wasn't Galatea suddenly appearing last night screaming "Harder, harder"."

"Just…getting my part of the bargain."

"Or cuddling afterwards."

Jessica glared at him. "Shut it."

Lee made a kissy face as he resummoned Paper Angela. "Yes honey muffin."

&

(30 miles outside of Odessa)

Marshal grounded, falling to the ground and reverting from the horse form he had taken to human, letting the weakened Terrence fall to the desert sand in a heap. Linda panted, holding out her hand, and with a struggle, managed to call out a mouthful of water from the ground to parch her thirst. She did it twice more for Marshal and Terrence before she too fell to the ground.

"How…much farther?" Linda whimpered.

"Another day…should make it into town the day after tomorrow, early dawn." Terrence looked at the slowly glowing horizon. "Nearly dawn…we need to huddle in the shade…get some rest." Terrence rolled his head, neck bones popping. "Damn Joseph."

"Who is this Joseph?" Linda asked.

Marshal sighed, staring up at the fading stars. "A killer. He…he was the greatest of us…the best agent of the Company. Then…he snapped."

"Why?"

Marshal shrugged. "None of us were told." He admitted.

"I was told." Terrence said. "The Company…they killed his family…they found out about him…and the Company silenced them."

Lind gasped. "God…"

"God has nothing to do with Joseph. If you think the store of Lucifer sounds a lot like Joseph's…that ain't coincidence. If my brother is the Voice of God…Joseph is the Voice of Satan."

Linda shook her head. "His family was killed…"

"And he's killed hundreds of agents…then killed their wives, made orphans of their children…He's butchered them right in front of them." Terrence grimaced. "He's a monster, evil made flesh…the Company only fears 3 people more: Sylar, because we think he could be another Joseph; your student, Carter, because he is only one trauma away from being Joseph…"

"Carter isn't a monster."

"And if they killed Vally or Madrid?" Terrence asked Linda. He closed his eyes, pressing his hand to his still seeping wound. It was slow now, but still hurt like a bitch. "That's why…I've been protecting those two. Carter killed 30 of my men in Alaska when we kidnapped Vally. You saw what he did to Merrick. If he ever lost her…he would be just like Joseph…and we can't have that." He sighed.

"And whose the most feared?" Marshal asked.

"Vally." Terrence admitted. "That little girl has us all running scared. With her powers…if she reached adulthood…" He licked his lips. "My brother, in that final form of us…looked like a god. My niece…she won't just look it…she will be a goddess. And right now, the only two beings that are keeping her from destroying the world in a few years are an actress that can grow limbs and my mentally unstable half brother." Terrence sighed. "So yeah…we're scared." He shook his head. "But lets just pray Joseph doesn't come in contact with any of them."

&

Joseph pulled himself from the ground, popping his shoulder into place with a scream.

"One down…" He muttered.

&

"We have agreed to help you." Rodreck said. "But you need to help us…its just lucky that said help will be at the same time as when we go after your daughter."

Charlie steepled his fingers. "And what help is that?"

Rodreck smiled. "Oh, something right up my old friend's alley." He tossed a file to Renee. "Standard One Last Thing Job." He marched out of the door. "We fly out tomorrow…get packed."

Charlie turned to his wife. "I know that terminology…who do they want you to kill?"

Renee sighed. "Someone whose death is going to net us a lot of trouble." She tossed down the folder, revealing the photo of their target.

Helena Daniels.