"Hi daddy." The leader of the 4 Hunters said softly. Valencia smiled as the younger versions of her mother and father gaped at her, casting eyes on her own toddler self, grinning at the strangeness of it all. She remembered what was about to happen…
"NO!" Vally screamed, bursting into pink flames.
…and had forgotten how loud it was.
(Odessa, Texas)
"Vally!" Carter exclaimed, grabbing his daughter before she could attack her older self.
"NO!" Vally screamed again, eyes narrowed as she fought against her father's steadying hand.
Madrid grabbing onto the little girl, the two parents working to pull her back. Instantly, Vally had her arms wrapped around Carter's neck, sobbing. Confused by the sudden reaction, Carter hugged her close, Madrid wrapping her arms around the both of them.
"My daddy." Vally whimpered. She looked up at the 4 Hunters. "My daddy! Not your daddy! Mine!" She buried her head in Carter's neck. "mine." She mumbled.
Madrid looked at the woman claiming to be her daughter, seeking some answer.
Valencia walked over to Carter, gently stroking her younger self's hair. "You're right…he is your daddy. My dad is a lot older, and if I'm doing things right, he will be right there waiting for me to come home. But…for now…can I share your daddy with you?"
Vally blinked, considering this. "…ok." She said at last, before grinning. "You're me, right?"
"Yup."
"Am I a superhero?"
Valencia grinned. "Oh yeah."
Vally began to do a happy dance in her father's arms.
^&^&^&^
(New York City Docks, New York)
"Any sign of him?" Agent Bast demanded, watching as the agents quickly moved about the docks.
"No sign of Mr. Malion, sir."
Lorenzo grit his teeth. "Find him, now. I want to know where he is, I want to know how he got there, and I want him in custody yesterday!"
"Sir…he's just one man." An agent whispered.
Bast ran his tongue over his teeth. "One man can ruin everything, agent. The day we let one go, we begin wondering about letting two…or three. We can't afford to relax, not even for a moment."
Holding out his hand, Bast carefully called upon his bugs to begin swarming the city, seeking out Lee. He knew that the artist had too have gone back into town, to hide or find shelter…and he would find him.
^&^&^&^
Agent Bast had been wrong. Lee was smarter than he had reasoned, taking the member of the 7 Horn's threat to heart. Lorenzo had said it himself: he was master of the insects that claimed the skies and the Earth.
So Lee laid claim to the sea.
It had been risky, picking out a riptide and letting it pull him out into open waters, especially with how cold it was. But after a few minutes, he had been able to open his waterproof satchel and yank out an emergency drawing, summoning a great eagle forth to lift him skyward.
Now, riding the winds, Lee was making his way to the rendezvous point, his mind on the woman he had lost…and the man he would kill for taking her from him.
^&^&^&^
(The Daniels' Chateau, France)
Renee pulled the trigger, the sound of the gun going off echoing through her ears. It was replaced moments later by the feeling of her powers returning, the tingling in her fingers and toes that told her that her ability to cling to walls like a certain web-slinging hero.
Charlie panted, rubbing his head as his lie detector ability took hold. He turned to Renee frowned as he got a reading from everyone in the room.
"How did you know?"
Renee looked down at the prone form of Rodreck, blood leaking from the bullet hole in his forehead.
"2 Reasons. One, ever since I've known Rodreck, he's been a bastard."
"And two?" Helena asked, remaining as calm as a woman could considering she had moments ago had a gun pointed at her face.
"Always trust a mom that keeps pictures of her kid in the hall." Renee said, pointing to a picture of a ten year old Carter asleep in a chair, a large book draped over him almost like a blanket. She held out her hand. "I just want to see my daughter…think you can arrange that?"
Helena grinned, shaking her hand. "Oh yeah."
Vic morphed between young man to old man to young man again. "Well, we're all friendly again, I have my powers…can we leave before Marie Delpine storms the gate?"
Ashleigh nodded. "I'll call Hank." She flipped open her phone, turning it on, only to frown when the "NEW MESSAGE" light flicked on.
"Ashleigh…I'm trying to reach anyone…" Tina pleaded, her voice tiny as Ashleigh switched to speakerphone. "Some freaky stuff happened, Kelly and Hank went insane for a bit, their better…" There was a scuffle in the background.
"Mom took Biddy!" Hank shouted. "She took her! For the love of God, call us back!"
The adults all stared at each other, before another beeping issued, this time from Lee.
"Mom…its me." Lee said, his voice cold. "I don't know where you are…They killed Galatea. She's gone, and I'm tracking down Carter…then I need to know everything you know about Marie Delpine. She dies now, mom…Carter and I are going to kill that bitch, once and for all."
The 5 of them looked at each other one more time.
"No one say this can't get worse." Charlie muttered.
The phone beeped again.
^&^&^&^
"So, we're in what year again?" The teen asked.
The younger of the two men shrugged. "I think 2008."
"Oh, the year Arthur Petrelli tries to destroy the world?" The teen asked. "How did that one end up?"
"The same as it always does. Sylar killed people, Hiro ended up stuck in the past, and our family fought the real bad guys that actually COULD destroy the world."
The older of the two men glared at them. "Shhh!"
Valencia sighed with relief as she undid the zipper to her uniform, slowly peeling it from her skin. "Well, with everything out in the open, I'm getting out of this suit. Way to hot for the desert." She held out her hand. "Gabe?"
The younger of the two men nodded, placing a hand on Valencia's back. Purple flames bursting from his hand and turning into a sleeveless version of Carter's duster. Valencia grinned as she slipped it on over her pink shirt, her belly exposed and the neckline plunging just below her very ample cleavage, swirling about her incredibly tight leather pants. Her long, rich black hair swished about as she smoothed all the wrinkles from her pants, removing her combat boots. Her toes wiggled as Gabe made a pair of stylish heel boots appear, slipping them on and pulling them up her supermodel-style legs.
Vally grinned. "I'm pretty!" She giggled.
Madrid's eyes widened. "Our genetics do wonders, Carter."
"Oh Hell no!" Carter bellowed, removing his own coat and tossing it over Valencia, trying to wrap her up.
"Daddy!" Valencia complained.
"There is no way my daughter is going out dressed like that!" Carter complained.
"I'm a grown woman, daddy, I'm married, have a teenager, I'm leader of the Alliance…"
"And that gives you permission to dress like a harlot?" Carter barked. "Showing the world your tater tots?"
Valencia waved a hand at her mother. "Mom dresses like this. Hell, Mom's done nude scenes!"
"She's not my child! And I'll have you know those were tasteful nude scenes. And don't curse!"
The 30 year old raised an eyebrow. "Army Chicks was a tasteful movie?"
Madrid groaned. "I knew that film would come back to haunt me."
"You let me dress like this in the future." Valencia complained.
"Liar!" Gabe coughed.
"Shut up!" Valencia snarled.
Gabe grinned. "Ah, but what kind of brother would I be if I didn't mock you?"
Vally blinked. "Brother?"
Gabe grinned as his uniform disappeared in a blast of purple flames, leaving his dressed similar to Carter, save for the indigo shirt. If Valencia was the spitting image of Madrid, then Gabriel was his father's double. The same cunning eyes, same round yet masculine face, the only difference was the black hair that was sleeked back, making him look all the more dangerous. "Gabriel Hector Daniels, princess. Second born of Carter and Madrid. The Sword of God. Lord of Purple Flame"
"Geez, ego much?" Valencia's daughter muttered.
"Second? How many children do we have?" Madrid asked.
"Well, there is Vally and Gabe…" Valencia's husband began. He was more muscular than Carter or Hector, wide in the shoulders but not bulky. His blonde/brown hair was shaggy but kept control, his brown eyes holding a cunning Carter and Madrid found familiar.
Valencia shook her head, breaking free of Carter's grasp and adjusting her shirt. "Derek, no." She said calmly. "It could affect the future."
"And letting them know I exist won't?" The teen said as she removed her catsuit. She looked like Madrid and Valencia; in fact the teen could have easily passed for another version of Vally as well. Long black hair, full lips, a body between childhood and adult, dressed in a thin white leather jacket and sporting white pants and black shirt that showed her navel.
Valencia's eyes widened. "What are you wearing?!?" She practically screamed.
"What?" The teen asked. "Don't you like it?"
"No!" Valencia complained. "Gabriel, give her something decent to wear."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "You know, most parents wait years to see their children deal with the same headaches they themselves caused." He pointed at the teen. "And you are?"
"Sarah, your favorite grandchild." She said happily.
Gabriel scoffed. "I think the twins would disagree."
"You're sons are only a month old, they don't even know the other exists yet!" Derek commented.
"But that doesn't mean they ain't cute." Gabriel said happily.
Madrid rubbed her head. "I…I need to sit down."
^&^&^&^
(Odessa, Main Street)
Linda coughed, blood splattering from her lips as she took in several short breaths, struggling to clear her air passages.
"Calm down." Solomon said, rubbing her back. "Focus on getting air."
"What…what…" Linda stammered out, before coughing some more.
"There was an explosion." Courtney said, the front of her top covered in blood, several deep cuts lining her arms gobbed shut with her gluey saliva. "That bitch Gabriella…her bomb went off when our powers went the way of the dodo." At Linda's wide eyes, Courtney held up her hands. "We got them back…not before the damage was done though."
Linda turned to see Terrence laying beside her, unconscious.
"He's out cold…good thing too…" Solomon sighed. "We left the dead…we might be able to get them later…"
"Who?" Linda croaked.
"Yin…" Courtney closed her eyes. "We…we couldn't see your friend Marshal…he was with Yin when the bomb…"
Linda didn't try to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.
"We couldn't find Gabriella either…we think she died in the blast too, if that is any consolation." Solomon said softly
Linda took in two shuddering breaths before staring at them. "Who…who got me…"
Solomon raised his hand. "I found you…Terrence had thrown himself over you…he protected you from the blast…" Linda began to tear up again. "That's why he's so bad off…we are sealing the wounds in his back…" Linda began to cry hard. "Its ok…he did it because he needed too…"
"He shouldn't have." Linda murmured.
Courtney frowned. "Don't go acting like you aren't important…"
"No." Linda whispered, cutting her off. "I mean it did him no good…" She stared up at the ceiling. "I've been trying to wiggle my toes for the last 4 minutes." She closed her eyes, struggling hard to make her legs move at all.
She wept as they lay still.
^&^&^&^
"You good now?" Carter asked as the group made their way through the suburbs of Odessa. Carter held out his hand, sending out whammy blasts on every block, manipulating the chemicals in all those around him into forgetting everything that had happened: the eclipse, Joseph…his own journey into super-villian world…
"Didn't know you could do this." Madrid mumbled, watching him send out another blast.
"I couldn't…but according to Valencia, I do it all the time in the future."
"This is giving me a major headache." Madrid complained, shifting Vally from one hip to the other. "Why is it you are accepting this so easily?"
Carter glanced at her. "Have you thought about our lives for a moment? Between super powers, secret organizations, supervillians, test tube babies and the fact that we've both died and talked to God…"
Madrid nodded. "Ok, ok…future baby isn't that far fetched."
"I'm not a baby." Vally and Valencia both said.
Gabriel laughed.
"Shut it, Baby Sylar." Valencia muttered.
Gabriel grit his teeth. "Don't call me that."
Carter frowned. "Wait…Baby Sylar…I named my son after Sylar!?!"
Derek shook his head. "Long story, Carter."
"You call me Mr. Daniels." Carter said coldly.
Sarah laughed. "Sounds like you're in trouble, dad."
Derek glanced over at his daughter. "No sass." Sarah rolled her eyes, the 15 year old smirking as her father. Valencia chuckled at the interplay, her husband turning to glare at her. "Watch it…she gets this from you."
"Well, there is a wonderful picture of teenage years I didn't need to see." Carter complained. "Granted, I do enjoy seeing you get mocked…"
Derek turned. "Have I offended you somehow? Because let me tell you, I'm preferring your future self. He lets me call him dad."
Carter shook his head. "Yeah, I'm sure he had plenty of time to forgive you."
"Forgive me…for what?" Derek demanded.
"Derek…dad…" Valencia pleaded.
Carter shook his head. "I'm not stupid, boy. I can do math."
"Are you following any of this, mom?" Gabriel asked.
"Not a lick."
"Sarah, sweetie, none of this is your fault. And no matter what, you are my granddaughter." Carter said softly, before he turned on Derek again. "But lets crunch the numbers. She's fifteen, Valencia is 30. That equals you knocking up my little girl when she couldn't even drive a car!"
Derek and Valencia shared a look…before bursting into laughter. Sarah and Gabriel were close behind, falling to the ground and becoming unable to do anything less than laugh. Carter and Madrid both wore confused looks, trying to figure out what exactly was so funny.
"Mom…thirty?!?" Sarah squealed. She broke down into giggles.
Vally giggles for a few moments, before glancing at her parents. "Whats so funny?"
Gabriel chuckled. "Seriosuly, dad…we're lucky Sarah is even around. You made it so clear that you'd castrate Derek if he ever even tried that, I think you ruined their wedding night."
Madrid put her hands on her hips. "I really don't get the joke. Valencia, you look only a few years older than me…"
"Mom, I'm going to be 45 next month."
Carter and Madrid's jaws dropped.
"That's…older than dirt!" Vally exclaimed.
"How?!" Carter demanded. "How are you…"
"My powers. My amping abilitiy not only makes me stronger and faster, it also give sme a healing factor on the level of Aunt Claire or Great Grandpa Adam."
"But that doesn't explain why the rest of you look so young…" Madrid began.
"I'm in my 40s. So's Derek." Gabriel commented. "Though, it does make it awkward, looking the same age as your parents…" He froze. "Oops."
"Oops…what does he mean by oops?" Madrid demanded.
Valencia held up her hands. "Mom…listen…you have to understand…I was scared…"
"Valencia…" Carter said slowly, before noticing that Vally was rapidly shaking her head no, trying to get her older self to be quiet. "Vally…what did you do?"
Vally bit her lip. "Nothing?"
"Vally…"
Valenica spoke up. "I told you, I was scared…I'd seen my mother die, heard about my father being killed…then Merrick was going to kill you and you asked me to amp you…" She turned to her mother, "And I know you said you never wanted it, but I couldn't bare losing you either…"
Madrid held up a nervous hand before she took off in a dead run…
…and blasted through a mile in 3 seconds.
She returned, grabbing a street sign and twisting it like butter. "I'm super strong…super fast…"
Carter mimicked her. "I'm stronger too…"
"You always were stronger…"
"Not like this…comes naturally…Vally…"
Valencia once again spoke for her younger self. "I wanted you to survive…but more than that, I knew I was different, and I didn't want to be. So…I made you like me. Gave you all the amps I'd given myself."
"You're saying we heal fast too?" Madrid questioned.
"More than that, mom." Valencia whispered. "You're…you're never going to die."
"Everyone dies, Valencia." Carter stated.
"Not us…daddy…we're immortal."
^&^&^&^
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
(We see Carter, Madrid, Vally, Valencia, Gabriel, Derek, Sarah, Terrence, Solomon, and Courtney standing together, Linda stead in a chair behind them, Lee leaning against a wall.)
THE FINAL ELSEWHERE CHAPTER OF THIS YEAR
(We see Tina, Kelly, Hank, Renee, Charlie, Vic and Helena emerging from an airplane)
IN EVERY LIFE, THERE ARE MOMENTS OF PAIN
(We see the entire cast together, staring out over a city)
BUT FROM THESE TRAGEDIES
(We cut to a studio, the various heroes of Elsewhere watching)
A NEW HOPE WILL ARISE
(Lee points at Carter)
Carter: Ladies and Gentlemen of the world…my name is Carter Daniels…and I have a message for you all.
^&^&^&^
Author's Note: From now on, Vally refers to 4 year old Vally, and Valencia refers to 44 year old Vally. As for names, yes, Gabriel is named after Gabriel Gray…there is a reason we will learn for this. Sarah is named in honor of Carter's lost sister, Sarah Ellis, aka Eden McCain. The irony is not lost that one Gabriel caused the death of a Sarah, now another Gabriel is the favorite uncle of a Sarah.
Finally, Gabriel's power will be explained in more detail later, as will Derek and Sarah's. Note, however, that each of Carter's descendents will wield energy flames in some form for their powers.