Heroes: Alternate Universe part 2

It was midnight, and Noah Bennett couldn't sleep. The news he had received that evening was absolutely terrifying. "Noah, there's been a revolt," Bob Bishop had said. "Melissa and Ivan escaped an hour ago." Then he gave the devastating news: "They took Dreamer with them." The shuffle of feet turned his eyes to his office door. Claire occupied the doorway. "What is it, Claire-bear," he asked, calling her by his pet name for her. "I've been having this dream since last week," Claire answered. "I think it's being caused by someone who's like me. Do you know anybody who can give dreams?" Noah nodded soberly. "Yes, I do. He was taught to control his ability at the Company." "Was he abducted like the others," Claire asked sardonically. "No. He came to us. An agent of the Company who was a friend of his pointed us out to him. I was given the task of helping him." "What's his power," Claire asked. "Telepathy. He complained that he was hearing voices. He thought he was schizophrenic at first, but after we conducted some tests, he discovered his power," Noah answered. "So he's got Matt Parkman's power," Claire said, remembering the telepathic policeman. "Yes, but Dreamer's more advanced in his power than Parkman is," Noah said. "Compared to him, Parkman's just scratching the surface of his ability. Anyway, I helped him learn to control his power. After that, Dreamer began to advance in his pwer at a rapid pace. It got to the point where the Company considered him too much of a threat and they had him sedated and locked away. But now two of his friends inside the Company got him out. Once he recovers fully, he'll come after the Company." "It's not like the Company deserves to survive," said Claire with obvious disdain. "We've been over this, Claire. In order to protect you, I have to make the Company think I support it. Now why don't you get some sleep? Dreamer would never hurt or destroy an innocent person." Claire left the office. Noah decided to follow his own advice. As he walked to the master bedroom, he reflected on his former charge. Dreamer had been a grade-A student in high school, before he began to experience his ability. He was an excellent tactician whose strategies had helped the Company in nurerous ways. But the Company had betrayed his trust. Now it was going to suffer the consequences. Dreamer would find a way to destroy an institution that was impenetrable, that much was certain, but how and wen? Noah knew he would find out sooner or later.

One month later, at a Giant store outside Odessa, Texas, the cashier flashed a friendly smile at the elderly woman as she paid for her groceries, and she watched as she headed for the exit. Outside, the woman signaled for a taxi. Arriving at her destination ten minutes later, she paid the driver, an Indian named Mohinder Suresh, and carried the two paper bags full of groceries into the Victorian house. Inside, the woman's features began to change. Her wrinkles disappeared, her gray hair darkened and grew long until it reached the middle of her back, her fat torso shrank several sizes, and her eye color changed from greenish blue to brown. Melissa hurried to the bathroom where attire more fitting for a woman her age (19) awaited. The clothes she was wearing were too large. A few minutes later, she walked into the kitchen, where two men stood. One was pulling a stretchy band that was tied to a chair. The other was watching and making sure that the chair didn't move. "How's he doing," Melissa asked. "He's improving," the watching man said with a thick Russian accent. "But his muscles still need rehab." "Six months of not moving will do that to you." That was spoken directly to Melissa's mind. She looked at the excercizing man. "I understand," she answered. She shouldn't be asking Ivan about Dreamer; she should ask Dreamer directly. "When do we strike at the Company," Ivan asked. "That is not your responsibility," Dreamer thought to him and Melissa. "I have something different planned." Melissa hesitated, then spoke the question that had been mulling around in her mind. "What of Mr. Bennett? Who will confront him?" "Noah Bennett will be left alone," she heard in her thoughts. "He was the only one among the bigshots who was against the motion to sedate me for life." "You knew of this and you let them do it," Ivan asked. "Why?" "I had my reasons. One of them was so I could start the Company's destruction without their knowledge," Dreamer answered in their minds. "How," Melissa asked. Dreamer just smiled. An apple floated from one of the grocery bags and traveled to Ivan's outstretched hand. "What do we do in the meantime," he asked. "I still have some work to do before it's time," Dreamer answered in their thoughts. Melissa frowned. Dreamer was able to speak verbally. So why wasn't he? There were alone here. She mentally shrugged it off. Drewamer was amazingly bright; he knew what he was doing.