Heroes: Alternate Universe part 6

Nathan hung up the phone for the twentieth time that day. Twenty times he had called different city and federal sources, none of them very helpful. He leaned back in his chair in thought. This could be a wild goose chase. But Pete was seldom wrong when it came to "saving the world." He had to assume his younger brother was right about a Eugenics project being in the works. Why the American government would experiment with Eugenics after condemning it years before was beyond him. Unless... Congressman Petrelli picked up the phone and dialed Noah Bennett, the one man alive who he knew would know about what the Company was up to.

"I've been looking into the same thing," Noah told Nathan. "I know that somebody in the Company's involved." "I'd think more than one person's involved in a project of this magnitude," Nathan answered. "We're talking about the intended sterilization of a lot of people." "Let me assure you that I'm not involved in this project," Noah said. "Pete told me that Hiro Nakamura had a dream about this," said Nathan. "Any ideas where they mmay have come from?" "I know who gave him that dream. I helped him develop his gift." "Then you know where he is?" "No. He and two other people like him left the company. I haven't seen him since." Noah hadn't seen Dreamer since he had been sedated and locked away presumably because he had become too powerful to control. Now, Noah considered, it may have been because he had stumbled onto this project. How, he had no clue. "Do you have any idea who might be behind this," Nathan asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Bob Bishop made the motion to dispose of him," Noah answered. "That motion wasn't seconded, however." It was true. Noah had averted that second by suggesting that they merely sedate Dreamer. Bishop had accepted it. They had used the Hatian, whose ability to negate superpowers and erase memories had proved invaluable to the Company over the years, to accomplish this. "I'll start with Bob, then," Noah promised.

Claire's capture was accomplished with some difficulty, but with no witnesses. Bob Bishop, Elle, and two henchmen drove Claire, handcuffed and blindfolded, toward the re-education center. Bob silently breathed a sigh of relief. Their plan was succeeding without a hitch. Soon, he saw the tunnel through the mesa that they had to pass through. They were on an abandoned road, so they were pretty much home free. Elle turned on the headlights before entering the tunnel. Bob didn't believe in ghosts, so when he noticed a figure of a man in a stetson hat and overcoat, he thought he was hallucinating. As they got closer, the man raised his head, revealing his face. It was Ivan. Elle tried to brake, but it made no difference. The car flipped upside down and skidded to a halt in front of the renegade. The car then flipped sideways so they were right side up, then it was pushed against the left side of the wall, their right. Elle exited the car and motioned for the agents to do the same. The agents dragged Claire along. Elle grabbed Claire by the back of the neck and faced Ivan. "Move out of the way, Ivan," she said. "The girl will get the shock of her life if you don't." The gunshot was deafening and completely unexpected. One of the agents fell with a thud, dead before he hit the ground. A hand grabbed her left shoulder from behind and a gun pressed against her back. "You're in no situation to bargain," Ivan answered. "Let her go and things will be a lot easier," a woman's voice said from behind. In the car, Bob climbed to the back seats and exited through the back door. He instantly found himself in a cell in the Company. Dreamer was standing at the door. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. Then he closed the cell door. In the real world, Elle watched as a third figure entered the tunnel. "Let Claire go and walk to the car," a voice said in her mind. Her muscles complied. The figure moved closer. Elle was transported to her childhood. She saw many happy memories being played out. How long was it taking? Minutes? Days? Months? No matter. Memories long forgotten, buried by an interrupted childhood thanks to her father experimenting with her power, were flooding back. She didn't want it to end.