sam_storyteller (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sam_storyteller) wrote2005-07-14 12:41 am
sam_storyteller) wrote2005-07-14 12:41 am
Entry tags:
The Hiatus Continuations, Chapter Eleven
Title: The Hiatus Continuations, Chapter Eleven: Four Breakfasts and Jack's Funeral
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence
Summary: Claire meets an old friend, Claude meets his demise, Jack meets the cops, and Nathan has too many breakfast meetings.
Notes: Thanks and credit to Utility Knife for Isaac's paintings; if you'd like to give feedback on the art, the address to send to is utility.knife@gmail.com.
Originally posted 4.8.07
CLAUDE RAINS AND THOMPSON - THE DEVEAUX BUILDING
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
"Claude. A word with me, please."
Claude had the uneasy feeling that this latest escapade of his and Bennett's was going to come to a particularly bad end. Bennett was a little naive sometimes, about some things, and thus he was Claude's responsibility as well as his partner. He didn't want to abandon his partner to the tender ministrations of Nakamura, but he didn't have a choice. When Thompson said jump, you didn't even stop to ask how high.
Inside the little greenhouse, the sprayers were misty and cool, a welcome relief from the humidity of New York.
"The baby," Thompson said, gazing out at Bennett and Nakamura.
"Pretty little thing," Claude replied.
"Glad you think so. I hope Bennett does."
"Why?" Claude asked, though he knew the answer already.
"She's going home with you to Texas. Well. Home with Bennett."
Claude lifted an eyebrow at Thompson.
"Someone needs to raise her, a Company man. Bennett's got a wife, he's been wanting kids."
"Better him than me."
"I'm not telling you anything Nakamura isn't telling Bennett right now. He's your partner; you look after him. You're going to look after her from now on, too. She isn't his child. She belongs to us."
"What precisely are you asking?" Claude said, then added belatedly, "Sir."
"The girl. Bennett is ruthless enough to kill to keep her safe, but he's...limited. He can't disappear. He doesn't know the signs of manifestation as well as you do. I want you to watch him, watch the girl, and keep them both out of trouble. If he can't report when she starts to show power, if she ever does, you need to do it for him. Do we understand each other?"
"Quis custiodiet ipsos custodies, eh?" Claude asked.
"Exactly."
"Oh aye," Claude said, as Nakamura placed the baby in Bennett's arms. "I can do that."
***
ISAAC MENDEZ - NYC
***
PETER PETRELLI, CLAIRE BENNETT, AND CLAUDE RAINS - KEMP'S BAKED GOODS
"Claire, what the hell are you doing here?" Peter asked, breaking the silence that threatened to drown all three of them.
"Followed you," Claire mumbled, looking down at her shoes. Then she looked back up, studying Claude's face intently. "I was bored. I left a note," she added. "So N...Dad and...grandma wouldn't worry about me."
"Man, Nathan's gonna kill me!" Peter said.
"Who are you?" Claire asked, looking at Claude. "You know who I am, don't you?"
This was a good point. Peter crossed his arms. "Yeah, Claude. Who exactly are you?"
Claude looked from Peter to Claire and back again, a hunted and desperate look.
"Claude," Claire said, coming forward slowly. "I remember that name. I know you too, don't I?"
"I can assure you, you don't," Claude answered, backing away from both of them.
"I do, I remember you. And -- my dad...in the hospital once. You didn't have a beard then."
"Never seen you before," Claude muttered, totally unconvincingly. Peter moved closer to Claire; she might be indestructible but it was instinct to want to protect family.
"And...fish." Claire sounded confused, so at least Peter wasn't the only one. "Fish frying -- fish and chips. You cooked us fish and chips," she said triumphantly. "Uncle Claude. I remember you."
"Uncle Claude?" Peter asked.
"I'm not her uncle," Claude said hurriedly.
"No, that's just what I called you. That time Dad was in the hospital, you came and stayed with us. Mom used to ask you over for dinner all the time. But then I thought..." she glanced at Peter, then back to Claude. "I thought you died. I remember we went to your funeral."
"Never trust a funeral without a body," Claude sighed. "You remember that and it'll serve you well."
Claire pushed past Peter, startling him, and did something that Peter would assume could get a person killed -- she hugged Claude Rains.
"Dad said you were killed -- I cried for weeks," Claire said, muffled where her face was pressed against Claude's coat. Peter watched as the other man awkwardly put one arm around her shoulders, then bowed his head over Claire's and closed his eyes. It would have been touching, except then Claude opened his goddamn mouth again.
"Your dad ought to know," he said. "He's the one who shot me."
Claire jerked back, almost running into Peter, and he caught her by the arm. Claude pulled down the collar of his shirt.
High on his shoulder was a patch of white skin and, in the center, a dark puckered scar. It was cleaner than most of the bullet scars Peter had seen in textbooks, but there wasn't much else it could be. Peter tightened his grip on Claire's arm. Claude let go of his collar and jerked his shoulder up, resettling the shirt over the scar.
"Yes," he said. "I worked for the Company. I don't anymore. Now you know why."
"But..." Claire pulled back against Peter, as if she wanted to hide. "He didn't -- he didn't mean to, did he? I mean, I know he did some bad things, but he kept me safe and he risked pretty much everything just to get me out of Texas..."
She trailed off. Claude stepped forward, and Peter wrapped his other arm around Claire's shoulders.
"For god's sake, I'm not going to hurt her," Claude snapped. "If what you say is true, I can't anyway. Let her go, Petrelli."
Peter slowly released Claire. Claude put out one hand and cupped her chin.
"I'm very sure he loves you," he said. "But he definitely meant to shoot me. He was acting on orders. And that's a truth you need to know."
***
CLAUDE AND MR. BENNETT - ODESSA, TEXAS
SEVEN YEARS EARLIER
"Get out," Bennett told him, but there was a quaver in his voice. Claude unlatched his seatbelt and stepped out onto the hot tarmac on the bridge. There was still time to save this; he wasn't a Speaker yet, wouldn't be a Speaker for another two years, but he was pretty bloody persuasive on his own.
"S'not the first time you've been told to kill a man, but is it the first time you've been told to kill a friend?" he asked.
"Tell me who it is, and we can forget about the rest," Bennett answered, and Claude knew he was done. If Bennett was pleading with Claude to save his own life, that meant he was going to end it. Here. On the bridge.
Claude could feel the drop to the water and tried to gauge it. A hundred feet? Hundred and fifty? He wasn't going to give up his student. He was his student.
"You're just going to do it?" Claude asked, now bargaining for time and possibly because he knew Bennett did have a conscience. "You're just going to off me like nothing -- "
"It's not nothing!" Bennett said angrily. "We find new people, that's what we do, and you buried one!"
Oh, you're going to regret those words in another few years, when pretty wee Claire starts to show what she can do, Claude thought to himself. God help you if she can't control it, because I won't be there to teach her.
"You acted against the interests of the Company -- "
"D'you ever stop to think what those interests are?" Claude asked, realising too late that Bennett had touched a nerve, and he'd responded. Bennett drew his gun.
"Who is it?" he asked. Claude thought fast and started working, because once the gun came out there was no going back.
You're going to do it, he said to himself. And it's going to hurt, but you'll be free. This isn't about your pain. It's about your students.
Now all he wanted was to piss Bennett off.
"And what if it was Claire?" he asked. Bennett blanched. "That's why you're so distant from her. You know you're going to turn her in. You're preparing for it."
"You used to believe in what we do."
"I used to believe in the tooth fairy," Claude retorted.
"We made a promise, both of us," Bennett insisted.
What Claude said would haunt him for seven years, just as much as Bennett's accusations would haunt Bennett when his daughter began to show her power. It was a moral statement, and Claude hated people who made moral statements and then died for him. But once you said the words, you couldn't unsay them.
"I will not hunt my own people," he said. Easy, easy --
He found the firing pin on the gun and the nerves he needed in Bennett's hand; if this was going to be convincing he had to talk and work at the same time, which was a lot like holding a conversation while playing a piano.
"This isn't who you are," he continued. Easy. "You have a choice -- "
He forced a spasm in Bennett's hand and relished the surprised, frightened look in his eyes as the gun went off. It hit Claude right where he'd intended, high in the meaty part of his shoulder, where it couldn't do much harm. He stumbled backwards, making for the ledge of the bridge.
"Why couldn't you just -- " Bennett fired again, this time on his own, and Claude stopped the bullet as soon as it pierced his skin, though not before a pretty arterial gush burst forth. He disappeared, or tried to -- it flickered for a moment before he could hold it. If he couldn't fly once he went over, he was a dead man any old way.
He took a deep breath and backflipped over the rail, just in time to hear Bennett fire two more shots. The blood loss was already making him dizzy, but he managed to slow his descent until he stopped just above the scrub that overgrew the river. He saw Bennett's face as he leaned over the edge, and then saw it disappear. He strained to listen for the sound of the car starting up. When it finally did, Claude exhaled.
When you find yourself floating invisibly three feet above a river, bleeding out from bulletwounds inflicted on you by your former best friend, it might be time to take a moment and evaluate your life to date.
***
JESSICA AND MICAH SANDERS AND DL HAWKINS - NYC
"Hey, I just thought of something," Jessica said, lying on the hotel bed, watching TV upside down. Micah, working on his laptop next to her, looked up.
"What?" he asked.
"We're going to be here for a big election," Jessica said. "You should do a report on it for social studies."
"Like what?"
"Well, like how the news stations talk about the election. Hey, we could go down to the polls and watch people vote."
"Sounds boring," DL grunted.
"It's educational," Jessica replied.
"Yeah, and boring."
"Don't listen to Daddy," Jessica told Micah. "I'll skip classes for a day and we'll go down and watch them vote, and find out how the whole thing works. How about it?"
"Okay," Micah said agreeably. "Sounds like fun. I want to see a voting machine."
"You got it. I'm sure we can get you a look at one up-close, somehow," Jessica said, smiling.
After all, every kid should know how the democratic system worked.
***
PETER PETRELLI, CLAIRE BENNETT, AND CLAUDE RAINS - KEMP'S BAKED GOODS
"Nathan -- yeah, listen, no, okay -- Nathan -- Nathan, stop talking."
Claire leaned against the railing of the factory's stairs, feeling guilty. Peter was on his cellphone at the other end of the long, empty room, but he was still perfectly audible, and it was pretty clear he was getting shouted at.
"Don' mind him," Claude said, sitting on the steps. "He's had worse trouble than Patriarch Petrelli gettin' mad at him. He's had me mad at him, for a start."
"You're the one who's been teaching him," Claire said. "His complicated guy."
"His what?" Claude asked.
"Every time he tried to explain about this, he said it was complicated. You're the complicated guy."
"Yeah, well, he wasn't exactly lyin', was he?"
Claire shrugged. She had a dozen questions she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how. This wasn't the man she remembered, enormous and clean-shaven and always laughing at something. After a minute, he cleared his throat.
"So Peter's brother is your dad. Must say, that was unexpected," he said.
"Is it?"
"Well, I def'nitely didn't know."
"How much do you know?"
"You'll have to be a trifle more specific," he said. "What about?"
"Any of it. Me. What I am. What Peter is. What...you are?" she asked. He nodded. "You worked with my dad."
"Yeah, I did."
"So...how much do you know?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "That's a dangerous question you're asking, Claire Bennett."
"My family's been taken away from me," she said. "I'm hiding out because the people you used to work for want to kidnap me and, what, run tests on me? I don't know if I'm ever going to see them again, and my real dad can fly. I don't even know everything Peter can do. You're alive, even though I went to your funeral. And you're really worried about dangerous questions?"
"First of all, you're not the only one who's ever lost anything by this," he said. "Second, what I know or knew is now seven years out of date, and not entirely useful. Third, the fact that I was friends with your father until he shot me doesn't give you the right to any of the information I do have."
Claire looked at him, crestfallen. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"There is a time and a place," he said. "Right now is neither."
"When?" she asked quietly.
"For a start, not when Papa Petrelli's on his way over to shout at you for breakin' out," he said with a small grin. "There will be time, Claire."
"Are you angry with my dad?" she asked. "Are you angry with me?"
"He did what he had to. We all do. You're no part of it; no part of why I left the service, anyway," he replied. "I'm not angry with you. Except," he added, as Peter approached, "for breakin' out."
"I gotta take you home," Peter said. "Nathan's sending a car."
"Jesus -- " Claude began, but Peter interrupted.
"I didn't tell him where I was, I'm not a total dumbass," Peter said. "It's meeting us a few blocks away."
Claire looked at Claude, who set his jaw stubbornly. "You've learned something, anyway," he muttered.
"Tomorrow?" Peter asked, and Claude nodded curtly.
"Morning," he said, pointing at Peter.
"Can I see you again?" Claire asked, looking plaintively at Claude as Peter began to tug her towards the stairs.
"When it's safe," Claude answered, and he didn't meet her eyes. Claire felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. That was the kind of thing people said when they didn't want to say yes.
***
ISAAC MENDEZ - NYC
***
NATHAN AND HEIDI PETRELLI - NYC
Unlike Nathan, the Petrelli sons were not morning people. He could count on the boys to sleep until ten at least on weekends, which was a blessing that he and Heidi were very aware of. Sunday morning breakfast was -- well, special, in a way. Not a goopy romantic way or anything, though. Just special, because it was just him and Heidi.
"This week's going to be hectic," he said, picking the melon out of his fruit salad and eating it first. Heidi, sitting next to him, stole one of his grapes.
"I know, sweetie," she said, kissing his cheek. "It'll all be over by Friday though, you know? I think I can put up with it for a week."
"You've been putting up a lot longer than a week."
"Well, I knew what I was getting into. Ambitious young Nathan Petrelli, class president...I've told you over and over, I signed on for this. I want to be the governor's wife."
"Governor!" Nathan gave her an offended look. "I'm not settling for less than First Lady for you."
"Well, that's very good of you."
"Only the best for Mrs. Petrelli."
She smiled and stole another grape. "So -- office today, home by dinner? I have some calls to make, but no meetings."
"Should be. I need to get going, too -- I have a breakfast meeting before I get into headquarters."
"How many breakfasts are you going to eat today?" she asked, laughing. He had to stop and count.
"Four," he said. "Here, pre-HQ breakfast, bagels with the volunteers in midtown, and brunch with the Young Voters' League. But it's okay, because I don't get lunch."
"Stay out of trouble," she said, as he wiped his mouth and stood up.
"I try," he replied, kissing her goodbye.
***
THE PETRELLI BROTHERS AND CLAIRE BENNETT - THE SAFE HOUSE
Peter was up and showering when Claire woke, so she switched on the morning news and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Hello! Manhattan was doing a segment on accident survivors called "I Shouldn't Be Alive!" which Claire could relate to.
"Morning!" Peter called, walking down the hallway to his bedroom.
"Morning!" she called back, trying not to peek. It wasn't pervy, she'd decided; it was aesthetic appreciation. "You want breakfast?"
"Peel me a grape!" he shouted from the bedroom. Claire rolled her eyes. "Hey, you know Nathan's coming over, right?"
"Nathan's here," Nathan said, stepping through the front door. "Do I need to take a roll call today?"
"Hi, Dad," Claire said, still getting used to the sound of that in her mouth. She hugged him in greeting, and was pleased that he hugged back. She wasn't sure how angry he still might be after yesterday -- he'd been plenty furious on the car trip home, but like Peter told her, nobody got disowned. There was a lot more shouting in the Petrelli family than the Bennett family, but it didn't seem to actually affect anything. "You want some breakfast?"
"Absolutely. What's on the menu?"
"Peter wants a peeled grape."
"I'd settle for toast or -- doughnuts!" Peter said, emerging and pulling on a shirt as Nathan held up a white carton. "Awesome."
"Sunday morning treat, because I can't stay long," Nathan said. Peter took the carton and set it on the kitchen table, opening it and shoving a glazed doughnut in his mouth. "You're all class, Pete."
"It's hard work, being unemployed," Peter replied. Nathan sat down and took one of the small cake doughnuts, tearing it to pieces as he ate.
"Actually...I kinda have something I need to talk to you about," Peter said. Nathan glanced at Claire, but Peter put a hand on her arm. "Claire too. It's about Dad. You remember how you said you thought maybe Dad was like us?"
"What'd you find, Peter?" Nathan asked, almost suspiciously.
"Nothing incriminating," Peter replied, around a mouthful of custard-filled. "But I think I can do what he did."
"Which is?"
"Uh." Peter frowned. "Hallucinate."
Nathan gave Peter a long, measuring look. Claire sensed that maybe there was some tension between the brothers that they hadn't shown until now.
"Peter, you know, the crazy-little-brother thing, I'd really like to swerve around that this time if we could," Nathan said slowly.
"Yesterday I was thinking about Dad, you know? And I saw this...vision. It was like a movie for a second. Stuff that wasn't there. I think it's like stuff that's important to people."
"Uh-huh," Nathan said.
"Like, you look at someone and you kind of see...what's on their mind."
"And you think Dad did that?" Nathan asked.
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Peter said. Claire wanted to kick him in the shin and tell him to calm down, because he was obviously freaking her dad out, but it looked like this probably wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last. "Remember when I was really screwed up and I told you I thought maybe Dad was following me or something? I think he was seeing things. When he looked at me, you know?"
"Is this the Vicki thing?" Nathan asked.
"What Vicki thing?" Claire said.
"Peter had a girlfriend Dad didn't like. Nobody liked her, actually. I don't think Peter liked her," Nathan said.
"Listen, my point is, I think that was what Dad could do. I think he saw things about people, actually hallucinated them. I mean..." Peter swallowed suddenly and looked as if he'd lost his appetite. "If you didn't know what was going on, that'd be more than enough to make a person want to kill themselves. Don't you think?"
"My grandfather killed himself?" Claire asked, into the long silence that followed. Her father and uncle exchanged a look across the table.
"There's a lot of family business you don't know about yet," Nathan said. "But if it's any consolation, it looks like insanity isn't actually one of our genetic traits."
"Just invisibility," Peter said, looking mischevious. "Indestructibility. Oh yeah, and some of us can fly..."
"I should get going," Nathan kissed Claire on the forehead and slapped Peter on the back.
"But -- " Claire began.
"I promise, when this is all over, I will sit you down and explain everything," Nathan said.
"Everyone keeps saying that," Claire murmured rebelliously.
"I mean it. Just give me a few more days, okay?" he asked, and left before she could really reply.
***
HIRO, ANDO, NATHAN, AND JACK - MIDTOWN MANHATTAN
For the rest of New York, Sunday was a day off.
For the Petrelli volunteers, it was the second to last day before the election.
Hiro and Ando were originally supposed to be campaigning downtown, but Hiro was in the process of wrangling them duty in Greenwich village, going door-to-door and handing out buttons reminding people to vote on November 7th, when Jack showed up.
"Well, that's helpful," he said cheerfully, joining the growing crowd in the common area of Petrelli Campaign Headquarters. "I mean, if we don't find the place going door-to-door, it might not damn well exist."
"Yes," Hiro said, eyeing the plastic bag Jack was carrying. It smelled really good -- better than the bagels sitting out on the table, anyway.
"Brought hot breakfast," Jack said, opening the bag. He passed a foil-wrapped cylinder to Ando. "High protein breakfast burrito for Ando, a sausage...biscuitty...thing for me, and, for Hiro Nakamura..."
A styrofoam box emerged from the bag. Hiro accepted it and lifted the lid cautiously.
Inside there was a paper pocket like the kind that french-fries came in, only instead it was filled with oblong strips. There was also a little tub of butter, slowly melting.
"Waffle sticks!" Jack said. Hiro's eyes widened.
"Perfect breakfastfood!" he said, awed.
"Maple syrup's baked in," Jack added, pointing to small brown chunks in the waffle sticks. Hiro took a stick out and dipped it in the butter, chewing rapturously.
"Genius," he said.
"Totally," Jack agreed. Ando was studying his breakfast burrito as if trying to work out how to proceed. "It's good, it's got eggs and cheese and stuff," Jack told him. He helped Ando unwrap it, and Hiro got his first really good look at Jack's tattoo. He took Jack's hand and turned it over so that they could examine it.
"It's still sore," Jack said. "But it's cool, isn't it?"
"Very nice," Hiro agreed. Privately he thought he'd gotten a much better deal with his sword, but you couldn't account for personal taste.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" someone called from the front, and Hiro stood on his toes to see Nathan arriving. He was still wearing his Superman pin. Hiro beamed. "Breakfast is on!"
Hiro ate his waffle sticks while the volunteer manager announced assignments and the rest of the volunteers fell on the bagels; there was a photo op with Nathan eating a bagel with the volunteers, and lots of jokes about there being no rest for the wicked, and then suddenly people were clearing out.
"Hey, Hiro," Nathan said, as he passed. "Knock 'em dead today."
"Vote Petrelli!" Hiro called back. "Up, up, and away!"
***
NATHAN PETRELLI - YOUNG VOTERS' LEAGUE - MIDTOWN MANHATTAN
You had to pace yourself in breakfast as in all things. Nathan wasn't sure how this schedule had happened, but he was pretty sure tomorrow he was having two and a half lunches as well, which meant that maybe his campaign manager was trying to give him a cholesterol-induced heart attack. Though, to be fair, his manager didn't know about breakfast with Peter and Claire.
The Young Voters' League probably wasn't going to win him any votes, but the kids who were there today were going to be voting for him for years to come, if he could make the right impression now. You couldn't just look at one election, you had to look at an entire career. Plus, they were bipartisan, anyone from any party could join, so it looked good that Nathan was schmoozing them.
He had to load up his plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and biscuits, because the kids had cooked this stuff themselves. Looking at it, he wondered if he could cut it up into really small pieces like he had when he was a little kid and was trying to get away with not eating something he didn't like.
There were speeches, made by the kids, about public service and political awareness, the importance of voting intelligently, the importance of free debate, a hundred and one other public-minded duties that were part of being a citizen of the United States. Nathan clapped and managed to finish off the eggs and biscuits by the time it was his turn to speak, but he was afraid the hash browns might finish him off for good.
On his way to the podium, one of the Young Voters touched his arm to get his attention.
"Yes?" he asked, knowing the look of someone with News when he saw it.
"Mr. Petrelli," the young man said, "there's a report on CNN.com you should see, when you get a minute. You're up four points."
"Four points from where I was?" he asked.
"Four points over your nearest competition," he said. "Congratulations, Mr. Petrelli -- you're in the lead."
Suddenly, Nathan felt as if he could eat an entire plate of hash browns.
***
HIRO, ANDO, AND JACK - GREENWICH VILLAGE
By mid-afternoon the clear weather of the morning had faded into overcast, and it had begun to rain. Jack, Hiro, and Ando took shelter in the Versa, staring out the window and watching it pour down relentlessly. They'd started a new debate, while they waited for it to let up: whether Ouran High School Host Club would be improved by the introduction of characters with superpowers, or whether nothing at all could ever improve Ouran High School Host Club.
"Let's get something to eat," Jack said finally. "The storm's moving east, it'll clear up in about an hour. There's a pizza place four blocks from here."
"Better than Google," Ando said, starting the car.
"Sexier too," Jack replied. "Just go up to the stoplight and hang a left."
They got as far as the stoplight when Jack let out a surprise yell.
"That's it!" he said, pointing to the right. Ando slammed on the brakes and horns blared.
"What? What?" he asked.
"Claire! The girl! I know where she is!" Jack said. "Turn right!"
"Are you crazy?" Ando asked.
"Fine, turn left and then turn around! Just go that way!" Jack said, pointing. Ando turned left through the yellow light, spun the Versa like a stunt driver, and managed to get through the green light going the other way.
"Which way now?" he asked.
"Straight! I think!" Jack said excitedly. "No wait -- left lane -- your other left -- okay, turn at the stop sign. Dude! There it is!"
He pointed over Hiro's shoulder at a tan building that looked like one in a long line of tan buildings, but somehow had to be the one. He didn't know how he knew. He just...knew. His wrist throbbed.
"Yahoo!" Hiro said, as Jack leapt out of the car before it had fully stopped. He heard Hiro and Ando following him to the door, but when he tried it, it wouldn't budge. Well, of course it was locked; this was New York.
"She's in here," he told Hiro. "She's on the fifth floor. We gotta get inside."
"Buzzers!" Ando said, pointing to a panel on the opposite side of the doorway.
"Sweet," Jack said, pressing the buzzer next to 501. Even as he pressed it, it occurred to him that he had no idea what he was going to say to Claire when he found her. There was a certain romantic-comedy cachet to "Hi, I'm your soulmate", but maybe he should open with something more mellow, like helping her find her wallet or something.
"Hello?" said a deep male voice. Jack paused.
"Pizza delivery?" he said.
"Fuck off," said the voice. Jack pushed 502 insistently. No answer, and none for 503, either.
He was just pushing 504 when he became aware that Hiro and Ando had disappeared. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder.
"Hiya, kid," said an enormously, impossibly muscular man. He had a badge. "What's going on?"
"Uh..." Jack said.
Next time, on Heroes ("Who Is Simon Porter?")
"I need your help again, Isaac," Bennett said. Isaac opened his mouth, and Bennett leveled the gun at him.
"Hiro, I was on a roll here. You gotta learn not to interrupt me when I'm intimidating people."
"I just know I'm supposed to find her. Kind of cool that I did, don't you think? City this big, what are the odds, right?"
"I can't help that I read minds," Matt said apologetically.
"In the last ten minutes, something's changed the future. He stopped here...and started something new on the same canvas."
"I heal. That's what I do." "Man, getting your ears pierced must have sucked!"
"I should think the fact that you're walkin' round alive on account of my heroic nature wouldn't be lost on you," Claude said.
Chapter Twelve
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence
Summary: Claire meets an old friend, Claude meets his demise, Jack meets the cops, and Nathan has too many breakfast meetings.
Notes: Thanks and credit to Utility Knife for Isaac's paintings; if you'd like to give feedback on the art, the address to send to is utility.knife@gmail.com.
Originally posted 4.8.07
CLAUDE RAINS AND THOMPSON - THE DEVEAUX BUILDING
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
"Claude. A word with me, please."
Claude had the uneasy feeling that this latest escapade of his and Bennett's was going to come to a particularly bad end. Bennett was a little naive sometimes, about some things, and thus he was Claude's responsibility as well as his partner. He didn't want to abandon his partner to the tender ministrations of Nakamura, but he didn't have a choice. When Thompson said jump, you didn't even stop to ask how high.
Inside the little greenhouse, the sprayers were misty and cool, a welcome relief from the humidity of New York.
"The baby," Thompson said, gazing out at Bennett and Nakamura.
"Pretty little thing," Claude replied.
"Glad you think so. I hope Bennett does."
"Why?" Claude asked, though he knew the answer already.
"She's going home with you to Texas. Well. Home with Bennett."
Claude lifted an eyebrow at Thompson.
"Someone needs to raise her, a Company man. Bennett's got a wife, he's been wanting kids."
"Better him than me."
"I'm not telling you anything Nakamura isn't telling Bennett right now. He's your partner; you look after him. You're going to look after her from now on, too. She isn't his child. She belongs to us."
"What precisely are you asking?" Claude said, then added belatedly, "Sir."
"The girl. Bennett is ruthless enough to kill to keep her safe, but he's...limited. He can't disappear. He doesn't know the signs of manifestation as well as you do. I want you to watch him, watch the girl, and keep them both out of trouble. If he can't report when she starts to show power, if she ever does, you need to do it for him. Do we understand each other?"
"Quis custiodiet ipsos custodies, eh?" Claude asked.
"Exactly."
"Oh aye," Claude said, as Nakamura placed the baby in Bennett's arms. "I can do that."
***
ISAAC MENDEZ - NYC
***
PETER PETRELLI, CLAIRE BENNETT, AND CLAUDE RAINS - KEMP'S BAKED GOODS
"Claire, what the hell are you doing here?" Peter asked, breaking the silence that threatened to drown all three of them.
"Followed you," Claire mumbled, looking down at her shoes. Then she looked back up, studying Claude's face intently. "I was bored. I left a note," she added. "So N...Dad and...grandma wouldn't worry about me."
"Man, Nathan's gonna kill me!" Peter said.
"Who are you?" Claire asked, looking at Claude. "You know who I am, don't you?"
This was a good point. Peter crossed his arms. "Yeah, Claude. Who exactly are you?"
Claude looked from Peter to Claire and back again, a hunted and desperate look.
"Claude," Claire said, coming forward slowly. "I remember that name. I know you too, don't I?"
"I can assure you, you don't," Claude answered, backing away from both of them.
"I do, I remember you. And -- my dad...in the hospital once. You didn't have a beard then."
"Never seen you before," Claude muttered, totally unconvincingly. Peter moved closer to Claire; she might be indestructible but it was instinct to want to protect family.
"And...fish." Claire sounded confused, so at least Peter wasn't the only one. "Fish frying -- fish and chips. You cooked us fish and chips," she said triumphantly. "Uncle Claude. I remember you."
"Uncle Claude?" Peter asked.
"I'm not her uncle," Claude said hurriedly.
"No, that's just what I called you. That time Dad was in the hospital, you came and stayed with us. Mom used to ask you over for dinner all the time. But then I thought..." she glanced at Peter, then back to Claude. "I thought you died. I remember we went to your funeral."
"Never trust a funeral without a body," Claude sighed. "You remember that and it'll serve you well."
Claire pushed past Peter, startling him, and did something that Peter would assume could get a person killed -- she hugged Claude Rains.
"Dad said you were killed -- I cried for weeks," Claire said, muffled where her face was pressed against Claude's coat. Peter watched as the other man awkwardly put one arm around her shoulders, then bowed his head over Claire's and closed his eyes. It would have been touching, except then Claude opened his goddamn mouth again.
"Your dad ought to know," he said. "He's the one who shot me."
Claire jerked back, almost running into Peter, and he caught her by the arm. Claude pulled down the collar of his shirt.
High on his shoulder was a patch of white skin and, in the center, a dark puckered scar. It was cleaner than most of the bullet scars Peter had seen in textbooks, but there wasn't much else it could be. Peter tightened his grip on Claire's arm. Claude let go of his collar and jerked his shoulder up, resettling the shirt over the scar.
"Yes," he said. "I worked for the Company. I don't anymore. Now you know why."
"But..." Claire pulled back against Peter, as if she wanted to hide. "He didn't -- he didn't mean to, did he? I mean, I know he did some bad things, but he kept me safe and he risked pretty much everything just to get me out of Texas..."
She trailed off. Claude stepped forward, and Peter wrapped his other arm around Claire's shoulders.
"For god's sake, I'm not going to hurt her," Claude snapped. "If what you say is true, I can't anyway. Let her go, Petrelli."
Peter slowly released Claire. Claude put out one hand and cupped her chin.
"I'm very sure he loves you," he said. "But he definitely meant to shoot me. He was acting on orders. And that's a truth you need to know."
***
CLAUDE AND MR. BENNETT - ODESSA, TEXAS
SEVEN YEARS EARLIER
"Get out," Bennett told him, but there was a quaver in his voice. Claude unlatched his seatbelt and stepped out onto the hot tarmac on the bridge. There was still time to save this; he wasn't a Speaker yet, wouldn't be a Speaker for another two years, but he was pretty bloody persuasive on his own.
"S'not the first time you've been told to kill a man, but is it the first time you've been told to kill a friend?" he asked.
"Tell me who it is, and we can forget about the rest," Bennett answered, and Claude knew he was done. If Bennett was pleading with Claude to save his own life, that meant he was going to end it. Here. On the bridge.
Claude could feel the drop to the water and tried to gauge it. A hundred feet? Hundred and fifty? He wasn't going to give up his student. He was his student.
"You're just going to do it?" Claude asked, now bargaining for time and possibly because he knew Bennett did have a conscience. "You're just going to off me like nothing -- "
"It's not nothing!" Bennett said angrily. "We find new people, that's what we do, and you buried one!"
Oh, you're going to regret those words in another few years, when pretty wee Claire starts to show what she can do, Claude thought to himself. God help you if she can't control it, because I won't be there to teach her.
"You acted against the interests of the Company -- "
"D'you ever stop to think what those interests are?" Claude asked, realising too late that Bennett had touched a nerve, and he'd responded. Bennett drew his gun.
"Who is it?" he asked. Claude thought fast and started working, because once the gun came out there was no going back.
You're going to do it, he said to himself. And it's going to hurt, but you'll be free. This isn't about your pain. It's about your students.
Now all he wanted was to piss Bennett off.
"And what if it was Claire?" he asked. Bennett blanched. "That's why you're so distant from her. You know you're going to turn her in. You're preparing for it."
"You used to believe in what we do."
"I used to believe in the tooth fairy," Claude retorted.
"We made a promise, both of us," Bennett insisted.
What Claude said would haunt him for seven years, just as much as Bennett's accusations would haunt Bennett when his daughter began to show her power. It was a moral statement, and Claude hated people who made moral statements and then died for him. But once you said the words, you couldn't unsay them.
"I will not hunt my own people," he said. Easy, easy --
He found the firing pin on the gun and the nerves he needed in Bennett's hand; if this was going to be convincing he had to talk and work at the same time, which was a lot like holding a conversation while playing a piano.
"This isn't who you are," he continued. Easy. "You have a choice -- "
He forced a spasm in Bennett's hand and relished the surprised, frightened look in his eyes as the gun went off. It hit Claude right where he'd intended, high in the meaty part of his shoulder, where it couldn't do much harm. He stumbled backwards, making for the ledge of the bridge.
"Why couldn't you just -- " Bennett fired again, this time on his own, and Claude stopped the bullet as soon as it pierced his skin, though not before a pretty arterial gush burst forth. He disappeared, or tried to -- it flickered for a moment before he could hold it. If he couldn't fly once he went over, he was a dead man any old way.
He took a deep breath and backflipped over the rail, just in time to hear Bennett fire two more shots. The blood loss was already making him dizzy, but he managed to slow his descent until he stopped just above the scrub that overgrew the river. He saw Bennett's face as he leaned over the edge, and then saw it disappear. He strained to listen for the sound of the car starting up. When it finally did, Claude exhaled.
When you find yourself floating invisibly three feet above a river, bleeding out from bulletwounds inflicted on you by your former best friend, it might be time to take a moment and evaluate your life to date.
***
JESSICA AND MICAH SANDERS AND DL HAWKINS - NYC
"Hey, I just thought of something," Jessica said, lying on the hotel bed, watching TV upside down. Micah, working on his laptop next to her, looked up.
"What?" he asked.
"We're going to be here for a big election," Jessica said. "You should do a report on it for social studies."
"Like what?"
"Well, like how the news stations talk about the election. Hey, we could go down to the polls and watch people vote."
"Sounds boring," DL grunted.
"It's educational," Jessica replied.
"Yeah, and boring."
"Don't listen to Daddy," Jessica told Micah. "I'll skip classes for a day and we'll go down and watch them vote, and find out how the whole thing works. How about it?"
"Okay," Micah said agreeably. "Sounds like fun. I want to see a voting machine."
"You got it. I'm sure we can get you a look at one up-close, somehow," Jessica said, smiling.
After all, every kid should know how the democratic system worked.
***
PETER PETRELLI, CLAIRE BENNETT, AND CLAUDE RAINS - KEMP'S BAKED GOODS
"Nathan -- yeah, listen, no, okay -- Nathan -- Nathan, stop talking."
Claire leaned against the railing of the factory's stairs, feeling guilty. Peter was on his cellphone at the other end of the long, empty room, but he was still perfectly audible, and it was pretty clear he was getting shouted at.
"Don' mind him," Claude said, sitting on the steps. "He's had worse trouble than Patriarch Petrelli gettin' mad at him. He's had me mad at him, for a start."
"You're the one who's been teaching him," Claire said. "His complicated guy."
"His what?" Claude asked.
"Every time he tried to explain about this, he said it was complicated. You're the complicated guy."
"Yeah, well, he wasn't exactly lyin', was he?"
Claire shrugged. She had a dozen questions she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how. This wasn't the man she remembered, enormous and clean-shaven and always laughing at something. After a minute, he cleared his throat.
"So Peter's brother is your dad. Must say, that was unexpected," he said.
"Is it?"
"Well, I def'nitely didn't know."
"How much do you know?"
"You'll have to be a trifle more specific," he said. "What about?"
"Any of it. Me. What I am. What Peter is. What...you are?" she asked. He nodded. "You worked with my dad."
"Yeah, I did."
"So...how much do you know?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "That's a dangerous question you're asking, Claire Bennett."
"My family's been taken away from me," she said. "I'm hiding out because the people you used to work for want to kidnap me and, what, run tests on me? I don't know if I'm ever going to see them again, and my real dad can fly. I don't even know everything Peter can do. You're alive, even though I went to your funeral. And you're really worried about dangerous questions?"
"First of all, you're not the only one who's ever lost anything by this," he said. "Second, what I know or knew is now seven years out of date, and not entirely useful. Third, the fact that I was friends with your father until he shot me doesn't give you the right to any of the information I do have."
Claire looked at him, crestfallen. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"There is a time and a place," he said. "Right now is neither."
"When?" she asked quietly.
"For a start, not when Papa Petrelli's on his way over to shout at you for breakin' out," he said with a small grin. "There will be time, Claire."
"Are you angry with my dad?" she asked. "Are you angry with me?"
"He did what he had to. We all do. You're no part of it; no part of why I left the service, anyway," he replied. "I'm not angry with you. Except," he added, as Peter approached, "for breakin' out."
"I gotta take you home," Peter said. "Nathan's sending a car."
"Jesus -- " Claude began, but Peter interrupted.
"I didn't tell him where I was, I'm not a total dumbass," Peter said. "It's meeting us a few blocks away."
Claire looked at Claude, who set his jaw stubbornly. "You've learned something, anyway," he muttered.
"Tomorrow?" Peter asked, and Claude nodded curtly.
"Morning," he said, pointing at Peter.
"Can I see you again?" Claire asked, looking plaintively at Claude as Peter began to tug her towards the stairs.
"When it's safe," Claude answered, and he didn't meet her eyes. Claire felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. That was the kind of thing people said when they didn't want to say yes.
***
ISAAC MENDEZ - NYC
***
NATHAN AND HEIDI PETRELLI - NYC
Unlike Nathan, the Petrelli sons were not morning people. He could count on the boys to sleep until ten at least on weekends, which was a blessing that he and Heidi were very aware of. Sunday morning breakfast was -- well, special, in a way. Not a goopy romantic way or anything, though. Just special, because it was just him and Heidi.
"This week's going to be hectic," he said, picking the melon out of his fruit salad and eating it first. Heidi, sitting next to him, stole one of his grapes.
"I know, sweetie," she said, kissing his cheek. "It'll all be over by Friday though, you know? I think I can put up with it for a week."
"You've been putting up a lot longer than a week."
"Well, I knew what I was getting into. Ambitious young Nathan Petrelli, class president...I've told you over and over, I signed on for this. I want to be the governor's wife."
"Governor!" Nathan gave her an offended look. "I'm not settling for less than First Lady for you."
"Well, that's very good of you."
"Only the best for Mrs. Petrelli."
She smiled and stole another grape. "So -- office today, home by dinner? I have some calls to make, but no meetings."
"Should be. I need to get going, too -- I have a breakfast meeting before I get into headquarters."
"How many breakfasts are you going to eat today?" she asked, laughing. He had to stop and count.
"Four," he said. "Here, pre-HQ breakfast, bagels with the volunteers in midtown, and brunch with the Young Voters' League. But it's okay, because I don't get lunch."
"Stay out of trouble," she said, as he wiped his mouth and stood up.
"I try," he replied, kissing her goodbye.
***
THE PETRELLI BROTHERS AND CLAIRE BENNETT - THE SAFE HOUSE
Peter was up and showering when Claire woke, so she switched on the morning news and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Hello! Manhattan was doing a segment on accident survivors called "I Shouldn't Be Alive!" which Claire could relate to.
"Morning!" Peter called, walking down the hallway to his bedroom.
"Morning!" she called back, trying not to peek. It wasn't pervy, she'd decided; it was aesthetic appreciation. "You want breakfast?"
"Peel me a grape!" he shouted from the bedroom. Claire rolled her eyes. "Hey, you know Nathan's coming over, right?"
"Nathan's here," Nathan said, stepping through the front door. "Do I need to take a roll call today?"
"Hi, Dad," Claire said, still getting used to the sound of that in her mouth. She hugged him in greeting, and was pleased that he hugged back. She wasn't sure how angry he still might be after yesterday -- he'd been plenty furious on the car trip home, but like Peter told her, nobody got disowned. There was a lot more shouting in the Petrelli family than the Bennett family, but it didn't seem to actually affect anything. "You want some breakfast?"
"Absolutely. What's on the menu?"
"Peter wants a peeled grape."
"I'd settle for toast or -- doughnuts!" Peter said, emerging and pulling on a shirt as Nathan held up a white carton. "Awesome."
"Sunday morning treat, because I can't stay long," Nathan said. Peter took the carton and set it on the kitchen table, opening it and shoving a glazed doughnut in his mouth. "You're all class, Pete."
"It's hard work, being unemployed," Peter replied. Nathan sat down and took one of the small cake doughnuts, tearing it to pieces as he ate.
"Actually...I kinda have something I need to talk to you about," Peter said. Nathan glanced at Claire, but Peter put a hand on her arm. "Claire too. It's about Dad. You remember how you said you thought maybe Dad was like us?"
"What'd you find, Peter?" Nathan asked, almost suspiciously.
"Nothing incriminating," Peter replied, around a mouthful of custard-filled. "But I think I can do what he did."
"Which is?"
"Uh." Peter frowned. "Hallucinate."
Nathan gave Peter a long, measuring look. Claire sensed that maybe there was some tension between the brothers that they hadn't shown until now.
"Peter, you know, the crazy-little-brother thing, I'd really like to swerve around that this time if we could," Nathan said slowly.
"Yesterday I was thinking about Dad, you know? And I saw this...vision. It was like a movie for a second. Stuff that wasn't there. I think it's like stuff that's important to people."
"Uh-huh," Nathan said.
"Like, you look at someone and you kind of see...what's on their mind."
"And you think Dad did that?" Nathan asked.
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Peter said. Claire wanted to kick him in the shin and tell him to calm down, because he was obviously freaking her dad out, but it looked like this probably wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last. "Remember when I was really screwed up and I told you I thought maybe Dad was following me or something? I think he was seeing things. When he looked at me, you know?"
"Is this the Vicki thing?" Nathan asked.
"What Vicki thing?" Claire said.
"Peter had a girlfriend Dad didn't like. Nobody liked her, actually. I don't think Peter liked her," Nathan said.
"Listen, my point is, I think that was what Dad could do. I think he saw things about people, actually hallucinated them. I mean..." Peter swallowed suddenly and looked as if he'd lost his appetite. "If you didn't know what was going on, that'd be more than enough to make a person want to kill themselves. Don't you think?"
"My grandfather killed himself?" Claire asked, into the long silence that followed. Her father and uncle exchanged a look across the table.
"There's a lot of family business you don't know about yet," Nathan said. "But if it's any consolation, it looks like insanity isn't actually one of our genetic traits."
"Just invisibility," Peter said, looking mischevious. "Indestructibility. Oh yeah, and some of us can fly..."
"I should get going," Nathan kissed Claire on the forehead and slapped Peter on the back.
"But -- " Claire began.
"I promise, when this is all over, I will sit you down and explain everything," Nathan said.
"Everyone keeps saying that," Claire murmured rebelliously.
"I mean it. Just give me a few more days, okay?" he asked, and left before she could really reply.
***
HIRO, ANDO, NATHAN, AND JACK - MIDTOWN MANHATTAN
For the rest of New York, Sunday was a day off.
For the Petrelli volunteers, it was the second to last day before the election.
Hiro and Ando were originally supposed to be campaigning downtown, but Hiro was in the process of wrangling them duty in Greenwich village, going door-to-door and handing out buttons reminding people to vote on November 7th, when Jack showed up.
"Well, that's helpful," he said cheerfully, joining the growing crowd in the common area of Petrelli Campaign Headquarters. "I mean, if we don't find the place going door-to-door, it might not damn well exist."
"Yes," Hiro said, eyeing the plastic bag Jack was carrying. It smelled really good -- better than the bagels sitting out on the table, anyway.
"Brought hot breakfast," Jack said, opening the bag. He passed a foil-wrapped cylinder to Ando. "High protein breakfast burrito for Ando, a sausage...biscuitty...thing for me, and, for Hiro Nakamura..."
A styrofoam box emerged from the bag. Hiro accepted it and lifted the lid cautiously.
Inside there was a paper pocket like the kind that french-fries came in, only instead it was filled with oblong strips. There was also a little tub of butter, slowly melting.
"Waffle sticks!" Jack said. Hiro's eyes widened.
"Perfect breakfastfood!" he said, awed.
"Maple syrup's baked in," Jack added, pointing to small brown chunks in the waffle sticks. Hiro took a stick out and dipped it in the butter, chewing rapturously.
"Genius," he said.
"Totally," Jack agreed. Ando was studying his breakfast burrito as if trying to work out how to proceed. "It's good, it's got eggs and cheese and stuff," Jack told him. He helped Ando unwrap it, and Hiro got his first really good look at Jack's tattoo. He took Jack's hand and turned it over so that they could examine it.
"It's still sore," Jack said. "But it's cool, isn't it?"
"Very nice," Hiro agreed. Privately he thought he'd gotten a much better deal with his sword, but you couldn't account for personal taste.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" someone called from the front, and Hiro stood on his toes to see Nathan arriving. He was still wearing his Superman pin. Hiro beamed. "Breakfast is on!"
Hiro ate his waffle sticks while the volunteer manager announced assignments and the rest of the volunteers fell on the bagels; there was a photo op with Nathan eating a bagel with the volunteers, and lots of jokes about there being no rest for the wicked, and then suddenly people were clearing out.
"Hey, Hiro," Nathan said, as he passed. "Knock 'em dead today."
"Vote Petrelli!" Hiro called back. "Up, up, and away!"
***
NATHAN PETRELLI - YOUNG VOTERS' LEAGUE - MIDTOWN MANHATTAN
You had to pace yourself in breakfast as in all things. Nathan wasn't sure how this schedule had happened, but he was pretty sure tomorrow he was having two and a half lunches as well, which meant that maybe his campaign manager was trying to give him a cholesterol-induced heart attack. Though, to be fair, his manager didn't know about breakfast with Peter and Claire.
The Young Voters' League probably wasn't going to win him any votes, but the kids who were there today were going to be voting for him for years to come, if he could make the right impression now. You couldn't just look at one election, you had to look at an entire career. Plus, they were bipartisan, anyone from any party could join, so it looked good that Nathan was schmoozing them.
He had to load up his plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and biscuits, because the kids had cooked this stuff themselves. Looking at it, he wondered if he could cut it up into really small pieces like he had when he was a little kid and was trying to get away with not eating something he didn't like.
There were speeches, made by the kids, about public service and political awareness, the importance of voting intelligently, the importance of free debate, a hundred and one other public-minded duties that were part of being a citizen of the United States. Nathan clapped and managed to finish off the eggs and biscuits by the time it was his turn to speak, but he was afraid the hash browns might finish him off for good.
On his way to the podium, one of the Young Voters touched his arm to get his attention.
"Yes?" he asked, knowing the look of someone with News when he saw it.
"Mr. Petrelli," the young man said, "there's a report on CNN.com you should see, when you get a minute. You're up four points."
"Four points from where I was?" he asked.
"Four points over your nearest competition," he said. "Congratulations, Mr. Petrelli -- you're in the lead."
Suddenly, Nathan felt as if he could eat an entire plate of hash browns.
***
HIRO, ANDO, AND JACK - GREENWICH VILLAGE
By mid-afternoon the clear weather of the morning had faded into overcast, and it had begun to rain. Jack, Hiro, and Ando took shelter in the Versa, staring out the window and watching it pour down relentlessly. They'd started a new debate, while they waited for it to let up: whether Ouran High School Host Club would be improved by the introduction of characters with superpowers, or whether nothing at all could ever improve Ouran High School Host Club.
"Let's get something to eat," Jack said finally. "The storm's moving east, it'll clear up in about an hour. There's a pizza place four blocks from here."
"Better than Google," Ando said, starting the car.
"Sexier too," Jack replied. "Just go up to the stoplight and hang a left."
They got as far as the stoplight when Jack let out a surprise yell.
"That's it!" he said, pointing to the right. Ando slammed on the brakes and horns blared.
"What? What?" he asked.
"Claire! The girl! I know where she is!" Jack said. "Turn right!"
"Are you crazy?" Ando asked.
"Fine, turn left and then turn around! Just go that way!" Jack said, pointing. Ando turned left through the yellow light, spun the Versa like a stunt driver, and managed to get through the green light going the other way.
"Which way now?" he asked.
"Straight! I think!" Jack said excitedly. "No wait -- left lane -- your other left -- okay, turn at the stop sign. Dude! There it is!"
He pointed over Hiro's shoulder at a tan building that looked like one in a long line of tan buildings, but somehow had to be the one. He didn't know how he knew. He just...knew. His wrist throbbed.
"Yahoo!" Hiro said, as Jack leapt out of the car before it had fully stopped. He heard Hiro and Ando following him to the door, but when he tried it, it wouldn't budge. Well, of course it was locked; this was New York.
"She's in here," he told Hiro. "She's on the fifth floor. We gotta get inside."
"Buzzers!" Ando said, pointing to a panel on the opposite side of the doorway.
"Sweet," Jack said, pressing the buzzer next to 501. Even as he pressed it, it occurred to him that he had no idea what he was going to say to Claire when he found her. There was a certain romantic-comedy cachet to "Hi, I'm your soulmate", but maybe he should open with something more mellow, like helping her find her wallet or something.
"Hello?" said a deep male voice. Jack paused.
"Pizza delivery?" he said.
"Fuck off," said the voice. Jack pushed 502 insistently. No answer, and none for 503, either.
He was just pushing 504 when he became aware that Hiro and Ando had disappeared. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder.
"Hiya, kid," said an enormously, impossibly muscular man. He had a badge. "What's going on?"
"Uh..." Jack said.
Next time, on Heroes ("Who Is Simon Porter?")
"I need your help again, Isaac," Bennett said. Isaac opened his mouth, and Bennett leveled the gun at him.
"Hiro, I was on a roll here. You gotta learn not to interrupt me when I'm intimidating people."
"I just know I'm supposed to find her. Kind of cool that I did, don't you think? City this big, what are the odds, right?"
"I can't help that I read minds," Matt said apologetically.
"In the last ten minutes, something's changed the future. He stopped here...and started something new on the same canvas."
"I heal. That's what I do." "Man, getting your ears pierced must have sucked!"
"I should think the fact that you're walkin' round alive on account of my heroic nature wouldn't be lost on you," Claude said.
Chapter Twelve
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Ouran. Heh. I vote that nothing could possibly improve it.
Peter, there has to be a better word for it than "hallucinate."
I feel for Claire...somebody should tell her something.
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And yeah, poor Claire. It doesn't get much better for a while, either...
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Anyway, the point is it's already got everything.
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I'm actually going to be disappointed when Heroes starts up again, because much as I love it it will mean no more hiatus continuations.
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I'm a Doctor Who fan (of the revived series, too young and too Swedish to have seen the original), specifically I liked Christopher Eccleston in the part, and since he is in Heroes I am now becoming a Heroes fan as well. So, it will come to no surprise to you that I am reading this fic mainly for Claude. (But also for Claire - Mr Bennet, really like the father-daughter relationship). I tend to skip the Niki/Hana/Ted-parts and skim the Hiro/Ando/Jack parts.
While on the subject of Jack, I am not very fond of him. I guess this stems mostly from the fact that he is an original character and I'd rather read about what the canon ones are up to (and there is already sooo many characters). But also, what irks me is that Claire already has so many canon relationships (not in the romantic sense) worth pursuing - Mr Bennet, Daddy Nathan, Uncle Peter and Claude. So I don't really see the point of adding another one. Also, I guess I am concerned that the canon ones will suffer and fade into the background after Jack meets Claire (hoping it won't though).
That being said, your fic is truly spectacular. The voices are spot on - especially Claude's and the action is exiting and plausible. Love Claude as an Empath btw, it makes total sense.
I've written down some things about this chapter that I liked or didn't like. It's really long and really rambling, so be warned. I hope you understand most of it at least. Alas, what I've written is too long to be fitted into one comment. So, I will post three consecutive ones instead. (Counting this one)
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*"Quis custiodiet ipsos custodies, eh?" Claude asked.
The phrase is used so much in the Discworld books that it has started, in my mind at least, to become synonymous with Captain Vimes. Therefore, it seems very misplaced here.
*the Ouran High School Host Club reference. I love the anime to bits. But, first of all, I connote it heavily with you since I know it is a favorite of yours, so it feels sort of like a cheap reference. It is just so very misplaced. Also, Hiro strikes me more like a reader of superhero comics. Hence, a conversation about the Justice League, Batman, Superman... whatever superhero you want (maybe even x-men, with a nod to the similarities, but that would also be a bit of a cheapshot) would be more suitable. I mean it's just an offhand comment and cute and all, but for me it broke the illusion/immersion.
*Not enough Claire-Claude interaction
*No Mr Bennet at all.
What I did like:
*the meeting between Claude and Claire, Claude trying desperately to deny him knowing her and vice versa.
*Claire pushed past Peter, startling him, and did something that Peter would assume could get a person killed -- she hugged Claude Rains.
Lol, poor Peter.
*Claude let go of his collar and jerked his shoulder up, resettling the shirt over the scar.
This I liked because I could really "see" the motion, and it fit nicely with both Claude's personality/character and Eccleston's physique. Very good use of the word "jerked".
*"For god's sake, I'm not going to hurt her," Claude snapped.
Just, a cute line.
*Claude put out one hand and cupped her chin.
Again, cute. Very sweet physical contact between them. It also reminds me of the very fatherly way in which Bennet touches Claire in the series, so it felt very fitting for Claude to do it, as he, presumably, was reasonably close to Claire as she grew up.
*He wasn't going to give up his student. He was his _student_.
This as it shows Claude's emotional attachment to his students and the responsibility he feels for them. I really like the hints we see of Claude as a teacher.
*God help you if she can't control it, because I won't be there to teach her.
I like this line, because it indicates that if Claude had stayed he would have become Claire's teacher and the "what if" potential of that is very nice indeed. It also shows that Claude sort of assumes that this is a role that he would eventually have filled. I really would like to see Claude as Claire's teacher, but unfortunately I don't think that that will happen as she has pretty much come to term with her powers. There doesn't seem to be much more for her to learn.
*He forced a spasm in Bennett's hand and relished the surprised, frightened look in his eyes as the gun went off.
I liked this because when the gun went off it did look like someone other than Bennet was pressing the trigger. It was so unexpected and Bennet looked so surprised. And it's a nice moment as Claude inflicts the damage upon himself to save his student. It's also good that you follow this with having Bennet shoot/shoot at him a few times on his own, as it otherwise wouldn't technically count as Bennet shooting him.
*"Nathan -- yeah, listen, no, okay -- Nathan -- Nathan, stop talking."
This is just a very minor detail, but it is a very well written one-side phoneconvo. It sounds very natural, and funny even.
*This wasn't the man she remembered, enormous and clean-shaven and always laughing at something.
A nice nod to how Claude has changed, and it also makes me want to see;
a) more Claire-Claude flashbacks
b) Claude acting more like his old self around Claire
c) Claire getting to know the "new" Claude
*"My family's been taken away from me," she said. "I'm hiding out because the people you used to work for want to kidnap me and, what, run tests on me? [...] You're alive, even though I went to your funeral. And you're really worried about dangerous _questions_?"
This just sounds so very "Claire". You are really capturing her voice here.
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*"Dad said you were killed -- I cried for weeks," Claire said, muffled where her face was pressed against Claude's coat. Peter watched as the other man awkwardly put one arm around her shoulders, then bowed his head over Claire's and closed his eyes. It would have been touching, except then Claude opened his goddamn mouth again.
Too cute and sweet for words. Claude's awkward gesture is heartbreaking really. He should spend more time with Claire, might soften his harsh edges a little. Also, finding out that Claire cared deeply enough for him to cry for weeks over his death (could of course be the shock of finding out at 7-8 that people you know can actually die, but the other reason is cuter) is heartwarming.
*The whole flashback scene on the bridge. Really loved seeing things from Claude's POV.
*"Tell me who it is, and we can forget about the rest," Bennett answered, and Claude knew he was done. If Bennett was pleading with Claude to save his own life, that meant he was going to end it. Here. On the bridge.
I like two things about this. First, the sense of impending doom for Claude, the fact that he knows that he is going to die and the... technical aspect of it, Claude has worked for the company long enough to know that Bennet's words means that he is a dead man, and I liked that touch. (Of course when watching the scene I would like to think that Claude hoped until the very end that Bennet would not shoot him, and that it was a genuine shock to him when he did. And that this moment spawned the whole "People suck!" attitude that Claude has. But your version of it is amazing. Both very logical in its assumptions and heart wrenchingly emotional).
*Bennett drew his gun.
"Who is it?" he asked. Claude thought fast and started working, because once the gun came out there was no going back.
You're going to do it, he said to himself. And it's going to hurt, but you'll be free. This isn't about your pain. It's about your students.
This I liked because it reiterates two of the points that I've already stated that I liked. First, Claude knows that Bennet drawing the gun means that he is going to get shot, that speaks of work-experience and all. Second, he is putting his students above his own pain (blinding, agonizing pain most like), which really shows what kind of man he is. Third, and this is a new one, I like the determination with which he tells himself that he is going to do this, despite the pain.
*"How much _do_ you know?"
"You'll have to be a trifle more specific," he said. "What about?"
Love the word "trifle". Also, I love the fact that had Peter asked such a general question Claude most likely would have retorted with an insult, but with Claire it's more... well light sarcasm. He's just plain nicer around her than he is around Peter, which is cute.
I would love to see/read:
*More Claude flashbacks
*More Claude-Claire interaction
*Claire and Mr Bennet meeting up again
*Claude-Mr Bennet interaction (that would totally rock)
*More Claire-Nathan interaction (to me that would be more interesting than Claire-Peter)
*More Claude!
Anyway keep up the good work, and I know that I am echoing the feelings (and words) of many other readers when I say that you should write for Heroes. Or for TV in general. Have you considered applying to the Disney Fellowship? (http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/html/writing_fellowship_mainpage.htm) Never hurts to try, right?
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I actually became a Who fan because of Eccleston in Heroes, funnily enough. (Is it me or has he gained weight?)
I tend to skip the Niki/Hana/Ted-parts
I don't like writing them, to be perfectly honest :D If I could have reasonably written Niki out, I totally would have.
While on the subject of Jack, I am not very fond of him.
I was thinking when I introduced him that probably a lot of people wouldn't be. He IS an OC, after all. But while Claire does have a lot of really interesting relationships, none of them are romantic, and I wanted her to have something normal -- as normal as things ever are -- for a teenage girl. A boyfriend, or at any rate a suitor. I'm trying to keep Jack less than central, but I'm hoping what he will do is draw the canon characters further in -- interact with them, et cetera.
*the Ouran High School Host Club reference.
That was a totally cheesy and self-gratifying reference, you're right. I just couldn't resist :D
*Not enough Claire-Claude interaction
I'm really wary of this. It seems too easy for him to fall into a father-figure role, and she has two daddies already. There WILL be more, but I want to keep him on his toes -- I don't want him to immediately like her and want to spend time with her. Claude doesn't like people, on the whole.
*Claude let go of his collar and jerked his shoulder up, resettling the shirt over the scar.
This I liked because I could really "see" the motion,
I'm so glad you said that. I loved the mental image of that motion, so I wanted to convey it precisely.
I like this line, because it indicates that if Claude had stayed he would have become Claire's teacher
Absolutely. I think if Claude had still been in Claire's life, he would have been someone she could go to about this, and as soon as she did, he'd have started a ball in motion not only to teach her but also to conceal her. It'd make a great AU.
I really would like to see Claude as Claire's teacher, but unfortunately I don't think that that will happen as she has pretty much come to term with her powers.
I actually talk about this in one of the upcoming chapters -- Claude expounding on what he could do for Claire, if he did teach her. I don't think he'll be her teacher in the time I have left to post this fic, but it's something I envision for the future.
having Bennet shoot/shoot at him a few times on his own, as it otherwise wouldn't technically count as Bennet shooting him.
That was important to me. I didn't want to "whitewash" Bennet -- he did intend to shoot him.
And that this moment spawned the whole "People suck!" attitude that Claude has.
I think it did contribute to it, but Claude's attitude is too deeply ingrained -- I think he already had a great deal of that when he started with the Company.
*Claire and Mr Bennet meeting up again
*Claude-Mr Bennet interaction (that would totally rock)
Oh yes. It's written already. :D
Thank you for all this feedback, it was wonderful to read. And thanks for the link to the Disney fellowship! I will look into that.
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Concerning weight, it does look as if he has. However, some people have theorized that it may be just a case of Claude wearing massive layers of clothing to stay warm outdoors.
My problem with Jack is probably mostly on principal. Once I get past the "OC taking up valuable Claude-time" he is actually a kind of nice character and I do enjoy his interactions with Nathan and Claire.
If I could have reasonably written Niki out, I totally would have
It's your story, you can do anything you want :) But, yeah I do understand why you kept her in, and I admire you for writing a character you don't like because it is needed for the story.
It seems too easy for him to fall into a father-figure role, and she has two daddies already.
I never thought about it like that before, but it is really true. Of course his personality wouldn't let him be very fatherly. But he could also act in a mentor kind of capacity (which would also be kinda father-figurey, just slightly different).
I don't want him to immediately like her and want to spend time with her.
It doesn't have to be happy interaction, or him liking her, just them spending time for one reason or another. I'd love to see more of the very awkward side of Claude and that has only really come out in the presence of Claire.
I think if Claude had still been in Claire's life, he would have been someone she could go to about this, and as soon as she did, he'd have started a ball in motion not only to teach her but also to conceal her. It'd make a great AU.
I would really, really love to read that.
Claude expounding on what he could do for Claire, if he did teach her
Wow, that sounds amazing. I'm really looking forward to that now. Can't wait to read the next chapter.
Claude's attitude is too deeply ingrained -- I think he already had a great deal of that when he started with the Company.
I don't really agree with you here, in the few snippets of Claude we saw in "Company Man" he seemed very easygoing and friendly. During his time in the company I think he began to resent the company rather than the people working for it. Though I am sure that he got to see the worst of human behaviour during his days there. I think the real blow was his partner and best friend(?) shooting him for protecting one of his own kind. After that he had seven years (that's a small child!) for the attitude to become more ingrained. Seven years is a long time. Especially if you spend it hiding and interacting with very few people.
Oh yes. It's written already. :D
You tease! I sooooo want to read that now. I'm actually anticipating your next chapter more than I am anticipating the next episode of Heroes.
Anyway, I think that it would be a real shame if you stopped writing Heroes after the hiatus is over. You write the characters so well and have so many good story ideas (in many ways better than the show). I think that there are more stories that you could tell in this 'verse and I am sure that for your writing Sam many readers would gladly accept a little unintended AU. Also, fully-intended AU (like Claude staying with the company and teaching/hiding Claire) could be nice.
If you liked the feedback I might keep it up (might even do re-reads and comment on earlier chapters). Of course Uni is hell atm, so it would have to wait a week or so.
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I'm always in favour of long feedback. I feel that if you leave feedback you should say something meaningful, you know? And I like that you're not afraid to give crit -- some people are, but I have a very thick skin and it's pretty hard to offend me. :)
My problem with Jack is probably mostly on principal. Once I get past the "OC taking up valuable Claude-time" he is actually a kind of nice character and I do enjoy his interactions with Nathan and Claire.
And I have often the same issues with OCs -- if I see mention of an OC in a summary or a ship notice in front of a fic, I tend to automatically avoid it. So I totally get why you would feel that way.
I'd love to see more of the very awkward side of Claude and that has only really come out in the presence of Claire.
If only I were good enough to write this *laughs*
Anyway, I think that it would be a real shame if you stopped writing Heroes after the hiatus is over.
Well, the hiatusfic will end; we'll see about the rest. It's hard to write for a TV show because you're constantly having things switched up on you, but I might do character studies or something.
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I'm glad. My thoughts on crit is that it is ok as long as it is followed up by the positive stuff. I always tell people what I didn't like first and then what was good. It ends things on a more positive note. I love giving feedback to people. So this is quite fun for me.
If only I were good enough to write this *laughs*
Well I think that you are.
It's hard to write for a TV show because you're constantly having things switched up on you
I can totally understand that, and I guess it's especially hard with longer fics. But, there's always summer. Plenty of weeks with no Heroes at all to change canon on ya :)
Btw, on a totally selfish note, I think you should write Doctor Who fics. Ninth Doctor, non-romance. Mostly because I'd like reading it. You are such a good writer and you are so able to capture character's voices that it would be a joy to read. Besides all the Who-fics I've found are... well horrendous and smutty. (And the Doctor having sex is just... wrong... on so many levels). But, I understand that you might not want to :)
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I've seen the new Who (nine and ten) and it's an intriguing universe to write in, but I don't think I'd do it very well. And perhaps it's wrong for the Doctor to have sex, but Nine does rather scream out for some hurt/comfort :D
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Well thank you :) I'm glad you approve. I've had some practice, mostly with school related stuff... so either Creative Writing or Academic Essays. And I really love doing it, it's great fun.
I'm currently not leaving feedback on your chapters because I am seriously trying to get the damn essay done. (I now have 8 pages, yay!) But, as soon as that is done (Tuesday-Wednesday) I'll sit down and re-read the chapters and comment. The latest one was great btw, the one before that felt a bit like a filler.
Nine, is amazing (I've seen all episodes that have aired, some confidentials, the Christmas specials and the 7 min Children in Need clip). The thing that really bothered me with Ten is that the Doctor-Rose dynamic changed completely and that the Doctor's darkness and hurt seemed to evaporate instantly (also, the man has no chin).
But, Nine, yes you are correct about the hurt/comfort thing, but it doesn't need to be smutty. Hugs are also nice.
What I liked about the Doctor-Rose relationship was that it was so deeply caring without really passing into the romantic/sexual. It marks the first time that I've liked a relationship between two fictional characters WITHOUT wanting them to kiss etc. Though I do believe that they love each other deeply. *stops herself* I could talk about this forever. (Especially considering the fact that I know NO ONE who watches the show, so no one understands what I'm going on about most of the time.) But, I will spare you and stop it right here. :)
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I do think that Ten is a lot less dark than Nine, but it seemed a good way to transition out of it -- and he still has his moments, as in the last episode when he freaked out about Martha :D
And yes, Tennant does look a bit like a muppet, doesn't he.
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I can never get enough Claude or enough backstory, so thank you for pushing my happy buttons again. And for making sure Claude never, ever makes anything easy, even when confronted with a wide-eyed Claire.
-blue
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And, possibly I should have mentioned this before, but I believe it's Bennet, not Bennett. (Hell, I had to look up Rains to make sure it wasn't Raines--and I'm still not sure about that one.)
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......
Oh god, it is Bennet.
GawDAMMIT! *laughs*
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ahem. So today I amend this wrong, and I also SQUEEEEEE~!
You make everything so interesting, and give all the characters exactly the screentime they need so I don't miss them too much or get annoyed by them.
omg, Jack is the best. I totally support your possible continuation of your continuation in writing behind-the-scenes-with-Jack shorts. yes. altho I too keep seeing "Jack Bauer" and then wonder why there isn't more violence. =P
hee! Ouran! keep dropping the pop culture references, they are fun.
Sam, if your writer's block in one area results in writer's flood in another, I say woohoo! I never notice during the first read because they're so good but these are quite lengthy, and you are just pounding them out, whew!
Love it! Keep it up! :D
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Things like this is why I'm hoping Peter will turn out to have switched at birth.
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Still, I like the story. You really, really, really dislike Niki and ikiN (Jessica) and that whole storeyline.
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Is it sad that the first thing I thought of was "It's like that House episode! Don't get sick from the pigeon crap, Claude!"
"Just invisibility," Peter said, looking mischevious.
I suppose technically, invisibility is now in their family since Peter's DNA rearranges when he absorbs a power (I think that's how the show explained it, anyway ...) but this implies to me that Claude is part of their genetic family.
whether Ouran High School Host Club would be improved by the introduction of characters with superpowers, or whether nothing at all could ever improve Ouran High School Host Club.
:D *loves*
"In the last ten minutes, something's changed the future. He stopped here...and started something new on the same canvas."
That is all kinds of awesome. *brain is boggled*
"I heal. That's what I do." "Man, getting your ears pierced must have sucked!"
Cannot wait for this scene!
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Wait till you see the painting UtilityKnife did of the future-has-changed art of Isaac's. :D
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(Anonymous) 2007-04-09 04:18 am (UTC)(link)What, Tamaki's egotism isn't a superpower all it's own?
God, this fic is awesome for corring over fandoms of mine that I thought would never in the least meet.
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...will write better review on next next chapter... need sleep zzzz
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As a quick note, though, this moment I loved:
"Peter, you know, the crazy-little-brother thing, I'd really like to swerve around that this time if we could," Nathan said slowly.
Hee.
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(Anonymous) 2007-05-08 05:38 am (UTC)(link)Now after watching the latest episode ... dayum! You're good! Bennet and Matt went on a road trip together! Claire and Nathan's initial relationship is awkward; but suprisingly unhostile. And your OC-Jack's power and their new character-Molly's potential power! Dayum! You really are good!
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