Micah Sanders

New Orleans, Louisiana

Micah still couldn't believe he'd survived it.

It had taken everything he had, his one thing, as his father had called, was pushed beyond the limits of what he thought imaginable, but even with his Nana and Monica using their powers to ensure his escape, that was all Micah could do: survive.

Survive and make sure the Monster that had done this to his family would never take Nana and Monica's gifts from them.

He realized then that he'd never be a real hero. The Flash didn't just use his one thing to survive; he used it to make sure everyone else did, too. And if it came down his own survival and those around him, a real hero always sacrificed themselves.

Like his Dad, or his Mom.

Or Nana and Monica.

As he made his way through the airport, he tried not to let himself focus on how alone he now was in the world now that the last of his family had finally been ripped out from under him.

Even if he'd never be a hero, he knew that he had to bring the Monster-Man down, and he even knew how to do it...

But if his plan was going to work, he had to survive long enough to get to New York.

While simultaneously manipulating the computers, Micah scanned the airport employees to see who looked like they would be most sympathetic towards a child his age traveling alone.

Elle Bishop & Claire Bennet

Peter Petrelli's Apartment

"Why aren't you paler?" Elle asked seemingly out of nowhere.

Her tone had been one of playful cruel taunting, so Claire tried to ignore her.

"I mean, they say that a suntan is just one big bruise," Elle continued. "So, why aren't you the palest person in the world?"

Of course, that was the tone she always used with Claire, and the younger girl was quickly losing her resistance. "Well, I wouldn't want to steal your title."

"I'm just trying to understand your powers better," Elle insisted, feigning hurt.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence.

"Can you get drunk?" Elle asked, her tone still mocking.

"I've never tried," Claire snapped back, feeling superior even if it was a half-truth.

Elle nodded, not letting her smirk fade.

This had quickly become the status quo between the two of them: Claire wasn't about to forgive Elle for what happened (especially since Elle had yet to give her any indication that she wanted forgiveness or was even sorry, for that matter), while Elle clearly didn't want Claire around disrupting whatever she thought was she had going on with Peter.

Which was another problem, because there was no way Claire was going to let Elle fuck with her family again, in absolutely any sense of the word.

Elle's smile increased as she prepared to deliver her coup de gras. "So... has your virginity grown back yet?"

Claire's little face crumpled up in fury. "PETER!!"

Molly & Mohinder

Suresh's Apartment

"I think I've finally figured out what they're so afraid of," Mohinder said frantically into the phone.

Sitting in the corner, Molly tried to listen to the voice on the other end, but the words were lost to her and it was not a voice she recognized.

"It was actually something Molly said that got me thinking," Mohinder reflected, almost allowing himself to be amused, despite obvious tension building in him over the past few days. "I checked the blood infected with Strain 138 against the blood of one of Maya's unintentional victims and..."

Mohinder drew a breath.

"...there were significant differences, obviously, but I'd say we're looking at a mutation of the same virus," Mohinder concluded darkly.

Molly could hear the silence on the other end.

"I can't honestly say why Angela and whoever she's working with are so interested in protecting this information," Mohinder continued, "but you know her better than I do and I'd dare say you know what's at stake better than any other human being on the planet, so I'm sure you know what has to be done."

Molly watched sadly as Mohinder's shoulders slumped in resignation. "I'll keep in touch with you," he said, then severed the connection.

--

On the other side of the phoneline, Nathan Petrelli picked up his gun and steeled himself for what he had to do.

"The things a man has to do to protect his family," he said dispassionately.