"This thorn in my side is from the tree I planted
It tears me and I bleed"

-Metallica in "Bleeding Me"

Travis knocked on Swiss' door. Travis soon was to go to Atlanta Georgia to take down whomever this person with biokinesis was. He wondered how on earth he would explain this all to Swiss. He knocked again, and Swiss answered. The young soldier looked tired, and even sweaty a bit. Travis could see Cindy sitting down in the room, he offered her a slight nod, and she nodded back before looking down again.

"Oh hey, Travis. I'm- I'm a bit on the other side right now. So, you wouldn't mind waiting on this conversation would you?"

Travis shook his head. "I won't keep you." he said, noticing Swiss had something on his mind. Travis didn't bother figuring it out. "I came to say that I, have some business to take care of outside of town and I don't know when I'll be back."

"What do you mean?" Swiss asked frowning.

"Exactly what I said. I have a job I gotta do. So watch out after yourself, and do me a favor, watch Krystina will you?"

Swiss looked down. He then looked at Cindy. "Honey, I'll be right back." Cindy sighed and looked at the ceiling. Travis picked up one thought from her as Swiss shut the door. Dammit, Swiss, we can barely spend five minutes alone together anymore...

Swiss leaned against the wall. He had his eyes on Travis. "There's something you're not telling me. I don't have to be a telepath to know that. Is there anything I can help you with? Because you sound like a man going to a battle he doesn't wish to fight."

"As much as that's true, well I don't have much a choice. Arthur's not behind it, but it involves a...friend." he said with a hesitant tone. Peter was his teacher, and Travis had a unique trust in the guy. He was considered a friend to Travis.

"I'll ask again, do you need help? I'd be willing to help. I mean as long as Arthur's not a part of this whole thing."

'Are you sure because..."

Travis was picking up a dream Swiss had a few moments ago, that was on his mind like butter on toast.

"I'm so sorry." A gunshot. Death. A tidal wave.

Travis almost lost his footing. Swiss had the exact same dream as Travis! How was this possible?

Swiss noticed Travis' reaction. "What's wrong?"

Travis looked up and simply said, "You've had trouble sleeping."

"What? Oh..." Swiss said rubbing the back of his head. "I had the strangest dream. The environment was so, dark. We were on some kind of dock or something. I could see Krystina and Cindy held hostage against our will. I also see Arthur holding Cindy at gunpoint I'm holding a pistol, not at Arthur, but at you. Arthur kills Cindy, then kills me. All I can say is how sorry I am and I don't have any reason why I am sorry. The chopper leaves with you and Krystina, and I am adrift in the waters of the bay for about ten minutes continuing to watch the chopper take off. Then this monster of a wave destroys everything."

Travis sat down fast getting reminded of the dream himself. He now had more information! The dreams were getting more detailed. What was happening? Swiss watched Travis sit down, and then asked in a rather sharp tone.

"Okay you're acting weird. Why?"

Travis didn't look to Swiss, but he could not hide it from his friend. "Swiss, for the past couple months now, I've been getting very similar dreams depicting that exact same scenario. I see you. I see your murder, and I see a monster wave destroying a city below me. Only I also see Krystina getting shot as well. The wave hits almost immediately afterwards." Travis said looking down.

"I guess we better not dwell on it." Swiss said. "But why didn't you tell me if you've seen me in your dreams?"

Travis shrugged. "I never thought it important. It's not unusual to dream about a friend."

"But it is, if it's the exact same dream, over and over again, which is what's happening man! I mean, what if this dream is a possible consequence to me working with Arthur?"

Travis didn't answer. This annoyed Swiss.

"Dammit, Travis tell me something."

"How can I? How the hell can I? I barely know anything about my abilities! I don't think I can dream any weird visions!"

Swiss was about to say something but dropped it. "I'm sorry. I'm still stressed."

"And yet you want to help me with this thing?"

"Before we go onto that, I have one more question about the dream."

Travis sighed, wishing they could just forget about the fucking dream, but listened.

"Travis, in your dream, do you see an older man, not Arthur, he's a man who looks to be in his 30's or 40's. He's naked, has a sad feeling in him, and looks at the scenario almost like there's no hope?"

Travis looked at Swiss. "Are you sure you're referring to my dreams? I don't see some naked depressed man in my dreams."

"Huh. Anyway about your thing tonight."

Travis looked up at the time. "Shit, walk with me."

"Where are we going Travis?"

"If you want to go with me, then listen." he said as he walked toward the courtyard. "I don't know very much details concerning the special, other than she's a girl." Swiss gave him a look Travis could only smile to. "Heh, I know right? She has biokinesis, and she's altered a man, named Peter, and his abilities. Without his abilities, he cannot save a great person, by the name of Hiro Nakumura."

"Hiro Nakumura?" Swiss asked stopping in the hall.

Travis turned to Swiss. "Is the name familiar to you?"

"Well, he is the guy who brought me here."

Travis gave him a look. "Is that a bad thing or a good thing?"

Swiss shrugged. "Both for all I know. I'm still not all that thrilled to be a part of this time."

"Oh I know." Travis said, as they resumed down the hall. "Hiro's got himself some tumor that Peter needs to heal. This girl, whoever she is, must have managed to mess Peter up really bad. I'm going in to influence the girl to restore his power."

"And if she doesn't?"

Travis sighed. "I can only pray she will."

They entered the courtyard. Peter was standing there. Rene was there with him, his stature silent and blank. He looked to Travis. "You're late."

"I know. Had some things to take care of."

"Who's this?" he asked pointing to Swiss.

"Swiss, this is Peter, Peter this is Swiss. A friend." Peter held out a hand. "Swiss, this is the point of no return basically. If you're willing to help me, then I am grateful, but if not, I understand."

"Travis, everything will be fine. I think you need my help anyway. Swiss moved in to shake his hand.

"Also a thing I have not mentioned, to you for obvious reasons, is that Peter is the son of Arthur."

Swiss at this, retracted his hand, giving Peter an untrusting look. If he's the son of Arthur, why are youworking for him? Does he know what his father is even doing?

Travis finished what he was going to say, with a sterner tone. "He, however is a different man. He helped me rescue Krystina and has helped me in ways I don't know how to thank him for. However, if you do not feel comfortable working for him, I fully understand."

Peter showed some hurt to the fact Swiss would not shake his hand, and put his hand down. Travis sighed and sent a thought to Swiss. Yes he knows, and it's probably one of the only reasons I still trust him...

Swiss sighed. "I'm in. I'll do what I can, but I'm not working for him, I'm working with him."

Peter sighed and touched their shoulders. "Fine, whatever. Let's get this over with."

Peter teleported the four of them to a Carnival ground. Travis felt something weird. He didn't feel any weaker, but it felt as if someone's powers were weakening. They spread out. Travis did mental readouts of any nearby tent. He was surprised they were here at some carnival ground, but he didn't say anything. Swiss was cycling through weapons, old handguns, revolvers, machine guns, he then made his way to Travis. "Does Peter know what Arthur is doing to me?"

"I gave him a hint something was wrong. Let's finish this thing first before we point fingers to Arthur. I have not mentioned any names. We have enough shit on our plate. But once we're done here, I hope he has an idea of what to do."

"That sounds reassuring." Swiss said sarcastically.

"Swiss, I'm not trying to sound vague, but this isn't exactly a walk in the park for me either." he said, reading tent after tent, finding life forms, but none they were looking for.

"Sorry." Swiss said. "Just have a lot on my mind."

"I noticed." Travis said.

"Nice one." Swiss said. "Do you know what the girl looks like?"

"Not in the least bit, I only know she has..." Travis trailed off. He was picking up a thought from the tent in front of him.

Come on. Show me what you're made of...I'm getting hungry...

"She's in there..." he whispered softly, pointing to the tent.

Swiss looked suspiciously at the tent. "Now what?" he asked softly.

"Hold on, let me dig deeper." he said softly, focusing on this girl's mind. He came up with detail after detail on this woman.

Jessica Spayde. Age 28. Biokinetic. A cannibal (which kind of grossed Travis out). A loner. Hated humanity. Hated Peter. Turned out Peter had tried more than once to come here. But this wouldn't help in a fight against her. He needed a weakness.

And Travis found one.

"So how do you want to do this? I mean, like two of us flank around and breach the back of the tent, while the other two come in the front?"

Travis turned to Swiss with a bit of a smile. "You're used to doing this, aren't you?"

"You're right actually. But, how many hostiles, EXACTLY, are we looking at here? I mean, if this place is run by supers, won't there be resistance from them, whether their powers are gone or not? I mean surely they have guns or something?"

"Not currently." Travis said focusing in on the tent. "They know their powers are gone thanks to Rene. Jessica knows were out here and is requesting weapons. I guess we'd best get her attention before they arrive."

Travis walked a few steps toward the tent. Swiss watched him and even asked "What the hell are you doing?"

Travis stood outside the tent. He then said loud enough for Jessica inside to hear, "Hydrophobia...the morbid dread of water. One who wants absolutely nothing to do with water has this. Why some have it is a mystery to scientists." Travis chuckled, because Jessica wasn't hydrophobic, she was thalassophobic. She hated the ocean. Either way to Travis, it wasn't a problem.

He then shot this into Jessica's mind. Fear of water, or ocean, it's all the same to me. And if you truly do fear the ocean, I'm the last person you want to meet.

Travis wasn't expecting it. Someone jumped out of the tent tackling him, pinning him to the ground. Travis looked up and saw Jessica's highly angered face staring down at him.

"You'd best get the fuck out of my mind, kiddo!"

She opened her mouth, which revealed several jagged teeth, and Travis could only picture it out of some horror movie. She came down on his arm and bit hard. Travis screamed in pain, but Jessica had failed to see Swiss. A bullet hit her shoulder. Her skin was hard though, but with Rene's dampening of the power, it still left a nasty wound for Jessica. Swiss fired again, and again, Jessica began running. Swiss rushed to Travis' side and helped him up.

"You okay?!" he asked, pulling him up. Travis' arm wasn't badly wounded, a few teeth got through the skin, but it was nothing serious.

"Yeah. Shit she really does have a bite worse than her bark."

"Well she's on the move, now what do we do?"

"Chase her. That's all we can do."

Travis and Swiss ran through the carnival. Travis was starting to get a sight of Jessica, who had been wounded a little in the leg. Travis shot a small torrent of water at Jessica's feet, and froze her to the ground. She broke the ice, but by then, Swiss and Travis had caught up.

"Jessica, you're going to help us whether you want to or not."

At this time Peter and the Haitian came running in as well.

"What happened?" Peter asked as he came in.

"Nothing much, just a little scare." Travis said.

Jessica gave Peter a look of hatred. "I told you to stay away from here!"

"Jessica I need my abilities back!"

Jessica looked at Travis. "You expect me to help you? You work with Peter, you should be fearing me."

"A bite on the arm isn't much to fear about. You're not venomous are you?"

"Don't tempt me!" Jessica said sharply at Travis.

Travis then began to receive thoughts from Jessica. You, and your friends should listen to me. You all look like the heroic type, so would you risk countless men, women, and children within the next 20 miles around here to die, simply to get this man his abilities back? she smiled as she thought this.

Travis shook his head. What do you mean?

It's your move, boyo. Your friend back there with the gun. If you move, he'll shoot me, and without my powers, I could die. All it takes is a head shot. Bang! Dead. Which, given the circumstances, might be a good thing. Save my new friends at least. Never thought I'd be the selfless sacrifice to save anyone.' Of course, you can end it right here. Take me down so Petey can get his powers back. As if I'd cooperate anyway. As soon as I get my powers back, I'd kill the lot of you. But I'll make an exception for you if you help me out here. No hard feelings. Your call.

Peter looked at Travis, who could tell was under something mental. "Travis, you okay?"

Travis ignored him, Jessica continued. That mother and her two children. Dead. That young couple. Dead. That old guy feeding the birds. Dead. The group of preschoolers on a field trip. Dead. You. Dead. Your gun buddy back there. Dead. Your little Petey pie. Dead after I kill him. And yours truly? Some fuckin' way, I survive this thing. I always loved ironic situations? And then I get to hear Petey Pie's screams as I tear him to shreds. Because he survives too. Isn't that funny? What's even better is that he knows all of this. HE. FUCKING. KNOWS. So it's your call, waterboy. You help him, and no matter where you go, no matter where you take me, Petey Pie blows. And no matter where you go, he's killing someone. Might as well drop a nuke!

Travis looked at Peter. Then back to Jessica. He spoke aloud. "I didn't come here to kill you. I'm here on strict business to make sure a friend gets saved. And that someone believe it or not, isn't Peter."

Travis looked at them all. "Permit me." he said, and he illusioned. Travis sat on a rock and looked at Jessica.

"Your kind confuses me. Why the whole world deserves to die in your eyes will never really come through in me. I have a few questions for you now. It's just you and me. Swiss, Peter, even Rene. They can't see us and I hope they know it's for the best right now. But know this, not even your allies will see you here. We are like ghosts. It's just you and me."

Travis sat back never taking his eyes off her in case she tried to break the ice around her. It wouldn't harm her, Travis saw to it, but if she did break it and attacked him, he'd need to defend himself.

"I'm here as I said for one reason. I'm here to save a person who needs help. I don't know him all that well, but without him, I would not have been able to save a person I care about very much. Jessica, I'm asking you right now. You may hate me with your whole heart, you may be dying to know what my flesh tastes like, I don't care what you even think of me, but did you ever have someone you really cared about? One you would have died for?"

Jessica spat as she broke the ice and stood up looking at Travis. "You call them allies, but I barely know them. Hell, the short one is kind of an asshat, but that's beside the point. Your friend, you need Petey to help him? He sick or something? Believe it or not, but after this fuckup with Petrelli, I end up becoming some sort of miracle doctor. Even if it isn't going to happen to me in this time, I have the capacity to do that. I can get rid of any illness, including cancer. I can even regrow body parts, apparently. You keep me away from Peter, and I fix your buddy with no strings attached. And it isn't like I can exactly lie to you, now can I? Seeing as you're in my head and all."

Travis didn't change his look. "One must be cautious of you. You've already sunk your teeth into me once."

Jessica scoffed, then continued. "The only people I've ever given even the slightest damn about are the people who work in this carnival. I even hated my own parents guts. And if you really wanted to play therapist, you'd see why I hate all humanity and want to watch almost all of it burn to the ground. But we don't have time for that, now do we? Let me ask you can you read memories as well as minds?"

Travis scoffed. "Wouldn't be much of a telepath if I couldn't."

"Well I got one hell of a memory for you." The environment in Travis' visions changed. A dark place. Something had happened. Something big. "If you can see this, you'll get my point. Not only will my new family be obliterated, but so will everyone else in a twenty mile radius. That includes these residential areas and office complexes. Now you're some goody-goody hero character, and I may or may not be the evil bitch, but at this point, I don't give a damn. You have your reasons to not want Pete to explode, and I have mine. If that isn't enough to convince you, then I don't understand why you can't get my hatred. The whole long and short it: I fix Pete, he go boom, you and everyone else go dead, and that's all you need to know. So now it all rests on you, the coin. I've done what I can, I've flipped you into the air. You have two choices. You can allow me to be caught and let Pete explode, or you help me get out of here, convince Pete to leave the matter alone, and I fix your little friend."

The vision ended.

As an after thought, she added, "Oh, and by the way, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead before you knew it. Biokinesis has its perks, I have to say."

Travis shrugged. She had her reasons. "I have my reasons to think the future is different, but I won't go into that." he said thinking about his dreams. Travis was having questions about who to believe now. You had pros and cons. Jessica was right. The coin was flipping in the air and he had to call it. Travis was playing Russian roulette with a full chamber. Each choice had it's consequences. Travis had to think.

Travis lifted the illusion. Everyone looked at them both. "So what will it be, kid?" Jessica asked.

Travis shook his head. "I don't know anymore."

Jessica grabbed him suddenly. This caused the others to react. They were shouting for her to let him go, she was looking into Travis' eyes.

"What does it take to get this through your thick skull? I talked to myself! And she was there. Peter's powers were reactivated, but they were unstable. He couldn't control the sudden burst of power and it resulted in an explosion. There are no terrorists. I was still holding his hand when he blew! Lost an arm and both legs. Barely able to put myself back together. Of course, his little invincibility trick saved him, but his powers were still unstable. And so I was able to kill him. Severed his head and ripped out his guts. You had your opportunity, and this is mine!"

She then shoved Travis into Peter and took off. Again.

'If you want my help, protect me. Keep him away from me, and get me later. I'm going to be in the sewers, two blocks North and five blocks East of here. But if you bring him with you, I guarantee that all the water on the planet won't stop me. Ta-ta for now, boyo.'

Travis tried running after her, but Peter caught up. "Whoa whoa whoa, where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm going after her! That's where I'm going!"

"Travis, her powers are back now! If you go alone, she'll rip you to pieces."

Swiss came over, "I'm afraid Petrelli is right Travis, you'll need backup if you want to go after her. At least the quiet guy." he said pointing to Rene, who simply gave Swiss a look.

Travis shook his head. "I have to go alone. There's too many unanswered questions. Questions she won't answer in front of any of you."

"Travis, remember why we're here!" Peter said.

"I know exactly why we're here. We're here to save Hiro. And if I don't go after her, alone, we may lose that chance. I'm sorry Peter you're going to have to trust me."

Travis turned again. Peter caught him again. "Travis don't do this!"

Travis, annoyed, froze Peters feet to the ground. "I'm sorry Peter. I must." and he then ran. Travis didn't bother listening to Peter's little outburst at his move, but what did he care?

Travis found an open manhole. The water down below would be filthy, but to Travis, his purification of water would not make that any problem whatsoever.

Travis had made his call of the coin toss. He could only hope it was the right one...