Fast-Forward Rewind: Part 1
Characters/Pairing/Summary: This is a Mohinder-centric story that will feature many of the characters on the show---too many to list. There's a lot of set-up here, but by the end of the chapter, you'll see where it's going.
Rating: PG
Words: 4110
Spoilers: Starts a couple of days after Powerless. Sort of.
A/N: I wasn't going to post this until I finished the other things I have in the works, but I realized that I won't be able to focus until I let this one go. Many many thanks to levitatethis for generously providing such insightful feedback and reassurance.
Everything was so much more than Mohinder remembered. More people, more stalls, more noise, more smells, more wares for sale. Madras's biggest market was thriving in a way that he had never seen before. A sweet-smelling basket of ripe kumquats at a fruit stand caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. "I haven't seen one of this variety since I was a boy," Mohinder murmured. "How much?" he asked the merchant, and thus began the ancient rite of haggling. Mohinder was not only out of practice; he also had no way of knowing what a reasonable price should be. After a minute of back and forth, he paid and walked away, wondering if he had been grossly overcharged.
"Come on," Mohinder beckoned.
Mohinder's companion trailed quietly at his heels, with eyes wide open and senses drinking in this foreign and exotic cityscape. The only thing he didn't seem to notice was the way some people were staring. Although Mohinder relished the almost forgotten experience of blending into a crowd---as much as his handsome face and aura of wealth could allow---the other man stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.
"I didn't want to."
"You didn't want to what?" Mohinder asked. He prayed that the conversation wasn't going where he thought it was going.
"To kill him. I didn't want to, but I had to."
Despite Mohinder's attempts during the past hour to focus on other things, such as changing money and figuring out where to go first, they were indeed going to have to talk about this. Mohinder sighed, hoping they could get it over with quickly. All Mohinder wanted was to enjoy the afternoon, to savor this experience and revel in escapism at its most extreme before getting down to what was certain to be difficult business. Discussions of violence hardly fit that goal.
*****************************************************
It all started when Mohinder, sitting at his desk after dinner, was valiantly trying to think of a way to piece his life back together. His thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.
"Good evening, Dr. Suresh. Elle told me that you didn't show up at the lab today. I'm just calling to make sure you're ok."
Mohinder couldn't believe the man's nerve. On the other hand, quitting had probably been too easy to be true. Look what had happened to Bennet. He held firm, all the same. "I tendered my resignation two days ago, Bob. You know that."
"It wasn't a real resignation, of course. No, you meant that you wanted a couple of days to recuperate after your harrowing experience with Sylar. I completely understand your need for some time off. However, we need you as much as ever, Dr. Suresh. Things have become very dangerous and complicated. I'd like to send you and Elle on a very sensitive assignment that may involve---" Mohinder cut him off.
"No offense to your daughter, but I have zero interest in going on an assignment. When you told me the other day that all efforts were going to be redirected to other initiatives, and especially after discovering what you did regarding Sylar, I no longer have any desire to work with you people. The only reason I joined this company was to do research on the virus."
"I thought you joined in order to bring us down from the inside," Bob countered.
Mohinder felt flustered. "Well, yes. That, too. But the virus research is the reason I stayed despite the morally objectionable things that were going on around me. Innocent people will die unless we continue this research. I need to find a cure that doesn't rely on mass exportation of my blood, and Claire. I can't do that while gallivanting around the globe with Elle and a gun."
"The virus work is important, but priorities change, Dr. Suresh. In addition to Nathan Petrelli's assassin, Sylar is on the loose… and with the cure you gave him. I'm sure you'd agree with me that he's a more pressing concern than the virus."
Mohinder couldn't believe the accusation. "Was coerced into giving him, for the record. Sylar wouldn't be a pressing concern if you hadn't rescued him in the first place. He may be a monster, but no one, not even Sylar, deserves to be experimented on in that way. My priorities remain the same. God knows how many more manufactured strains of the virus are out there. It's my duty to help."
"I know you have an emotional attachment to this project, because of your sister, and the fact that you personally are the only cure right now, but this company oversees a large number of concerns. The virus is only one of them. We need your skills, your smarts, your know-how, not just your blood. How about this? You'll transfer into the role of a regular agent, but I'll also keep a look-out for any new patients who may come to our attention. That way we can get new samples of the virus for you to experiment with in your spare time."
Mohinder did a double take. "What do you mean, new samples? Don't you have anything to work on right now? What about the samples from when Molly was sick? The ones I took from the Haitian?"
"When we realized what Adam was after, we destroyed all previous research and blood samples."
"You what? Including the mutated strains?" Mohinder couldn't believe it. In fact, he didn't.
"Well, I don't know about that for sure. One of the more senior heads…"
Mohinder was sure that somewhere, the company was working against him. Was working to create more mutated strains. And he didn't even have a pure version of the virus to study anymore and test things against. Mohinder was being manipulated as ruthlessly as Bennet had been, and he felt powerless. "Fuck you, Bob," he spat.
Bob simply sighed. "I take it you need some more time off. I expect to see you in two days, packed and ready to head off with Elle. She's really looking forward to it. Goodbye, Dr. Suresh. Say hi to Molly for me." Mohinder hung up and threw the phone at the wall. Molly stared at him before shrugging and getting back to math. Two days. The company would own him again in two days. How could he get out of this? How could he make sure he could continue his research without depending on Bob? There just wasn't enough time to…
Mohinder suddenly had an idea. He remembered something very vague and bizarre that Matt had told him when he called from Texas the previous evening with updates on Nathan's condition. Mohinder started rooting around Matt's work papers. The information was very sketchy, but he found an office contact. It would probably take some time to find the right phone number, but it could definitely be done. Why had no one thought of this before?
*****************************************************
The next morning, Mohinder dropped Molly off at school, as he always did. It was her first day going back to a semi-normal routine since Sylar's visit.
"What's up with you today, Mohinder?" she asked. "You seem… I dunno. Really excited."
"I'm just… I think it'll be a really good day."
Molly looked at him with even more curiosity. "You're dressed kind of funny, too. Funnier than usual. And what's with the bag?"
"Hey! You're not allowed to tease me." Mohinder nuzzled her head.
"No! Don't mess up my hair!" she giggled.
"As a matter of fact, this is my father's old bag. I found it the other day at the back of the closet."
"Ok. But it's still ugly."
Mohinder bent down in front of her and became serious. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked.
"Yeah. I think so." She tried to sound completely confident for his sake.
"Molly, I want you to listen to me carefully. I'm less worried that he'll come after you than I am about the company. Just in case anything happens, remember---"
"Yes, yes, I know. Never let myself be alone. Scream really loudly. Tell the boogieman to call you before he does anything. Lie if Bob makes me look for someone."
Mohinder hugged her one last time. "Good girl. Have fun at school. I'll see you later."
She ran to catch him one last time. "I love you, Mohinder."
"I love you, too, Molly."
*****************************************************
Mohinder loathed Times Square. It was loud, garish, and claustrophobic; however, these were among the reasons why he had made his rendezvous here. He'd been waiting anxiously for fifteen minutes, and the old rucksack was starting to feel heavy. Mohinder didn't know what to expect. Would anyone notice? Apparently they hadn't the last time. Would there be a noise? A pop? A whoosh?
He didn't get to find out. A man Mohinder had seen once, but never actually met, breathlessly came running up to him with his arms open wide.
"Dr. Suresh?" The man's eyes were shining with inexplicable joy.
"Hiro Nakamura?"
"I came out over there." Hiro pointed across the square to the W hotel. Unable to contain himself anymore, he flailed with excitement. "I am so excited to meet you again, to help you. When you called yesterday, I thought maybe it was you. The voice sounded similar. The name, too, but I wasn't sure, so I didn't say anything. But it is you!" Hiro threw his arms around Mohinder, who froze in surprise and confusion.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Have we met before?"
"Yes, in the future. You saved my life. You gave me the key to saving the world. You are my… my new hero." Something bitter tinged Hiro's elation.
Mohinder didn't quite know how to respond. "Um. Ok. Why don't you tell me about it over breakfast?"
*****************************************************
Mohinder and Hiro walked a couple of blocks to Bryant Park, bought some hot chocolate and croissants from the 'wichcraft stand, and sat down at one of the park tables. Both men were silently thrilled at how well they got along. Hiro's infectious enthusiasm and optimistic nature played well with the doctor's logical thinking and good-natured reserve. After listening to Hiro's wild tale of things Mohinder had apparently done, but would never actually end up doing, Mohinder laid out his plan. Hiro listened and looked conflicted.
"I understand the problem, but I swore not to time travel anymore. It's too dangerous. We could destroy the space-time continuum. I already have, I think. I'm sorry." Hiro looked genuinely distraught at having to reject his hero's request.
Mohinder had an argument ready. "But we'll be going solely for observation purposes. I'll just see how the virus was in its original form, and try to get a sample from Shanti. She's the only subject I can trust not to have been tainted by the company. It's the only way to find a way to fight new strains they might come up with. We don't even know where they got their initial samples and research from in the first place. For all I know, the company injected Molly and the Haitian, too."
"But how can you watch your sister die and not do anything to stop it? Especially when you know you could cure her. I don't think it's possible."
"It'll be hard, but I'll have you to restrain me, and anyway, what would be the point? She'd just die some other way." While discussing the alternate future he had visited, Hiro had explained to a fascinated Mohinder his theory that he was only able to prevent deaths that would happen in the future of his own personal time-line. "I really do think this can work, Hiro," Mohinder reiterated.
"I don't know." Mohinder could see that Hiro wanted to be helpful but remained unconvinced.
"Look, I even planned things in advance." Mohinder opened the rucksack Molly had mocked earlier that morning. "I have thousands of dollars worth of old American bills. We'll have plenty of cash for whatever we might need to do. I even got some seventies clothes so we fit in."
Hiro was awestruck. Mohinder had obviously thought this out very seriously, more seriously than Hiro ever had.
"You are even smarter than I knew you were." The hero-worship came back into his eyes, and Mohinder knew he had won. Hiro took a deep breath. "Ok. I will do it. For you. But let us try to spend as little time there as possible." Hiro paused and grinned. "I have never been to India before. I'm glad I can go with you."
Accustomed to Molly's ability, Mohinder had prepared for the eventuality that Hiro would need some assistance. "I don't know how this works, but I brought a picture, in case you need help orienting." He handed Hiro an old photograph of himself as a boy with one of his elementary school friends. "I think this is a good spot. It's always been a very quiet alleyway. No one should see us arrive."
"You really want to do this?" Hiro asked seriously.
"Yes, very much," Mohinder replied.
"Ok. I will change clothes, and then we'll go."
They went into the adjacent New York Public Library so Hiro could change in the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, decked out in a hilarious pair of bellbottoms that fit in with Mohinder's brown polyester suit. A passing librarian raised her eyebrows at the unlikely Flashdance wannabes as they headed for the always-empty room devoted to the Schlosser Collection on the History of Papermaking.
"I look crazy," Hiro said.
"You look swinging," Mohinder replied with a grin.
"Are you ready?" Hiro asked, once they reached a deserted alcove.
"Yes," Mohinder whispered, even though he wasn't quite sure he was. At that moment, his phone started to vibrate. He looked at Hiro questioningly.
"Go ahead," Hiro said.
Mohinder didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
"Hello, Mohinder." It was that voice again. Smooth, cloying, insolently familiar. Mohinder was getting a little tired of this.
"What is it now?"
The voice on the other end of the line chuckled. "Just wanted to let you know it worked like a charm. Thanks for all your help the other day."
Mohinder was about to jump down Sylar's throat, but he was shushed before he could begin.
"I know what you're going to say, but don't worry. You held up your end of the bargain, and the little princess is safe. Your sparky girlfriend on the other hand…" Sylar's cruel laughter sent a chill down Mohinder's spine. He snapped the phone shut.
Hiro looked at him with concern. "Trouble at home?"
Mohinder almost choked. It's a good thing Sylar wasn't around. He would have had a field day with that.
"No, not quite. That was Sylar."
The expression on Hiro's face reminded Mohinder that no one had yet informed him of this new development. "Sylar is dead. I killed him."
"He survived," Mohinder replied grimly.
Hiro contemplated this and frowned. "But that means… that means I failed my mission. But… maybe it was destined. Maybe I was not meant to be a killer. I knew I was not meant to become my future self." He collected himself and became resolute. "Let's go. We will take care of that when we come back later. In a few minutes. You know." Mohinder understood and thrilled at the concept. Hiro grasped Mohinder and was about to make the jump when something struck him. With his hand still on Mohinder's shoulder, he delayed for a moment. "He calls you?"
It was moments like these when Mohinder hated his life. "Yes."
Mohinder didn't know what he had expected to feel, but it was definitely something dramatic, something physical, something visual. Something more than nothing. It turned out that time travel was as simple as watching a scene change in a film.
*****************************************************
So here they were, an Indian geneticist and a Japanese time traveler, wandering the markets of Madras in February 1977, and talking about the non-death of someone who hadn't been born yet.
"Would you like a piece?" Mohinder offered Hiro a bite of the kumquat, but his new friend ignored the offer. This had been bothering Hiro for quite some time, and now that he saw this opportunity to talk about it, he was desperate to unburden himself. Hiro reasoned that Mohinder would be able to understand since he obviously knew the killer well enough to get phone calls from him.
"Sylar was… is a very tragic person," Hiro continued eagerly. "I watched him kill his mother."
"What?" Despite his familiarity with Sylar's list of crimes, not even Mohinder could believe this.
"No, not like that. Not like the other killings. It was an accident. He wanted her to love him, and she attacked him when he showed her what he could do. He can do very beautiful things when he doesn't kill. He defended himself and it happened. My friend wanted me to stab him then, but I couldn't. He was too sad. He was broken."
Mohinder couldn't help but be interested. "When was this?"
"Two nights before the night with Peter Petrelli."
The day he had called. Mohinder reeled from the confirmation of the irrational conviction he had always harbored that the killer had actually been reaching out for help. It was tragic, in every sense of the word. However, Mohinder still felt uncomfortable talking about it, and changed the subject.
"So, my plan is to find my grandparents' house. We can ask around there where my parents are living."
"Are you and your father close?" Hiro asked.
"No, he was murdered by Sylar about six months ago. But even when he was alive, we weren't close."
"Oh," Hiro replied, with an awkward blush. "I'm sorry. My father was recently murdered, too."
"I know. My condolences. Matt told me just a little bit about the case. Something about a 400 year-old man named Adam Monroe, the one who wanted to release the virus."
"Yes."
Mohinder didn't notice how tight-lipped that had made Hiro. He suddenly remembered something that had puzzled Matt, but which had been forgotten in the ensuing debacle with Nathan. "Matt told me that you and Adam disappeared the other day… I mean, in the future… I mean… ugh. What happened?"
"I have sworn never to tell anyone." Hiro's stony face made it clear to Mohinder that he meant it.
"Um, alright," Mohinder conceded. They kept walking, and Mohinder alleviated the tension caused by their recent conversation by explaining various cultural points, pointing out historical facts about the city, and teaching Hiro a couple of key words in Tamil. They wove through the ever-thickening crowd. Hiro was enjoying the doctor's company and began paying more attention to the products for sale.
"Dr. Suresh… I mean, Mohinder, I think it would be nice to get a present for my friend Ando. I think these skirts for men would make him laugh. And maybe your little girl would like… what did you say they were called?"
"A sari. I don't know. Aren't you afraid that taking things back with us would destroy the space-time continuum?" Mohinder joked.
Hiro shook his head in confusion, not quite understanding Mohinder's sarcasm. "No. It's only a piece of cloth."
"Actually, that's a nice idea," Mohinder replied with a laugh. "If we accomplish our mission today, we won't have another chance. Here's a stall with clothes. Let's look." He began digging through the piles of richly colored and embroidered cloth. "This might be a good color for Molly. She really loves purple. Oooh, or red? The detailing on this is incredible…" Mohinder concentrated on this task as he concentrated on everything in life.
"Kensei Takezo," he heard Hiro whisper.
"What does that mean?" Mohinder asked absent-mindedly. He was up to his elbows in saris, so he was only half listening, but it sounded like a pretty phrase. He glanced at Hiro, and was surprised to see him transfixed, with a number of conflicting emotions playing on his features: fear, awe, regret… "What's wro---"
"We must go. Now. This was a mistake." Hiro grabbed him. At that moment, Mohinder was shocked to hear himself addressed.
"Suresh?"
Mohinder instinctively whirled around, and in doing so, his shoulder lost contact with Hiro's hand just as the time traveler's eyes closed in concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, Mohinder barely caught the beginnings of a twitch of panic as Hiro started to lurch towards him in an effort to regain the connection before he disappeared. He didn't have time to digest what had happened, because the person who had addressed him was now upon him.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you leaving this afternoon?" The man's expression switched from joviality to confusion when Mohinder looked at him blankly. He peered more closely at Mohinder. "Oh, forgive me. I thought you were someone else."
"Not a problem," Mohinder replied distractedly, looking around. The man stared at him some more before fading away into the crowd again, mumbling something about "uncanny… playing a trick on me?" As he watched him walk away, Mohinder had a flash of understanding as he remembered how his family had always marveled at the resemblance Mohinder bore to a younger version of one of his uncles.
However, he didn't have time to think about that now. He refused to believe what his gut told him had just happened. Hiro had to be around here somewhere. He would reappear any moment now. He must. Mohinder continued to peer around him in panic.
"Have you lost something?" Mohinder was about to ignore this new unwelcome conversant, but something about the voice attracted his attention. The accent was different, and there was purpose behind the words. Mohinder turned around and saw someone as out of place in this crowd as Hiro had been. The stranger looked like an inverted sunny sky. Golden skin tanned from the Indian sun, golden hair, and gigantic, shining blue eyes.
"Excuse me?" Mohinder asked.
"You look a bit confused. As if you'd lost something, or someone." The young man was torn between speaking to Mohinder and also looking breathlessly around, just as Mohinder had been. He had seen.
"No," was Mohinder's kneejerk response.
"Really? You didn't see an Asian man here a second ago? I thought he was speaking to you. And then… and then…" Thinly veiled hysteria was lurking beneath the man's enforced calm. Mohinder figured that watching someone vanish into thin air would do that to anyone. Thank goodness this fellow seemed to have been the only one to notice. If he had actually seen Hiro, there was no use denying the fact. Mohinder decided to play this very cavalierly, and hoped that the man would convince himself that the occurrence was just a trick of the eyes.
"Ah yes, him. Don't know where he got off to. He must have buggered off into the crowd." Mohinder returned to the saris, hoping this would be over. It wasn't.
"You don't seem troubled. Was he not a friend of yours?" The man looked at Mohinder---really looked at him, for the first time.
"No, he was just… I met him at the hotel this morning. Don't even know his name. He asked me to show him the way to the market. I suppose now that we're here, he didn't need my guidance anymore. A bit rude, but… oh well." Mohinder was aware that he was babbling. He tried to close the conversation. "I understand your surprise. I'm sure he was very noticeable. It isn't often you see Japanese people around here. Good day." Mohinder walked away, despite not knowing where to go.
A few seconds later, Mohinder felt a hand on his back. He spun around, and was about to embrace Hiro in relief for coming back, but it turned out to be the Englishman again. "I'm so sorry to have bothered you. I know this might seem a bit strange, but… if you need anything while you're in town, my name is Adam. Adam Taylor."
It was strange. There was no reason for the man to introduce himself. "I'm Mohinder, um, Renjen." It occurred to Mohinder that with his family all around, he could hardly go by his real name.
"Pleasure to meet you. Where did you say you were staying?"
Mohinder knew he hadn't in fact said anything of the sort. He tried to think of a hotel that would have existed in this time. "The Magnifique."
"Excellent choice," Adam replied with a lopsided smile. "So am I."
On to Part 2
Rating: PG
Words: 4110
Spoilers: Starts a couple of days after Powerless. Sort of.
A/N: I wasn't going to post this until I finished the other things I have in the works, but I realized that I won't be able to focus until I let this one go. Many many thanks to levitatethis for generously providing such insightful feedback and reassurance.
Everything was so much more than Mohinder remembered. More people, more stalls, more noise, more smells, more wares for sale. Madras's biggest market was thriving in a way that he had never seen before. A sweet-smelling basket of ripe kumquats at a fruit stand caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. "I haven't seen one of this variety since I was a boy," Mohinder murmured. "How much?" he asked the merchant, and thus began the ancient rite of haggling. Mohinder was not only out of practice; he also had no way of knowing what a reasonable price should be. After a minute of back and forth, he paid and walked away, wondering if he had been grossly overcharged.
"Come on," Mohinder beckoned.
Mohinder's companion trailed quietly at his heels, with eyes wide open and senses drinking in this foreign and exotic cityscape. The only thing he didn't seem to notice was the way some people were staring. Although Mohinder relished the almost forgotten experience of blending into a crowd---as much as his handsome face and aura of wealth could allow---the other man stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.
"I didn't want to."
"You didn't want to what?" Mohinder asked. He prayed that the conversation wasn't going where he thought it was going.
"To kill him. I didn't want to, but I had to."
Despite Mohinder's attempts during the past hour to focus on other things, such as changing money and figuring out where to go first, they were indeed going to have to talk about this. Mohinder sighed, hoping they could get it over with quickly. All Mohinder wanted was to enjoy the afternoon, to savor this experience and revel in escapism at its most extreme before getting down to what was certain to be difficult business. Discussions of violence hardly fit that goal.
*****************************************************
It all started when Mohinder, sitting at his desk after dinner, was valiantly trying to think of a way to piece his life back together. His thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.
"Good evening, Dr. Suresh. Elle told me that you didn't show up at the lab today. I'm just calling to make sure you're ok."
Mohinder couldn't believe the man's nerve. On the other hand, quitting had probably been too easy to be true. Look what had happened to Bennet. He held firm, all the same. "I tendered my resignation two days ago, Bob. You know that."
"It wasn't a real resignation, of course. No, you meant that you wanted a couple of days to recuperate after your harrowing experience with Sylar. I completely understand your need for some time off. However, we need you as much as ever, Dr. Suresh. Things have become very dangerous and complicated. I'd like to send you and Elle on a very sensitive assignment that may involve---" Mohinder cut him off.
"No offense to your daughter, but I have zero interest in going on an assignment. When you told me the other day that all efforts were going to be redirected to other initiatives, and especially after discovering what you did regarding Sylar, I no longer have any desire to work with you people. The only reason I joined this company was to do research on the virus."
"I thought you joined in order to bring us down from the inside," Bob countered.
Mohinder felt flustered. "Well, yes. That, too. But the virus research is the reason I stayed despite the morally objectionable things that were going on around me. Innocent people will die unless we continue this research. I need to find a cure that doesn't rely on mass exportation of my blood, and Claire. I can't do that while gallivanting around the globe with Elle and a gun."
"The virus work is important, but priorities change, Dr. Suresh. In addition to Nathan Petrelli's assassin, Sylar is on the loose… and with the cure you gave him. I'm sure you'd agree with me that he's a more pressing concern than the virus."
Mohinder couldn't believe the accusation. "Was coerced into giving him, for the record. Sylar wouldn't be a pressing concern if you hadn't rescued him in the first place. He may be a monster, but no one, not even Sylar, deserves to be experimented on in that way. My priorities remain the same. God knows how many more manufactured strains of the virus are out there. It's my duty to help."
"I know you have an emotional attachment to this project, because of your sister, and the fact that you personally are the only cure right now, but this company oversees a large number of concerns. The virus is only one of them. We need your skills, your smarts, your know-how, not just your blood. How about this? You'll transfer into the role of a regular agent, but I'll also keep a look-out for any new patients who may come to our attention. That way we can get new samples of the virus for you to experiment with in your spare time."
Mohinder did a double take. "What do you mean, new samples? Don't you have anything to work on right now? What about the samples from when Molly was sick? The ones I took from the Haitian?"
"When we realized what Adam was after, we destroyed all previous research and blood samples."
"You what? Including the mutated strains?" Mohinder couldn't believe it. In fact, he didn't.
"Well, I don't know about that for sure. One of the more senior heads…"
Mohinder was sure that somewhere, the company was working against him. Was working to create more mutated strains. And he didn't even have a pure version of the virus to study anymore and test things against. Mohinder was being manipulated as ruthlessly as Bennet had been, and he felt powerless. "Fuck you, Bob," he spat.
Bob simply sighed. "I take it you need some more time off. I expect to see you in two days, packed and ready to head off with Elle. She's really looking forward to it. Goodbye, Dr. Suresh. Say hi to Molly for me." Mohinder hung up and threw the phone at the wall. Molly stared at him before shrugging and getting back to math. Two days. The company would own him again in two days. How could he get out of this? How could he make sure he could continue his research without depending on Bob? There just wasn't enough time to…
Mohinder suddenly had an idea. He remembered something very vague and bizarre that Matt had told him when he called from Texas the previous evening with updates on Nathan's condition. Mohinder started rooting around Matt's work papers. The information was very sketchy, but he found an office contact. It would probably take some time to find the right phone number, but it could definitely be done. Why had no one thought of this before?
*****************************************************
The next morning, Mohinder dropped Molly off at school, as he always did. It was her first day going back to a semi-normal routine since Sylar's visit.
"What's up with you today, Mohinder?" she asked. "You seem… I dunno. Really excited."
"I'm just… I think it'll be a really good day."
Molly looked at him with even more curiosity. "You're dressed kind of funny, too. Funnier than usual. And what's with the bag?"
"Hey! You're not allowed to tease me." Mohinder nuzzled her head.
"No! Don't mess up my hair!" she giggled.
"As a matter of fact, this is my father's old bag. I found it the other day at the back of the closet."
"Ok. But it's still ugly."
Mohinder bent down in front of her and became serious. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked.
"Yeah. I think so." She tried to sound completely confident for his sake.
"Molly, I want you to listen to me carefully. I'm less worried that he'll come after you than I am about the company. Just in case anything happens, remember---"
"Yes, yes, I know. Never let myself be alone. Scream really loudly. Tell the boogieman to call you before he does anything. Lie if Bob makes me look for someone."
Mohinder hugged her one last time. "Good girl. Have fun at school. I'll see you later."
She ran to catch him one last time. "I love you, Mohinder."
"I love you, too, Molly."
*****************************************************
Mohinder loathed Times Square. It was loud, garish, and claustrophobic; however, these were among the reasons why he had made his rendezvous here. He'd been waiting anxiously for fifteen minutes, and the old rucksack was starting to feel heavy. Mohinder didn't know what to expect. Would anyone notice? Apparently they hadn't the last time. Would there be a noise? A pop? A whoosh?
He didn't get to find out. A man Mohinder had seen once, but never actually met, breathlessly came running up to him with his arms open wide.
"Dr. Suresh?" The man's eyes were shining with inexplicable joy.
"Hiro Nakamura?"
"I came out over there." Hiro pointed across the square to the W hotel. Unable to contain himself anymore, he flailed with excitement. "I am so excited to meet you again, to help you. When you called yesterday, I thought maybe it was you. The voice sounded similar. The name, too, but I wasn't sure, so I didn't say anything. But it is you!" Hiro threw his arms around Mohinder, who froze in surprise and confusion.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Have we met before?"
"Yes, in the future. You saved my life. You gave me the key to saving the world. You are my… my new hero." Something bitter tinged Hiro's elation.
Mohinder didn't quite know how to respond. "Um. Ok. Why don't you tell me about it over breakfast?"
*****************************************************
Mohinder and Hiro walked a couple of blocks to Bryant Park, bought some hot chocolate and croissants from the 'wichcraft stand, and sat down at one of the park tables. Both men were silently thrilled at how well they got along. Hiro's infectious enthusiasm and optimistic nature played well with the doctor's logical thinking and good-natured reserve. After listening to Hiro's wild tale of things Mohinder had apparently done, but would never actually end up doing, Mohinder laid out his plan. Hiro listened and looked conflicted.
"I understand the problem, but I swore not to time travel anymore. It's too dangerous. We could destroy the space-time continuum. I already have, I think. I'm sorry." Hiro looked genuinely distraught at having to reject his hero's request.
Mohinder had an argument ready. "But we'll be going solely for observation purposes. I'll just see how the virus was in its original form, and try to get a sample from Shanti. She's the only subject I can trust not to have been tainted by the company. It's the only way to find a way to fight new strains they might come up with. We don't even know where they got their initial samples and research from in the first place. For all I know, the company injected Molly and the Haitian, too."
"But how can you watch your sister die and not do anything to stop it? Especially when you know you could cure her. I don't think it's possible."
"It'll be hard, but I'll have you to restrain me, and anyway, what would be the point? She'd just die some other way." While discussing the alternate future he had visited, Hiro had explained to a fascinated Mohinder his theory that he was only able to prevent deaths that would happen in the future of his own personal time-line. "I really do think this can work, Hiro," Mohinder reiterated.
"I don't know." Mohinder could see that Hiro wanted to be helpful but remained unconvinced.
"Look, I even planned things in advance." Mohinder opened the rucksack Molly had mocked earlier that morning. "I have thousands of dollars worth of old American bills. We'll have plenty of cash for whatever we might need to do. I even got some seventies clothes so we fit in."
Hiro was awestruck. Mohinder had obviously thought this out very seriously, more seriously than Hiro ever had.
"You are even smarter than I knew you were." The hero-worship came back into his eyes, and Mohinder knew he had won. Hiro took a deep breath. "Ok. I will do it. For you. But let us try to spend as little time there as possible." Hiro paused and grinned. "I have never been to India before. I'm glad I can go with you."
Accustomed to Molly's ability, Mohinder had prepared for the eventuality that Hiro would need some assistance. "I don't know how this works, but I brought a picture, in case you need help orienting." He handed Hiro an old photograph of himself as a boy with one of his elementary school friends. "I think this is a good spot. It's always been a very quiet alleyway. No one should see us arrive."
"You really want to do this?" Hiro asked seriously.
"Yes, very much," Mohinder replied.
"Ok. I will change clothes, and then we'll go."
They went into the adjacent New York Public Library so Hiro could change in the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, decked out in a hilarious pair of bellbottoms that fit in with Mohinder's brown polyester suit. A passing librarian raised her eyebrows at the unlikely Flashdance wannabes as they headed for the always-empty room devoted to the Schlosser Collection on the History of Papermaking.
"I look crazy," Hiro said.
"You look swinging," Mohinder replied with a grin.
"Are you ready?" Hiro asked, once they reached a deserted alcove.
"Yes," Mohinder whispered, even though he wasn't quite sure he was. At that moment, his phone started to vibrate. He looked at Hiro questioningly.
"Go ahead," Hiro said.
Mohinder didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
"Hello, Mohinder." It was that voice again. Smooth, cloying, insolently familiar. Mohinder was getting a little tired of this.
"What is it now?"
The voice on the other end of the line chuckled. "Just wanted to let you know it worked like a charm. Thanks for all your help the other day."
Mohinder was about to jump down Sylar's throat, but he was shushed before he could begin.
"I know what you're going to say, but don't worry. You held up your end of the bargain, and the little princess is safe. Your sparky girlfriend on the other hand…" Sylar's cruel laughter sent a chill down Mohinder's spine. He snapped the phone shut.
Hiro looked at him with concern. "Trouble at home?"
Mohinder almost choked. It's a good thing Sylar wasn't around. He would have had a field day with that.
"No, not quite. That was Sylar."
The expression on Hiro's face reminded Mohinder that no one had yet informed him of this new development. "Sylar is dead. I killed him."
"He survived," Mohinder replied grimly.
Hiro contemplated this and frowned. "But that means… that means I failed my mission. But… maybe it was destined. Maybe I was not meant to be a killer. I knew I was not meant to become my future self." He collected himself and became resolute. "Let's go. We will take care of that when we come back later. In a few minutes. You know." Mohinder understood and thrilled at the concept. Hiro grasped Mohinder and was about to make the jump when something struck him. With his hand still on Mohinder's shoulder, he delayed for a moment. "He calls you?"
It was moments like these when Mohinder hated his life. "Yes."
Mohinder didn't know what he had expected to feel, but it was definitely something dramatic, something physical, something visual. Something more than nothing. It turned out that time travel was as simple as watching a scene change in a film.
*****************************************************
So here they were, an Indian geneticist and a Japanese time traveler, wandering the markets of Madras in February 1977, and talking about the non-death of someone who hadn't been born yet.
"Would you like a piece?" Mohinder offered Hiro a bite of the kumquat, but his new friend ignored the offer. This had been bothering Hiro for quite some time, and now that he saw this opportunity to talk about it, he was desperate to unburden himself. Hiro reasoned that Mohinder would be able to understand since he obviously knew the killer well enough to get phone calls from him.
"Sylar was… is a very tragic person," Hiro continued eagerly. "I watched him kill his mother."
"What?" Despite his familiarity with Sylar's list of crimes, not even Mohinder could believe this.
"No, not like that. Not like the other killings. It was an accident. He wanted her to love him, and she attacked him when he showed her what he could do. He can do very beautiful things when he doesn't kill. He defended himself and it happened. My friend wanted me to stab him then, but I couldn't. He was too sad. He was broken."
Mohinder couldn't help but be interested. "When was this?"
"Two nights before the night with Peter Petrelli."
The day he had called. Mohinder reeled from the confirmation of the irrational conviction he had always harbored that the killer had actually been reaching out for help. It was tragic, in every sense of the word. However, Mohinder still felt uncomfortable talking about it, and changed the subject.
"So, my plan is to find my grandparents' house. We can ask around there where my parents are living."
"Are you and your father close?" Hiro asked.
"No, he was murdered by Sylar about six months ago. But even when he was alive, we weren't close."
"Oh," Hiro replied, with an awkward blush. "I'm sorry. My father was recently murdered, too."
"I know. My condolences. Matt told me just a little bit about the case. Something about a 400 year-old man named Adam Monroe, the one who wanted to release the virus."
"Yes."
Mohinder didn't notice how tight-lipped that had made Hiro. He suddenly remembered something that had puzzled Matt, but which had been forgotten in the ensuing debacle with Nathan. "Matt told me that you and Adam disappeared the other day… I mean, in the future… I mean… ugh. What happened?"
"I have sworn never to tell anyone." Hiro's stony face made it clear to Mohinder that he meant it.
"Um, alright," Mohinder conceded. They kept walking, and Mohinder alleviated the tension caused by their recent conversation by explaining various cultural points, pointing out historical facts about the city, and teaching Hiro a couple of key words in Tamil. They wove through the ever-thickening crowd. Hiro was enjoying the doctor's company and began paying more attention to the products for sale.
"Dr. Suresh… I mean, Mohinder, I think it would be nice to get a present for my friend Ando. I think these skirts for men would make him laugh. And maybe your little girl would like… what did you say they were called?"
"A sari. I don't know. Aren't you afraid that taking things back with us would destroy the space-time continuum?" Mohinder joked.
Hiro shook his head in confusion, not quite understanding Mohinder's sarcasm. "No. It's only a piece of cloth."
"Actually, that's a nice idea," Mohinder replied with a laugh. "If we accomplish our mission today, we won't have another chance. Here's a stall with clothes. Let's look." He began digging through the piles of richly colored and embroidered cloth. "This might be a good color for Molly. She really loves purple. Oooh, or red? The detailing on this is incredible…" Mohinder concentrated on this task as he concentrated on everything in life.
"Kensei Takezo," he heard Hiro whisper.
"What does that mean?" Mohinder asked absent-mindedly. He was up to his elbows in saris, so he was only half listening, but it sounded like a pretty phrase. He glanced at Hiro, and was surprised to see him transfixed, with a number of conflicting emotions playing on his features: fear, awe, regret… "What's wro---"
"We must go. Now. This was a mistake." Hiro grabbed him. At that moment, Mohinder was shocked to hear himself addressed.
"Suresh?"
Mohinder instinctively whirled around, and in doing so, his shoulder lost contact with Hiro's hand just as the time traveler's eyes closed in concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, Mohinder barely caught the beginnings of a twitch of panic as Hiro started to lurch towards him in an effort to regain the connection before he disappeared. He didn't have time to digest what had happened, because the person who had addressed him was now upon him.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you leaving this afternoon?" The man's expression switched from joviality to confusion when Mohinder looked at him blankly. He peered more closely at Mohinder. "Oh, forgive me. I thought you were someone else."
"Not a problem," Mohinder replied distractedly, looking around. The man stared at him some more before fading away into the crowd again, mumbling something about "uncanny… playing a trick on me?" As he watched him walk away, Mohinder had a flash of understanding as he remembered how his family had always marveled at the resemblance Mohinder bore to a younger version of one of his uncles.
However, he didn't have time to think about that now. He refused to believe what his gut told him had just happened. Hiro had to be around here somewhere. He would reappear any moment now. He must. Mohinder continued to peer around him in panic.
"Have you lost something?" Mohinder was about to ignore this new unwelcome conversant, but something about the voice attracted his attention. The accent was different, and there was purpose behind the words. Mohinder turned around and saw someone as out of place in this crowd as Hiro had been. The stranger looked like an inverted sunny sky. Golden skin tanned from the Indian sun, golden hair, and gigantic, shining blue eyes.
"Excuse me?" Mohinder asked.
"You look a bit confused. As if you'd lost something, or someone." The young man was torn between speaking to Mohinder and also looking breathlessly around, just as Mohinder had been. He had seen.
"No," was Mohinder's kneejerk response.
"Really? You didn't see an Asian man here a second ago? I thought he was speaking to you. And then… and then…" Thinly veiled hysteria was lurking beneath the man's enforced calm. Mohinder figured that watching someone vanish into thin air would do that to anyone. Thank goodness this fellow seemed to have been the only one to notice. If he had actually seen Hiro, there was no use denying the fact. Mohinder decided to play this very cavalierly, and hoped that the man would convince himself that the occurrence was just a trick of the eyes.
"Ah yes, him. Don't know where he got off to. He must have buggered off into the crowd." Mohinder returned to the saris, hoping this would be over. It wasn't.
"You don't seem troubled. Was he not a friend of yours?" The man looked at Mohinder---really looked at him, for the first time.
"No, he was just… I met him at the hotel this morning. Don't even know his name. He asked me to show him the way to the market. I suppose now that we're here, he didn't need my guidance anymore. A bit rude, but… oh well." Mohinder was aware that he was babbling. He tried to close the conversation. "I understand your surprise. I'm sure he was very noticeable. It isn't often you see Japanese people around here. Good day." Mohinder walked away, despite not knowing where to go.
A few seconds later, Mohinder felt a hand on his back. He spun around, and was about to embrace Hiro in relief for coming back, but it turned out to be the Englishman again. "I'm so sorry to have bothered you. I know this might seem a bit strange, but… if you need anything while you're in town, my name is Adam. Adam Taylor."
It was strange. There was no reason for the man to introduce himself. "I'm Mohinder, um, Renjen." It occurred to Mohinder that with his family all around, he could hardly go by his real name.
"Pleasure to meet you. Where did you say you were staying?"
Mohinder knew he hadn't in fact said anything of the sort. He tried to think of a hotel that would have existed in this time. "The Magnifique."
"Excellent choice," Adam replied with a lopsided smile. "So am I."
On to Part 2