Fast-Forward Rewind: Part 2
Characters/Pairing: Mohinder and Adam; Mylar in a really weird way
Rating: PG-13
Words: 3419
Spoilers: Season 2
Summary: Unexpected alliances are formed. As usual, Mohinder is an evil magnet with bad instincts about people.
A/N: Please don't fear that the stuff that happens at the very end is moving towards any kind of sappy fluff. I don't intend for it to be cute or cracky. One more thing: this story operates on the assumption that Matt never really had a chance to inform Mohinder of what he and Nathan were up to; I really don't think he did, since Mohinder didn't seem to know anything was going on with the dangerous strain of the virus.
Here is Part 1
The day was waning and the market closing up, but still, Hiro had not returned.
After saying another, firmer, “good day” to the curious Englishman, Mohinder had continued on his way through the market. There was a chance that Hiro would reappear a few hours later, and in the meanwhile, it made sense to keep on task. Also, having a purpose meant that Mohinder would feel less inclined to just sit down and freak out. After another twenty minute walk, Mohinder finally reached his grandparents’ house. According to his plan, he hung around and waited for a servant to pass by. When one finally did, he inquired about the address of Chandra Suresh, and got it, but was told that the family was out of town. The servants had no idea when they would return.
Discouraged, Mohinder turned around and trudged back through the city. By this time he was hot and hungry, so he bought a soda and some street food for his dinner. He passed by the sari stall where the incident had happened and had an idea. The bright colors made it an easy landmark in the busy market, and Hiro would probably return here. Mohinder asked the salesman if he remembered the Japanese man who had been there earlier. Upon receiving an answer in the affirmative, Mohinder requested that in the case that Hiro came back, the man tell him that Mohinder was staying at the Hotel Magnifique under the name Mohinder Renjen. It was the first name that had come to mind when talking to the Adam, and it was the best idea he could think of even now.
Wearied and beginning to despair, Mohinder walked into the hotel lobby at about ten. People were milling about, full from dinner but not wanting to go to bed yet. The hotel was a striking edifice in the southern part of town that dated back to the end of the British days. He had always considered it a landmark, but had never actually been inside. As a child there had never been a reason, and during his year teaching at the university, he had never had an occasion.
Mohinder went to reception and asked for the least expensive room possible. It was a depressing thought, but if he was to be here for a long time, he needed to conserve as much of his cash as possible. It had seemed like a ludicrous amount back when he had been planning a mere day-trip into the past, but now that he was potentially stuck here, Mohinder wished that he had added a few thousand more. When asked how long he intended to stay, Mohinder paused and said he didn’t know. The woman behind the desk was probably used to such answers and didn’t react, but Mohinder felt a wave of nausea crash over him.
As he was walking through the enormous lobby towards the elevators, Mohinder was startled by a firm hand on his shoulder and panting, announcing that someone had just run up to him.
“Renjen! Are you deaf, man? I’ve been shouting your name. I was starting to make a scene.” The overly friendly young Englishman from the market was leaning on him for support as he caught his breath.
Mohinder realized that if he was to continue on here indefinitely (horrors), he had better start getting used to his false name. In the meantime… “Oh, hello. Sorry. Nice to see you again. Yes, of course, you said you were staying here. Call me Mohinder.”
Adam looked pleased at what appeared to be a token of increased intimacy. “And call me Adam. A pleasure, again.” Adam gestured to the lobby bar, which was fitted out like an old-fashioned English gentleman’s club, with leather couches and dark woods. “You aren’t heading out, are you? Would you care to join us for a drink?”
Mohinder couldn’t make the excuse that he needed to put his things in his room, because he had claimed to have already been checked in. Nor could he think of another excuse, since technically he was new to even existing in this time, much less having previous engagements. “I suppose I can, for a few minutes,” he accepted.
“Excellent, excellent.” Adam led Mohinder to a corner of the room where an attractive young woman with large eyes and auburn hair sat nursing a gimlet. She looked questioningly at Adam as Mohinder approached. “Mohinder, this is Victoria Pratt, my… traveling companion. Victoria, this is Mohinder Renjen, whom I met today in the market.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Victoria. How do you do?” Mohinder enquired as Adam motioned for everyone to sit.
“Fine, thanks,” she said.
While Adam ordered Mohinder some wine and got another glass of mineral water for himself, Mohinder thought he saw Victoria frown in disappointment, presumably at being described merely as a ‘traveling companion’.
She had a shy, innocent demeanor, and an American accent. Of the two of them, it was clear that Adam did most of the talking in whatever relationship it was that they had. “You two met in the market?” she asked.
“Yes,” Adam began. “The most extraordinary thing happened this afternoon while you were off changing money. There was this little Japanese man---you said he was Japanese didn’t you?” Adam asked with more pointed interest than Mohinder would have thought mattered. He continued once Mohinder nodded in affirmation. “This Japanese man was walking through the market with Mohinder here, and he just vanished.”
“I’m sure he just got lost in the crowd and it looked like he vanished,” Victoria stated matter-of-factly.
Adam replied to her comment taking without his eyes off Mohinder. “Yes, I know. Of course that’s what happened. It’s the only logical explanation… But really, you’ve never seen anything like it. Even Mohinder who was showing him around town didn’t know where he had gotten off to. Remarkable, really.” Adam leaned back in his seat, continuing to watch Mohinder’s every facial move. It was slightly unnerving.
“Yes, it was very strange, I’ll give you that,” Mohinder replied cautiously.
“You said you met him in this lobby. Does that mean he’s staying here?” Adam asked casually while sipping his water.
“I couldn’t say. We met here, but who knows if he’s a guest or if he was just here for breakfast.”
“It shouldn’t be hard to find out. Did you catch his name?” Adam asked casually.
“Who cares?” Victoria interjected crossly. “So some guy got lost in the crowd. What’s the big deal?”
Adam looked at her for the first time. There was a flash of irritation in his eye that disappeared as he turned back to gaze intently at Mohinder. “I just worry that he got lost.”
There was no reason to conceal Hiro’s name from these perfectly nice, if overly intense, people, but previous mistakes had taught Mohinder not to put others in danger by giving too much information to strangers, even when no danger was apparent. “No, I didn’t catch it. He spoke very quickly and with an accent. I didn’t catch the last name at all. Maybe his first name was Hiro… I think? I was kind of nodding and smiling the whole time. You know how it is.” Mohinder replied with an attempt at flippancy.
Adam choked on his water. When he had recovered he agreed. “Yes, I do. I ask only because he looked familiar.”
“Nah, that’s because you've got Japan on the brain. You’re going to think any Japanese person we run into here looks familiar,” Victoria said and patted Adam on the arm. She turned to Mohinder. “We just arrived from Tokyo this morning,” she explained with a smile.
“Oh did you?” Mohinder asked with relief, glad to be back on a safe topic of conversation. “What took an Englishman and an American so far?”
Adam still looked lost in thought even as he replied. “We were attending the wedding of a Japanese friend of ours. Lavish affair. The family’s got pots of money. We were there for a few weeks, taking care of some common business in addition to the wedding.”
“Oh, do you have investments there?” Mohinder asked conversationally.
“Yes,” was the undetailed reply.
“Do… do you two work together?” Mohinder asked, for lack of any other topics.
Victoria brightened. “Yes, we do,” she replied, adoringly putting her hand on Adam’s arm. “I’m kind of the factotum, the ‘do-everything’ for our---” Mohinder couldn’t be sure, but he had a feeling that Adam shot her a very quick warning glance. “Um, investment group,” she finished lamely.
“Victoria here is our little genius. There’s nothing she can’t figure out. From science, to machinery, to financial markets, to… oh anything.” Adam beamed at her.
“I’ve just got this knack for knowing how things work,” she explained with a shyly pleased shrug.
“She’s extremely special,” Adam added, and put his arm around her. Victoria melted under his touch and looked validated.
Mohinder knew it had to be coincidental wording, but he found his mind wandering to very different images. “That’s… useful,” he finally said.
“So, what brings you to Madras, Mohinder?” Adam asked, reclaiming ownership over the conversation.
Mohinder had prepared for this even before the disaster of Hiro’s unexpected departure. “I’m hoping to meet some of the professors at the university. I’m a PhD student at Cambridge, and there are some renowned scholars here. I figured I’d travel down here since I’m already in the country visiting family. I'm writing my dissertation now, so I have a flexible schedule.”
“What subject do you study?” Victoria asked.
“Genetics. It’s a young field, so it’s important to meet as many of the few people who study it as possible.”
“What a crazy coincidence! We’re here to visit a geneticist, too!” she gushed, and looked at Adam. Mohinder had noticed that she looked to him for approval rather often. Adam, for his part, was staring dreamily into his glass, looking up from time to time to stare at Mohinder as if to dissect him.
“Really? Which one?” Mohinder asked, amazed to have found something in common with the young woman.
“Chandra Suresh,” she replied. Mohinder couldn’t believe his ears.
“Really? But I thought---” Mohinder stopped himself again. There was no logical reason why he should know that a supposedly perfect stranger and his family were out of town. Mohinder realized that he was quickly going to have to get used to weighing every single thing that came out of his mouth.
“What?” Adam asked quickly, noting Mohinder’s verbal hiccup.
“Oh nothing,” Mohinder answered dismissively. “It’s just that he was one of the people I was hoping to meet. How are you two acquainted?”
“Chandra was my TA at Columbia two years ago, when I was an undergraduate, and he was in his last year of his doctorate program.”
“Are you a student of genetics, too?”
“No, I was a chemistry and geology double major, but I took a couple of bio classes for fun. Nothing advanced, although I’m sure if I read some books I could figure out… Anyway. Yeah, he was great, and we made friends and kept in touch a little bit. Since we were all the way on this side of the world, I figured I could stop off here and say hi. I’ve never been to India before. I’ve never been anywhere, really. This is my first time out of the country.”
“I also wanted to see the old city,” Adam interjected, bringing the conversation back to him. “It’s been too long.”
Mohinder looked between the strange couple, unsure which avenue to follow first, but Adam was the more magnetic of the two. “Oh, do you know Madras?”
“Yes, I spent some time here… oh ages ago,” he said with a mysteriously smug smile. “I thought it would be fun to tag along and to make sure Victoria doesn’t get herself up to any trouble. Also, I’m interested in this new field. From the vague understanding I have of it, it holds a lot of promise for some plans I’d like to pursue down the road.”
“It’s fascinating, I can assure you. Things are moving really fast right now, and if I remem---” Mohinder stopped himself before he made a mistake and started talking about the present as though it was the past. “But, I was wondering… if it wouldn’t be too presumptuous…”
“You’d like an introduction?” Adam finished for him, leaning forward again with a gleam in his eye.
“Yes, if it’s possible.”
“Of course. We’d love to be of assistance. You can pave the way for our friend here, can’t you, Victoria?”
Victoria looked uncomfortable. “Well, I don’t know. I mean, it might not be the best time. His kid is really sick. It’s been rough. He might not be too welcoming of a crowd of random people. I mean, I’m already bringing you along…”
“Tut, tut. I’m sure it will be fine.” Adam interrupted, and waved her concerns away with a hand, keeping his eyes on Mohinder. “We’re scheduled to visit their home tomorrow morning. Join us.” The words were innocuous, but Adam's intensity somehow made them sound like more than simply a friendly invitation.
Mohinder couldn’t believe his luck. “I can’t thank you enough,” he said. Something told him that Victoria still wasn’t completely happy with this, though. "If you don't think it would be too much of an imposition, that is."
Victoria looked over at Adam who was beaming at her with loving encouragement. "I guess it'll be alright," she mumbled.
“It's all settled then. We’re leaving at ten. Let’s meet here,” Adam continued.
“Alright. Speaking of which, I should probably head upstairs. It’s been a long day. It was nice meeting you, though. I’ll see you in the morning.” Mohinder shook hands with both of them and left the couple sitting on the couch.
“...very pretty...” he faintly heard Adam remark just before he moved out of earshot. Mohinder wasn’t sure to what or to whom the adjective was referring.
He took the elevator to the second floor and located his room on the hallway of the oldest wing of the hotel. It was tiny and dimly lit, definitely the lowest end of the spectrum in the otherwise fancy building. Feeling like a bank robber in an action movie, Mohinder emptied the contents of his leather bag onto the bed. Rolls of cash cascaded out, some in rupees, but most in dollars, as he hadn’t seen the need to change more than a few dollars earlier in the day. After an extra shake, a change of clothes, xeroxes of files about the virus, his passport, and some other odds and ends fell out, too.
This was officially all he owned in the world.
Mohinder climbed over the bed to reach the safe. Accustomed to electrically operated safes in hotel rooms, this old-fashioned model took him a little longer to figure out. Mohinder put everything except the clothes and some cash in the safe, and then plopped down on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. He hadn’t purchased pajamas or any general travel necessities, mostly because he had been in denial that he would need them.
As he stripped down to his boxers and climbed between the sheets, Mohinder tried and failed not to worry. He wondered in passing what this might mean for his life at home, but quickly dismissed the issue. When---and it was when, dammit, not if---Hiro came back, he would simply take them back to the moment they had left… wouldn’t he? It stood to reason that that’s what would happen, but if it was a guarantee, then why hadn’t he come back within a few minutes of leaving?
Now panic-stricken, Mohinder’s mind went to Hiro’s story about 2011, in a future after Peter had exploded… strange how in that future Sylar had died and been blamed, when Mohinder knew it had been Peter who exploded… Regardless, what if Mohinder had already done something to plunge him into a different and tangential timeline? What if that’s why Hiro hadn’t been able to come back? And if so, what the hell was he supposed to do? Should he start thinking about making his life here? In this now? Rather than keeping his money in a safe, should he start speculating on the stock and foreign exchange markets?
It was too much and too scary to think about. One thing at a time. With heartbroken resignation, Mohinder made a mental note to buy a toothbrush and an extra outfit in the hotel’s shop downstairs the next morning.
A couple of hours later, the street food he had eaten revolted in his stomach, and he spent the rest of the night in the toilet.
**************************************************
“I see the kid. She’s waiting for Suresh to pick her up. Seems like he’s late, but when he gets here, I’ll tail them back to the apartment and keep an eye on them from there. I haven’t been able to find him all day, but she doesn’t seem to be going home with anyone else, so I’m sure he’s on his way.”
“Well, not being able to find him won’t be a problem for long,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “Remember, we need her here for testing tomorrow. The lab’s ready. There’s a lot of work to be done---”
“Like locating Sylar.”
“Yes, and others too. Hopefully she’ll be capable of a premature stretching of her ability.”
“I’m working on something to get her out of school after Suresh drops her off. Or a plan B in case he decides not to send her to school. I’ll keep you posted. Bye, sir.” The man in the car across the street from Molly’s school closed his cell phone. He continued to look between his watch and his rearview mirror at the little girl waiting in front of the school building. She was dialing a number on her phone. When no one seemed to pick up, she concentrated on something, and looked both confused and terrified at the result of whatever it was she was thinking about.
After a few more minutes of watching Molly's increasing distress, the agent had had enough of waiting. He exited his car and began crossing the street to approach the school. Impossibly, a street lamp hanging above the street happened to split in two at that moment. A hundred pounds of steel crashed down on his head, killing him immediately. Before any of the terrified passersby could get close enough to notice, the man’s cell phone and business portfolio flew out of his satchel and over to a shadowy corner near the school.
Although she didn’t stray from her bench in front of the school, Molly, like everyone else on the block, strained to get a look at the accident victim. When she finally gave up due to her small stature, she slumped back down into her seat and turned to look at the person who had sat down next to her. Before she could vocalize the scream that was in her eyes, Sylar clamped his hand over her mouth.
“You can either come with me, or stay here and get captured and experimented on by the company,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the body.
Sylar watched Molly’s face as she went through what must have been a variety of thoughts. After a moment, she inexplicably handed him her phone with imploring eyes. He looked at her quizzically. “I already have one, thanks,” he said flatly. He felt her jaw slacken in his hand as she seemed to stop wanting to scream. Sylar decided to chance it and let her speak.
“Call Mohinder!” she squeaked.
“What?” Sylar asked in surprise.
“Mohinder told me to tell you to call him if you came after me.” Even though her voice trembled, Molly had on what was obviously her bravest face.
“Oh did he?” Sylar raised his eyebrows in smug derision before becoming serious again. “You’ve been trying that, though, and he hasn’t picked up. Come on.” He pocketed the phone anyway, just in case she might try to text for help.
They walked very quickly through the neighborhood with Sylar keeping a firm grasp on Molly’s shoulder to keep her from running away. She tried screaming for help again at one point, but Sylar used telekinesis to keep her jaw shut.
On to Part 3
Rating: PG-13
Words: 3419
Spoilers: Season 2
Summary: Unexpected alliances are formed. As usual, Mohinder is an evil magnet with bad instincts about people.
A/N: Please don't fear that the stuff that happens at the very end is moving towards any kind of sappy fluff. I don't intend for it to be cute or cracky. One more thing: this story operates on the assumption that Matt never really had a chance to inform Mohinder of what he and Nathan were up to; I really don't think he did, since Mohinder didn't seem to know anything was going on with the dangerous strain of the virus.
Here is Part 1
The day was waning and the market closing up, but still, Hiro had not returned.
After saying another, firmer, “good day” to the curious Englishman, Mohinder had continued on his way through the market. There was a chance that Hiro would reappear a few hours later, and in the meanwhile, it made sense to keep on task. Also, having a purpose meant that Mohinder would feel less inclined to just sit down and freak out. After another twenty minute walk, Mohinder finally reached his grandparents’ house. According to his plan, he hung around and waited for a servant to pass by. When one finally did, he inquired about the address of Chandra Suresh, and got it, but was told that the family was out of town. The servants had no idea when they would return.
Discouraged, Mohinder turned around and trudged back through the city. By this time he was hot and hungry, so he bought a soda and some street food for his dinner. He passed by the sari stall where the incident had happened and had an idea. The bright colors made it an easy landmark in the busy market, and Hiro would probably return here. Mohinder asked the salesman if he remembered the Japanese man who had been there earlier. Upon receiving an answer in the affirmative, Mohinder requested that in the case that Hiro came back, the man tell him that Mohinder was staying at the Hotel Magnifique under the name Mohinder Renjen. It was the first name that had come to mind when talking to the Adam, and it was the best idea he could think of even now.
Wearied and beginning to despair, Mohinder walked into the hotel lobby at about ten. People were milling about, full from dinner but not wanting to go to bed yet. The hotel was a striking edifice in the southern part of town that dated back to the end of the British days. He had always considered it a landmark, but had never actually been inside. As a child there had never been a reason, and during his year teaching at the university, he had never had an occasion.
Mohinder went to reception and asked for the least expensive room possible. It was a depressing thought, but if he was to be here for a long time, he needed to conserve as much of his cash as possible. It had seemed like a ludicrous amount back when he had been planning a mere day-trip into the past, but now that he was potentially stuck here, Mohinder wished that he had added a few thousand more. When asked how long he intended to stay, Mohinder paused and said he didn’t know. The woman behind the desk was probably used to such answers and didn’t react, but Mohinder felt a wave of nausea crash over him.
As he was walking through the enormous lobby towards the elevators, Mohinder was startled by a firm hand on his shoulder and panting, announcing that someone had just run up to him.
“Renjen! Are you deaf, man? I’ve been shouting your name. I was starting to make a scene.” The overly friendly young Englishman from the market was leaning on him for support as he caught his breath.
Mohinder realized that if he was to continue on here indefinitely (horrors), he had better start getting used to his false name. In the meantime… “Oh, hello. Sorry. Nice to see you again. Yes, of course, you said you were staying here. Call me Mohinder.”
Adam looked pleased at what appeared to be a token of increased intimacy. “And call me Adam. A pleasure, again.” Adam gestured to the lobby bar, which was fitted out like an old-fashioned English gentleman’s club, with leather couches and dark woods. “You aren’t heading out, are you? Would you care to join us for a drink?”
Mohinder couldn’t make the excuse that he needed to put his things in his room, because he had claimed to have already been checked in. Nor could he think of another excuse, since technically he was new to even existing in this time, much less having previous engagements. “I suppose I can, for a few minutes,” he accepted.
“Excellent, excellent.” Adam led Mohinder to a corner of the room where an attractive young woman with large eyes and auburn hair sat nursing a gimlet. She looked questioningly at Adam as Mohinder approached. “Mohinder, this is Victoria Pratt, my… traveling companion. Victoria, this is Mohinder Renjen, whom I met today in the market.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Victoria. How do you do?” Mohinder enquired as Adam motioned for everyone to sit.
“Fine, thanks,” she said.
While Adam ordered Mohinder some wine and got another glass of mineral water for himself, Mohinder thought he saw Victoria frown in disappointment, presumably at being described merely as a ‘traveling companion’.
She had a shy, innocent demeanor, and an American accent. Of the two of them, it was clear that Adam did most of the talking in whatever relationship it was that they had. “You two met in the market?” she asked.
“Yes,” Adam began. “The most extraordinary thing happened this afternoon while you were off changing money. There was this little Japanese man---you said he was Japanese didn’t you?” Adam asked with more pointed interest than Mohinder would have thought mattered. He continued once Mohinder nodded in affirmation. “This Japanese man was walking through the market with Mohinder here, and he just vanished.”
“I’m sure he just got lost in the crowd and it looked like he vanished,” Victoria stated matter-of-factly.
Adam replied to her comment taking without his eyes off Mohinder. “Yes, I know. Of course that’s what happened. It’s the only logical explanation… But really, you’ve never seen anything like it. Even Mohinder who was showing him around town didn’t know where he had gotten off to. Remarkable, really.” Adam leaned back in his seat, continuing to watch Mohinder’s every facial move. It was slightly unnerving.
“Yes, it was very strange, I’ll give you that,” Mohinder replied cautiously.
“You said you met him in this lobby. Does that mean he’s staying here?” Adam asked casually while sipping his water.
“I couldn’t say. We met here, but who knows if he’s a guest or if he was just here for breakfast.”
“It shouldn’t be hard to find out. Did you catch his name?” Adam asked casually.
“Who cares?” Victoria interjected crossly. “So some guy got lost in the crowd. What’s the big deal?”
Adam looked at her for the first time. There was a flash of irritation in his eye that disappeared as he turned back to gaze intently at Mohinder. “I just worry that he got lost.”
There was no reason to conceal Hiro’s name from these perfectly nice, if overly intense, people, but previous mistakes had taught Mohinder not to put others in danger by giving too much information to strangers, even when no danger was apparent. “No, I didn’t catch it. He spoke very quickly and with an accent. I didn’t catch the last name at all. Maybe his first name was Hiro… I think? I was kind of nodding and smiling the whole time. You know how it is.” Mohinder replied with an attempt at flippancy.
Adam choked on his water. When he had recovered he agreed. “Yes, I do. I ask only because he looked familiar.”
“Nah, that’s because you've got Japan on the brain. You’re going to think any Japanese person we run into here looks familiar,” Victoria said and patted Adam on the arm. She turned to Mohinder. “We just arrived from Tokyo this morning,” she explained with a smile.
“Oh did you?” Mohinder asked with relief, glad to be back on a safe topic of conversation. “What took an Englishman and an American so far?”
Adam still looked lost in thought even as he replied. “We were attending the wedding of a Japanese friend of ours. Lavish affair. The family’s got pots of money. We were there for a few weeks, taking care of some common business in addition to the wedding.”
“Oh, do you have investments there?” Mohinder asked conversationally.
“Yes,” was the undetailed reply.
“Do… do you two work together?” Mohinder asked, for lack of any other topics.
Victoria brightened. “Yes, we do,” she replied, adoringly putting her hand on Adam’s arm. “I’m kind of the factotum, the ‘do-everything’ for our---” Mohinder couldn’t be sure, but he had a feeling that Adam shot her a very quick warning glance. “Um, investment group,” she finished lamely.
“Victoria here is our little genius. There’s nothing she can’t figure out. From science, to machinery, to financial markets, to… oh anything.” Adam beamed at her.
“I’ve just got this knack for knowing how things work,” she explained with a shyly pleased shrug.
“She’s extremely special,” Adam added, and put his arm around her. Victoria melted under his touch and looked validated.
Mohinder knew it had to be coincidental wording, but he found his mind wandering to very different images. “That’s… useful,” he finally said.
“So, what brings you to Madras, Mohinder?” Adam asked, reclaiming ownership over the conversation.
Mohinder had prepared for this even before the disaster of Hiro’s unexpected departure. “I’m hoping to meet some of the professors at the university. I’m a PhD student at Cambridge, and there are some renowned scholars here. I figured I’d travel down here since I’m already in the country visiting family. I'm writing my dissertation now, so I have a flexible schedule.”
“What subject do you study?” Victoria asked.
“Genetics. It’s a young field, so it’s important to meet as many of the few people who study it as possible.”
“What a crazy coincidence! We’re here to visit a geneticist, too!” she gushed, and looked at Adam. Mohinder had noticed that she looked to him for approval rather often. Adam, for his part, was staring dreamily into his glass, looking up from time to time to stare at Mohinder as if to dissect him.
“Really? Which one?” Mohinder asked, amazed to have found something in common with the young woman.
“Chandra Suresh,” she replied. Mohinder couldn’t believe his ears.
“Really? But I thought---” Mohinder stopped himself again. There was no logical reason why he should know that a supposedly perfect stranger and his family were out of town. Mohinder realized that he was quickly going to have to get used to weighing every single thing that came out of his mouth.
“What?” Adam asked quickly, noting Mohinder’s verbal hiccup.
“Oh nothing,” Mohinder answered dismissively. “It’s just that he was one of the people I was hoping to meet. How are you two acquainted?”
“Chandra was my TA at Columbia two years ago, when I was an undergraduate, and he was in his last year of his doctorate program.”
“Are you a student of genetics, too?”
“No, I was a chemistry and geology double major, but I took a couple of bio classes for fun. Nothing advanced, although I’m sure if I read some books I could figure out… Anyway. Yeah, he was great, and we made friends and kept in touch a little bit. Since we were all the way on this side of the world, I figured I could stop off here and say hi. I’ve never been to India before. I’ve never been anywhere, really. This is my first time out of the country.”
“I also wanted to see the old city,” Adam interjected, bringing the conversation back to him. “It’s been too long.”
Mohinder looked between the strange couple, unsure which avenue to follow first, but Adam was the more magnetic of the two. “Oh, do you know Madras?”
“Yes, I spent some time here… oh ages ago,” he said with a mysteriously smug smile. “I thought it would be fun to tag along and to make sure Victoria doesn’t get herself up to any trouble. Also, I’m interested in this new field. From the vague understanding I have of it, it holds a lot of promise for some plans I’d like to pursue down the road.”
“It’s fascinating, I can assure you. Things are moving really fast right now, and if I remem---” Mohinder stopped himself before he made a mistake and started talking about the present as though it was the past. “But, I was wondering… if it wouldn’t be too presumptuous…”
“You’d like an introduction?” Adam finished for him, leaning forward again with a gleam in his eye.
“Yes, if it’s possible.”
“Of course. We’d love to be of assistance. You can pave the way for our friend here, can’t you, Victoria?”
Victoria looked uncomfortable. “Well, I don’t know. I mean, it might not be the best time. His kid is really sick. It’s been rough. He might not be too welcoming of a crowd of random people. I mean, I’m already bringing you along…”
“Tut, tut. I’m sure it will be fine.” Adam interrupted, and waved her concerns away with a hand, keeping his eyes on Mohinder. “We’re scheduled to visit their home tomorrow morning. Join us.” The words were innocuous, but Adam's intensity somehow made them sound like more than simply a friendly invitation.
Mohinder couldn’t believe his luck. “I can’t thank you enough,” he said. Something told him that Victoria still wasn’t completely happy with this, though. "If you don't think it would be too much of an imposition, that is."
Victoria looked over at Adam who was beaming at her with loving encouragement. "I guess it'll be alright," she mumbled.
“It's all settled then. We’re leaving at ten. Let’s meet here,” Adam continued.
“Alright. Speaking of which, I should probably head upstairs. It’s been a long day. It was nice meeting you, though. I’ll see you in the morning.” Mohinder shook hands with both of them and left the couple sitting on the couch.
“...very pretty...” he faintly heard Adam remark just before he moved out of earshot. Mohinder wasn’t sure to what or to whom the adjective was referring.
He took the elevator to the second floor and located his room on the hallway of the oldest wing of the hotel. It was tiny and dimly lit, definitely the lowest end of the spectrum in the otherwise fancy building. Feeling like a bank robber in an action movie, Mohinder emptied the contents of his leather bag onto the bed. Rolls of cash cascaded out, some in rupees, but most in dollars, as he hadn’t seen the need to change more than a few dollars earlier in the day. After an extra shake, a change of clothes, xeroxes of files about the virus, his passport, and some other odds and ends fell out, too.
This was officially all he owned in the world.
Mohinder climbed over the bed to reach the safe. Accustomed to electrically operated safes in hotel rooms, this old-fashioned model took him a little longer to figure out. Mohinder put everything except the clothes and some cash in the safe, and then plopped down on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. He hadn’t purchased pajamas or any general travel necessities, mostly because he had been in denial that he would need them.
As he stripped down to his boxers and climbed between the sheets, Mohinder tried and failed not to worry. He wondered in passing what this might mean for his life at home, but quickly dismissed the issue. When---and it was when, dammit, not if---Hiro came back, he would simply take them back to the moment they had left… wouldn’t he? It stood to reason that that’s what would happen, but if it was a guarantee, then why hadn’t he come back within a few minutes of leaving?
Now panic-stricken, Mohinder’s mind went to Hiro’s story about 2011, in a future after Peter had exploded… strange how in that future Sylar had died and been blamed, when Mohinder knew it had been Peter who exploded… Regardless, what if Mohinder had already done something to plunge him into a different and tangential timeline? What if that’s why Hiro hadn’t been able to come back? And if so, what the hell was he supposed to do? Should he start thinking about making his life here? In this now? Rather than keeping his money in a safe, should he start speculating on the stock and foreign exchange markets?
It was too much and too scary to think about. One thing at a time. With heartbroken resignation, Mohinder made a mental note to buy a toothbrush and an extra outfit in the hotel’s shop downstairs the next morning.
A couple of hours later, the street food he had eaten revolted in his stomach, and he spent the rest of the night in the toilet.
**************************************************
“I see the kid. She’s waiting for Suresh to pick her up. Seems like he’s late, but when he gets here, I’ll tail them back to the apartment and keep an eye on them from there. I haven’t been able to find him all day, but she doesn’t seem to be going home with anyone else, so I’m sure he’s on his way.”
“Well, not being able to find him won’t be a problem for long,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “Remember, we need her here for testing tomorrow. The lab’s ready. There’s a lot of work to be done---”
“Like locating Sylar.”
“Yes, and others too. Hopefully she’ll be capable of a premature stretching of her ability.”
“I’m working on something to get her out of school after Suresh drops her off. Or a plan B in case he decides not to send her to school. I’ll keep you posted. Bye, sir.” The man in the car across the street from Molly’s school closed his cell phone. He continued to look between his watch and his rearview mirror at the little girl waiting in front of the school building. She was dialing a number on her phone. When no one seemed to pick up, she concentrated on something, and looked both confused and terrified at the result of whatever it was she was thinking about.
After a few more minutes of watching Molly's increasing distress, the agent had had enough of waiting. He exited his car and began crossing the street to approach the school. Impossibly, a street lamp hanging above the street happened to split in two at that moment. A hundred pounds of steel crashed down on his head, killing him immediately. Before any of the terrified passersby could get close enough to notice, the man’s cell phone and business portfolio flew out of his satchel and over to a shadowy corner near the school.
Although she didn’t stray from her bench in front of the school, Molly, like everyone else on the block, strained to get a look at the accident victim. When she finally gave up due to her small stature, she slumped back down into her seat and turned to look at the person who had sat down next to her. Before she could vocalize the scream that was in her eyes, Sylar clamped his hand over her mouth.
“You can either come with me, or stay here and get captured and experimented on by the company,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the body.
Sylar watched Molly’s face as she went through what must have been a variety of thoughts. After a moment, she inexplicably handed him her phone with imploring eyes. He looked at her quizzically. “I already have one, thanks,” he said flatly. He felt her jaw slacken in his hand as she seemed to stop wanting to scream. Sylar decided to chance it and let her speak.
“Call Mohinder!” she squeaked.
“What?” Sylar asked in surprise.
“Mohinder told me to tell you to call him if you came after me.” Even though her voice trembled, Molly had on what was obviously her bravest face.
“Oh did he?” Sylar raised his eyebrows in smug derision before becoming serious again. “You’ve been trying that, though, and he hasn’t picked up. Come on.” He pocketed the phone anyway, just in case she might try to text for help.
They walked very quickly through the neighborhood with Sylar keeping a firm grasp on Molly’s shoulder to keep her from running away. She tried screaming for help again at one point, but Sylar used telekinesis to keep her jaw shut.
On to Part 3