Heroes 1.3: One Giant Leap
Desert outside Las Vegas. Niki Sanders digs while her son Micah sleeps in the back seat of a red convertible. She finds a body in a shallow grave. It wears a skull ring, which she takes. She opens the car?s trunk, revealing two dead men in garbage bags.
School parking lot, Odessa, Texas. Claire Bennet and her father take a paper-mache effigy of a bear in a football uniform out of the trunk of their car. There?s a pep rally night, and Claire won?t be home until close to midnight. They pass Brody, the quarterback, and Claire?s interest in him is obvious enough that her father picks up on it. Jackie, another cheerleader who has taken credit for saving a man from a train fire, stops them. She announces her intention to run for class president, and Claire rolls her eyes.
An office, Tokyo. Ando watches a video of LasVegasNiki until Hiro Nakamura bursts into his cubicle claiming to have teleported into the future. Ando thinks he?s joking to cover up a 2-day absence. Hiro shows him the 9th Wonders comic he picked up last episode, but Ando is still skeptical. Hiro offers to prove his claims, and his watch alarm goes off. It was set to remind him that they have to leave the office now in order to save a girl?s life.
A playground in Manhattan. Peter Petrelli repeatedly jumps off monkey bars, trying and failing to fly. A kid with a cape and a cup of popcorn watches him.
Election office, Manhattan. Nathan Petrelli is preparing for an evening event when Peter comes in. Peter wants to talk about their flying ability and shows Nathan the book, ?Activating Evolution.? Its cover bears the cursive S (hereafter ?the Symbol?) shown so often in the series. Peter?s tried to track down the author, Chandra Suresh and discovered that he?s in New York. Nathan tries to brush him off, and tells him that a reporter has been looking into Peter?s ?accident.? They can?t let her find out the truth.
Chandra Suresh?s apartment, Queens. Mohinder Suresh, looking haggard from lack of sleep, pounds at a laptop, trying to decipher his father?s work. Eden MacKenzie enters suddenly, and Mohinder draws a gun on her until he recognizes that she?s not a threat. She?s brought him macaroni, as she used to do for his father. Mohinder rages about not understanding his father?s work, Mr. Bennet?s purpose, and the map, then throws the laptop across the room. Eden notices a book has fallen out of it. It?s a small notebook and contains notes, formulae, an unmarked key and Sylar?s address.
FBI Headquarters, Los Angeles. An agent is interrogating Matt Parkman. The agent is not convinced his mind reading powers allowed him to find the hidden girl and demands a demonstration. Matt obliges by picking up her feelings that no one believes in her. She?s convinced and offers him a job.
High school hallway, Odessa. Claire?s ready for the rally, but Zach, her videographer, is worried about the tape they made of her regenerating after an 80 foot fall. He can?t understand why she doesn?t embrace being different. She can?t understand why anyone would.
Isaac Mendez?s studio, Manhattan. Simone Deveaux is collecting Isaac?s paintings, planning to sell them to raise enough money to put him through rehab. The editors of his comic book are becoming anxious about production delays. Isaac doesn?t want to go into rehab. He needs to paint the future so that he can discover how to stop the coming holocaust he has painted on his floor. Simone believes the visions mean nothing more than that he?s indulging too much. Isaac doesn?t want to lose her, but he can?t stop. Simone breaks off the relationship and leaves. Isaac?s cell phone rings. Someone on the other end speaks excited Japanese, and Isaac yells at him to stop calling.
A street, Tokyo. Hiro hangs up, and he and Ando consult the comic. It shows them saving a schoolgirl?s life, but there are no schoolgirls around. A bell rings in a building behind them, and a flood of identically dressed girls emerges. Hiro and Ando search frantically for one with a red ribbon in her hair. They split up. Hiro finds her, but is too far away to stop her or the truck that is just coming around a corner toward her. He calls to Ando, who is closer, and steps out into traffic to stop the truck. The truck swerves to miss him and heads straight for the schoolgirl. Hiro concentrates, and the world around him stops. He crosses the square and pushes the time-frozen girl out of harm?s way. Time returns, and Hiro and Ando celebrate their good fortune, although Ando is astonished at what he?s seen. Hiro tells Ando that, since Ando now believes, they are both going to America. Ando looks trapped.
Desert, Las Vegas. Niki finishes burying the bodies. Micah wakes up. They go to Niki?s husband?s mother?s house. Grandma is happy to see Micah, but not Niki. Niki shows her the ring, which was worn by ?D.L.?s? crew. She believes it?s proof that ?D.L.? is guilty of stealing $2 million from ?Linderman,? and murdering his accomplices. Grandma believes ?D.L.? has been framed, and that if he had that much money, he?d have left the country and taken Micah with him. Grandma wants Micah to stay with her. Niki won?t have it, and tells her, ?You have no idea what I?m capable of.?
FBI Building, Los Angeles. Matt and the agent walk through the building. The agent wants him to use his power on Molly Walker, the girl he rescued. She?s been traumatized mute. Sylar has killed before, impaling people with household objects, breaking bones without leaving evidence of physical contact, and occasionally adding mutilation of the head or neck. She?s convinced Sylar has done them all, and that it?s going to get worse.
Sylar?s apartment, Queens. Mohinder?s here to find out why Sylar killed his father. When Sylar proves to not be home, he and Eden break in. They find a dark but obsessively neat apartment. Mohinder takes pictures. They also find a copy of Chandra?s book, a medical text showing an open skull with brain and a hidden room as cluttered and disorganized as the rest of the apartment is neat. It contains jars, books and a map like Chandra?s but with many more pins, some of them holding photographs of people, and connecting strings. A closet off this room is covered in graffiti, which repeats the words ?forgive me father, for I have sinned,? hundreds of times.
Basement, FBI headquarters. Matt and the agent step off the elevator into a hallway with dim lights flickering. They have kept the girl down here for safety, but her screams tell them it didn?t work. They round a corner and see Sylar dragging the girl away, but he bolts when the agent pulls her gun. The girl?s guard is dead, pinned to the ceiling with a chair. The agent gives chase while Matt stops to calm the girl, responding to her thoughts. She doesn?t know how Sylar found her.
Sylar reaches a dead end. The agent levels her gun at him as he turns around. She suddenly points the gun at her own head and struggles against pulling the trigger. Matt appears on the scene and pumps seven bullets into Sylar. Sylar and the agent both drop. Matt turns to make sure the agent is alright, and doesn?t see Sylar get up again. By the time Matt turns around again, Sylar is gone.
Coach class on an airplane. Ando and Hiro sit with a large woman between them. Ando wants to go home, but Hiro shows him a page in the book matching their present circumstances. It also shows the woman falling asleep on Ando?s shoulder. Ando looks terrified as the large woman sits back, turns toward him and closes her eyes.
Building lobby, Manhattan. Simone enters just as Peter steps off the elevator. He?s quit his nursing job because he believes he?s meant for something bigger. Simone, upset, tries to dissuade him but fails. She?s upset at the thought she won?t see him again. Peter says, ?It?s New York. Everyone runs into each other sooner or later.?
Pep rally, Odessa. Jackie tells others made-up stories about the fire rescue. Claire watches the bonfire nearby on which her effigy burns. Brody approaches. He?d have stuffed the head with firecrackers, and he?s wondering why she hasn?t been herself lately. Claire doesn?t understand how he would pick up on that when he doesn?t know her. Brody lists details of her habits and personality that make it clear he?s been watching her closely. The effigy?s head explodes. Brody had stuffed it with firecrackers in order to make Claire laugh. He kisses her, offers her a drink from a keg someone?s brought, and they head off into the night. A girl, clearly anxious, watches them go.
Bedroom, Parkman house, Los Angeles. Matt?s wife is going over papers on the bed when Matt arrives. He starts to tell her about his day, but she doesn?t want to hear it. He missed their marriage counseling session when the FBI arrested him. His wife had recently gotten a promotion to associate, and her success contrasted against his failure on the detective?s exam has stressed their relationship. He tries to apologize, but hears her thinking she wants him to leave. He does, leaving her confused.
Baseball field, Odessa. Claire and Brody make out on the bleachers. Brody tries to go too far, and Claire fights him. Brody forces her, making it plain that he?s not going to stop and there?s nothing she can do about it. Clair wriggles out from under him and tries to run, but he catches her and throws her against the dugout fence. She tumbles to the ground onto a sharp stick, which penetrates her skull, killing her. Brody backs away, terrified.
Highway outside Las Vegas. Niki and Micah are on their way home. Micah?s been quiet. He doesn?t understand why his mother believes his father is guilty, but he knows the police will never find him. His comments make Niki suspect that Micah knows where D.L. is. Before she can get the information out of him, they are pulled over by the police. The cop tells them that Mr. Linderman wants to see Niki. Niki and Micah have no choice but to go with him.
A fundraising party, Manhattan. Peter runs into Simone. She?s noticed a change in him the last few days. He seems more confident. He is. He?s confident enough to tell her that he?s loved her since they first met. Nathan climbs to the podium, breaking the awkward moment between Peter and Simone. Nathan talks about his father?s depression and suicide, and then announces that Peter?s ?accidental? fall from a building was actually a suicide attempt. Peter bolts from the room, furious.
Car rental desk, LAX. Hiro and Ando rent a car. Ando is unenthusiastic, watching one of Niki?s videos on his portable player, until he finds out that their destination is Las Vegas, Niki?s home city.
A bar, Los Angeles. Matt drinks and eavesdrops on the thoughts of the patrons of the bar. He focuses on a serious-looking man near the back who happens to wear the Symbol on a chain around his neck. Thoughts go silent as Matt concentrates on the stranger. Suddenly awkward, Matt breaks his concentration and gets up. The room reels around him dizzily, and he passes out.
Sylar?s Apartment, Queens. Mohinder and Eden lead police into the apartment, but it is empty. The secret room is empty and the graffiti gone. Mohinder looks back at Eden in disbelief.
A street, Manhattan. Nathan?s about to get into his car when Peter charges up and punches him. He?s found out that Nathan lied about the reporter. Nathan claims it was only a matter of time before one got on the story, and he headed it off by saying what he did. Peter hits him again, and then storms off.
Isaac?s studio, Manhattan. Isaac leaves through a sketchbook with pictures of Simone.
Rainy street, Manhattan. Peter?s about to hail a cab when Simone stops him. She knows he didn?t try to kill himself. They kiss under her umbrella.
Isaac?s studio, Manhattan. Isaac turns to a page showing a drawing of Simone and Peter kissing in the rain under an umbrella. Despondent, he considers shooting up again.
A morgue. Someone pulls the stick from Claire?s head while Mohinder?s voiceover talks about life, death, and evolution?s disinterest in individual lives. Claire comes to on an examining table. She?s been cut open from neck to navel, her skin peeled back to show ribs and muscles.
