A Laboratory. Matt Parkman is lies unconscious on an examination table, wired up to monitors showing brain activity. Mohinder?s voice over talks about questions being more powerful than answers. Matt wakes up to find Mr. Bennet standing over him. Matt remembers being in the bar. Mr. Bennet apologizes for drugging him. Matt tries to get up, but he?s strapped down. Mr. Bennet tries to calm him. They want to test Matt?s resting rate. Matt thinks Bennet?s with the FBI or CIA. Bennet doesn?t belong to an organization with initials. Matt denies he?s anyone interesting, but Bennet knows about his power. The monitors light up as Matt tries to hear his thoughts, but Bennet indicates that Symbol Man from the bar is special too, and is somehow blocking Matt?s power. He promises Matt that, by tomorrow, nothing Matt sees right now will matter. Bennet turns to leave, but Matt picks Claire?s name from his mind. Matt?s ?further along? than Bennet thought. Mr. Bennet tells Symbol Man to ?go deep, and then clean him out.?
A Casino lobby, Las Vegas. Hiro?s been trying to reach Isaac, and has left a message on his answering machine, but he doesn?t know how to say ?You?re going to die in five weeks, then New York will explode? in English. Ando promises to teach him, and then is lured away by gambling. He and Hiro pass Niki on their way to the casino floor.
An Office in the Casino, Las Vegas. Niki and Micah are escorted into the room by thugs to meet Ms. Sakamoto, Linderman?s assistant. Sakamoto lets Micah leave the room, and then offers to eliminate Niki?s debt if Niki seduces a would-be congressman flying in from New York. Niki protests, but has no real choice.
Morgue, Odessa. Claire lies on an examining table, dead. According to the coroner who cuts her open, she was found at 4am floating naked in a creek. She was dragged there after a homicide, probably accidental. The coroner removes the stick from Claire?s head, and then leaves the room to answer the phone that has begun ringing. Claire revives and closes herself up. She then grabs a lab coat and hides as the coroner comes back. While the coroner is distracted by the sight of the empty table, Claire sneaks out.
Everywhere. Isaac, in his studio, stares sadly at the drawing showing Peter and Simone under her umbrella. Peter and Simone wake up together in his apartment. Hiro and Ando wander onto the casino floor. Claire sneaks into her house just after her mother and brother come downstairs and go into the kitchen.
Outside Nathan?s Campaign H.Q., Manhattan. Nathan?s polls have improved after the speech where he announced his brother?s illness, but he needs more money to keep up his campaign?s momentum. He?s going to Las Vegas to hit Linderman up for a contribution. Nathan?s assistant doesn?t like the idea, but Nathan reassures him that although Linderman ?owned? his father, he won?t own Nathan. As Nathan climbs into his car for the ride to the airport, Mohinder approaches. Mohinder introduces himself as Dr. Suresh, and tries to warn Nathan that his life is in danger from a man named Sylar. Nathan is concerned until Mohinder starts to ask him about special abilities. Unsettled, Nathan tells his assistant to get Mohinder?s information, and then get rid of him. As Nathan?s bodyguards push Mohinder away from the car, a man walks by, clearly insane, muttering about ?them? being everywhere. This makes Mohinder question his own zeal.
Pete?s apartment, Lower East Side. Simone and Peter wake up, having enjoyed each other, but it?s clear that Isaac is a barrier between them. The apartment is run down and ?cheap? as Lower East Side apartments go. Nathan shows up at the door, sure that Peter sent Mohinder as a sick joke. Nathan has mistaken Mohinder for Chandra. The confrontation is derailed when Nathan sees Simone. Nathan tries to give Peter money to find answers to his questions, but insists Peter ?disappear for a while.? Peter declines and Nathan leaves. Simone dresses, in a hurry for a gallery showing of Isaac?s paintings. Peter presses her to return that night, but she turns him down. She finds it too confusing to fall for the man who took care of her father so soon after breaking up with a heroin fiend. Peter?s disappointed, but he lets her go.
Bennet home, Odessa. Mrs. Bennet and Claire?s brother come downstairs to the kitchen, and call up to Claire that they?re going to make waffles for breakfast. Claire sneaks in the front door after they pass and makes her way upstairs to her room just before her father comes downstairs. At Mrs. Bennet?s urging, Mr. Bennet calls for her until she appears in a housecoat at the top of the stairs. She has dirty feet, and he questions her until she admits she?s been out all night with Brody, but says a group of them played poker and denies anything happened. Before he leaves to catch a plane for another business trip, Mr. Bennet promises her a ?throwdown? about it when he gets back. After he leaves, Claire dissolves into tears on the steps. Her brother approaches to remind her about breakfast, but is confused and concerned by her state.
Suresh apartment, Queens. Mohinder replaces a newspaper clipping on his map and feels like a fool for accosting Nathan. Eden enters with a box that was left with her while Mohinder was out. It?s Chandra?s ashes. Mohinder, unsettled by this, questions his reasons for coming to New York. He thinks following his father?s theories will destroy his life just as it did Chandra?s. Against Eden?s urging, he decides to return to Madras, and begins to pack when there?s a knock at the door. It?s Peter, with Chandra?s book in hand. Nathan?s people gave him the address, and he?s come to talk to someone about his abilities.
Montecito Casino, Las Vegas. Hiro finds Ando at a roulette table, betting the last of their money on black 26. He tries to stop Ando, but the wheel attendant won?t let him withdraw the bet. Hiro can?t bear to end up broke, and so he stops time and places the bouncing ball on Ando?s number. He also takes time to right a tipped martini before it can spill, although he eats the olive. Ando is excited about winning until Hiro admits he is responsible. Then Ando becomes very enthusiastic. Although Hiro doesn?t want to use his power for personal gain, and is ashamed of having done so, Ando convinces him to influence the games they play.
Texas Tina?s house, Las Vegas. Niki works on her makeup in the bathroom mirror. Tina enters, wondering if Niki?s still seeing someone else in the mirror. She is. She?s having terrible, violent dreams. Something tore in half one of the thugs Linderman had sent after her, and she thinks its ?someone else in me, with me.? Tina thinks Niki saw something so horrible that it ?broke a part of you.? Micah enters. It?s game night, and he wants to play Scrabble. Niki has to go out, and Tina volunteers to take her place. Micah?s worried. What Niki did in the garage was just acting. What he knows she?s going to do that night isn?t. She apologizes, surprised and unsettled by the realization that her son knows about her profession. This one job is something she has to do, and it will solve most of their problems.
Suresh Apartment. Mohinder thinks Peter?s crazy. Eden thinks he ought to listen to what Peter?s got to say. Eden leaves and Mohinder sits down with Peter, who believes he only has powers when he?s around other people who have powers. Mohinder is skeptical. Peter wants to talk to Chandra, but Mohinder shows him the urn. Peter offers to demonstrate by taking him to Isaac?s, although there are some ?complications??
Isaac?s studio, Manhattan. Simone arrives to take some paintings for the gallery sale, but the ones Isaac set out for her are older and aren?t likely to sell. Instead she wants the ones he painted while he was high. Isaac shows her the drawing of her and Peter under her umbrella. She doesn?t know how she feels. He doesn?t know how he feels either. He hits her up for an advance for ?painting supplies.? She knows it?s for dope. Isaac believes he has to paint because that will somehow let him stop the apocalypse shown on his floor. Painting the future will somehow make him a hero.
High school hallway, Odessa. Zach corners Claire at her locker. She?s told him what happened the previous night. He?s pressing her to tell someone, but she shrugs off the advice. Brody comes by and is so stunned to see her that he runs off.
Montecito Casino, Las Vegas. Ando, holding a junk hand, plays poker with a cowboy sporting a full house. At a sign from Ando, Hiro stops time and switches hands. Ando wins while the cowboy looks confused and angry.
Montecito Casino lobby, Las Vegas. Nathan enters, demanding that an aide get him a meeting with Linderman despite the resistance Ms. Sakamoto is putting up. Niki steps into his path, spilling her drink and ruining her ticket to see Celine Dion. She claims to be at a convention with people she doesn?t like, and hanging out by herself.
A subway car, New York. Peter tries to convince Mohinder of his abilities, but Mohinder defends his skepticism as part of the scientific method. Peter?s nervous about Mohinder meeting Isaac because of his habit. Mohinder?s even more skeptical when he finds out about the heroin.
Isaac?s Studio, Manhattan. Isaac, stoned, paints. In his vision, he stands on top of a building, looking down into the bowl of Odessa High School?s auditorium. Claire runs into the auditorium and scrambles a short distance up the bleachers before collapsing. A figure follows, casting a menacing shadow over her. Someone knocks on Isaac?s door. Peter knocks again and announces himself to Isaac, but the artist doesn?t hear. Isaac?s eyes have gone white, and he?s painting feverishly.
High school, Odessa. Claire closes her locker to find Lori on the other side of it. Lori had seen Brody and Claire wander off at the party the night before, and she wants to know what happened. When Claire says, ?Nothing,? Lori nods. ?Nothing? also happened to her when she went off with Brody. Across the hall, Brody is snuggling with some other cheerleader.
Montecito Casino, Las Vegas. Hiro and Ando, wearing expensive suits, are cornered on an escalator by casino bouncers. The bouncers throw them and their luggage out a side door into an alley. Ando dusts himself off and suggests they hit another casino. Hiro resists the idea, already feeling terrible for using his power for personal gain. As they get up to leave, the cowboy poker player walks into the alley accompanied by a handful of friends. He wants his money back. Hiro doesn?t understand what?s happening, so Ando reassures him. He then warns the cowboy, in English, that Hiro has enough power to take them all out. One of the cowboy?s men walks up, and before Hiro can anticipate what will happen, knocks him out with one punch.
Hotel room, Montecito Casino, Las Vegas. Nikki and Nathan look out over the city. He wonders what it would be like to just soar over the desert, no plane, just him. He and Niki compare lives. Niki has a genius son and a criminal ex-husband. Nathan has two non-genius boys and a wife to whom he?s happily married. They agree it?s odd having children, you feel like there are two of you, the one they see and the real one. They kiss, but Niki backs out, leaving him even though she had a good time.
An Elevator in the Casino. Niki sees her reflection split in half by the elevator doors. One side changes expression as she watches. The other side shifts uncomfortably. The doors open and a thug reaches out of the elevator to drag her in by the throat. He threatens to hurt her if she doesn?t go back and finish the job. Niki doesn?t change her mind. He then threatens to hurt Micah. Niki?s expression changes, and she says, ?Niki isn?t here right now.? She turns tables on the thug and beats him mercilessly. When the elevator doors open and he falls to the floor, she steps on his temple with high heels and warns him that she?ll kill him with her shoe if he ever threatens ?our? son again.
Nathan?s room, Casino. Nathan opens the door to find Niki on the other side. She sweeps in, kisses him, and pushes him into a chair and proceeds to strip for him. She has the Symbol tattooed on the back of her right shoulder. A camera in the smoke detector on the room?s ceiling records her doing the job she was hired for.
Subway car, New York. Peter and Mohinder ride back, disappointed. Peter suggests they go back another time, but Mohinder doesn?t like the idea of stalking a heroin addict. In the middle of a sentence, Mohinder?s speech and actions slow down. Everything but Peter stops moving, and the world takes on a blue tinge. Peter looks stunned.
Isaac?s studio, Manhattan. Isaac awakes to his paintings. He sees Claire menaced by the shadow. Another painting shows Peter with locker doors flying either toward or away from him. A third shows Ando and Hiro standing under a bloody homecoming banner. The last, an older painting, shows Claire frightened.
Auditorium, Odessa High School. Claire waits until Brody comes out with the rest of the team. She was stringing homecoming banners after school and planned to get a ride home with Jackie, but Jackie has left without her. Brody consents to give her a ride home, and agrees to let her drive. She drives very fast, running a red light. She questions him about what happened last night, but he pretends to have been too drunk to remember any of it. She doesn?t buy it, and accuses him of rape. He blames her for wanting it too. Claire brings up Lori, and Brody admits doing the same thing to her then bad mouthing her the way he?s begun doing to Claire. Claire knows he?s raped girls before her, and that he?ll rape girls after her. Brody believes there?s nothing she can do so she?d better get over it. Claire shows he?s wrong by flooring the gas and driving straight into a brick wall.
Nathan?s room, Las Vegas. Niki and Nathan sleep while Mr. Bennet and Symbol Guy watch. Mr. Bennet decides to take only one.
Subway car, New York. Peter wanders through the time-frozen train then returns to Mohinder?s side. He hears heavy footsteps on the roof of the train and almost panics when the door opens. Hiro steps in wearing a goatee, no glasses, and a black jacket. A katana strapped to his back is marked with the symbol. Hiro doesn?t recognize Pete without his scar. He?s come from the future with a message?
