Heroes 1.9: Homecoming.
Amphitheater, Odessa High School. Jackie leads the cheerleading squad into the amphitheater where other students are gathered in groups, having lunch (football team in jerseys, goths in black, nerds reading comic books and wearing ?Battlestar Galactica? T-shirts. Claire and Zach follow. As they pass the cheerleaders, Mohinder?s voiceover wonders what to do when the familiar has become unfamiliar. Zach is concerned that the cafeteria considers pudding one of the four major food groups. Claire?s not hungry, her appetite assassinated by Jackie?s glare. The cheerleaders whisper until the principal appears outdoors to post the winner of the homecoming queen contest on the bulletin board. The cheerleaders rise. Claire thinks the whole thing is stupid, a popularity contest, but she?s a finalist and Zach insists she go check the results. Claire walks with Jackie, who ridicules Claire?s chances. Claire?s responsible for the star quarterback?s injuries, and we see him in a wheel chair in the background, wrapped in bandages. Jackie thinks it unlikely that the girl who cost them the homecoming game is going to win, and is stunned to discover she has. Claire is stunned as well, and although the cheerleaders around her protest, the assembled students behind them applaud the choice. Jackie storms away, frustrated by the ?freaks.?
Isaac?s studio, New York. Nathan pries the lid off a box and steps back to he and Simone can examine the painting inside. Simone hasn?t told Peter it arrived because Nathan asked her not to. She calls Isaac a rising artist. We don?t see the painting, but it apparently shows Peter and something recognizable as Union Wells high school. Simone knows that Peter believes Isaac can paint the future, and that Peter has to go there to save a cheerleader and the world. Nathan is skeptical. Peter is suffering from delusions of grandeur and believes he is destined for something important. The painting is an original and there are no copies. Nathan pulls on some gloves and opens a tin of paint. Before Simone can stop him, Nathan splashes the paint across the picture. Simone freaks. Nathan is surprised she believes Peter. Simone isn?t sure what to believe. Nathan?s trying to save Peter?s life, and leaves the gallery with a last look back at the painting. Simone stares at it in despair. All but one corner has been obliterated, and that corner shows Peter?s face, drawn in death, with eyes open.
Desert, Nevada. Jessica Sanders takes target practice with a large sniper rifle under the admiring gaze of a scruffy gun dealer. She asks about the gun?s range, and he gives her its vitals, indicating that it?s military grade. He figures she must really hate the guy. They walk back to his van. He stole her son. Although the police can?t stop him, she can if he doesn?t see it coming. The gun costs $2000, and Jessica pays it with a roll of bills from her back pocket. In the van?s mirror, she catches sight of Niki, who looks stricken and shakes her head slightly. Jessica smiles and mutters that she?s going hunting.
Highway, Utah. D.L. and Micah pull up to a convenience store. Micah?s going to keep up the silent treatment until D.L. takes him back to Niki. D.L. can?t. He still loves Niki, no matter what she?s done, but she?s changed. It?s not safe and they can?t go back. From now on, it?s just the two of them, like Batman and Robin, although D.L. isn?t going to wear tights. Micah waits in the car while D.L. gets out. As he heads to the door, a police car pulls up and an officer gets out. D.L. fakes interest in getting a paper out of a newspaper box while the officer goes into the store. He then turns back to the car to find that Micah is no longer there.
A marketplace in Chennai, India. Mohinder argues with his friend/colleague/superior Nirand as they walk through the market. Mohinder has told him about his dreams and how the story of his sister turned out to be real. Nirand dismisses it as a combination of archetypes and conclusions drawn from his parent?s grief. Mohinder shows him the file containing a picture of the dream boy with his soccer ball along with notes indicating the boy can enter dreams and alter perceptions. He dreamed about the boy before he even knew the file existed. Chandra had found him and had identified his genetic marker. One of the ?specials? is right in Chennai, and Mohinder has to find him.
Isaac?s studio, New York. Peter arrives, not sure why Simone wanted him to meet her there. Simone shows him the damaged painting. Nathan bought it from Linderman and destroyed it because he wanted to save Peter?s life. Simone needs to know if Peter really believes in saving the cheerleader and saving the world. Pete can?t explain it. After an internal struggle, Simone pulls a digital picture of the painting out of her purse and shows it to Peter. The painting is of a banner saying ?Union Wells High school Homecoming?, a clock at twelve minutes after eight, and Peter, mangled on the ground, his eyes open and rimmed with black to show he?s dead. Peter isn?t sure it?s him. Simone?s worried that if he goes he?ll die. Peter has to go anyway, but he?ll come back, he promises. Simone made some calls. Union Wells high school is in Odessa Texas, and their homecoming is that night. He and Simone kiss, then Peter leaves.
Burnt Toast Cafe, Texas. Ando?s phone rings, and he answers it to hear Peter at the other end asking for Hiro. Hiro?s going to be right back, Ando says. Peter tells him the cheerleader is in Odessa. The Burnt Toast Cafe is in Midland near the airport. Peter?s catching a flight right away, and he?ll be there before Hiro knows it. They hang up, and we follow an older waitress across the caf? to a makeshift memorial for Charlie near the bulletin board. She comforts another waitress near the picture of Charlie and Hiro from six months ago.
Hidden complex, Odessa. Bennet contemplates a painting of a man made of fire before storming into the room where Isaac lays unconscious on a bed. Eden mops Isaac?s brow. The painting is useless. When Isaac wakes up, Eden?s to make him paint another. Eden refuses. Isaac?s not a vending machine; you can?t just put drugs in and expect to get coherent results. Bennet thinks Eden?s letting her emotions interfere with her work. Eden thinks he?s doing the same. Bennet takes her into an office nearby and shows her photographs of Sylar?s previous victims. He?s not going to let Sylar do that to his Claire. Eden still thinks it was a mistake to force Isaac to paint. He can?t help them. Bennet agrees, but he?s not happy about it. Eden?s to go to Union Wells high school and wait for Sylar. She?ll have help. She?s to neutralize him. Bennet will keep Claire at home.
Union Wells high school, Odessa. Claire can?t understand why people she doesn?t even know are congratulating her on becoming homecoming queen. Everyone who wasn?t her friend is now her friend and everyone who was her friend isn?t. Zach understands that it?s not a popularity contest, it?s an unpopularity contest and Claire rocked the freak vote. Everyone who was like Jackie voted for Jackie and everyone who wasn?t voted for Claire. It made a good campaign strategy. Claire can?t understand why Zach campaigned for her. He always said it was beneath her, but it was something she wanted, so he helped. He also found Chandra Suresh?s book, Activating Evolution, on the Internet. Its chapter on tissue regeneration might have some answers for her. Now Claire looks very confused. She can?t figure out why Zach is being so nice to her. She?s been nice to him, but never THAT nice. He shrugs and wonders why not. Jackie approaches and begins belittling him, mentioning that only one queen can wear the tiara. Zach hangs his head, humiliated. Claire hits her.
Bennet house, Odessa. Claire?s grounded. She?s staying home on homecoming night. It?s unfair. Mr. Bennet puts his foot down while Mrs. Bennet watches with a sour face. As long as Claire lives under Bennet?s roof, she?ll live by his rules. She doesn?t have to like it. Claire can?t believe he?d do that to her. Bennet dismisses her with a, ?You?ll survive.? Mrs. Bennet is concerned that Claire will hate him for a long time. Mr. Bennet hopes so, and half-smiles as he says it.
Roadside, Utah. D.L. finally catches up to Micah near a bus shelter. He?s furious. Micah had him so scared. Micah wonders if D.L. knows now how Micah and Niki felt when D.L. left them. They have to go back. D.L. refuses. Micah explains that something happened to Niki after D.L. left. Sometimes Jessica shows up. Niki doesn?t know about Jessica and can?t control it. They have to go back. Niki?s sick and needs their help. D.L. understands and agrees. They walk back down the road to their car.
Marketplace, Chennai, India. Mohinder and Nirand continue wandering through the crowded streets, Mohinder holding up the photograph of the boy and showing it to everyone. Nirand tries to convince him this is a fool?s errand, and that this area of town is dangerous. Mohinder ignores him and asks a passing woman if she?s seen the boy. She hasn?t. Nirand tries again to dissuade Mohinder, but a man approaches and grabs the picture. He knows where the boy is and for five hundred rupees, he?ll say where he can be found. To Nirand?s disgust, Mohinder hands over the money immediately. The man points to a knot of children playing soccer in the street. Mohinder approaches and recognizes the boy among them. When the ball escapes them and rolls to Mohinder?s feet, he picks it up and tosses it to the boy, who recognizes him too, and stops his game. Mohinder doesn?t know why the boy came to him in his dream. The boy protests that people come to him, not the other way around, looking for answers. Mohinder?s looks back at Nirand, who watches impassively, then surrenders his last bit of skepticism. Mohinder sees two paths ahead of him and needs to know which one is his destiny. The boy tells him that he already knows the answer, and then goes back to his game. Mohinder stands bemused and still unsure.
Burnt Toast Cafe, Midland, Texas. Ando waits in a booth as a waitress fills up his coffee cup. He reaches for the sugar, but discovers an empty container. He goes to another table, and takes the sugar from there. As he?s about to return to his table, his glance falls on the picture of Hiro and Charlie. He?s surprised, and takes the picture to show to one of the waitresses. The picture was taken six months ago, at Charlie?s birthday. Sure, she knows Hiro. He and Charlie were tight, but he popped out of her life weeks ago.
Bennet house, Odessa. Claire lies on her bed, reading Chandra?s book. Her text message phone begins to beep. It?s Zach. He?s been throwing rocks at her window, but she?s been too absorbed to notice. She opens it to find Zach on a ladder. He?s come to rescue her. She?s grounded and her dad would freak, but Zach figures you only become homecoming queen once in your life, and the worst Mr. Bennet could do is ground her some more. She?s scored a lot of points with her constituency by punching Jackie, who was a runner up, and she?d mess it all up by backing out now. Besides, she deserves it. Claire decides he?s right, and asks him to take her to the dance. He declines, but refuses to give his reasons. She figures it?s because of what Jackie said, but he doesn?t care about that. He?s happy with who he is, and just wishes she were. She?s starting to realize who her friends really are. Being a freak isn?t the end of the world, it?s just who she is. Zach figures that the only thing she?d ever regret about life would be denying who she really is.
Burnt Toast Caf?, Midland. Ando sits outside reading the paper by the window lights as it gets dark. A cab pulls up and Peter climbs out, wondering where Hiro is. Ando shows him the picture of Hiro and Charlie and explains what happened. Hiro said, ?Man who is too afraid to use power does not deserve to have power.? Peter shows Ando the photograph of the painting. Ando?s horrified by the sight of Peter dead on the ground, and wants to know if Peter?s power is something that could save him. Peter explains that he only has powers around other people who have powers. The painting shows 8:12, so they have less than an hour to get to Union Wells and save the cheerleader. He gets ready to leave. Ando stays behind. He has no power, he?s nothing without Hiro, and he?ll wait for Hiro to return. Peter should stay too, because the painting shows him dying. Peter understands, but has to go.
Living room, Bennet house. Mrs. Bennet sits with Mr. Muggles, reading a dog magazine when Mr. Bennet enters. Claire is gone. Mrs. Bennet saw her take off across the lawn with Zach about ten minutes ago. She didn?t tell him because he?s been way too harsh on her. Bennet almost snaps, snatching the magazine from her hand. She has no idea what she?s done, and if Claire calls her, she?s to call him immediately. He bolts from the room.
Suresh office, Chennai, India. Mohinder works on his father?s computer. He looks up to find Nirand standing nearby telling him that Freud would say the boy is a manifestation of his subconscious. They?ve had this conversation before, but before Mohinder can offer a rebuttal, he sees the boy standing in the office doorway. The boy leaves, and Mohinder rises to follow? but finds himself on a street. Nirand and Chandra argue about Chandra?s theories. Chandra is searching for the boy. Nirand says the same things to Chandra that he?s said to Mohinder, and adds that the death of Shanti may have a lot to do with Chandra?s obsession. Chandra will not be swayed, even when Nirand reminds him that the entire biology roundtable laughed at his theories, and they may well revoke his tenure. Chandra looks stricken, but storms off? and Mohinder finds himself in the office again, watching his father pack. An earlier Mohinder enters, holding a crude copy of Activating Evolution in his hands and gushing about the brilliance of the ideas. Chandra shoots him down and refuses to let Mohinder help. Darwin said a scientist should have a heart of stone, and Chandra has that, but Mohinder doesn?t. The boy appears and tells Mohinder that he has his answer. Mohinder awakens at his desk, facing the computer program that is still asking whether he wants to quit. His father was trying to protect him, and now it?s time for him to find out what from. He continues the program and is asked for a password. Mohinder tries a few obvious ones, then ponders his father?s talk about a heart of stone and why he might have one. Mohinder tries, ?Shanti,? and the program fades to reveal a list of names and addresses, some highlighted in red as deceased. Chandra Suresh had found them.
Union Wells High school, Odessa. Peter stares into a trophy case dedicated to Jackie?s heroics. Claire comes out of nowhere, not watching where she?s going, and bumps into him. Peter?s curious, does she know Jackie? Jackie?s a cheerleader, and she?ll be on the field at halftime. Peter passes himself off as an alumnus when she asks if he?s a reporter. Claire doesn?t think Jackie?s anything special, just an average, ordinary teenage girl. Peter thinks she must be something special to run into a burning wreck to save a man. Claire thinks a minute, then reluctantly agrees with him. She?s jealous. Claire doesn?t win too many popularity contests. She turns to walk away, but Peter stops her. Things get better after high school. She leaves, and Peter walks out through a door, then turns around to look back at the school. Stunned, he pulls out the image of Isaac?s painting and stares. The scene behind him is identical to the painting: banner, clock and doorway. The only thing missing is Pete?s mangled body on the pavement. As he watches, the clock ticks to one minute after eight.
Trophy Case, Union Wells H.S. Sylar stands, staring at the trophy case.
Girls Locker Room, Union Wells H.S. Jackie walks through the crowd of cheerleaders as they suit up, encouraging them. As she reaches the end of the locker row, one tells her that Claire has arrived. Jackie scowls and rounds the corner to see Claire in uniform tying on her shoes. Jackie thinks it takes a lot of nerve to show up. Wasn?t Claire grounded? The grounding didn?t take. Claire wonders about Jackie?s eye, but apparently the shiner is nothing she can?t cover up. The other cheerleaders disperse, leaving the two of them alone. Jackie needs to say something to Claire, co-captain to co-captain: Jackie thinks she?s a menace, and it?s not because of the punch, or because of Claire?s boyfriend who?s a girlfriend. Jackie doesn?t know what happened. They used to be best friends. Claire?s gained perspective, and she?s tired of trying to be something she?s not. Jackie thinks Claire?s been trying to be Jackie since second grade. Now Jackie?s trying to be Claire. Jackie doesn?t understand until Claire confesses that it was her who saved the man on the train, and when Jackie scoffs, Claire admits she has it on tape. Jackie turns away, crushed. A friend of Claire?s said that it?s more important to be honest with yourself than popular. She thinks he?s right. Jackie thinks he?s a loser. Without another word, they head out of the locker room. The lights suddenly go off. Jackie thinks it?s a power failure. Claire isn?t sure, and a shadow flickers over them.
Amphitheater, Union Wells H.S. Mr. Bennet stands in the place Isaac?s painting showed Claire falling on the steps. He looks about anxiously.
Outside the Athletic Center, Union Wells H.S. The clock ticks to eight-oh-six.
Athletic Center hallway? you know where. Claire and Jackie make their way through halls that are suddenly menacing in the darkness. Claire swears she heard something and is jumpy. Jackie thinks Claire?s trying to scare her and grows angry. They come to an intersection and Jackie turns one way, but Claire jumps in front of her and warns her not to go there. A shadow passes over the walls behind them. Something?s wrong. Jackie scoffs, then is suddenly grabbed from behind. With one hand under her chin, Sylar lifts Jackie into the air and pins her against a locker. Claire jumps on him and tries to pull him away, but Sylar throws her off with one hand. She flies through the air and strikes a wall, then falls to the floor, broken and bloody. Jackie shrieks.
Amphitheater, the usual place. Mr. Bennet hears the scream and yells ?Claire? before running toward the sound.
Outside. Peter hears the scream and comes running.
Hallway. [Editorial note: This scene is sufficiently graphic and gruesome that I found it disturbing and by far the most difficult one I?ve ever had to recap. I didn?t watch. I endured.] Sylar covers Jackie?s mouth with his free hand, then lets go of her chin and points to her skull. Claire raises her head and watches in horror as a line of red appears across Jackie?s forehead, and blood splashes across the Homecoming banner on the opposite wall. Blood pours down Jackie?s face as she continues to struggle, and Claire snaps bones back into place. After a little organic rearrangement, Claire stands up. Sylar catches sight of her from the corner of his eye and stares, losing all interest in Jackie. Jackie whimpers at Claire to run. Sylar drops her and stands over her body [as shown in Isaac?s painting]. Claire runs.
Another hallway. Claire comes sprinting around a corner and down the hall that holds Jackie?s trophy case. She slams into Peter, who takes in her bloody features before asking if she?s okay. Claire stares past Peter to Sylar who has stepped into view at the end of the hall. Peter pushes Claire behind him and orders her to run. She does. Peter steps back, then stands his ground. Sylar flexes his fingers and locker doors behind him tear themselves from their hinges and fly at Peter. Peter ducks and weaves, and it?s possible that some of the doors change their course miss him, but several slam against him and when the last has gone, he turns to run. Sylar stalks after him.
The hallway before that. Bennet enters and sees a girl in a cheerleading outfit lying on the ground. Frantic, he call?s Claire?s name and rushes over to where she lies. He sees that it?s Jackie, covered in blood and her eyes open. She?s clearly dead. Bennet rises and runs further down the hallway searching for Claire.
Outside. The clock ticks to eight-eleven.
Amphitheater. Clair, screaming, runs out onto the benches, a dark shadow falling over her [as shown in Isaac?s painting]. She falls, but it?s Peter, close behind. He helps her up as another shadow falls over both of them. Together, the run to the top tier. There Peter stops and tells Claire to go, to find people, find lights. He doesn?t want to be seen. Claire?s worried about Peter. She shouldn?t be, she should go. Claire hesitates until Peter screams at her to go and points the way. She runs off. Peter turns back to Sylar, who has somehow crossed the distance between them in a blink. Sylar grabs Peter and the two struggle only a moment before Peter pulls them both over the edge and down onto the pavement at the foot of the clock and banner entrance. Sylar lies across Peter, who has blood pooling from a wound in his head. Neither of them move. The clock ticks to eight-twelve.
Outside the Athletic Center. Peter lies alone on the pavement, limbs bent at unnatural angles. Above him, the clock shows eight-twelve [as in Isaac?s painting]. The door opens and Claire runs out. She sees him and, horrified, runs to his side. She?s about to burst into tears when Peter groans and raises his head. It bears a savage gash. He coughs, and Claire watches in amazement as the gash closes up and fades. Peter grabs his leg, bent over him and clearly broken in a number of places, and straightens it out with a moan of pain. Claire wants to know how he did that, but Peter is more concerned about Sylar?s whereabouts. His voice rattles as he speaks. Claire doesn?t know, he must have run off before she arrived. Peter mentions the police. Claire should go, call them. Before she goes, she asks his name and gives hers. Peter wants to know whether he saved the world by saving her. Claire doesn?t know. She?s just a cheerleader. She runs off.
Outside the Stadium. Claire runs toward the lights and the crowd when Mr. Bennet calls to her. She runs to him and he takes her in his arms. She all right, although covered in blood and almost hysterical as she tries to explain. Bennet already knows about Jackie. Claire has to go back to help Peter. He died and then? Bennet stops her. The police will take care of things. Claire struggles a moment, but he holds her. She?s lucky to be alive. Claire steps back. It wasn?t luck. She has something to tell him.
Woods outside Union Wells H.S. campus. Sylar stumbles up a hill to find Eden leaning against a tree, waiting for him. He raises a hand to use his power, but Eden tells him he doesn?t want to hurt her. Sylar stares at his hand, confused, before returning it to his side. Eden says he can tell her all about himself, but first he needs to sleep. Sylar sways, but remains standing. She reminds him that he really needs to sleep, and her voice takes on echoes as she speaks. Sylar rocks again, but does not fall. The Haitian comes up behind him and puts a hand over Sylar?s face. Sylar falls and the Haitian stands over him, nodding slowly.
Outside the Athletic Center. Police cars pull up near Peter who still sits where he fell. Realizing suddenly that he can be seen, he reaches out and straightens his mangled foot, letting it heal. The police draw guns and surround him. One of them says something about him being the guy from New York that? and I can?t make out the rest, but the word senator comes through pretty clear. They?re revolted by the amount of blood. Peter protests that it?s not what they think. They order him to put his hands on his head. One of them comes in and cuffs him while Peter frantically protests his innocence and insists that they?re letting the real villain get away.
Beach, Chennai, India. Mohinder stands in a doorway looking out at the sunset. His mother approaches. Mira called. Mohinder turned down her job offer. He?s returning to New York. He knows now that Chandra found them, but he doesn?t know why Chandra never told him. His mother nods. Chandra wanted Mohinder to lead his own life. Mohinder?s going back to New York, where he?ll find them and tell them who they are, if they don?t already know. He?ll warn them about the dangers ahead of them. His mother takes his hand and wonders who will protect him.
Highway outside Las Vegas. D.L. and Micah return to their car as night falls. Next stop, Vegas. Micah doesn?t need to go to Vegas anymore. He called Niki and she?s coming to get him. D.L. hurries Micah into the car and darts around to the driver?s side. Mohinder voices over that we are the sum of our fears. If we are to embrace destiny, we must face our fears and conquer them whether they come from the familiar or the unknown. On a tree branch some distance away, Jessica sights through her assault rifle and centers it on D.L. while he opens his door. She pulls the trigger.
Burnt Toast Diner, Texas. Ando sits alone in his booth while a waitress fills up his cup again. The camera passes through shadow, and the waitress becomes Charlie, who pours coffee for Hiro and smiles. She glances at the symbols on his jacket, but shows no sign of recognition. Hiro introduces himself and announces that he?s there to save Charlie?s life. Behind them, the denizens of the caf? call for Charlie?s attention and she turns to see that they?ve set up a cake. She tells Hiro to hold that thought and goes to blow out the candles. They give her a party hat and prepare to take a picture. Charlie beckons Hiro over, and he smiles?
