This is our kinda hostage crisis! Heroes went on location to the beach at San Pedro, California, to shoot a scene (airing tonight, 9 pm/ET, on NBC) in which Company men Mohinder and Bob plan to swap Claire for Bob’s daughter Elle, who is being held by Claire’s pop HRG. Got that? The chick exchange will lead to a deadly climax — one prophesied in an Isaac Mendez painting — but right now Panettiere and Bell just wanna have fun. We sat down with these two real-life pals for a seaside chitchat.

TVGuide.com: This is the first time Claire and Elle are in a scene together — the meeting of the hot blonde babes!
Kristen Bell: Yes, it’s the highly anticipated standoff millions are waiting to see! I dressed for the occasion.
Hayden Panettiere: And I — what else is new? — am in my cheerleading outfit. It really disappointed me because Kristen’s in heels and a cool designer outfit. They dress you nice at the Company.
Bell: This is what I wear to the office to kill people. But I wish I was in the cheerleader outfit.

TVGuide.com: Divas, please! You’re both wonderful. Now, tell us about the scene.
Panettiere: Elle knows all about Claire, but Claire has no idea who Elle is. All she knows is that HRG is holding Elle hostage for a reason and that Elle is giving her an evil look — so I give her one right back. I’m looking her up and down like “Who are you, !@#%?” And she’s like, “You don’t know me but I know you, !@#%!”
Bell: The whole idea is that Elle and Claire are two sides of the same coin.
Panettiere: Yeah, HRG didn’t turn Claire into the Company because he knew they’d experiment on her. He knew what they’d turn her into. But Elle’s dad didn’t protect her that way.
Bell: Bodies are not able to take that much electricity and pain, and so Elle’s psychologically a little off her rocker.
Panettiere: We’re like the yin…
Bell: … and the yang.
Panettiere: And now Elle is Claire gone bad.… We don’t technically meet in this scene since we don’t have lines. I do my nasty glare and, trust me, it didn’t require much acting.
Bell: That’s OK. There’s a scene later where I get to zap the hell out of her with my lightning bolts.
Panettiere: [Rolling her eyes] Puh-leeze. She misses me and hits West [Nick D’Agosto].
Bell: I thought I hit you.
Panettiere: No, you hit him. Then he passes out on top of me and crushes me. What a gentleman.
Bell: Men! [Both squeal with laughter]