Interlude: Message From The Future I

Walking through the gritty apartment hallway, my eyes shifted from left to right as they glanced at the door plates, lookin g for a certain room number.

I walked past another room but then I paused and took a step back. I looked at the door plate fixated on the brown wooden door and smiled, it was the room I was looking for.

Adjusting my bag hanging from my shoulder, I knocked on the door softly, a little nervous. I didn't know if I would get the answers I was looking for here but I had hope, hope that at least I would get someone to listen to my story despite how ludicrous it would seem.

I had to do it, if not for myself then for Nathan also. He might act like he doesn't give a crap but I knew my brother, so I knew that whatever was happening to us was eating him up. This wasn't just for myself, it was for my family...

"Who is it?" I heard a soft feminine voice answer my knock.

"I'm looking for Doctor Chandra Suresh. I got this address from Nathan Peterelli's campaign center." I replied politely and listened for the sound of footsteps.

No reply came so I waited and in seconds, I heard someone coming to the door. A click resounded as the locks of the door were unlocked.

The door parted to reveal a tall brown-skinned handsome Indian man with thick black hair, black eyes, a thin mouth, and a small stubble wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and a watch on his right hand.

I knew this guy, he was the driver of the cab I took to get to Nathan's place. The guy who affirmed my suspicions about being special, talking about evolution. How was he related to the Doctor?

"How may I help you?" He asked calmly, his voice accented and almost posh, not like the stereotypical Indian accents you'd see on Television, his eyes showing recognition with his one hand placed on the door and the other holding the doorknob.

"I was hoping to meet Doctor Suresh," I looked down at my bag and quickly withdrew a thick blue book from it. "I have some questions about what he wrote in his book and I was hoping he could maybe help me." I brushed the strand of hair blocking my eye to the side.

His eyes widened in surprise.

"Doctor Suresh isn't around at the moment," He said and I immediately felt a pang of regret. "But I'm his son." He continued and this time it was my turn to be shocked.

"What do you mean when you said you were hoping my father would help you?" He prodded seriously and my lips curled upwards to an awkward smile.

Something told me not to say anything but just leave, but then I remembered my conversation with him in the Taxi.

If he was the doctor's son then there was a chance he'd be able to at least explain and answer some of my questions if our conversation a while back was anything to go by.

I had to take my shot, even if it meant there was a chance I would be treated like a lunatic. Higher risks, higher rewards, just like Nathan always used to say...

"...The thing is, I think I might be one of them," I answered and his eyes widened another fraction. "The superhumans your father mentioned in this book."

Surprise flashed across his eyes and for a while, he just stood there, staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. His stare made me nervous and a little anxious and I felt like cringing, but luckily the other voice saved me.

"Mohinder what's wrong?" She asked sweetly and he immediately snapped out, taking just a second to compose himself and then he removed the chain lock.

"Nothing Eden, just a little surprised," He turned his head back to reply to the lady nicely. "Peter right? Please come in." He looked back at me and then invited me, stepping to the side as he opened the door widely.

"Thank you." I smiled at him and then walked into the room, my eyes observing the interior as I placed the book back into the bag.

It was a normal-sized apartment room with a red rug, probably Turkish, tables covered by piles of papers, bookshelves arrayed with tons of books, a glass cage, and a computer setup decorated or arranged in the room.

It smelled like a library, with that rich old books scent that had a touch of sophistication. The lady with the sweet voice was standing near a bookshelf and her eyes started scanning me the moment I came into the room.

She was a tall young woman with black silky hair that slept comfortably on her head, a beautiful heart-shaped face that was very smooth, glossy pink lips, small brown eyes, and a pointed nose.

She was wearing a plain white sweater, blue denim jeans, white flip-flops, and regular white earrings.

She had a lithe figure that almost seemed petite but it only increased her charm despite her small assets.

I got a weird kind of vibe from her, a feeling I couldn't put my finger on but my gut was telling me there was more to what she showed. She felt...familiar.

"Mr Petrelli please take a seat. There's a lot to talk about." Mohinder drew a wooden chair backward and suggested politely with a small smile, gesturing me to take a seat as Eden stepped closer.

"Please call me Peter and thank you." I shook my head slightly and said with a smile as I took the seat.

He nodded at me and then pulled another chair from in front of one of the tables to a few feet away from my face and then sat down on it, straightening himself on the chair with his back.

Eden went to stand next to him and I could smell the light rosy perfume emanating from her, smiling at me like we were old friends.

"Okay Peter, let's get down to business." Mohinder started, his face now stoic and his voice without emotion. I couldn't help but also straighten back in my seat.

"You said you've read my father's book and that you believe yourself to be one of the special individuals described in it, is that correct?"

"Yes." I nodded seriously, hiding my excitement.

"Okay, if I'm to believe your claim then it means you possess some special abilities that set you apart from the average man. So tell me, Peter, what ability do you have?" He questioned calmly, his black eyes staring straight into mine, his voice bearing a little skepticism but I could see the anticipation burning in his eyes.

At his question, I couldn't help but start scratching the back of my head, an awkward smile drawing on my face.

How was I going to explain to him that I didn't have powers, at least technically? It all sounded right when I practiced in my mind, what I was going to say.

But at this moment, it was as if all the words and sentences that had been playing in my mind had gone up into smoke. To be honest, I didn't prepare for this type of questioning...

"Well, I can fly," Mohinder and Eden's eyes lit up at this. "But right now I can't." I smiled nervously. Mohinder's eyebrows narrowed while Eden just shook her head.

"Can you elaborate?" He asked in confusion, but now I could see suspicion in his eyes.

"The thing is I'm still figuring out how my power exactly works, it wasn't long before I got it. All I know is that when I'm around other special people, I can use or copy their abilities. Like I did with Nathan." I hurriedly explained, trying my best to sound convincing, an awkward smile on my face.

"Nathan? Nathan Petrelli?" He asked, giving me a weird look.

"Yeah, it's because of him I can or could fly." I nodded in confirmation.

He glanced up to look at Eden and their eyes met, and it was like they were communicating. Then he sighed, a deep one that held helplessness and it struck me in all the wrong ways.

"Please excuse us for a moment." He said politely and stood up from his seat, he and Eden then walked further into the room, on my right.

They started talking in whispers, directing looks and glances at me once in a while. I looked down at my fingers and then sighed softly, bending myself till my elbows settled on my thighs, hands on my face.

I was starting to think that maybe coming here was a bad idea. Mohinder was trying to hide it but I could still see it, he didn't believe me, not at all.

He and Eden were probably thinking I was a deranged man who was very well over his head and I didn't particularly blame them.

If I was them, I wouldn't too but I thought if anyone would have an open mind it would be Mohinder since Chandra Suresh was his father.

The man wrote a book about all this and it sounded like he actually believed what he wrote, like he had seen it with his own two eyes.

Was it too much to think that his son would be like him and believe the research wholeheartedly? Mohinder wasn't going to help. I had to reach his father.

My gut was telling me he was the key to the answers we all needed, and my gut was rarely wrong...

I turned my head in their direction when I didn't hear any whispers. Eden mouthed something to Mohinder and he begrudgingly nodded, his face almost scrunched up in a frown.

She smiled and stepped away from him, moving gracefully towards the door, "Bye Peter, good luck with your flying. I wish you luck." She waved at me as she said this cheerfully, passing by me to open the door.

I only flashed her a small smile and she took it in stride as she exited the room, closing the door with a small bang behind her.

I couldn't even get upset at her tone, she wasn't mocking me or being sarcastic, it was more like a subtle encouragement mixed with a tinge of playfulness. I just couldn't figure her out.

I heard footsteps as Mohinder approached and I didn't even need to turn since I knew where he was heading to.

He stood by his chair and then turned so that the face or entrance was facing him with the back facing me, then sat on it calmly, putting his hands on the wavy head of the seat and laying his chin on it.

He looked uninterested now, like he was bored or fed up and was now just humoring me. It irked me in a way but I didn't let it show and just maintained the smile on my face.

"So Peter, you and your brother can fly. What else can your special family do? Run on water I presume?" He asked with a faint smile, his tone and voice brimming with sarcasm.

"...Look, I know you don't believe me so just do me a favor and tell me where your father is." I shook my head and suggested calmly, looking into his eyes as I leaned back in the chair.

"My Father? He's right there. Take a look." He flashed me a weird smile and gestured behind him with her head.

I frowned and looked behind him, annoyance creeping in as my eyes searched the space behind him and just as I was about to make a rude comment, my eyes fell on a burnished urn standing tall on one of the tables.

Realizing what he meant, my eyes widened in surprise and I turned to face him with an apologetic look on my face. He still maintained that smile, seemingly nonchalant about the ashes of his Dad being in the room.

"...I'm sorry." I mouthed a genuine apology at him and he waved his hands dismissively. I knew how I felt to have your father die so I could sympathize with him.

This could explain his behavior and disregard of my claim even though he was the one who approached Nathan first to talk about it. He was grieving, just not normal, but in his own way. I couldn't feel annoyed anymore...

"Don't be. Look, you caught me on a bad day. Before you came, I was packing my things to head back to India to give my father a proper burial. None of this matters anymore, my father's book, his research, none of it.

"Go home, Peter. I'm afraid no one can give you the answers you crave." He explained nonchalantly and said to me casually, sounding a little defeated.

I sighed and ran my palms across my face. No, this couldn't be how it ended. I couldn't let this all slide without getting answers.

He was a scientist just like his father, just less open-minded, and with his grief, he was less inclined to be more open. This meant he needed proof, pure objective proof which he wouldn't be able to disprove.

The thing was, apart from Nathan and I, who else had abilities? Who else did I know was special? Suddenly, a face came to mind and my eyes widened in realization, almost rising from my seat in excitement.

"What if I had proof?" I looked at him and asked confidently and he rose an eyebrow, his interest peaked. "What if I knew someone else who had powers, someone who could prove to you right to your face that your father was right?"

He didn't reply, just staring at me hard, his eyes squinted but I didn't back down and stared into his eyes also confidently, showing him how serious I was.

After a few seconds, he sighed and asked, "Who do you have in mind?"

"Isaac Mendez."