Heroes: Volume 5: Redemption: Chapter 6, Strange Attractors

Matt:
With Sylar stuck in Matt’s head, he’s finding that everyday is an uphill battle. Today for Matt is no different as he wakes up in-front of his fire place with with wife right next to him. Confusion sets in when his wife complements him on the fantastic night she had but the confusion only lasts a second. Matt can see Sylar sitting in his easy chair eating an apple while smiling, mocking Matt. He confronts Sylar about his feeling of hatred that Sylar is able to not only use his powers but also be able to control his body at will. Sylar has no issue with using Matt’s body to sleep with his wife, all the more reason for Matt to hunt down and place Sylar’s mindset into his old body. Fearing that if he stays any longer in his wife’s home that he would be putting her in danger, Matt decides to pack up a bag and disappear while he tries to deal with the Sylar complex he is facing. The packing doesn’t last too long when he gets interrupted by his wife wondering where he thinks he’s going. He tells her the quick story of what happened, that he was able to move a person’s mind set into the mind of another person, but in return the mindset of Sylar and so he must go so he doesn’t put her or their son in danger.She tells him to stay, to stay inside the home, that she will go and take Matty with her. Matt tells her find a place but not to tell him, he doesn’t want Sylar to find out where she went.

When she does leave Matt is unsure on how to proceed on getting Sylar out of his head so he turns to Dr. Surresh. Matt decides to call him but is only able to leave him a message which bums out Matt. With nothing better than to currently sit down and listen to Sylar yap about nonsense, Matt tries to enjoy the rest of his day while enjoying a bottle of beer. With every sip, Matt notices a change in the way Sylar is behaving, his speech is becoming a bit slurred and Sylar acts as if he’s in pain. Matt gets a clever idea, if beer has this effect what would happen if he used something a bit stronger like rye? Matt soon finds out as he starts to down a bottle of rye one shot at a time. This causes Sylar extreme pain, and the more Matt drinks the more the power that Sylar holds over Matt fails. Soon the alcohol does it’s thing and actually cause Sylar to disappear. Matt’s celebration is short lived as he sees his wife come back home with his partner Lubbock and soon passes out. Upon waking up and get off of the living room floor he is greeted again by Lubbock and his wife who tell him that everything will be all right. Unbeknown to his wife the Matt Parkman she left to get help for is not the Matt Parkman she returned to instead while Matt was passed out from the drink, Sylar was able to slip in and now is in full control. Matt is now on the sidelines, unable to do anything, watching as his life is lived for him but his most feared enemy.

Claire/Gretchen:
Claire can’t get what happened between her and Gretchen out of her head, preventing her from getting a wink of sleep. Unsure of really what to do she calls out to Gretchen to see if she is as awake as she is. Gretchen responds by letting Claire know that she has been having trouble sleeping as well. Gretchen opens up about the actions she took against Claire and is sorry if she doesn’t feel the same. Claire neither confirms nor denies that she likes Gretchen in the same way but she’s unsure of what to do because she want to have a “normal” life. But before she can continue a group of people in black cloths and masks break in, Claire begins to act in self defense and soon attacks their attackers. It all ends abruptly when one of the attackers removes their mask to reveal Becky underneath. In fear of actually being quite injured by Claire she tells them that they broke into their dorm as a mock kidnapping so they can go through the rights trying to become one of the sisterhood.

Claire and Gretchen voluntarily go with their intruders but aren’t told where they’re going to be taken and are forced to ride in the trunk of the car tied up. While in the trunk the proceed to continue with the conversation that had before they were taken away, but becomes extremely awkward when the car hits a bump forcing the two closer together almost forcing the two to have a second kiss. Soon the girls reach their destination and are let out of the trunk.

Both Claire and Gretchen are tied up and eyes covers while being forced to sit in a room occupied by two other girls who are undergoing the same hazing. They are told that they are going to play a game, a scavenger hunt, who ever wins gets to stay out of “Hell Week”.With that the girls are left alone to explore what seems to be an abandoned building. It didn’t take the group of four very long to discover that they are in some kind of hog slaughter plant and encounter their first question of the game. Claire answers the question without fail and what is rewarded are two bottles of water. The two other girls decide to break off which leaves Claire and Gretchen to be all alone. While walking around looking for more questions to help them miss “Hell Week” they get to talking. Just behind them in secret follows Becky looking to finally full fill the hit on Gretchen. Thinking that they are alone Claire begins to question Gretchen on her sex life. Gretchen spills the beans and the innocent girl we through isn’t very innocent at all, quite the opposite of Claire. While Gretchen is going discussing the laws of attraction, Claire sees something at the corner of her eye. Gretchen feels that Claire is just jumpy from the shadows in the poorly lit room but Claire is on to something because shortly after a very heavy and large set of chains come barreling down a track which is aimed at Gretchen. Claire jumps and pushes Gretchen out of the way as the giant chains skid past her and come to a sudden stop. Fearing that this was never a simple game, Claire begins to assess the situation and feels that there actually might be “another” with powers trying to hurt Gretchen. They soon encounter the prize that they’ve been looking for but Becky is close at hand. Without hesitation Becky begins to attack Gretchen, without being able to see her attacker, Claire begins to attack the air in front of her and succeeds in landing a hit. This causes Becky to turn her attention to Claire by impaling her with a pipe up against the wall. With a hook in her hand Claire makes a desperate play and swings again hitting Becky. This causes Becky to fall to the floor and soon becomes visible to not only Gretchen and Claire but also to the other two girls who seemed to just stumble upon them. Becky quickly gets back up and runs off making herself invisible once more.

Noah/Tracy:
Noah is furious at the local police for keeping the boy Jeremy in custody. Although Noah made it look like it was a simple accident that killed his parents, the police don’t think so and fear that the boy is behind it. Since they won’t release the boy in Noah’s custody he make a phone call to the only person he feels is able to get the kid out,
Tracy.

Tracy comes and meets Noah in the small town where he tells her that she is going to act as Jeremy’s aunt because the police will only release custody to a family member. Tracy agrees and goes inside the police station where she goes and talks with the boy. Tracy tells him that she’s his new aunt and that she (like Noah) is here to help him out. He expresses his opinion and feels this is the place for him, that he is responsible for the death of his parents. Tracy comes clean and tells him that she felt exactly the same he did when she first discovered her powers and that she also killed someone. With the same basic connection Jeremy is starting to feel better about his self. During this time Noah is talking with the police to get them to release the boy under his “aunt” Tracy. Although the boy now has a family member her to take him away they still won’t release the boy do to evidence they found that shows that he maybe responsible for his parents death. Noah tells Tracy that the situation is getting worse and that they have evidence that allows them to still keep the boy in custody in their cell.

Like Noah Tracy makes a phone call as well, to someone very powerful. She walks out of the police station talking to her contact telling him that he is her last hope, that the evidence they have isn’t enough at all to keep him locked up. He call doesn’t last long and soon is greeted by Samuel. He approaches her and talks to her about a safe haven for the boy Jeremy. Tracy has no idea how he knows about whats going on or even that the boy has a power. To make his point even stronger Samuel takes Tracy out of the small town and into the carnival where he tells her that this place is full of people like them. They all have different abilities and that here, Jeremy will be able to be treated like a regular person without fear or prejudice. Tracy starts to consider this a possibility but it all comes crashing down when Samuel reveals what he knows about Tracy. In defense Tracy demands that Samuel take her back and he agrees. In return he gives Tracy a compass in-case she ever changes her mind and wants to come back.

Who ever Tracy had called to get the boy free worked and soon is signed over and release under the supervision of Tracy. News never is kept quiet in a small town and as the three come out of the station a horde of people are there waiting for them. While on the way to the car a man confronts the boy, and looks to enact revenge right there on the spot. Jeremy grabs a hold of him and in self defense sucks the life out of his attacker. This doesn’t boast well for Tracy and Noah after they fought so hard to keep the boy out of harms way and safe. The main police officer re-arrests the boy and he goes voluntarily back in without a fight.
While back in custody Noah demands to see the boy but his cries are denied. When the main officer is looking to talk to the boy, he suddenly is gone. Jeremy is taken from the station by a renegade officer who feels that the only justice this boy deserves is slow and painful so his feet are tied to the bumper of a pickup truck. Feeling defeated and with Jeremy not under the supervision of the police any more they take a walk down the main drag where they encounter something in the middle of the road. They rush up to find that it is Jeremy and he looks beaten and bloody all over.

Tracy and Noah both feel responsible for the boys death even tho they tried extremely hard to keep him alive and out of trouble. Feeling defeated and guilty Tracy tells Noah not to involve her or talk to her ever again. With that she jumps into her car and speeds off using the compass as her guide.

Samuel:
Not entirely sure on if he has gotten through to Tracy, Samuel sits back and watches to see how the situation unfolds. Unsure of how he exactly knows everything Samuel finds out about the death of Jeremy and takes a trip back to the town where he sees the officer who killed the boy. In anger and revenge Samuel begins to display how powerful he really is by cause the ground under the police station to crumble and rise causing the station to fall in on itself killing anyone inside.