Heroes: Abstract (E04)

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Next: Divergence

A/N:
8. This post contains contains spoilers and they will be highlighted. Read them at your own risk.

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Episode 4: Limits

"Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, answers just don't appear in front of us. We have to take our steps to find out these answers. But how can we be so sure of our destination, if destiny suddenly ran out of course and we end up on a different ending?"

Vic answered the phone then he looked at Mark, who was looking back at him. He gave Mark a nod and they went out of the room. As they rode the elevator, Vic still looked at Mark, teary-eyed. He asked if Mark is okay. He just smiled.

Shortly, aboard by the limousine, the already arrived at their destination.

Yamagato Industries

As they stepped out of the vehicle, they were welcomed by Mr. Lee. He accompanied them to the office of Kimiko Nakamura.

The office door opened, and Ms. Nakamura signaled them to come inside and offered them seats.

"So, son of Lee, how are you?"
"I'm... fine."

Vic's and Mark's eyes wandered around her office. They saw old paintings of a samurai carrying the sword with a helix on its hilt.

"You know what's special about him?"

Vic and Mark both looked at Kimiko, alerted by the word special. Kimiko, then, handed them folders and documents. She explained to them the Tales of Takezo Kensei.

"But I have a little secret to tell you. Do you know that my brother actually went back in that time?"

Silence. With shocked faces, they looked at each other. Then they looked at Kimiko. Kimiko then handed them Hiro's files. At the tab read "SPACE-TIME MANIPULATION".

"I remembered what my mom used to say. She said Hiro will be a great man of success. And now he claimed he saved the world... twice."

Mark half-smiled, being quite amused by her stories. Vic's face, on the other hand, is still grumpy.

Mark asked, "Convince us to believe in your tales." Kimiko just laughed and got two more file's: Mark's and Vic's. She handed them to Mark. Vic got up of his chair to read what's in there. Mark's tab read "PHEROMONE EMISSION", while Vic's tab has been glued with a piece of paper. Vic got his file and lifted the paper carefully. After that, the tab now read, "PROBABILITY ALTERNATION".

"Impossible!" cried Kimiko, "I was amazed you removed that glue with such ease, while no other person can remove it without tampering the folder!"

The two looked at each other, then looked at Kimiko, then looked at each other's files.

"So how long have you been observing us?"
"Not too long, son."

Vic's parent's entered the office. Vic and Mark stood in surprise.

[in Japanese]
"So you have told them?"
"Yes, but it seems that your son won't believe me. Unlike his friend."
"Oh, I see. I guess I have to show them what we've got."
"It's up to you."

Mark suddenly leaned to Vic.
"Do you understand what they were saying?"
"To be honest, I only understand a little."

Mrs. Lee suddenly told the two, "Come with us, Vic. We will show you something."

The five of them got out of the office. They took the elevator, and Mr. Lee pressed the Basement button. Mrs. Lee hold Vic by the head, while Vic secretly held Mark's hand. Vic suddenly felt the coldness of Mark's hand.

Basement. As the elevator opened, they saw a lot of rooms with side labels written in Kanji. Vic only understood two of them: "Lee Robert" and "Lee Grace", Vic's parents. They first entered the room with his mother's name. As Mrs. Lee opened the lights, Vic and Mark was surprised at what they saw inside the room: healthy plants and trees. They wondered how such plants survived without sunlight. Mrs. Lee suddenly rubbed her hands on an apple tree, and it suddenly bore 2 apples. She picked them and gave them to Vic and Mark. Their eyes widened by what they saw. Mark suddenly took a bite and said, "Hmmm... Tastes healthy."

They went out and then proceeded to the room with Vic's father's name. As Mr. Lee is opening the door, Kimiko suddenly went in front of Vic and Mark, holding them. As Mr. Lee opened the lights, they can hear something growling. Vic was frightened. They saw a tiger on the loose. Tension was increasing. The tiger suddenly purred and lied on its back. Mr. Lee rubbed the tiger's belly, and Mark bursted out laughing. Vic landed on his butt, frightened, then the five of them entered the room.

"So is this the reason why you were so supportive on my Biology projects?"
Mrs. Lee just smiled. Suddenly, a puppy went around Mark as if it likes him. Mark carried the puppy, and Mr. Lee asked him if he would like to keep it. Mark just smiled and said yes. He named the puppy "Marvic". Vic suddenly looked at him, half-smiling.

They returned to Kimiko's office, and she gave them their files. She explained that in there was their observations. They were about to leave when Kimiko stopped them.

"I would like to tell you something, Vic."
"What is it?"
"We were not sure what ability you really have. At first we thought you can alter probabilities but after a few observations, we realized that there is more to you than that. I hope you can infer what you can do, and report to us immediately."
"Yes, Nakamura-san... And by the way-"
"Yes?"
"You said your brother can alter space-time, your father can see probabilities, and your mother can heal. Can we know what's your ability?"

Kimiko just smiled at them and asked them to leave. As they were leaving, Vic looked back and noticed the mirror at Kimiko's office with a different reflection. He just blinked thrice and left.

After a few minutes, they were back at the Vic's condominium. His parents told them to stay first at Japan for a few months. They were assured that everything in the Philippines was handled by them. After Vic's parents left, he sat while watching Mark play with his dog.

One night, they decided to stroll around the streets of Japan and try to experience the night life there. Mark looked at Vic and he said that he is going to try something. Vic knew what he meant and tried to stop him but Mark insisted anyway. Vic just followed Mark and observed him from afar.

Vic can't figure out what he's feeling. His heart aches when he saw Mark openly flirting with guys and girls. It's something he haven't felt for the long run. So he decided to go back to his condo and decided to just wait for Mark there, if he is to go home for the night.

Mark noticed Vic is walking away, but he can't due to many girls and guys in his way, almost harassing him. When he got out, Vic is now nowhere in sight. He tried to search for him, when someone placed a handkerchief on his mouth, and he was rendered unconscious.

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A/N:
9. Kimiko's ability, on the other hand, is just fictional. In fact, her ability wasn't elaborated much.
10. As you may have noticed, Vic's power is vast. This will be explained further in the last two episodes. If you want to have an idea about his power, the title [Abstract] is somehow a clue.
11. Mrs. Lee can control plants while Mr. Lee can control animals.

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Next: Divergence