June 13 – One Year Ago
Noah Bennet sits on a park bench in Odessa, TX, and eats an apple. A butterfly lands on the bench next to him, and Noah leaves a message for his daughter Claire on her phone. He says that it’s been a few years since they talked, and says that a lot has changed since the last time he talked. Noah tells Claire that he’s proud of everything that she’s done, and tells her that the last thing she wants to feel is regret.
After leaving his message, Noah goes to the nearby headquarters of Primatech, the global leaders of Evo research. A summit is going on with Evos demonstrating their powers outside to those gathered. A cloud falls over the area, and a few seconds later the entire building blows up, devastating the city around it. Later, Noah staggers through the wreckage with the other survivors, calling for Claire.
Saint-Felicien, Quebec – Nine Months Ago
A man in his underwear runs down the road, the locals in pursuit. He runs into a stream to try to wash off his scent, and then keeps running as he turns invisible.
Yanqing, China – Four Months Ago
An escaped French Evo walks through across the tundra, an iron weight chained to his hand. Security forces move in and the man takes out a knife and cuts off his hand. As the security forces arrive, the man frees himself of the weight and flies off.
America/Canadian Checkpoint – 7 Weeks Ago
Anne Clark and her son Tommy are waiting to pass through to Canada. As Anne assures her son that they’ll be safe, Tommy realizes that the guards are swabbing. One detected Evo tries to run and the guards taser her. Anne quickly turns the car around and drives away.
Chicago, IL - June 13, One Year Later
Luke Collins gets out of his car near an Evo safehouse, checks the password he has written down, and goes inside. Tommy arrives behind him and goes in, and sees his teacher, Coach Lewis, there as well. A man across the street, Casper Abraham, watches them all go in.
Tommy goes inside and gives the password. The other Evos are watching an anniversary report about how supremacist Mohinder Suresh took claim for the Odessa attack. Lewis turns off the TV and insists that it isn’t true. The Evos sit down and discuss what to do. One woman mentions that a vigilante in L.A. is fighting back, running an underground railroad for Evos. Lewis figures that the attacks on Evos are isolated incidents, but another man insists that there’s someone in the shadows hunting them. Tommy speaks up and says that he and his mother are wanted in three states under fake IDs, all because he couldn’t control his powers. He came there because he thought that they could give him a few tips, but the others admit that they’ve got nothing.
Tommy gets a text from his message asking where he is, and he tells the others that he has to go. As he picks up his backpack, he drops a discount stamp card on the floor. Outside, a bicycle deliveryman runs into Tommy and gets knocked over. Tommy gets on the bus and walks past the watcher.
A woman, Joanne, chases an Evo through the streets.
In the safehouse, the remaining Evos argue about what to do. Luke finally chuckles and says that on June 13, he and his wife brought their son Dennis to Odessa. They believed in the cause and wanted to see history in the making, but were forced to watch their son die. Luke says that they all seem like nice people, but they can’t change what they are. He tells them that their powers aren’t natural or safe, and can’t be trusted, so there’s only one solution. Joanne chases the Evo in, shoots him, and she and Luke gun down the other Evos. The invisible French Evo tries to flee but Joanne tracks and kills him. Another one tries to superspeed out, and Joanne shoots him in the back. Lewis summons a fireball, but Luke sprays him with a fire extinguisher and then shoots him dead. Luke then picks up the ice cream parlor stamp card that Tommy dropped, and tells his wife that one of them got away. The address is on the card, and the couple light Lewis’ blood on fire and then walk out.
Noah is sitting in a car talking about memories and how they can fill someone’s life with meaning, or deceive. He then finishes the sales pitch to the woman in the car dealership in Austin, Texas. As they go back to his office, Noah notices someone parked outside. The woman asks Noah if he has children, and he stares off into space.
In East Los Angeles at Linderman Junior High School, Lisa Carpenter is in the school supply room making out with a man, Carlo Gutierrez. The bell rings and Lisa tells Carlos that he’s on in five. Carlos then addresses the assembly, talking about how he’s getting a medal of valor for saving three soldiers from an ambush in Afghanistan. He tells the students that no matter how they ordinary they think they can be, they all have the potential to be heroes. As he talks, Carlos secretly pours some alcohol into his can of pop.
At Pinehearst High School in Carbondale, Tommy is going to a locker and notices a girl, Emily Duval. Her boyfriend Brad takes offense and punches Tommy, who holds his hand out. After a moment, Tommy controls himself and nothing happens. After Brad walks away, Tommy goes to class and hears several students talking about how Coach Lewis died in a fire in Chicago.
At the police precinct in Chicago, Casper talks to the deliveryman who ran into Tommy. Casper takes a penny out of his briefcase--which is filled with them--and tells the deliveryman to describe what he saw. The man figures that Tommy started the fire and killed the people inside. He offers a description if there’s a reward, and Casper spins the coin on the table. When it stops, Casper tells the man to pick it up. He does, puzzled, and Casper walks out. A detective comes in to take the deliveryman’s statement, and he says that he doesn’t remember anything about any kid.
Noah’s fiancée Julia arrives at the dealership and they kiss. Julia gets down to business, talking about their wedding, and Noah sees the same car parked outside from earlier. The man in the car goes through several Primatech files, including one on Noah, before driving off.
In Tokyo, Ren Shimosawa follows an address to an apartment complex and goes inside. He enters a specific apartment and finds a girl, Miko Otomo, making origami swans. When she notices him and asks who he is, Ren says that he’s supposed to be there and explains that he’s a famous gamer. Specifically, he’s an expert at a game named Evernow. He reached a secret level and unlocked an address: Miko’s. Miko says that it’s impossible and tells Ren that he has to go, because no one is allowed into her apartment. Ren thinks that she looks familiar, and notices a painting of an Evernow landscape on the wall. Miko ushers him out and closes the door and then looks at the painting.
Emily approaches Tommy in the school hallway and says that she recognizes him from the ice cream parlor. She sees Tommy there a lot and offers to get him a job there, and apologizes for Brad beating him up earlier. Emily mentions that there’s a rumor that Lewis was an Evo, and then heads to her French Club meeting. Meanwhile, Tommy gets an anonymous text message telling him to trust no one.
Carlos is heading to the family garage with his nephew Jose. Jose wonders why he doesn’t stay with them, and Carlos says that his father is still mad at him. His nephew figures that it’ll be better now that Carlos is a hero like El Vengador, the vigilante dressed up as a Mexican wrestler. He mentions a website called HeroTruther and how it’s tracking the Evos that are starting to disappear. They get to the body shop and Jose’s father, Oscar, is waiting. He figures that the graffiti tags of El Vengador are his, and tells him that they’re bad for business. Jose insists that the people need to know that El Vengador isn’t in hiding like the rest of the Evos. Once Jose goes inside, Oscar tells Carlos that El Vengador isn’t everybody’s hero. The brothers go inside and Carlos offers some advice on a car. Oscar objects, pointing out that their father thought that after Carlos came back from the army, he’d join the family business. He tells Carlos that his leaving broke their father’s heart, and Carlos walks out.
At home, Noah is washing dishes and sees the same car parked outside. Julia is discussing wedding plans, and Noah sees the driver get out. He tells Julia that he has something to do, and then goes out and walks down the street. The driver follows him, and Noah easily doubles back, grabs him, and demands to know what he wants. The driver, Quentin Frady, says that he wants answers to what really happened on June 13. Quentin says that he worked at Renautas, but not for them. He knows that Noah worked for Primatech, keeping Evos under wraps, and says that Renautas secretly owned Primatech. Noah points out that Primatech is gone after June 13, but Quentin says that was just the beginning. When Noah figures that Quentin is a truther, Quentin insists that Mohinder was a patsy and says that he has the manuscript Mohinder was about to publish. It explains that the number of Evos on the planet is increasing, and Quentin figures that they’re there to save them from whatever Renautas is planning. Noah points out that the Evos are in hiding or dead, just as the police pull up in response to Julia’s call. As they arrest him, Quentin tells Noah that June 13 didn’t happen the way they said it did. Noah says that he lost his daughter that day and he didn’t forget, and Quentin insists that someone doesn’t want Noah to remember the truth... and something big is coming. As the police take Quentin away, Noah tells Julia that Quentin was a nut and they go inside.
Ren goes back to Miko’s apartment and says that he knows that she’s Katana Girl from Evernow. No one has ever figured out how to unlock her, and the picture in the manga looks just like Miko. She insists that she’s nothing like Katana Girl, and Ren explains that the manga says that Katana Girl’s sword is the key, hidden under the floor of her father’s study. When the heroine holds it, she’s transformed into a mighty warrior. Miko angrily tells Ren to leave, and he leaves her the manga to read. Once he’s gone, Miko looks at the manga and the photo of the author on the back: Hachiro Otomo. She then turns to the painting on the wall.
At home, Noah is unable to sleep. Once he’s sure that Julia is asleep, Noah goes to a hidden compartment and takes out a duffle bag. Inside is a gun, money, and a surveillance log. A business card for Lumiere Ophthalmology falls out, with the words “See More Clearly” written on the back Noah looks up the business and discovers that they relocated to Dallas from Odessa.
Carlos is up on top of his apartment building, drinking. He looks down at the nearby garage, and then goes out on the street. There’s a newscast about El Vengador rescuing a man, and how the authorities aren’t sure if he’s an Evo and if he’s breaking any laws.
A woman is running through the alleyways. El Vengador drops from a rooftop and takes out the two men attacking her. Once they’re down, the woman shoots the vigilante in the back. Before she can fire a final lethal shot, El Vengador throws a knife into her throat. A police car pulls up and El Vengador limps off into the shadows.
The next day, Carlos goes to the garage and discovers that it’s closed. There’s blood on the floor, and Carlos follows it to a secret chamber beneath the garage. A badly wounded Oscar is there, and Carlos realizes that his brother is El Vengador. Oscar says that since June 13, he’s been trying to make a difference. He tells Carlos that the shooting was a trap and they knew he was coming, and asks Carlos to take care of Jose. Oscar tells Carlos that there are others who need El Vengador’s help, and asks his brother to put on the mask. Carlos insists that he’s no hero, but Oscar dies and can’t hear him.
Luke and Joanne wait for Tommy at the ice cream parlor. Luke finally says that they should focus on El Vengador and ignore Tommy for the moment. Joanne insists that Tommy is an Evo and they need to deal with him. There’s a newspaper article about Mohinder taking credit for the fire, and Joanne complains that he’s piggybacking on their hard work. Luke points out that it’s the second time Mohinder has taken credit for their work and it’s no coincidence. Joanne goes to the bathroom.
Emily interviews Tommy in the back office, and comments that he’s moved around a lot. She immediately hires him and says that he can start the next day. As they go out, Tommy spots Luke and, assuming he’s an Evo that survived the fire, goes over and asked him what happened. Surprised, Luke plays along and Joanne comes back to say that they should discuss it in private. She flashes her gun and Tommy realizes that it’s a trap. The couple escorts him out, and Emily goes after them. Joanne prepares to shoot her, and Tommy gestures and makes Luke and Joanne disappear. Tommy runs off and Emily catches up to him in her car. Disappointed, he says that now he’ll have to move on again. Emily wonders what he did, and Tommy admits that he has no idea where people go when he uses his power. She points out that he saved her life, and assures Tommy that his secret is safe with her.
After Oscar’s death is reported, Jose comes to see Carlos. He wonders why El Vengador didn’t stop his father’s killers, and figures that Carlos would have stopped them. Jose says that he never got a chance to show his father something, but then tells Carlos that he wants to be alone. Once Carlos leaves, Jose phases his hand through the roof tile.
Noah goes to Lumiere Ophthalmology and asks the receptionist Dahlia if he’s ever been there before. As she checks her records, Noah notices that there are no names on the patient sign-in log. When he shows the receptionist the card, Dahlia draws a gun on him. The Haitian--Rene--emerges from a back office and tells the receptionist that Noah is a friend. Noah sees someone working on a computer system in the back room, and Rene tells him to wait for him on a bench across the street.
Miko sits before the painting, holding the manga. She finally gets up and opens the panel. Beyond is her father’s office, filled with drawings from the manga. Miko opens a panel on the floor and finds a sword and a message telling her to save him, and that the sword is the key. She picks up the sword and unsheathes it... and finds herself transformed into Katana in a VR world. Three masked demon-ninja attack her, and Miko fights them with all of her considerable skill. As the last one dies, he vows that Miko will never save her father.
Rene joins Noah and gives him his horn rim glasses, explaining that Noah left them the last time they met. Noah puts them on... and Rene wraps a garrote around his throat. They struggle and Noah manages to break his former friend’s grip. He draws his gun and they struggle, and Rene ends up shot. Dying, Renee says that Noah told him to kill him. He wiped Noah’s memories on Noah’s orders. Noah wonders what he needed to forget, and with his dying breath Rene says “It’s coming.”
In the Arctic, a woman named Malina gestures to where a large black spot hovers in the sky above. She turns and warns her associate that it’s happening faster than they thought... and she can’t control it much longer.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 26, 2015