As we go back in time six months, we see how some of our Heroes got their start.
Sylar is a watchmaker who is the first supposed Hero Dr. Suresh contacts—except Sylar doesn’t seem to have any powers. So, Suresh ditches Sylar, making Sylar feel even more useless—and angry. When a customer comes in and displays telekinetic powers, Sylar kills him in a rage. Then he realizes he, too, can become special by taking out his victims’ brains and assuming their powers. Question is, does he eat the brains? Sylar returns to Suresh but has no patience for the researcher, killing him as well.
Eden is a criminal with the power of influence, even compelling beat cop Matt Parkman to go eat donuts instead of arresting her. Mr. Bennett recruits her to get Claire off the list. Claire has to kiss Jackie’s butt to join the cheer squad, and her healing process isn’t always so speedy at first.
Nikki is in AA, happily married to D.L. and good mom to Micah. But then her estranged father tries to reconnect and is so consumed by guilt for something Nikki can’t even remember that he can’t stay. Come to find out, “Jessica” was really Nikki’s sister, who died mysteriously years before, perhaps at their father’s hand.
Peter considers hospice work. Nathan is asked to testify against Linderman, which would implicate their father. In a ride home from Peter’s birthday party, Nathan and his wife are pursued by an unknown van. As the van rams them, Nathan inexplicably rises several feet in the air, leaving no one driving the car with his wife, screaming, in it. The car runs off the road and crashes, severely injuring Nathan’s wife. Nathan decides to back out of testifying, especially when their father kills himself.
Hiro has teleported himself back in time to save Charlie but overshoots his target date by about five months and 29 days. As he gets to know her—and falls in love with her–he finds out that no matter what he does, there is no way to ever save her: Charlie has an inoperable blood clot.
Back in the present day, Hiro has to take the bus back to Ando at the Texas diner, having missed all the cheerleader excitement. Sylar is captured; Mohinder discovers the list, and Claire tells Mr. Bennet about her power.
