Collision

Collision
Volume:	One
Chapter no:	104
Original air date:	16 October, 2006
Written by:	Bryan Fuller
Directed by:	Ernest Dickerson
Previous chapter:	One Giant Leap
Next chapter:	Hiros

Collision is the fourth episode in the Heroes series.

Plot summary

Matt Parkman awakens strapped to a gurney with Mr. Bennet standing over him. He tells Matt to relax, and he uses a machine that gauges when Matt is trying to use his mind-reading abilities. However, the mysterious man from One Giant Leap is also there, and he somehow blocks Matt's telepathy. Despite this, Matt manages to pull the name "Claire" from Mr. Bennet's mind. Mr. Bennet remarks that his power is growing, and then subsequently orders the mysterious man to "go deep" and then "wipe" Matt. The man covers Matt's eyes with his hands and Matt is last heard screaming.

Hiro and Ando arrive in Las Vegas. Hiro tells Ando that he has been leaving messages on Isaac's answering machine entirely in Japanese, as Hiro doesn't know how to say that Isaac will die in five weeks and New York will be destroyed in an explosion. Ando promptly translates for him.

They pass by Niki Sanders and her son Micah, who are on their way to meet Mr. Linderman, but instead meet one of his people. After sending Micah outside, Linderman's female associate informs Niki of a job in lieu of repayment to Mr. Linderman. She is to "meet" a politician who is asking Mr. Linderman for a campaign contribution, as a form of "insurance." Niki insists she's not a whore, but the associate convinces her.

Claire Bennet's body lies on the autopsy table as the coroner does a V-incision on her chest. Recording the details, the coroner notes that she was found naked and dragged into the Red River Creek. After she removes the tree branch from Claire's head (which instantly heals), she leaves to take a phone call. Claire wakes up and manually closes the skin flaps on her upper torso. After healing, she steals a lab coat and leaves just as the coroner discovers the empty autopsy table.

A quick montage reveals Isaac going over sketches in his art book, including one of Simone and Peter under an umbrella; Peter waking up next to Simone; Hiro and Ando at the casino; and Claire sneaking into her parent's house.

Before leaving on a business trip, Nathan Petrelli is "accosted" in the street by Mohinder Suresh. Mohinder warns that Nathan's life may be in danger and asks him if he has had any unusual experiences lately, but Nathan's bodyguards hold him back. After hearing Mohinder's surname, he realizes the connection to the book Peter showed him the day before. He leaves after telling the security detail to not allow Mohinder to follow him to Las Vegas.

After spending the night together, Peter and Simone briefly discuss the previous night. Nathan arrives at Peter's apartment and confronts him. Nathan accuses Peter of sending Dr. Suresh, mistaking Mohinder for his father, Chandra Suresh, author of the book Peter showed him. Peter denies it, and the two argue, drawing Simone's attention. Nathan attempts to pay Peter off so he'll go away, saying he's become a liability. Peter refuses to accept the money. After Peter returns, Simone explains that she's confused about her feelings between Peter and Isaac, then leaves to confront Isaac.

At the Bennets' residence, Claire meets her father, who sees her mud-covered feet and realizes that she was out all night with the quarterback, Brody. He says he's disappointed but has to leave for a "business meeting." Upset about the attempted sexual assault by Brody and her subsequent "death" in the previous episode, Claire weeps.

Eden drops by Mohinder's apartment, giving him a package containing his father's ashes. Upset about the recent direction his life has taken, Mohinder angrily packs his things so he can return to Madras. At this point, Peter shows up at his door, saying that he got Mohinder's information from Nathan's campaign people. Peter suggests that he has the ability to mimic other people's powers. He explains that he was able to fly when he was around Nathan, and draw the future when he was around Isaac.

Back at the casino, Ando has gambled away all of their money except for one dollar, which he bets on a single roulette game. As Hiro discovers this, he attempts to remove the chip, but the roulette girl stops him and states she won't allow any more bets. After concentrating hard, he freezes time. He then takes the roulette ball and drops it into the correct spot on the roulette wheel, as well as preventing a server’s drink from spilling. As time resumes, Ando wins, at which point Hiro confesses to using his powers to rig the game. He initially refuses to help anymore, believing it to be cheating, but Ando convinces Hiro by asking whether Peter Parker is cheating when he sells photos of Spider-Man.

As Niki prepares for her "job," she discusses with her friend about her blackouts. Micah reveals that he knows about her web-cam job. He suggests that he knows what she's going to be doing later that evening when he talks about how her job is "safer on the Internet."

Simone goes to Isaac's to buy his latest paintings for an art showing. Isaac refuses to give her any of the paintings where he drew the future. Isaac then proclaims he knows about her and Peter. Isaac is only slightly angry that Simone kissed Peter; he knew it would happen because he drew it seven weeks ago. He asks for an advance to buy "painting supplies," (heroin), which he believes will enable him to draw the future, and to find a way to stop a nuclear explosion that will destroy New York City. Simone leaves, but Isaac is largely unfazed: he tells himself that he is going to be a hero. He then begins to get a canvas ready as well as his heroin kit.

At school, Zach confronts Claire over what happened the previous night. Claire just wants to ignore it knowing that she can't press charges against her assailant Brody, as she has no scars to prove anything. Claire has a brief discussion with one of her peers, dismissing the events of the previous night by lying about how much she had to drink.

Back at the casino, Hiro and Ando are doing much better, this time playing poker. As Ando only has a pair of queens, he cannot beat his opponent, who has three aces. After using his powers, Hiro switches cards with the opponent, allowing Ando to win with a full house. In the same casino, Niki finally meets with the politician: Nathan Petrelli.

On the subway to Isaac's, Peter and Mohinder discuss the senior Dr. Suresh and his theories. Mohinder is upset when Peter finally mentions that Isaac is "a bit of a heroin addict."

After shooting up, Isaac sees Claire running in a stadium, which he promptly paints. Peter and Mohinder are outside his apartment and are trying to get to him, but Isaac is in a drug-induced trance and unaware of their presence.

Lori Tremmel, the same girl who saw Claire and Brody leave together the same night, reveals that Brody sexually assaulted her, as they watch Brody being very physical with another girl.

After buying more respectable clothes with their money, Hiro wants to leave and continue with his "mission," while Ando wants to stay and win more money. Their argument becomes moot when hotel security throws them out. Moments later the man that Ando beat in poker arrives with some thugs. Ando brags that Hiro can take them all on, but one thug simply punches Hiro in the face and knocks him out, leaving Ando in a tight spot.

Niki seduces Nathan at the hotel bar and they move on to Nathan's hotel room, where they discuss their families while taking in the view from the window. When Nathan makes a move, Niki is unable to go through with the deal and leaves. As she looks at her reflection in the elevator door, she briefly sees a glimpse of her alternate persona. One of the mafia thugs confronts her in the elevator and threatens Micah's life if she backs out. Niki's alternate personality takes over ("Niki's not here right now..."). The alternate personality beats down the thug and threatens to kill him, telling him, "If you threaten our son again, I'm going to put my heel through your skull." The alternate personality then goes back to the room where she and Nathan have sex. As she removes her clothes, the mysterious symbol is seen on her back. It is made obvious that the encounter is being recorded.

While riding on the subway, Mohinder is somewhat upset over having wasted their time in going to Isaac, who didn't answer the door. The train suddenly slows to an apparent stop, as does everyone other than Peter. Peter seems to be the only thing not frozen in time, except for the ambient light, which also seems to have slowed enough to significantly dim the car.

As Isaac wakes from his drug-induced haze, he sees the pictures he painted, depicting Claire fleeing from a large shadowy figure, Hiro and Ando in a casino, and himself coming to. The portion of the picture with Claire is noticeably incomplete.

Claire decides to deal with Brody; she waits until after the football team practice and convinces him to let her drive his car home. When she lets on that she does remember what happened the previous night (she'd told all her friends that she'd been too drunk to remember), Brody says that it was Claire's fault and that she can't do anything about it. At that point, Claire intentionally accelerates the car to a high speed and crashes the car head-on into a brick wall.

While Niki and Nathan are sleeping, Mr. Bennet and the mysterious man come into their hotel room to take one of them. To whom Mr. Bennet is referring is not explicitly said, although the mysterious man does approach Nathan's side of the bed.

Peter can move around normally but can't get out of the dim subway car. While he tries to escape, he hears banging on the subway. Hiro emerges from the crowd, looking very different; he is wearing an entirely black clothing, he appears to be more fit than the other Hiro, and he carries a katana on his back that is marked with the mysterious symbol in gold on the hilt. This version of Hiro also speaks fluent English and wears no glasses. He approaches Peter, whom he recognizes, commenting that he looks different without a prominent scar that Peter carries in the future, and identifies himself as Hiro from the future. He states he traveled back in time to give Peter a message...

Starring

• Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura
• Ali Larter as Nikki Sanders
• Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman
• Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli
• Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet
• Noah Gray-Cabey as Micah Sanders
• Santiago Cabrera as Isacc Mendez
• Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder Suresh
• Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli
• Tawny Cypress as Simone Deveaux

Guest Starring

• Jimmy Jean-Louis as The Haitian
• Randell Bentley as Lyle Bennet
• Deidre Quinn as Tina
• Thomas Dekker as Zach
• Danielle Savre as Jackie Wilcox
• Ashley Crow as Sandra Bennet
• Matt Lanter as Brody
• Nora Zehetner as Eden McCain
• James Kyson Lee as Ando Masahashi
• Jack Coleman as Noah Bennet

Co-Starring

• Eugene Byrd as Campaign Manager
• Nicole Bilderback as Mrs. Sakamoto
• Toni Lewis as Medical Examiner
• Matt Bushell as Linderman's Henchman
• Paydin LoPachin as Bordy's Next Victim
• Ashlee Gillespie as Lori Trammel
• Mark Allen Stewart as High Roller
• Mark Nearing as Nevada State Trooper
• Kristen Veitch as Roulette Dealer