In the cold open we see Elisabeth Harrison in a police precinct. She is sitting outside of her Captain's office, watching other detectives work at their desk. When she is called in, Elisabeth looks troubled. Her captain says that he heard Elisabeth telling another detective that she has an Evolved ability. Elisabeth says that's true, but she thought she was telling him in confidence. Her captain says that all officers were asked to disclose their status after the February 2007 press conference. Elisabeth says she chose not to for privacy reasons and her captain says "well your privacy just cost you your job." He tells Elisabeth that she cannot be a detective if she is keeping secrets that could damage the department from him. Elisabeth asks him to reconsider and she says this job means everything to her, that helping people means everything to her. The Captain says maybe she should go back to being a teacher and demands her badge and gun.

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We cut to the title sequence, then an aerial shot of New York City.

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One year later. Fall, 2008.

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Elisabeth is in her classroom, teaching her students about the history of the Civil Rights movement. She talks about the differences between violent and non-violent protest and that while it is a controversial stance, there has never been a massive societal shift in America that did not also coincide with violent protest. She tells the class details of their next homework assignment shortly before the bell rings. As her students get up to leave, Magnes hangs back and approaches Elisabeth. He asks her how she's doing after what happened the other day, and Elisabeth says she's shaken but otherwise okay.

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Magnes says that after what happened his boss would like to meet Elisabeth and hands her a slip of paper with an address on it. Elisabeth asks what this is, and Magnes says it is where the Ferrymen meet. She folds up the paper and puts it in her pocket and says she'll think about it, but that their secret is safe with her. Magnes says he knows, because she's a good person, and leaves the classroom.

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On the north shore of Staten Island there is a graveyard of rusting boats sunk in the shallows where we find Eileen Ruskin. She is talking to the birds gathered on the rusting wrecks when Sylar approaches. Eileen turns to greet him and says she's glad he agreed to come. More birds gather and their cries become louder. Sylar says he only did because she offered him something more interesting than his current life. He wants to know more about her employer, which Eileen corrects with the word "master." Sylar looks confused, and Eileen explains that there is a distinct difference. An employer is someone with conditional power, while a master is someone with absolute power. Sylar raises one eyebrow and says he likes the way that sounds. He approaches Eileen, asking her if she likes to serve a master. Eileen stares up into his eyes, and then all the birds go quiet at once.

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Behind Sylar, Kazimir says Eileen serves because it is her role. Sylar turns around and tells Kazimir that's a cute trick. Kazimir approaches and directly asks Sylar what he wants in life. He responds by saying power, to which Kazimir asks him "power for what purpose?" Sylar responds indicating he wants power enough to never have to bend a knee to anyone else. He notes that Kazimir seems to have achieved that and asks how. Kazimir smiles and says that is a long story, and Sylar says he has all the time in the world.

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Kazimir tells Sylar that his ability has allowed him to live for over a hundred years, sustaining himself on the life of others, and that he will live for hundreds more. Sylar says that's all he needed to hear and traps Kazimir with telekinesis and pulls him close. Eileen steps back from Sylar but does not seem surprised. Sylar tells Kazimir thank you, then creates a blast of laser energy that cuts into Kazimir's forehead. As soon as he does there is a surge of darkness around Kazimir and Sylar screams in agony and loses his concentration, collapsing into the sandy beach. Kazimir sucks the life out of Sylar, healing the wound on his brow and leaving Sylar trembling and gasping for breath as black veins spread in his skin.

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Kazimir stops short of killing Sylar and says, "Now you know why I am called Master." Sylar looks up and asks if Kazimir is going to do what no one else could and kill him, to which Kazimir says that would be no way to treat his successor. Sylar looks confused and stares up at Kazimir, who says he will explain in time, but that Sylar needs to "clean his house first." Eileen steps up and kneels beside Sylar and puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "A little bird told me something troubling."

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We cut to an abandoned tenement building where Victoria Pratt is being held by the Ferrymen. Teo is there with Norman and Wireless. Victoria says that she's told them everything that is useful and she has no idea who the man that was stalking them was. Wireless says she's working on identifying him but it will take time. But Norman says they need to know what Victoria has in common with the victims, and Victoria insists she doesn't know, except that they worked in the same department and that Norman should "know better" than to think she'll betray the Company.

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Teo says that if it weren't for the Ferrymen she'd be dead. Victoria says she didn't ask to be saved, and wonders how much longer her life will be on lease for. Wirless says that it will be "shorter than you'd like" if Victoria doesn't start answering questions, which elicits a smug look from Victoria who asks if she might have been better off with the man with the wolf's head cane. Norman says they aren't getting anywhere, and takes Teo aside and tells him to search Pratt's apartment. Teo agrees and leaves, and Norman turns back to Pratt to keep interrogating her.

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At the fire station in the ruins of Midtown, a crow arrives with a message tied around its ankle. Ethan goes to the window and takes the message off, and Amato comes to the window and asks him what it says. Ethan turns and looks to Amato and says that they have their orders, and hands the paper over to Amato, who looks surprised to see what is written there. Amato asks Ethan if he can do what he's been asked to do, and Ethan brushes by Amato, intentionally bumping into his shoulder before he says, "worry about yourself."

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At the abandoned Motel, Jenny is pacing around by the window overlooking the beach and mumbling to herself. She keeps checking her phone and is startled when the door unlocks from the inside and opens, revealing Sylar in the doorway. Jenny is startled and sets her phone down and approaches him. She pretends to be happy to see him and Sylar asks her why she is smiling. Jenny says she came up with a new idea, that she learned of someone with an amazing power and she can take him to them. Sylar asks Jenny why her heart is racing so fast, and reminder her that she helped him get these "good ears." Jenny just says she's excited, but Sylar calls her bluff and holds her in place with telekinesis.

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Jenny is panicked and tells Sylar she just wants to help him get a new power, "just like old times." Sylar says that is an interesting story, but a little bird told him an even better one. Jenny looks confused until Sylar calls her phone over with telekinesis, and opens it, scrolling through her call log. He sees the call labeled "Boss" and presses the call button. Jenny tries to explain but he covers her mouth with his free hand.

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When Sylar hears the voicemail for "Agent Parker" he closes the phone and drops it to the floor. Jenny is crying now and Sylar shakes his head and tells her she could have lived if she hadn't betrayed him. Sylar says he is hurt, that he thought Jenny was different. She pleads and begs that she is. She tells Sylar she loves him but she was afraid. Sylar says she should be, and it was the only thing she was right about. Sylar holds up his hand and points one finger at the middle of Jenny's forehead. She sobs, pleading, and we see a flash of light as he activates his lasers.

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At Red Hook High School it is the afternoon and the school day is almost over. It is raining and Elisabeth is in her classroom with Magnes and the rest of her students, taking a test. Outside, a pickup truck pulls up to the school with the word PARIAH spray-painted along the side and "FORTIS ET LIBER" across the tailgate. Ethan Holden steps out of the truck with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder and fires it several times into the air, then goes back into his truck.

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Johnny Cash's "When a Man Comes Around" begins to play. 

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The noise attracts attention from across the street and from the school. Students scramble to the window to try and figure out what the sound was and Elisabeth jumps up alarmed and tries to get the students away from the windows. Ethan retrieves a rocket-propelled grenade launcher from the truck and aims it up at Elisabeth's classroom. She screams for the kids to get back and grabs two of them while Magnes pulls others away.

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From the outside we see the rocket hit the building and cause a massive explosion. Pieces of the school rain down on the courtyard outside, people begin running and screaming in a panic. As children run out of the ground floor entrance of the school away from the fire, Ethan switches to his machine gun and begins firing into the crowd. Shell casings rain down on the asphalt as Ethan mercilessly fires into a crowd of high school children.

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We cut to the inside of Elisabeth's classroom, there is broken glass, debris, and blood everywhere. Elisabeth is bleeding from her ears and a cut on her face. Magnes is hurt too, shielding a student with his body. Several studies are buried by rubble. Everything is blurry and we can't hear the music playing except for muffled noise and a tinnitus whine. Elisabeth looks around in a blood-covered daze.

Outside, the sound is crisp and clear. Sirens blare as police show up and Ethan turns on them, firing into a cruiser and killing two police officers. He runs out of ammo and switches to a handgun as more police show up and start firing at him. He uses his truck as cover. When the police close in, Ethan opens up his jacket revealing he is wearing a suicide vest. As they close in he pulls the ripcord on the vest.

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We see an aerial view of Brooklyn and from high up a large explosion looks incredibly small.

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