S02E01 - APOCALYPSE HOW?
The cold opens begins in a ruined city. We see the Empire State Building eviscerated by fire, more New York landmarks that weren't destroyed by the Midtown Explosion look ravaged. There are abandoned cars littering the streets, ash blows across concrete and skeletal bodies lay in their vehicles. A newspaper blows across the street and catches on a pair of black boots of someone standing in the middle of the road.
Eve Mas bends over and picks up the newspaper. The headline reads: //VIRUS SURGES. VACCINE A FAILURE. EIGHTEEN MILLION DEAD.//
Eve lowers the newspaper and looks up to see the facade of the Crimson Security Solutions building with its windows blown out and empty. Tears well up in her eyes and she crumples the paper and lets out a wailing scream as it smash cuts to black.
We cut to the opening and then an aerial view of New York City.
Late Fall, 2008.
At the fire station in the Ruins of Midtown Teo wakes up handcuffed to a radiator. Amato is there with him, as is Eileen. Teo struggles when he realizes where he is and demands to know what is going on. He asks if Amato is with the feds and Eileen laughs. A bird comes to land on her shoulder and she approaches Teo.
Eileen explains that she and Amato are the "Vanguard" of a new world order. Teo asks what that means and Eileen says it isn't his place to know, but he will benefit from the tide of change. Amato takes a knee beside Teo and tugs off gloves he is wearing. He tells Teo that all those years ago when he left Sicily, Amato heard the voice of god and it came from within.
But then he says with a hint of humor that he can only hear God's voice when people are awake. Amato then touches Teo's forehead and closes his eyes and Teo experiences visions of things he has done with the Ferrymen. We see a montage of clips from the past series and earlier episodes. When they end, Teo sucks in a sharp breath and gasps, "You're Evolved?"
Amato confirms that he is and his ability his reading the past of others. Teo looks at Eileen and watches as her bird flies up to perch atop an old book shelf. She says that now they have all the information they need, it's just a matter of time. Amato tells Eileen to stay and watch Teo and he departs to carry out his purpose. Teo yells for Amato to stay, but he refuses.
Teo struggles and Eileen tells him to calm down and straddles him on the floor. She places a hand on either side of his face and tells him that he looks cute when he's full of anger and laughs in his face, then climbs off of him. Teo asks her what they're doing and if they attacked the school, and Eileen replies -- tongue-in-cheek -- that PARIAH attacked the school and asks if Teo watches the news. Teo tells her to go fuck herself and Eileen laughs.
At the hospital, we find Elisabeth checking out. She asks about her students and one of the nurses says one is staying here in the ICU. Elisabeth asks if she can visit and she is given permission. Elisabeth goes to her student's room in the hospital and finds them in a bed, bandaged up and missing one of their arms. Elisabeth is overcome with emotions and closes the door, crying silently.
Once she is calm enough Elisabeth moves to her student's bedside, seeing a stuffed animal that had fallen off the bed. She replaces the stuffed tiget by the young woman's side and leans over the bed, stroking her hair gently and apologizing. Elisabeth is overcome with grief and anger and tries to hold back tears, but doubles over sobbing as she watches one of her students who has already lost so much fight for her life.
In an underground facility, Kazimir walks down a long hall with Sylar at his side. He explains to Sylar that the reason he failed to take his ability a few days ago is that he cannot die by normal means because his ability will consume all life around him in order to sustain himself. Kazimir sees it as a curse he wishes to be lifted and believes Sylar is part of the solution. Sylar asks how and Kazimir explains that he is researching a biological weapon that can render someone's ability powerless, and this intrigues Sylar. Kazimir says that the people who experimented on Sylar were going to use it on him.
Sylar asks Kazimir how he can be sure Kazimir won't just use it on him, and Kazimir explains that wouldn't suit his cause. He sees Sylar as the next leader of his organization, which he calls the Vanguard. Kazimir says that what is happening here in New York is just the tip of the spear and that Sylar could be his replacement, leading the Vanguard into a new age. Sylar says that all sounds very convenient, but Kazimir does not disagree and says Sylar is free to leave and go back to his obscurity whenever he wants.
Sylar asks what this place is and Kazimir explains it used to be a subway station below the city, but his order repurposed it into a lab to continue his work, hidden from sight. Kazimir explains he merely needs a few small resources in order to complete his research and end his ageless life. Sylar asks why Kazimir would want to die, and Kazimir says Sylar is welcome to come to his own conclusion when he is hundreds of years old.
After a moment of silence, Sylar asks what he needs to do to make this happen. Kazimir says he was hoping he'd ask that question.
We cut to the warehouse in the middle of an argument. Helena is shouting about how Wireless killed Doctor Pratt and Norman is trying to get to the bottom of her motivations. Gillian is there and horrified, trying to figure out what is going on and troubled by Wireless' cavalier nature to murder. Wireless says it had to happen and that no one but Norman has the right to judge her, to which Norman says he absolutely is.
Magnes comes in and interrupts the argument asking if anyone has seen or heard from Teo, that he didn't show up for work and isn't answering his calls. The argument stops and Wireless closes her eyes and tilts her head to the side, accessing the internet. She says Teo's phone is on and at his apartment, and Magnes says he'll go check and make sure he's okay. But before he can leave the door to the warehouse flings open and there stands Eve Mas.
Everyone is shocked to see Eve. But before they can ask her what is going on, Eve scrambles in and starts drawing in chalk on the floor. Helixes and gas masks, skull and crossbone symbols. She looks up when Norman tries to stop her and hisses like an animal. Eve says it was Norman and Wireless that doomed the world. They should have killed Sylar when they had the chance. Helena tries to calm Eve down but Eve starts wailing, she says that the world is coming to an end, everyone dies, a plague to end all plagues.
Helena and Wireless look at each other nervously and Magnes asks what everyone is talking about. Eve turns and takes Magnes by the face and says, "The apocalypse is here and it is Sylar."
In the late afternoon at the fire station Teo asks Eileen how old she is. She tells him that she is eighteen and "an adult, if you want to get back to what we were doing earlier." Teo flatly declines and tells her that she's being taken advantage of. Eileen says that would imply she doesn't know that they're using her, and she says she understands and accepts that. Teo asks how she met Amato, and Eileen becomes quiet and says that Amato found her living on the streets of London, homeless and starving, busking for money in parks.
Teo asks how that turned into this situation and Eileen says Amato offered her a purpose. Teo asks what that purpose is, and Eileen says it is the end of all suffering. Teo doesn't understand and Eileen says he will in time. But it will be too late to save his friends. Teo struggles with his restraints and tries to go after her, but Eileen just laughs and tells him they're probably already dead.
This time, when Teo struggles again, the handcuffs suddenly break and he lunges at Eileen. She defends herself with a switchblade and stabs Teo in the side. Teo throws her off of him and staggers away, fleeing through the building and downstairs, then out into the street. Eileen gives chase, but stops a short time later. She holds up a hand, calling a crow to her wrist, then sends it up into the air. Sylar exits the fire station and says "he seemed convinced he broke the handcuffs."
Eileen turns and thanks Sylar for his help, but Sylar doesn't seem to understand what is going on. Eileen says that's fine, no one ever knows the full truth until it's too late. While she means that as an innocent comment, Sylar seems to focus on it and we linger on him staring at Eileen as she turns back to the building, letting her bird follow Teo.
Back at the Warehouse, some time has passed and Eve has calmed down. Norman paces the room while he looks at drawings she's done. The Ferrymen come to the determination that there is going to be some kind of viral attack that wipes out the city, if not the country, but isn't sure how to deal with it. Wireless says that if there is no virus, there is no attack. She recommends they hit Woods and Odessa before it's too late. Helena wonders if Wireless means assassinate them and Wireless asks Helena how many millions of people have to die before she'll take a life.
Norman stops the argument and says the point is moot, they don't know where Odessa or Woods are. But Wireless says she might. Wireless suggests that if the Company has picked up on the threat the murders represent just as they have, they would have moved Odessa and Woods to a secure facility in the Bronx. Norman says it's a shot in the dark, but Wireless wonders what other shot they have.
Eve says she'll help and Magnes says he's glad Eve is back and that he missed her. He apologizes for what happened with Cameron, but Eve sadly says she understands. She says she's been following what they've all been doing in her visions, but didn't want to intrude. But after her last vision it was too much to bear.
Wireless says they have a plan and they need to move before it's too late, and Eve's vision of the apocalypse comes true.
Later that night Magnes visits Teo's apartment and lets himself in. He finds Teo's phone sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room but Teo isn't home. Worried, Magnes warns Wireless and says he's going to check on Elisabeth at her apartment.
At night Amato is alone in the fire station, reading, and hears someone enter the building. When he looks up to the door he sees Sylar and asks him how his meeting with Master Volken went. Sylar said that it was eye-opening. He asks Amato if he knows Kazimir's full plan, and Amato says that "no man can understand God's plan." Which Sylar counters by saying Kazimir Volken isn't God. Amato says that is Sylar's interpretation.
Sylar calls Amato an idiot and asks if he expects to survive everything that is going on. Amato says that he is under no illusions that he will not die for his cause and Sylar says "I guess a broken clock is right twice a day" and snaps Amato's neck with telekinesis. He then asks Amato if "your God saw that coming?"
Approaching Amato's lifeless body, Sylar raises one finger that sparks with laser light.
The next morning, Magnes arrives at the Warehouse with Elisabeth who has mostly recovered from her injuries and asks Wireless if she's seen any sign of Teo. Wireless says she hasn't. Elisabeth meets Gillian and they talk in the background while Magnes is caught up on the plan.
Wireless says she has hacked into the Company's database and found that Odessa and Woods are being moved in an armored transport at noon along with samples of the virus. Eve confirms that she has had dreams of black cars moving down an empty street where there is no traffic. Helena asks where there is a place that doesn't have traffic in New York City and Magnes answers, "Midtown."
The Ferry agrees to intercept that transport. At that moment, Teo comes bursting in, holding a bleeding wound at his side. Magnes rushes to his help and so does Elisabeth. They hurry him over to a couch to lie down and Elisabeth asks Gillian to get her a first aid kit. Teo explains that he was kidnapped by his older brother Amato and brought to a ruined fire station in Midtown. He explains that there's some group operating out of there who were responsible for the attack on the school.
Elisabeth stops in the middle of tending to Teo's knife wound and is horrified. Teo goes on to explain that he barely escaped with his life but that they seem to be planning something big. Norman looks troubled that they were able to get Teo but that they have to focus on the mission. Gillian agrees to stay behind and take care of Teo while the others go on their mission. Teo asks what mission and she says she'll explain but that he needs to lie down.
When Teo sees Eve, he sits up and grips his side in pain. Eve comes over and tells Teo to lie still and kisses his forehead. She says everything will be okay and that they can have their words later when Teo is feeling better. Teo takes Eve's hand and says it's good to see her back. Eve says "it's good to be back" with a wry smile.
A shadow moves in front of one of the warehouse windows and the camera sweeps through the window to reveal a crow perched on a wall-mounted light outside the building.
The crow caws loudly into the camera and we cut to black with the sound of rustling wings.
