Title: At the Wall
Author: Bunny
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I'm certain.
Summary: One-shot set during "The Wall". Peter and Sylar discuss what they are going to do once they get out of the mind trap. Hints of Sylaire and Pemma.
A/N: Yeah, I should be finishing up Connecting Roses, but I couldn't resist. I had this half way written on Sunday, but didn't have time to finish before "The Wall" aired.
Sylar passed the sledgehammer off to Peter once again. He stepped off to the side, sliding down the impossible wall absolutely spent. Bits of brick had chipped away, but the work was slow and tiring. Breathing heavily, he wiped sweat off his brow as the other man assaulted the wall. Observing his determined hits for awhile, Sylar had to ask, "This Emma, the one you need me to save, who is she?"
Not breaking his swing, he shrugged. "What do you mean?"
At his reluctance to answer, he cut to the chase, "Well, I'm going to go with girlfriend."
Peter faltered for a moment, before continuing with his work. "She's not my girlfriend."
Sylar snorted. "Please, you would not risk everything to help me if she wasn't that important."
Struggling to find the right words, the strikes became more incessant. "Emma's just –" Thump. "She's just so innocent." Hit. "She's had her share of tragedy and this–" Thwack! "This could be the thing that sends her over the edge." Slam! "I can't stand to see that happen." Smack!
"And that's it?"
"Yeah," Peter exhaled.
"Right," Sylar stretched out, rolling his eyes. "Completely platonic." Peter glared, but didn't stop moving. "So, assuming everything goes according to plan, what are you going to do?"
"About what?"
"Are you going to date her?"
Dropping the hammer end to the ground, he bent over catching his breath. With a furrowed brow he asked, "Why would I tell you that?"
"Because at the rate this wall is crumbling," he reached up to give the bricks a few taps, "we're going to be here for a while." Giving a side nod in consideration, he added, "In the amount of time I've had here for soul searching, I'm kind of bored thinking about myself. So, let's focus on you for awhile."
Chuckling, Peter grinned as he picked up the tool again. "Yeah, why not. I'll date her." Chipping at the wall a few more times, he continued, "I know it sounds stupid, but in the past year I've cut myself off considerably. From people. From friends. From family. Emma's brought me back to life. She's made me realize that I don't need to depend on my power to be special."
"Sounds like we're all having an identity crisis," mumbled Sylar, finding his confession familiar.
"What about you?" At his questioning look Peter clarified, hitting once more. "When we get done with everything, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to pay Claire another visit."
Peter ceased in mid-swing. "What?"
"Just before I was trapped here I went to go see her." Sylar tilted his head, staring off into the never ending distance remembering fondly. "Had a rather odd heart to heart in a utility closet."
"You're lucky that I need you, because otherwise this sledgehammer would be through your head right now."
Sylar glanced up at the other man's tense stance, gripping onto the handle with white knuckles. "Oh, calm down. Her virtue is still intact." He returned to his thousand yard stare. "Every time she looks at me, the real me, she's always full of hate."
"No offense, but she has pretty good reason to."
"Except the last time, in that closet it was something else," he continued, as though not hearing Peter. "I think that is the first time in years that anyone had looked at me, knowing who I was, and their look wasn't full of revulsion." Sylar closed his eyes, clearly recalling the moment. "For the past three years it has been on my mind."
He stood taking the hammer from Peter's perplexed form before knocking away at the wall. "I told you, it hasn't been years."
"For you, maybe not. But for me it has been."
It was Peter's turn to watch him pick away at the blockade. In the hours they had spent hammering away, only a portion had crumbled. The small pile of rubble that was forming at their feet was maddening. He rubbed his hair back in frustration.
Suddenly a chunk of brick the size of a fist ricocheted off hitting him in the shoulder. Sylar stopped to stare as Peter picked up the rock. Squeezing it in his hand, he looked at Sylar. "What were you thinking of?"
"What are you talking about?"
"When you were hammering away at the wall, what were you thinking of?"
Averting his eyes, Sylar mumbled out, "Nothing." He turned back to his work without elaborating.
Wracking his brain, Peter stalked up to him holding out the brick. "You made progress, what were you thinking of?" He didn't answer and continued to hit. "Did you realize something?" He didn't look over. "Remember something? What was it?"
"It was Claire, alright!" he roared. Pain radiated through his eyes as he let the sledgehammer down. Peter was silenced. "I am going to live forever. I always believed that power to be the best one, the key for me to continue to obtain other abilities. I never saw it as a curse until recently."
"Curse?" questioned Peter, wheels turning in his head.
"It's been a long time since I've been close to someone. I may finally reach that point, but they will die. And I will forget them. And I will be alone. Repeat until time ends." Breaking eye contact, his temper simmered as he looked off into the distance. "That is why Claire is so important. We are going to be the only constant in each other's lives. We need each other, if only for our sanity."
"Alright, then," settled Peter, putting the sledgehammer into Sylar's hands. Knowing he would regret it later, he decided to play on Sylar's confession. "You ever want to see Claire again, we have to get out of here first."
Sensing the sincerity in Peter, he accepted the tool. "What, are you telling me to date her?"
Peter snorted, feeling protective of his niece. "I don't think I will ever be able to say that." Sylar grinned as he swung once more at the wall. After a few more pebbles flicked off, Peter saw that the progress was waning. "Talk it out. What are you thinking of?"
Sylar took a few more hits before speaking. "She didn't hate me. With that last look, she didn't hate me." Clunk. "Even though she should." Pound. "I think she's finally understanding the true side effect of her power." Bash. "With that kiss –" Thump. "And that look –" Whack. "I know she was scared of it."
"Wait, kiss? What?"
But he once again he wasn't listening. The pace he was setting rivaled Peter's from earlier as he continued thinking aloud. "Right now all I need is for her to trust me. A friendship from Claire is –" Clank! "It's the best I can hope for at the moment." Wham! "But maybe in the future there will be something more." Bang! "But in the past year when I remember her – " Pound! "All I feel is how much –" At the last strike a large crack split through the wall. Bright light leaked out offering hope.
Sylar hit at it twice more with no change. Roaring in frustration his pounded away, wanting more than ever to get out. "Say it," Peter encouraged.
"How much I love her."
The crack that formed caved with one final blow. The wall came down as bright light poured through, blinding both men yet filling them with a sense of success.
"Well, look at that," said Peter pleased, patting the other man on the shoulder once. "Just needed the right motivation."
"Women, huh?"
"Is there any other kind?" Tapping his shoulder once more, Peter added, "I'm going to have to kick your ass later though."
Stepping into the light with the other man, Sylar smirked ready to become a hero.