Hammurabi's Code

Rating: R
Pairing:Adam/Sylar, hints of Adam/Claire
Summary: Even Adam has rules to live by. Unfortunately, they aren't the most moral ones.
Spoilers: Reference to future episodes. Nothing that hasn't been seen in a certain painting.

Warnings: None.

1.

If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death.

It took 400 years but Adam finally tasted victory on his tongue. He felt the body underneath him fall flat against the pavement below. He heard the sound it made, like a tomato being thrown against the wall. Nakamura let out an empty breath, the last force of air coming from an already dead body.

He knew Carp would be upset, that was the main reason he had done this himself instead of sending one of his lackeys to do it for him. He ran into the shadows, turning only once to see the blood pooling around the man's head. A smile could not help but form on his chapped lips.

14.

If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.

It was not that he was a young man when they imprisoned him, it was that they were his friends, his comrades, those he dared to trust. They said he was a danger, to himself and others. They had no idea what true danger was. They stole him away from his life, from his plans and they would pay. The old bitch was, however, very resistant.

He sent one of his followers to make Petrelli kill herself. Fitting, Adam thought, to go the same as her husband. Maybe her sons would as well. Although he had his own plans for them for now and maybe if all went well it would end in their deaths. For her it would be enough. She tried to be a stone, but if anyone could squeeze blood from a stone, it was Adam Monroe.

19.

If he hold the slaves in his house, and they are caught there, he shall be put to death.

Peter was his safety net. As soon as he remembered, of course, that Adam had saved his brother's life. Once he did know, Peter would protect him, not that he needed it. Peter would fight for him. Peter would kill for him. And in turn the Company would send their best to destroy Peter for helping. Adam would have felt remorse for this if it wasn't so damn easy and fun.

If they found that Peter was assisting Adam, his life would be forfeit. But than again, Peter had the same powers he did. So Adam was confident that he would survive. And if not, that was okay too. There was more where that came from. Adam's heard rumor that there is a cheerleader who can do what he does, who's cursed to live forever. And maybe it was about time he had a companion.

21.

If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.

Of all those that he hated, that were still living, Bob was the one he lothed. He was after the girl too, a vain attempt to stop the virus. It was funny that after so many years some things had not changed at all. They would try to stop him and they would fail. They would suffer for their insolence, and Bob more so then all of them.

Bob had stolen from him, stolen his trust and buried deep where no one could ever find it again. Adam thought he had learned his lesson in trusting, but he had been mistaken. Bob breathed in truth and exhaled lies, like his body just automatically produced it. Oh, yes, there would be pain, suffering, and maybe, just perhaps, Bob would die, but if not, all the better.

25.

If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye upon the property of the owner of the house, and take the property of the master of the house, he shall be thrown into that self-same fire.

It was the girl, the one who could heal herself. She was no more than a child, young and fresh off the death of a loved one, Adam could tell by the dried streaks running down her cheeks, the red rimmed eyes and the hitching chest. He offered her his hand and introduced himself. He could use someone like her and she could avenge the death that had cut her so deeply.

She stared at him with wide, unsure eyes. He took a lighter from under his jacket and set his hand ablaze. She gave out a terrified gasp and screamed in surprise and horror. But soon it was just surprise. The fire went out and his skin healed over the melted flesh. She squeezed to make sure it was real. She took the lighter and burned off the tip of her finger. It healed. Adam smiled at her and she looked at him like he was the only person that could ever really know her.

59.

If any man, without the knowledge of the owner of a garden, fell a tree in a garden he shall pay half a mina in money.

Sylar, the name stuck to the roof of his mouth with the tang of blood. He could be helpful, but he could also be a nuisance. As far as Adam was concerned, this was his turf, his fight, and Sylar was destroying what was not his. Adam had spent years planning his assault, like a planter, watching the growth of his garden, tending it, caring for it until the time was right. Adam wanted to burn down his own creations.

He didn't need the help and didn't want it, not really. And despite his sloppy way of taking powers, Sylar was a threat. He had gone after the girl once and there was nothing to stop him from doing it again. But, as it turned out, he didn't want her anymore. He wanted Adam. And he was willing to do anything to get it. But it was still a shock when he grabbed Adam and stuck his tongue down his throat. It was less surprising when, the next morning, he found Sylar huddled over him, knife poised over his forehead.

109.

If conspirators meet in the house of a tavern-keeper, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put to death.

He knew they were meeting in secret; Sylar was able to find that much. But when they found out where Sylar very nearly begged to be the one to go after them. It was the doctor, the one who was responsible for the virus, for the cure. Adam felt he was nothing more than a fly on the windshield, but he was more and more becoming difficult to deal with.

Claire fought tooth and nail against Sylar to be the one to go after the doctor. She looked at Adam with a bleeding heart. The man had killed her father. He said she would have justice and now she wanted it. In the end Adam sent them both, sure that they would do the job well enough. He told them to leave no one alive. Claire argued for safe refuge for the little girl, but eventually compromised that if she got to kill the doctor than Sylar could deal with the girl and the mind-reader.

196.

If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.

It was probably arrogant of Adam to believe that he would not come to resistance. And he knew the form of it would more than likely come in the form of Hiro. Needless to say he was more than a little upset over the murder of his father. Adam didn't exactly carry a sword around with him anymore. So it was interesting when he was challenged to the death in a samurai swordfight.

Hiro wanted him dead, wanted him to suffer. If only he knew how very Adam-like that was. They had so much in common, even after all this time. They could have been friends. But now Hiro had no choice, Adam could understand. There was no chance that Hiro would win, however. He slashed Adam across the right eye, which spilled blood and healed. It was then that several of his followers came storming in, led by Sylar, smile creasing his face. He'd wanted this power for his own.

229.

If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

It became apparent that a choice would need to be made. There was constant fighting between Claire and Sylar almost every day. She believed she was of more use and that Sylar was, at best, unstable. But all he needed to do to convince Adam otherwise was to drop to his knees when no one else was around. Eventually, Sylar began to say the same thing of her, she needed to go. It could just be the two of them, lording over what was left of the world.

He had made it the way he wanted it, built it from sweat and blood and sacrifice and he could not afford for it to be destroyed over petty squabbling. He needed one of them gone and making the choice was difficult. Even when he had come to a decision, he was still unsure if it was right. He called Claire to his office. He leaned close and kissed her, soft and sweet and heard a small noise escape her. At that moment, Adam was not even sure if he was kissing her just to kiss her or creating a diversion for Sylar to sneak behind her.

--

Laws of justice which Hammurabi, the wise king, established. A righteous law, and pious statute did he teach the land.

The world burned, laid to waste under his feet and all that he set eyes upon fell to the ground in ruin. The virus had done it's work, ridding the world of nearly the entire population and presiding over it was the smiling face of Adam Monroe. His enemies gone, those who stood in his way. He could start anew, creations of his own to do what he said.

As he stood he felt his windpipe slam shut as from an invisible hand closing around his throat. He turned to see Sylar, arm outstretched, hand clenched in a fist. And his sight grew dim, the oxygen not reaching his blood cells. He'd always wondered if he would regenerate from suffocation. He supposed finding out was better late than never.

Besides, he always had let love cloud his judgement.