Of Love and Hate: A Tale of Rivals

Author's Note: Part of the Of Love and Hate series (includes A Tale of Arch Nemeses and A Tale of Enemies). The same earthquake sends Elle, Adam, Nathan and Claire to the TARDIS where they are greeted by a depressed by utterly gobsmacked Doctor. Set at the end of Doctor Who S4 and five years after the events of Heroes. Since this is, well, me expect some sort of slash (always finds its way in there somehow).

Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or Doctor Who

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Elle hated Claire. The hate went deep, almost to a spiritual level, she thought. She loved electrifying her – it really was the high point of her day. Well, except that thing Adam did to her, but then that was usually at night (except for that one time...) and so did not count.

Sometimes she wished she could just cut Claire's head off and be done with it but both Sylar and Adam didn't like idea. Well, she could probably convince Adam to go along with her (she'd just deny him a few things, always fun) but Sylar...urgh. Really, he'd gone downhill since he'd killed her. All this Peter-teasing was getting to his head, she could tell. He was just no fun anymore.

Elle knew Claire hated her. The thought made her laugh. Obviously Blondie could never match Elle's level of badass but it was truly hilarious watching her try.

Claire did not like being electrified. Although it didn't particularly hurt her, it certainly was annoying. So, whenever she had the opportunity (which was basically every time their groups fought), she paid Elle back for every annoyance she'd ever felt, from that one time her father forgotten to bring her back a bear from Northern Ireland to the most recent example of Peter's absolute blindness to the fact that Sylar was absolutely nuts for him. Elle wasn't the only one enjoying herself.

This battle was just one of many. Well, that was how it started out, at least. Elle had electrified Claire, earning a high five from Adam. That was when Hiro, Ando and Nathan ambushed them.

"You take Flotsam and Jetsam over there," she said, sharing a grin with Adam. "I'll take Blondie and Daddy Dearest."

They shook on it. "Deal," he said.

Nathan, since his power was so utterly pathetic in battle, had learnt how to be just that little bit faster (god, how hard that had been) and a little martial arts, just because he could. Claire, in her efforts to out-badass Elle (or so the latter thought), had also learnt a little self-defence. Thus neither was particularly weak when it came to fighting Elle; they just had to keep out of the way of her pretty blue lightning bolts. Elle grinned. Really, this was what she loved about their life.

Adam drew his sword.

"Damn," Ando said and then touched Hiro's arm thus doubling the latter's power. Just in case.

Adam had become very adept at fighting Hiro and his ability to manipulate space and time. Lord knows, he had enough practice. And so they were pretty much well matched.

Ando stood back and watched, since this is what he did during most of the battles. He'd seen enough in his life to make him adopt pacifist beliefs – all he did to help Hiro was increase his power. Occasionally he shouted something like, "Go, Hiro! Kick his ass!"

Nathan grabbed Claire, swung her hand and used her legs to smash Elle in the face. They grinned at each other as Elle lay on the floor groaning. Adam, hearing her moans, pushed Hiro over to Ando without a second thought and moved towards her. "Elle, honey, are you okay?" he asked.

The earth began to shake, the building they were beginning to crumble. He tried to get over to her and eventually succeeded, although he couldn't help falling on her leg. She hissed in pain. He apologised.

He looked up at Nathan and Claire who looked very ready to inflict as much pain as they possibly could.

And then they weren't in the building. They were somehow that was definitely not the building.

A thin man stood near the centre of what could be termed the room they found themselves in. At least Adam thought it was a room. There were at least two doors leading off to parts unknown. He noticed that it wasn't just he, Elle and the thin man too. Much to his distaste it appeared Nathan and Claire had followed them. Damn them.

The thin man, who had been looking incredibly depressed and lonesome not a moment before, now appeared utterly gobsmacked.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "What?!"

Okay, maybe not utterly gobsmacked.

Elle looked around the room. "Where the hell are we?" She glanced over at the thin man and then back at Adam. "Who the hell is that?"

The thin man, who as far as Adam could tell only knew one word, said, "What?!"

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Hehe. I've always liked the Doctor's reaction at the end of every season *snigger* so of course I had to include it.

Review please. It is always appreciated.