Title: Becoming (1/?)
Author: Drea Jackman
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: Sylar/Claire
Summary: 'Becoming (n) – any process of change; any change involving realisation of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality.'
Spoilers: Up to 3x16 Building 26
Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes, or the characters depicted in this fic. I'm merely borrowing them to humour my little muse, for its voice is loud and mighty, and cannot be denied. Strictly non-profit fun!
Word Count: 2,657
Notes: This is the first in a multi-chaptered story, though I've no idea how many parts yet. It's mapped out to at least 5 and it's not finished there so here's hoping it won't bore anyone to tears! Eternal thanks go to CameronCrazed for being my beta for this one.

'No, don't!'

Luke flinched at the desperate tone in his mentor's outburst. He'd never heard the older man sound like he cared about anything. Obediently, he recoiled just as Sylar sent him hurling to the ground with one wave of his hand. It was too late; the bloodied target of his attack crumpled to the ground dead. Righting himself, his eyes shot upward in time to catch Sylar's own body crash to the ground, deathly eyes wide and unfocused.

Noise suddenly died down, and the room fell momentarily silent. Luke began to find his feet slowly, staring in horror at Sylar's body. He was dead, and the men outside were still coming. He was alone.

Seconds passed before a sudden gasp from across the room made him jump. Turning, eyes frantic, he saw the figure he'd burnt to a cinder sitting up. Blood soaked hair and tarnished features knitting together and reforming into the person he'd attacked blindly as the first to come crashing into the room after the soldiers outside had opened fire.

'Damn it!' she cursed, climbing slowly to her feet. She glanced quickly around the room, noting Luke absently as her eyes fell upon Sylar. Taking long strides, she crossed the room to where he lay and dropped to her knees. 'How long?'

'You ... how...?' he spluttered.

'It doesn't matter!' she countered impatiently, 'How long's he been like this?'

'Not long,' he managed. 'Who are you? Why did he want me to stop?'

Her hands gripped his body by the shoulders and pushed him up until she could lean him against her knees. After a second or two, she pulled the dart from the base of his neck, where it had penetrated the brain, and watched for his reaction. 'No one special.'

It was all getting far too crazy for Luke, who at this point had started to lose patience. He only managed to raise one hand toward her warily before she stopped him.

'Claire,' she answered without looking up. 'My name's Claire.'

Luke paused briefly, noting how her brow had furrowed. 'What's wrong?'

A crash outside finally made her react. 'Help me with him.'

Claire hooked her arms under Sylar's and began to drag him toward the back door of the small apartment. Without hesitation, Luke caught the other man's legs and helped her bundle him out into the car. Dumping his body into the back seat, she made for the driver's side as Luke followed her.

'What do you think you're doing?' he demanded. Who the hell was this girl to randomly show up out of nowhere, apparently knowing more about his would-be mentor than he did at this point in time?

Claire turned impatiently on her heel, face easily betraying the seething anger bubbling beneath the surface and so close to boiling over. Luke hadn't seen her do anything other than heal herself so far, but he didn't like the idea of wagering on the fact that she didn't have more up her sleeve. Nobody except him ran into rooms when they knew Sylar was there. This one was going to be trouble, he could feel it.

'You're the one trailing around with him and you want explanations from me?' she asked with deceptive calm.

'It's my car!'

He cringed a little, realising how childish it sounded out loud. Claire just held out her hand, gesturing for the keys as she glanced over her shoulder at Sylar lying where they'd dumped him unceremoniously into the back. 'You want the guys out front to catch us, keep it up. I won't be the one answering to him when he wakes up in one of their facilities and wonders who's responsible for landing him there.'

Luke's brow furrowed deeply. There wasn't time to debate the issue, he knew that all too well. He'd seen Sylar heal from bullet wounds before, maybe he was like her. Wounds weren't all-out dead though. Evidently she knew more about Sylar's abilities than he did. However, Sylar's wrath was not something he wanted to incur at any cost. This already annoying blonde knew better. A pang of jealously barely registered as he sighed impatiently and slammed the keys into her waiting hand. Defeated, he took up his usual place in the passenger seat.

'Where are we going?'

'I don't know yet,' Claire replied calmly.

Luke sensed her mood ebbing and sat quietly for a minute or two before speaking again. 'What were you expecting to happen? He ... he's dead.' he added in a small voice.

'We'll see,' she said, eyes only leaving the road to check her rear view. Nobody was following. As she rounded the next corner, she slowed to a normal speed to avoid attracting any more attention. 'Who are you anyway?'

'Luke,' came the innocent reply.

'Do me a favour, Luke. Check him for a pulse again.'

The younger man turned in his seat to lean over and check for any signs of life. 'Nothing….'

With an impatient sigh, she pulled out just before hitting town and turned down a quiet street. Barely registering the muffled sound of discomfort from her companion as the car suddenly halted, Claire took the time to check the view in all her mirrors before turning to Luke. 'I'll be back in a few minutes. I need you to drive this around the block twice, you understand me? Pull up here when you're done.'

'Okay,' he said, scooting over to take her place in the driver's seat the second she vacated the car.

True enough, he had only just rounded the same corner for the second time when he saw the familiar blonde standing just where she said she'd be. For all intents and purposes she could've been mistaken for any other young woman waiting to hail down a cab. She'd changed her clothes. Given the damage he'd done to her previous top, he wasn't at all surprised that it was one of the first things she'd set out to cover up.

'Good job,' Claire praised as he scooted back over and she took up the wheel again.

'How did you…?' he began, indicating her clothes.

'There's a hospital around the corner. After your little bit of handy work I fit right in, snatched a change and some supplies.'

They sped off across town, careful to take the less crowded streets as they did so. Finally Claire seemed satisfied with her surroundings, and turned suddenly down a darkened alleyway. The car lurched to a sudden stop and Luke watched as Claire got out on her side, opened the rear door and examined Sylar properly. The exit wound where she'd pulled the dart out was still visible, a significant hole highlighted in dried blood.

'What is it?' Luke asked, peering around to watch her from his seat in the front.

'They must've loaded it with something,' she muttered quietly, more to herself than him. Pursing her lips together in a thin grimace, she pulled up her sleeves and crawled into the back beside the body. 'Keep an eye out, they could be here any second.'

The boy nodded quickly, but it took another long moment for his eyes to leave the couple in the back. Claire began to tug at Sylar's jacket, finally pushing it from his shoulders with much effort. It was far too confined a space for a man as tall as he was. Still, she persevered until she had access to his shirt, and quickly rolled up his left sleeve.

Claire went to work quickly, objective clear in her mind. She hadn't stopped so far to think about how it felt to be the one in control of her monster's fate as he lay there dead before her. The choice was hers now, leave him there, or do something she'd never imagined herself capable of until now. Drawing two vials and a syringe from her pocket, she hardly seemed aware of the choice she was making. The syringe filled quickly, and with little hesitation she thrust it into the crook of the killer's arm, needle finding cold vein easily. It was only while she applied light pressure to it, gently allowing the blood within to enter his circulatory system that she had time to pause for thought.

Absently her eyes left the task in hand and caught the dark wisps of hair visible from the deep V at the neck of his shirt. Eventually she managed to lift her gaze upward until it rested on his face. Somehow, he wasn't something for her to fear any longer. She'd killed him once before already, now things were different. Eyes usually so black and angry, were now vacant, perhaps innocent. For the first time Claire noticed how brown his eyes were. Before she knew it, deathly pale skin flushed with colour; dull brown eyes becoming warm and wide.

The sudden gasp followed by the entire car shaking with the force of movement made Luke's heart almost leap out of his chest. Since when could the dead come back to life after half an hour? Then again, since when did cute, blonde girls who've just been burnt heal minutes later to appear with not a blemish?

'Leave her alone!'

The cry had left his lips with the first new breath the man had taken upon his revival, body bolting upright stiffly. His world suddenly came into bleary focus, but his surroundings weren't at all what he'd been expecting, nor was the company. His eyes came to rest on her familiar face, and although he'd never have admitted it, he felt relief at her presence. However, that was for another time and as he'd expected, she didn't look pleased.

'Sylar,' she said, voice low as she appeared to disregard his outburst.

Sylar couldn't help the sly smirk tugging at his lips as he stared back at her. 'I never figured you for the kidnapping type, Claire.'

The strain to reel in her temper was visible on Claire's features as she played down the urge to stab him in the back of the head with the now empty syringe. Instead, she settled for yanking it from his arm with no finesse whatsoever, smiling and fluttering her eyelashes for added effect. There was only one thought on her mind, 'Hate him!'

Sylar hissed in pain and looked down to see the bloodied needle in her hand, quickly putting together what had happened.

'I didn't know you cared, Claire-bear.'

The pair glared at one another for a long moment before movement in the front seat drew their attention.

'Just what the fuck is going on here?' Luke finally exploded.

Claire rolled her eyes and planting both hands firmly on Sylar's chest, pushed herself up off him as she vacated the back seat. A soft 'ooph' from him came as little reward. Hands on hips, she began to pace the length of the car to catch some air. Sylar wasn't far behind, and nor was Luke.

'Seriously, who is she?' the younger asked of his mentor. Without even waiting for the reply, he'd turned on Claire. 'And you! He was dead, what the hell did you do?'

Claire hissed impatiently, 'Look! We don't have time for this!'

'Since when has there ever been a "we", Claire?' Sylar countered.

'Since they started hunting us like animals,' her outburst was in full flow now. 'They caught everyone – Peter, Suresh, even Hiro! And since I can't go a day without them linking our damn names and making me the same as you!'

Sylar looked thoughtful for a second. 'If you needed me, you could've just asked,' he drawled sarcastically.

Luke rolled his eyes.

'I might have if your trigger happy little boy Nuke here hadn't fried me the second I arrived.' She felt her teeth gritting together as the last shreds of her temper frayed away strand by strand.

'Yeah?' Luke finally interrupted, raising his hand in her direction. 'Who the hell are you barging in all-knowing and telling me what to do?'

Sylar sighed and shook his head. 'Not now,' he quieted. Luke he may have expected it from, but he hadn't expected Claire to be bated into it too.

'I'm someone who saved both your asses. They'd have shot you down, taken both you and your precious mentor if it wasn't for me, now pipe DOWN!' she fired back, turning on him.

Luke's hand flexed, temper writhing visibly behind dark eyes. The air around his bared palm began to quiver and tremble as heat radiated from it toward her.

'I said, NOT NOW!'

The growl made both Luke and Claire jump, and with a casual wave of his hand, Sylar sent both of them skidding two feet clear of their original positions. Claire caught her balance, reaching out to the wall at her side, and Luke clumsily caught himself as he hit the car behind with a solid thump. Without another word he retreated to his side of the car, not wanting to provoke the killer's rage any further.

'He can be a little impetuous,' Sylar said with a grin directed at his protégé. The boy squirmed a little under his gaze, eyes flicking to Claire and back before fixing on the hood of the car. He understood his lesson for now. He'd take in every word, every look and every gesture. Showing patience, he'd bide his time until his master could afford him some explanation.

'Understand this,' Claire explained, wanting to make her terms crystal clear, 'I don't need you, I'll never need you. What I need are your abilities, and you're going to help me whether you like it or not.'

'Isn't that what all the Petrelli women seem to want from me? What makes you think I'll do anything for you?'

'Because,' she paused, offering him a smile, 'I did what you wanted.'

Sylar eyed her suspiciously; unsure of what she was referring to. What he truly wanted from Claire Bennet he had shared with no one, and she'd certainly never comply. It would never happen.

'I killed you, became that little bit more like you,' her eyes were locked on his. It was making him uncomfortable. 'Isn't that just how you want me, Sylar?'

He didn't respond.

'You want us to be the same, now it's your turn to be more like me. You're going to help me.'

'A tall demand coming from someone so weak and vulnerable.'

Claire smirked, glancing to the open rear door of the car and then back at him. The irony in his statement was too obvious even for him.

'Speak for yourself, Gabriel.'

Black eyes flickered back at her, and she found it hard to tell whether Sylar was going to go along with her plan or not. 'Point taken,' he countered matter-of-factly.

'What?' The shock was evident in her voice.

Sylar's smile broadened and he walked toward her until they were standing toe to toe. Looking down on her, she seemed so small and powerless, and yet this was the woman who, after all they'd been through, had just saved his life. Despite his inward desire to be around her in whatever capacity was possible, outwardly he couldn't help but acknowledge the chance to gain from the situation, although far less selfishly than he knew she'd expect.

'If I do this, you realise you'll have to acknowledge the fact that I'm no more a monster than you are?'

All hints of sarcasm or banter were gone from his voice. He was serious. Claire's mind reeled as she began to lose herself in his dark eyes. She'd be damned if she ever had to give this man of all people, her acknowledgement. Having said that, she knew the outcome would inevitably rest with Sylar. Raising her chin, forcing herself to meet his heavy gaze evenly, the challenge rolled from her lips before she had even considered all the possible ways it could be taken.

'Make me….'