The aching flared up again. It flared up whenever he looked at certain people, and calmed down when he looked at the diagram of his DNA and looked at how it worked. He was in New York in his new apartment. He had flown from London after the two weeks had passed. He felt a pull towards New York a strange instinctive pull. He had opened a watch repair shop, looking at the complex way watches work caused the ache to remain dormant, until he stopped working on the watches. He could see how things work, he realized his when he repaired his first watch. Looking at it he understood the complexity, the way each piece worked, how if you remove a single part, the whole thing grinds to a halt. The tinkling of the bell ringing as the door opened announced the arrival of a new customer. An Indian looking man, with grey hair, and a book and a few folders tucked under his arm. Gabriel could tell, immediately that his watch was broken. "Can I help you?" Gabriel asked in a polite voice. "Yes I believe you can". "I can fix it, Gabriel said, gesturing towards the watch around the mans wrist. Taking off his watch he said bluntly "my watch isn't broken." Gabriel smiled "it is actually, one of the springs is too lose, its running two seconds too slow." "How did you know?" The man asked curiously. "It's just a talent I have for knowing how things work." Taking the watch from the mans hand, Gabriel held it up to his ear. He could hear and understand everything. It took him half a minute to fix the watch, he worked in silence, and the stranger stood patiently. Waiting. He gave him back the watch, and something dawned on him. "You didn't come here for the watch" It wasn't a question or a statement, something in-between. "I came to find you Gabriel." Gabriel took off his glasses and stood up. "My name is Chandra Suresh" he continued "I have a theory of human evolution. And I believe that you are part of it." He took the book out from under his arm, handed it to Gabriel and continued speaking "This is a book I wrote, read it and if you want to talk more I've written my phone number and address inside." When he finished he walked out of the shop, leaving Gabriel with the book. Little did Chandra know, but he had just laid down the foundations for the building of a monster.

Gabriel looked down at the open book on the table while Chandra poured tea into two cups. The pages showed images of people sliced open, their insides exposed to the world. "Are you going to cut me open too?" He made a joke as Chandra handed him the tea. Chuckling, Chandra replied "I would like to run a few tests. A friend of mine at Columbia can get me access to an MRI scan." Sipping the tea, Gabriel enjoyed the taste of the dark liquid. "This is really good what is it?" "Chai, a herbal remedy from India." Chandra sat down at the small dining table. Gabriel followed suit. "You know" said Gabriel. "When I was a kid I used to wish that some man would come and tell me that my family wasn't my family. That they were bad people they were…Insignificant. The watchmakers' son…Became a watchmaker. It is so futile, that I wanted to be something more. I wanted to be special."

They were halfway through one of the tests. Gabriel had Conscience Readers strapped to his face. Chandra asked him questions, looking for changes to his conscience on his laptop. "Tell me. Why did you become a watchmaker?" Leaning forwards Gabriel answered. "You use a phrase in your book. Evolutionary Imperative. Sea Turtles die on the exact same beach they were born on, Lions slaughter Gazelles, Spiders eat their young. They don't want to. They have to." Sighing Chandra turned off the machine. While taking off the pads, Gabriel asked, "still no change? We're going to continue testing right?" "These tests aren't one hundred percent, but I should be looking into more promising people." Standing up Gabriel leaned forwards and whispered, "I am so close. I can feel it." Speaking loudly now, he continued. "You came to me; I am on your list. Don't give up on me." Chandra replied calmly "I could be wrong. You might not have an ability. If you do however, it exists in the brain. As everything does. Gabriel picked up a pile of folders, each contained information on a different person. "These people huh? They're important? This guy-" Taking off the post it note off the folder it said on it Brian Davis and an address. "-Brian Davis you think he's-"He looked at the folder "-Telekinetic. Move things with his mind." Gabriel sent the folder spinning across the room. "Or are you just going to toss him aside too?" He threw the whole pile of folders across the room now. "You had better leave now Mr. Gray." Picking up his coat from the chair he was sitting on, Gabriel stormed out of the room. He walked out of the building. Stopping in front of the busy New York street. He realized that he still had the post it note in his hand. He read it again. Brian Davis 14 Berman street #3 Ney York, NY 10003. He walked back to his watch shop, still angry from the argument.

He was working on a watch when the tinkling bell announced the arrival of a customer. A short overweight man wearing a Wight tee shirt and blue tie, tucked into his pants, with circular glasses and brown hair walked in. Gabriel looked up, taking off his glasses, looked at the person. "Can I help you?" "Yeah, uh my somebody called me? M-my name is Brian Davis?" "Yes I called you" Gabriel stood up. "My name is-"looking around he saw the brand of the watch he had just been working on. Sylar. "My name is Sylar. Gabriel Sylar."

Brian was demonstrating his ability by moving a cup across the table. It moved in a jerky, uneven pattern and he obviously had to concentrate very hard. Sylar looked on in fascination. "It's incredible." Was all he could say. "Can you make it go away?" Brian sounded nervous and agitated as he asked. Sylar was stunned. "Why would you want to do that?" Stepping forwards Brian replied. "I don't know what this is. Or who I might hurt. I-I don't want it." Looking into Brian's eyes, Sylar saw something. He could see how Brian worked. "You're broken." "What?" Brian sounded confused. He handed Brian a book, before walking around him. "Suresh was right. It's all clear now." He gripped the table, looking at the back of Brian's head. "Pieces fitting together it is in the brain." "So you can help?" Brian sounded calmer now. Sylar picked up the large quartz crystal on the table. "Don't worry Brian. I can fix it. It's an evolutionary imperative." When he finished speaking he swung the crystal down, smashing him on the space between the spine and skull. Killing him. Brian fell to the floor, dropping the book. A mad look was in Sylar's eyes as he put on his glasses. Leaning down towards the body on the floor.

He had disposed of the body. Grief and guilt filled every pore of his body. He gripped the noose tightly as he walked to the chair, preparing to hang himself. He stood on the chair, swinging the noose over the wooden criss-crossing beams. He pulled it down further towards the floor. He tied the noose firmly to the wood, wrapping it around his neck. He heard the tinkling of the bell. But he didn't care. Someone called "hello?" Gabriel didn't notice. He kicked the chair away. The pain. The lack of oxygen. And yet…He was happy to be dying the guilt would be gone. God would decide his punishment. The next thing he knew. He was falling to the floor. The rope had snapped. He hit the floor with a thud. Struggling to get the noose off his neck, he saw a woman. A blond girl. In his delusional state, he thought she was an angel. So when she asked if he was alright, he didn't speak. When she told him to speak. He said "Forgive me."

They were sitting, leaning against one of the low cupboards. "I've done something unforgivable." Gabriel said. Not looking at her. "Everybody does bad things." She attempted to make him feel better. It didn't work. "Think I haven't felt exactly how you're feeling right now?" She continued failing. Gabriel stroked his neck softly. Remembering the pain. "Maybe if you talk about it, sometimes if you talk about it you-""I can't." Gabriel cut her off. He looked at her, before looking down. "A man had something that I wanted. But I took it at a terrible price." She leaned towards him. "I know it seems hard to imagine. But you're gonna get through this…Because you're not a bad person." "You don't even know anything about me." "I know what I see. A man who deserves a second chance. The rope broke." She held up the broken rope. "You can't tell me that's not a sign." Gabriel started laughing silently. "I don't even know you name." Her voice was high when she answered. "Elle." "Elle. Well look at you Elle just showing up out of nowhere. Like an Angel." She took a small golden watch out of her pocket before answering. "An angel with a broken watch."

Gabriel was taking down the copy of Chandra's map he had set up in his apartment. It had strings criss-crossing all over it. Pins stuck into it representing a different person. He took down a small list of five people. Looking at it, he felt the familiar hunger stir inside of him. He heard a knock at the door. Dropping his hand, Gabriel walked over to the door, looked through the peephole and saw Elle standing there. When he opened the door, he saw that she was wearing a blue shirt with black pants. "Hi do you like Pie?" They stood in silence for a few seconds before she groaned and said "Ugh that rhymed didn't it?" Gabriel chuckled before inviting her in. Gabriel closed the door, seeing Elle walking over to put the pie down on the table. "I'm really glad you came, I wasn't sure you would." She turned before replying. "I have been thinking about you, and wondering how you've been since-" "-Oh, better." Gabriel cut her off before she could say anymore. "Great actually, um…Thanks to you." Elle looked down, embarrassed. "I just decided to clean up this place and, all this clutter." He put down the list and newspaper cut-outs onto the table. "Filling my head with bad thoughts." "What's this?" Elle had seen the list. "Oh it's just um…a list of people like me." "Nice single guys like you?" Elle laughed a bit. She picked up the list. "Maybe I should take this list." Gabriel snatched it out of her hand and scrunched it into a ball. He threw it into the bin. "I'm sorry Elle, there's something you should know about me. I have a kind of a power. Um…an ability. That's out of the ordinary." Elle looked confused. "I don't understand." He demonstrated by moving a basket of washed dishes across the counter. Using Telekinesis. The ability he took from Davis. First he moved it slowly. Then he twitched his finger, sending it faster across the counter. Elle made a sharp intake of breath. Gabriel turned his hand over, before switching back to the former position, sending a fork flying out of the basket into the sink. "Oh my god" "The other people on the list they can do things to." "Wait there are others?" In an attempt to change the subject, Gabriel asked her what kind of pie she had brought. He walked over to the pie on the table. Elle turned around to face him before telling him it was peach. Turning around, Gabriel smiled. "That's my favourite kind."

"I can't believe you can just lift your finger and move things." They were sitting on the floor, eating the pie. "It must feel amazing." "It does. But it can be a warming too. Like a drug you can't get enough of." "How many people are there like you?" "With abilities? I don't know….to be honest I don't want to know." There was a pause before he continued. "I have a kind of problem. I guess you can say I'm like an addict. I have this overwhelming hunger to , uh, I covet the powers of others. But somehow, since the other day, since meeting you, I feel like maybe I don't have to be so special. Maybe I can just be Gabriel again." Elle reached out and held his hand. "But you are special Gabriel. You're special just the way you are."

"This Ziti smells terrific." Elle called from the kitchen. "I can't wait" Gabriel called back. Hey have you ever been to that little theater down the street?" Elle carried the food through to the dining room as Gabriel opened a bottle of champagne. "I saw that they had some sort of artsy-sort of word thing there tonight." "Well maybe we should stop by later." Elle raised the Ziti to his nose. He inhaled deeply. "Maybe we should." There was a knock at the door. "Oh. I invited someone to join us I hope you don't mind." Elle turned and went to get the door. She walked back through to the room with a man. He had greasy black hair, and wore nothing but black. "This is Gabriel. I thought you two should meet. Trevor has an ability to." "Ability, I don't understand." "Well don't be mad but I got Trevor's number off that list you had. I think it's important for you to get to know people like yourself. I mean, alcoholics cant to it alone. Trevor, why don't you show us what you can do." "Okay." Trevor looked around Gabriel. He moved out of the way. Trevor pointed at one of the glasses on the table. His fingers made the shape of a gun, his thumb sticking up in the air. He bent his thumb, and when he did the glass shattered. Elle gasped. Gabriel felt the hunger begin to overwhelm him. Like it did with Brian Davis. He did the same with the other glass. Elle gasped, "That is so cool. Gabriel, isn't that special?" Gabriel looked from Trevor's cocky, arrogant look on his face to Elle, not replying. "Wait here" said Elle "I have a great idea." She ran to the kitchen to get something.

Elle had set up three glasses in a pyramid shape. Two at the bottom with one on top. Using two hands Trevor shattered them. Elle gasped again. "I love that" she turned to Gabriel "don't you love that?" Gabriel replied with no emotion in his voice "that's great." Gabriel didn't look away from the shattered remains of the cups as Elle walked around him to Trevor. "It's so special. Let's see it again." Gabriel felt the Sylar side of his personality emerge, drawn out by the hunger and Gabriel's anger. He whirled around, his eyes wild. "You think he's so special? I bet he can't do this." Sylar pointed his hand at Trevor, moving it to the side, he sent Trevor flying into a bookcase. Trevor cried out with pain as he hit it. The books cascaded around him. "Gabriel" Elle's voice drew Gabriel out again, only for a second. He kept his hand in place, pinning Trevor against the wall. Sylar looked at Elle, the same mad look he had in his eyes when he killed Brian. "I think you need to leave. Now" Sylar glared at her, angry for her presence, stopping him from doing what he wanted to do oh so badly. "Gabriel don't!" Elle cried out, flinging her hand out, an arc of electricity hit Sylar, sending him crashing to the floor. Trevor crashed onto the ground, Sylar's Telekinesis stopping when he was hit. Elle walked towards him. "Please…" "How did you?" You don't have to do this." Sylar scrambled off the floor, hating the fact that she made him look weak. Elle backed away as he towered over her. "Who are you?" When she didn't reply he sent her flying across the room. She landed in an undignified heap on the floor. She looked up at him as he spoke two words. "Get out." She quickly opened the door and rushed out. Turning his attention back to Trevor, he stopped Trevor from using his ability on his glasses by pinning his arm to the wall. Walking forwards, Sylar raised his arm, pointing his index finger at Trevor's head. He smiled as Trevor's skull began to split open, blood pouring down his face, delighting in the sound of his screaming. Smiling, he bent down and removed the top of his skull, exposing the brain. He looked at the brain for a few seconds, before bending down and analyzing it properly, using his hands, he felt it. He found the part he was looking for. Looked at it for a few seconds, pointing his finger at the window, he made it shatter using Trevor's ability.

Six months had passed. Sylar had gained one more ability; he would have gotten more if Gabriel hadn't broken out a few times. But now Sylar was in complete control. Nothing could stop him. The ability he had gained was teleportation. He smiled as he walked up towards the Walkers driveway. He would get Cryokenesis and Clairvoyance. The ability to create and manipulate snow and ice, and the ability to find anyone anywhere on the planet. He knocked on the door. A young girl answered it, Molly, the girl with Clairvoyance. "Hello, can I come in; I need to speak to your father." She nodded, letting Sylar in. Sylar walked to the kitchen table. The father sat there eating breakfast. Sylar immediately pinned him in place using Telekinesis. He told Molly to go and get her mother, she didn't know the danger she was in. She returned with her mother, before running off to her room. "Mrs. Walker, my name is Sylar." He made the knives in the kitchen drawers levitate their way out. He twitched his finger, sending her and the knives off in the same direction. She smashed into the stairs, a second later the knives followed. They impaled her, pinning her to the wall. Molly came rushing downstairs at the sound of the thud, almost screamed in horror, before Sylar pinned her mouth shut. "Hello Molly, please sit." She sat down. "Tell me about your ability, clairvoyance. The ability to find anyone on the planet must be amazing." He smiled when she didn't speak. "Oh very well, I was going to play nice. But, now I'm bored. And I want your ability." He raised his finger, pointing it at her father. He didn't move he couldn't. In front of Molly he killed him, cut open his skull and got his ability. He forced her to watch, smiling every time a tear trickled down her cheek. He looked back at her, "look what your daddy used to be able to do" he taunted her by freezing him solid. His smile vanished now. His voice deepened, became smoother, silkier as he spoke. "This is my evolutionary imperative, it's not my fault. The hunger, it's too powerful I can't control it. I don't want to. Now it's your turn."

Two hours had passed. He had taken her ability, he was trying it out. He concentrated on a girl. A blonde girl, a girl he hated. She had made him this way. Her name was Elle. And he was going to kill her and take that ability of hers. He saw, jail cells people in the cells, special people. One man threw fire at the wall, another struggled against a straight jacket holding him there. Then he saw Elle. She was talking to a man. A man with horn rimmed glasses. "Sylar, when is he being bagged and tagged?" The man looked down at her before answering "any moment now. The team is right outside his door as we speak." Sylar jerked out of the trance just as he felt pain all over his body. He saw blackness.

He woke up in a cell. A cell like the ones he saw. He smiled. They had brought him to where Elle was. Now he would teleport out and kill her. He tried to teleport, but found that he couldn't no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't. Just then, a man walked in front of the glass. The man with the glasses. "Hello, my name is Noah. And you have been very naughty." Sylar sneered. "I am going to escape. Then I'm going to visit you and your daughter." He laughed at the horrified expression on his face. "I know all about Clair, regeneration isn't it?" He grinned broadly. His smile vanished as Elle walked and stood by the man. A look of complete anger and hatred appeared on Sylar's face. "Elle" he said through gritted teeth. "Gabriel" she answered back. "It's not Gabriel anymore. You killed him. He trusted you and you betrayed him. You made me who I am. My name is Sylar." He smiled as anger flashed across Elle's face. "I am going to escape. And when I do-"He smiled broadly. "-There'll be hell to pay." Noah tapped a few buttons on a pad, when he did; a hissing noise filled the cell. Sylar began to feel sleepy, dizzy. He collapsed onto the floor.

The first thing he saw when he woke up was a tall dark skinned bald man standing over him. The man bent down, and placed his hand softly on Sylar's head. Sylar felt each of his memories slowly ooze out of him. He felt no pain as this happened, just a strange tingly feeling in his temples. The tingly feeling spread to the rest of his body, intensifying, becoming pain, more pain. So much pain. Then there was blackness.

"Gabriel, wake up, Gabriel!" He woke up to see a blonde woman sitting by the bed he was lying in. "What-Where am I?" He saw a man with horn rimmed glasses enter the room. "So, how is our newest recruit doing?" The woman spoke again, "he's fine, and he woke up just before you came in." "Who are you? Who am I?" The man smiled. "Your name is Gabriel Gray; you had an accident in a training program and fell into a coma. You probably have some amnesia. My name is Noah Bennet, and this is Elle Bishop. We are members of a company that helps people like you." "People like me?" Noah leaned closer. "Special people. People with abilities. You have the ability Telekinesis you can move objects with your mind, you can try it out if you want." Gabriel sat up, staring at a bottle of water on the table. He instinctively flung out his hand, and twitched his finger. The bottle soared over to him, landing in his hand.