Synopsis: Sylar stalks Claire then goes about getting her power in a not stupid way * yes, I mixed up the order of some events and changed Claire's age. just go with it.
"It means that you will collect a lot of powers. You will kill many people. You will become strong. The strongest of them all. But in the end, it won't make any difference. We all gather to stop you. You're alone. No one will mourn your death. No one will shed a tear. No one. I wish I could change fate, but you must go on your path. You die alone. I'm sorry."said the young Asian man before he disappeared, taking the waitress with him.
Sylar went back to his table, contemplating what the strange time-traveler had revealed to him. He died alone, alone. He didn't want to be alone forever. Something would have to change, he decided. Looking down at the paper, an article about a heroic rescue with surprisingly few injuries caught his eye.
Sylar was frustrated. He'd been following the cheerleader, Jackie Wilcox, for days. However, she showed no signs of being special in any way. From what he could tell, she was just another empty-headed queen bee. Her rival on the other hand, something about that one intrigued him.
Her heroics must have been a fluke, Sylar figured. Giving up on the cheerleader, he decided to follow the other girl. He wanted to figure her out. What was it about Claire Bennet that was so inticing?
Sylar watched as Claire snuck out of the house. Naughty girl, he thought, what would Mommy think? Following her, he was vaguely disappointed that this had all been for the attention of the popular boy. Shaking it off, he crept along in the shadows as they left the party.
Once he saw what they were planning, he only paid half-a-mind, wanting to give Claire some privacy. He was staring off into the distance when sounds of a struggle caught his ear. Turning, he discovered the boy trying to force himself on Claire. With no thought, no plan, he found himself moving to stop him. This newly discovered impulse to protect Claire was halted as, before his eyes, the boy killed her. Pushing her back onto a sharpened branch. As the light left her eyes, Sylar walked away.
Sylar wasn't sure why he hadn't left town yet; there was nothing for him here. But here he was, at the high school, unreasonably hoping that Claire would just show up as usual. He was so lost in thought of her that hew almost missed Claire's arrival. Someone, presumably, a parent, was dropping her off as though she hadn't died the night before.
Hunger and joy both raced through him, warring beneath the surface. If she couldn't die and he could somehow get her power, then not only would he not die, he wouldn't be alone. He and Claire could be special together.
Sylar's thoughts raced, plans formed and discarded immediately, he needed to obtain her power without her knowledge. If he just went in and took it then she would hate him. He needed her to not hate him. Then it came to him, the perfect plan.
Sylar watched through the window, waiting for Claire to fall asleep. Once she did, he used his telekinesis to pinch her brain-stem, rendering her dead. Concentrating carefully, he got her out and into the van he had set up around the corner. Laying her on the tarp he'd spread in the back, he hammered a spike into the kill spot before releasing his hold on her. Checking carefully, he insured that she was in fact dead and wouldn't feel a thing.
He slowly sliced open her head, removing her skull cap and exposing her brain. As respectfully as he could manage, he poked and prodded until he found his answer. A warm shiver raced down his spine as he integrated Claire's ability. Finished, he carefully lined up the top and bottom halves of her skull; it needed to match perfectly if he was going to get away with it. He yanked the spike out and watched as her wounds healed before his eyes. The second she started to stir, he telekinetically pinched the cluster of nerves that would kill her. He then moved her back to her bed, taking care to wipe away the small speck of blood he'd missed.
Perched outside her window once more, Sylar released her. He watched as she drew in her first breath and sat up, looking around. Seemingly finding nothing out of place, Claire shrugged and went back to sleep. He had succeeded.
It was irrational but Sylar found that he couldn't leave Claire yet. He had overheard several conversations between Claire and her friend, Zach, about Homecoming and he wanted to watch her win the crown.
The night of Homecoming arrived and a chill was in the air. Sylar watched, it seemed that was all he did lately, as Zach helped Claire sneak out her window, wondering what she'd done that warranted a grounding on this special night. He'd been watching her constantly and he'd seen nothing. Well, not nothing, she'd tested her ability quite thoroughly but there was nothing for her parents to be upset about. Unless this was a delayed punishment for sneaking out to that party. Which reminded him, he needed to teach that boy a lesson, maybe the cheerleader too. It was obvious now that Jackie had taken credit for Claire's handiwork.
Arriving at the school, Sylar saw an opportunity too good to pass up. He telekinetically pulled Jackie's dress under her shoe as she went up the stairs, causing her to trip and tumble down. It wouldn't kill her but she was scraped up and her dress was dirty and ripped. And after Claire wins the crown, her night will be successfully ruined.
Avoiding the group of girls a the bottom of the stairs, Sylar made his way into the high school. Loitering in the halls, he waited until all the students had cleared out before checking the trophy cases. He didn't want to risk going into the dance too early and getting thrown out, it was better to wait and sneak in once the teachers were occupied.
Sylar was leaning in, trying to get a better look at one of the pictures when he was tackled roughly to the ground. Jumping up, he shoved back with his mind and ran off. The man with the floppy hair followed after him, chasing him onto the roof.
"Why did you attack me?" Sylar asked with a growl, falling into a ready stance. The man looked confused, apparently not expecting him to question him, "I won't let you hurt her." he answered eventually. Sylar relaxed, letting out a laugh, "Who? Claire? I couldn't kill her even if I wanted to." The man was clearly unconvinced since he immediately tackled him again. This time, knocking them off the roof. They crashed into the concrete below.
There was a stifled scream that made its way into Sylar's consciousness as he stood. He looked into Claire's startled face as his leg straightened itself and the numerous cuts closed and healed before her. She stepped closer, "You healed?!" Before he could answer, the body on the ground sat up, groaning as he too, healed. Interesting, Sylar thought as Claire continued, "You both heal? I thought I was alone."
The guy, who only moments before had been ground meat, looked quizzically between the two, "I've never healed before." Sylar stared down at the man, "Fascinating." he let slip, "You must be an empath. What other abilities have you collected?" he asked, offering a hand to help him up.
"I'm Peter by the way." he said, accepting the hand, "And I'm nit sure. I dreamt that I could fly but when I tried, I… uh... I ended up in the hospital. But, I floated after that. What about you? I thought you were here to kill her." Peter said, indicating Claire. Claire, whose eyes went wide and stepped away from them at this.
Sylar rolled his eyes, "No but thanks for scaring her. Do you not remember the bit on the roof? The part where she can't die and I don't want to kill her?" he asked, with slight exasperation.
"Wait." Claire said, stepping between them with her hands up, "I can't die? Ever? From anything? Not even old age?"
"No Claire. You will never die. You will never age. You will be 17 forever. I won't die either and if I understand Peter, which I do, then he has your power now. He will also live forever. None of us will ever have to be alone." Sylar said matter-of-factly, a moment of silence following this bombshell.
As Claire and Peter conversed about his reason for being there, 'Save the Cheerleader. Save the World.', Sylar was plotting and scheming. If he had Peter's ability then he could have as many powers as he wanted without killing anyone. "Peter, I have a favor to ask..."
The End.