Volume 1: Paradise Lost

Separate

(Follows after the events of The Second Coming in the show Heroes)

In Costa Verde, California, Claire Bennet sat on the couch, watching the news. Several loud BANG sounds leapt from the television, making Claire jump. She had just watched Senator Nathan, her biological father, be shot during a press conference where he had an important speech to make, one that would change everything.

"In a startling turn of events," the news anchor announced in a bored drone, "Senator Nathan Petrelli has been shot by an unknown assassin. Police are on the case now, trying to uncover the man's identity…"

Claire dashed for the phone and frantically dialed in a series of numbers. After a long pause, a friendly voice spoke up from the phone, clearly worried,

"Peter Petrelli," he said.

"Uncle Peter," Claire called out, visibly upset, "where are you?"

"I'm with Nathan. We're on the way to the hospital," he replied in a rushed way.

"I can help! Let me get my things…"

"NO, Claire!"

Claire stopped, startled. Claire had discovered a year ago that she could heal from any wound instantly. Even more recent was her discovery that her blood could cure people the same way.

Why doesn't Peter want me to help? All I have to do is-

"Stay put," Peter corrected kindly, the harsh tone out of his voice.

"Currently the police don't have any leads…" the anchor continued in the background.

"Oh fine, I'll stay. Be careful."

"You too, Claire."

Peter hung up, and Claire went to sit on the couch again. After the next news showed up, Claire got up, a determined expression on her face. Moving to her room, Claire threw several sets of clothes haphazardly into a bag. Whether Peter wanted her to help or not, her uncle couldn't stop her from coming. A rapid knock at the door made her jump again, and she set down a pair of jeans to go answer it.

At the door stood none other than Sylar, the power-stealing serial killer. Too shocked to move, she stands with the door open, and her mouth gaping.

"Spent some time south of the border," Sylar quips, an evil smirk on his unshaven face.

"I saw Hiro kill you!" Claire blurted out, backing up. "This is impossible!"

Sylar advanced, walking into the house, "I'm standing right here, in front of you, aren't I? You have something I need, and I've come to collect."

Unknown to Sylar, Claire had seized a trophy from a pedestal when she opened the door. At this point, Claire smashed Sylar over the head with the trophy and ran for the door, but it shut. The lights all turn off, and the shutters close. In a last ditch move, Claire picks up the phone, but doesn't get a tone. Seizing a knife from the kitchen she runs through the house, swinging at random. Finally, she heads for the only closet with a lock. However, Sylar steps between her and the closet door.

"Didn't expect that, did you? Time to collect."

Claire threw her arm up to stab Sylar, but he simply pointed his hand like a gun and pulled the "trigger." In a split second, the knife leapt from Claire's hand, hundreds of fine cracks running all through it. She stood aghast, staring at her hand.

"Didn't see that one before, Claire Bear?"

Her eyes darted to the closet. There in front of her, where Sylar was only moments ago, Claire's adopted father smiled sadistically.

"Dad?"

"Dad" seized the moment of distraction and threw out a hand, telekinetically launching Claire across the room and pinning her to a wall. The image of Claire's father melted away, revealing Sylar under it.

"Surprise."

Raising a finger, he concentrated intently on her forehead, and a shrill whining sound filled the air as he cut through Claire's skull. She screamed in horror, but was helplessly trapped. In the blink of an eye, a black-and-silver blur darted into the house through a window, which had opened when Sylar lost concentration. The blur made contact with Sylar, and took him through the wall to his right. Claire slumped to the floor, unconscious and bleeding.

Sylar tried to counter-attack, but the speeding blur dropped him, and he crashed into a nearby van. The blur rushed back into the Bennets' house and stopped, revealing Peter Petrelli. Peter rushed to his niece's side, and tried to find out what was wrong. She quickly healed her head, and came to.

"Claire, we have to g-"

Peter was thrown through a doorway, and Sylar re-entered through the whole in the wall.

"I came back in time," he growled, "and searched 30 states for that power; I'm not dying!"

He telekinetically grabbed Claire by the throat, and lifted her into the air, "Now be still, or I'll slice your whole head off!"

Undaunted, he raised the deadly index finger again, only to have his back consumed with blue flame. "YAAAA!" Peter screamed, charging into the room with hands ignited. Claire dropped to the wood paneled floor one more time. Peter rapidly disposed of the flame on his hands and switched to icy vapor.

"Remember this?" he yelled, "Remember it?"

He shouted "remember" repeatedly, punching Sylar several times with freezing fists. At last, Sylar against a wall, Peter grabbed Sylar's forehead and froze him solid. Dissipating the vapor, he turned to Claire, obviously in a hurry.

"What was that?" she exclaimed.

Her uncle avoided the question, "We've got to go!" He rushed to her side, grabbed her wrist, and squeezed his eyes shut. A tingling sensation rushed through Claire's every cell, and then the house was completely gone.

Shortly later, Sylar quickly thawed out, his face and hands glowing orange. Standing to his feet, he dusted off the remaining ice. With an electric buzz, someone appeared at the far end of the room. "It's time, Gabriel." Frightened, Sylar spun, hands glowing with electricity, but the new intruder was instantly at his side, and seized Sylar by the collar, throwing him straight through another wall of the house.

Next Chapter: Where did Peter and Claire go? Why does Sylar have all these strange powers? Who is the intruder?