A/N: Not precisely canon, just use a little imagination, okay?

Claire struggled against her bonds, but it was no good, they were too tight. She wasn't afraid, but she sure as hell was frustrated. Who were these people and what on earth did they want with her?

Some guy with super speed had grabbed her from campus not long ago and ran them so fast that she couldn't even identify which direction they had gone. Next thing she knew, she was tied to this freaking table and left alone. Different men would come in occasionally, although they never spoke to her, and check that the bonds were still holding.

A noise!

Claire turned her head towards the door as yet another man came in. This one with long dreads and an open shirt. He silently reached out to check her restraints then knocked on the door. That was different; normally they just left afterwards. The man backed against the wall leaving room for the procession that followed his all clear. An intimidating looking man led the way in and actually smiled at her. Next came the speedster and some woman with a whole lot of tattoos.

Claire looked at them dully, making it clear she wasn't going to sob and beg for release. Whatever they wanted from her, they were going to have to work for it. She practically rolled her eyes when the first man gestured dramatically towards the door. And then her mouth went dry and her throat got tight; Sylar walked in the door.

But he looked different…strange, and not menacing. In fact, he wasn't even leering at her. What the hell? She couldn't help but staring into his eyes, which oddly enough appeared worried and uncertain. Maybe she had been knocked out and was hallucinating.

"We brought you a present," the first man was looking at Sylar but motioned towards Claire. "She's the perfect little doll, because you can practice killing her over and over again without having to worry your conscious about her actually being dead. Just right for you to find yourself again."

Sylar's eyes grew about three sizes and he looked horrified. Why would he be all 'oh no' about killing? What was going on here?

"It's alright, Sylar. She won't even feel a thing. And it'll help with our plans to bring her into our family." He paused and the woman moved closer to Sylar. "You do want to help our family, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But…" He turned wide eyes on Claire.

"Please, Sylar. For us?" the woman begged, leaning against his arm. "We need you to be strong again."

His brow furrowed as he looked softly down at her.

"Let's leave him alone." The first man placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can do this." And the others cleared the room.

He seemed reluctant to so much as look in her direction. It had to be some plan of his, some game. But his face…he seemed so lost.

At last, he turned to her. He raised a trembling hand then lowered it, shaking his head. Claire couldn't stop herself mocking him.

"What's wrong? Lost your nerve?"

His eyes turned sharply, catching hers, before dropping away. "Something like that." She huffed in disbelief. "What would you know about it?"

"About losing my nerve? Nothing. I still have mine."

His nose flared and he raised his hand at her again. His face tensed for a moment, but once more, he lowered it and sat on the floor with a sigh. "Don't suppose you know anything about me then?"

Her eyebrows crinkled a little and she wasn't sure how she should respond to that. "Like you don't know."

"I don't know." His intense gaze centered on her. "I don't remember anything." He paused. "I thought I did, but they said it wasn't the real me and took the memories away. I thought it was confusing before, but now…" He waved his hands a little, obviously frustrated. He was quiet for a long time, resting his head in his hands. "They showed me things. Said it's who I am. I don't believe them…I don't want to believe them."

"Did it involve you murdering people?" Claire asked sarcastically, sick of his act.

He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "Yes," he choked out. She must really be losing it because she was starting to believe that he honestly didn't know who he was. He crawled a couple paces over to her and laid a hand on hers. "Do you know me?"

"You're Sylar."

He shook his head. "The police, they said I was Gabriel."

"Gabriel Grey, yeah. That's who you were." His dark eyes were so desperate, she couldn't help her tongue from running away with her. Maybe it was some new ability he had, she could blame it on that. "After you discovered your ability and started killing people, you renamed yourself Sylar."

"I'm not a killer! I can't be!"

"You are."

He took his hand away from hers and slumped against the wall. "The cops said I killed my mom. My own mother! I would never do that."

She could see the way he was trying to convince himself. A world without Sylar? All the better. "Just because it's who you were, doesn't mean it has to be who you are."

"It's who they need me to be." He moved close to her ear whispering, making her force down a shiver of fear. "I can't do it though. I can't. It's…I won't be a monster."

Suddenly, the door opened again and in walked two of the men and the woman. They all appeared disappointed. "Let's take a break, shall we. We'll try something new tomorrow. Maybe that will help you find the old you."

They led him away like a child, the woman holding his hand. The speedster checked her bonds again before he followed the others, putting his face unnecessarily close. Claire clamped her lips closed and turned away.

She wasn't sure how long she laid in that room, a few days if she were to guess, with only the regular checks on the bindings. She was hungry and thirsty and bored out of her mind, not to mention worried about her friends and family on the outside. God, this was getting old fast.

The man with the dreads returned, checked her and then knocked on the door. This time she was prepared. The same little group strolled in, followed by Sylar. He looked determined, they must have convinced him to do it. Great.

"Hello again, Claire. Now we're going to try something a little different this time. Ease our brother back into the killing. And again, it's a necessity before allowing you into our ranks. A right of passage all of the females must endure. But it makes them stronger. Don't you agree?" He turned his attention back to the woman with tattoos. She nodded despite the sour look on her pretty face. The group as a whole, turned and left the room. The speedster looked angry and bitter, to which Sylar smirked at him. Did he remember now? Or was he playing the part?

She swallowed roughly as he moved close to her, pulling his shirt off and dropping it to the ground. Fear tightened in her chest as he unbuttoned his pants and she began struggling against the ties. He removed his shoes and pants before reaching out to her shirt.

"No! Sylar, please, no! Gabriel," she hated that she begged, but there was nothing for it. He hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment, before working on the buttons of her shirt. When it fell open, revealing her white cotton bra, he grunted, running his large hands over her ribs. "Please don't," she sobbed.

Sylar took in a deep breath and turned his attention to the surrounding room. After only a few seconds, he backed away and moved to the door. Opening it a crack, he reached out a hand and a sheet flew into it; he let the door fall shut again. He went back over to her and fluffed out the sheet, letting it fall over her body.

"Nothing wrong with a little modesty," he whispered. "They don't need to see every little detail." He slid his hand beneath her back, unsnapping her bra and didn't waste any time before sliding it out of the way to cup her breasts gently. He squeezed only once before releasing them to move lower. He made sure the sheet stayed up to keep her covered, while he pulled her pants and underwear down to her ankles, stopping at the restraints. Cocking his head, he seemed to debate about his next action. Apparently decided, he removed the ties and pulled the clothes all the way off, not bothering to refasten the bonds.

Claire was still begging and crying as he stripped off his boxers, denying what little hope she still held that he'd change his mind. Careful to keep her covered, he climbed onto the table, used his abilities to open and bend her legs, and rested on top of her. She cringed as their flesh touched. He softly ran his nose up her neck and nibbled lightly at her ear, making her sob anew.

"It doesn't have to be so bad," he whispered into her hair, sliding his hand up to her breast. "Just relax."

"Fuck you," she bit.

"Please Claire." He forced her to look into his eyes, which had lost their hardness. "Please just go along with this. It'll be much worse if you don't." She forced a laugh that she didn't feel. His hand slid down her leg to her bottom and she closed her eyes, turning her face away, biting her trembling lip. He moved his hips and she tried to ready herself for his intrusion.

He thrust forward and she whimpered, expecting the worst. Confused, she held still and kept her eyes closed tight. Sylar hadn't entered her, he had only pretended. He continued to move against her though, which wasn't her idea of a good time, circumstances considered. She just continued to hold as stiff and still as possible, waiting for it to be over.

His breath started coming in gasps and his head drooped down to her shoulder. One fist clenched her shoulder tightly as he pushed back up to his hands, his eyes locked on her small breasts. Finally, after what felt like forever to Claire, he made a choking noise.

Her tears flowed faster as he used the edge of the sheet to clean them up. A little out of breath, he slumped heavily atop her. "I'm sorry." His body was coated with a fine sweat where it rested against her. She blinked wet eyes open and took a shaky breath. She couldn't do this again, what if it was the real thing next time, or that other man. One thing she felt certain of, the real Sylar would never have done that. He would have just filleted some brains and walked out.

"You want to know who you are?" She struggled to keep her voice steady. "Concentrate on my past. You'll see you're part in it."

Sylar narrowed his eyes and a crease formed between his brows. But nonetheless, he laid a hand on her cheek and closed his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath and his eyes popped open and then resumed their old smugness. He cocked his head a little to the side and gave her a penetrating stare.

"Sylar?"

"Who would've of thought, sweet little Claire would be the one to bring me back?" He smirked at her. She opened her mouth but he stopped her from talking. "Just let me savor this for a moment." And to her surprise and disgust, his hand moved back up to cup her breast, but no less gently. His eyes moved to her lips and he placed the softest kiss on them. He sighed, nuzzling her neck. "One of these days this will be real," he whispered and she could feel him grow hard against her again. Quickly, he raised a hand to the door, flicking the lock and keeping it shut with his mental powers. "Someone always has to ruin my fun."

He made to get off of her, but she cried out, "Wait!" And to her annoyance, he took that as an invitation to rub against her. "You're not going to leave me here are you?"

"Why shouldn't I?" He licked her earlobe.

"Please, Sylar. You know what they'll do to me."

"And…?"

"If you think I would ever consent to be with you, no matter how many years from now, if you leave me…If you let them rape me, I swear I will never let you touch me again."

He leaned up on his elbow. "Claire, I can make you do anything I want."

"Then why don't you?"

Instead of answering, he made her roll her hips. He grunted and pressed hard against her, but only once.

"Fine. You can force me. But you can't make me enjoy it."

He sighed. "Claire, what makes you think I care if you enjoy it?" Her eyes welled up and her fear spiked as the door shook despite his hold on it. "A kiss."

"What?" she asked sharply.

"Kiss me and I'll take you with me." He watched her struggle with the idea, then added a little more, when he saw he had won. "A real kiss, not just a little peck." Her eyes hardened again, but she knew it was the only way. She wouldn't stay and be raped just because Sylar was being a stubborn creep.

Closing her eyes, she nodded consent and his lips were on hers before her head had stopped bobbing. They weren't hard but they were insistent. She was hyper aware of their nakedness as he shifted against her. Irritated at herself for not completely hating the feel of his weight on top of her, she forced herself to kiss him back. To part her lips just a little, then a lot. To let his tongue slide along hers, to push on the wrist restraints, wanting to grab the back of his neck. And then she was, he had freed her hands and she despised herself for clutching him to her.

When he started to rock against her, she couldn't stop the moan from deep in her throat, to which he answered alike. He growled in frustration when the floor shook violently. "Later," he grumbled, pressing her to him tightly once more and letting go. He hopped off the table, grabbing his clothes and hers. He almost pulled his pants on, when he seemed to have a great idea and grinned at her. "Why wait?" He grabbed a hold of her, as she was wrapping the sheet around her body.

He busted a hole in the ceiling and freed his hold on the door. When the others raced in, six in total, he grinned at them. "Thanks for the memory boost." He tightened his hold on Claire and flew them through the roof. Up in the sky, she shivered and clung tightly. "Your place or mine?"

The End

Thanks for reading this little one-shot I couldn't get out of my head! I'd love it if you would leave me a review.