HEROES Rebirth from the Ashes
Chapter four
A Babies Cry

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Sylar stood on the sidewalk of New York City, just across the street from the apartment building of Peter Petrelli. It had been several hours since his flight out from Los Angeles and flying across country taxed his energy levels and stamina. He looked up into the evening sky as the blue sky of the afternoon began to fade into the purples and reds of sunset. It had been now almost 24 hrs since he had seen his friends and family. He was worried. Had he missed his opportunity to save Claire and Peter? Were they dead, where did that little Asian man, Hiro take them?

Sylar looked down at the sleeping boy strapped to his chest. The boy had fallen asleep somewhere over Chicago and had snuggled deep into the pouch. He let out a slow and long sign of relief. He had never been a parent. He had never even babysat before. Children to him were messy, loud, smelly, and they leaked. Little Matt Parkman was all that and more. Sylar shuttered at the fast stop they had to make over northern Arizona for a fresh diaper, and a new pair of pants for himself. Who would have thought the little kid could have that much in him? Sylar made a mental note to check every hour going forward; no more accidents. At least the boy was quiet. He thought back over the trip, and could not remember once that the boy cried, or screamed, or showed any signs of pain or a bad attitude. Sylar slipped into the side alley next to Peter's apartment building, and silently wrapped his arms tight against the dozing little boy.

His face molded into that of Peter Petrelli as the sleeping boy awoke and a small hand reached up and touched his unshaven and new face. Baby Matt Parkmen smiled, squinting his eyes in confusion while looking into Sylar-Peter's eyes at the sudden change. Sylar-Peter shifted the baby pouch and adjusted it one more time. "Hello, boy, you've finally decided to wake up? Now, I need to talk to someone, and you're the best available. Since your parents are both dead, I am going to rename you Noah, that's a long story I'll have to tell you one day." Sylar looked once more down the street in both directions and up at the building Peter had lived in now for the last few years. "Well boy, it looks like it is up to us to save the world. Let's go see if Uncle Peter is home, shall we?" Sylar-Peter crossed the alleyway and entered the apartment building with extreme caution, through a small side door.

X-X-X

Noah Bennett's eyes locked for a split second on the eyes of the Haitian. His face seemed cold and his eyes distant, as if he is a different person. Noah felt a momentary flash of fear spread throughout his body. Did they do a mind wipe on the Haitian? What are they going to do to him and Angela? Noah struggled against the straps, and the immovable hands of his friend the Haitian "What are you going to do to me? I'm not a special!"

The Doctor answered back at Noah, "Yes, but you think like them. You know where they are located, and you are going to help us find them." Angela yelled out a blood curtailing scream. She reached out with her fingernails and dug three long bloody scratches into the wall beside her and then fainted. "Dr. Knull," one of the orderly summoned the doctor.

"I think this patient has served her purpose, prepare the termination injection." Dr. Knull directed as he checked Angela's pulse and found it weak. The Haitian silently nodded and prepared a syringe of a clear looking liquid and injected Angela Petrelli in the upper arm. Her eyes burst open as a single tear trailed down her cheek. She opened her mouth in a great gasp of air, and exhaled a single long breath falling still, her eyes open and unblinking staring dead at the ceiling. The Haitian checked her pulse and shook his head at the Doctor.

"Excellent," Knull stated out load to no-one in particular and turned back to Noah Bennett, as the door opened to the lab. "It looks like we will not need you either, Mr. Bennett; we have captured a special that will tell us all we want to know." as the door opened and two guards rolled in a bed, with a small girl strapped to it. Noah spat out a curse as he saw was on that bed: Molly!

X-X-X

Estelle walked around her large desk as she intently glared at the video feed from the apartment of Peter Petrelli on the large center screen. She watched the screen like a large cat studying its prey. She did not want to miss a single detail. Who was at the apartment? Peter, Hiro, and Claire were still at large. She watched the door open wider and a large male hand reached past the door and searched the wall for the light switch. Estelle picked up her phone from her desk and calming spoke into the receiver, "Alert at the Petrelli apartment! I need soldiers there now! Bring the intruder to me alive."

The hand found the light switch and for a moment the camera was blinded as it adjusted to the new lighting level. When the video feed cleared she could see a man, his face turned away from the camera, looking around in the apartment. There appeared to be a child strapped to his chest. The man cautiously entered the apartment and closed the door quietly. She heard the subtle click of the door, but the man and child made no noise at all. The man looked throughout the small apartment silently checking each room. Estelle used her computer keyboard and switched from camera to camera, trying to see the man's face. "Come on, show me your face!" She shouted through her anger and frustration. She looked at her watch, "only a few minutes more…"

The man crossed the apartment to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She could see him searching the contents of the appliance for something and then, she heard, "Ahha, Noah I found some juice." The man stood tall and showed the bottle to the child in triumph, "Apple!" he said. She knew that voice, but she needed to see his face before she sent in the soldiers. She had to be sure.

The man turned towards the camera on his way to search the kitchen cabinets for a drinking glass, his face finally in full view of the camera. Estelle smiled at the screen, "Welcome home Peter" just as the living room window shattered and a gas grenade bounced off the couch and landed on the floor of the apartment, detonating with a loud boom. Estelle leaned back into her chair, steepling her fingers below her nose and watched the entertainment, "this should be fun."

X-X-X

Sylar-Peter grabbed his jacket and wrapped the material around the face and body of little Noah, as he took a deep breath before the tear gas and smoke reached the kitchen. He had to protect the little boy from the effects of the gas as best he could. He turned suddenly as the kitchen window shattered and another grenade bounced off the refrigerator door and landed on the floor at his feet. Quickly he grabbed the two canisters and tossed them into the oven and slammed the door shut. The oven was old and not air tight, it would not be able to hold the gas for very long. He had to think, someone wanted him captured! No, they wanted Peter captured. The people of the carnival massacre where here. Or was someone else attacking?

There was a pounding on the door, as someone was trying to break down the door. He was thankful he had the presence of mind to lock the door and lower the safety bar in place. Sylar-Peter pressed himself against the wall close to the door just as the center of the door caved-in and two concussion grenades were tossed into the apartment through the hole. Sylar dropped to the floor as the grenades exploded into brilliant flashes of light, and a boom that shook the entire building. Sylar-Peter's hands pressed hard against the little ears of Noah and his fingers covered the boy's eyes. He head rang with the loud concussion blast; his ears became over loaded and shut down: he was temporarily deaf. He opened his eyes and a bright white flash was scorched across his vision, he couldn't see except for dull shadows.

He lifted his face and saw through his blurred vision five shadows run past him into the apartment now filled with smoke and fire. His screams of anger and agony were lost in the shaking of the apartment from the blast. Sylar-Peter quickly felt for any forms of life from little Noah, but he only hung limp in the baby pouch. He tried to feel for a pulse, but his inexperienced hands could not find one.

Sylar-Peter stood slowly on unsteady legs; his eyes and ears just beginning to clear from the concussion grenades. The soldiers surrounded him with their weapons aimed at his chest and the child. "You are to come with us!" one soldier commanded through a face shield that protected his identity and from breathing the tear gas now flowing from the damaged oven in the kitchen. The closest soldier reached out with a stun staff and touched Sylar-Peter on the hip. The blue light from the stun staff refracted through the smoke in the apartment. Sylar-Peter howled in pain and sunk to his knees.

A second soldier jabbed him in the chest with another stun staff, and a third soldier also shocked him as he doubled over onto the floor trying to protect the limp boy of the child; Lightening from the stun staffs bounced across his body. Sylar-Peter took no action to defend himself as his body rocked by the power of the pure raw energy. The stun staff drained of their power and the soldiers tossed them to the floor and whiffs of smoke curled into the air from Sylar-Peter's hair and clothes; he turned his head to one side and glared at the soldier in charge, smiling…"my turn…"

The soldiers surrounding him lifted their weapons and fired in fear. Bullets pierced the air, and the weapons barrels flashed a bright flame, as Sylar-Peter lifted his hand palm out towards the soldiers. "No!" Sylar-Peter spoke softly as hundreds off rounds froze in the air and the weapons triggers broke. He curled his hand and the bullets gathered into a single mass still floating in the air, and then he pushed his hand at a leader of the soldiers.

Hundreds of bullets riddled the man's body and the soldier dropped to the floor a ripped apart mass of flesh and bones. Sylar-Peter lifted his other hand and second soldier was was lifted off the floor as Sylar-Peter cupped his hand and tightened down on the man's throat. He then flung the man backwards through the closest window to his death several floors below. Sylar-Peter then turned as a soldier swung two stun staffs and smashed Sylar-Peter across the face and shoulders. The soldier crashed down upon his enemy's body, as Sylar-Peter deftly grabbed one of the staffs and pulled the staff suddenly towards him, and grabbed the man around the throat. "I don't need one of these, let me show you the light," Sylar-Peter smiled as the soldier lit up with crackling blue energy. He dropped the soldier to the floor still shaking from the convulsive energy, leaving little more than a crusted and burnt body, wafting with curling smoke.

One of the two remaining soldiers drew a long knife and jumped at Sylar-Peter. His warrior cries echoing throughout the small apartment. Sylar-Peter did not move, as he pulled with his mind the refrigerator from the kitchen through the dividing wall, and through the air crushing the soldier under its great weight, against the far wall of the apartment. The man groaned as his hand opened and the knife dropped out of his grip to the floor.

The last Soldier shouted a warrior cry and jumped on Sylar-Peters back before he could react; plunging the knife into Sylar-Peter's back. Sylar-Peter looked over his shoulder, and into the soldiers face mask shield "Ouch, that hurt!" and with one mental push lifted the soldier into the air and pinned the man to the ceiling. Sylar-Peter's face was bloody. He glared at the soldier and pulled out the knife Sylar-Peter directed his attentions to the little boy in his care, and checked again on little Noah for a pulse. "You OK boy? Come on kid I need you to wake up?" Baby Noah was still listless and did not respond. Sylar-Peter panicked and hastily pulled Noah from the carry pouch. He laid baby Noah on the couch and tried to check for a pulse once more. Baby Noah still did not respond.

As Sylar-Peter attention was focused on the child, and his thoughts drifted from the soldier pinned the ceiling: the last soldier dropped to the floor with a thud. The soldier staggered to his feet and made a break for the door, as emergency sirens could be heard in the background growing louder, and drawing closer. Just as the soldier reached the door, Sylar-Peter mentally forced the man into the wall, face first. He redirected his furry at the attacker and flipped the soldier onto the dinning table, grabbing the knife from the man's hand and thrust it deep into the soldiers shoulder. Piercing the shoulder of the soldier and embedding the knife into the table.

Sylar-Peter his anger was boiling, as he twisted the knife to the left and right to have the maximum pain inflicted, "Who sent you! Why do you want me?" He grabbed the soldier's collar and pulled his face close to his own, "What do you want with me?"

"Hello Peter," a voice said from the room, "He will not answer you" Sylar-Peter slammed the head of the soldier back onto the table, and looked around. The soldier took his queue from the voice and bit down on something hidden in his mouth. Sylar-Peter caught the movement through the corner of his eye, and his micro hearing picked up on the cracking sound of the pill the man bit down upon. "Agh!" Sylar-Peter bellowed in frustration. He ignored the voice and jumped toward the soldier. With one hand he pried open the man's mouth and with his other hand reached in the man's mouth trying to find the pill. He needed the man alive to find out who and what this is all about. The soldier's eyes rolled back into his skull and his body fell into convulsions of death from the self inflicted poison. Sylar-Peter grabbed the man's face in both hands and reached out with his memory reading ability, as dribbles of foam flowed at the corner of the man's mouth. There were no memories to grab, the man was dead.

Sylar-Peter calmly wiped his hands clean on the soldier's uniform, "Hello?" Sylar-Peter replied coyly back to the open room, and the mysterious voice. "Thank you for calling, no one is home right now. Please leave a message after the beep.…"

Estelle in her office spoke to Sylar-Peter through the microphone, "Peter let's not play games. I am very impressed on how you handled my men" on the display camera, Sylar-Peter found the camera lens and looked directly into the video feed "Who are you, and what do you want?" Estelle stared at the screen "I am death and you are my next victim" Sylar-Peter reached forward and yanked the camera from its hiding place and pulled it close to his face as he deliberately changed back into Sylar Gray. There is the sound of a baby crying in the background. "Hello Death, Meet your worst nightmare."

Sylar reached into his mind and sent a blast of energy through the video feed. Estelle visibly shaken to the sudden change in the game and leaned closer to the video display to confirm what she was seeing "Sylar!" she gasped. He was supposed to have died at the carnival, when all the video displays screens in her office explode; sending her flying over her desk into unconsciousness as the base alarms blared.

X-X-X

Sylar dropped the camera and turned back to baby Noah. The boy was crying. His heart exploded with joy. He rushed to the infant and gently picked him up into his arms. "You scared me kid, I don't like being scared. When you get older I will have to teach you to mind your elders better." Sylar hugged the boy, and deep inside he was amazed at his feelings of paternal protection. "So this is how Big Noah feels about Claire? I need to give him more credit." Sylar stooped to grab the Baby bag, as he heard sounds in the hallway of many running feet.

"In there officer, it sounds like an all out war!" a voice in the hallway called out. "Time to go," Sylar exclaimed as he shoved the Apple juice container into baby bag and with Baby Noah in his arms and stepped toward one of the broken windows.

X-X-X

The alarm blared and red emergency lights began to flash, Noah Bennett's mind was in overdrive as he lay helpless and strapped to the surgical bed. He looked around taking in all the details. Angela Petrelli's lifeless form a shadowy ghost in the alternating red light and darkness of the room. Dr. Knull rushed to the intercom phone to call security to learn about the alarms and the explosion they just heard. The Orderlies were moving quickly this way and that gathering their equipment in some sort of emergency protocol. The Guards with Molly paused in the doorway, not sure what to do.

A warm hand passed a cold canister into his hand, there is a quiet click as a pin is pulled. Noah Bennett looked to the giver of the grenade and the Haitian quickly dove over the body of Molly to protect her from the coming blast.

With limited ability due to his restraints, Noah tossed the grenade at the feet of Dr. Knull. There is a bright light and explosion. Noah was tossed to the floor, trapped under the bed that restrained him. For a moment he saw nothing just a white light and then darkness. When his medical bed was righted, Angela Petrelli knelt at his side pulling at his bonds to free him from the straps "You old witch, nice acting, you deserve an Oscar!" Noah grumbled as he struggled free to his feet. The Haitian and Molly join them, "We need to go…now" The Haitian demanded grabbing Molly and Angela's hands leading the small group through the door and a hope of freedom.

X-X-X

Peter Petrelli listened intently at the double basement doors. He could no longer hear anyone outside, and being it was still early in the morning on Christmas day he was hoping for no one to stumble upon them as they tried to escape. "We need to get out of here fast. I think they are gone." Peter whispered to Claire over his shoulder. Dust and dirt reigned down upon them as they could hear people in the house above walking around.

"Claire, do you remember if there were any windows on this side of the building?" Peter asked as he wiggled his index finger through the small space between the double doors. "I think there was one window near the front of the house, but not any that would see the basement doors directly." Claire whispered back as she squatted next to Peter close to the doors. "Good," Peter mumbled to himself.

There was a flash and the lock on the outside of the door burst open from Peter's energy pulse. He slowly and silently lifted the door open and helped Claire out of the basement and the two of them pressed up against the side of the house. "We need to get back to the barn," Peter said. "If Hiro can return, then he will return to the same place he left us. He is our only hope of getting back to the present."

Claire looked to their left and to their right. The area around them was deserted. She could see the road which they walked in on, and a few houses along the path. One house she could see had a clothes line attached to the side of the house and a large tree. Clothes fluttered in the early morning breeze. "I have an idea!" Claire grabbed her Uncle's hand and pulled him into the brush near the house and they made their way through the bushes until they were next to the clothes line.

X-X-X

Alarms blared, red lights flashed, her head was hurting, and blood, broken glass, and pain were the first few thoughts that passed through Estelle's mind as she staggered to her feet. "Sylar!" Estelle cursed under her breath, as there is pounding on the office door. Her office is a mess. The screens were all destroyed. Shards of monitor screen plastic were embedded into the wooden desk sticking out in odd angles. The blast had sent her over the desk and to the floor, saving her life.

Estelle pressed the release button, for the door, from her desk. "I'm OK" She barked as the first guard in the room tried to help her to her feet, "report!" she demanded. The guard answered, "The patients have escaped, we have been compromised, and the local authorities are on their way according the emergency radio bands"

"Prepare to depart immediately." Estelle ordered "Yes Ma-am!" the guards ran from the office on their errand. Estelle took a cloth and wiped the blood from her face and then she slammed her palms down on the desk in frustration "Blast! What else could go wrong today?" RING!

X-X-X

Peter and Claire walked down the road dressed as a gentleman and lady of the period. Arm in arm they walked as if out for an early morning stroll on Christmas morning. Claire smiled to a passing buggy and rider, as if her escort had just told her a funny joke. But as the buggy passed, Peter's seriousness causes Claire's laughter to fade, "We need to get back fast. Every minute we are here we could change the future. We could accidentally change the past and we mite never even be born. We could by accident save the life of the future murder of our parents, or accidentally cause the death of a major person in history, and America could never have it revolution." Claire was now more serious herself and walked closer to Peter, afraid to even step on a bug, or erase a foot print from the dust in the street.

When the reached the barn, they stood off a few yards to make sure they were not being followed. The Sun was still low in the morning sky. The barn looked like it had not been disturbed since they had left it. The clearing the barn stood in was picturesque. There were several trees that shaded the clearing and allowed rays of glittering sunshine to pass through that butterflies and dragon flies from the small creak that ran past, danced through. Claire wrapped her arms around Peter's arm and sighed, a soft wish as she rested her head on her uncle's shoulder for just a moment taking in the view. "All it needs is a swing hanging in the shade, and I would be happy for a few minutes."

Peter smiled as he scanned the road in both directions, everything looked clear. "Let's go, we need to get inside the barn." The pair ran across the grass and through the barn door in a dash. If at this time trespassing was a capital offense, they needed to be careful. Not that they would be able to be put to death, but that Peter did not want anyone to know they could not die.

Peter locked the door and leaned against the barn doors with a sigh as Claire walked over and plopped down on a pile of hay. "Aaagh…dibs on the hay tonight, you get the chair." She pointed at a pigeon dung covered old chair in the corner of a horse stall across the barn from them. Claire rolled over onto her stomach, "You know Peter; if we didn't have to get back to our family, if would be almost OK to live here in this time."

Peter jumped into the air and flew to the rafters of the barn, high above her and sat on an old box, looking out an old window. He was high enough, that he could see back into town and watch the road for over a mile in both directions for the most part. "It is a nice time; we might get stuck here if Hiro can't get back to save us."

"What do you think happened at the Carnival?" Claire reached her lower arm behind her to loosen her dress buckles, "Do you think they were reacting to me jumping off the Farris wheel? Am I the cause for so many people dieing?" Peter did not look at Claire, but spoke over his shoulder to her, "Claire, I do not think your one action is the reason we are here, and so many people have died. But, you are young and need to realize that life is not all about you." He turned his head and looked at her directly, "we all have a life and loved ones that we want to keep safe. Now we might not ever see them again."

Suddenly Hiro Nakumara appeared in mid-air, and dropped like a rock onto Claire. He was bloody and more dead than alive; moaning "save me" Peter flew through the air toward Hiro and Claire, but just before he could reach them, they vanished into time. Peter's hand passed right through the space where they had been. Peter stumbled backwards on unsteady feet and dropped to his knees, "No!."

***IF YOU ENJOY THE STORY SO FAR – PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK***