Sorry for the slow update again...I really need to get better about this... Enjoy! And don't forget to review!

~Limited Empathy

Social Politics

Chapter 6 - "The Ties That Bind"

Peter found himself in a fog. He was vaguely aware of his body, but he couldn't seem to make it move. The last thing he remembered was Sylar throwing him against the wall in his cell. Suddenly, he felt a pain somewhere around his mouth. He heard a voice. It was faint, but calling his name.

"Peter…"

The voice was familiar, but he was so groggy that he couldn't quite place who it was. He felt someone shaking his face. The fog began to lift, and he recognized none other than Sylar standing above him! Peter tried to react, but he still felt weak.

Sylar began undoing the straps that held Peter to the table. "Peter, you need to come with me." He undid the last strap. "Peter."

"Where am I? What are you doing?" Peter asked, feeling his strength coming back quickly.

"I need your help." Sylar said, finally freeing Peter of his bonds.

Peter jumped from the table and scrambled to put something between him and his enemy. "Get away from me!" He yelled. He weaved around, the table between him and Sylar.

"No, no, no, no, no." Sylar said, trying to reassure him. "I'm not gonna to hurt you."

Peter glared at him. "You already did. You gave me this Hunger. You made me a monster." His voice was accusing. "Now I can't control it. I'm just like you."

"I don't want to be that anymore. I'm trying to be different." Sylar said, breathing hard. "I think I can control it, and if I can, then so can you."

Peter paced as he listened. His mind making the connection between Sylar's words and the future he had seen. "When I saw you in the future, you," He paused. "You changed." He stepped toward Sylar. "You found a way to suppress it. How?"

Sylar was still breathing heavily, struggling to hold back his own Hunger. "I don't know. But just knowing that I figure it out, just believing it's a possibility, gives me hope."

"I don't want hope." Peter hissed. "I want it gone."

"This isn't about you and me." Sylar said. "I woke you because your mother's in trouble…our mother."

Anger flashed across Peter's face. He couldn't stand hearing Sylar refer to her as "our" mother. He didn't want to believe it. But Angela had hid so many secrets before. Maybe it was possible…

"Follow me." Sylar said, leading the way to the cell door. He pushed it open.

Peter grunted in frustration when he realized that the door had been unlocked the whole time. He followed Sylar out of the cell.

Sylar was silent through most of the walk. Primatech seemed to be deserted, but Peter was still worried. "Wait, Syl-" He corrected himself at Sylar's glare. "Gabriel. Someone might see us. I can make us invisible."

"There's no need." Sylar said. "You're Angela's son. No one knows about our little incident, besides Bennet, our mother, and the doctor who patched you up. Your presence isn't out of the ordinary."

"And yours?" Peter asked. "How are you going to explain why a serial killer is roaming the halls?"

Sylar turned on Peter and slammed him into the wall. "Don't call me that! I'm trying to change!"

"Yeah, well, your reputation precedes you." Peter gasped.

Sylar's eyes widened as he realized he was losing control. "I'm sorry, Peter." He let go of him. "I know what you mean. I've been working as an agent, recently. I'll just say I am on assignment with you."

"Sounds like a plan." Peter said. They continued toward the infirmary wing of the facility. Finally, Sylar turned into a room. Peter followed. They found Angela lying on a hospital bed. She was hooked up to an IV drip and several monitors, which beeped steadily.

Sylar walked to the bedside, while Peter hung back in shock. "What happened…" He asked quietly.

"I don't know. Sylar answered. "I found her like this. She's in some kind of a coma." He reached out for her hand and held it gently.

Peter watched, a slight fascination rising in him as he watched Sylar's actions. "You're worried." He observed. "You actually care about her." He joined Sylar at the bedside.

"She's my mother too, Peter." Sylar reminded him. He stepped in front of Peter again. "She's the only person who ever accepted me for what I am." He gazed down at Angela. "I should have protected her." He turned to Peter, desperate. "You have to look inside of her head. We've got to find out what's wrong."

Peter eyed Sylar suspiciously, still not able to bring himself to trust him. He took a tentative step toward the bed, then leaned over Angela and focused his mind on entering hers.

Once inside, he found his mother lying on the same bed, but awake. "Hello Peter. You've come for answers. All I can show you is this." She picked up a clipboard and pen from the table next to the bed and quickly drew a symbol.

Peter was only able to stare at it for a moment before Angela's mind slammed close, forcefully casting him out. He staggered back, holding his forehead.

"What did you see?" Sylar asked.

Peter took a few deep breaths, then went to the bedside table and picked up the very same clipboard and pen. He drew what he had seen on the paper. Two "S" shapes that crossed, with two lines connecting them at the top and bottom – a double helix.

"I've seen this before." Peter said as he held up the drawing for Sylar to see.

Sylar looked closer at it. "So have I." He said. He reached into the pocket of his prisoner's garb and pulled out the business card a girl had broken in to give him earlier. On it was printed the same symbol - one green 'S' and one white, lying sideways on a blue background. Next to it, the word "Pinehearst" was spelled out in large letters, below that the word "Company" in smaller letters. There was also an address.

Peter and Sylar exchanged glances.

"That's where we have to go." Peter said angrily. He turned to leave, but Sylar caught his shoulder.

"Let's make a plan first. Whoever did this-"

"Look at us! We're invincible! We don't need a plan!" Peter exclaimed. "I'm going now. Whoever did this is going to pay."

"At least get some civilian clothes first." Sylar said.

(=

-)

Holly flipped through the channels aimlessly. She was bored. She had given up on not eating Nathan's food because she wasn't about to starve. Besides, if Gabriel was rehabilitated, she would be able to come out of hiding soon. That thought made her smile. She would be very happy to have him back in her life.

Holly had also given up on the litter box. She just couldn't bring herself to use it, and now that Nathan had disappeared, she figured it would be a bad idea to use it now, since she would just have to change it herself, anyway.

She wondered what would happen if she went for a walk. Or maybe just went out on the balcony. But, a voice in her head told her that both were bad ideas. Just showing herself outside could cause problems for the senator and herself.

Nathan was beginning to intrigue her. She had only spent a few hours with him, but he seemed to be a good person stuck in a cutthroat job. However, he seemed to like it! She picked up the photo from the table. "And who are you?" She asked aloud, looking at the man beside Nathan. She felt an instinctive connection with him, even just looking at the picture. She wished she could know why. Then a thought struck her. If the family was involved with specials, maybe there were specials in the family as well. "Are you one of us?" She whispered.

She wanted to find out more about this stranger, but Nathan's apartment was still missing many of his most personal belongings. In fact, the photograph on the coffee table was the only one in the whole place. She was boxed in; completely cut off from the outside world. She sighed. How long would it be before she was free again?

(=

-)

Nathan's eyes slowly opened. At first, he didn't know where he was, but the memories came back quickly. "Suresh's injection…" He thought.

There were straps around his wrists. He shifted a bit, and felt other straps restraining his legs and torso. His shirt lay open, and he could feel a slight chill. There was one light on in the room. It was a very large floodlight in a metal case which was shining on Nathan.

"You're awake."

Nathan tensed at the sound of Suresh's voice.

"You can relax, Nathan. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Like hell, you're not going to hurt me!" Nathan snarled. "Why else would you have me strapped to an examination table?"

Suresh appeared over him with a small light, and shined it in Nathan's eyes. "You want answers?" He clicked the light off. "So do I." He retreated from the table, and Nathan could hear him doing something on a counter behind his head.

"How's Tracy?"

"She's fine, Nathan. Now, I need you to focus on what we're doing." Suresh answered.

Nathan struggled against the straps, hoping that maybe he could at least loosen them. But, they were too tight. He relaxed in defeat. There was absolutely nothing he could do.

Suresh returned with a syringe and a rubber tie. "I'm going to draw some blood now."

Nathan felt Suresh's cold hand on the inside of his arm. He shifted, but Suresh kept a firm hold on him. "Stop moving." He demanded.

Suddenly, they both heard a rapping from somewhere outside the room.

"Keep quite." Suresh ordered.

Nathan heard the doctor's footsteps fade away. He heard the sound of a door opening. Suresh seemed annoyed at whoever it was.

He heard a groan from somewhere near his feet. At the same instant, he heard someone enter the room.

"Help us…." Came Tracy's weak voice.

Nathan lifted his head slightly and saw a young woman standing in the doorway. There was a look of shock and horror on her face. Their eyes met for an instant, and then she was gone. Who would save them now?

(=

-)

Peter opened the door to Angela's office.

"What are we doing?" Sylar asked, following behind him.

Peter went straight for a dark wardrobe opposite the windows. When he opened it, he found their clothes hanging up inside. He grabbed his own clothes, then thrust Sylar's at him. "Hurry and put these on."

It only took them a few moments to make the switch. Peter shoved their gray prisoner's garb into the wardrobe and strode out of the room. Sylar hurried to catch up with him.

Peter rounded a corner in the hall, his strides long and purposeful.

"Peter, don't." Sylar said. "You're in no condition to go to Pinehearst."

Peter wasn't about to stop. "They spread abilities; cause the end of the world. They did this to her."

Sylar looked concerned. "Well, I want revenge for what they did to Mom, too-"

"Stop calling her that!" Peter ordered.

Sylar finally overtook him and stood in front of him.

Peter stopped. "You are not my family." He hissed, pointing at Sylar.

Sylar stood his ground. "What you took from me – my ability – I've lived with it. The need for power will consume you." His voice took on a grave note. "It will control you."

"Get out of my way." Peter demanded.

"No. I'm your brother. You have got to listen to me. You need help."

"I don't need anything from you!" Peter yelled, anger distorting his features. He lunged at Sylar, and took flight, pushing him through a set of doors and down the hall. He rammed the stunned Sylar into the wall at the end of the hall.

Sylar thrust his hand out, using his mind to throw Peter off of him. Peter hit the floor and skidded a few feet.

"I'm not going to let you leave, Peter." Sylar said, staggering to his feet. "I've been down that path. It's too dangerous!"

Peter got to his knees, his frustration building. He shot a bolt of blue electricity from his hand.

The current blasted Sylar, pinning him to the wall and temporarily paralyzing him.

Peter jumped up, keeping the charge at full blast and rushed toward him. Just in front of him, Peter stopped the electrical onslaught and punched Sylar across the face.

Sylar fell to the floor, and Peter grabbed him by the shirt collar. He towered over the defeated killer. "You're too weak to stop me." He said, and punched him again. "I know what it feels like now." He lashed out again. "All this power."

Sylar braced himself as another blow hit him in the head.

Peter leaned in to Sylar's face. "I'm the most special." He growled, and took one final shot at the man he held. He released the collar and stood over him for a moment. Then, he knelt, and placed his hand on him. In an instant, they were back in Peter's cell.

Peter hoisted Sylar onto the table and strapped him down. "You didn't deserve my mother's favor." He hissed. He grabbed the tube that had been stuck in his own nose earlier. He threaded it into Sylar's nose, the flipped on the switch to turn on the machine that delivered the sedative drug. He straightened, and made one last tug on the straps, then hurriedly strode from the room. He closed the door telekinetically as he disappeared down the hall.