Wow, Amazing reviews. I got some great feedback and some constructive advice. Thanks to everyone.
This chapter is violent, so some may consider it MA. The language is a bit intense at moments too.
This is my first time writing some action sequences, so I am trying!
I love you all so much!
Claire awoke the next morning, and found her heart was already pounding at the thought of starting her short, intense training. There was her chance to truly showcase that she can be a hero, once again. Claire stepped on to the cold, almost frozen ground. It was about 6 in the morning. The air was crisp and chill. She stretched her body out, even if She didn't need to, and shook off her nerves. Claire was ready to take on whatever this Military force threw at her. The cold can't stop her now. She jumped into a quick shower, barely feeling the cold, and making sure she was as clean as possible. The idea of rolling around in the dirt was appealing to her, but she also knew once this War does begin, she was going to have less time to shower. Don't take a shower for granted.
Claire searched through the tiny pile of clothes that she was given at the start of her stay. A pair of black, stretchy yoga pants caught her eye. The clothing would give her flexibility and not make her sweat heavy. It clung to her legs and stopped just above the knee. Claire debated between a yellow t-shirt and a light, long-sleeved shirt with a deep red color. Claire choose the red over the yellow.
She knew she was going to bleed today. She didn't need to show it off to the rest of the camp. Her invincibility made people angry...maybe jealous? No one saw it as a curse. She slipped on her pair of black sneakers with black ankle socks. The same shoes from the thrift store.
It seemed like a year ago since they had been in that store. Peter leaning on her, brushing off Sylar, and learning that Rene could speak more than five sentences. It had been a month since their whole world had fallen apart in merely two days. Claire sighed. Checked her face in the mirror. Her hair was a darker color with the dye that Emma had found in one of the shipments of Medical Supplies. Claire played with her ponytail for a moment.
She hated the color.
Claire stepped out into the brisk, cool morning again and began to make her way toward the training field. She passed quiet campsites, some with children's toys, some with wheelchairs. Elderly, children, families...all forced together. Claire took in the still of the Camp. Maybe a thousand people were fast asleep in their tents. She passed the Medical Tent, that was eerily dark this morning, as if it was waiting for causalities. Claire had a sinking feeling as she passed it. That place was going to be very busy.
Claire made her way into the back opening of the camp. Passing the hay where she slammed Sylar in the crotch. The training field was misty with a morning cloud. It was clear, but a slight fog rested just above the ankle. The training field looked larger to her all of a sudden, compared to last night's trek towards the limited section. Claire determined it was the size of maybe two football fields? Her cheerleading skills were slightly helpful at points. Claire walked toward the middle of the field. Ahead of her, she found a crowd of people forming. It looked like the ages ranged from 15 to 65 years old. All different races, heights, and body types. Claire watched another crowd emerging from the Limited Section, a bit more rowdy than the other group. They groaned loudly, still laughing about who drank what the night before. Hangovers and broken prides sung through the group. Claire spotted Logan and Meg, at the same time that they had noticed her. They were dressed in black sweatpants and gray t-shirts. Did they always match before? Claire kicked herself for not paying attention to the signs of the two of them being a couple. She started to walk towards them.
Logan met her half-way...giving her his very sheepish look...as always.
"Hey, I'm sorry about last night. We had a bit too much to drink-"
Claire cut him off.
"It's cool. Seriously, I didn't want to interrupt. You guys obviously have something going on. And I am happy that you guys can enjoy some less depressing moments in this place. Please, don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for."
Logan flashed his million-dollar smile.
"I knew you'd be cool. Meg thought you liked me or something."
"Meg's got you all to herself. I just need friends."
Logan nodded. She heard more movement coming from the main camp. International groups were emerging at different parts. Claire wondered how large the Special force was at this point.
Claire finally noticed the Commanders huddling up with each other. They stood on the sidelines of the training flied, on a platform, only about two feet off the ground. Claire couldn't find Peter but noticed Peter and Sylar chatting off to the side, off the platform. Claire felt Logan tap her shoulder and walk over to a group that was meeting and greeting each other. She walked over to the group, which turned out to be the rest of the Medical Battlefield members. They stationed themselves at the back of enormous force that had started forming. The soldiers pushed forward towards the platform, with hushed voices. Claire's group best place was to be at the back. Logan told her to take in faces, remember them. Know who you will need to help in battle. Claire tried to focus on the faces, but was too distracted by the conversation by Peter and Sylar. Peter was explaining something that was very serious to Sylar, who had his arms crossed. Sylar was intently staring at the ground that was beyond Peter. He was listening intently to what Peter was saying as well. Peter looked exhausted, but extremely animate about what he was saying to Sylar. Sylar's body language was really strange to Claire. He was shifting around, like he didn't know what to do. Claire would die for super-hearing at this point. Sylar said something to Peter, but the look on his face expressed concern? There was no venom being thrown at one another. Claire was baffled. Peter just shrugged at whatever Sylar had said. He turned to leave, but Sylar grabbed his arm. Claire stiffened up. The whole army was about to see a mega showdown. But the grab was the least aggressive contact the two have shared, at least that Claire had seen, and Peter did not recoil away from it. Peter clapped Sylar on the back and whispered something to him. With that, Sylar nodded and Peter turned away. Peter jumped on to the Platform, Sylar slinking to the back of the platform. The two stared intensely into the army, silencing any discussions or talking. Claire wished she seen how Peter and Sylar had scared this army into fearing them. Both of them, had instantly became Commanders in their body language and voices once they hit the stage. It was a role they played very well.
Peter was wearing a green, military style pair of pants with a gray tank-top. Sylar wore a black and gray buttoned up dress shirts and dark jeans. He even had on semi-nice boots.
What an Ass. Claire thought. Thinks he is so Good, he won't get dirty.
Finally, the entire crowd was together and Claire realized there were probably two thousand people mingling in the training field. She couldn't believe this many people fit in the camp. But she really never explored it too heavily.
Peter hollered out to the group.
"You know how this starts. Two laps. Stragglers will be made to do three laps after Lunch."
Almost in an instant, The entire crowd started to jog toward the other side of the training field. They were going to run counter-clockwise around the camp. Claire found the running to be pretty easy. She may have short legs, but her ability gave her endurance. Meg, who was similar in her height, attached to her side. Meg guided her to the path that the entire group squeezed into. People ran in pairs to in a uniform fashion. Claire watched her fellow runners. Memorizing faces, faces she hoped she could save later. By the middle of lap one around the camp, which was tripled in size since she first arrived, the crowd had broken down into three groups. Four, if you included the speedsters, who were finished before Claire could exit the Training Field.
Claire watched Logan sprint ahead, determined to beat Felix at their own personal challenge. The two jostled one another, laughing as they made a stern looking man fall in a puddle of mud. Meg began to sing out loud as they ran. Enjoying her own singing more when she was annoying some of the fellow runners. "This Love has taking its toll on me. She said goodbye too many times before." Claire could not keep her laughs under wraps.
Claire realized her friends were really enjoying the process before War. She wondered if they were excited for this War? Or was it the honesty they had in their lives now that they enjoyed.
The path around the camp shifted from Flatland, to a Woods-like path, but back to a Flatland. The camp was never far from sight and Claire could swear she had never been awake this early to see this jog. Meg continued to belt out Maroon Five, but silenced herself when they passed through the other end of the training field.
The Commanders watched everyone jogging. Rene and Hiro had clipboards, and were jotting down any notes passed along to them from the other Commanders. They must be judging them on their speed. Seeing who would go where when it came to a fight. It was smart, don't put the slow folks in the front to slow down the faster folks. Claire saw this as a challenge in a way. With that, she picked her speed up, passing by Meg. Meg just started to hum loudly and laugh. Claire found her legs begin to burn, but would felt relief after she would push through the pain. Pain felt like a numbness to Claire now. She wished she could feel the intensity of her legs. Claire slinked passed Logan and Felix, who were tiring. Logan swore loudly at her. Claire giggled.
As Claire exited the Training Field, she glanced over her shoulder to see how massive the group of people looked when running. Many were falling behind, but Claire found herself keeping up with the top 10% of the group. These people looked like former military and naturally fast people. Claire passed through the woodland area, taking in the smell. The trees were so comforting compared to the flatland. Claire pushed herself harder when she could see the Training Field in the distance, feeling sweat pour from her forehead. She crossed the marker, and looked at Hiro, who smiled at her. She knew not to approach him, doing so would cross rank lines. Claire knew she had to respect that. Claire and maybe 40 people waited for the rest of the force to finish the warm up. It took about an hour for Claire to finish the laps, she guessed to herself.
Logan finished not long after her and the two of them walked back to their original spot where they first started to jog. Logan collapsed on the ground, adjusting his shoes and breathing hard. Claire stayed standing, the feeling of being tired had passed when she crossed the marker.
"Are you ready for the rest of the day?"
"Yup, whats the first thing we do?"
"The force splits in half and faces each other, We get chosen for one side. People get injured. We have to help them. Mid-battle." Logan was short on words, he was breathing hard.
Claire nodded.
"We'll be up against bullets though. In the real thing."
"I think they know that, but I think its harder to dodge telekinesis or force fields than bullets. I mean when I hit a guy with a fireball, I think he wishes it was bullets."
"Don't they have weapons that can remove our abilities?"
"Peter said a couples days ago that they were coming up with a plan to deal with that. Plus Sylar trained the other telekinesis specials to unarm and pull apart weapons."
Claire pulled her hair out to adjust her flipped it down and back up and pulled it back into a ponytail. What was Peter's plan? Back in the day she'd be the first to know. She caught Peter staring at her. He looked conflicted. She growled underneath her breath. What was she doing now that was so awful? She looked down at Logan and struck up a useless conversation about running shoes. Claire wanted to shake off Peter's stare.
The rest of the force finally started to finish up and the Commanders began to divide them up. Hiro pointed to people and the direction of the field to wait. Claire was relieved to be on the side that Logan was on. Meg was placed on the other side with Felix and June. The couple looked at one another with flirty eyes.
"I'm going to kick your ass."
"You wish, Sweetheart."
Meg flipped her hair as she made her way to her side. Claire felt like punching her and shook her jealousy away. Claire walked with Logan, who introduced her two body building looking Specials. They held four med-packs.
"Guys, this is Claire. Noob to our field, but she's got talent."
The other medical team members merely grunted at her. Logan grabbed a med-pack for her and explained what was in it. Her name was on it.
"We have stitches, gauze, wrap, skin glue, elastic bands, syringes... looks like they gave you a few extra. Adrenaline, scissors, tape etc...standard stuff. Maybe there is morphine come the big day where it all becomes real. Ease people in suffering."
Claire took the pack and gave it a quick glance.
The force pushed to different sides of the Training Field, finally completely divided. Claire found it to be a little strange to be in such an open space and face each other in such a traditional fashion. It was so 1776.
Peter ended up being her forces Head Commander, Edgar on the other side.
"Team B, I want you to look to your left and right. Decide if you want to be near the person next to you. Ask them their power...see how you can utilize it as a team."
Claire looked at Logan and he flicked a tiny flame at her. They grinned at one another. She could use his defensive skills. Claire turned to her right to a 15 year old boy, who looked like he was about to puke. He wore a South Park shirt and long-jean shorts. Claire felt even worse for him, especially seeing those style of shorts. He flexed his hands and they began to stretch. He then was able to harden his limbs to stone. Like creating a rubbery hammer.
"So Stretch Armstrong...you could probably do some damage back here? Don't need to move a muscle."
Claire lightened his mood and boosted his confidence in one swift move. She shifted back to Logan. Both sides were very still. A hush had fallen over the field.
Peter shouted over them.
"I want all force fields up front. Telekinesis and Wind power. Any ability that creates a wall. Behind them, Power strikers need to be in place. Medical Team, mingle in the middle. At this point, you know your place. Do what you've been trained to do. Use each other. No-over kill. Our healers still need to prep for long days ahead. Don't need them to be drained."
Peter faced the opposing group and flexed his hands.
He was taking part in the session as a physical presence too.
There was a pause as Edgar turned to face Peter. The two seemed set to square off. Set an example.
Both groups were ready, but neither made a move.
Edgar spoke first and barked some orders. 50 people sprang out of the opposing group. He followed with them, with his speed and knives. Peter held his ground, playing the defensive front. The entire side shifted to defensive positions, naturally or trained.
"Fields in 1...2...Now!"
As Peter yelled now, Edgar cut him across the face. He had reached Peter before the Shields went up. But after the cut Edgar was thrown back from an unseen force, along with about 30 of his people. The force fields had shot out of a line of people in the front line. They had dropped to one knee and joined hands. It created a conjoined force field that was able to push the coming force about 20 feet. Claire pushed through the crowd and grabbed Peter by the collar, forcing him within the crowd.
Peter barked orders while she dragged him.
"Disable them with Strike force!"
He was pulling away from Claire, focused on the battle.
The cut ran diagonal across Peter's face.
The Strike force of 60 people surged forward the instant Peter called for them. Fireballs, Electrical balls, and Water spurts pushed back the group of Edgar's first strike. It was an overwhelming force to see.
Claire whipped a syringe out of her pack and drew her own blood. She went to inject Peter, but he stopped her. He looked her in the eyes. She knew that look from Union High School. When they first met...Peter had told her that there was life after High School. That it would get better. His face was soft, underneath the blood that was slowly pouring out. He needed a battle wound. Claire could never showcase her scars.
He could.
"Claire, leave it. I am fine. I like the pain."
She understood that need for pain. To feel Human.
Claire released him from her grasp. She felt a sudden relief about her and Peter.
Claire was almost knocked down by a middle-aged woman, who had been thrown back from the fighting. The woman had landed at her feet practically, a distance of 50 feet. She was on fire and Claire needed to aid her on being put out. She helped the woman roll around on the ground and stamped the fire out with her bare hands. The woman merely whimpered from her wounds. The burns started from the knees to the upper chest.
Peter surged forward to front, aiding the battle that had begun to ensue on the Training Field. He threw what look to be a ball of energy, right into the middle of Edgar's chest. It blew Edgar back into three people, knocking them down. Claire stuck the needle of her blood into the woman, allowing her burns to heal. The woman looked over her body, confused by the disappearance of pain, and then smiled at Claire.
Claire helped her up and the woman was right back into the scrap. The woman began her reentrance to battling by throwing a young, Asian boy into small vortex. A small vortex then appeared 40 feet above the battle. The boy fell through the second Vortex and landed with a hard crack. Claire made a move to aid him. Logan appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her.
"Not our team, he'll get help."
As he said that, Meg had sprinted to the side of the boy with June, who began to heal him. Meg deflected and defended June's actions with her dark sparks and even some hand to hand combat. Peter's forces began to push forward. Line by Line each force was called forward to battle off Edgar's lines.
Bodies were being thrown around, even a few explosions. Claire couldn't believe this was TRAINING. The intensity of the fighting felt very real. She did notice that some Specials fought each other with hard emotion. People were taking out their frustration out on one another.
Claire found herself at Logan's side. He had a good direction to where to go, who to treat first and where to wait.
Claire attended to the boy with the Stretch ability, he had advanced a little too soon and had electricity burns all over his face, arms and legs. He laid to the far left of the field. He had been dragged there by Peter, who cursed at him about taking on Specials with multiply abilities. Claire knew he was talking about Sylar. Claire drew her blood and stuck it into the boy's side. He screamed in pain and cried hysterically...even after his wounds had healed. But as she looked up from him, she found the two groups had completely engulfed one another into battle. She turned to leave the boy, who grabbed her arm, stopping her to go.
"Please, don't go."
Claire suddenly felt a coldness creep over her.
"This is the fake shit, Kid. Wait till this gets real. And I won't always be here to save you."
With that, Claire yanked her arm away and ran head first into the fight. Claire searched to aid anyone, unable to tell the difference in teams at this point. People were fighting each other with half-abilities, half-hand to hand training.
Claire was almost in a daze as she stitched up a head wound on a man who was around her Father's age. He was not in danger of dying, but she needed to practice her stitching. It took her 20 seconds to complete. He seemed just vaguely annoyed by the wound, but He gave her a grateful look when she finished. She prevented blood from pouring into his face. He turned away from her and used his super strength to take five of guys down.
Claire chuckled to herself. A little blood prevents a Super Strength from functioning?
As Claire turned to look for more people to aid, she noticed that the ground had brought up a lot of dust. It was extremely smokey and harder to see. The sun was high in the sky. How many hours had they been training? Claire squinted to make out shapes of anyone she knew. She heard a voice ring out.
"Blondie."
With that voice, Claire dropped to the ground and heard a few knives whiz by her head. She had dodged a few knives from Edgar, who had been running all over the place before. He was trying to test his soldiers as best he could. He looked messy and bloody, but in his element. He had set his eyes on Claire now and seemed ready to give her some punishment. He took aim at her, but missed her on purpose. He had drove a knife into Logan's back behind her. Claire was unaware of Logan's position of aiding a young girl, and he cried out in pain. He hunched over on the ground, covering the young girl he was aiding. Claire glared at Edgar's choice to mess with Logan, to get to her. Claire, keeping her eye on Logan, ran to help him. She searched his pack for a syringe and quickly drew her own blood. Edgar was casually walking up to the three of them, who were huddled on the ground. He was only stopped once by a kid with Water power, but Edgar was far more advanced. He knocked the kid out with one punch.
Claire turned her back on Edgar and removed the knife from Logan's back. She injected him with her blood and whipped back around to find Edgar already on her. He grabbed her throat and threw her away from Logan and the other girl.
Claire tried to stand up, but Edgar slammed his elbow into her back. Claire was sent to the ground. Claire had held onto the knife from Logan's back and tucked it closer to herself. Edgar kicked Claire in the back while she was on the ground. She would cry out in pain, if she had felt any. Edgar than twisted Claire around, keeping her on the ground, and punched her in the face. Claire took three or more shots to the face. Her head snapping back hard. Edgar really didn't like her. Her nose had broke at one point, but had already reset itself. Claire could taste cooper.
"Having fun Blondie?" Edgar growled at her.
Claire snapped her face up and met his. She smiled at him. Claire must have looked crazy, her face covered in blood. Edgar looked unnerved by her smile, but when Claire stabbed him in the chest he was truly surprised. Edgar cried out. Claire swiftly used all her weight and kicked him backwards with two feet. She brought herself standing in the same swift movement.
Claire gloated over him.
"I saw that on Buffy once. Wanted to try it."
Edgar lay on the ground, clutching the knife. He sucked in air, gasping to breath.
"You..Bitch."
Claire looked around the Training Field. People were slowing down, getting tired, and passing out.
Claire motioned to June, who was wearily watching her, and pointed at Edgar.
"Your Team Leader...needs help."
Claire turned away from the scene, glowing.
She brought her attention back to Logan and the girl that he was young girl had broken her arm. Claire motioned for his pack, found an empty syringe and began to inject the wincing girl with her blood. Claire then explained to the girl about the process.
"I am going to reset you bone while Logan injects you. It will hurt."
Claire handed the the syringe to Logan. Claire slowly snapped the girl's bone in place, with three motions, while he injected the girl. The girl screamed loudly, sobbed for a moment, but in an instant, relief had overcome her face.
Claire and Logan shared a smile with one another. Logan cleared a piece of hair from Claire's face. The two were ignoring the chaos around them. Logan stroked Claire's face sensually. Claire jerked her face away from him. Meg was her friend as well.
Suddenly, Logan was thrown forward by a force. He landed head first into a group of Specials who had quit fighting. They had been sitting on the ground, when Logan landed on top of them. He was knocked out cold.
Claire turned to see Sylar standing not too far from her. He was tossing another Special the other direction. He twirled the Special in an awkward way before taking out a group of Specials, who were engaging in hand to hand combat. He was smiling like a kid in a candy store the entire time.
Clearly, he was having too much fun with training.
Claire stood protectively in front of the girl behind her and faced down Sylar.
He began to build a small electrical ball in his hands, making it grow larger and larger. He took a few steps forward and leered at Claire.
"I want People to pay attention to our fight, Claire. I think I can get their attention."
With that, he snapped the ball outward, which exploded with such a force that it knocked everyone on the Training Field to the ground. Claire was thrown back a few feet, knocking the young girl behind her. Claire swore underneath her breath. After telling the girl to move away, Claire stood up. She was shaking a little bit. No matter how many times she faced this man, she always saw him as her own personal boogeyman.
Claire looked down to find her arm broken as well, her bone jetting out. Claire went to fix her arm, but Sylar threw her forward with his telekinesis. She landed with a hard thud, causing the bone to protrude more so.
Claire felt herself be lifted by an unseen force and lifted about ten feet in the air. Sylar sent a fireball to her face, sending her to the ground. Claire hit the ground with her hands searching for a weapon. She grabbed the first thing she felt hit her hand. The scissors from her med-pack.
Claire stood, feeling her face and half her hair grow back.
"Looks like you are going to re-dye your hair, Claire-bear."
Claire noticed that her dead hair that regrew came back blonde. Here she was covered in her own blood, dirt, and now had hair like that lady who stole the Dalmatian puppies.
Claire's arm was still broken and she held it tight. She needed to reset it.
"How about you face me without using your powers, Coward."
Sylar glared at her so intensely that she could feel the his eyes burning holes into her head. Claire gripped the scissors and ran at Sylar. Sylar stopped her with his power before she reached him. She growled.
"You really are a Coward."
Sylar sneered.
"Well, you are too. If I can't use my powers...you should turn your's off."
He released her from his grip and she sprinted at him and slid underneath him, slicing him in the leg. It surprised Sylar, he thought she would go for his face. He yelled out at the biting pain, but before he could turn to face her; Claire struck Sylar in the back of the head with a pair of scissors.
His off switch.
Sylar hit the ground hard. Claire stood over him. Her arm still broken.
She panted for a second. The excitement of taking down Sylar made her out of breath.
She looked around to find the majority of the army watching her. She looked for Peter...or even Edgar. She needed this to be officially over. Claire stepped over Sylar's body, and headed in the direction of where she last saw Logan.
Before she could take three more steps, Claire felt her feet being pulled from underneath her. She smacked the ground hard, biting her tongue.
"I love shape-shifting. I can make things bigger, smaller, and move."
Claire realized that Sylar had moved his off switch.
"How dandy." was the only response Claire could muster.
Claire looked up and found herself at Sylar's feet. With her good arm, Claire pulled hard on his foot, making him losing balance and falling back. He hit the ground with a thud and laughed. Claire was enraged by his laugh and jumped on top of him, taking a swipe at his face with her good arm.
"Claire, I love it when you are on top."
Without thinking Claire got insanely enraged.
Claire growled and shoved her protruding bone that was sticking out of arm into Sylar's eye socket. It was broken in a way that made it almost spear like.
Sylar stopped laughing. He began to shake in pain and squirm underneath her. He latched on to Claire's arms, holding her tightly. As he began to scream...Claire instantly began to feel pain.
She hadn't felt pain in years. The pain came from her broken arm, that was now enjoying Sylar's eye socket. She screamed out loud and pulled her arm out.
She rolled off of Sylar, the instant she did so..the pain was gone.
"What...the...Fu-"
"Claire?!"
Peter had broken through the gathered crowd. She cringed at the thought of the crowd watching one of her many physical tangos with Sylar.
He always makes seedy comments that make her blush.
She couldn't figure out why she could feel so vividly for that moment. She snapped her bone in place.
Peter lifted Claire up from the crowd, searching her for any injuries.
"I heard you cry out...I hadn't heard you do that in a long time."
He pulled her into a close hug. Claire looked around. The Training session had ended. The Commanders ordered everyone to go to lunch. Specials limped off to sit on the sidelines and some headed towards the Dining Tent. Sylar and Claire gave them a show. She stabbed him in the eye and the curtain had closed. Again.
Everyone looked pretty grim. They had simulated a War between Specials, but the idea of actually killing people seemed to seep into some of the Specials. Their faces read dread and fear.
Claire hugged Peter back tightly. She missed his smell.
"Pete, I am ok. Really, I just got surprised. That's all."
Peter looked at her again, pushing back some loose hair. He wiped blood away from her nose. It was very sensitive motion and Claire stared at him. He was acting really strange. Bi-polar Peter was exhausting.
Peter's face still had the huge cut. Claire tried to touch it. Peter winced.
"It's going to be a very dramatic scar."
Peter laughed lightly, a laugh Claire had not heard in awhile.
"I think I am going to like it."
Sylar stood up from the ground, wiping dirt off his clothes, grumbling underneath his breath about being stabbed. Peter let Claire go and approached him.
Claire watched the two whisper intensely between one another.
The Training Field had completely cleared out, leaving just the three of them.
Claire stood awkwardly as the two argued with one another. Peter slightly pushing Sylar, who pushed back lightly. It was child's play compared to before.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Claire shouted out loud.
The two stopped, staring at her like deer in the headlights.
"Did you two remember your brain journey together or something? Did things get freaky between you two and need your fix?"
The two looked horrified at the notion that anything had gone on.
Peter turned to Claire, pushing his hair back. He was going to tell her something big and she prepped herself.
"Claire, nothing like that happened. And if it did...it would be...incestuous."
"Because of Nathan's memories..and soul? Yeah, Peter...it be pretty messed up."
"No...Claire...because..uh."
Peter was struggling to finish his sentence.
"We are brothers."
Sylar finished the sentence.
"Woah...wait...what. No, We've already played this game. Arthur and Angela are not here to play puppets with you two. You are not, Pete. This isn't a funny prank."
Peter looked at her like he was disappointing her.
"Claire, With all these Specials coming in. We got Micah to compile our own database. A history, family tree, bloodlines. As much data collection we could muster. So maybe we can help bring carriers in before the Government finds them. He accessed some files from my Mother's estate. He came across some birth certificate with my name, but different parental names. Sylar's father...knew our-your family. He had already sold Sylar to his own brother. The guy was already willing to give up one son, but this time, with me, he knew he had a bargain chip with me a few years later...with an unknown woman. Micah is researching as much as possible. Samson offered me to Angela, knowing I would develop my ability. Angela and Arthur had already genetically forced Nathan into being a Special...now they could have another with no help. The home that Sylar's father owned, the one that Sylar visited himself...was paid for by Angela. The paper trail adds up. The personalities and double crosses add up. We are half-brothers."
Claire stared silently at the two of them. Sylar looked really out of place.
"Claire, I know it's hard to take."
"Hard to take? The instant that you find out that he is your brother, you forgive him? Because he is your blood."
Claire got in Peter's face.
"Well, let me remind you, he took my blood. They may not be yours anymore, but I won't forget."
Sylar interjected.
"The family that didn't want you in the first place."
"That never meant that they should die." Claire looked at him like he was a child.
Peter finally answered.
"Claire, I am gripping with this as well. I denied it for weeks."
"Weeks? Wow...that is such a long time." Claire spit out sarcastically.
"I've hurt you, Claire. I know this, I've been a prick. I just don't know how to talk to you. I never felt like your Uncle. I mean Sylar's and I's powers are almost identical. I just couldn't bare for you to stare at me with the look you giving me now."
Claire growled and started to walk away from them. She spun around angrily before she could get far.
"Peter, I have always cared for you. Nothing can change that. But you treated me like I was scum, instead of finding out if I would treat you like scum. I have a problem with how easily you are ok with him existing. I would never shame you for something you can't control. It's too much, with all of this. It just is too much."
Sylar stood silently, hands on his hips. He stared at the ground.
Peter reached to comfort her, but she pushed his hands away.
"I can't Pete, I've been destroying myself over how you have been with me. Blaming myself for things. When really it was just another secret or lie. Typical of my family. Adopted or not. You just saw him. He enjoys hurting me. He gets off on it. He thinks that it will be ok. That when it comes down to the two of us left in the world. I just can't take you accepting this."
Peter's shoulders dipped. The two stood awkwardly in front of her. Silence lingering.
Claire, beyond frustrated, spun around and headed to her campsite.
"Just a bunch of fucking misfits."