Molly Walker was home from school. In a good mood, but that was ruined when she walked into her room to find him, lounging on her bed as though nothing were wrong. As though he weren't a serial killer who happened to be in her bedroom.
Her mouth was open to scream before she realized it, but he quickly sat up and used his telekinesis to cut off her airway before she could alert anyone to his presence.
She realized that anyone running in to save her would be putting themselves in danger, and - after all - they wouldn't exactly be likely to succeed in their heroic attempt. She closed her mouth.
"Let's not make this difficult," he said softly. "You have something I need. I'm going to get it."
She was already dead, she realized. She simply couldn't understand why he was putting on this show beforehand. He had killed her parents without a word; why wasn't he doing the same to her?
"How was your day?" he asked, releasing the hold he had on her voice.
She was so shocked by the question that she completely forgot to respond.
He waited impatiently for a few seconds before flopping down on her bed again. "I forgot how annoying it is to talk to preteens," he moaned softly.
"Why don't you just get it over with and kill me?" she asked finally.
"I wasn't planning on killing you," he told her. "Of course, if you want me to, I'd be more than happy to oblige."
She started out hesitantly, then picked up speed. Talking about school, her foster parents, her new crush…
She lost track of time as she spilled out her life's story to the serial killer.
For his part, he subtly directed the conversation. For all the bother it took to get her started, it really was painless to direct the flow of her thoughts to her powers.
"What does it feel like? To find someone?" he asked.
"Well, I just think about them. About every facet of them - physically, mentally. Their personality, everything I know about them," she responded.
"That isn't what I asked," he said. "I want to know how you feel, not what you do."
"Why should I tell you? Why do you care?"
Dammit, he thought. And things were going so well.
"Because once you do, you'll be safe - at least from me," he responded. "Just answer the question."
"I feel like I know them," she said, frowning a little. "A little comfortable with them…like I'm walking in their shoes."
"Empathy," Sylar commented.
"Yeah."
"Fuck," he said, not particularly caring that he was in the same room as a nine-year-old. "Empathy always was my weak suit."
He focused, however, delving deep. He thought of Claire: everything. Her life, her father - both of them, actually - everything he'd gleaned from her when Stephen Canfield nearly killed them both, Danko, her betrayal when it wasn't Nathan, not Peter, not Noah but Sylar who had rescued her…
And then he felt it. He could feel where she was. He was practically in her mind…
Actually, he was in her mind. And currently, Nathan was on the receiving end of some very obscene thoughts. He grinned at the verbal abuse.
"What?" asked Molly.
"Claire is really, really mad," he smirked at her. "Thanks, by the way. I think you'd like it if I left right now?"
"What did you do?"
"I took your power. See? You're safe. I don't have any reason to hurt you now."
"Why don't you do that to everyone? Why kill them?"
Sylar rolled his eyes. "It took one hour, twenty three minutes and forty eight seconds to get your power, Molly. On average, it takes two minutes to kill someone and get their power." He shrugged. "Killing is just more efficient."
She sighed, and he took it as his cue to leave.
"Why didn't you kill me then?" she asked as he put one foot out her window.
"I kill people who don't deserve their powers, who are too afraid of themselves to fully embrace their own nature. You use your power. I don't want to kill you."
"You've killed people who used their powers before," she told him as he prepared to leave again. He growled, exasperated. He didn't want to explain every single kill he'd ever made to this girl.
"Sometimes I just lose control, Molly," he smiled over his shoulder. "But like I said, don't worry. You're safe for now. Unless you decide to interfere with my plans, I don't see a need to involve myself in your business. Nor Matt Parkman, since it appears I can hear thoughts as well."
She looked a little frightened at that, and he grinned again. "See you around, Molly. Though I hope not…for your sake."
And with that ominous note, he dropped out her window, and into the sky.
