A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm here with another chapter for you! Hope you enjoy!
Special thank you to Reviewers: alias093001, johncorn, Bubblefairey, dragonwitch250, Crunkn40 (Thanks for the sympathies and your review. I hope love who lands the job this chapter!), shellybellypie, and Youko-Kuramas-Kitsune.
Special thank you to those who Favorited/Story Alerted: Neuronerd, SriHellgirl25, TheTilly, belladonna05, johncorn, kmf671, and toolazytothinkoforiginalname.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or Walmart. There is evil there that does not sleep.
Chapter 6: Not Your Conventional Interview
"Sooner you learn it, sooner we get that collar off your neck. People suck, friend. Every last one of them. Never forget that. Oh, right. There's a girl." – Claude Rains
"She's not like the rest of them." – Peter Petrelli
"Everyone's like the rest. That's why they're the rest." – Claude Rains
Claire sat cross-legged on her bed at the Petrelli mansion, head in her hands and looking as dejected and unbelieving as she had ever been.
"I can't believe that just happened," she remarked for the seventh time since coming home from Gabriel's watch shop. Shouts of victory and laughter rang out all around her as Hiro ran frantically around her room, pumping his fists in triumph and waving peace signs everywhere. It was a display that would make any fanboy proud, and it would have made Claire laugh at any other occasion except this time it was entirely at her expense.
"No, seriously, Hiro, listen to me!" Claire declared slightly more frantically, gripping her blonde hair harder than usual. "I can't believe that just happened!"
Hiro laughed, "You keep saying that, Claire-chan, but it's time you face the music!"
"Oh," Claire moaned, feeling even worse with herself after that, "I just don't believe it." She really hoped Angela didn't hear all this racket from downstairs. If she did, the observant woman would question them about what was going on during dinner, which was nearly ready now, and Claire certainly didn't feel up to sharing. The fact that it concerned their target was the least of her concerns for once. She knew, though, that if pressed, Angela would get it out of her. Oh, the humiliation...
Things had taken a nasty spiral after Hiro had rushed into Gray & Sons Watch Shop, a melting ice cream cone waving wildly in his hand even as one of the signs hanging in the shop declared "No Food or Drinks Allowed." By Claire's reckoning, that alone should have put the situation in her favor, but no...
At first, she honestly hadn't been able to comprehend that Hiro was going to pursue working a job alongside Sylar of all people. Sure, sure, Gabriel wasn't Sylar yet, as they had both established, but there was no denying that they shared the same face, the same person. Claire reasoned that Gabriel wouldn't have been capable of accomplishing a third of what he had as Sylar if there wasn't that dark part sleeping silently within him somewhere, just waiting for the catalyst to awaken it. This was still the same person that killed Hiro's best friend in their time, and Hiro was all too ready to bump elbows with the guy in the workplace. Plus, he probably expected her to do the same, even as memories of Sylar killing Jackie and almost hunting her down flashed through her mind. Was he crazy?
Thus, with her mind and heart in a jumble of thoughts, emotions, and uncertainties, Claire hesitated outside of the shop far longer than she thought she had. Once the cheerleader finally gathered up the courage to approach the front door of the shop, she slowly pushed the door open to take in an overwhelming sight.
Hiro and Gabriel were sitting across from each other, Gabriel in a chair and Hiro on a wooden stool, with a small table in between them. She froze in the doorway, feeling a cold draft of air from the store rush around her as it clashed with the slightly warmer air coming in from the open door. The small ding! over the door alerted the young men to her presence, and as both turned to face her, Claire's grip on the door handle was the only thing that kept her upright as her knees wobbled under her.
She felt more than saw Gabriel's mahogany eyes drill critically into her through his glasses, the shadows in the room causing him to look less like the nerd she was steadily having to accept and much more like the killer she knew. In fact, the more she stared at him, the less he looked like Gabriel Gray, watch keeper and nerd extraordinaire. In spite of his green, knitted sweater vest, Sylar came peeking through. She didn't entirely understand it. What was different?
And then there was Hiro, looking distinctly not like himself at all. For the first time since Claire had known him, he was completely serious and still. He had the perfect appearance of what an heir to a CEO of a multibillion dollar company should look like. His black eyes were sharp and alert, and there was no trace of laughter on his features. He wasn't giving her a goofy little smile or grinning at her; instead, his thin lips were turned down into a stern frown. It reminded her of how severe and intimidating Japanese actors always appeared on World War II movies she used to watch. Guess it wasn't all just an act put on by American propaganda after all...
And then, he had to go ruin it by giving her a wink while Gabriel wasn't looking, which only led to flustering her further.
"I apologize but I'm about to close up for the day," Gabriel told the newcomer smoothly, fully expecting her to simply nod and leave the shop or something to that effect. He didn't think that she'd just keep standing there with the door open, wasting the work his air conditioning put into keeping his store at a comfortable temperature.
"Unless you're here for the job interview...?" he continued, annoyed. It took a lot of effort on his part to ward away all of the dumb blonde jokes that he had heard at college.
Claire snapped to attention. "Oh! Um, yes. Sorry."
She swept her icy blue eyes around the room, looking for another seat but found none in this area of the shop. There went her hopes of remaining inconspicuous for a little while longer. She glanced back at Gabriel, noticing how irritated he was becoming as he glared at her, and sent him an awkward, fake smile before she abandoned the front door to stand in front of the shop window to wait. After staring exasperatedly at her for a moment longer, making Claire squirm uncomfortably the entire time, Gabriel turned his attention back to Hiro.
"You must excuse my friend, Mr. Gray," Hiro said gravely, raising his voice like Gabriel's so that Claire could hear him clearly. "She has been looking for a job as well, so I called her to tell her that I'd found one available. I'm afraid I was vague on the directions." He ignored the hot glare his friend was currently shooting him in the back from across the store.
Gabriel paid no attention to Hiro's comment and instead went back to interviewing mode. Claire tried to catch what the two were saying, but their voices were so soft that she was only able to hear every fifth word or so. The more she tried to listen in, the more nervous she became, so she decided that it would be better for her to withdraw from what was happening around her and try to calm the raging storm within her instead.
She had never felt so divided before, not even when her ability manifested. When she'd first discovered her indestructibility, her confusion and feelings of being lost, of being a freak were all-encompassing. She stood united in her thoughts that it was a secret that could never get out to the wrong people, that it needed to be concealed as much as possible. Zach was the only one who knew about her for a long time, and while she did not regret confiding in him and reestablishing their friendship, she couldn't help but notice that her life as she knew it quickly unraveled after the secret was out. Even now, she was unsure what she was supposed to do with her ability, or if she was even capable of having any control over it at all. Why her? Why and how did it come to her? Why this particular ability? What was the reason for it, anyway? To do something great with it, or was it a trial in using responsibility, showing what kind of person she was? Was it a gift from God or a tool of science simply using her to carry out its experiment? She had none of these answers.
On the subject of Gabriel Gray, however, she was neatly torn in two. Half of her was in pure terror being in this shop with him, with a voice busy screaming at her to put as much distance between them as possible. Surely working alongside him would lead to suicide at some point? After all, wasn't this where everything started? If they failed, how would they avoid being killed in the middle of Sylar's rising bloodlust and thirst for power? Claire remembered the stories Hiro had told her of how Sylar had nearly killed him and Ando before, and Claire knew that she had only escaped from him because of Peter's interference. What was the likelihood of them both being saved again?
However, another part of her was starting to form its own voice; the more she observed Gabriel and his interactions, the louder the voice became. This part of her wanted to give him a chance because she could see that he wasn't that person in her memories, not yet. Yes, this was where his darkness had all began, but it could also be where it could be stopped and never arise to power, as well. The only way to do that was to get close to him, as friends, and to be there for him when the time came. If getting a job from him was the best way to start their rescue mission, then she should be jumping at the chance to secure it. Instead of fighting against him and his wish to destroy New York and steal people's abilities, they could be allies against the Company and help each other save the world. But still...
Why did she get the feeling that they would hate each other before this thing even got up off the ground?
Claire was brought back from her reverie by the sound of a chair scraping against the ground. Jerking her head over towards the two bespectacled men, she watched as Gabriel and Hiro shook hands haltingly as they addressed each other.
"Thank you for the interview, Mr. Anzai," said Gabriel monotonously. "Sad to say, but that was actually the most promising one I've had all day."
"So, I guess I should hope that my friend here doesn't do better than me, hm?" Hiro asked, giving Claire a severe look to try and wordlessly convince her to wipe that bemused look off of her face before Gabriel noticed. "That is, unless you have more than one position available?"
Gabriel stiffened at the thought of having two strangers invade his world instead of the planned but still nearly intolerable one. Using a finger to adjust his glasses back up his nose, he shrugged that displeasing notion aside and said wearily, "No, I just have the one I need to fill." Though, I certainly don't want to do it at all, he added to himself.
"Ah, well, a shame," Hiro murmured, resigned. If Claire's eyes could grow any wider, then they certainly did at that moment. She still couldn't grasp this act that Hiro was putting on of a restrained but seriously ambitious job hunter. If she didn't know any better and if he wasn't applying for work in an obscure place like this, she would have thought it was for real. She wondered how long he could manage this before he bursted out with a "Yatta!" Looking at his face, she could see no cracks in his facade, though.
And speaking of facades, what was that Gabriel said about a Mr. Anzai? Who was that?
"Come now, don't be nervous," Hiro called to her as he made his way towards her, face uncharacteristically blank. He kept his features neutral until he was standing directly in front of her and was sure Gabriel couldn't see him before his lips turned up in the boyish grin Claire was used to seeing. "I'll be waiting for you just outside until you're done. Trust your friend Yukio. You'll be fine."
He had the nerve to wink at her again before taking a crunchy bite out of his remaining ice cream cone, which she hadn't noticed him still having before. He left her standing there without another word or so much as a look back. He just...left her there!
And what was that "trust your friend Yukio" crap? Unless... Oh! Yukio. The Mr. Anzai. Now it all fit. Hiro had given Gabriel a fake name during the interview, she was guessing because of the possibility that the mission may fail at some point. It was a risky move, though. What if Gabriel instigated a background check on them or something? Then, he would find absolutely nothing, and they would be in a heap load of trouble. What if he asked to look at one of their IDs at some point? Oh, there were so many things that could go wrong with this, but she knew that Hiro was smart not to give his real name. What if Gabriel still became Sylar and found out about their abilities? He would know exactly who he needed to find, where to go, and who their families and friends were that he could attack and draw them out. So be it, then. Gabriel Gray would not know her as Claire Bennet, but then what would she be known as?
"If you're all done gaping at the wonderful scenery in here, I would love to get started, Miss–?"
Oh, God, she had to think of something quick. Frantically, she scanned her eyes around the shop, looking for ideas.
"Oh, uh, sorry," she stalled, stammering a bit to give her even more time, "I've been kinda rude not introducing myself, huh? But, please, it's common courtesy to give your name first before asking someone else's..."
Gabriel scowled at her, thoroughly annoyed at her demanding, spacey, the-world-revolves-around-me demeanor. So typical of pretty girls like her; she was no different from the young women that had twittered mindlessly away at college with him.
"You'll only be privileged to know my name if you get the job," he snapped back, all the while thinking that it would be nothing short of a miracle that could impress him enough to give someone like her a job around him. He felt oddly satisfied seeing her flinch slightly, not used to seeing people make that type of reaction because of him.
Claire felt like a fool, but at least she had her name now. "You're right. Forgive my rudeness. My name's Madison. Madison DeVille. Let's get started, shall we?"
She motioned towards the table and moved to sit on the stool that Hiro had vacated. She was so busy congratulating herself on finding a last name among the various watch brands around the shop that she could actually pronounce that she didn't notice the grudgingly intrigued stare Gabriel sent her way. Gabriel recognized the name easily; DeVille was part of the Omega watch brand, a brand that was highly respected in the world of a timepiece restorer. What was the probability that someone with such a name would come into his store for a job and also be knowledgeable about the devices he worked so painstakingly for? Perhaps he had underestimated and misjudged her too soon.
Claire failed to notice Gabriel's hesitation and his now thoughtful countenance as well as the fact that the man didn't take his seat opposite of her until she had made herself comfortable in her own seat. It was a subtle mark of a gentleman that would have impressed Claire had she been looking for it. As it was, she was too busy trying to get her heart to stop pounding so quickly and concentrating on keeping her breathing even. She was so nervous that she could feel how sweaty her palms were getting before she wiped them on her jeans. It didn't help that this was her first ever job interview, and how fitting it was that her first had to be so vitally important and with him of all people!
Gabriel mildly cleared his throat before saying tiredly, "Tell me about your prior work experience. Have you by chance worked around timepieces before?"
"Oh, well," Claire started, thrown off kilter by his bluntness. She had expected him to ask something along the lines of if she was even old enough to work, if she was a licensed U.S. citizen, or if she had ever committed a felony or misdemeanor. Her dad had once told her that those questions were the prerequisites to any potential employment, but Gabriel didn't seem to care much about all that. He just wanted to get this done as soon as possible. Perhaps he felt that his establishment was small and inconsequential enough so much that these things didn't apply to him? It would make sense. After all, it wasn't like this was part of a restaurant or a Walmart chain. "No, I've never worked around watches before. I mean, I had a fossil watch once, but I know that's not the same. I've never even had a job before, uh...sir."
He would never let on how her response disappointed him, as illogical as the feeling was. Moreover, she would never tell him how much pride and respect she'd lost for herself by having to refer to him as sir.
"Very well. You've had no formal experience, but what about any volunteer work? Community service? Babysitting? Selling girl scout cookies, perhaps?"
Claire withheld a scowl from her face at his sarcastic tone, choosing instead to smile sweetly at him. "I wouldn't know about cookies, but I did bake over five batches of cupcakes for a school fundraiser hosted by my cheerleading squad once."
Cheerleading squad? Gabriel echoed forlornly. She's a cheerleader? No wonder he'd been getting such a sour feeling around her. She embodied his worst nightmare.
"And, I have babysat before, too, usually my neighbors' kids whenever they went out of town or something. I also have to look after my mom's dog, Mr. Muggles, whenever she's not available, and that's nearly a full-time job all by itself, I can assure you."
She has a dog named Mr. Muggles, Gabriel thought, feeling like gagging, and it hasn't committed suicide yet? He suddenly felt a wave of appreciation for his own name, for once.
"I've also worked at the soup kitchen a few times and picked up trash off the side of the road, outside cheerleading, of course. Don't get me wrong, I love my squad and everything, but hardly any of them would be caught dead wearing a hairnet or fiddling around someone else's empty cigarette carton. I can give you the names and numbers of the people I worked with if you need any references, uh, sir."
That got his attention. Obviously, she was highly involved with cheerleading, but she didn't seem to be solely confined in it like so many other girls he'd known in the past. She branched out and pursued endeavors that would embarrass and supposedly ruin the reputations of her teammates if they'd been "caught dead" helping their community, but she didn't care about any of that. She even offered to give out references of people who could confirm that she had done these things. Was she different from all the others? But, no, he was only fooling himself, being blinded by the hope that there was someone out there who could break the mold, who could upset the cycle of his life. That there was someone who could actually be...special. But, no, it was all a lie, it had to be. She was only being this way to get a job from him; that's how they all were. Friends to his face, users behind his back.
"No, Miss DeVille, that isn't necessary," he replied shortly, suddenly looking coldly determined.
Claire tensed up involuntarily. She recognized that look. It was the same look he had given her as he had watched her heal herself after he'd thrown her into a wall. She hadn't seen his face, but she had been able to see his eyes. Harsh, brown eyes that looked totally unfazed by the fact that their owner had just sawed the wrong girl's skull in half, eyes that were focused solely on her even as the man had held Jackie up against the lockers by the throat. Claire would have stayed frozen in fear if Jackie hadn't been able to tell her to run just before she bled to death.
As Claire's thoughts came back from her past, she noticed just why this particular look had taken her back to that time so easily. Gabriel's hair was unkempt, his eyes were bloodshot, and stubble was starting to show clearly on his face. It finally struck her that, while he looked annoyingly attractive like this, this wasn't what Gabriel Gray usually looked like. If not for his clothes and his dark-rimmed glasses, Claire felt that she could easily trick herself into thinking she was addressing Sylar now, not Gabriel.
"Do you have any experience keeping a designated area clean and tidy for a long period of time?" His voice cut in sharply, bringing her firmly back to her present.
"Well, I've always been good about keeping my room clean most of the ti–"
"Do you have any problems with answering phones and dealing with angry customers?"
"No, I love talking on the phone–"
"In a purely business setting? In other words, no senseless chatting," he ground out.
Claire matched him tone for tone. "No, I have no problem sticking to just business over the phone, and people don't bother me, either."
I mean, I'm dealing with you right now, aren't I? she grumbled internally.
"How have your math scores been in school?"
That one through her for a loop. "It's, uh, not my best subject, but I don't understand why–"
"Relax, Miss DeVille. I'm only talking about basic math here. Simple addition and subtraction. Can you manage that?"
"Yes, but why?"
"Finances, Miss DeVille, as part of the job description. Did your friend not mention that to you?"
He didn't mention much of anything!Claire could have screamed out but she remained silent.
"Do you know how to manage money for a business?"
Like a treasury? she wondered. "Um, no–"
"Can you balance a checkbook?"
"No, but–"
"Can you keep bills, paperwork, and other important documents in order and make sure they are seen to before a certain deadline?"
"Um, maybe, but–"
"Do you know how to operate a cash register?"
"Not really, but it can't be that hard, ri–?"
"Do you know anything about this job you're applying for, miss, or are you just deliberately wasting my time?"
"What is your problem?" she shrilled out, shooting up out of her seat, slamming her palms on the table, and completely forgetting who she was talking to. "What do you want from me?"
Gabriel leveled her with a cool stare for a long moment before he said in a tone that matched his stare, "Nothing but a capable worker, Miss DeVille."
"Well, how can you know if I'm capable or not if you won't even hear all of what I have to say? You can't expect me to be perfectly trained in everything you've asked of me, especially considering my lack of experience. Surely, you could train me for a day so I could learn the ropes?"
Silence welcomed her speech, broken only when Gabriel rose from his seat, looking completely uninterested. "I don't need to explain myself to you. Taking the time to train an employee would defeat the purpose of hiring extra help in the first place, and I am far enough behind schedule as it is without having to deal with an incompetent employee. Besides, why should I even consider you when your friend is so much more qualified?"
Gabriel moved away from her, walking quickly towards the door and leaving her behind in a stunned silence.
Hiro? Be more qualified for a job than her? This was the same man-in-a-little-kid's-body that had to have a spazz-out moment at least every fifteen minutes, or he'd feel unfulfilled! Were they talking about the same person?
With a start, Claire realized that, no, they weren't referring to the same person. The Hiro that sat down at that interview table was not the same one that had left the shop. That Hiro was a flat out lie! And poor Gabriel had no idea what he was getting into!
Belatedly, she rushed out the door of the shop, fulling expecting Hiro to be acting his usual, hyper self and for Gabriel to realize that he'd been tricked, only to find her Asian friend sitting calmly on a park bench, silent but expectant. Hiro Nakamura was absent, leaving the alter ego Yukio Anzai to take his place. Claire scowled heavily at him.
"Congratulations, Mr. Anzai," Gabriel said to Hiro as the Asian rose from his seat respectfully. "Upon careful consideration, I have determined that you are the most qualified for the position. You start immediately on Monday morning at seven A.M. We'll discuss the rest of your work schedule then. Do not be late."
Hiro normally would have bulked under Gabriel's, and now Claire's, intense glares, but he kept himself collected. "Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Gray." Hiro bowed as was tradition with his culture. "I look forward to working with you."
Gabriel gave no other response other than a nod Hiro's way and a disdainful look towards Claire before he turned and retreated back into his shop, leaving Claire and Hiro alone with their thoughts.
Laughter broke the somber silence as Hiro jumped over to Claire in excitement, back to his old self again. "Yatta! We did it! Ready to go home, Claire-chan?"
Just as Hiro placed a hand on her shoulder, Claire hissed out at him, "Sure, just so long as you know I'm going to hurt you as soon as we get there."
Hiro gave a nervous chuckle before teleporting them away, the last thing she saw from the scene being Gabriel removing his "Now Hiring" sign and closing up his shop.
From the corner of his eye, Gabriel noticed an abrupt movement coming from Madison and Yukio's direction, but when he turned his head to investigate, they were gone without a trace. Hadn't they been standing there just a second before? He shrugged, deciding to forget about it. He was obviously tired, he reasoned as he removed his glasses and rubbed his exhausted eyes. The dark-haired man knew what he had to do: close up shop, make it home, and then sleep until noon tomorrow. It was Sunday tomorrow, after all.
As soon as Hiro teleported them into her room at the Petrelli mansion, Claire followed through with her promise. She punched Hiro twice in the arm before moving to sit on her bed to sulk. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe that Hiro freaking Nakamura could get a job before she could, and he had been lying the entire time! Well, sort of. It was complicated, really. After all, she had lied, too, about her name, but the rest had been totally honest!
Ugh, she couldn't understand it. Sure, Hiro had told her that he used to work an office job at his father's company, so she conceded that he had more experience than her. However, he had also told her that he'd completely despised the job. He was always goofing off and dragging Ando into crazy antics to keep the job interesting. He couldn't sit still for a long period of time, and he was even known to skip work on occasion. How on earth was he going to hold a job like this? Did he realize how important it was? This wasn't a game, and Gabriel wasn't Hiro's father. He'd surely notice if Hiro skipped work or not, and Gabriel didn't strike Claire as the type who gave second chances. He sure didn't as Sylar!
And Gabriel! What was his deal? He had been so rude to her, so cold. She noticed that he didn't really seem like Mr. Personality when she'd first walked in, but he had at least been civil to her when his interview with her first started. Then, she mentioned something about not working with watches, or not having prior experience, or something, and he went through a metamorphosis. What in the world had happened?
One thing she knew for sure, though. Gabriel Gray was more complex a character than what she had first thought. The revelation didn't come as a reassurance to her. After all, he'd just shown that he was capable of being a jerk just as easily as all the jocks she'd hung out with back at school, just like every other guy she'd shown an interest in. Not that she was interested in Gabriel or anything! But, where were these feelings of disappointment coming from?
"I can't believe it," she mumbled aloud finally, shaking her head distractedly as she moved herself away from her current train of thought. "I just can't."
That was how it started. For twenty minutes, Hiro celebrated and Claire pouted. The blonde was just about to seriously talk with Hiro about everything when a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Just a second!" Claire called as she rose from the bed and opened the door to find...not who she was expecting in the slightest.
It wasn't her grandmother at the door, coming to tell her to come down for dinner. Instead, it was an emotionless looking man with grey hair and hard, experienced eyes. A man that Claire had only seen in pictures before.
"So you're Claire Bennet," the man remarked kindly, further shocking Claire and rendering Hiro totally silent. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Claire could only gape at him like an idiot, not sure of what to say. For standing in front of her was none other than her biological grandfather, Arthur Petrelli.
A/N: Okay, people, I have some bad news, so brace yourselves. In case you haven't heard already, NBC in their oh-so-infinite wisdom have decided to cancel Heroes. There will be no season five or any follow up episodes to finish off storylines or tie loose ends together. They claim it's because Heroes only attracted five million viewers per episode (because that's SUCH a low number, you know...) and they want to make room for their newer shows. Because, you know NBC is renowned for great shows. :D Yeah, okay. The reality is that NBC is just being a bunch of dicks. There! Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. I can only hope that Heroes will pull a Family Guy and make a comeback through DVD sells, but there's no guarantee. That, or another station needs to pick it up. Seriously.
By the way, Hiro actually did put a lot of thought into his pseudonym. Yukio means "happy hero" and "hero's going" or "hero's way".
