Nine

Angel

Seri felt her throat close up. "There now, don't go trying to use that ability of yours. Your dear old dad was only to willing to tell me everything, unlike your foolish sister. " Sylar held her above him, and as the girl felt her head spin, she suddenly fell to the ground.

Her attacker fell to his knees, face creased with pain. Another man stood behind him, hand still crackling with electricity. Seri gasped in air, trying to stop the world from spinning.

Sylar laughed slightly as he tried to get up. "Well, well, Peter, you're going risk fighting me again? Last time you went nuclear, and this time your brother isn't here to save you. "

Peter's eyes danced fire. "I've grown stronger since I saw last saw you, Sylar. "

Sylar smiled as he activated Candice's power. "So have I. "

Nathan Petrelli stood before his brother, a cold smile on his face. "If you want to save the little girl, you'll have to fight me like this. "

Peter felt his heart wrench in pain. This was going to be tough, and he wasn't sure if he was strong enough.

Seri saw the pain in Peter's face, and she felt something she had never felt before. Courage.

I X I X I X I X I X I

Elle woke up in a white concrete cell. She recognized Peter's old room, and she began to burn with resentment. Her own father, locking her in this prison! But she would stand this cell for a while. Not for long, though. She was determined to get out.

Mr. Bennet slipped in behind her without a sound. She whipped around, angry at being caught off guard. He raised his hands in a sign of peace when she threatened him with electrified hands.

"Easy, there. I'm not going to hurt you. I've just come to talk. "

"You're talking now, so get to the point. "

"I'm trying to convince Bob to let you out, and I suggest you apologize to him, even if you have to fake it. "

"Why? I could just break out of here like Seri. "

"The only reason they have not found Seri yet is because Mrs. Petrelli told them not to. They would hunt you down like they do everyone else. "
Elle closed her hands, letting the electricity die as she relaxed, seeing the wisdom in Noah's words.

"Does he want to see me? " She put on her best pouting little girl face. "I'm a very very sorry girl. "

"Not right now. You've got a while, so you'd better think of a very good excuse. "

Elle sobered up at the thought of facing her father. "Don't worry. I will. "

I X I X I X I X I X I

Sylar/Nathan telekinetically threw Peter against the brick walls of the alleyway, the latter retaliating with a blast of electricity. Peter felt pain shoot through him as his 'brother's' face creased in agony. It's just an illusion, he thought. It's not real.

Without warning, his foe turned into Claire, her/his big hazel eyes shining in the moonlight. "Peter? Why are you doing this? You're hurting me! "

Sylar could not hold back his laughter any more, and he/she slammed Peter into the brick once more, hearing a sickening crunch as Peter's head hit the unforgiving brick.

Sylar/Claire suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his/her arm, and turned around to see Seri holding the same bloody knife her sister had held. "Leave us alone! "

"Ahah, the damsel in distress tries to save her hero, eh? That never works. I will kill you, just like I killed your stupid sister. "

Seri snapped, and she threw herself on Sylar. "This is for Maggie! " She screamed, concentrating all her power into the man's arm. It shattered explosively, and Sylar, losing his concentration and shedding Claire's form, writhed on the ground. His arm was like jelly, the bones turned to powder. Seri stared at the damage she had done for a moment, then she felt her feet leave the ground for the second time that evening.

Peter flew them high above the streets that were being flooded by police cars, headed towards a nearby building top. "Here. Stay for a second. "

He took off again, and came back carrying the body of her father wrapped in sheets. "Sylar's taken off already. I'm not going to ask you how you did that right now, but we need to take care of your father. "

"What about my sister? "

Peter gave her a confused look. "There was only one body, Serena. "

I X I X I X I X I X I

The Haitian, on the order of Angela, had cleaned up the mess once more, wiping minds and setting the house on fire to cover up the bloody crime. Sylar had disappeared without a trace, as per usual, but he would not be bothering anyone for a while.

Peter and Seri watched Mr. Lansya's body sink into the lake, wrapped in sheets and weighed with stones. The rising sun cast a golden rose glow in the rippling surface, making the white bundle seem to tremble and be alive once more.

The teenager sat down on a rock by the water's edge, expecting to be relieved at his death, but feeling only a cold loneliness. Her father had never been kind, nor had he ever been a true father, but he was family all the same. Her only family, other than her sister.

Something brushed her hand, and Seri stifled a gasp of shock as a weasel, brown with a white belly and throat placed its paws delicately on her hand. It stared into her eyes with its bright brown ones. A golden flame seemed to flicker in the weasel's eyes for just a moment, then it disappeared.

"It's trying to talk to you. " Peter noted, hearing the weasel's thoughts and clearly disturbed.

"I know. I can hear her. " Seri picked up the little creature, no longer than her forearm. "I guess you had a power after all, didn't you Maggie? "

The weasel gave a purring noise, and crawled into Seri's coat pocket. Maggie stuck her head out as the rest of her body nestled into the soft lining. Call me Izabelle, like Mom. I always hated Maggie, the weasel said with her eyes to Seri.

Peter stroked Izzy's head with his finger thoughtfully. Reincarnation, he thought. Amazing. "Did Sylar take your power, Izzy? "

I don't know, thought the weasel. She then became visibly distressed, and leaped out of the pocket to run up the coat and curl around Seri's neck.

"Don't worry, Izzy. Everything will be all right in the end. "

End of Book One