Sylar and Selene start off on their respective missions, to find Peter and Claire.
Not as easy as it sounds.
I do not own Heroes.
For want of a friend Part 9
Sylar reached the airport with more than an hour to spare. Not sure what to do with himself, he first checked in, then wandered the concourses. He was amazed at the crowds of people moving from place to place. If viewed as a large mass, it could have been overwhelming for him. But Sylar looked at certain individuals, wondering, did they have an ability? And if so, how could he get it?
He shook his head, telling himself not to do that. How easy it was to fall into old habits.
Selene would tell him that he had to stop looking at people as commodities in a supermarket of powers. Once, Noah had warned him to stay away from the buffet, a group of gifted criminals that he and Sylar had been sent to capture and return to the Company. So here he was in this sea of humanity, looking for what, someone to steal from, and then kill? No, that wasn't what he wanted to be. Still.....the urge was strong within him. He had to learn to tame it, if not totally defeat it. He wished Selene was here with him, but he had to do this on his own. He hoped that Peter would at least meet with him, if he could find him. New York was a big place, and there were many hospitals there. He would just have to start with one, and go on from there until he tracked the younger Petrelli brother down.
As Sylar walked toward his gate, he would glance at passers by, making eye contact with some of them. Women would often smile at him and flirt in that brief instant eyes met, until they had moved past him. He knew he was considered attractive by the opposite sex, but since acquiring so many abilities, it didn't seem important anymore. Back when he called himself Gabriel, women tended to look through him. Now that he was Sylar, powerful and more confident, they would look at him admiringly, but he just didn't care. They seemed weak in comparison. When he'd met Elle, she was powerful, at least on some level he could relate to. And Selene, powerful, beautiful, and in love with him. She was formidable and yet, feminine. His equal. Having that felt strangely good.
Sylar had finally reached his departure gate. His plane was already sitting there, probably being prepped for boarding. There was a small bar opposite the gate, so he decided to get a drink. He sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and watched the small TV in the corner. Some sports thing was on. He'd never really been interested in sports. His physicality hadn't been up to it when he was younger. Funny how now, he could flip a vehicle with the slightest movement of a finger.
While he pretended to watch TV, a woman sat next to him. She rested her chin on her palm, and looked at Sylar sideways. Her interest in him was obvious. He looked at her from beneath dark brows, his eyes scanning her. She took that for returned interest, and smiled brightly.
"It's not going to happen," he said matter-of-factly. Her smile instantly faded. She left the bar, calling him an expletive under her breath, but he'd heard her.
Did she honestly think he would be interested in her? She was inferior to both he and Selene. Sylar finished his beer, and headed over to the gate. He took a seat, until boarding was announced. Sitting in First Class had its advantage. Once the young and old had been seated, he found he could board. He placed his carry on in the overhead bin, and took his seat by the window. It had been quite a few years since he had flown anywhere and that was only once. He looked out the small window at the baggage men loading luggage on the plane. The activity outside waned, as the plane slowly filled with passengers. Finally, it backed from the gateway and headed for the runway.
Sylar lay back against the seat. He thought about what he would say to Peter, if Peter would even see him. He had more than one chance to kill Peter and didn't, back when he thought Arthur Petrelli was his father, thus making Peter his brother. That had been a lie, but still, once Arthur had taken away his son's powers, there was nothing left for Sylar to take from him. So he let Peter live, instead of just being done with the Petrelli brothers, once and for all.
While Sylar was on his way to New York, Selene was just about to board her plane. She took her seat in First Class, and settled down for a long flight, envying Sylar's shorter one. She accepted the offer for champagne from a flight attendant, and starting flipping through the magazine from the back seat pocket. It was hard for her to concentrate on anything in the magazine. Selene's mind was already in California, if her body was still in Washington. She thought about how she would contact Claire, and what she would say to her. What if Noah Bennet were there when Selene arrived? She tried not to think too hard. In all her life, Selene had only ever used the direct approach. She decided she would adopt that tact when the time came.
Selene finished the champagne, handing the glass back to the flight attendant. She closed her eyes, feeling the littlest bit sleepy from the alcohol.
She didn't know how long it had been since she dozed off. Sitting in the aisle seat, she'd felt the service cart bump her arm. When the flight attendant noticed her awake, she asked Selene if she wanted anything to eat. The offerings did look good, and it had been awhile since Selene had eaten. And who knew when she would have the time once she reached California. She took her pick of various dishes and enjoyed them, wondering if Sylar was having as pleasant a flight. She planned on calling him as soon she reached LAX. He should be in his hotel by then, unless he was going to start looking for Peter right away.
Selene actually found herself missing her new partner and lover. They hadn't been together very long, yet she knew more about him than anyone else, and she'd shared more with him than she had with anyone, not knowing many people to trust. This trip was necessary though. Hopefully she would able to get through to Claire so that Selene could speak with her father. And she didn't want to fight him. It couldn't come down to that.
After the meal remains had been removed, rather than watch the movie, Selene requested a blanket and dozed the rest of the flight.
Although Sylar had reached New York before Selene reached California, he had the handicap of not knowing where he was going. He checked into the hotel that Selene had chosen for them, then looked in the phone book for the nearest hospital. Once there, he headed for the personnel department, asking if anyone had heard of a Peter Petrelli. Negative answers became more annoying in number, as he visited several hospitals in the area. No one had heard of Peter, even though he was the brother of a senator, or no one was talking.
Meanwhile, on landing in Los Angeles, Selene, after picking up a rental car, headed for Costa Verde, and the address Sylar had given her. She hoped that she would find Claire alone, but she didn't want to spook the girl. Any mention of Sylar would surely throw her into a panic. Selene had to be careful how she broached the subject AND get Claire to listen.
She drove up the street the Bennets lived on and slowed down. As she approached the well-maintained two-story home, she parked the car away from the house, and got out, walking the rest of the way. There were no cars in the driveway, and Selene feared that no one was home. She couldn't have come all this way for nothing.
Selene went up the walkway and rang the doorbell, assuming her usual direct approach. At first no one answered. Then Selene heard footfalls coming towards the door. It opened to reveal a young blonde girl, with a wary look on her face. When she saw it was Selene, a smile took the place of the slight frown. Selene gave Claire her most dazzling smile in return.
"Hello. My name is Selene Dennison. I was wondering if your mother or father were home."
The smile disappeared, as Claire asked, "Why do you want to know?" In her life, nothing could be taken at face value, so this seemingly harmless looking woman could be something other than that.
"Well, Claire, the fact is, I wanted to speak with you, alone. May I come in?" She stood looking at the door, as Claire slammed it shut and locked it.
"Claire! Claire, I don't want to hurt you. I just need to speak with you." She hated having to force the issue, but she had no choice. She pointed her hand at the door, sending hot yellow energy into the lock, melting the whole works. Selene pushed the door open with a wave of her hand, and peered into the house. "Claire, please. I just want to talk." She stepped into the house, her natural alerts in place, seeking anything that seemed amiss. "Claire, please, come out."
As Selene walked into the kitchen, she felt air move around her, and turned just in time to see Claire coming at her with a baseball bat. Selene flicked her fingers and sent the bat flying through the kitchen until it landed on the floor with a crack. She thrust out her other hand at the wide-eyed girl, and held her fast where she stood. When she saw the expected panic in her eyes, Selene told her, "I will let you go, if you promise to listen to me. I've come all the way from Washington DC just to talk with you."
The frightened girl nodded, and she felt herself free from the invisible bonds. "Who...who are you? How did you know my name? Do you know my father? Did he send you here?" Claire relaxed a bit when she heard this woman knew Nathan. She obviously was like them, someone with abilities.
"I met your father, yes. So, can we just sit and talk? It's really important, and I'm not going to hurt you."
Claire looked the stranger over, and decided to wait and see what she wanted. "Ok, sure. Let's go into the living room." She led Selene to the couch and sat down, but kept her eye on her guest. "What did you want to see me for?"
"I've come all this way, to discuss a ... mutual acquaintance of ours."
"My father," Claire finished.
"Not exactly. Claire, a bit ago, I met someone, someone you probably would be happy to never hear from, or about, for the rest of your life." Selene stopped speaking, to look at the small girl, barely a woman really, sitting on the couch a distance away from her, as if she didn't trust Selene.
Claire's eyes seemed to lose focus, as she thought about whom Selene could be speaking of. Realization caused her eyes to go wide and her mouth to open. She whispered a name. "Sylar." She suddenly stood up, looking down at Selene. "He sent you? Is he here?" She whirled around, checking the doors, expecting to see him. If he was sneaking up on her....
Selene sensed Claire's thoughts, and reached out for her hand. "No, he's not here. Actually, right about now, he should be in New York, looking for your Uncle Peter."
Fear clutched at Claire. Sylar was seeking out Peter? She had to warn him. Suddenly, she felt herself wrapped in warm thick air, unable to move except to sit down. The next instant, the feeling was gone.
"You don't understand. He isn't looking to kill Peter. He just wants to talk with him, like I'm talking with you. You see, he's changed. Or...he wants to change. I've spent enough time with him this past week, and he hasn't harmed me."
"You probably don't have anything he wants," Claire countered.
"Not true. He can't read minds, and I can. He could have taken my ability and killed me at any time. But he didn't. Claire, he wants to change, but how can he, if we don't help him. That's why he's trying to find Peter. To get his help."
"Why come to me then?"
"Your father. Noah has been hunting Sylar down relentlessly, since he...since he took your power. He won't be easy to convince. I don't blame him for feeling a father's rage, but Sylar is sorry. Since he touched you, he knows that what he did hurt you terribly, and he wants to make amends."
Anger burned in Claire's eyes. "How can he make amends for what he did to me? Do you even know what he did?"
"Yes, he told me everything. We have no secrets, for obvious reasons. In any case, he is sorry, Claire." Selene knew the girl was feeling conflicted. How to sway her, was the real problem.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
"Talk to your father for one thing. Convince him to speak with me. I'd like to bring you to New York when I return there."
"There's no way in hell you're taking my daughter anywhere!"
Selene looked up, to see a man in glasses standing at the front door, pointing a gun directly at her head.
