Persephone awakened on a cold, lumpy mattress. Not good, she told herself. She tried to flex her arm and found that she was handcuffed to the bed. Her mouth had also been duct-taped. Really, not good. She tried to disengage the cuffs but they simply rattled and she exhausted herself with the effort. She mentally inspected her body and was surprised to find no discernible broken bones, and only a dull ache remained to remind her of earlier injuries. How did she end up here? In this bed, handcuffed….she glowered. Sylar.

She began tracing delicate and intricate Sanskrit onto the cuff which held her hand immobile. The symbols glowed a cool blue before disappearing into the metal. Tell-tale clicks could be heard as the spell worked its magic.

"Ah-Ah-Ah….," Sylar cooed as he re-snapped the cuff onto her wrist. He quickly cuffed her other hand and she struggled.

"I should have realized that just shutting you up wouldn't do the trick," he told her. "I suppose you're wondering why you're still alive?"

Persephone simply glared.

"Well," Sylar continued, "A life for a life. You saved mine, so I figured, I'd let you live."

"Though," he said as he traced fingers across her bloodied tee, "This comes with some conditions."

He gently tore at her shirt until lay she half clothed. Persephone narrowed her eyes.

"Oh come on," he scolded, "Do you really think I'd take advantage of you?"

Her lips thinned in anger.

"Well," he laughed, "I probably would. But, right now I'd like some answers."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'd have to take your gag off now wouldn't I? I'd be an idiot to do that when you'd just utter a spell and free yourself right? Hmmm….what to do…what to do? Oh, I know…how about this. There's a young couple not too far away from here that are strapped to a device that will go off at a specified time. How long they last, if they will survive, is up to you. You can torture me, find a way to kill me even, but do you really want that young couple to suffer?"

He ripped the tape off and Persephone yelped. "How do I know if you're lying?"

"How do you know if I'm not?," he told her coldly.

She blinked rapidly and absorbed that bit of information. He had a point. "Fine."

"Okay. First question. What is your name?"

"Persephone," she answered begrudgingly.

"See, not so bad, was it? Second question, what are you? Obviously a witch, right?"

She narrowed her eyes in contempt. "I am a practitioner of earth magicks. Witch is an archaic term."

"Really?," Sylar replied. "And I suppose the boogeyman exists too?"

Persephone rolled her eyes. What was everyone's fascination with some troubled earth spirit? The darned thing was exiled years ago.

"Who sent you? The company?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Oh wow. Ma Petrelli must be truly desperate to employ the likes of you."

"And I'm pretty sure Noah Bennett had something to do with this."

Persephone stiffened.

"Oh!" Sylar exclaimed, "Team Sylar scores one and zero for team Bewitched. By the way, I loved that show."

He leaned in close, "Did you know that Noah was the one who turned me into a killer? It was part of some sick experiment the company had going on at the time. And to think I could have been some mediocre schmuck married to some girl and have a kid by now. But here I am, courtesy of Noah Bennett."

Persephone wanted to deny it. Noah seemed like a good person….right? But there was ring of truth to what Sylar was saying. And subconsciously, Persephone momentarily stiffened with shock that Sylar could be right.

She really didn't know that much about the company. But she was good at reading people. And she could tell that for whatever Noah had done he had to be a good person. A niggling sensation of doubt slipped through her mind and she buried it. Deeply.

"What are you getting out of this Persephone? What can be gained by working for the company. Answer me honestly. I can always tell when someone is lying."

Persephone opened her mouth and then closed it. "The company told me about you and then offered to help me capture you."

"Okay, go on,"

"They arranged for," Persephone paused, "me to undergo advanced studies."

"Telling the truth. Okay. What was that thing that attacked me?"

"A higher level demon. Probably summoned here by someone powerful. You must have a very, very pissed off enemy."

"I have lots of those. I've lost count these days."

"I bet," Persephone murmured before she could stop herself.

"Why would it attack me?" Sylar continued.

"Who knows? Revenge, hatred, just because? I don't know."

"What did it do to me?"

Persephone shot him a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've tried, you know, you know…,"

He swiped the air with his index finger.

Persephone's confusion deepened.

"I'm like a man who can't get it up, okay? I can't summon the hunger to kill. To satisfy the curiosity. To devour."

"Well, I for one, think that's a vast improvement."

Sylar grimaced. "You're mouthy."

"So I've been told."

"Well, I want it back."

Persephone looked at him in growing horror. "Why would you want to do that? Condemn yourself to a life of killing?"

"It's who I am," Sylar growled fiercely. "I want to learn, to be more than I am. Be special."

"Everyone is special."

"I'm glad you believe that," he told her as he turned from the bed and paced.

"So my dear," he told her as he turned back to her, "Forget the company. You'll work for me now."

"I will not," she began and he shut her mouth.

"You will, I don't have the hunger anymore, but I'll do what it takes to get my power back."

Persephone set upon him a level gaze and he stretched his hand across the smooth expanse of her stomach. She flinched and he telekinetically placed a deep gash onto her side.

Persephone squirmed and yelped. Sylar cut open his hand and dripped blood onto the gash. It healed perfectly. "Wouldn't want to ruin that beautiful skin of yours, now would we?"

Before Persephone could reply he placed a hard, punishing kiss against her lips and before ending it, he bit into her lower lip, drawing blood.

"I guess I'll just have to find another way to get my kicks, right?"

He licked the blood from his lips. "Before, I could analyze your blood and tell you what it was made of, the composition. Now, it's just—blood."

He traced his fingers delicately down the line of her abs and he sighed. "Maybe I'll have a toy after all."

Persephone shivered involuntarily. She didn't like this. Not at all.

************