Chapter 12- Marching Orders

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."
-Mohandas Gandhi

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Peter wasn't exactly a hard man to find, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Of course he was happy to see Hiro and Ando together grinning like idiots on the front step of Maria's estate in the bright morning light, but if they knew exactly where to start their search without consulting Rebel then it meant he was too predictable and that could have dire consequences for everyone.

"So," Hiro smiled in anticipation as Peter led them to the kitchen to round up breakfast, "what's the plan?"

Peter smirked as he turned the corner and pointed at Sylar. "Ask him."

Hiro froze in his tracks so fast that Ando didn't have time to stop himself and he nearly knocked his friend over. "You?" Ando asked suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

"Having oatmeal." He replied sarcastically over his steaming bowl of bland but otherwise adequate nourishment. The fruit and nuts he would have usually added for flavor and additional nutrients were in short supply, so he took what he could get. He looked like hell and he knew it, but it was a minor miracle that he was able to get himself out of bed at all given the sleepless night he had while the side effects of the serum faded as much as they were ever going to. Perhaps once upon a time he might have cared, but those days were long gone. For the time being, stark and unblinking reality had replaced perception for him. His hair wasn't perfect, his cheeks were covered in dark stubble, and he was pale from exhaustion and probably had dark circles under his eyes to boot, but he just couldn't find it in himself to give a damn. He was alive, he had clean clothes to wear thanks to the stash he left behind from his slave days, and he had food to eat even if it was just a step above gruel. For him, it was a good day and probably the best he could ever hope for in the near future given the circumstances.

"Rebel told us to find Peter." Hiro squinted. "Not Brain Man."

"Well," Sylar sighed unamused at his pet name, "you found us both. I suppose you too want in on raiding the castle to save the princess?" He noted the excessively sour scowl on Peter's face at his metaphor. "Figuratively speaking."

"She was my partner." Hiro justified- as if he needed to or it would in any way convince his nemesis.

Sylar took a drink of his milk and gently put the glass down with a decisive, "No." He at least pretended to think about it before issuing his decree and he considered that a courtesy.

"No?" Ando echoed in surprise. "We came all the way here and you get to decide?" It was quite unusual for him to so openly challenge Sylar and he tried not to shrink under the harshness of his gaze.

"I do." He quietly confirmed with a slight nod. "The fact is, you could all try to get into one of those facilities to rescue Claire, but none of you have actually been close enough to one to know how they operate. You might as well just walk up to the guards with your hands up and turn yourselves in because you would all be captured and killed for your efforts." He glanced at each person in the room in turn to drive home his point. "I'm the only one who can pull this off and it will be done according to plan if you want to make it back."

Mohinder scoffed lightly. "Since when did you begin caring about our collective welfare?"

"I don't." He replied in a low tone. "If you deviate from the plan and get caught, I won't change it just to save you. But then again, you aren't going either." He shrugged lightly just to rub it in.

"Of course not." Mohinder sighed throwing his hands in the air. "I don't suppose my ability can be in any way useful to you."

"It might be, and that's why Peter is going to copy it." His dark eyes smoldered with contempt for the scientist and his voice dropped to a low rumble. "That is, unless you want me to take it." The startled expression on Mohinder's face made it clear that he understood the implied threat all too well.

Peter's eyes went wide as he folded his arms across his chest. He didn't know how long Sylar had gone without feeding his hunger, but it sounded like he was about to give in and he thought it best to draw his attention away from his potential target. "And what if I don't want to?"

Sylar slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His patience was wearing thin. "Don't be so petulant." He chided. "We all have to do things that we don't want to in order to achieve our objective- including myself. I don't want to take an entire platoon of people on this mission. We are only going to send the people we need in order to minimize the overall risk." He didn't know why he had to explain every detail, why couldn't they just trust him on this? Every second rehashing minutia was another second wasted in his mind. He had already made his list, checked it six times and was ready to execute, but everyone else was holding him up. This was the primary reason he always worked alone and he would have this time as well, but he knew he just wasn't able and it infuriated him.

"Sorry we're late." Maria smiled softly as she and Emma escorted a weary looking Matt into the kitchen. "Did we miss anything?" She jumped slightly when she noticed Hiro and Ando standing in her kitchen. "Welcome back!" Hiro bowed and Ando smiled grandly in response. They were happy to see her too and she did deserve more of a greeting, but more pressing matters were at hand and they hoped she understood.

"No, you're just in time." Mohinder groused gesturing to Sylar. "General McArthur here was just about to hand out marching orders for the invasion."

"Great." Matt sighed rubbing his temples. For him it would be no different than roll call on the police force, but it was all made worse by the slight hangover effect from the morphine and the fact that it was Sylar of all people who was leading the expedition. Technically smart, just not much of a people person. This was going to be a barrel of monkeys.

It was no more fun for Sylar. By the time he was done, and if it all went according to plan, there would be a lot of disappointed people- not the best way to demonstrate his leadership abilities, but he had to break a few eggs if he wanted to make an omelet and there was no better time to start. "Matt, Peter and I will be the only ones going." He could tell by the shocked and outraged expressions in the room that he was well on his way to infamy and possible mutiny. He put his hands up to placate them as he explained. "The rest of you will be involved, but you will stay here as backup. You all have parts to play in this, but we need to minimize our exposure." His voice was soft, yet firm. "I don't need to remind any of you that we are up against a very formidable challenge as it is without the very real possibility of being killed by S2. They will take a shot if they have one and they are not looking to take prisoners. We have to be as expedient and stealthy as possible. Get in, find Claire, get out."

"So what's the trick?" Matt asked cautiously. "How are just the three of us going to do that if the place is locked down like Fort Knox?"

"Peter will get us to the facility and you will get us in." He responded simply. "You can use your ability to convince the guards that we are supposed to be there. Make them think we are also employees, agents, cable guys, whatever you think they will buy to get us in the door. From there Rebel can guide us to Claire."

"Who's Rebel?" Emma asked looking around the room, expecting someone to identify themselves. She didn't know they used codenames on missions and it was all very exciting to her.

Peter was probably the only one who knew his real identity, but he sidestepped the question by removing his cell phone from his pocket and giving it a shake to draw her attention. "They texted it to me." She seemed both let down and concerned about the safety of sending such important information via cellphone. "Level 2, cell 3. They can let us know if she gets moved between now and then."

"Level 2?" Sylar seemed equally let down, but after he thought about it, it did make sense. "I guess she isn't really dangerous." He had assumed that she would be held on a more secure level because of who she was rather than what she could do, unlike him, but the likelihood of a clean getaway seemed even more possible if they didn't have to go into the bowels of the building to find her.

Peter shook his head sadly. "You haven't seen her lately." She may not have been dangerous in the conventional sense, but her will more than made up for her slight stature- especially if she had a gun. It bothered him to think about it, but he never gave up hope that when it was all over she could once again regain something of her old self even if her innocence had been lost.

"And then what?" Ando inquired nervously.

"Then we open the cell, either by tripping the lock if it's mechanical or by sheer force." He glanced at Peter to make sure he knew why he had to take Mohinder's power whether he wanted it or not. "And then we run. Peter will bring us back."

"What about Damian?" Maria asked, fully realizing that it would only add to the already daunting challenge. "Can you get him too?" The look of trepidation in Sylar's eyes plainly told her that he didn't want to, but he gave a small nod, almost as though he were granting a personal favor and she was relieved. He didn't know Damian and had no reason to put himself in danger to save him other than her request to do so, but for whatever reason he was willing to and she felt some of the small bit of anger she held for him at her very core slip away. He seemed to sense it and glanced down at what remained of his oatmeal with a tiny, bittersweet smirk.

"So what do we do?" Emma spoke up. She noticed the almost imperceptible exchange between Maria and Sylar and although she didn't know the context, she understood enough of it to try and keep it private so no one else would know.

"Yes," Hiro chimed in anxiously, "how are we going to help?"

Sylar looked up with renewed purpose. Whatever storm that had broken the surface of his placid demeanor had passed and it was back to business. "Hiro, you are the backup transporter if something happens to Peter. One of us will have our phones on with GPS in case of an emergency. Emma, Maria, and Mohinder will be the medical team to support Peter if we need it. Ando, you help out in whatever capacity you are needed." He paused and there was a dark flash in his eyes. "I know what can go on in those cells and it is a possibility that we may not come back unscathed." Peter tensed up as though he too had an understanding of the inner workings and he couldn't disagree with his assessment.

Maria nodded sadly. "We will be here and ready if you need us, but we'll pray that you don't." She hoped that she had seen the worst, but she couldn't stand the thought of any of them coming back wounded and in need of Emma's intervention. Not Matt, not Sylar, hopefully not Peter and especially not Damian.

"Is everyone clear?" Sylar asked standing from the table and looking to each person for affirmation that they were all on the same page. "Alright then," he pushed some buttons on his cell phone and shoved it into his pocket, "if the gods are with us, we will be back in good health and in good company."

"Amen." Mohinder muttered under his breath as Peter reluctantly approached him to take his ability.

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Damian shivered and involuntarily curled himself up tighter into a ball as he slept. Claire watched from her cot across the room, wishing she had a blanket or something to give him since she wasn't bothered by the cold as he was. Although she didn't feel discomfort herself, she remembered a time when she could and it was miserable. She would almost give anything to be that miserable again.

He didn't want to sleep and fought valiantly to keep his eyes open, but in the end he gave into the overwhelming exhaustion mostly at her urging. She promised him she would watch over him so the guards couldn't sneak up on him. It certainly wasn't an irrational fear given what he had endured and it was one she understood well, but his body couldn't heal like hers and he needed the rest. He tried to minimize it, but she could tell that the wounds on his shoulder and leg were causing him pain- she could see it in his eyes and the way he would unconsciously hold his breath when he moved in such a way that aggravated them. He didn't tell her what happened, but she could tell by the small amount of blood that seeped through the thinly woven fabric of his pajamas that they were fairly recent and had been poorly cared for.

She looked down at the pink traces of his blood on her shirt and she knew that it was unsanitary, but it wasn't as though she could catch anything from him if he had some blood borne disease. Still, the socially acceptable thing to do was to wear clean clothes and she had an extra shirt. She quietly got up from her cot and took another glance at him to be sure he was really asleep before pulling her shirt off over her head. It wasn't like she was a prude and the conditions she had lived in during her time on the front more or less dismantled any sense of propriety, but in those situations there was an unspoken understanding that it was pure survival and no one commented on another's need to change clothing in front of everyone or even share an intimate moment while they still could. This wasn't exactly one of those occasions and she didn't want him getting the wrong idea about her even if the guards may have been getting a free peepshow of her in her bra before she quickly slipped on a fresh shirt.

He winced painfully as he readjusted his arm, but quickly fell back asleep and she stared at him curiously. Looking at him from the angle she was, he looked very familiar and it was a little creepy. The thick, dark hair, the slim build, even the shape of his eyes were reminiscent of someone else she knew- someone far more evil and twisted than he himself seemed to be. He wasn't an exact replica of Sylar- he was much taller and had darker features- but they certainly did share some similarities and she began to wonder if it was a coincidence…

The door to the cell opened with a groan and Agent Carter slowly made her way in, only briefly glancing down at Damian as she passed. "I see you survived." She smiled conspiratorially at Claire. "I knew you would. What happened?"

"Nothing." Claire responded defiantly.

Carter gave a patient grin and her tone was almost condescending. "We were watching this time, Claire. He did something, something to make you fall to the floor. What did he do?"

Claire's eyes darted to her sleeping roommate and wondered how much they witnessed, or how much they heard. "I don't know." She whispered. "He doesn't either. Just leave him alone or you might get your answer."

"Why do you think I waited to come until he was asleep?" She asked arching her eyebrow. "I know he's dangerous and I know he doesn't like visitors. The fact that I'm not one of them wouldn't make much of a difference to him I'm sure."

"You're not?" Claire scoffed. "Right. You are the head of the peace and love committee. I forgot."

"Have I done anything to you other than deliver on everything I've promised?" She seemed genuinely hurt. "I don't commit to things that I can't provide. It's not fair to either of us. Is there something you need? All you have to do is ask."

"Not me." Claire shook her head slowly before gesturing to Damian. "He does. He needs a blanket and medicine. Can't you tell he's sick?"

Carter glanced over her shoulder at him and took a long look. "He never asked for anything."

"He was afraid to!" She hissed. "Look at everything he's been through since he got here. Do you really think he trusts anyone?"

"He must trust you." Carter challenged before chuckling softly. "But I will see to your request as an act of good faith. I'm not the enemy, Claire. I hope that you will begin to understand that."

Claire watched her go with a sense of disbelief. Who did she think she was? She had resigned herself to doing whatever she had to in order to make herself and Damian comfortable- even if it meant making Carter believe she was on her side. The truth was, she trusted Sylar far more than she did Carter and that was saying quite a lot. She was mildly surprised when a short time later, a cart loaded with blankets, extra clothing, and a first aid kit was quietly wheeled into the room. She was even more surprised to see that it was Carter who was pushing it. "Thanks." She mumbled hesitantly.

"You should have everything you need," Carter demurred looking back at Damian to be sure she hadn't woken him, "but let me know if I've forgotten something."

"Wait! I'm not a doctor!" Claire protested when it was clear that the supplies were meant for her use. "I don't have a clue what he needs. What if he needs actual medicine like antibiotics or painkillers?"

"Then let me know and I will try to find someone willing to work on him."

"Try?" She asked exasperated. "What the hell does that mean? There are probably hundreds of doctors in this building hired to figure us out."

Carter nodded gently and frowned. "Yes, but word spreads quickly and after what happened in here to the previous medical team, you can understand why others may be hesitant to step in."

"That wasn't his fault. He didn't know what he was doing." She defended. "Tell me you had perfect control over your ability from the day you discovered it."

"Of course not," she replied soothingly, "but my ability doesn't take lives." With that she turned her back with the secret hope that they would eventually get to the bottom of the mystery.

Out in the hallway, Luke watched as Claire covered Damian with the blanket. "Do you think it will work?" He asked Carter when the door closed.

"Probably, but not in the way you think." She replied smugly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She sighed and smiled. "Think about your time while you were running. It was tolerable because you had West. Imagine trying to go it alone. Isolation from others has very bad side effects and when you finally get a chance to make another human connection, people usually jump at the chance." She took a moment to observe Claire as she pulled the blanket up a little higher to better cover her partner. "Right now, she will do or say anything to maintain the connection she has with him because he is the only source of commiseration for her. Give her enough time and she will come to his defense if he is threatened."

"So," he squinted at her, "we're going to threaten him?" He chuckled and added, "The dude somehow drops people from 10 feet away. What the hell are we going to do to him?"

"Nothing." She patiently sighed. "A threat is the implication of danger and as long as she believes it, that's all that matters. She will eventually tell us what she knows to spare him."

Luke was dubious. "Ok, but why bother when you have her boyfriend," he pointed to the next cell, "over there? Instant relationship."

"Because you want a bond that is strong, but not too strong." She explained. "Claire and West are as committed to the cause as they are each other. They won't cooperate because it will be viewed as selling out. There will be more honor in losing the love of your life of even your own than there would be in being a traitor to the rebellion."

Luke stared blankly into West's cell and watched his former friend pace the far wall as was his habit. "You know they will come for her."

"Who?" She asked curiously.

"Her friends." He shrugged, "Maybe Sylar too. Her uncle and Sylar were at the same farm a few months ago and he helped us save him."

She didn't even try to hide the stunned expression on her face. "You know Sylar?"

He smirked at her obvious admiration. "Kinda." He coyly replied. "I mean, we don't hang out and play poker on Friday nights or anything…"

"You said he was at a farm?" She interjected. "You mean as a slave?"

"Yeah, Maria Siegel owned him." He scoffed and shook his head, "Until he ran away and got caught like a dumbass. But after we helped him escape he came back and burned the place down. It was pretty righteous."

"What are the chances of him coming for Claire Bennet?" She asked thoughtfully. "Did he have any connection with her?"

"I don't know him that well, but like I said her uncle seemed pretty tight with him."

"Did you know her uncle?" She persisted.

He was beginning to suspect that her line of questioning was getting a little too detailed. "I think his name was Patrick." He tried to appear nonchalant and gave a light shrug. "But I never saw the guy up close. It was really dark and raining."

"What was his last name?" If he was getting suspicious, she was equally so.

"I don't remember. It started with a 'P'….Pa…Pasternack, something like that."

"Patrick Pasternack?" She echoed incredulously. "That's a hell of a name. I think I'd remember that one."

"Like I said, I only saw the guy once in the dark and it wasn't like he stopped to shake my hand and introduce himself."

"Of course not." She granted softly. "But I think it's best if we alert Security to the possibility. If Sylar comes, we should all be prepared."

Luke tried to project a sense of indifference, but he ended up stammering, "But…if you do, I mean if he does end up here, you won't use the drug you told me about to kill him, will you?" Luke may have thought that his former hero was a dick, but he didn't think he deserved to die.

She gave him a curt smile that cut through the gloom of the dim hallway. "How else will we know if it works?"