Sylar never stood a chance.

He realized that only now, when it was far too late. It wasn't only the fact that Jonathon's ability was reacting instinctively to his dying.

It was Jonathon's Death Scream.

The Death Scream was already the worst sound in the world. It was a combination of a person's worst emotions: fear, pain, anger, depression. All condensed into a scream that rang out and echoed in the mind, repeating over and over until you could think of nothing but that sound. Sylar never believed it could get any worse then it already was.

But Jonathon's was amplified by his ability.

Seconds stretched on like hours, days even. The telepathic energy attacked his mind, while Jonathon was screaming out, dying in front of him.

Sylar found it was getting harder and harder to move. The line started to appear more slowly, and then not at all. By the time he could go no further, Jonathon's forehead had a gash across it, but there was nothing else. Sylar couldn't continue. He was painfully aware of each second that passed, and knew that Kate would be here all too soon.

But he had come here for a reason. And he wasn't going to leave until this was finished.

He had to kill Jonathon Mendez.

But this was too slow. At this rate, he would be dead before Jonathon was.

He got to his feet, and raised his hand. The unconscious two-year-old started to hover in front of him.

Try and stop me, Kate. Sylar filled the thought with pure malice.

Don't you dare. Kate's mind touched his. He could feel the anger in her thoughts. He knew he had to hurry.

He shot out the door. Kate practically lived in the middle of nowhere. There was no one around. So he had to take this somewhere else.

He took off, Jonathon hovering behind him. This would end now.

I'm gonna kill him.

It was really the only thought on Kate's mind. I don't care what else happens. I'm going to shove a knife in the back of his murderous head. I'm going to kill him.

She was going as fast as she could, following Sylar's Telepathic Fingerprint. She knew what he wanted to do. Jonathon's Death Scream had made that clear enough.

Kate snarled and shot forward. Fortunately, Jonathon's Death Scream had stopped short. He was still alive.

But for how long?

Kate found Sylar in front of a road. Cars raced across the black pavement. Sylar was standing up, and Jonathon was in a position that made him look like he was standing next to him. Normal people couldn't see what was really going on…

Kate was on the other side of the road. "Let him go, Sylar!" She snarled. "Now!"

Sylar smiled coldly, and his eyes locked on hers.

Life had once made sense to him. Before he met Kate. Before he started to actually help her. Back when he could kill a person simply because he wanted to. When taking power was so much easier. Before he heard the Death Scream.

And, most importantly, before Kate had called him a 'friend.'

He wasn't her friend. She wasn't his. They hated each other. Life made sense when it worked that way. Life made sense when everyone in the world hated him, when no one tried to change him, when no one was like Kate.

That's what he wanted. He wanted everything to make sense. He wanted everyone to hate him, simply because that was what he was used to. The problem was, Kate never did hate him. She'd been through so much, and each time, she'd ignore it. He'd even killed her, and still she had the nerve to call him a 'friend.'

So he had decided. He would do the unforgivable. The one thing Kate would never get over. The one thing that could turn Kate against him.

Kate loved her little brother. Enough to make a decision that put her in this position in the first place. Enough to ask Sylar for help. Enough to do something that would split her family apart.

So, when it came to unforgivable, Jonathon was the only answer. Therefore, Jonathon had to die.

Sylar's eyes were dark as they locked on Kate. He smiled coldly, and did something no one expected.

He flicked his hand, and Jonathon flew into the middle of the road.

"NO!" Kate cried out. She desperately tried to stop the cars, to pull Jonathon out of the way, but Sylar stopped her. He held back her telekinesis with his. She launched a pulse in his direction, throwing him backwards, but by then it was too late.

Kate heard the tires screech against the black pavement, the sickening thump of metal against…

Kate couldn't think of it. She simply whirled towards the car and stopped it before it went any further. She ran to her brother.

Something had woken Jonathon up. Whether it was the shock of the pain, or something else, no one could tell. All Kate knew was that her brother's bright blue eyes were wide open, perhaps for the last time.

"Jonathon?" Kate knelt down next to her brother, calling his name desperately. "Jonathon!"

Blood pooled around her brother's body. Tears flowed down Kate's face.

Sylar smiled with grim satisfaction, and took off, disappearing in the crowds.

"Kate…" Jonathon's voice cracked on the word.

Kate looked at her brother. "I'm here." She whispered.

Jonathon was gasping, his breathing irregular and heavy. "Telepathic… T…Tr…Transfer."

"Don't try to talk." Kate said, trying to hold in the blood.

"N…No… Kate…." Jonathon desperately gasped out the words.

Kate brought her head close to her brother's. "I'm here." She said again.

Jonathon weakly reached up with one hand. "I…told you… We can…Give up…our…" He tried to gasp out the last word, but no sound would come out.

"Oh. My…" The driver of the car had managed to pry the door open, and was coming over next to Jonathon.

Jonathon ignored him, and his hand touched Kate's cheek.

Kate fell back as pure telepathic energy flowed into her mind. She clutched her head, screaming. The energy kept coming, in amounts so great they were hard to comprehend. The pain seared through her mind, white-hot and sharp. Kate couldn't breathe.

And then, it stopped. Her head was throbbing. Slowly, she came up next to her brother again. But it was too late.

Jonathon was dead.

I killed him. No no no… How could I have killed him? Come on, kid, wake up. Please don't die…

The thoughts of the driver were unusually clear to Kate's mind. Though she tried to block them out, they were too loud. People's thoughts came to her mind without her even trying.

Oh no…

Did someone get hurt?

What happened?

Is that blood?

He…He's just a little kid!

Is he dead?

Where's my phone? I need to call 911…

Kate tried to keep them out, but it didn't work.

She leaned over next to her brother, and suddenly realized something. A few somethings, in fact.

One, Jonathon had thought of ways to come back, ways Kate could bring him back.

Two, everyone's thoughts were way too loud. This wasn't Kate's ability.

So, naturally, she found out that, three, she had Jonathon's ability.

Obviously, her little brother had thought of this. If he could give her his abilities, he could also telepathically send memories at the same time.

Memories that could help in a situation like this.

First, Kate wouldn't be thinking clearly. That much was apparent now. But with this ability, Kate found that she didn't need to really be thinking clearly. The small part of her brain that was thinking clearly would be enough.

So, what was that part thinking?

Kate could control electricity. She could electrically restart Jonathon's heart, like a defibrillator at hospitals.

But Kate was, put simply, out of electricity. She hadn't been able to do anything like that since she'd pulsed and almost taken out the city. So that was impossible.

Kate laid her hands on her brother's chest and pulsed. She heard his heart beat once, unwillingly. She did it again and again.

But it wasn't working. Nothing was WORKING!

She found herself sobbing. She couldn't THINK. She needed to THINK.

And then she remembered. It happened quickly, as she instinctively did something that she'd been doing for a long time, so long she hardly noticed it anymore.

She forced her heart to beat.

Of course! It was exactly like what she'd been trying to do when she'd pulsed only seconds before. Carefully, she spread telekinetic energy through her brother's body. She felt his heart, and gently contracted the energy around it.

His heart thudded once.

She did it again and again, until Jonathon's heart did something Kate's had refused to do.

It started again.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief as Jonathon's heart began beating on its own.

He was alive.

During the days that followed, Kate never left her brother's side. She stayed at the hospital, keeping her head next to his. Peter had found them when they came in that day, and was even now keeping an eye on Jonathon, making sure he was ok.

Kate sighed and gently stroked Jonathon's hair away from his face. The gash on his forehead hadn't healed yet, and it fueled a fury that ran so deeply through Kate it was impossible to ignore.

How could Sylar DO this? It was a question Kate had asked herself many time. How could he just try and kill Jonathon, after everything that had happened?

Kate sighed, trying not to get too angry, for fear the building would start shaking.

"Kate?" Peter's voice drifted in from the doorway.

"I'm here." Kate responded. Her voice was soft, and her throat was dry. She hadn't spoken in a long time.

Peter came in the room. "He's going to be ok."

Kate nodded. "I know."

Peter looked at her. He'd never seen Kate so… defeated. She'd always looked like she could take on anything. But her brother's death seemed to take so much out of her…

Peter thought back to when he'd found Kate there…

"PETER!" Kate's voice had sounded out across the street to the ambulance. They were making a habit out of this.

"Kate!" He ran over to her. "I got your message. What's wr…?" He trailed off as he saw Jonathon's limp body being raised into the ambulance. "Oh no…"

Kate nodded, and stretched her hand out. He touched it, and a flash of distorted light shimmered across. Peter gasped as the thoughts of those around him filled his mind. Finally, he was able to distinguish between them.

Let's go. Kate's thoughts. He was sure of it. I'll explain on the way there.

On the way to the hospital, Peter read Kate's mind, taking in everything that had happened in a split second. Kate kept her eyes on her brother. Peter was desperately trying to stop the blood from flowing out of the gash on Jonathon's head. If the car accident hadn't killed him, the line across his forehead would have.

Thankfully, Sylar obviously hadn't wanted that. Peter could see that he'd held the blood in on the way to the road. Maybe he hadn't made up his mind. Maybe he'd thought there had been a chance that he could still take Jonathon's ability, instead of having him hit by a car. Maybe he didn't want to attract too much attention. Whatever it was, it had been helpful.

Kate was also trying to do what she could. But the other nurse in the ambulance quickly started to panic at the thought of a teenager trying to do something like this. Kate tried to ignore him, but it didn't really work.

Peter had only taken Kate's ability to find out what happened. But now it was proving to be extremely useful, as they could easily communicate without having to ask if they could read each other's minds, which Kate would have had to do, even if Peter didn't.

Here. He thought. Get this on his shoulder.

Kate complied, pressing the bandages on her brother's shoulder.

And hand me the heart monitor. It only occurred to him that Kate would have no idea what that would look like after she'd handed it to him. He brushed it off. Kate had been in a few hospitals. She would obviously know a few things. Heck, normal teenagers would probably have the sense enough to know what a heart monitor would look like.

But then he started asking for other things, things that were less known. Kate didn't need to ask. He realized that she could read everything that was in his mind. Absolutely everything.

And he could read everything in hers.

Peter tried not to pry, but he was genuinely curious. What went on in Kate Mendez's mind?

Enough to keep you wondering for weeks. Now help me with this. Kate's thoughts had snapped him out of it.

Sorry. He replied.

Now, here at the hospital, Kate's head was laying next to Jonathon's. It had been five days. Five days since Jonathon had died. Five days since Kate had seen Sylar.

Peter cleared his throat. "It wasn't easy, but I pulled a few strings. If Jonathon continues to improve, he can be out of here in a week. You can take him home." He sighed. You'd probably be able to handle it right now, of course, but they don't know that. He let his thoughts reach her mind.

Of course. Her mind replied. "Thank you, Peter." her voice was soft.

"Hey, we might not always agree on everything, but…" he shrugged. We're still heroes. Two different people, but we both have abilities.

Kate turned to face him for the first time. Her cold blue eyes were emotionless. Dead, even. I know what you're thinking, Peter. But I won't kill Sylar. Not even after this.

Peter shrugged again. It was worth a try.

Kate sighed and turned back to her little brother. But that doesn't mean I won't have a few words with him.

Peter could fill the hatred in her thoughts. I'll leave you to that then.

Kate sighed again, and Peter slowly went out the door.

A week later, Kate was home. Like she had been in the hospital, she was constantly at Jonathon's side. The two-year-old had woken up a few days ago, but still spent the majority of his time asleep. He was exhausted. And he had every right to be.

Kate sighed and walked out of the room. She was only gone for a few moments as she grabbed a bottle of water.

She walked up to the door. She knew he was there. It was almost impossible for her not to know.

She opened the door, her eyes cold. Sylar didn't turn to look at her. His eyes were locked on her little brother.

"It's strange, isn't it?" He asked. "I thought I would have to finish this…" He trailed off, one finger on Jonathon's forehead, brushing aside his sandy-blonde hair, lightly tracing the scar that he'd put there. He looked up, his eyes locked on Kate's. "But it all comes back…" He walked towards her. "To you."

Kate narrowed her eyes.

"It always comes back to you." He said, one hand raised slightly, a finger level with the scar on HER forehead. "Isn't it strange how that works out?"

Kate glared at him. "That's it?" Her voice was cold, quiet, inhuman, even. "That's all this was about? POWER?"

Sylar looked at her. "What is it always about, Kate?"

Kate chuckled darkly, no trace of humor in her eyes. "You want this power?" She asked, her eyes locked on his.

Sylar looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Suddenly, she exploded. "THEN TAKE IT! TAKE IT!"

Pain, white-hot and sharp, seared through Sylar's mind. He recognized it. The overflow of pure telepathic energy. Sylar felt it burn through him. He gasped, falling to his knees and clutching his head. It blazed through his head, burning through his thoughts, controlling everything he was.

And then, as suddenly as it had come, it was over. His head was still throbbing, but the pain was, for the most part, gone.

He hadn't tried to read Kate's mind. But her thought practically screamed out to him.

I don't need it anymore.

Sylar looked at her. Her eyes were cold. Slowly, shakily, he got to his feet.

Kate said nothing to him, turning to her brother. She sat down next to him.

Sylar walked out the door slowly, keeping his eyes on Kate.

Go. Now. Her thoughts sounded clear, loud, and commanding.

It was only then that Sylar realized what really happened. Kate no longer had Jonathon's ability.

He did.

He was now as strong as Jonathon ever was. Stronger then Kate in every respect.

He walked out slowly, keeping his eyes on Kate. As soon as he was out the door, he collapsed. The NOISE. The sound of so many people's thoughts raging through his mind.

And there, away from all that, a scream. The Death Scream.

Sylar gasped. Everything was so perfectly clear…

Slowly, steadily, the noise lessened as he tried to block it out. After a moment, he was able to get to his feet.

He took a deep breath, keeping his breathing slow and steady. This could take some getting used to.

And, slowly, he walked away. He had what he wanted.

Sylar was now the most powerful telepath in the world. There was nothing that could stop him.

He leaned against the wall. He was tired of running, so tired…

He looked out at the city. Its bright lights and loud noises and horrible smells attacked his senses. He couldn't take it much longer. He was beginning to give up.

NO! He couldn't give up. She was out there, somewhere. He just had to find her. She had to know. There was no other thought on his mind as he continued to race down the roads. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't give up.

Whatever else happened, he had to find Rosa.