(30) The Sky Of Blood

Peter stayed down half lying on the floor as the grand living room of the Gray home materialized before his eyes. He silently dropped the hem & pulled back, allowing the others to cluster around Sylar. The first thing anyone standing did was help Jessica to the couch so she could sit down & catch her breath. Peter pushed himself back to the nearest wall & sat against it. He was currently wondering exactly why he had jumped in now that he was here & knew it was mere minutes before anyone noticed him & Sylar found out.

Those minutes turned to a fraction of a nanosecond when Aviv sniffed him out & began barking. Peter put a hand over the dog's mouth to shut it up, but it was too late. Glancing up at the group, he saw everyone staring at him & Sylar was already moving towards him.

"Don't you ever give up?" Sylar grabbed Peter by force & slammed him up against the wall before he even crossed the room. Aviv yipped & ran under the couch, his kinky tail curled up over the bottom edge. "Go back to where you came from!" Sylar demanded. "You've screwed up enough!"

"Perhaps I—" Peter choked as the force power tightened around his throat. "Help you!"

"Help me?" Sylar laughed softly. "I'll die first!" He pulled Peter forward, dragging him to his knees before him, then grabbed Peter's hair, yanking back hard & enjoying the scream.

"Rabbi!" Several shouted at once in alarm.

Sylar glanced at them, then glared down at Peter. "Get out of my house!"

"Ok," Peter gasped softly. "Alright. Just calm down." Too late, he realized his mistake. Sylar's fist connected with his face, punching his nose right in. It would heal but unlike Noah, it hurt & bled like hell.

Sylar looked around at the others. "How many eons do I have to wait again before I can kill him?"

"Oh get over it," Peter snarled under breath as he stood up & went to the door.

"You're the one coming into my home, uninvited," Sylar returned. "Again." Peter put a hand on the door knob & paused. He almost looked back at Sylar but shook his head. "Were you going to say something?" Sylar demanded.

Peter turned to face him. "We have Noah to think about. Ok? You & I were working together to keep him safe. I saw it!"

"This from the one trying to keep me & my son separated for three centuries."

"Gabriel."

"It's Sylar to you!" Sylar corrected him. "Now get out ... & where is Noah?" He turned away from Peter, glancing around for his son.

"Probably out with Jason," Peter muttered.

"When we left them," Yacov began as he pushed Peter aside to open the door & look into the lawn. "They were together." He looked over the other vehicles parked nearby. "That's not right," he said after a moment, stepping backwards inside the hallway again. "They should be back, by now."

"What do you mean?" Sylar asked.

"Noah helped us get to the border," Yacov began. "Jason showed up & joined us. We were in two cars. They were supposed to bring the cars back here, away from the border. I don't see them out there."

If looks could kill, everyone in the house would have died. "Are you saying my son is out there, caught up in that war?" Sylar asked in a dangerous low voice.

"He can't die, Gabriel," Yacov turned to Sylar & took hold of his hands. "He will be fine. But Jason is mortal."

Peter watched the pair for a moment as they stared at each other before moving closer. "Let me help you get him back," he finally said. "We are equal in powers now since we shared everything in our last fight over Israel. You need all the help you can get. When we find them, I'll go back to America & not bother you again." Sylar glared at him. "Gabriel," Peter insisted on using the proper name. "You need me, right now. Do you really hate me so much that you risk losing your son?"

Before anyone could blink, Peter was once more down on his knees, clutching his nose. Sylar stood over him. "I'm going to enjoy bashing your face in every chance I get!" He headed outside, calling to the others. "Let's go!"

Peter waited for just about everyone to get out. "I hate his freaking ass!" He snarled to himself as he stood up, wiping away the last bit of blood as his face healed once more.

"We need to find Noah & Jason as soon as possible," Sylar began. "Where did you last see them? We should go there & try to pick up their path. Also," He glanced at Peter who had finally caught up. "we'll clear out every major city. Peter & I can easily drive out any unwanted guests."

Yacov looked up from his phone & pulled another one out of his pocket & handed it over. "You had left it behind when you ran off to fight with Peter. I've been hanging on to it ever since. Claire's sent you a couple of messages in the past few hours. I guess by now they know you're out."

"Claire?" Sylar's whole demeanour changed & was now keenly interested in the missed messages. "Why would she be calling me, right now?" Last he checked, they still weren't exactly friends.

Peter checked his own phone. "She's messaged me, too. Just about an hour ago."

Several moments passed as they read through everything. Sylar eventually snapped his phone shut. "Well, too late now. I'm already here." He passed his phone back to Yacov. "They have them. Claire was trying to warn us. There's a message to me that was broadcasted throughout the media. If I set foot in Israel again, Jason will be killed & Noah buried."

"So that means we have a chance of getting them back if you stay out—"

"No, Peter," Sylar cut him off. "It means it probably already happened. Now, no thanks to you, I'm going to have to tell Nehemiah that he lost his son along with his wife. I'd be very surprised if Jason is still alive. As for Noah, he can't die but I imagine being stuck in a box in the ground for a while will still be stressful. No matter. I will tear up all the ground from Syria to the Sinai Peninsula if I have to until I find him." He latched onto Peter by his telekinetic force & hauled him forward so that they were nose to nose. "Let's be perfectly clear. I don't want your help. But unfortunately, I need it. Now & in five millennia. Get my son back, then get out of our lives."

"Alright," Peter said quietly so as not to anger Sylar further. "Alright then. Just tell us what to do."

Sylar let go of Peter after a long moment of glaring at him. "Everyone else will have to start clearing out the major cities. Get into bomb shelters or even out of the area. Then Peter & I can move in & attack. We will do basically the same thing as when we were fighting with each other earlier but direct our powers onto the cities instead. Drive the enemy out. We won't use anything nuclear over Israel," he glanced at Peter. "Wait until we've driven them to the borders. You & I will start in two hours. Haifa first, then Tel Aviv, then Jerusalem & work our way across Israel."

"Two hours?" Peter asked in surprise. "Is that enough time?"

"They're not the only Kabbalah group in town, Peter," Sylar replied. "This is what the Kabbalah is for. They know what to do."

"Rabbi?" Jessica hesitated before approaching the pair of rivals. She didn't need her telepathy to feel the animosity between them.

Sylar shoved Peter aside. "What it is, Jessica?"

"I called for a search for the two missing cars," Jessica began. "It should help us track down the boys."

"It's a start," Sylar said. He took hold of her hand for a moment. "Thank you for what you did back there, but it was not necessary. I can't die. You very nearly drowned."

"I'll be fine," Jessica said.

Sylar looked around at everyone. "Alright, let's get to work. Peter? You're with me." He took off to the sky & after a moment, Peter joined him.

It was a long drive home in the dark. Twice now, Jason had almost driven off the road. Noah had to bump the cars together to redirect the one in front. After almost an hour, he sped up to get around Jason's car & stopped. Jason put the window down as Noah got out & came over.

"You're too tired," Noah stated the obvious.

"We can't stop."

"I know," Noah agreed. "We're going to have to destroy either Rabbi Meltzer's car or Miss Havoc's. Pick one & go lie down in the back of the other one. I will continue driving."

Jason leaned over to open the glove compartment. "Check the trunk. Make sure we got all her personal stuff."

"Ok," Noah opened it up to find a small bag as well as a Kudu shofar horn wrapped in velvet. He put both in the car they were going to take next to the papers Jason had found.

After another quick search through the car they were going to ditch, Noah drove it to the edge of a small ravine & got out. Both got behind to push it over. "I hope she won't mind," Jason said as the car tipped over & plunged down.

"I can easily get her another one," Noah shrugged. They watched the car crash to the bottom before turning around to go to the remaining car.

The next thing either of them knew was that they were both flat on the ground, being held down by a group of soldiers. Noah looked sideways to catch a glimpse of Jason before everything went black as a hood was forced over his head. He felt himself being picked up & thrown into something. He heard Jason yelling his name, car doors slamming & gunfire. Once inside whatever vehicle he was trapped in, he no longer heard Jason calling for him. Noah felt the wheels spin & fell to his side as they bounced over holes. For Jason's sake, he hoped these were Americans just getting a jump on the son of Sylar, but try as he might, he couldn't help but know that they were in a worse situation than just a gang of crazy Americans getting back at their killer.

It felt like ages before the transport slowed down. Noah could feel it making a hard curve & was flipped around once more. He had tried focusing on the feel of the direction & thought maybe they were heading back to the border but he was unable to see since his hands were tied & he could not remove the cover on his head. By now, he was literally turned around.

Noah tried to concentrate on feeling the movement but as time when on, all he could think of was Jason. He had a sinking feeling that he would never see Jason again. All because they had stopped for a moment. Jason was right, they never should have stopped; or at least not so soon. Noah fell into a silent despair as reality slowly dawned on him. Jason was gone & it was all his—Noah's—fault for stopping.

Whether he had fallen asleep or had just given up, Noah wasn't quite sure, but suddenly he was yanked out & thrown to the ground. He was pushed around & the hood eventually was pulled off. It was still dark, but Noah & several others were kneeling on the dirt outside under several spotlights. Looking quickly around, he knew without a doubt there were no Americans here. Several armed guards with rifles as long as they were tall were standing nearby, speaking to each other. As Noah put his head down, he caught sight of Jason just a bit to his left. Only four people between them. Their eyes met. Noah slightly shook his head. Both quickly looked to the ground. Remain quiet & still.

A gun going off made Noah look sideways towards Jason. He saw the person at the end of the line of kneeling captives keel over. The one beside the dead was soon lying down for ever more. Noah's heart stopped. They were being gunned down! Working up the line, Jason would be the fifth one. Noah lifted his head completely, catching his lover's eyes one more time & mouthed the words 'I'm sorry!' Jason simply shook his head. Never mind. He didn't blame Noah. They continued to gaze at each other waiting for the final blow.

Noah didn't see the guard come up to him & nearly jumped to his feet in surprise as someone grabbed his hair & yanked him sideways. The shootings had stopped. The one waiting beside Jason was to be next but all eyes were turned on the guard holding his prize. He put a blade under Noah's chin. They glared at each other. The guard suddenly slashed Noah's neck, then raised an eyebrow when no mark appeared. He tried one more time, then laughed softly.

Noah was dragged away to the center where everyone, guard & captive, could see him. He tried hard to keep his eyes on Jason. The guard continued to laugh & started talking loudly in Arabic. He gestured to Noah & cut his throat again before dropping Noah to the ground. In English, he said, "Look at the son of the almighty Sylar! We have caught a fine prize!"

"If you touch Jason or anyone else here with me, my Dad will come for you!" Noah tried.

The guard put his foot on Noah's back, pushing him down. "Your father is nowhere near here & doesn't know what's going on."

"That's what you think!" Noah snapped. He looked across the ground at Jason. "Let us go or you'll be sorry."

"Your father is not around to save you," the guard leered at him. He called out to the crowd. "We have Sylar's son. Peter Petrelli has Sylar trapped in America." The guards laughed.

"Like I said," Noah tried desperately, hoping to save Jason. "That's just what you think, but I know better. This is Sylar we are talking about! Do you really want to risk it? Let us go, now!"

The guard screamed in rage, bent down & grabbed Noah's hair again, pulling him up to his feet. "Stupid boy!"

"I'm not as stupid as you are!" Noah shot back vehemently. "Yes! I am Sylar's son! Do any of you want Sylar here?"

"Enough!" The guard punched Noah hard.

Noah grunted for a moment but remained standing. "I heal too fast. You gotta do better than that!" He spat in the guard's face.

Noah was once more thrown to the ground & the guard's boot landed on his neck, preventing him from looking towards Jason again. He heard shouting in Arabic again & rapid gunfire. He was dragged away by his feet & felt people clamouring around him while he slid along the ground into the dark. Whoever was holding him soon let go. A door banged & he was left in an almost near darkness save for a streak of white fake light from the spotlight outside. He felt other bodies slowly moving near him.

"Jason?" Noah couldn't hold back any longer. "Jason, are you here?"

"I'm ok," Jason replied, shuffling over to the gloomy light. "For now."

Noah moved over to him. They pressed their heads together like a pair of rabbits. "I'm so sorry I stopped us."

"It's not your fault," said Jason. "I never should have offered to be a part of this. I don't have magic. I should have stayed with Aviv."

"I hope they get Dad out," Noah replied softly. "I don't have magic like him. Or Uncle Peter. All I do is heal. I can't protect you."

"Even if he is out, he won't find us for a long time," Jason said. "No one knows where we are. You'll get out of this, since you can't die. But for the rest of us, it's only a matter of time. Just do me a favor."

"What?"

"Make them mad enough to just gun us all down," Jason said, forcing a laughing. "I want a quick death."

"Jason, you—"

"Do NOT lie, Noah!" Jason interrupted. "We all know you're the only one getting out of here alive. I'm just glad we have a few extra moments together."

Noah tried working his wrists to cut through his binds behind his back, but he healed too fast to even break free. He would never hold Jason again. That was a fate worse than death for him. He put his forehead on Jason's shoulder. Jason could feel the side of his neck slowly become damp.

For the first time in his life, Noah wanted to kill someone. He remembered every picture Luke had shown of the brutal killings of Sylar & wished he could cause even half as much pain so long as they died. But Sylar killed without even touching his victims. Sylar had multiple powers. The footage of agents who had once temporarily captured Sylar came to his mind. Luke had said they were working for someone named Danko. They had the killer cornered, tied down. But his father could break out of multiple binds. Then kill everyone who had dared hold him in a blink of an eye. He could handle a few wounds. Yet here Noah stood, tied with simple plastic zip ties on his wrists that he could not break through. His Regen was too fast to allow him to cut his wrists open to scrape out.

"I really wish I was Sylar, right now," Noah finally managed to say.

"All the good bits of Rabbi Gray is preserved in you," said Jason. "Don't ruin it." He let Noah lean on him a moment longer before stepping away. "Noah? We should say good bye now."

"What? Wait—"

"Noah, they will come for you shortly, for sure," Jason said. "The rest of us will probably get executed. They'll want you for a bargaining chip, though. Let's just make things easier now. When they come, we won't have time."

"Jason ... " Noah blinked back a few tears. He suddenly leaned in & kissed Jason softly. "I am not ready to give up, yet!"

Peter raised a hand, sending an entire convoy of tanks & army troops flipping backwards down the street with his force power. He leaned over for a moment to catch his breath. Sylar dropped a ball of fire on the mess Peter had made, then came down from the air to land beside him.

"We've pushed them back pretty far," Peter said.

"They still hold the border all along Syria, Jordan & down to the Sinai peninsula," Sylar said. "I still have nothing on Noah or Jason."

"You've been tearing up a lot of ground over there," said Peter.

"I will bring both home," Sylar looked around at the battle ground. "Even if Jason is dead, he needs to be taken to his father."

Peter looked Sylar over. He seemed so different from the killer he had known back in the day. Before, he was choosing his next ability. Now, he was part of an ancient war. Peter moved closer to Sylar & put a hand on his shoulder. He let his fingertips dig a little into the deep pile of black velvet of the tallit gadol for a moment. "We will find them! Both of them. Alive!"

Sylar pushed the edge of the shawl off his head & turned to face Peter. "The cars were found, Peter. One was smashed at the bottom of the cliff. I do not expect to see Jason alive, again."

Peter passed his hands down Sylar's arms, feeling the plush fabric. "Gabriel, I never expected to see you as a Rabbi. Now look at us."

"Rabbi," Sylar smiled softly for a moment. "I try to keep it that way in my own Kabbalah group. But the Jews see me as so much more. I've tried so hard to discourage it, but after this day, that will be impossible after what I've done."

"What do you mean?"

Sylar slightly rolled his eyes. "I'm ending this war. I won't stop until I have Noah & Jason back."

"Then let's get them!" Peter stood back.

Sylar glanced around. "It's gone quiet." He stepped forward a few paces, watching the troops on both sides. All had seemed to stop.

"Gabriel!" Peter gasped, pointing at an electronic screen down the street.

Sylar looked up at it. "Noah."

It showed a man in the desert, holding on to a struggling Noah who had his hands tied behind his back. The man forced Noah to his knees & held him down. "This video is being watched by the entire world. A message to America. I have the son of your famous serial killer. Leave Israel! Now! Or I will bury this dear boy so deep, not even their Messiah will be able to find him."

"Their Messiah?" Peter asked as the broadcast continued.

"As for you, Mr. Sylar, I suggest you cease your attack. Retreat now & perhaps, we can discuss terms to give your son back."

Claire dropped her coffee to the floor. Both her & Noah Bennet could only stare at the screen as Noah tried to shake his head. He was held firm. "How are they doing this?"

"They must have hacked into the satellites to send this around the world," Noah Bennet said.

"Do not attempt to rescue your son! You will never find him unless you accept our terms!"

"Damascus! Dad, I'm in Dama—" The screen cut out before Noah could finish, but it was all Sylar needed.

"If Noah's in Damascus, Jason might be there as well," Peter began.

"If we leave Jerusalem, they'll come right back in," Sylar said. "They want us to give up ground to get Noah back & I know they won't give my son back so easily, either. They'll just keep using him until we have pulled out of everything. Then they can just come in & take over again." He took out his phone. "Claire? Hi."

"Gabriel, we saw it here," Claire said. "Everything is getting shown here. What you & Peter are doing & now that guy with Noah."

"Claire, I promise you I will get our son back," Sylar replied. "I will reunite you in five thousand years. They can't hold him forever."

"What about Jason?"

"I highly doubt he is still alive," said Sylar.

"What are you going to do?"

"What I do best," Sylar said. "I will tear any country who stands against Israel apart. I'll call you when I get Noah home." He hung up & turned to Peter. "Come on. Now is the time we work together. We need to hit them with everything we've got."

"What's this about their Messiah?" Peter asked. "Is that someone from the Kabbalah?"

"You could say that," Sylar evaded. "Come with me." He flew into the air without another word.

Sylar dropped down into the center of Jerusalem & headed into a building with Peter following. He opened the door into a large room filled with screens & cameras. It was a news broadcasting station. "I need to get on that screen."

"Yes, Sir," The man at the desk stood up & let Sylar take over.

Sylar stood in front of the desk so that he would be fully seen. Once more, the whole world watched as a very familiar face showed up on every active screen. "This is a message to those who are holding my son hostage. I am not alone." He waited a moment as Peter came to stand beside him. "Together, we are perfectly capable of tearing up the entire Middle East. But I do not think anyone wants that. Before any terms are discussed, I ask, where is the other one? You have shown only my son, but there is another. Show me Jason Gatineau & I hope for your sakes, he is still alive. In the meantime, there will be a cease fire in Jerusalem for one hour. Give you time to find the other boy. If he is safe & sound, I will gladly discuss your terms." The broadcast cut off.

"What are you doing?" Peter demanded once they were off the air.

"Buying time," Sylar headed for the door. "If we fly, we can land in Damascus in mere minutes, get Jason & get out."

"Both of them," Peter said. "Noah's in Damascus, too."

"No he isn't," Sylar said as they stepped out into the street. "The background behind him is not Damascus."

"Then why did he say that he was?"

"Noah just told us where his lover is & since Jason can die, we need to get him, first. I will be very surprised to find him alive, though."

"So where's Noah?"

"No idea," Sylar replied. He held up a hand for silence as he noticed someone across the street, staring at them. "Come here, boy. You shouldn't be in the streets right now." The child didn't move. Sylar flicked his fingers forward, latched on & slowly pulled the boy towards him until he could physically put a hand on his shoulder. "You really do need to be in a shelter. Where are you parents?" The boy pointed down the street. Sylar leaned closer. "Do you want me to bring you to them?"

The boy shook his head. "You're not for us."

"What do you mean?"

"You are for the Jews."

Sylar knelt down in front of the boy. "I'm not just for them. Were you born here in Israel?" After a quick, silent nod, Sylar added. "I am for all Israel. You & I are both Israeli. The faiths do not matter to me. The country does. I am neither Jewish or Islamic. I used to be Christian. Catholic. By now though, I'm atheist." He stood up & held out a hand. "But to truly keep you safe, you should be with your family in a shelter."

Peter watched as the Muslim boy slowly took hold of Sylar's hand & allowed himself to be led down the road to where the father was looking for him. The reunited family slightly bowed to Sylar in thanks before hurrying away to a shelter. "What are you doing?" Peter asked once Sylar had returned. "Aren't Muslims the enemy?"

"No, Peter," Sylar nearly glared at him. "There are plenty of decent Muslim folks throughout Israel who get along with the Jewish nation & everyone else. The people we are fighting wouldn't hesitate to destroy their own kind. I've saved Muslims from Muslims before. There are extremists in every faith. Islam seems to have the most, unfortunately. Do not lump them all together!"

"The boy said you aren't for them," Peter pointed out.

"Like some people," Sylar looked away. "He was merely misinformed." He headed into the sky without another word. Once in the air, Sylar held Peter to his side by force. "We need to go invisible. Right now, people still think we are in Jerusalem. We have to go through all of Damascus to find Jason. Check every place were prisoners are held & Peter? Don't forget to rip open any recent mass graves." Peter stared at him in surprise as Sylar added, "Some times, they are still barely alive when their bodies are dumped into those things. If they want to dispose of a group of prisoners quickly, that's the best way of doing it & Jason would most certainly be in one of those. Whoever gets him first, dead or alive, bring him straight to my home back in Haifa."

Both disappeared into thin air as they dropped into the center of what was left of Damascus. Guards dropped like flies as Peter & Sylar passed unseen, quickly killing any enemy they came across. Sylar ripped through barbed fencing, throwing the twisted wire into the streets to block oncoming traffic.

Prison bars inexplicably flew from their sockets & doors became separated from their hinges. Freed captives slowly came out & looked around, but saw neither their oppressors or their rescuers, before cautiously hurrying away to hide.

Sylar moved in behind them as the cells emptied. He began letting the force power tear through the ground & thick walls of the barracks, looking for anyone that had been tied up & sealed away. He found several who would look around in surprise before thanking whatever God they followed as they left hurriedly, but the one he was looking for was not among them.

Peter had followed Sylar through the main streets, mirroring him from the other side. They eventually went separate ways to cover more ground in less time. Like Sylar, no one saw him either. He let the people wonder what was happening as he moved forward. At the back of the last prison in his direction that had been set up near the edge, Peter came across fresh earth. A mass grave. He hesitated, not wanting to disturb the dead, but Sylar had told him that not all buried were yet dead. Using force, he shoved the turned dirt up & over. Several bodies slipped out of it back into the hole & one of them was Jason.

Peter pulled the boy up out of the mess & laid him on the ground. He knelt down & pressed a finger to Jason's neck. He felt a very light pulse. Next moment, Peter was kneeling on the front porch of Sylar's house with Jason still unconscious at his feet. Using a water jet, he cleaned off the dirt & then surveyed the damage. Jason had several stab wounds in his right side. He had lost a lot of blood. Peter set to work on closing the wounds before giving some of his own blood. Next, he called Sylar.

"You better get back to Jerusalem before they figure out you're gone," said Peter the moment he was answered. "I found Jason. Not looking too good, right now. I had to give him some of my blood."

"Jason's gone through near death before," said Sylar. "Noah saved him then. He should be alright. Take him to his father's house, then meet me back in Jerusalem as soon as possible. I'll text you the address for Jason's home."

Peter hung up & waited for the text. He looked over Jason, watching wounds ever so slowly close up. His phone dinged with the text. Peter checked it. He heard Jason mutter something & leaned closer. "You're alright, Jason," Peter began in a soft voice. "I'm Peter Petrelli. You've got my Regen blood in you. We're in Gabr ... in Rabbi Gray's ... house."

Jason's eyes fluttered open for a moment. He barely whispered, "Prophecy ... fulfilled."

"Ok, Jason," Peter laughed. "You must be in a lot of pain, right now. It will take time to heal. But you'll be fine. It has nothing to do with prophecy."

Jason closed his eyes & in a faint breath, he sighed, "Messiah."

"Just ... sleep it off," Peter laughed quietly to himself. "I'm no Messiah."

Jason slowly shook his head. "... Rabbi ... Gray ..."

Peter had half-reached out his hand to touch Jason's arm for transport, but stared down at him in surprise. Things suddenly clicked into place. Sylar had said that the Jews thought of him as something more than a mere Rabbi. Sylar had said that after today, it would be hard to discourage it. Sylar had also said he was finishing this war. The soldier in the broadcast had called out a Messiah. The Muslim boy thought Sylar was for Jews only, but Sylar had said he was for all Israel. "Oh!" Peter's eyes went wide. "Oh hell no!"

Peter dropped Jason off in the living room of the Gatineau home & beamed out without even announcing himself. He landed in Jerusalem a few feet behind Sylar. He watched as Sylar pulled the shawl up over his head before catching someone by power & killing them. Peter understood that whenever Sylar would pull the black shawl over his head as a Jewish man would do for prayer, he would do for a kill & when it was down piled over his shoulders, he was safe to be around.

After a few minutes, Sylar noticed Peter. "Took you long enough. Our little excursion in Damascus didn't go unnoticed. Cease fire is already over." He glanced around as a siren went off in the distance. "That's the Iron Dome." Looking back at Peter, he said, "Shall we finish this?"

Peter stared long & hard at him before trying to march past. "Fine."

Sylar pulled him back. "Something wrong?"

"Where do I even start?"

"Peter, the rockets are coming," Sylar began. "We need to send them back on their own users. Can we talk later?" Peter jumped into the air without answering. Sylar sighed heavily before following.

Before, Peter & Sylar had worked separately, clearing out all the major cities. But now that the line had been pushed back once more, they banded together, doubling their powers as both used the same abilities at the same time. Fire, ice, energy arc, sound waves. They didn't need to tell each other what power they would use next. Both flew inland, sweeping the ground below them, driving out intruders. Once they were far enough from the major cities, they went nuclear.

Facing the desert side, both caused a large sandstorm to surround the armies trying to come in before dropping into the center & causing the entire force to be turned onto each other. Next, they cleared out the sand & let America move in to capture the confused militant group.

Their next attack was on the other side of Israel, over the Mediterranean Sea. Peter held up a wall of water to keep the American ships out of the way while Sylar slammed his force power down into an Iraq armament of battle ships, sinking them. Peter let his wall of water slowly slide back into place & the American ships took over, pulling people out of the water & securing them.

It was a red sun that set on the entire Middle East that day. Peter & Sylar stood in the hills of the Golan Heights, surveying the damage they had done. There had not been any resistance for a while. The Prime Minster had been discussing surrender with the defeated terrorists, with America backing him up.

"It's finally over," Sylar said after a long moment of silence. Peter scoffed under breath but Sylar heard just fine. He looked at the ex-medic, sitting against a large boulder. "Alright, what's wrong now?" Peter looked up at him. Sylar came to stand next to him. "You look like something spooked you. What is it?"

Peter glanced across the border into Syria. "It's blasphemy."

"Uhh, we did kill a lot," Sylar said. "It was a bit much, even for me. But it was war. That's not the definition of blasphemy."

Peter sharply stood straight. "The MESSIAH, Sylar?! Only One gets that Title!"

"I never called myself the Mes—"

"But they do!"

"Not my problem," Sylar held up his hands. "Noah & I both have stated we're not into that."

"Yeah & now you've not only won the war for Israel, but you've also dragged me along for the ride!"

Sylar rolled his eyes. "So go pay some penance or whatever. Isn't that what you Catholics do? It really is not my problem!"

"Not yet!" Peter snarled through gritted teeth.

"Again Peter, I have never once called myself Messiah & I never will," Sylar defended. "If Jesus is real & comes back for these people, I will gladly step aside. I neither want or need the Title, but unlike you, I'm not going to interrupt somebody's faith on account of my ego. If the Jews view me as that, then it is their problem, not mine."

"They rejected the proper Messiah & no longer His people."

"Where does it say that in the bible? This is another reason why I'm atheist," Sylar groaned. "Christianity make up so many things not even found in the bible. The Jews will always be the Chosen People! Even the Qur'an calls them 'People Of The Book'. Besides, not all Jews reject Him. Ever heard of the Messianic folks? Hebrew Roots? Plenty of those around here!" Sylar sighed before going on, "Anyway, if such things are real, then we all know I'm already destined for hell & it will be for a very different title that also starts with an M: Murderer, not Messiah."

"Moses is a murderer & he is in heaven, right now!"

"Good for him," Sylar muttered.

"Sy—"

"I'm not going to argue semantics with you," Sylar cut Peter off. "The war is won. Israel is safe. That's two of three things I care about. Now, I need to find my son in this mess. You said you would help me get him back, let's go do it. Nothing else matters, now!" He headed into the red sky without another word.