(16) Slasher

He held her down on the ground. Bombs burst over head. The guns went off. The fighting went through the night. But he was oblivious to all of it. Ariel, one of a precious few he truly cared about, was dead & unlike Claire, this woman he could not get back. He didn't know how long they lay there amidst the war raging around them. He laid Ariel neatly on the ground & sat back on his heels. Eyes closed, he turned his face to the sparkling sky filled with dying rockets. "Why?" He growled through gritted teeth. "Just bloody why? Is she not one of your own people?! You keep this up & I'll go back to America & rip her apart! State from state from state! Is that what you want? To drive me mad? AGAIN?" He laughed mirthlessly. "You know what she thought about me!"

He continued to kneel beside her, staring over her body at nothing. He barely noticed the silence that had fallen around him after the fight died down. His own heart was pounding. His birth power was screaming for blood & for the first time, it was agreeing with him on his new plan on who to kill. But he didn't dare leave her side. He had to get her body home. She would want to be buried before the sun set on this day. He continued to stare across the bloodstained road.

A soft shhh—ing sound from behind made him dive forward. He felt the slash across his back. Better that than the neck for a beheading was one way to end a regenerator permanently. Sylar rolled sideways as his attacker screamed & tried to behead him again. He forgot he had powers. He forgot he could feel pain. All he knew was that he was going to make this one responsible for Ariel's death & kill him. Sylar jumped up & caught the blade with both hands. He wrenched it out of his opponent's grip & in a yell of rage, he swung the curved scimitar around. The head went flying & the blood Sylar so desperately needed came showering down over him. He let the blade fall & stumbled back to her, dropping to his knees beside her once more.

"Ariel!" Sylar put a hand through her hair one last time. "Let's go home, girl. I'll take you home." He teleported them to her house & laid her on the floor in the living room. He dropped into the same chair Devorah was sitting in only hours before & waited for her to return from hiding.

It wasn't for another two hours before Devorah returned with her daughters. Sylar stood up as they entered & froze in the doorway at the sight. "I did not kill her," he said quickly in Hebrew. "We ran for the bomb shelter. She went back to save a child. She didn't make it."

Devorah glared at him. "I-it's still your fault!" She said. "If she hadn't been dating you, or working with you, she would not have gone out. She would still be here."

Sylar looked away. "Yes, I suppose that's true. I never wanted this to happen to her!"

"It's too late! It's done," Devorah replied in a shaky voice as Nechamie & Gissel softly wept behind her.

"I know your people wish to be buried the same day," Sylar said. "Do you need help?"

"Yes, but not from you!"

Sylar lowered his eyes to look upon Ariel one last time. He realized then that it was unlikely he would be able to go to her funeral, at least not as a human. "I know I scare you, Devorah. But I am not that monster from New York any more."

"It isn't that I fear you," Devorah said. "It's a lot more personal. You took someone from me back then. Do you remember Isaac Mendez?" Sylar gasped under breath & looked up at her. "So you do. His father was a good friend of mine. You killed his son, Isaac."

"Ohh! Wow!" Sylar exclaimed. "Devorah, if I had known! I would not have come here." He held up his hands, still stained with blood from both Ariel & the terrorist he had beheaded. "I was out of control back then. But I own my power now. All of them."

Devorah looked at his hands as fresh blood dripped from them. "So it would seem."

Sylar noticed the red visceral liquid. "This is mostly hers," he nodded at Ariel lying near his feet. "Also some ISIS terrorists that we don't need." He lowered his hands. "I won't bother you again. I'm going home now." He disappeared on the spot & landed in the entrance hall of his own beach home without thinking.

Sylar wandered aimlessly into the living room & collapsed on the couch. He put his head forward into his hands & lost all sense of his surroundings for a while.

"Dad? What the—Why are you covered in blood?"

Sylar looked up into his son's eyes. Noah felt his breath catch as he took in the wild predatory look about his father. Sylar thought hard. He was caught now. Sort of. Maybe not. Or maybe did it matter any more? Perhaps now would be as good a time as any to tell him. What he did, what he could do. "It's not my blood." was all he could say.

"Right. That's nice. Next question! Why are you covered in blood?"

Sylar shook his head, letting the opportunity go by. "There was an attack in Jerusalem. Ariel was gunned down." He looked at Noah. "She's dead."

"Oh," Noah lost his defensiveness & sat down on the arm of the couch. "Sorry about that. I know she wasn't your girlfriend, but you were close with her."

Sylar smiled at Noah for a short time. "Actually, she became my girlfriend on Sabbath. Right before we got her nieces back."

"Oh really? Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Noah said. "How are her nieces?"

"They're still alive," Sylar said. "Ariel & I had gone out yesterday. The raid happened then."

"It seems to be getting worse in Jerusalem." Noah said.

"Yeah, it's getting worse," Sylar stated. "I better get this cleaned up."

"Let me do it," Noah offered. "You should go have a shower."

"Noah, you shouldn't have to."

"It's fine," Noah said. "You'd just make things worse right now. You should take care of yourself."

"Alright," Sylar gave up.

Noah stood up. "Oh, look I didn't know when you'd come back. Jason is coming over for breakfast."

"That's fine, Noah," Sylar said. "He's basically family now. Do you think you'll get married?"

"Dad," Noah rolled his eyes. "Go wash up!"

"Right," Sylar teleported to the bath so as not to spread the blood all over the house.

He didn't just have a shower. He filled the bath & lay back, letting the blood rinse out. He slipped under the water so his hair could soak clean. The water was a bright pink by the time he was done. Sylar watched it drain, realizing he had just bathed in blood, something he had never done before. He dried off & got dressed, then shifted to the Kestrel before transporting back to Jerusalem. He dug his talons into the stone frame of the window of the synagogue where Ariel's funeral was held & then flew from a distance as he followed them to the cemetery. Once she was buried & those left behind had gone away, he perched on her tombstone, tucked his head under a wing & fell asleep. Alone over her grave.

Noah glanced around at the bloody mess. Fortunately, they used covers on most of their furniture to help with Aviv's shedding. He pulled it all off & tossed it in the washing, then put the spare covers on. Next, he quickly went to work on the hallway floor. Jason opened the door a few minutes later.

"Uh, what's going on?" Jason asked as he carefully pushed the door aside & noticed blood on the floor.

"Dad got caught up in a raid in Jerusalem," Noah answered. "Ariel's been killed."

"Oh no!" Jason gasped. "How is he?"

"I don't think he is doing as well as he seems," Noah said, rinsing the mop.

"This stuff's starting to dry," Jason pointed out. "Do you have something to get it off?"

"I suppose there'd be something in the garage," Noah said. He whistled for Aviv & headed out the door.

"Did your Dad get hurt as well?" Jason asked as he followed. "Looks like he lost some blood or something."

"Even if he did get hurt, he'd be healed by now," Noah shrugged. "I think it's Ariel's blood." He opened the side door to the garage part way. "Jason. You should have seen him when I walked into the living room earlier. There is a lot more blood than what you saw. A lot more. He was covered in it." He turned to look at Jason. "You know those slasher films we like to watch? I felt like I had walked onto the stage of one of those. He looked like the main killer in those movies."

"Must have been a lot of bombs blowing people up around him," Jason tried. "I've seen it happen. It's a bloody mess."

"Yeah, I know," Noah replied absent-mindedly. Inwardly though, he couldn't get the image out of his head. His father fit the role of the murderer so well it seemed, but why? Noah moved beyond the car & crossed the second parking space where the Buell *, a motorbike his father had recently gotten for himself once he had handed the car over to Noah, was resting under cover to the far wall & opened the first two cupboards. "We need something strong like a bleach or something similar."

"I'll check in this one," Jason tried to open the next door. "I think it's locked. Where's the key?" He waited for a long moment. "Noah? Hello?"

Noah was staring at the locked cupboard, unaware of Jason's attempt to reach him. Jason resorted to smacking Noah upside the head to get him to snap out of it. "What?" Noah glared at him.

"The key?" Jason gestured to the locked cupboard.

"Jason, I don't know," Noah said. "I'm looking at that cupboard now & realize, it's always been locked. Never thought of it before now." Jason looked around & started for the motorbike. "What are you doing?" Noah asked as Jason pulled off the cover.

"Getting the key," Jason replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I wouldn't know where to look," Noah said as Jason opened the seat of the bike & pulled out a set of keys. "Or we could just try those." Noah stared in surprise.

"He probably thought you'd never bother with the bike," Jason came back & picked a random key from the chain. There were only five & two were for the bike. The one Jason tried turned out to be the spare for the car. Noah told him to skip the house key so Jason tried the last one. The door opened easily. Both looked in, only to find themselves rather disappointed.

"There's nothing in here," Noah said. Jason tapped him on the chest a few times & then pointed upwards. There was one thing there, a box on the top shelf. Noah took it down & put it on the floor between them. Both sat cross-legged across from each other as Noah pulled the lid off. Inside was a pile of papers. Noah grabbed them & pulled them out.

"Disney land?" Jason picked up the stub of the old ticket.

"We went to both," said Noah. "Here's the receipts for the hotels we stayed in. He kept everything."

"You don't sound so sure."

"Jason, it's all in my name," Noah held out some of the receipts. "Look. Noah Gray. Not even my full name. Just my first & last." He rifled through the pile. "Dad's name isn't here. It's all me! Jason, I didn't pay for anything. Why would he do this?"

"Probably to build up your credit," Jason replied, unconcerned. "My parents are doing it with me so when I turn eighteen, it will be much easier to get a credit card."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, it's a great idea," Jason nodded. "What's this?" He picked up a collection of papers stapled together. "Looks like names."

"Yeah," Noah scanned over the first paper. "Brian Davis. Deceased. Trevor Zaitlen. Deceased. James Walker, Zane Taylor, all deceased."

"All of them?" Jason took the papers & looked through them. "You're right! All deceased." His eyes frantically skimmed the list. "Um, Noah? What is your full name again?"

"Noah Petrelli Bennet Gray."

"Petrelli!" Jason gasped. "Look!" He turned the pages back & pointed at a name.

"Nathan Petrelli?" Noah stared. He gasped suddenly, clapping one hand to his mouth.

"What?" Jason asked. "Do you know him?"

"Jason! Dad's name is Gabriel Gray," Noah began. "Not Bennet, not Petrelli. Jason?" Noah slowly put the pages down beside the box. "I think maybe ... Oh my God! I'm adopted!"

"No way!" Jason exclaimed.

"Then why do I have names my father does not?" Noah insisted. "Nathan is dead. Dad said my mother died in an explosion. I think my whole family died like that & I'm pretty sure Dad caused the explosion!"

"WHAT?"

"Yes, I've been thinking that for years," Noah said, explaining what he had come up with.

Jason stared at the pages for a long time. "If you're right, then know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think your Dad killed all these people."

Noah burst out laughing. "Oh come on! Dad wouldn't hurt a fly. I said he only looked like the killer in a slasher movie. It wasn't his fault Jerusalem got bombed."

"Exactly," Jason said. "Not his fault. But maybe this explosion that killed your mother, took all of these out. They might have been at a party together & something happened. You say you think he caused the blow up."

"Yeah, but I'm sure it was accidental," Noah said. "But it would explain a lot. He must feel so guilty about it. Probably why he took me in."

"How do YOU feel?" Jason stared at him. "What if you're right & you were adopted?"

"So what if I am?" Noah said. "He's the only father I've ever known. He raised me. Family is more than blood."

"Have you ever spoken to him about that explosion?"

"No, not really," Noah shook his head. "It involves Mom & he still misses her too much to talk yet. But he did say he would tell me some day."

"I hope that's soon," Jason pulled out some more papers from the box. One slipped out & half-fell in. He picked it up. It was a picture of a blonde girl dressed in a cheerleader's uniform. "Who is this?" He flipped the picture over but the back was blank.

"I don't know," Noah took it for a moment. "She sure is beautiful." He stared into her eyes. There was an almost instant connection but he couldn't understand why. "I wonder if she is on that list?"

Jason looked it over once more. "Hmm, there's an Elle Bishop here. She's deceased as well. Dale Smithers. Deceased. Jackie Wilcox. Deceased. Bridget Bailey, Sue Landers. Noah, if that girl is on here, she's dead!"

"So is my mom," Noah replied softly, still lost in the girl's gaze. "One of those names is definitely my mother. Jason!" He tore his eyes away from her. "This is my mother! I know it! It has to be her!"

Jason took the picture back. "Know what? I think you're right. I can see some similarities."

"I finally know what she looked like."

"We should take this to your Dad."

"NO!" Noah began cramming everything into the box. He took one last long look at Claire's picture before putting it in on top & then slammed the lid on it. "No! We can't bring this up!"

"But Noah!"

"Don't you understand?" Noah cut him off. "It would tear him apart if he knew what we just did! He was very much in love with my mother. I can tell. He said he would talk to me some day. I gotta wait! I'm just glad I know what she looks like." He glared at the cover of the box as he took a moment to catch his breath. He noticed something written by hand across the top. It was a line of numbers. 05/19/7280. It was the American way of writing out dates numerically but no such year existed yet so it had to be something else.

Noah put the box away & slammed the door shut. "Put the keys back!" He ordered as he snapped closed the lock, then rested his forehead on the door. "Jason? This never happened. Okay? Promise me, don't bring it up with him around. Not yet." He looked up at the ceiling. "Oh God! Why do I feel like we opened Pandora's box?"

"Alright, alright!" Jason said. "Let's just calm down. It never happened. There!" He pulled the Buell cover on again & smoothed it out. "See? All back to normal."

"Yeah," Noah whispered, feeling as if nothing would ever be normal again. He couldn't get the picture of the girl who, he was sure, was his mother & he couldn't stop thinking about the numbers written on the lid. One half of his brain told him it was an Americanized date of his own birthday, May nineteenth, while the other reminded him that no such year would exist for a while & that he was born almost eighteen years ago, in 2009.

Jason came up behind Noah & wrapped his arms around him. He quickly kissed the back of Noah's neck. It seemed to have a calming effect for now. "Hey, why don't we go get some breakfast?"

"Ok," Noah took Jason's hand & allowed himself to be pulled along. When they were almost at the house, Noah let go. "We forgot the cleaner." He started running back to the garage.

"Great, now it's going to be really dried on," Jason rolled his eyes.

Noah made sure to stay focused on finding the bleach & he proceeded to pour it on the floor to soak while they had something to eat. Aviv refused to come inside for the strong fumes hurt his nose. Noah & Jason had to open up the entire bottom floor. They finished it off after breakfast, then fell back on the couch.

"Noah? Don't ever dump an entire bottle of bleach on the floor again!"

"I did no such thing! Aviv knocked it over," Noah pretended.

"That poor little dog is all the way on the beach trying to avoid the scent," Jason said. He stretched out, dangling his yarmulke over the arm of the couch in his free hand. The other was holding on to Noah's. "Your Dad sure is taking a long shower."

"Oh, he probably went back to Jerusalem for Ariel's funeral," Noah said. "He can move really fast when he wants to. Why don't you stay for the day?"

"Only if we can get that scent out!" Jason got up & began pulling some incense sticks out of the desk in the corner.

A while later, they were both out on the front porch. "Pretty sure we made it worse," Noah complained. "Any more bright ideas?"

"Yes. Next time Jerusalem gets bombed, tell your Dad to toss himself into the Sea of Galilee before coming home."

Noah nearly fell off his chair from laughing too hard. Aviv barked in the distance. "Ohhh kay!" Noah gasped for air. "Let's go get that dog."

Needless to say, the three of them stayed at the beach for most of the day while the house aired out for the second time. Sort of. It wasn't until early evening when they felt it was faded enough to close the windows. As if attempting one last try at clearing up the scents, they made a huge bowl of popcorn & then curled up together on the couch to watch movies.

The cemetery became as dark & cold as Ariel's grave when night came & the desert lost its heat. Sylar woke up with a shiver, plumping up his feathers to warm up. He looked down on the freshly dug earth before flying to the road. He scooped up a rock with his talons, too big for a common Kestrel to lift but he used his force power to help carry it back to Ariel. It dropped close to the top of the plot. After one last look over her final resting place, he transported back home into the dark hallway & shifted back to himself.

"No no! Don't go that way!" Noah was laughing.

"Oh she's gonna get it!" Jason sounded slightly terrified.

Sylar silently moved into the entrance way for the living room to find the pair sitting in the dark, save for the TV, watching some sort of movie.

"See? I'm telling you, these slashers are sooooo predictable!" Noah gave Jason a small shove.

Slashers? Sylar was suddenly very interested in what was on the screen. He looked at it just in time to see the girl get gutted by someone using a knife; though, the face of the killer was yet to be shown. "Oh really?" Sylar whispered to himself, slowly moving in to stand in the dark behind the couch. His power picked up the longest knife in the kitchen & he quickly pulled it into his hand. Ohh baby, was he going to have fun with these idiots!

"Honestly, Noah," Jason scolded. "Why do you like these kinds movies so much?"

"Why indeed?" Sylar murmured to himself while another victim screamed in the movie.

"Cause they're so cheesy," Noah laughed. "I know exactly who the killer is in this one since the first five minutes."

"So tell me & we don't have to watch the rest."

"But watching it is half the fun!"

"Yes, it is," Sylar said a little louder.

"Good, you're agreeing," Noah said, not realizing.

"N-no I'm not," Jason whispered, mortified.

So, Noah would be harder to scare whereas Jason seemed about ready to die of fright. Sylar took another step towards the back of the couch.

"Shh!" Noah hushed Jason. "I think Lilian's going to get killed next."

"Oh no," Sylar said under breath in mock pity, waiting. After a moment, Noah's prediction came true. Sylar moved a little closer & lifted some popcorn using his power. Neither Noah or Jason noticed for Noah was glued to the screen & Jason had his hands over his eyes, peeking out. The girl on screen did her death throes acting as she fell down the stairs. "Now see, I would have had sex with her first," Sylar said in a louder voice.

Noah glared at Jason. "I hardly think you would!"

"I didn't say anything."

"You just said you'd have sex with her first."

"No I didn't. I thought you sa—"

With a loud growl, Sylar lunged forward, slightly over the back of the couch, brandishing the knife between the boys in the light of the TV.

"AHHHHH!" Noah & Jason fled like rabbits, spilling the popcorn everywhere.

Sylar doubled over with laughter, then shifted to a cat & hid under the sofa when the light went on.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Jason yelled before rounding on Noah. "YOU!" He pointed an accusing finger in Noah's face. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"No!" Noah shook his head, He frantically looked around the living room. "No, I think someone got in the house while we left it open."

"That's convenient!"

"I didn't do this!"

Jason didn't believe him but he dropped the subject for now as he backed out of the living room. "I'm not going back in there." He went for the kitchen, turning on every light he could reach. Noah followed him. He kept glancing back to see if anyone was coming after them. "Noah, look!" Jason pointed to the magnetized set of knives on the wall.

"One's missing," Noah whispered. "The biggest one."

"I still say you set this up."

"Well, I didn't."

"I'm quite scared right now."

"So am I, Jason! Deliciously scared!" Noah teased.

Still as a cat under the couch, Sylar had to shake himself. Noah wasn't lying when he said he was scared but at the same time, he seemed to get off by it as well, or whatever the ace-term for get off was. He teleported outside, flipped the main breaker to make it dark again, enjoying the two shrieks, then teleported back inside. After cutting his hand with the knife to stain the blade with blood, he threw the knife onto the floor with a loud clatter to attract their attention, then became a small chickadee & flew up to hang on to the ceiling fan between the hall & the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the beam of a flashlight lit the hall enough to expose the bloody knife. Noah cautiously reached out & grabbed it.

"Is that blood?" Jason gasped.

"Yeah," Noah whispered. "Someone is definitely in here." He shone the flashlight around. "Cutting off the power. Typical first move. Someone dies in the second one but I can't die so ... "

"Um, I can."

"Just stay next to me," Noah patted Jason on the shoulder. "I'll take any hits for you. Here, take the knife in case you need it."

Sylar was impressed at Noah's calmness & offering to cover Jason. He had no intention of killing any one, but he would give them a night they would not soon forget. Shining the flashlight forward, Noah started to move through the house, with Jason close behind, gripping Noah on the shoulder so as not to lose him. Sylar dropped silently behind them, changing back to himself, & followed them around for a while. When they came to a parting of ways in the house, Sylar tapped Jason on the shoulder before ducking out of sight & stood silently behind the door.

Jason yelled & whirled around. Noah shone the light over his head. "Someone touched my shoulder!" Jason gasped.

"In here," Noah entered the same room Sylar had & looked around. He even looked behind the door where Sylar was hiding but as a mouse on the floor. Noah did a rather impressive thorough job of checking the room before backing out & closing the door.

Sylar waited a moment, then slipped under the door to continue following them. "I could do this all night," he laughed to himself before catching up to them. He followed them right out to the back porch & by that time, Aviv was silently following him around. Aviv was the only one besides Sylar not scared of anything since he knew everyone quite well by their scents. As the boys moved out to the back porch, Sylar got down to the floor & pulled Aviv close. "Shall we finish them?" Aviv tried to lick his face. "The grand finale of the movie?" He put the dog aside.

Jason was outside while Noah still stood in the doorway. Sylar summoned the knife out of Jason's hand & pounced on Noah, tipping them both over down the few steps out onto the grass. "JASON, RUN!" Noah yelled as he landed flat on his back with his attacker on top. The person sat on him & suddenly glowed a little, enough for Noah to see him holding the knife up as if to plunge it in. "DAD?!"

Sylar burst out laughing, lowering the knife at last. "Are you having fun, yet?"

"DAD!" Noah tried to sit up. "HEY JASON! It's Dad!" Noah tried to push Sylar away. "I hate you!"

Jason just stared. "Rabbi Gray?!"

Sylar was still crying from laughing so much. "Jason, be a dear & flip the main breaker back on, would you?"

"RABBI GRAY?" Jason was still shocked.

"Oh come on!" Sylar was still laughing. Ignoring Noah's futile attempts at pushing him off, he added. "I walked in on you guys watching a slasher film. What did you expect me to do?" He buried his face in Noah's chest for a moment. "Ohh!" He wheezed. "I got you both, good!"

"Freaking HATE you! Now will you GET OFF?!" Noah began pounding his fists on Sylar's head.

Sylar rolled off at last, wheezing. He lay flat on his back in the grass. "You should have seen the look on your faces!" He sucked in a breath. "THAT WAS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!"

"Shut up, Dad!" Noah ordered as he marched away. Aviv yipped suddenly when Noah stepped on him, flipping right over head first back into the house. This sent Sylar into a new wave of tears. He curled up in a ball on the grass in pain. "The hell with everybody!" Noah shoved the dog out & slammed the door.

Sylar gasped for breath & slowly sat up. Jason was still standing on the porch, glaring. "Jason, the breaker! Go flip it, please." Sylar rubbed his eyes. Without a word, Jason disappeared & a moment later the house lit up once more. Sylar turned off Ariel's ability & stood up. "You ok?"

Still glaring, Jason snapped, "I've never been so scared in all my life."

"Good!" Sylar replied opening the door. Aviv trotted in & after a long hesitant pause, Jason stomped in as well.

Noah was in the kitchen cleaning the knife. "Who's blood is this, now?" He demanded as Sylar entered.

"Mine," Sylar said. "I cut my palm."

"Of course, you did."

"You were scared, weren't you?" Sylar wagged his brow.

"Shut up!" Noah half-threw the knife back onto the magnet bar. It stuck for a moment before clattering to the floor. "I hate everybody!" Noah snarled, yanking it back to dry it so it would stick properly.

"Alright well, I'm going home!" Jason snapped.

"Oh feel free to stay," Sylar all but purred. "I can do this all night."

"No, nope," Jason replied. "I'm done. Noah is the one who likes those stupid movies! I'm never watching another one for the rest of my life."

"Which could end before dawn," Sylar replied connivingly.

"No offence, Rabbi, but you can be quite a creep when you want to be!" Jason was still put out.

"I know," Sylar said seriously, before grinning.

"Good night," Jason said before leaving.

By now, Noah was in the living room turning off the TV while Aviv helped by sucking up the popcorn like a vacuum cleaner. Noah paused to check his phone. Jason had sent him a text. "You're right. He does look very different without his glasses." Noah texted back. "I told you so." He pocketed the phone & picked up the empty steel bowl lying on the floor that they had used for the popcorn. He brought it to the kitchen to wash it.

"Want some hot chocolate?"

"Nope. I'm going to bed." Noah was still mad.

"You know you want some."

"No, thank you."

"Noah, I wasn't actually going to hurt either of you."

"I know that NOW!"

Sylar was laughing again. "I think the best part was when you tripped over Aviv & fell flat on your face back into the house!" Noah just glared until Sylar finally calmed down. "So when did you start watching those movies?"

"Since I was fourteen."

"Fourteen? Wait a minute," Sylar was suddenly serious. "You know those things are rated right?"

"Which is why I didn't tell you," Noah finally smiled. "I walked in on one playing at the library in the theater room & hid in the corner to watch. Hooked ever since."

Sylar leaned back on the bar counter all business-like. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really."

"So you like blood & gore?" Sylar asked almost breathlessly. Would it really be this easy to talk to him about his own reality slasher life-style?

Noah scoffed. "Oh please! It's way too phony to look real in most of those movies since most are B-movies. I just like the silliness of it. I'm always up for a cheesy movie, for some reason. It's Jason who takes it literally. So I ended up with a second reason to like slasher films. I like to watch Jason squirm."

"Have sex with him," Sylar teased. "He'll squirm just fine." Noah rolled his eyes. Sylar took a sip of his coffee. "Come to think of it, so would you."

"Dad."

"What? I just think it's cool to explore both sides of one's sexuality."

"That doesn't have sides."

"Sure it does," Sylar smiled mischievously. "Top & bottom."

"Oh my God!" Noah groaned, walking away.

Sylar caught him by his power & dragged him into the living room. "Before you saunter off to bed, we need to have a little talk about something." He sat Noah down on the couch with him. "I'm going to ask you a very odd sort of question, odd for you. You don't have to understand it right now; though, you will very soon. Just things I know that you don't yet. Right now, a simple yes or no will do." He looked Noah long & hard in the eyes. "Do you have any desire or fantasy about ... " He looked at the TV for a moment. "About doing something like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like what you see in those slasher movies?"

"You mean like making one of those movies?" Noah said. "Uh, if you star in it, I could probably do that, actually."

"No, I mean for real."

"As in go out & murder someone?"

"Yes," Sylar let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Have you had certain, you know, urges?"

"No, I don't know!" Noah stared at him. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Like I said," Sylar tried again. "There are some things I know that you don't. Not yet, but soon."

"No, of course not," Noah insisted. "I don't want to kill anyone. Why would you even think that?"

"Just asking."

Noah scoffed lightly. "Dad, those movies aren't real. They are very far removed from reality. It's just acting."

"But it can be real."

"Just movies."

"Movies can be misleading," Sylar said.

"What has gotten in to you? You're acting very ... odd."

"Because, Noah!" Sylar got up to pace & by now, Noah was beginning to worry. Sylar stood in front of his son. "There is a very dark mark in our family's past. The mark ... of a monster."

"Dad?"

Sylar gazed at Noah, trying to find the words. But he couldn't do it. Not with the way Noah was looking at him right now. Not without Ariel by his side. They were supposed to face Noah together, but once again, he had to do it alone. A story. Tell him a story. It was as if he could hear Ariel's voice. "Noah, I know someone like that in real life."

"What?"

"A horrendous mass murderer," Sylar whispered. "Viscous. Cruel beyond imagination." He felt his eyes sting but wouldn't let the tear fall. Not yet. In a stronger voice he went on, "He would rip people apart, slice them up." Noah was gaping by now. "He murdered so many people in just a couple of years. He didn't mean to but something drove him to blood, like a vampire or werewolf. Driven mad with a lust so strong for blood that it would drag Dracula himself to his knees & beg for mercy."

They stared at each other for a moment before Noah laughed. "Ok Dad. I think you're taking this slasher thing a little too seriously. I don't get scared of stuff like that & it's because I was annoyed at the others in the library whenever they yelped while I was trying to watch the movie."

"Noah, I am telling you the truth!" Sylar implored. "Some of it. I'll tell the rest later. Now I am trying to protect you from that horror. That is why when I tell you to do something or go somewhere ... or NOT go somewhere ... you do exactly what I say. You can understand that much of it."

Noah looked at his father for a long moment, thinking hard. Suddenly, something clicked. He gasped softly. "New ... York?"

"YES!" Sylar finally let the tear escape. He wiped it away. "New York! Now don't you EVER talk to me about that wretched place again! Are we clear on that?"

Noah was panting in shock. No way! Was that it? A New York serial killer? He was both intrigued & terrified & he never wanted to go to New York as badly as in that moment. He couldn't die so what was the big deal? But he could see his father was quite upset by it, so he let it slide. Oh. Wait. Was this killer responsible for the explosion that killed his mother? That might be it. "Ok," Noah finally said. "I won't mention it again."

"Not even to Jason!" Sylar ordered. "He likes looking into things too much. He could be killed & in a very vicious way. Noah, you have to trust me! You two just live your lives here, free of that. I'm the only one who can keep you both safe right now, alright?"

Noah was in tears now. He hadn't thought of Jason. He had planned to go telling Jason everything as soon as possible & maybe together they could go to New York someday. He had only thought of himself not being able to die. He had no worry, except one. Jason was a mortal being. Noah would have to go to New York alone. Noah finally nodded, not realizing that his own father had just discreetly threatened Jason.

"Good. Now, I think we should get to bed," Sylar said. He leaned over & held Noah close. "Forget this whole night ever happened."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind a hot chocolate right now."

"Oh now you want one, after I put everything away?" Sylar said with a short laugh.

"Of course," Noah nodded. "Best time to have one."

"Uh huh," Sylar grunted, unimpressed.

Noah followed him to the diner. "So I guess Ariel is buried now. How are you doing?"

Sylar brought down the box of chocolate powder & stared into it for a long time. "It's unreal." He turned to his son. "I've seen a lot of stuff in my life. Dealt with a lot of blood & death & things just not working out for the better. But I've never seen such militant action like what goes on in Jerusalem. Ariel & I got caught up in it all. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I tried to protect her. Used my body to take any bullets since I can heal. But there were too many of them, even for me & that rarely ever happens. I've seen people get shot before, but not like that & not for the simple reason of being of another race, another creed. All because she was Jewish & living in Jerusalem."

"Have you ever killed anyone?" Noah blurted out.

Sylar took a long moment in answering. If he lied now, it would be harder to tell Noah later. If he said yes now, it would be harder to not tell Noah anything more now. Then he remembered the Sabbath recently passed. A way out. "Yes Noah. I have."

Noah just gawked at him. "D-Dad?"

"On Sabbath, when we went to retrieve Ariel's nieces. Well, it was after sundown by then," Sylar went on. "Ariel had her own handgun. We brought down several terrorists. Then later, the next day, I was able to kill the terrorist that took part in killing her." He looked into Noah's eyes. "I've killed several people in these past forty-eight hours," He hesitated as Noah put both hands over his mouth in shock before adding, "Well you know, if you can call ISIS soldiers people. I mean, they were just terrorists." He poured the hot chocolate for Noah who was still processing this new information. "But it didn't matter in the end, did it? I didn't kill enough to save Ariel or any one else who was killed the other day." He put the mug on the table in front of Noah & then spoke words he never thought he would say. "Killing isn't worth it. Either you take innocent lives through murder, or you get other innocent lives killed by agitating the other side in war, only to succeed in making them come after you & your people in a spirit of revenge." He picked up his own cup of what remained of his coffee. "Finish your drink Noah & go to bed."

Noah drank it in silence, still shocked at what he heard. He had never thought his father capable of killing someone. He was too gentle, like a dove, for that. On the other hand, it was just eradicating some no good terrorists, someone who would kill Jason for just being born. Did it matter? Noah told himself that it didn't. It's ok. Just some ISIS no one needs. But fact remained, he now knew his father had killed someone & he couldn't get that idea out of his head. He didn't know that his father's New York monster was right here in their beach house the whole time.

He didn't know that the dove had the teeth of a dragon & a cold-blooded temper to match.

* Based on a photoshoot Zach Quinto did with a Buell motorbike.