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AN: Another purely original chapter, which I hope all will find interesting as the FBI's new team try to track Sylar while Peter's attempt to protect his friends leads to him acquiring an interesting new range of powers…

The Not-So-Average Girl

"Intuitive aptitude?" Audrey looked at Mohinder uncertainly. "That's what your dad decided Sylar had?"

"According to what I was able to uncover from my father's research, anyway," Mohinder explained, cursing his father's complicated filing system. "He apparently initially assumed that the man who came to call himself Sylar was actually powerless, but after Sylar demonstrated telekinesis, he became curious about the sudden change in circumstances and was able to identify Sylar's first victim."

"First victim?" Matt asked.

"Brian Davis," the Indian professor explained.

"Davis?" Audrey repeated in surprise, looking at a piece of paper on the scientist's desk. "That's not on the list…"

"It's possible that you didn't register him because Sylar was still refining his methods at that point," Mohinder put in.

"That makes sense," Matt observed. "I mean, it's like in Silence of the Lambs, right? The first victim was missed because the guy basically hadn't developed his trademark?"

"That's… one way to look at it," Audrey nodded, before looking back at Mohinder. "So your dad worked out that Sylar… took this guy's ability?"

"Or copied it somehow," Mohinder observed. "It's unclear how my father came to this conclusion, but he speculated that Sylar made contact with Davis and was able to work out how to replicate his power through detailed analysis of his brain, which he's since refined to a swifter process."

"That still requires him to kill people?" Matt said.

"One of the first things you learn in this kind of work," Audrey said grimly. "Give someone a taste for blood and they're going to want more very quickly."

"Particularly with the likely side-effects of Sylar's original ability to take into account."

"There can be side-effects with this kind of thing?" Matt asked.

"Only in some cases," Mohinder clarified. "As with everything, evolution can occasionally throw up an anomaly before they get it right; there are going to be some abilities that turn up more problems than they solve."

"Like how I can't turn this off?" Matt indicated his head.

"If some of my father's theories are correct, you… should be able to work that out, actually," Mohinder observed with a tentative shrug. "I wish I could give you more of an idea about how to do that, but keep in mind this is all second-hand speculation at best; even my father only had a few ideas about what you might be capable of rather than how you could control it."

"Right…" Matt shook his head, before he sighed and looked at the agent and the doctor. "So, getting back to Sylar, why would his original ability have side-effects? I thought you said he would have started out just knowing how things work?"

"And what if that comes with a need to know how things work?"

"…Which could translate into a need to know how other people have abilities even if that involves killing them to work it out," Audrey nodded in grim understanding. "Bit of a stretch, but it's not like anything about this case is conventional."

"OK, so if this Brian Davis guy was Sylar's first victim, does that help us work out where he's going?" Matt asked. "I mean, if we've got a copy of Sylar's list, could we use that to predict his next target?"

"Unfortunately, that depends on factors like when Sylar acquired the list and how much work my father did on it since then, neither of which we can be sure of," Mohinder explained. "It's possible Sylar left some people alone because their ability wouldn't be of interest to him, they may have moved since my father first found their details, or Sylar caught them and nobody else knows what happened to them…"

"In other words, our best bet right now is trial and error and hope we can find someone on this list before Sylar does," Audrey shook her head. "Well, we've only got so many leads we can follow here; what do you think?"

"Well," Mohinder said, looking more thoughtfully at his father's notes, "assuming that Sylar is following a relatively coherent pattern based on my father's list, it couldn't hurt to find out where his next likely target actually is…"

Peter had never found parties a comfortable experience even when he was a teenager, and it just felt even more awkward now that he was older. He appreciated that the crowd was big enough that he didn't stand out, and he also recognised that he wasn't that much older than some of the people here, but after everything he'd experienced the last couple of weeks…

As he took a beer to at least look like he was there to enjoy himself rather than waiting on the sides like some creep, Peter looked around the club with a wistful smile. He might find the whole experience a bit off-putting, but after spending the last few days with only Claude for direct company, it was kind of nice to see people actually living for a change.

The invisible man had accepted Peter's tentative explanation that he was following up on a lead he'd sketched, with the understanding that Peter was going to handle this alone if there was anything to the drawing and that he wasn't to bring any problems he might find anywhere near Claude. The former nurse would like to think that this was a kind of test on the older man's part, in the vein of 'throw him in and hope he floats', but from everything he'd seen of Claude, Peter guessed that it was more likely that his 'teacher' was just letting Peter get this out of his system because he thought it would be a waste of time.

A thought suddenly came to him, and Peter's eyes quickly scanned the large group of people standing around the club before he noticed a few sitting somewhat off to the side at the bar, as though they weren't sure who to talk to in here. The notion wasn't one he was entirely comfortable with, but if he just gave them a little push to get out there… he wasn't going to use this one very often, but he had to know how it worked…

"Hey," he said, moving to sit down beside one of the guys sitting at the side of the bar, thinking back to that incident in the police station when he'd last tapped this power. "Can you just…?"

What is this guy doing…?

Peter's voice trailed off as he realised that the man's lips hadn't moved when he heard those words. As the man continued to stare at him, Peter was suddenly struck by the strange sense that the club around him had just become louder even as the music had become harder to hear-

God, could this girl just get the picture?

Why do I do this to myself; there's never anyone worth talking to here…

-if aliens ever came to Earth, this is one thing they'll never understand-

Now this is the way to close off the week!

Just need a chance to talk to him properly and I'm sure I can-

"Thoughts…" Peter whispered to himself, ignoring the stares he was receiving from the man he'd been talking to earlier as he looked around the club. "I'm reading minds…"

This was why it had felt so different using that 'compelling voice' power in the police station; he hadn't been using that power at all, he'd been using the telepathy he must have picked up from…

That fat cop, Peter thought to himself; he didn't know where that idea had come from, but the thought somehow just felt right. That even explained why it had felt so different when he'd made the cop and the agent leave him alone in the police station; he hadn't been tapping that still-unidentified 'give people orders' ability, he'd somehow turned the man's own ability against him-

"…Kelly Clarkson!" a voice said, drawing Peter's attention away from his thoughts. Glancing up at the stage as he moved away from the bar to escape the pointed stares of the man he'd been talking to, Peter was surprised to see that the young American Idol winner was genuinely standing on the stage of the club, already singing 'Since U Been Gone' to the enthusiasm of the other club attendants.

Peter wondered briefly how a place like this club could afford a star like that, but decided not to worry about that; he had to focus on the bigger question of where Claire and Kim were in this. Unlike the paintings that had brought them together, this time his sketch hadn't included a convenient clock, but that left him with no idea if Claire and Kim were even here yet; in this crowded area, it wouldn't have been that hard for him to miss them-

He slammed against the wall as he felt something spasm in his body, followed by a twisting sensation between his legs that felt like something was being forced inside it. Looking down, he tried to work out what had just hit him, but was shocked to find that he seemed to have not only shrunk by at least a few inches, but his hands had just become smaller… his chest was…

"Oh God," he said, shocked to find that his voice had changed as well. Reaching up to his head, he grabbed his suddenly longer hair and held it out in front of him, only to find that longer hair had suddenly become some bizarre mix of blonde and redhead that made him feel like he was wearing a wig made from Claire and Kim's hair. "What the Hell-?"

"OK," two identical voices, as Peter's arms were grabbed and forced down to his sides. "Don't know who you're trying to fool, but-"

"Shut up," Peter said, praying that he'd guessed right about what had happened as he focused on his own appearance and Sylar's telekinesis; he didn't have time to deal with anyone trying to hold him back. As he felt his body return to its original size and shape, his captors suddenly lost their grip as though taken aback at the shift, giving him the chance to throw them back with a burst of mental energy. Shaking his head as he focused on his own appearance, Peter hurried into the crowd of people in front of him, trying to duck down as much as possible; if he could just stay lost in the group, maybe he could-

"You really think you're going to get away that easily?" another voice said.

"What-?" Peter began, turning around to look for the source of the voice before he spotted something out of the corner of his eye… ducking down past his collar?

Barely believing that he was seriously considering this even as he reached up, Peter grabbed the whatever-it-was from his back and held it up in front of him, revealing that it was literally a tiny man.

"Huh," was all Peter could say as he looked at the small man, who was twisting indignantly in Peter's fingers. He remembered that there were comics about superheroes who could shrink like that, but even after everything else he'd encountered, it was still hard to believe some of the things people were capable of now.

And now I can do this too…

"Hey!" the man yelled in protest as Peter stared at him, the ex-nurse tentatively surprised at the sense of actual weight in something this small. "Put me down, you-"

When Peter felt his own perspective start to shift as he stared at the other man, he quickly tossed the little figure away, focusing his thoughts off the tiny man and back to Claude. He didn't know what was going on here or if these people were the threat his picture had indicated would be going after Claire and Kim, but he had to get away from everyone who was after him and try to find the girls before-

"Peter?"

"Claire!" Peter smiled, giving the blonde girl an impulsive hug before stepping back to look anxiously around. Claire was clearly dressed for a night out, even if the slightly larger clothes suggested she'd had to raid Simone's wardrobe for the outfit, so at least he had reason to believe she was here on her own choice, but he still had to focus on his reasons for being here. "Where's Kim?"

"She's just over-" Claire began, before Peter felt his body spasm again. He grabbed Claire by the shoulders as he stumbled forwards, but was shocked when he realised that his body had shrunk and his hands suddenly felt hot. Claire screamed in pain and shock, Peter pulling back his hands to reveal sudden burns on her shoulders that had basically destroyed part of the blouse she was wearing.

"OK," a new voice said, Peter spinning around to see a tall woman with dark hair and piercing dark eyes, holding up a warning hand that briefly let out its own green glow. "Gotta admit, that's new."

Oh crap… Peter thought to himself, struggling to return to his own appearance as his body felt like it was trying to remould itself with every moment he stood in the club. A shrinker, some girl with flaming hands, and this damn shapeshifter…

Shapeshifter!

Peter didn't know where that idea came from, but as soon as the explanation had occurred, he was suddenly inspired to test one of Claude's other theories. He closed his eyes for a moment to try and focus before he found himself facing Kelly Clarkson as she stood on the stage, the American Idol winner looking between him and the new arrival in shock before she turned and ran from the stage… becoming thinner and taller…?

Putting on a burst of speed he was fairly sure wasn't part of a power he'd acquired, Peter charged through the crowd and grabbed the fleeing young woman as she left the stage. Spinning her around to look the woman in the eyes, he saw the woman's features seem to settle, but his eyes widened in surprise as he realised who he was looking at.

"Camille Evans?" He took in the figure in confusion. He recognised the woman from some of the socialite pages he'd ended up browsing in the past when he was at some of those parties their parents always insisted on dragging him and Nathan to, but the idea that she had some kind of shape-shifting power…

He felt like something had kicked him in the stomach when he almost flew off Camille's fallen form and hit the ground, his body twisting and reshaping itself as everyone else in the club fled the chaos on-stage. He could vaguely hear Camille yelling something, but judging by her hostile tone he decided it wasn't worth listening to that even as the rest of his consciousness fought to find some sense of stability; his hands were blazing a bizarre green flame, his arms felt like lead, his back felt like his spine was trying to force its way out… God, his whole body felt like it was trying to tear itself apart!

Shapeshifting… shrinking… that green flame thing… God, what else did I just absorb-?

His thoughts were interrupted when something grabbed his head and he suddenly felt a mouth pressed over his, followed by a sensation of his body suddenly calming itself down. For a few seconds he let himself be overwhelmed by the sudden sense of peace, as though his body had been burning and had just been doused in cold water…

His eyes widened as he took in what was now in front of him; Claire's blonde hair was practically covering his face as she kissed him.

"What the-?" he almost spat out, pulling away from the kiss as he looked incredulously at the girl.

"Look, I'm sorry if I crossed a line there, but that was the only thing I could think of!" Claire protested. "Your body just seemed like it was trying to tear itself apart; I thought that if I gave you a reason to focus on me, you'd… well…"

"I'd calm down," Peter finished for her, smiling at the blonde in embarrassed understanding. "Well… thanks-"

Further discussion was interrupted when he heard a loud yell from off to the side of the club. Turning around, Peter briefly noted that Camille Evans was still lying near a door, a panicked expression on her face as she took in the scene before her, but the sound had come from Kim as she engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the green-handed woman Peter had seen just before he blacked out.

"Who-?" he began.

"No idea," Claire shrugged, before she glanced around and swallowed. "OK, this could be a problem…"

Turning his head to follow Claire's example, Peter quickly saw what she was concerned about. The club seemed to have been emptied of civilians (and what kind of life had he lived where he was thinking of people as 'civilians' if they didn't have powers?), but that shrinking man was looking at him in a very foreboding manner, standing alongside another tall man that looked like he was ready for a fight. What truly disturbed Peter was that there was a large group of identical men gathered behind the first two men, as though one man had created a mass of copies of himself…

"Whoa!" a familiar voice yelled. Glancing back at the source of the voice, Peter saw Kim jump desperately away from the woman with green fire in her hands, pausing just long enough to kick the fallen socialite/heiress in the head before she leapt over to stand beside Peter and Claire.

"Can I suggest you get us out of here?" Kim glanced over at Peter. Peter was spared from asking what she meant when he took in the group standing in front of them; he still didn't know what the fourth member of the group could do, but if they were dealing with a guy who could copy himself that much, he and the girls definitely couldn't afford to stay here. Praying that Kim's presence would be enough to give him the right push to master this one, he took hold of their shoulders, concentrated-

"Close," Kim sighed, relaxing as she, Claire and Peter found themselves back inside Peter's apartment, Peter looking anxiously around himself before he sank down into a chair.

"You teleported?" Claire grinned at Peter. "Like that… Hiro guy?"

"It's one I'm still having trouble with, but… well, I can tap Kim's ability on my own, but being near her makes it easier," Peter smiled over at the redhead before turning back to Claire. "And… thanks for your own help."

"Hey; you're my hero," Claire grinned at Peter. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't save you?"

"Not that it's not great to see you, but what were you doing there anyway?" Kim looked curiously at Peter as she sat on the edge of his chair. "I mean, I thought the show would be a good chance to take a break, and then…"

"I… did a sketch of the two of you in trouble in that club," Peter explained, sitting forward in the chair as he stared at his hands, flexing his fingers as a faint green glow surrounded them. "Oh God… what did I do…?"

"You were just there to help-"

"And what if I just made things worse?" Peter looked urgently up at Kim. "I was having trouble with what I'd absorbed already, and now I've got… God, maybe five new abilities all at once?"

"Maybe five?"

"I'm not sure if one of those guys had any kind of ability or if he was just some kind of supervisor, but I definitely took in shapeshifting, shrinking, and whatever that green fire and copying yourself thing was," Peter said, before he groaned and slapped his head in frustration. "Oh, and it turns out I absorbed telepathy a while back on top of everything else…"

"You what-?" Kim began before Peter teleported away mid-sentence, leaving the girls to look uncertainly at each other.

"Well, that didn't go well, did it?" Claire sighed.

"That's probably putting it mildly," Kim nodded. "Sorry about that; I really thought we'd just have a chance at a quiet night out…"

"Hey, it's not your fault," Claire patted Kim reassuringly on the shoulder.

"This isn't just because you got a chance to kiss-?" Kim began, looking at her friend with a teasing smile.

"Th- that was just to get him focused!" Claire protested. "It just made sense; he's using my power, he's not hurting himself and his body can fix anything that's wrong-"

"OK, let's not get into that," Kim shook her head in understanding. "Come on, let's get out of here and get back to the loft before Simone gets worried."

Kim and Claire could each tell that the other was concerned about the close call they'd just had down at the club, but until they knew for a fact that someone was after them, there was no point worrying about that when they already had the threat of the explosion and Sylar to focus on.

Personally speaking, Kim was really concerned about that woman with green flames on her hands. Contrary to what she'd glimpsed of Sylar, who seemed to just use his abilities to power his way towards Peter, that woman had actually known what she was doing in a fight; Kim was just grateful that her mother had signed her up for martial arts class as a self-defence opportunity years ago…

Sheila had to give her brothers credit; when they knew what to focus on, they could actually do a decent job.

Things at the club had been trickier than expected when they had gone there to check out that possible impostor, but at least they'd been able to complete the original assignment. Sheila had been fairly sure that she wasn't dealing with the real Kelly Clarkson even before the Company confirmed that the original signer was rehearsing elsewhere, but she'd still had to be sure that she wasn't just dealing with some more natural lookalike trying to make a quick buck.

And then that damn empath showed up…

If there was one kind of ability Sheila really hated, it was empaths. They could collect an entire damn rolodex of abilities just walking down the wrong street if they were so inclined, and it took a ridiculous amount of emotional focus for them not to just blow themselves up in the process. This guy at least seemed like he didn't want to do that, but Sheila still wished she'd caught a clearer look at that blonde woman who'd stepped in to calm him down; the girl's hair had just covered her face every time Sheila had been in a position to look at it…

Still, she had to admire the way that redhead had handled herself. She didn't know if the girl had some kind of photographic reflexes or was just that good, but it had been a long time since Sheila had fought someone whose hand-to-hand skills were that good without a more obvious physical ability.

Her getting away with the empath and that blonde girl was a bit inconvenient at the moment, but the situation hadn't been a total loss. Finding out that the shapeshifter was a famous rich heiress had been a bit of a surprise, but at least they could call back and confirm-

A sudden beep from her phone prompted her to glance at the screen and swear at the information displayed.

"Problem?" Henry asked, as he finished tying up their new captive.

"Pretty much," Sheila nodded grimly. "Sounds like there's been a break-out on Level Five back at the Company."

"Level Five?" one of the Wegos said anxiously (God, Sheila needed to work out which was which again; why did they have to like psyching everyone out?) "Who?"

"Let's just get back there ASAP and work on getting the bastard back on lockdown, OK?" Sheila said, putting the phone away and looking over at their prisoner. "Might as well take her along as well."

"But what about-?" Henry began.

"Bennett's kid isn't going anywhere fast even if she did come here, and I'm not putting our reps at risk because of some sketches made by a recovering addict," Sheila interrupted him firmly. "We're getting back there and responding to that break-out now; clear?"

She'd deal with Noah Bennett's reaction to them ditching his pet project later; anyone able to get out of Level Five was a bigger problem than some missing kid.

AN 2: To confirm, I am aware that the shapeshifting ability Sylar acquired in Season Four required him to make contact with someone to sample their DNA before he assumed their form. However, since the show featured two different versions of ability absorption (Arthur Petrelli could steal and use multiple abilities where Tommy Clark was only able to hold one ability at a time), I felt that it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to make this version of shapeshifting based on a purely mental effort rather than requiring DNA samples.

AN 3: On a more hypothetical note, Camille Evans (who is, naturally, an adaptation of Kim Possible villain Camille Leon, just with a natural shapeshifting power rather than a technology-based one) should be envisioned in her natural state as being portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar; I'll try and use her again in this series, but hope you liked this introduction to her character.

AN 4: To clarify a minor point, Peter assumed he was only dealing with four people when he faced the Goghs because he didn't know that the 'Wegos' are natural twins; he assumed there was just one of them who had cloned himself from the beginning rather than twins capable of copying themselves even further.