A/N: See prev. chapters for disclaimer. And:
Enjoy!
Chapter 7- If
"What do you mean I should've told you?" Gabriel recoiled slightly at Mohinder's remark of kindness. Mohinder's face did not change- it was as stony as ever. Suresh then preceded to address the group.
"I think-," he sighed, "I think Peter should at least try to help him get back to normal. Peter's right. If he learns to control Sylar, it'll mean less people dead in wherever he's from. It's not because I'm sympathetic. It's just the right thing to do… It's what Gabe- the real Gabe- would have done."
"Well… I mean, why don't you take the inhibitor out?" Liz asked from the quiet corner. Rowan shuddered.
"NO! Too much damage." She babbled inconsequentially. Liz frowned. Rowan's eyes were wide- free of reason or thought. She remembered what Rowan had told her in her apartment not too long ago. How sorry she'd felt.
Rowan was thinking. Beneath her constantly chattering exterior, Rowan made crude interpretations of her surroundings. It was a strange new feeling for her, so cold and menacing, even.
She had to get her power back.
She knew how to use it- how to control it. Her entire body chilled for a moment.
"If we took his inhibitor out- Sylar would be ready to take over," Peter said to Liz. The blonde shrugged.
"I really know absolutely nothing about this. It was only a suggestion."
"Gabriel- how did Sylar get those powers?" Rowan asked in a soft voice. Gabriel met her big, quite innocent looking eyes with a hollow gaze.
"Sylar- he cut their heads open. And- oh, god… no… I can't think of it. It's too horrible," Gabriel shut his eyes with a pained expression. It was too gory. Sylar's voice echoed…
Rowan nodded, appreciatively. Her mind was whirring, and she became lost in her own thoughts while her crazily wandering mind took over her tongue, "The circle. It doesn't fit together. Happy medium is missing. I have to find the paintbrush…"
She was inadvertently babbling about the picture which Gabriel had spotted before. Everyone looked at it briefly.
"Gabriel. I bought him that. He said he loved it when we stumbled into an art shop one day. Something about the two conflicts in every heart. I never knew he meant it literally…" Liz said, gazing at it. Her eyes glazed over.
Rowan took this into her calculations. Liz obviously had some sort of feeling for the Gabriel she knew. Whether Gabriel had reciprocated those feelings remained to be seen. Maybe some of the other heroes in training had noticed something. Girls liked to gossip…
Since Peter was so concerned with Gabriel, Rowan noted, he wasn't bothering with her thoughts. She smirked and stood. Liz grabbed her arm and asked her a question, to which Rowan didn't bother responding. She just walked out of the door, with Liz clinging to her arm, as if she were made of porcelain
And perhaps if Rowan were made of porcelain, she wouldn't have pondered about how bad Sylar really was. If necessary, wouldn't he have used his power for good? And the power he must have had. Jealousy coursed through Rowan's veins. Oh, the power…
In Gabriel's apartment, Peter and Mohinder talked quietly. Gabriel was rummaging through a dresser, looking for something he said was important to 'understanding how he worked'.
"I don't care how long it takes- ask Rowan to help you learn to use the power. She obviously did something to disturb the balance. Now, she needs to put it right," Mohinder said stubbornly. Peter grimaced. Gabriel emerged, carrying a book. It was very plain. A journal.
"This was this Gabriel's journal. I think- I think you should read it. If it can help- I know I'm not supposed to be here. The people where I'm from will probably kill me anyway, but I just- It's that right thing," he explained nervously. Mohinder, despite sounding as if he was being kind, only nodded.
"Thanks, Gabe, I'm sure it'll help somehow," Peter assured him, taking the book and flipping through some pages.
"So- what are we going to do?" Gabriel inquired, noting the seriousness engraved into Mohinder's face.
"I don't know- yet. But we need to work together. No matter who you were," Mohinder stated, walking toward the door. His head was beginning to hurt with all of this talk of parallel universes and opposing personalities.
Maybe if he were crazy, it might be a relief. Crazy people could understand each other. Regular people who attempted to help crazy people usually ended up like him- with a migraine.
A/N: Don't forget to leave comments, my dears! They help me make the story a little more interesting.