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Chapter 2: Power within

(Peter's POV)

The sound of the flat line from Claire's heart monitor made my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. "CLAIRE!" I shouted in anguish, as tears began to fall from my eyes. I felt Nathan grab my shoulders and try to shake some sense into me. I saw his lips move but his voice was drowned out by the sound of my heart beating in my ears. Time seemed to slow down to where a second seemed to last an eternity.

Another sound finally made it to my ears, a beeping sound. The sound of Claire's heart monitor beeped loudly in my ears, making my heart rise back into my chest. A smile of relief plastered itself on my face as I saw Claire's eyes flutter open. I heard her cough as air rushed into her lungs, her face now full of color. I looked over to Nathan who had the same expression as mine, except my eyes were red and puffy from crying. Nathan gave me a brotherly hug, patting my back. I felt a wetness on my shoulder and I imagine he didn't want anyone to see him cry. I didn't think that Nathan cared that much about Claire, but I guessed that because he finally saw himself in Claire he realized he loved her, like a father loves a daughter.

I gently pushed Nathan away from me only to see him quickly wipe his eyes before he looked at me. If I hadn't know he had cried, I would've never guessed that he did. Nathan had always been very good at hiding his emotions or letting out his emotions then covering them up. I think that was why I always envied him, because he wouldn't let his emotions get the best of him. However, not having emotions isn't always best.

I glanced towards Claire to see that now only a few nurses stood around her checking her vitals and placing a tubes in her nose to help her breathe better. I hated looking at her like that, with all those wires attached to her. I could handle it before when it was someone I didn't know to well, but this was Claire. My niece, the girl who save my life, and I saved hers. I couldn't stand looking at her knowing that there was nothing I could do but sit there and hope that she pulls through. But that's all I could do, so I did.

(End Peter's POV)

(Claire's POV)

I saw Nathan hug Peter, something that I did not see him do often in the time that I'd known him. I smiled inwardly, happy knowing that Nathan didn't always block out his emotions.

"Welcome back, Claire." One of the nurses said to me with a smile, which I half returned. Had I really died? It felt like falling asleep, except for the burning sensation in my lungs, but it was almost the same. Sylar really meant what he said about being killed, but he knew I would not give up. But I had Peter and Nathan back.

"Do they really care about you? Or do they just want to use you?"

I looked at the nurse to my right, "Did you hear that?" I asked in a skeptical tone.

"Hear what?" She replied looking at me as if I was crazy.

"The man, his voice was as clear as day! How could you not hear him?" I spoke in aggravated tone, grasping the nurse wrist. She tried to pull away, but I just tightened my grip.

"Please Claire, you're hurting me." She pleaded as tried yet again to break free from my grasp. I felt a warm liquid seep into the palm of my hand and quickly released the nurses wrist. Blood began turn her pure white nurses outfit into a mess of red, I never even realized that I had dug my fingernails into her wrist.

She stared at her wrist, horrified until suddenly she opened her mouth and screamed bloody murder loud enough for the hospital two towns over to hear. Noah came dashing into the room, but stopped dead when he saw the blood from the nurse on my hand.

"Claire! What did you do?" He asked in an accusing tone, as if I meant to hurt her.

"They don't even wait to hear your side of it. Just because your injured they assume that you're mentally unstable as well."

That voice again. It was coming...from inside my head. I had gone off in a daze and didn't snap back until I felt someone shaking my shoulders. I turned my head to see Peter standing over me, his mouth open wide. I think he was shouting at me, but I couldn't hear him, nor did I care that I couldn't. I was more pre-occupied with the man who was speaking to me in my mind. Wow...that makes me sound sane, doesn't it?

I waved that thought aside and decided to take a chance with this man.

'Are you real or just inside my head?' I asked the voice.

'Yes I am real.' The voice replied in an sincere tone.

'Why are you in my head? Why not just talk to me in person?' I asked him, a bit relived to know that I wasn't going insane.

'I am here merely to push you in the right direction. To help you realize things you can't realize on your own. Your common sense so to speak. As to why I speak to you in person...well let's just say I am not the most popular person at the moment.' He said ending with a scoff.

I pause for a second, '...Ok, tell me. Enlighten me.'

'You father and uncle, they just use you as a human shield. They just call upon you when they need to get to something that could kill them, then just toss you aside. And when you want to help, they say you're to young and wouldn't understand.'

I laid in my bed and closed my eyes. The voice was right. 'All they ever did was use me. They never really wanted me around. Who would want a freak like me? A screw up like me?'

'So, what do I have to do?' I asked with determination in my voice.

'Escape from that hell whole and come back to me.'

I froze, 'Sylar.'

'Very good Claire.' He said sarcastically.

I mentally smirked, 'Why didn't you just tell me it was you?'

He chuckled, 'Well, where would be the fun in that? It's much more fun to mess with you my dear Claire.'

'So, do you think I am strong enough to leave this bed?' I asked questioningly.

'Yes, your "evolution" is complete Claire. Now come back to me.' He said to me in a hypnotic tone.

'I get there as fast as I can.' I said with out a thought.

'Fly to me Claire. Fly,fly.'

At his last words I opened my eyes only to see Noah looking at my face, tears streaming down his cheeks yet again, 'Pathetic.' I thought to myself looking at him. I looked to my other side to see Peter and Nathan looking flustered, cheeks slightly flushed. 'Weaklings, all of them.'

I slowly pushed myself up off the bed, already feeling stronger than before. Noah placed his hands on my shoulders, "Claire you're still very weak. You need to rest more." He tried to push me back down but I sat there, stiff as stone, refusing to budge.

"No." I commanded.

Noah backed off, removing his hands from my shoulders. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'No.' I feel great. Better than great. I have never felt this way before in my whole life." I began to rip the wires and tubes out of my body, leaving gashes but they disappeared in under a second.

Peter made a move to grab me but thought twice about his actions. "Claire what are you doing?"

I jumped up off the bed and stood there in front of them, a smirk crossed my face, "Escaping."

And the last thing I saw of them was their horrified faces before a blinding light flooded the whole room.

(End Claire POV)

A/N: Well I am tired. Its midnight and I wanted to finish before I went to bed. Well read and review. Good night. :)