I wrote this a while ago, then forgot about it. It's a little bit ruined by some things we found out last season, as I was making incorrect assumptions at the time. Oh well. I've fixed it up and added a bit, and now present it to you to apologize for my relative inactivity right now.

Written during the Sylar/Luke arc. Takes place near the end of season three.

There's only so much a human's body can hold.

Powers, abilities, gifts, curses: they go by many names, but they all represent one thing. An evolution, a mutation, in the human genome, sometimes natural, otherwise forcefully inflicted. A tiny percent of the brain's capability, unlocked, given free range. Possibilities abound. They create miracles- they create monsters.

In the natural case, a single power will grow in a human's body from the day they are born, though it does not appear until a need arises. It is always there, so it is not an intruder, and cannot cause harm. It is like breathing, to hold fire in one's hand or see into the future. It is natural.

But sometimes, it is not.

There are abilities that work differently, powers which represent the evolutionary instinct to the highest extent. Power Absorption. Ability Replication. Empathetic Mimicry. Intuitive Aptitude. We know of these; there are probably hundreds more.

For individuals who naturally possess these abilities, life is a mixture of heaven and hell. It is wonderful to know that the possibility for growth is not checked, that there are no bounds to what a person can learn, but the question must eventually arise- how much can a simple human body take?

A woman who can run at impossible speeds will develop impossibly strong leg muscles and unusually padded feet, to keep wear and tear of her body to a minimum. A man who can use telepathy will, from a young age, form mental blocks that protect him from a constant barrage of language and emotions, not just from humans, but from animals, any living creatures. When an ability is natural, the body adapts to suit it.

When the ability is stolen, learned, borrowed, these changes must take place impossibly fast. They still take time (a day? a week? years, even, before full control is gained?), but there are noticeable changes, noticeable effects.

Let us look at the case of one Gabriel Gray, known as Sylar. A dangerous individual, to be sure, and one who must take new abilities through force. And, in conjunction with this case, let us look at rapid cellular regeneration.

Gray has gained many abilities (the full list not yet known), and the effects they have on each other are intriguing to examine. In original holders of his healing power (see Adam Munroe, Claire Bennet), it works solely on physical aspects of a human, leaving all else alone, as should be expected. Let us now look briefly at enhanced memory, which works directly both with the physical and more abstract aspects of the mind, unlocking new capabilities and changing how information is stored.

What happens when the two are combined? Will they complement each other? Will they combine, to form something new?

Will it only be new memories that are kept forever, or can old ones be restored, as well? Is the mind a computer, with some of the memory corrupted- can a healing ability rush through its hard drive, restoring what was once lost, mixing mechanics with biology to result in something like magic? Can this happen on its own, an instantaneous reaction, or is a trigger needed? If the corrupted memory is accessed, will the healing ability only then set in? And when an onslaught of childhood memories begins, can it ever end?

Here, I will insert my own hypothesis, constructed from personal observations and experiences. Man is no machine. Humans are impossible to predict precisely, unlike computers; there is always some margin of error. Emotions interfere. Unknown factors influence decisions. Even the best psychologist can never be one hundred percent sure of her diagnosis, not because of a flaw in her reasoning, but merely because she can never be one hundred percent sure of her patient. We are an emotional species, and often an irrational one. Spontaneous. Adaptable.

Now, returning to the question of mixtures of powers. What if these abilities conflict, rather than combine? Take the case of cellular regeneration again, and combine it with shapeshifting. One strives to keep the body in the same physical state forever, the other works to change the shape, shifting bones and organs into a new frame. Sheer force of will may keep one ability at bay while the procedure is done, but for how long can a frame take such stress? How long before it deteriorates, falls apart?

These are not rhetorical questions.

This is not a game.

-- REBEL