SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER
The first time I met Watch-guy was the day the old clock I had started to run one seventh of a second too slow. Maybe to someone normal like you, a seventh of a second wouldn't mean a thing, but every time that misaligned tick hit my ears, I just wanted to take that old clock and smash it over someone's head.
But I didn't. That would be rude and, besides, I liked that clock. I tried to fix it myself but, lacking the proper tools, I was very afraid of doing more harm than good. So, once the opportunity was available, I packed up my old clock, and headed directly to have it repaired. The phonebook advertised several watch-repair options, but the closest one was a small shop By the name of 'Gray & Sons'.
When I got there, it was empty, and for a moment I thought the place was closed. However, when I peered inside I caught a glimpse of Watch-guy working in the back. I didn't know at the time, of course, that that was his name. He seemed startled when I walked in.
"Your clock's broken." He stated, indicating my dysfunctional timepiece.
I gave him a look, "If only there was someone here who could fix these things, right?" I set my clock on the counter, "It's running, like, a seventh of a second off."
He looked over it, "Seems more like three twentieths of a second. I can take care of that, no problem." Then he looked up at me, as if just realizing what I said, "How could you tell what was wrong?"
I shrugged, "Just a talent I have. I can sorta tell how things work."
Watch-guy smiled, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"Oh, really"
"I sorta have a similar talent."
I smiled, "So then this would be a good business for you to be in then, huh?"
Now it was his turn to shrug, "It's not very exciting. You're clock's fixed."
I started, I hadn't even realized that he'd been fixing it. I paid the man, thanked him, and was on my way. He probably put me right out of his mind, but I wasn't so quick to forget our encounter. I didn't figure our 'talents' gave us a special connection, or that fate had led me to his store. My interest in him was this: I was an... active 19-year-old girl, and he was HOT.
Somehow, during the next few days, my clock broke again. Apparently, someone had filled it with water and dropped it on the ground. I have no idea who would do such a terrible thing, but they had. It was actually fairly fortunate, because now I had an excuse to see Watch-guy again.
When I went to his shop for the second time, Watch-guy seemed even more distracted than last time. He kept giving me this strange look, and once or twice I could swear he wanted to tell me something.
He did not, however, tell me anything. I tried to make small talk, but he was proving to be ridiculously unresponsive. Eventually, I simply made my intentions known.
"You know, I sorta have and ulterior motive for coming here." I hinted, trying to look alluring. It obviously wasn't working. Watch-guy continued to fix my clock, giving me nothing more than a mumble in reply.
"Yeah, I kinda was thinking..." I pressed on, not losing hope, "That maybe you and I could get together sometime. You know, when you're NOT fixing my clock."
Watch-guy, and I cursed myself for not learning his name, stopped what he was doing and looked at me, "You mean a date?" He asked casually.
I smiled, "Yeah, like a date."
He seemed confused and a little apologetic, "I'm sorry, I'm sort of seeing someone."
Oh damn. I blushed, of course he was seeing someone! Stupid, stupid, stupid. I laughed it off though, and simply said, "Oh, well. Worth a try."
Watch-guy also blushed. It was very awkward, but out of idle curiosity I asked, "What's her name."
He smiled, "Elle."
"She sounds amazing." I replied good-naturedly, "I hope you two have lots of babies, or whatever..."
----
Since that uncomfortably encounter, I had not given Watch-guy another thought. I had kind of had my own issues to deal with, because less than a week later I would kill a woman with my own hands. That kinda puts schoolgirl crushes out of your mind.
But now it was clear. My shared talent with this man was more than that. He and I shared the ability, the ability that had made both of us into killers.
Then another piece fit itself into the puzzle. Watch-guy and I may have had a similar ability, but we had not handled it in the same way. It was obvious now. The watchmaker had named himself after a watch. This was Sylar.
Sylar, the serial killer. He was all over the news. Everyone talked about the way he sliced open people's heads. The way he could do inexplicable and impossible things. And the question on everyone's mind, what did he do with the brains?
I never put the three things together, that Watch-guy had my ability, that Sylar had my ability, that the two men were one and the same. This was a distressing revelation. The same thing which had turned that sweet, normal man into this monster was inside me. There was potential for me to become just as bad as Sylar.
Just then, Sylar's head perked up, as though he could hear me breathing. Before he could catch me and, undoubtedly, kill me, I slipped through the wall. I shook all the way home.