It was at my darkest hour that I was saved. On a day like any other, I went out, trying to make meaningful human contact, and came home crying. With a case of cheap beer in one hand, I opened the door to my apartment, but I sensed that it wasn't empty. Emotions were emanating from inside; hostility, anticipation, along with something else that I couldn't quite define. It felt strange, but strangely familiar.

I stepped into my apartment cautiously, 'gun' at the ready. Whatever sap had decided to rob me had made a big mistake, because I was powerful, and I was in a bad mood. Little did I know who I was dealing with. As I walked into my apartment, I heard the door shut behind me, and I swiveled to see who it was.

It was dark, but I could tell that the intruder was a man, and one much bigger than me. I reminded myself that he couldn't hurt me even if he was a pro wrestler, but I still felt intimidated. Perhaps it was because his face was shrouded in darkness, making him look like a nightmare incarnate.

"You know, there's not a lot of places I can go where every clock in the house runs perfectly." He said, irritatingly nonchalant. His voice was like a snake slithering down your back; cold, dangerous and uncannily gentle.

"Yeah? Do my clocks say that it's time for you to get your ass kicked? Because that would be what time it is." I threatened, a second or two passed and I realized what my intruder had just said, "Wait a second, how do you know if my clocks are running perfectly?"

"Just a talent I have." He said darkly as he lifted his hand. I felt myself get thrown backwards. I was hit hard by the wall, but harder by the realization that the man in my house was Watch-Guy, Sylar. He was the ruthless killer, but he was my equal, and now we met for the third time.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, is it?" I said, ticked right off. So what if he was my equal? I wasn't about to let him throw me around like this, "Well, I think someone needs to teach you how to play nice."

With a little concentration, I managed to make a force field appear right in front of him. Before he could react, I quickly expanded it, hitting him in the face. I broke his concentration, and probably his nose, and was able to drop back onto the ground. Shooting him a few times, I started over to Sylar, but he hit me with a jolt of electricity. I knew he wouldn't kill me, though, I had what he wanted.

"That's a neat power," I said, my curiosity overcoming my pain.

"I could say the same to you." he replied. I was amazed when he stood up and there wasn't a scratch on him. Sylar had completely healed!

He tried to zap me with lightning again, but this time I was ready. Just in time, I turned my body into metal, and the electricity passed through me harmlessly. Now I was done playing around. I encompassed him in a force field, hoping I could get him to let up for a second. He was having none of that, and used his telekinesis to expand the field until it dissolved. Sylar still tried to look like he was toying with me, but I could sense the frustration coming off him.

"Am I too hard to kill?" I goaded, "Maybe you should quit while you're still alive." I wanted him to get angry, maybe do something reckless. Then I would have the upper hand.

He smirked at me, "Only one person is leaving this room alive, and I'll give you a hint which one." Then he pinned me to the ground with his mind. He pointed at my head, obviously preparing to chop my skull open and scoop me out like a cantaloupe.

Thinking quickly, I phased through the floor and back up. I would not run away from this fight. Appearing directly behind my attacker, I reached inside his head.

"Now you listen to me, Sylar." I said forcefully, "You have got to think about what's happening here. Sure, you could kill me and take my abilities..."

"Can't we just skip to the part where I do that?" Sylar asked sarcastically.

"I said listen to me!" Pushing my arm further into his head, I wiggled my fingers in front of his face, reminding him that I was calling the shots. I sensed a tiny bit of fear coming from him.

"Now, sure, you could take my abilities," I continued, "But then what? You're just going to find more and more abilities, get old, and die sad and alone."

"Actually," Sylar corrected, "I'll never die, I'll never get old. I can go on doing this forever."

"Oh." I was not expecting that, "Well, that really just means that, instead of dying sad and alone, you'll live a sad lonely existence, forever."

Sylar snorted, "My father told me almost the same exact thing." He wasn't taking me seriously.

I sighed, "I suppose you killed him too."

"No actually," he admitted slowly, "I let him live... because his life was worse than death...."

I sensed some serious concern emitting from Sylar. He was afraid to become that man, he was starting to see my point. Our lives were the lonely sort, and I think he was begining to realize that.

"You know," I pointed out as I cautiously pulled my hand out of Sylar's head, "You don't have to end up like that."

Sylar turned quickly and faced me, "I'm not going to end up like that." He hissed, staring me down. Damn it, was he scary. Could this really be the same man who had sat alone all day in that shop? "Why do you care anyway? Are you like the rest of them, planning to making me you're own, personal soldier?"

This guy clearly had some issues. Then I realized that Sylar was not looking at me, but at some pretty blonde he had never met. I let my illusion slip away, showing Sylar my too-big eyes, my angular nose, the ugly me.

"I know you probably don't remember me, but-"

"No," He cut me off, "You're the college girl, from a year ago, the one with my ability."

I nodded.

"And in Kirby Plaza, you saved me."

"Yeh," I shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

Sylar cocked his head, "We seem to keep running into each other."

"I kinda noticed that too." I agreed, "But that's not the point of what I'm saying. I saved you Sylar, now I need you to return the favor."

"You need saving?" Sylar smirked, raising an eyebrow. I suppose that my confession of distress seemed like and act of weakness in his eyes, and that was funny to him.

"We both do," I replied, turning it around on him, "Face it. Neither one of us wants to be alone, and we both need someone to fill the gaping hole in our lives. Am I wrong here?"

Sylar leaned back against a wall and rolled his eyes at me, "So, what?" He asked sarcastically, "We're gonna be power-buddies forever and ever?"

I giggled awkwardly, "Hehe, I come off a little strong I guess. I just figured you might want someone to talk to who wasn't, you know, trying to kill you."

Sylar considered that for a few moments, "Like a friend?" He asked skeptically.

I smiled at him, "Yeah, like a friend."

I sensed that Sylar was taking the offer very seriously. He stared at the ground a few feet away, his brow furrowed and his hair falling into his face. I was beginning to remember the Sylar that i had found so attractive last year. Still, it was some kind of unethical to be thinking those sorts of things about a serial killer.

"I have waffles." I offered, hoping I could bribe Sylar. He turned and looked at me, and then he smiled. He genuinely smiled, and for the first time in a long time, life didn't feel quite so bad.

Author notes

If you didn't at least CHUCKLE at 'like a cantaloupe' then I don't get you.

Oh, and finally we get to deal with a character besides Mangle... It had to happen sometime.