Chapter 5

Revengehero

Chapter 6 coming soon! Sorry for such a long delay—grad school was a pill to get through J

Peter was gone. The loss was so enormous that neither of them could process it. All that was left was frightening to Nathan, but he tried not to think about it. Not to feel it. Which wasn't meant to be.

Nathan hung his head in despair, and cringed when both of them realized that tears continued to fall to the floor. Nathan could hear Sylar talking to him, just as clearly as if they were in the same room, only closer. Much closer.

"This offer is as good as it gets, Nathan. I'm a selfish son of a bitch, and I'm not going away." Nathan hears the declaration rumble frighteningly in their mind. Nathan sees a cocky, confident posture, but he isn't entirely fooled. From his vantage point, he is familiar with the sadness of it as well. Bluffing.

More honest now: "I want Pete too. I've had him, and I'm not willing to let him go. And if you're not...come to me." Nathan stepped back. Sylar cringed at the swift withdraw. It was harder to connect.

Nathan felt a flare of anger, as strong as it was useless. "You did this to me. To us. Why should I listen to anything you say?" Sylar hung his head. No words. Then, he repeated. Now he was begging softly, seductively.

"Come to me, Nathan. Take me in your arms." This man was not without charm of his own. He was Peter's brother. Sylar allowed Nathan in. "See why I chose you?"

Nathan saw his life go by, as if it were a beloved film that showed what perfection could be. Of course, it hadn't really been like that. This was the edited, glorified version. With money, opportunity, beautiful, kind women, a family, and most of all-Peter.

But then the reel spun wildly, and Nathan viewed a "film" that was far more frightening. A young boy whose birth mother was murdered, in far different detail than the "files" he's had access to earlier. Files that were not even accessible before. Hidden away. A young boy being raped. A young boy alone in school, tortured by the other kids. A young boy desperate for love, but so warped that he destroyed everything he touched. The deep grief of his mother's death, entangled with feelings of hatred.

Nathan felt a wave of pity so strong that he began being pulled toward Sylar as if by a force beyond his control. Sylar's voice trembled. "Please…hold me and don't let me go." When he took Sylar in his arms, he felt something that reminded him of Peter. In many ways, Sylar was just like Pete. Nathan felt like weeping as he looked at the lost child with the heavy glasses that was hiding underneath the tough outer shell. He felt attracted to the man that Sylar was trying to be. Without even meaning to, he forgave. Sylar nearly reeled back from this acceptance. So like Peter's embrace the night he slept over. How could such completeness be there for the taking? For a monster like him? He wept at the beauty of it.

As he held Sylar to comfort him, Nathan could hear more clearly a jumble of desperate thoughts: "take me take me take me please I don't wanna be alone ever again I don't wanna be me I went to your office and your house and took your body cause I wanna be you and not me. I deserve to die for my sins. I wanna be good all the time…you're evil too and sometimes I'm good…together we could always be good…take me in your arms and don't let go…it's right, it feels like something will happen…we both need this… please..."

Suddenly, Nathan senses that holding Sylar is no longer an accurate picture of what's occuring. A blinding light is beginning to shine, something that feels like a sharp tug is overwhelming, but not painful. It's just...consuming. Merging. With Sylar in his arms, he's beginning to feel the same as he did with Peter-absolutely right. As the feeling intensifies, the light is brighter, warmer, and so sweet that he is crying. So is Sylar. They merge, hold one another tighter. Never let go. Bad is being erased, good is fitting together. Wholeness, love, mercy, intelligence, sense of humor, caring-all these traits and more merging until there are no two bodies embracing, loving-no more clothes, skin, bones anything. Pure essence. Nathan and Sylar are gone.

The sun has gone down. A handsome young man with black-dark hair stands in front of the mirror. He smiles, and a Petrelli grin covers the young man's face. He feels no fear at the new face. No more sadness of a painful, lonely, or dangerous childhood. No more politician's lies. Just love. And hope. Peter. The young man allows himself to picture his lover on his hands and knees, looking back at him with such trust and joy. Earlier as the young man dressed, he received a phone call that the machine picked up. No message was left, but the number was quite familiar. He had an engagement this evening. Checking his hair and suit one last time, he turned and headed out the door with a jaunty step.

Part 6 coming soon! Please R&R. Sorry it's been so long-grad school was a busy time :)