Zero
Chapter Three
"Wakey wakey, lemon bakey."
The first thing Sylar saw when he opened his eyes was Scout stooped over him with a syringe pressed against his neck. He didn't even flinch as she drove the needle in, but he did feel the strength completely leave his limbs.
"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" He asked, looking around at the room he was in. The walls were whitewashed. Blue light filtered in from window wells, and a single dim light bulb dangled overhead. The room was lined with shelves of different kinds of equipment, mostly bags of food and medical supplies. Sylar noticed they hadn't even bothered to tie him up. Scout had figured that if he had strength enough to get free, shackles weren't going to do any good.
"Hm?" Scout raised her eyebrows as she yanked the syringe from Sylar's neck. She'd cleaned up since the night before. The muck had been washed away from her face and red hair, and she was wearing a clean set of clothes. She placed the syringe back into a kit that was lying near her knees.
"Mugging people who are selling powers to others…when you've obviously had a few shots yourself." He smiled. "Teleportation and emotional persuasion couldn't have come from the same set of DNA."
Scout pretended to ignore him, but bit her lip.
"How many other powers do you have, Scout?" He sounded genuinely interested. Scout knew he wanted a count of what he could take from her.
She disregarded the question. "What do you do, Sylar? When you said you were going to take what made us special, how do you do that?"
He smirked. "I'd have to show you."
Scout closed up her kit, frustration knitting her brow. "Perhaps some other time. I've given you a drug that will temporarily incapacitate you, as you may have already noticed. You'll have limited use of your limbs soon enough, but it'll take several hours before you regain use of your abilities. Now, just how many abilities do you have, Mr. Sylar?"
He laughed darkly, but said nothing.
"You're trying to intimidate me, aren't you? In case you haven't notice, I don't exactly spook easily."
Sylar didn't respond.
"Who was it that said, 'Courage isn't the absence of fear, but rather the knowledge that something else is more important'? Ah, well. I guess that's my motto. I also take comfort in the fact that all villains share one fatal flaw." She leaned forward and peered into Sylar's dark eyes. "You all monologue. Play with your food before you eat it. Always causes the downfall of the villain." Her voice was full of mirth.
Sylar still didn't respond.
Scout stood up and headed for the door. "Hope you like bread and soup, Mr. Sylar."
As he watched her leave the room, his mouth started to water as he thought of how he would kill her. He would show her that playing with his food didn't always bring his downfall when he was cutting her into tiny pieces.
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"Claire?" Noah repeated, his face lighting up. He read Nathan's face, and it didn't seem like he was lying. But it had been years since anyone had seen Claire. How could Nathan have possibly tracked her down at last? "How did you find her? Where is she?"
Nathan held up a hand warily. "One step at a time, Noah. I'm going to need your word that you'll help me in this war before I tell you anything."
Noah's eyes narrowed behind his horn-rimmed glasses. "Don't think just because you're the politician that you're the only one in this room with negotiation skills. How can I trust you?"
"Because there is no one else left to trust. At least, not at the moment."
Noah's glare turned to curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"
Nathan cleared his throat, and began neatly stacking the papers in front of him. He kept his eyes down, not wanted to give away how desperate he was for Mr. Bennet's help. He wasn't being rhetorical when he said there was no one left to trust; the shoe-horn president felt like Noah Bennet was probably the only trustworthy person he knew left.
"Your word, Mr. Bennet, and I will answer everything you ask me."
Noah grumbled, reluctant to give his word to anyone, even Nathan Petrelli. But if it was really true that he could somehow see Claire again—if he could just look at his smiling, beloved Claire Bear one more time—it was worth even the stupidest of promises.
"Fine, Nathan. You have my word. I will help you in this war."
Nathan smiled faintly. "Thank you, Noah." He indicated an armchair across him in front of his desk. "Please, take a seat. I have discovered a lot of things recently, and there is much you need to be informed about."
"Let's start with Claire," Noah said pointedly, taking a seat in the arm chair.
"Sure," Nathan sighed. "We'll start with Claire. She's tied into this whole thing as much as any of the others."
Noah's heart buzzed. "What do you mean, others? Where is she, Nathan?"
"It's not so much where she is as when she is," Nathan said. He leaned back in his car and laced his fingers together.
"When?" Noah repeated, incredulous. Hiding in a different time would have been very clever, but how could she had gotten there? Then one named flashed in his mind, and the image of a person he had not seen for a long time. "It would seem you have a lot of explaining to do."
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Claire Bennet was quite content with her current situation. She had always wanted to be a character in a Jane Austen novel, and she figured this was a close as she would ever get. Nineteenth-century England seemed good for her health, however, and between her wardrobe of pretty dresses with empire waists, dances held by well-to-do bachelors, afternoon tea in the gardens, and nightly book readings and concerts, it was sometimes easy to forget that she didn't really belong here, that she was just biding her time until she was called upon again.
There were nights where she would cry herself to sleep, drifting into nightmares about have to return to the awful place she had come from. But these moments were passing, and most of the time she pushed the thought of leaving out of her mind completely.
But even at those times when she was most contented, there was a little bud in her heart that constantly reminded her that she had another life she was supposed to be living.
It was the night of Lord Dashiell's social when her temporary fairy tale was shattered. It came with arrival of someone she did not want to see, but at the same time, was completely overjoyed to see.
Claire and her companion, Miss Addie Hartwright, rode through the countryside in a carriage towards the Dashiell estate. Claire couldn't count the stars in the sky; the world was so clear in those days. A quick image of the night sky in Odessa flashed in her mind, but she pushed it back, as usual.
"Miss Bennet, if I may, you are looking somewhat distracted this evening," Addie remarked. "Is there something troubling you?"
Claire tore her eyes away from the sky and smiled at her friend. "Nothing. Just thinking about home."
Addie's lips twitched into a smile. "Haleston? Such a beautiful place."
Claire nodded, and returned the smile, going along with it. "Yes. Haleston. I'm happy to be here, but I do get a bit homesick at times."
"Well, Miss Bennet, the season is almost at an end. Perhaps you can go visit then," Addie said.
"Yes, perhaps," Claire agreed, and her smile faded.
The carriage lurched to a stop.
"We can't be to Dashiell Manor yet," Addie said, furrowing her brow. "Driver, why have we stopped?"
Claire poked her head out of the carriage window and peered into the road. The driver was conversing with a man who stood directly in the middle of the path. He wore a tall silk hat and a scarf around his face, though it was summer time. Claire's heart began to thunder in her chest.
" 'Scuse me, sir, but I'm gonna 'ave to ask you to move aside, then," the driver said in a thick cockney accent.
"I'm afraid I need to speak with one of your passengers," the man said. Claire's felt the blood leave her cheeks. She knew that voice.
"Now, now, I'm not about to let strange men 'ave a chat with these 'ere girlies," the driver spat. "Move aside, then."
"I'm afraid I wasn't asking for your permission," the man said.
Addie placed her hand on Claire's arm. "Miss Bennet, what's wrong? You've turned as pale as a ghost."
Claire turned to Addie and smiled weakly, knowing this was the last time she would see her friend. "Thank you for all you have done, Addie. You have been most kind to me."
"But, Miss Bennet, what are you—?" Addie fell short of words.
Claire climbed out of the carriage, regarding Addie one last time. "Good bye, Addie." As she stepped onto the road, the man's head turned slowly towards her.
"I'm warnin' you, if you lay one finger on 'er, I'll 'ave yer 'ead," the driver threatened, standing up in his seat.
"There won't be any need for that, my good sir," the man said. Claire could hear a chuckle in his voice. "I believe Miss Bennet is expecting me."
The driver turned to Claire. "You know 'im?"
Claire stared into the dark eyes of the man and nodded. "Yes, I do. It is alright. I will be fine with this gentleman. You may proceed to Dashiell Manor."
The driver shuddered. "I don't like this, not 'un bit." He glared at the man, but took his seat again. "Should I be comin' to pick you up later, missy?"
"No, don't preoccupy yourself with concerns for my wellbeing. I assure you, I will be fine."
The man stepped out of the road and towards Claire. His footsteps echoed the thundering in Claire's chest. They day had come far too soon. She wasn't ready to go back yet.
The driver was still peering at her, concern covering his features.
"Just go, please," Claire said.
He nodded, giving the man the stink eye before grabbing the reins and urging the carriage forward once again. Claire caught on last glimpse of Addie's sad eyes as they turned the corner and drove out of view.
"You could have come at a more convenient time," Claire sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Honestly, Claire, is there a time you really think would be convenient?" He pulled off his scarf and balled it up in his hands.
She half-smiled. "I suppose not. I always knew this day would come, but…I always sort of hoped it wouldn't." Butterflies swirled in her stomach as faces from her past flashed through her mind: her father and her mother, Nathan, Lyle, even Mr. Muggles.
"You can't escape who you are," he said sadly. Claire could tell this was a truth he regretted as well.
"I know, Peter."
He smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen his niece, but he felt as comfortable around her as he always had.
"Where's Hiro?" Claire asked.
"Well, he dropped me off here because I convinced him I'd have better luck getting you to leave high society," Peter said. "He said he was going to fetch Ando from feudal Japan, and then he'd be back for us."
"Why now?"
"Apparently my brother has gone to extreme lengths to try and find us. He's ready to fight back. He found Hiro and so Hiro decided the time was right. It's time for us to return and be heroes."
Claire shrugged. She glanced at the tall, lush trees around her and the sky filled with diamond-like stars. "I'm not so sure I want to be a hero anymore."
Peter smirked. "Hiro said that if you were doubtful to tell you that it is our destiny."
Claire couldn't help but snicker at the space-bender's undying faith in destiny. "And what about you? Do you think this is our destiny?"
"We were given these powers for a reason, Claire, and now we have to use them against those who have taken advantage of these gifts."
Claire nodded slowly. Peter was right. Even if they hid in the past forever, somehow fate would find a way to coax them back to where they belonged.
"Well then, no use hanging around here," Claire sighed.
"Hiro said he would find us after he picked up Ando, so all we need to do is just wait," Peter explained.
Claire took a deep breath. The night air was warm and the stars were bright. She stepped off the road and sat down in the grass, patting the ground beside her. "Come on, tell me all about your life in the Roaring Twenties."
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A/N: There! This chapter came together naturally, so I like it a lot more than last chapter. The story is starting to move forward, and more of our beloved Heroes are showing up! Full steam ahead!
Mucho thanks to KaraxLavi13 and night-star-93 for consistently reviewing! Guys, it REALLY means a lot to me. And those of you have this story set to fav/alert, I appreciate you, too, but I'd appreciate it even more if you would review as well! Pretty please? :)
Well, that's all for now. I'll see you next chapter! And once again, please review! I'll think of something special to do for all those who review! Maybe a character named after you or something! There's some incentive for you. :P Thanks for reading!