Title: 78/100 WHERE?

Pairing: Claire, Sylar

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1,216

Summary: Set after the Season Finale of Season 3.

So they send me where? Where Sylar's 'buried' of course. He's been underground for decades. When they finally caught him, the new Company that is, they said the best way to contain him was to pump in full of drugs and keep him in a coma, forever. I knew they'd end up needing his help. I shake my head as I let go of Peter. He'd been ordered to teleport me here. I'd been ordered to use any means necessary to get Sylar to help us. I was screwed.

"Why do I get stuck with these type of missions? Why?!" Peter chuckles behind me, but elects to stay behind. Smart choice really since Peter's face was the last thing Sylar had seen. Trying to impersonate the president had been a very bad idea. The people who'd decided Sylar's fate were all dead and gone. Now, now the committee needed Sylar's help. I hated to admit that we did need him, no one else was powerful enough to stop the newest threat.

He'd gotten the nickname, Cannibal after a half-consumed human body was left behind when our agents had found his lair. No one wanted to go up against this guy because he was just as powerful, if not more than Sylar had ever been. Rumor has it that he took on the specials' abilities through consuming them. Made my skin crawl just thinking about it. Good news was he could be killed. Sylar, Peter and I were the only ones who had cellular regeneration and the Cannibal hasn't made a meal of us yet.

This was the place they stuck specials who were too dangerous to live with normals. All had been tried fairly, all were sentenced here till they died, and all of them deserved what they got. I head down into the bowels of the place. Where the medical facilities are and past. The cold storage lockers for the dead are down here and one special room for him. I know Sylar will be pissed and I just hope that he'll listen to me before trying to kill me.

The lead doctor nods to me as he turns off the automatic drip for the drugs continuously pumped into him. It'll take twenty minutes for the drugs to wear off on a normal person. Sylar's groaning in the two minutes it takes for me to get to his side. He's strapped to the bed, but as soon as they cut the curare drip he'll have all his abilities back.

I watch as his dark brown eyes flutter open and he looks around. I can see the emotions crossing his face as he realizes what has happened. I know anger will be the last one to cross it and I'm not disappointed. I grimace at the hate in his eyes as they lock onto mine. "Hello Claire." The acid drips from each word. I know he's trying to use his abilities and I can see the anger burn more when he can't. "Where am I? What year is it?"

I try not to show I'm afraid, but other than the Cannibal, I've only ever been afraid of Sylar. "You've been locked in a coma for thirty-seven years..." I trail off as I get another nod from the doctor, the curare drip has been stopped. "Listen, I can't apologize for the government which put you here, kept you dead-like... But I can say I'm sorry for not begging them to let you go-"

"Lies are ugly Claire. I don't like them, they make people who say them ugly and you are not an ugly person Claire." The anger in his eyes are still there, but his voice is calm and he's in control. He knows that he'll have his abilities back. He's confident. I sigh.

"Ok, I'm not sorry. I didn't ask on your behalf, but you are the only one who can stop this bastard. Only you." There it is. I knew it wouldn't take long to surface. The smugness. I look away. I can hear the seconds ticking by as he slowly gains control over his abilities again. Any minute the restraints will snap and he'll get up, probably throwing me against the wall or something.

"Oh, the irony, huh Claire? I mean, the last thing I remember was wanting to impersonate the president so that I could 'help' people like us. Now, now after I was imprisoned I am needed to help people like us." He starts laughing. A deep reverberating laugh that makes my skin crawl. I remember my Superior s orders: Get Gabriel Gray, aka Sylar, to help catch this bastard by any means necessary.

"I can offer you your freedom." I'm not lying and he knows this.

"That won't matter in the long run. You know very well that once I do what's needed of me, they won't be able to find me again." I watch his fingers flex and then the restraints are gone. I brace for whatever he throws at me, but nothing comes. He's standing in front of me when I open my eyes. I take a step back.

"Everyone thinks the Cannibal is far more powerful than you." His hand comes up and I don't move. He rubs his knuckles along my cheek and I shiver from how cold he is.

"We'll see about that." His hand wraps around my neck, it's so big and despite my ability I'm scared he'll choke me. "Besides, I haven't really decided to help you. What if I think his cause it more worthy?" Instinctively my hand comes up and my fingers wrap around his wrist, as if I could make him let me go.

"He eats people for their abilities. I highly doubt that's to your liking." I'm trying my best to not let him unnerve me, but it's fruitless. I think he's like a dog as in he can smell my fear.

"You're right, that's just disgusting." His fingers tighten around my neck and I almost panic until they loosen. "So touchy, so scared. I like it."

"So will you help? Will you stop him?" I glance up at him, he's looking at my hair, I think. His other hand comes up and he snatches at my ponytail, releasing my long dark hair.

"I can't have someone living in my world that's more powerful than me. Either he'll share his powers with me or I'll take them." His eyes catch mine and he smiles, "You look so different Claire, why brown hair?" I shrug, he leans down, face closer to mine. His hand holds me in place. "What are your people offering me? To help? Surely they think they have a bargaining chip."

"They.. They think because of your... interest in me before that it'd be enough to get you to help us." His grin becomes feral.

"They've sold you like a cheap whore have they?" He shakes his head, "No, no, no that just won't do. My trophies are won. Fought over, died over, and killed over. No I won't accept you as some peace offering. I'll earn you. Killing the Cannibal I'll do that for me." He leans in, nose to my hair as he inhales. His lips brush my temple and then I'm free and he's gone.