A new day

Frank Wieland walked over the parking lot and into building C. The guest house. It had been two days now and he´d barely seen either Mohinder nor Sylar since that faithful night in the Jura. He was curious how things were going and if the plan of the geneticist had actually started to work out. He still didn´t believe it and on some level he even hoped that it hadn´t. Not because he wanted to tell Mohinder that he´d told him so, but because he had a problem with the idea of changing someone into something that he wasn´t against his will. No matter who it was. Sure, Mohinder´s intentions were good, even regarding Sylar himself. But still. Frank just couldn´t wrap his mind around the whole plan.

He reached the guest room number 304 and knocked. Mohinder´s voice called for him to come in and he entered. Of course he found the geneticist working on something. He barely looked up when Frank stepped in.

„Hi." the physicist said as casual as possible. „I … just wanted to check on you guys. How is it going?"

„Not good." was the short and frustrated answer. „Every time he starts to remember something, he´s thrown back again. It´s really just like he said. As if something tries to keep him from remembering. It´s a wonder that he doesn´t forget his own name again and again. I asked him for a sample to make some tests."

Frank looked at the computer screen for a moment but decided that it wouldn´t tell him anything anyway. He was a physicist and didn´t have a clue from those genetic stuff. Besides, he had his own theory about the problem.

„Maybe it´s because of his closeness to the LHC." he shared it with Mohinder. The geneticist moved his head as if he wanted to look at him, but his eyes switched only for a second to Frank, before he focused on his samples again. „Maybe we should think about getting him somewhere else." Frank suggested nevertheless.

„I wouldn´t want to risk that." Mohinder replied, still not looking at him. „Here he´s in a save environment." he said and exchanged a sample against another one to test it as well. „It´s closed and watched."

„You´re afraid he will try to run?" Frank asked with a frown.

„No." Mohinder denied calmly and looked through the microscope. „Just … in case he should remember something he isn´t supposte to remember …"

„You say that as if it was unnatural if he remembered something." Frank argued. „Those memories, those experiences are what makes him the man you know."

„This is not the man I knew." Mohinder burst out and finally looked at Frank. He was pointing at the door as if Sylar was waiting right outside. „He´s a completely different person." he told Frank. „Sylar´s confident of himself and sometimes arrogant. This man is insecure and scared."

„Of course he´s scared." Frank replied with a shrug. He really didn´t understand why this was so surprising for the Indian. „You do know that arrogance is more often than seldom a sign of insecurity?" he mentioned. „That doesn´t have to be another person just because of this."

„So you are a psychologist now?" Mohinder retorted.

„I know people."

„But not Sylar."

„I know that you will have a hard time making him into Gabriel Gray when you can´t even stop calling him Sylar in your head." Frank said.

For a moment Mohinder stared at him uncertain. „I will not slip when I´m talking to him." he then assured him.

„That´s not what I meant." Frank sighed. „You can´t just change someone from the very basics of his character. Especially you can´t. Mohinder. If he is supposte to change then he is the only one who can make that happen."

„Sylar will never change." Mohinder told him matter of factly. „Not as long as he knows that he is Sylar. He is simply not capable of resisting this hunger that drives him to kill."

„He could have killed me that night at the cliffs." Frank recalled. „He didn´t. I think he can resist it."

After that the two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment. Frank felt as if he´d overstepped his jurisdiction somehow. He sighed.

„All right, listen." he said. „I don´t know what he did before I met him. If you tell me he murdered a lot of people I have to believe that. But I can only tell you what I see now. And I see a man that needs help. A man that was capable of sacrificing himself to save the world."

Mohinder just stared at him with a very dark gaze. „You have no idea what he is capable of." he said.

Frank felt his heart sink a little at this, but he was still far from giving up. „I know that he had a choice that night and he did the right thing." he recalled calmly. „I think he is capable of changing. Under the right circumstances."

Mohinder just looked at him without saying a word.

„Maybe you should just trust him." Frank suggested. „His real him."

He waited for Mohinder to make a response. Something. Anything. But he didn´t got any. The geneticist just turned back to his microscope.

„First I need to find out how to keep him from loosing his memory over and over again." he said. „Everything else will have to wait."

...

... where three people got killed last night when several bombs went of around the market square." the reporter spoke into the camera. Behind her there was the destroyed square, black from the fire the explosions had caused. The firetrucks were still standing around to make sure nothing worse would happen with the half destroyed buildings. „Dozens others got hurt." the reporter went on. „Five of them severely. The police was so far not available for a more detailed statement on how it was possible that this tragedy could happen during an official mission of the police itself …"

The TV turned dark and a moment later Lassiter threw a heap of papers at it. Everybody around him flinched, even Bennet. The sheets started to fly around the room and scattered all over the floor. One of them even made it all the way to the front door.

„Carlton." Juliet said, exhaling a little. She bend down and started to pick up some of the papers. „This is not gonna help."

„But it makes me feel a little better." he replied grimly. His left hand wandered up to his temple and absent mindedly touched the plaster that covered the bruise he had there. It was a ridiculously small wound he´d gained from that explosion. Especially since it wasn´t from a flying fragment but from O´Hara´s gun which had hit him when she´d swirled around to him.

„Dude, I bet it does." Shawn whispered at Gus and his friend nodded in agreement.

„I sure hope you really feel better, detective." a new voice called through the bullpen and made them all turn around.

„Chief." Lassiter immediately stood straight again. The rest of the gathering did the same without noticing it.

Chief Vick walked over to them with a stern face.

„I have to give a statement this afternoon at a press conference." she told them. „And I´d like to tell them that we could gain at least a small advantage on our hunt for this criminal with this … disaster last night. So please tell me that you have a plan how to go on."

„We´re working on it, chief." Lassiter assured her.

„Ah, yeah?" she asked with a fake smile. „How?"

„We …"

„We now know that he can´t get hurt." Peter blurred out.

The chief looked at him with an irritated frown. Peter opened his mouth to add a better explanation but got interrupted just in time.

„Peter." Noah shook his head to signal him to better not to go on. The younger man needed a moment but then he seemed to understand and shut his mouth.

Chief Vick looked back and forth between them for a moment, trying to figure out what they didn´t want her to know. But then she decided that it was probably better not to ask too many questions. The situation was already complicated enough and maybe it was better if she didn´t know any more than she already did, when she went to that press conference. But there was still something she needed to make sure before she left.

„I´m sorry, Mr. Petrelli." she said therefore. „I appreciate what you did last night but I can´t afford it any longer to let civilians interfere with a police investigation. That I allowed this insane idea last night was pure desperation from my side and I payed the price for it. You got lucky that you were not hurt and I´m not gonna lie about the fact that this was also my luck. Otherwise I would now wait for the mayor to call and fire me. So I ask you all politely. Detectives: Please, solve this case. And better yesterday than today. And Mr. Bennet and Petrelli. Please leave and go home."

For a moment they all just stood there in silence but after another moment, Bennet nodded as if to say, yes Ma´am. Chief Vick mirrored his nod, glad that they´d understood her. Still she didn´t leave. Bennet raised both brows in surprise.

„Oh, you mean now." he realized.

„Yes." she emphasized and as if that had been a cue they all jumped and started to gather their stuff … or at least pretended to do so to not to raise her anger again. She seemed at least temporally satisfied with the action.

„I suggest you go out there and work the case that way." she told Lassiter and Juliet. „Go back to the crime scene and have a look around. Mr. Spencer you see if you can find out anything your way … honestly I don´t care what you do, just do it somewhere else but here. I don´t want the next news to say that our detectives are hiding in here while a mad man runs around murdering people. So move out."

„Yes, chief." Lassiter barked determined.

„Yes, chief." Juliet said obediently and followed him.

„Yes, chief." Shawn and Gus said, only to have something they could say and hurried after them.

Bennet and Peter didn´t say anything and just followed them outside.

As soon as they were out of the door, Bennet took Lassiter´s arm and stopped him. The detective waited willingly enough to hear what he had to say.

„We´re not really leaving, are we?" Peter asked irritated.

„Of course not." Bennet replied.

„You´re the only Special we have on our side right now." Gus added in a tone as if he wanted to ask if Peter was out of his mind to even consider that. „Against this guy I wouldn´t feel much saver if we had a dozen of you guys."

„He´s not so wrong with that." Bennet agreed. „But now we at least have an advantage."

„I´d like to hear what this is." Lassiter said sarcastically. „Because I agree with the chief. This situation just sucks."

„High five, Lassie." Shawn said, but without the usual smile on his lips. „That is true."

He raised his hand and Lassiter even raised his hand too, a subconsciously reaction to Shawn´s action. When he realized what he was about to do, he made a fist and cursed over it.

Now Shawn really smirked and held out his fist. Gus bumped into it.

„Our advantage is Peter." Bennet answered the question Lassiter had asked a minute ago. „He now has the same ability as Nobody and that means, we can now test first hand how to fight him."

„Right." Peter agreed, looking at Lassiter triumphantly. But then he realized what Noah´d just suggested and frowned. „What?" he asked.

„Think of it." Bennet tried to reason with him. „Last night we went in there blindly. We didn´t know what to expect. We didn´t know who we were fighting. Now we do. And we can even test our next move before we actually do it. That way we can plan our next try to catch that guy much better. We would know if we even had a realistic chance to really get him."

„You want me to play the guinea pig?" Peter cried.

„I need you to play the guinea pig, Peter." Bennet rephrased it. „If we have only one more of these events like last night, we can as well hand Nobody the key to the armoury of the Santa Barbara police."

„He´s right." Lassiter agreed gloomy. „And I will never do that."

„We can test on you what would actually be able to harm that guy." Bennet went on. „As soon as we know that, we can figure out a plan to catch him."

Peter was struggling with himself for another minute. Then he nodded reluctantly. „All right." he said. „But I´d appreciate it if you wouldn´t fry me."

Bennet smiled at him warmly. „I´ll be gentle." he promised.

„All right." Lassiter spoke up again, not longer able to keep quiet. „You do that and we …"

„I´ll go with them." Gus interrupted him. „I have some ideas how to get to this guy."

„Magic Head and the Justice League." Shawn said with a proud smirk and held out his fist once again.

„You know that´s right." Gus replied and bumped his fist into Shawn´s.

Lassiter looked at them for a moment but didn´t say anything. „… and we go back to last nights battlefield." he finished his sentence at last. „Let´s roll!"

...

Mohinder walked along the promenade of the small park area of C.E.R.N.´s museum. The place looked like a playground but was in fact an open air exhibition of oversized scientific instruments. But Mohinder wasn´t here to admire those exhibits. He was looking for Sylar. The doctor had told him that Sylar had gone here for a little walk. And indeed he found him quickly enough. He was sitting on a bench right in front of the big orange bubble chamber.

The killer looked into a distance that surely wasn´t limited by the building ahead. Mohinder walked over to him and after a moment, sat down on the bench next to him. Sylar looked at him with a solemn expression on his face. It was amazing how peaceful he could seem when he was in a condition like that, Mohinder found.

„I had a dream last night about my mother." Sylar started to tell him without transition. „She said I could be president." He chuckled and Mohinder couldn´t help but chuckled too.

„Yes, that was your mother." he stated. He looked ahead for a while too. His eyes found a copper construction that somehow reminded him of a figure from the Wizard of Oz.

„Where is my mother?" Sylar wanted to know. „Does she know where I am?"

Again. One of these questions to be extra careful about. Mohinder hesitated.

„Gabriel." he started and had to start all over again right from the beginning. „Your mother is dead." he told him at last. „She died five years ago. She was murdered … by a man named Sylar."

Gabriel stared at him in shock. „What happened to this … Sylar?" he asked.

Now it was Mohinder who was shocked. How close this talk was to the one they´d had so many years ago. But this time he wasn´t pretending. Or was he? But no. Why should he? Because he´s a monster that cannot be trusted, his mind whispered. Mohinder fought this voice down.

„I´m actually not quiet sure." he said, answering Sylar´s question about Sylar. No, not Sylar´s question. Gabriel´s. Frank was right, he had to remind himself of the difference.

„I thought I saw him die, but I´m not sure." he told Gabriel Gray.

„I don´t understand." Gabriel Gray was confused. „How can you not be sure?"

„With Sylar it´s really complicated." Mohinder told him vaguely. „He survived a lot over the years."

„Why did he kill my mom?" Gabriel wanted to know.

Mohinder gulped. „He always claimed that it was an accident." he said.

„You think that´s a lie?"

„Sylar killed a lot of people." Mohinder stated. „My father was amongst them. And those were no accidents."

There was a sad expression on Gabriel´s face. „I´m sorry." he said and for a moment Mohinder actually wanted to tell him that it wasn´t his fault. But of course he couldn´t.

„Yes, I know." he said instead.

„And this Sylar …" Gabriel went on asking but Mohinder talked right over him.

„He´s a monster." he said matter of factly and immediately had to correct himself. „Was." After another minute he went on. „Let´s just hope that he really is dead and that he never comes back … and that you can live your life in peace. Like all of us."

„Was he after me then?" Gabriel asked.

„Sort of. But don´t worry. He´s gone."

„What if he isn´t?" Gabriel asked and looked at him with this intensely pleading gaze that was so typical for him.

„Sylar?" Mohinder asked confused.

„Yes. Sylar. What if …?"

But before he could even finish the question, Mohinder jumped up and stepped away from the bench.

„I´m sorry." he stuttered. „I … I can´t do this. I … I need to think." With that he walked away as if he were on the run. But was that comparison so far off? Not really, was it?

„Mohinder?" Sylar called after him. He´d stood up as well but didn´t follow him. He looked very disturbed by the scientist´s sudden departure.

„I need some time." Mohinder tried to explain himself. „I´ll be back but … just give me some time to think this through." With that he just walked away, before Sylar – Gabriel – could ask any more questions that he wasn´t able to answer.

Gabriel just didn´t know what to say. „To think what through?" he called after him but Mohinder was gone.

The man that had lost most of his memories just stood there. He didn´t understand anything anymore. He didn´t understand why Mohinder was scared of him all the sudden … and why he was lying to him.

...

They had no idea who they had dared. He had no name, had never had one. The one he once had had was long forgotten. Now all he was was the man that would let them see how small and pathetic they were. He had no idea who the guy was he´d tried to stab last night but he knew that he probably wouldn´t be able to kill him, since he was as invincible as he was. But he could get the others. And he would.

He´d come here to find Sylar. Now he would revenge him and make sure that his legacy wouldn´t be forgotten. These insects would pay for what they´d done. He had no idea how they´d managed it to kill Sylar but in the end it didn´t even matter. He would make them pay, oh yeah. And after that he would find that babyface from last night and find a way to make him pay as well. But first it would be the simple herd that was ready to be slaughtered now.

If they thought they got rid of Sylar just because they´d killed the man, they would be up for a surprise now. Sylar couldn´t be killed. You could kill the man but not the idea. He would see to that. Oh, yes, they would learn. And how they would learn. But first he had to teach them a lesson first hand.

He reached the building. No one had even looked around a second time while he´d walked here. Maybe because he didn´t look like someone that was worth a second glance. Now he climbed the stairs and there was still no one that seemed to even notice him. Maybe because he didn´t look like someone that was out of place. He opened the door and stepped in.

The herd was walking around in its natural habitat, totally unaware of the wolf that had just stepped into their midst. Nobody walked along the hall, heading straight for the bullpen. He could see them all but barely someone of them looked up to see him. They were too occupied, too busy with their pathetic hunt for … him.

It was almost funny. He was so close to cry out for them: „Hey you idiots. Stop looking for me. I´m right here. Care to arrest me? Volunteers please step forward."

But he didn´t do it. He wouldn´t call out for them to warn them. He wanted it to come from out of nowhere, just like he´d come from out of nowhere. So he didn´t say a single word, just took in the scenery – the still peaceful scenery – with all its colours and tones. Officers who were walking around, reading papers or carrying files. Detectives sitting on their desks, typing into their computers or talking to someone on the phone. He couldn´t see the lanky detective that was working his case though. But that was not important. It wasn´t about individuals. Not today. Today it was about making the herd panic.

One of the officers, an extraordinarily tall exemplar, caught his eye and looked at him with a confused expression. Nobody smiled. How pathetic. Should this dumbstruck one be the only one who noticed something out of the ordinary before it really happened? It seemed so. The big sheep looked around helplessly in his try to find out what it was that was out of the ordinary. But no one seemed ready to come to his rescue in this regard. The sheep looked at him again, a little more aware now. Nobody decided to have mercy and release him from the uncertainty. He reached under his coat.

„I´d like you to have another look at this, Henry." he heard the voice of a woman, just in the moment when he pulled out his gun.

„Everybody down." the big sheep cried and dived to the right.

Nobody pulled the trigger and shot around blindly. His gun was rattling under his hands, the bullets made people scream and wood splinter. Papers were flying around wildly, adding a nice touch to the chaos he´d created. In the corner of his eye he saw two people standing in a glass door. A woman and a bald guy, both of them staring at what happened with wide eyes and open mouths. He swirled the weapon around and pulled the trigger on them too. Easy are the targets that don´t even try to move.

Unfortunately someone else was moving. The oversized sheep from earlier had somehow managed it to show up again. How he´d missed him so far was beyond him but it didn´t matter anyway. He hadn´t missed the two others in the door. The big sheep could drag them down if he wanted and try to hide them behind that big desk, but Nobody had seen his bullets hit their targets and that was all he needed to know.

For a moment he considered to go after them to finish them off for good. But then he decided against it. Should the big sheep tell what he´d seen. He was the only one who´d gotten a good look at him before he´d unleashed hell in here. What was a message any good for if there was no one who could deliver it?

Nobody looked around. The bullpen looked like a battlefield now. Officers were lying around, groaning and bleeding. The ones that were still able to move hurried to pull them into cover behind their desks. Some others fired at him from there but of course their bullets didn´t do any good for them. Nobody fired around one last time until no one dared to look up any more … or maybe they couldn´t. Either way was okay for him.

„Best wishes from Sylar." he called out into the now silent hall.

No one answered but he knew that at least one person had heard him very clearly. He threw a checking glance at the glass door of the chief´s office. The glass was not there any longer. It lay shattered in shards all over the floor. Inside no one seemed to be moving. But that was okay. Should he play dead if he wanted. Nobody didn´t care.

He turned around and left. His work here was done.