Newsflash

Frank Wieland took his coffee out of the machine and sipped it carefully. He had taken just a short break and was actually already on his way back to the control room. Another colleague of his, Luis Dubois, was standing in front of a screen when he came back in. A blond woman was on it and she was talking in English about some drama that had happened somewhere. Frank walked past his colleague and put his coffee down on the table.

„´ey Frank." Luis called him with his thick French accent and pointed at the screen. „Maybe you´ll find this intéressant."

„What´s that?" Frank asked and stepped to his side to have a look at the screen. Something about the blond reporter seemed familiar. So did the background.

„News from Amérique." his colleague told him. „Say. Doesn´t your sister live in Santa Barbara?"

Now Frank recognized the building behind the reporter. It was the Santa Barbara police station. What the hell happened?

We don´t have affirmation about the body count so far but at this point our sources are talking about at least five dead officers and over a dozen that were injured. Amongst them the chief of police, who is in serious condition and not able to continue her duty as chief. Head detective Carlton Lassiter was named as interims chief until she is recovered and able to take over as the head of police again. Until then the hunt for this mad man continues."

„C´est dangereux en Amérique." Dubois mentioned.

„Verdammter Mist." Frank murmured.

„Pardon?" Dubois looked at him puzzled.

Frank raised a hand and demanded quiet. The reporter was now explaining the case that had been investigated before this incident had occurred. The longer Frank listened the sicker he felt. Too many familiar names were mentioned and then there was this one name, the name of a certain dead criminal, that tipped the scales for Frank and he just couldn´t stand it any longer.

„Excuse me, Luis." he said and hurried away. He needed to get out to breath some fresh air.

When he was outside and the sun was shining down on him, he felt a little better. This had been some weird out of body experience. For a moment he´d felt as if he was responsible for what had happened over there. But that was ridiculous, wasn´t it? Except for the fact that he knew something that they didn´t, couldn´t know. That the man that seemed to be the reason for what was happening over there, was here in C.E.R.N. and very much alive and not dead as they believed.

But what could he do with that knowledge? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But that was something he couldn´t decide. Not on his own.

He started to move again and he kept walking until he reached the hotel of C.E.R.N. and room number 304. Mohinder was inside, working on one of his samples from Sylar. This time when Frank came in, he looked up from his work immediately. Not even he could overlook the stress that his guest had brought with him.

„What´s the matter?" he asked him

„There´s something I need to show you." Frank said and switched on the TV.

He had to look for the right channel for a moment but then he´d found it. The news were talking about some other incidents right now but Frank just knew they would come back to what he needed to show Mohinder in no time. When a police station was attacked by an amok shooter, the news would not go too far away from it and he was right. After a few minutes the blond reporter was back on screen and talked about the newest developments in the case.

There is still no affirmation about the actual number of victims but it seems that two more officers that were involved in this shooting have died of their severe injuries. With that the body count has to be corrected to seven deaths. Our latest information also tells us that the chief of police is now officially out of surgery. Her condition however remains critical. Interims chief Carlton Lassiter was not available for a statement, so we can only assume that the investigation to find the Amok shooter, who seems to copy the MO of the brain-killer aka Sylar, will be continued."

„My god." Mohinder exclaimed. „What happened?"

„Someone shot the police station to the ground." Frank replied and faced the geneticist. „Mohinder. Did you notice the little piece of information that talked about Sylar? This man is looking for him."

For a moment the geneticist was just baffled. „How can you assume that?" he cried. „They only said …"

„They said he´s copying his MO. Earlier they mentioned that the police assumes that he was trying to meet him with that."

„But … for all they know, Sylar´s dead." Mohinder recalled irritated.

„This man obviously doesn´t know that. Or he doesn´t care. He killed seventeen people so far only to find Sylar. Seven of them were police officers. If that number is even enough. They are still not sure after all."

For a moment Mohinder seemed unable to even compute what he´d heard. But then he seemed to get Frank´s drift and stared at him in disbelieve.

„What do you suggest that we do now?" he asked him. „Handing him over? He doesn´t even remember that he is Sylar."

„He at least should have a word in the discussion what shell happen because of him, don´t you think?" Frank argued.

Mohinder shook his head. „I told him about Sylar as a completely different person." he said. „What he is, that man out there, is not Sylar. It´s Gabriel Gray.

„But he is Sylar." Frank argued.

„That´s out of the question." Mohinder insisted. „If I tell him now that I was lying to him all along …"

„He´ll understand if we explain to him …"

„You don´t know that. Sylar reacts very negative when someone tries to betray him. We have to focus on Gabriel."

„You have to stop thinking about him as someone with a split personality." Frank burst out, now losing his patience. He just couldn´t hear it anymore. „They are both one and the same person." he told Mohinder. „Two parts of the same soul. Every person has a dark side like that, and we´re all just one personality."

„Not like this." Mohinder claimed but Frank just kept talking as if he hadn´t heard him.

„This man out there is the same as you knew him all these years." he stated.

„No." Mohinder shook his head. „I have to believe that there is a chance to resurrect Gabriel Gray without Sylar´s part."

„But that´s not possible." Frank started to feel exhausted. „You would kill them both if you tried that." he told the geneticist. „You can´t split a human soul in half, believe me, if I know one thing then that we cannot live without that darker half of ourself."

„Well, then maybe you should talk to Sylar if you think you know him that good." Mohinder snapped.

„Yeah, maybe I should."

„Be my guest. He´s outside, taking a walk."

Frank was fuming. He was so sick of this Indian that always thought he knew everything better. So he didn´t wait for another chance of talking sense into him but took the invitation. He stormed out of the room and headed straight for the elevator.

Mohinder remained where he was for one more minute, clenching his jaw. Then he realized what he´d just done and cursed in silence. What the hell was he doing? With more curses in his mind he hurried after Frank.

When he came outside, he could see Frank heading over to building 40. Sylar was probably somewhere there in that little green space around it. It was his preferred place to take a walk. Mohinder hurried to catch up with the physicist but Frank had already reached the corner and a moment later he was out of his sight. Mohinder increased his speed. Maybe he could talk to Frank one more time and convince him to let him talk to Sylar. Maybe there was a way to stop this before it got out of hand.

He reached the corner and heard Frank call Gabriel´s name. There were some other people taking walks too. Two of them were throwing a frisbee and chatted in French even while running to catch the little red disc. Mohinder searched the green space and finally spotted Sylar. He was standing on the grass and watched the two frisbee players solemnly. Frank was heading for him.

„Frank wait." the geneticist called and Frank really stopped. But not because of his call. His stop had been far too abrupt for that. Mohinder noticed that Sylar was standing in a funny way. He was bowed over and held his stomach as if he were sick. Frank was grabbing his chest as well. They both looked irritated but Sylar was definitely in more pain than Frank.

„What´s the matter?" Mohinder asked when he reached the physicist.

„I … I don´t know." Frank breathed. He seemed to listen for something.

A moan from Sylar made them both look around. The killer was trembling on his legs and a moment later he squinted and cried out in pain. Some of the other people around looked at him surprised. The frisbee that had already been on the way, passed the person it had been meant for and flew in Sylar´s direction. When it passed him, Sylar´s head jerked around and then he shot a lightning at it as if it were a missel that had been shot at him. The little red plastic toy went up in a red flame and was gone.

The people around gasped.

„Que´st que c´est ca?"

„Did you see that?"

„What just happened?"

„C´est une explosion."

Sylar moaned again and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Next to Mohinder Frank was moaning too, not half as painful as Sylar but he was definitely feeling it too. Whatever it was.

The geneticist made himself move and hurried over to the killer. He had to keep him from freaking out again in front of these other people. When he reached him, Sylar looked up at him, his face a distorted mask of pain. He was swaying as if he would faint any second. And then his eyes became clear, only for a moment and now he was really looking at him.

„Mohinder?" he asked.

The geneticist couldn´t tell how he knew that, but this time he just knew that Sylar had remembered him. Not just as the doctor that had found him in the mountains but as the one he knew for years. But before he could even digest this development, something new happened … and this time it happened above them.

Frank seemed to have guessed it earlier than anyone else, because he started shouting all the sudden.

„Everybody, down! Hold onto something! Quick!"

He´d barely finished his last word, when the blue sky above them was suddenly dark and a strong wind came up. No, not wind. A draft. A sucking draft, that was absorbing the air around them. Mohinder had only one second to realize what was going on, when he was already dragged off his feet and felt how he was lifted up. Next to him Sylar was as startled as everybody else.

Mohinder somehow managed it to reach out and grab the backrest of a bench. In the corner of his eye he saw Sylar being dragged away and reached out for him too. He had no idea how he managed it to catch him before he was sucked up and into that black hole, but he made it. Someone else was not so lucky though. Mohinder heard a scream and then he saw the shape of a man flying upwards and vanish in that unnatural darkness above their heads.

„Julien!" a woman shouted. „Non! Julien, non!"

Mohinder closed his eyes and clung to the bench and to Sylar´s wrist, praying that it would stop. And then a minute later, it did stop. The sucking force that pulled on them went away and he dropped to the ground. Above them the sky was as blue as always. Mohinder looked around. People were still clinging to the trees and benches they had been holding onto. Frank lay on the ground next to another man in a lab coat. He looked over to him and then at Sylar.

Mohinder turned around and found the killer lying on the ground next to him. He was unconscious.

...

Lassiter opened the door to the hospital room. He hesitated for a moment before he stepped in. The chief was lying in her bed, pale and a hose under her nose. But when he stepped closer she opened her eyes. Lassiter smiled awkwardly. She didn´t smile back.

„How do you feel, chief?" he asked.

She opened her mouth but for at least ten seconds there was no tone coming out. She had to struggle visibly.

„How many … did we loose?" she asked.

„Eight." Lassiter answered with a heavy sigh. „Anderson, Hawkins … Johnson … Perez, Perkins, Finnigan … Stephenson and Saunders."

The chief closed her eyes and he could sympathize with her grief. These men and women had been good officers and detectives. It had hurt to say each and every one of their names.

„Eleven others got injured." he kept talking to drown the pain but spared it to tell her those names as well. „Nothing too severe." he assured her instead. „They´ll make it."

Karen nodded. Her eyes were still closed. „Do me a favour, detective." she said with a hoarse voice.

„What?"

She opened her eyes again and looked at him intently. „Catch this son of a bitch." she ordered.

Lassiter couldn´t help but smiled but only for a second. After that his stern face was back on and he nodded determined as always.

„Yes, chief." he said.

He was in the process of leaving when she called him back one last time.

„And detective. Take good care of my chair. I want it back when I´m out of here."

This time Lassiter really smiled. „Yes, chief." he said and she nodded at him.

„Good luck, chief." she said.

He nodded back at her, grateful for the appreciation and walked out at last. It had been a short visit but he felt exhausted as if it had been hours since he went into that room. All these dead police men and women. He barely could believe it that only one man had done all this. The chief would get her culprit. He would bring her his head on a silver platter.

Outside in the hallway he found Shawn and Juliet, who´d been visiting Henry in the other room. His partner was just hugging the psychic and Carlton´s heart skipped a beat. What did that mean?

When he approached them Spencer let go of Juliet, almost dropped his arms as if he was embarrassed, and cleared his throat.

„What?" Lassiter asked confused. „What´s the matter? Is Henry …?"

„No." Shawn interrupted him. „Don´t worry, everything´s fine. He´s fine. Well … maybe not fine but …" He shuffled his feet for a moment, avoiding the detective´s gaze. „He told me to bust the sucker who did this." he told him at last.

Lassiter understood. „I got the same order from chief Vick." he said.

For a moment the three of them just stood there and looked at each other. They´d never looked so tired, at least not that Lassiter could remember. The only time he could remember that was close to this situation, had been when this son of a bitch Yin had kidnapped Juliet. But in some way this situation was even worse. This time they´d really lost some of their men and as if that wasn´t enough, Henry and the chief and eleven more of their force were injured and the bastard that had done all this was still out there.

When he couldn´t stand it any longer, Lassiter cleared his throat. „What are we waiting for?" he asked. „We have work to do. Let´s move."

...

Mohinder was standing in the hospital room, watching the doctor taking care of the unconscious man in the sickbed. It had been only an hour but that had felt like a lifetime. Okay, maybe not a lifetime but it was worth at least a hard week. He felt as if every muscle in his body was aching after that unnaturally created storm they had survived. Or better, that most of them had survived.

But the black hole that had appeared over the top of the office building, was not even the most troubling thought in Mohinder´s head. He was more concerned about what Sylar might remember when he would wake up. He´d recognized him, Mohinder was sure of that. He couldn´t say for the sake of his own mind, how he knew that. It was just something in the way, Sylar had said his name. It had sounded … different than the other times over this last week. Not as reserved as it had sounded as long as he hadn´t remembered. It had sounded so much more like … Sylar.

A groan dragged him out of his thoughts and made him hold his breath. Sylar was waking up. The old Swiss doctor hurried back to his patient´s side and watched over him, while he slowly opened his eyes. Sylar blinked a few times.

Mohinder remained where he was, at the window, far away from the sickbed and from Sylar´s field of vision. He just didn´t dare to come close to him just yet.

„Where am I?" Sylar asked weakly.

„You are at the hospital wing, young man." the doctor told him and checked his pupillary response with a small flashlight. „Building C."

„What?" Sylar squinted his eyes shut in confusion. The name of the location obviously didn´t mean anything to him. At least not immediately. But then he frowned and thought for a moment. „C.E.R.N." he remembered at last. „I´m in … I´m in Switzerland, aren´t I?"

„Can you remember anything now?" the doctor asked him. „Gabriel?"

Mohinder guessed the danger in the moment when he saw Sylar´s startled reaction to that name. Now he couldn´t afford to hide any longer. If Sylar really remembered, he had to stop this doctor before he said something wrong. And if Sylar didn´t remember … well, basically the same. So Mohinder made himself move and stepped into Sylar´s field of vision.

When the killer saw him, Mohinder could once again tell just from the look in his eyes, that he really truly remembered him now.

„Mohinder!" the killer cried a little surprised. His eyes dropped down and something seemed to work behind his forehead. When he looked at him again, his eyes were asking urgently.

„Did it work?" he wanted to know and tried to sit up. „Did I make it?"

„Calm down." the doctor lay a hand on his shoulder to keep him from jumping up. „What are you talking about?"

Mohinder sighed, fighting against the disappointment that came up in him when he finally realized that this man was fully Sylar again. How this had happened he didn´t know. He could only assume that it had something to do with this reaction to Frank who´d been the original source of his power to control the black holes. But one thing was for sure. That his plan to make him become Gabriel Gray again, had failed.

„Yes." he answered his question to calm him down. „You made it. The world is save."

The doctor looked at the two of them with an uncertain gaze. „I guess this is something you guys should talk about in private, huh?" he decided at last.

„Yes." Mohinder said. „Thank you, Dr. Bernstein."

The old medic nodded at him and then left the room to give them some privacy. Mohinder had to make himself move but he knew there was no sense in avoiding it any longer. He had started it and now he had to face the consequences. Slowly he approached Sylar until he stood next to his bed. He didn´t know what to say though. But neither did Sylar as it seemed. For a while the two of them just looked at each other, each of them uncertain how to start … or where.

Eventually Mohinder made himself break the silence.

„How much do you remember?" he asked him.

Sylar shook his head, looking down on his cover, his eyes searching for something that wasn´t there.

„I remember the night at the cliff." he then started to summarize and after a moment of silence, he smiled. „Juliet´s kiss." he went on. „And then the black hole." Again he shook his head and looked at Mohinder. „I thought I was gonna die."

„We all thought you did die." Mohinder let him know.

Sylar stared at him wide eyed. „What happened?" he asked. „How did I come here?"

Mohinder lowered his gaze. „Don´t know." he said earnest. „Do you remember anything after you entered the black hole?"

Again Sylar shook his head. „No. I exploded. But after that … nothing. Darkness." His eyes wandered around again and he frowned. „I … fell." he recalled. „I hit the ground and … I thought every bone in my body was breaking. Everything was quiet. For a while … there seemed to be nothing at all. I thought there was no living thing but me. I didn´t know where I was. Who I was. And then I heard a sound … approaching. Like rolling thunder. And then voices. I was so scared … I just wanted to run."

„You did run." Mohinder informed him and made Sylar stare at him in realisation.

„That was you." he understood. „And Frank." He looked around as if he expected the physicist to hide somewhere behind Mohinder. „Where is he?" he wanted to know.

„He´s outside." Mohinder told him. „Not sure where exactly. We weren´t sure if it was a good idea to let him come near you after what happened earlier."

Sylar nodded. „I understand. But I think it´s save now. Last time I didn´t know about the power. Now I know. I think I can control it."

„You sure?" Mohinder asked him uncertain.

„Yes." Sylar said confidently. He took a moment before he went on. „Can we go out and have a walk around?" he asked. „I´d like to get some fresh air."

„You feel fit to walk?"

„Yes. I need to get my sense for reality back. The memories of these last days are kinda confusing."

Now there it was. Mohinder swallowed dryly. „Do you remember what we talked about?" he asked hesitantly.

Sylar halted and thought this over for a moment. „You mean about Sylar?" he then asked him and chuckled slightly when he saw the shock in the other man´s face. „Don´t worry." he said. „I understand why you did it. I don´t blame you. Last time I had a memory loss like that it was much more violent when it all came back to me. At least this time I had a friend by my side to help me take that fall."

For a moment Mohinder was just dumbstruck over what he´d just heard. All he could do was staring at this killer totally baffled. Sylar looked back at him, unsure how to take his reaction.

„Let´s … get out of here." Mohinder managed to speak at last.

„Yes." Sylar agreed and Mohinder believed that he was at least as relieved as he was to finally get out of this situation.

But as it turned out they were not really escaping anything by leaving the hospital. After a short walk, in which neither of them said a word, they came across a gathering of people that stood together as if attempting a funeral. When they came closer they had to learn that this comparison wasn´t even that far off. On a bench there was a picture of a man, surrounded by flowers. Mohinder realized in shock that this had to be the man that he´d seen being sucked into the black hole, while he´d been clinging to the bench with one hand and to Sylar with the other.

„What happened?" Sylar asked him, totally unaware of what had happened.

Mohinder explained it to him in a whisper tone to not to disturb the mourning people. A woman that stood nearby heard them anyway and turned around to them. She was wearing a lab coat just like most of the others. Sylar caught her eyes. They were still wet.

„What was his name?" he asked her.

„Julien Lenoir." she answered. „´e was a Chemist. A brilliant mind." She started to cry again and raised a hand to her mouth. „´e was like a brother to me." she sobbed and then allowed her colleague to hug and comfort her. „Ma petit frère."

Mohinder looked from her to Sylar and what he saw in the killer´s face, was so unexpected it was startling him. Sylar looked sad. More than sad, he looked … shocked.

„I´m … I´m so sorry." he brought out but of course he got no answer anymore. The young doctor just kept crying and after a minute of staring at her, Sylar turned around and walked away quickly.

Mohinder needed a moment to realize that he should better follow him. Fortunately Sylar didn´t run very far and he caught up with him at the next corner, where he stood in silent contemplation.

„It must sound pretty ridiculous when I say something like that, huh?" was all he said.

Mohinder raised his brows. „Yes, it does." he said honestly.

Sylar looked at him, surprised at first. But then he chuckled gratefully. „I didn´t want to kill this man." he told him.

„You didn´t. It was an accident."

Once again Sylar reacted surprised, but in a totally different way this time. There was a slight almost invisible smile on his lips.

„Who would have thought that you would ever say something like that on my behalf." he said.

Mohinder could only agree. But it didn´t make any difference.

„It´s the truth." he stated matter of factly. „And I think if you can feel remorse for the death of a man, there might still be hope for you."

Sylar chuckled again, bitterly this time. It was as if he wanted to say: If you think so …

„If you want to make some amends for peoples deaths …" Frank´s voice spoke up behind them.

„Frank." Mohinder swirled around.

„I might have an idea where to start." the physicist finished his sentence. „Hello, Sylar." he greeted the man before him. „Or do you prefer Gabriel?"

For a moment Sylar seemed to be uncertain. He searched Mohinder´s gaze but then he faced Frank again and simply shrugged.

„Whatever works." he said.

Mohinder caught a glance from the physicist and he was only too aware what this gaze wanted to tell him.

„What was it you wanted to say?" Sylar asked now and saved him from further discussions.

„There are some things that happened in Santa Barbara lately." Frank revealed at once.

Sylar inhaled and stepped forward. „Did something happen to Shawn and Juliet?" he asked concerned. „Or one of the others?"

„I´m not sure." Frank admitted. „They didn´t say any names."

„What …?"

„I´d like to show you." Frank talked over him.

That was all he would say. He just turned around and led the way. Mohinder had a pretty good idea where.