Thank You to all the new followers and anyone who has reviewed! I hope I don't ruffle any feathers with this chapter. Thanks! 3
I do not own Heroes.
Claire left the diner with haste, not wanting to have to explain herself to Peter about what she just had done to the waitress. If they lingered in the diner, with the 'problem' bleeding on the floor, he would have dived into his hero mantra. He wouldn't understand how easily one loose end could alter plans, plans that are perfected weeks in advanced. That girl was a loose end. Claire knew that Peter was struggling with her new lifestyle, her new attitude. She just didn't have time to make him understand today.
Turning quickly down an alley, Claire glanced over her shoulder. Peter and Sylar were both struggling to keep up with her. Her breath hitched at the sight of them. Peter's scarred face and furrowed brow still had hints of his old, hopeful self. He had pulled up his black hood to hide his distinct face. He strode side by side with Sylar, a sight she thought she'd never get over back in the day. Nowadays, she was as indifferent to their relationship. It didn't affect her life. Sylar's attendance to the meeting had startled her, but she had let it go the second she sat down at the table in the diner. He had even hid his face under a similar cap from their first encounter. She smirked at the hilarity of the situation. Maybe she would laugh about it later? She hadn't laughed in a long time.
Claire had made the last minute choice to meet with them and she buried some conflicting feelings. Burying had become one of her abilities in a way.
Claire slowly made her way up through parts of the city using back streets and a silent demeanor. Despite having longer legs than her, Sylar and Peter were grunting to keep up with her. After jumping a large chain link fence, she pulled down a fire escape to a rundown looking building. She started to climb without looking at the other two. She had to reach her destination at the right time. They were joining her on their own accord.
Claire reached the roof, when she heard a ding from her pocket. Flipping open her phone to find a text message.
'Just in Time. Green Air Vent. Guests?'-L
Claire heard Peter and Sylar reach the roof, Peter a bit out of breath. She didn't look up and texted back to Logan.
'Temporary Visit'-C
Claire spotted the green air vent, and reached inside. She began to pull out a black duffle bag that was jammed in the circle tube part.
Sylar leaned up against the vent as she was removing the bag and watched her unload the contents. He looked over her as she began to assemble what look to be a sniper rifle, with a very high tech scope. Her face was focused and unchanged since they had left the diner. Peter had taken a seat on the ledge and leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hands together. He was anxious, but cautious to ask Claire's plans. He didn't want her to change her mind and not include him. There was only sounds of Claire putting together the weapon. Claire's plan seemed pretty spelled out. She finally broke the silence.
"Recognize what street we are on?" She turned looking at Peter. He shook his head. He was unaware of his surroundings.
"Suresh's place. He lived in that apartment on the third level." Sylar pointed in the direction across the street. The white apartment looking more worn down from years of wear and tear. Up keep in New York had become quite dim since the United States was under a totalitarian style government.
Claire nodded and loaded five bullets into the gun.
"Suresh is a bit nostalgic. He returns here every other month. Same day, Same time. Still owns the place. Foolish as ever."
Claire looked at Sylar, who was very content with her comments about Mohinder. Peter stood up, unable to hold back his tongue.
"So your'e just going to kill him? Just like that."
Claire looked over her shoulder at Peter, not turning away from her rifle. Her eyes were steely.
"I let him escape once. Felt mercy. Gave him a chance to walk away from my father."
Claire looked back at the gun, a memory flashing in her mind.
It was the most pivotal moment of her life. She stood over her adoptive father, gun in hand. She had tortured him for a three hours after kidnapping him on his way out of Amsterdam. Made him feel the pain she could no longer feel. Without saying a word to him as well. No response to his insults, his pleas, or his cries of pain. She wished she felt joy or satisfaction from the whole event, but it felt robotic. Claire was merely doing it to resolve justice, balance the world, and fulfill her goal. Claire's stoic face was what truly scared Noah. She could see it in his eyes. When she finally was prepared to pull the trigger, Mohinder and some military goons broke into her moment. They attempted to capture her, but Claire had back up.
Logan and Meg had survived the bomb all those years ago and stuck to her side. They had managed to pick up individuals with a drive for revenge, rather than justice. It made them more cut-throat and willing to get things done quickly. They had been there, dutifully following her.
Claire managed to escape, but Meg was killed by one of Mohinder's men in the process. Her father escaped as well. It made her blood boil.
Mohinder returned to her father's side, when he had a chance to escape. Claire was going to make him regret that decision for the rest of his measly hours of life today.
She picked up the weapon and stalked over to the ledge, facing towards the apartment. Setting the weapon on it's stands and adjusted the settings. She laid on her stomach, setting the rifle towards one window. Claire propped it on her shoulder.
Sylar slid up next to her, on his stomach as well. Peter laid on the opposite side of her.
Claire's eyes didn't lose focus on her task at hand. Her phone beeped twice causing her to turn off the safety on the gun.
"Let's do this." she muttered under her breath.
Across the street in the window, they could see Mohinder, in an all white suit. He was surrounded by three military personal as he read a book on an elegant couch that did not match the apartment or that part of the city.
Claire spotted a soldier enter the roof across from theirs. He was unaware of their presence and pulled out a cigarette. Without hesitation Claire fired a shot straight through his skull and descended her scope back to the window. His body hadn't even hit the ground when she fired upon the group in the apartment.
With three very silent pops, Claire took out the military guards. Mohinder hitting the floor as it happened.
Peter growled at Claire.
"He's going to get away, if your'e up here."
Claire ignored him, because as he said those words, Logan and two other members of her team were roughly taking Mohinder from the floor and out of the apartment.
"Well, there is your answer, Pete." Sylar grinned over at him.
Without a word, Claire was back on her feet, quickly packing the gun and strapping the bag to her back.
She turned back to the two of them, pausing.
"I'm getting close. You can follow me and walk in my world. Or you can play hero in this one. Your choice."
Peter took Claire's hand softly. She was startled by the motion. He stepped up to her, turning his back to block out Sylar. Sylar, in response put his hands on his hips and scowled, annoyed by the privacy Peter was creating. He stalked away, looking down at the street.
Peter whispered to Claire. "Claire, come help me. I make a difference in people's lives. I give them safety, I don't put them in danger."
He squeezed her hand, stepping closer to her. Claire's face stared back at him, unchanged by his words.
"Remember Paris? Before you left me and Hiro? That night when we talked all night...I told you then how I felt about killing."
Claire nodded slowly, recalling that night.
It was roughly a year after Kansas and Emma's death. Peter and Claire had taken a day to enjoy the sight of the Eiffel Tower from the roof of the rundown apartment they all were hiding in. At that point they had been running city to city, hiding from the world. They spent the evening laughing and telling stories from their childhood. They talked about Nathan. They talked about started to talk about how to handle Bennet and began to disagree. In the midst of arguing with Peter, he kissed her.
It shocked her, but the she felt a wave of sensation come over her. Claire kissed Peter back that night. They did a little more than kissing that night actually. She allowed herself to let go and let Peter find some comfort with her. It was different from her time with Sylar. Not better, just different. Romantic, slow, and very much Peter's style.
It was a soft moment between the two of them. Peter was caring and careful with her, as if she could break like glass. Claire needed to find comfort at that moment in time in Paris. She left Peter the next morning before he awoke. He was a distraction and a danger in her path. He would be a comfort.
Comfort wasn't something she needed anymore. She needed to interrogate Mohinder.
Peter held Claire's stare as she recalled that evening. Her face didn't react emotionally at all. She simply released his hand and stepped up on the ledge of the building.
"Peter, your'e either with me or against me. Same goes for you, Sylar. Meet me at 130 3rd Street, West. 10:30 pm. If you want. I have some other matters to attend to."
With that, Claire stepped off the ledge and hit the ground with a sharp crack. Her ankles were broken, but she snapped them quickly in place. She headed west, away from the building.
Peter had tried to stop Claire from jumping, but before he could climb down the fire escape he felt Sylar's hands on him. He was thrown into the Green Air Vent.
Peter was shocked and confused, he stood up glaring at Sylar.
"Sylar, What the f-"
Sylar punched Peter hard in the face and shoved him hard against the vent. His face was dark and almost identical to the face he had when Peter fought him at the hospital. The night he was able to release a good portion of Nathan from his body. Sylar gave Peter three more punches to the face. He switched his crossing hand to his jab hand, after breaking it against Peter's face. He could hear it cracking back into place as he gave Peter a body shot. Peter kicked Sylar in the stomach, making him stumble backwards.
"You and Her?!" Sylar snarled out at him. His body was in attack mode.
"What! How did you know..." Peter spat out blood angrily.
Sylar had listened in on Peter's thoughts during his private conversation with Claire, but instead of words...he was greeted with images. He was surprised at how quickly his jealousy of Peter overcame him. He felt as furious as the day Peter nailed his hands to the plywood in the hospital. He watched Claire step away, unfazed by Peter's words. She looked at them with an indifferent gaze that he felt that there was no need to trouble her with his rage. She would disappear for years again if he exploded on her as well. The second she was out of sight, Sylar's rage had blown over and felt the urge to throw Peter off the building, but decided to beat him into a pulp.
"I can tap into minds still Pete. Remember when I acquired Parkman's abilities? Emphatically. I didn't get to slice into his brain. But than again I wouldn't have found much to learn."
Peter swung at Sylar, who easily tilted his head back to dodge the strike. Sylar came back with a side shot to the body, making Peter cringe at the waist. Sylar than brought his elbow down on the back of Peter's neck, sending him to the ground. Peter coughed, breathing heavily on his hands and knees.
Sylar kicked him in the ribs, making Peter lie on his back. Peter spit up blood and simply looked up at him.
"Why do you care what we did? It's not like it will ever happen for you. You saw her, she's a shell of what she was."
Sylar glared down at Peter, resisting the urge to shock him.
"We have a lot more in common than you think Brother." Sylar bent his knees into a catcher's position, looking down at Peter.
"But as usual, I beat you to the punch."
Peter gave Sylar a confused look, but slowly figured out what Sylar had hinted at. He quickly stood, Sylar rising with him. Peter took a few steps back and put his body into fight position.
"When?"
"The night after the first battle."
"Did you force her?"
"She came looking for me." Sylar layered on emphasis to the "me" portion of the sentence. He wanted to stress to Peter who Claire had turned to.
Peter's left eye began to swell.
"Liar."
Sylar raised an eyebrow.
"When have I ever lied?"
Peter charged him, tackling Sylar at the waist. They fell backwards, with Sylar on his back. Peter on his knees, picked up Sylar and slammed him back down into the ground. He started to wail on Sylar's face and stomach with uncontrolled, but powerful punches. Sylar tried to grab ahold of his arms, but met a punch to the face while doing so. Sylar finally freed one of his legs and kicked Peter off him. He felt blood on his face, but no wound. He rose slowly, Peter stepped away sharply.
"So you are saying you are in love with Claire?" Peter spurted out.
"No, Of course not." Sylar said almost too quickly for himself. He paused thinking for a moment. Peter stilled watching him, waiting for a sneak move. Sylar felt himself switching to Predator mode, he started to slowly slink around Peter. Circling like a Shark.
"I find Claire to be fascinating. She's my mirror image in a way. Minus the physical appearance and gender. We were built on the same foundations of life. Adoption, Immortality, serious Dad issues...yet I started on the path of the serial killer. She's taken on that role as as killer as well, while those days have taken the back seat for me, in a way. In every future I have known of, through Hero and yourself, the two of us cross paths. No matter what. We are fated for eternity in every timeline. There is an understanding between us that you will never comprehend Peter. Is it Love? Not for her. Not for me. It is just our nature."
Sylar stopped circling Peter with his speech. Peter started chuckling under his blooded nose. Sylar growled at him.
"What's so funny?"
"If you don't love her, Brother, than why care that she was with me once? Jealousy does not come from a place of hate or even fate. It comes from love. Maybe you are upset that her time with me was from a place of love. That she wants to be with me, rather than has to be with you by the demands of fate."
Sylar released a wave of blue electricity at Peter. He crumpled to the ground. Peter laughed out loud. Sylar released another wave, making Peter shake in pain.
Sylar paused and looked down at his crumpled brother.
"Don't be so cocky, She left you without saying a word after the fact, like she tried to do with me. I was more aware of her nature."
Peter was silenced by that statement. Sylar continued on.
"You can taunt me, throw words like love around, making it seem like it matters. I have forever to be with her. And it kills you that you will wither away and die. Then, you will be forgotten by the both of us."
Peter smirked up at Sylar from the ground again.
"I can take Claire's power by holding her hand. I may be able to hold on to one power at a time, but I can follow you till the ends of the earth. Haunting you with her."
Sylar gave Peter a swift kick.
"Maybe I'll kill you right here to prevent that."
Peter laughed out loud again.
"Your only brother? I'm sure Claire would really love that."
Sylar furrowed his brow and stood on the ledge of the building.
"I don't think Claire cares for much nowadays."
Peter slowly raised himself, wincing in pain.
"Sylar, We have to help her. Maybe if we can make her realize the path she is on."
"I have no problem with her path. I just don't know if it will restore what there once was."
Peter glared at Sylar.
"You think she'll ever be Claire again?"
Sylar sighed and inched toward the edge.
"I don't know, but I have a theory of what has caused such a dramatic change in our Claire. I may be able to fix it."
Peter gripped his sides that had started to really hurt.
"Share with the class, please?"
Sylar smelled the air and felt a wave of anticipation come over him. He sensed another Special nearby. He needed to find his own comfort.
"I will see you at 10:30, Pete."
Peter looked at him confused.
"Where are you going? We aren't finished."
Sylar looked back over at Pete, grinning like a predator.
"I'm hungry."
With that, Sylar stepped off the ledge and floated himself down to the ground. Peter looking down after him, wincing with every movement. Sylar adjusted his black cap and headed in the direction his instincts told him to go. He needed to satisfy his hunger.