PART ONE REVISION (if you read this part previously you might want to

check it out again. I have revised quite a bit. It clarifies motivations better as well as offering a little bit more info about the deal that Angela made with Sylar)

Redemption is a Process

Sylar and Angela

PrimaTech Facility, Hartsdale, New York

The American Heritage dictionary defines redemption as the act of being saved from sin. It's a deceptively simple explanation for a decidedly complicated process.

For instance, it doesn't really clarify if the one being redeemed has to find absolution himself or rather it can only be offered by those in a position to grant such forgiveness... those that were wronged.

Religion offers many answers but depending on what faith you follow, those answers might be vastly different. Some say only god can grant salvation and through his grace will come forgiveness. But what if god has forsaken you?

Who can offer you redemption then? And what if there is a part of you that doesn't want salvation? A monster that lives in your soul.. feeding in the darkness.

Or maybe it's simply a biological imperative.

The door opened wide of its own accord as Sylar strolled into Angela's office. "Hey Mama P, what's up?"

Angela was seated at her large mahogany desk going through the month's expense reports. It wasn't all power and intrigue at the top. "Must you call me that?"

"Would you prefer… grandma?" It was one of his small pleasures to annoy the hell out of her.

Angela's eyes narrowed, "Don't you dare." She sighed. Sylar might be twenty seven but his emotional stability was such that sometimes it was like dealing with a mischievous boy. It would do no good to call him on it. He was looking for a reaction. And given what she had called him here to discuss, she was expecting a major one.

He plopped down into the nearest chair, slouching over to one side so that he could hang one long leg over the padded arm.

Angela waved a stack of files at him. "I want to talk to you about your performance of late."

Sylar grinned, obviously pleased, "Seven in the last two months. I may single handedly take down the entire population."

"Out of the seven you only brought four back to the facility," Angel pointedly reminded him. She had warned him more than once about his recent "slips". Primatech wasn't his own private hunting reserve. He needed to be reminded they had an agreement and he would honor it.

"Yeah well, you know how it goes. Things happen," he dismissed casually.

"You've taken three major abilities in two months." Angela leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. "Three."

Sylar rolled his eyes heavenward, "So."

"So… you're as high as a kite," she stated.

Sylar snorted lightly, "Is there some law against feeling good?"

"When your "feeling good" makes you highly aggressive and.. hard to deal with.. yes. You threatened two of my agents." He needed to understand the seriousness of his actions. While she was the head of the company, she wasn't entirely autonomous. There were those that didn't agree with her little arrangement with Sylar. Those that would just a soon see him dissected and be done with it.

"Maybe your agents should stay out of my way."

Patience, the only mostly reformed killer needed a light touch. "Gabriel, you know as well as I do that you soak up a lot more than just power when you fee...absorb abilities. I'd hate to see what your neuro-transmitter levels look like right now. Your brain is probably lit up like a neon sign. All those hormones, steroids, dopamines, and other chemicals make you a lot more dangerous for the rest of us to be around."

Angela walked over and sat on the arm of the chair. She'd almost slipped up. She was careful to never use the term "feed" when dealing with Sylar's "proclivities". Such a term implied he was something other than human and that was not an implication they wanted to foster. He needed to be grounded. She began to stroke his hair lightly. "I know you don't want to do anything you'd regret."

"Don't you mean do anything that you'd regret?" he replied with a smirk on his face. He didn't miss much. "I don't really do empathy, remember."

"The more you absorb, the more you want. I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know. The compulsion will take over and you'll become unstable. Is that really what you want? To become nothing more than a killer?"

He shrugged, "I am a killer… a predator. That doesn't change even if you have me on a leash."

"You need some time to dry out, Gabriel. I'm going to pull you off active duty for a couple of months to give your new powers time to metabolize properly and I want you to be a good boy and accept it." She leaned into him and wrapped her arm around him.

He stiffened under her touch. Sylar didn't like to be told what to do under the best of circumstances but Angela knew that showing any weakness while he was in this state of mind was inviting disaster. He needed to be reminded who was still in charge. Not just for the company but for Sylar's own sake. He had a lot to lose now. Time to bring in the big guns, "You could spend more time with Claire. You know how she worries when you're off on assignment."

He jerked away from her embrace. "I can handle Claire."

"Hm. I wasn't aware that she needed to be handled but that is, of course, your affair." Angela rose and walked back around the desk, "That is, so long as you're taking proper care of her."

"Are you questioning my ability to take care of my wife?" Sylar's voice grew hard.

Angela knew family was always a sore spot with him. Killing one's own adoptive mother had a tendency to weigh on your mind… even if you were a super-powered, brain sucking mutant. She needed to tread lightly. "I'm questioning your self control in your current state of mind."

Sylar rose from his seat slowly. "I think, I have more self control than you realize. Otherwise, you'd need to worry about now." His voice was low and chilling.

That was certainly a threat. Angela studied his face. His eyes had gone so dark they were almost black.. almost. His aggression level was reaching the boiling point. It was unlikely he would listen to reason until his neuro-transmitter levels returned to something nearer to normal... Sylar normal. But would he abstain on his own? Or would she be required to take action to keep him from hunting. Angela came to a decision.

"You're on limited duty for two months. No bag and tag assignments period. I'll re-evaluate your behavior at that time. I'd also like you to see Doctor Simons on the way out and give him a sample so we can see just how elevated your levels are at the moment. I'd like to gauge when it's safe for you to absorb abilities again without... adverse reactions."

"Fuck that."

Angela's eyebrows rose. He was a lot further gone than she first anticipated. Sylar had a certain odd respect for women especially mother-figures. It didn't stop him from brutally killing the fairer sex when he wanted an ability but for him to be so crass to her meant that he was closer to a violent outburst than she first thought. Though, it really shouldn't have surprised her as the powers he had absorbed were all formidable abilities. She would have to move quickly and with caution.

"If you please, language." She needed to reassert that motherly influence. "Don't be that way, Gabriel. You know I'm doing what I think is best for you. Haven't I kept my word? Taken care of you? Helped you with Claire? Provided you with... new abilities? I care about you."

His face was hard. "I'm not stupid. I know what you care about."

Angela nodded, "But that doesn't mean that I can't care about you too. You know I'm not lying. We all have a monster inside us. I've dealt with more than my share over the years. I won't turn away from you, not ever." She walked up close and lay her hands on his chest. "I promise, I won't run away."

Sylar cocked his head, studying her. She was suddenly glad that he had yet to gain any other overt mental abilities. The passive qualities of eidetic memory combined with his intuitive aptitude was bad enough. The look he was giving her at the moment made her think he'd like to rip her thoughts from her head.

He nodded slowly, "That's good." He lay his hands over hers, "Because.. prey runs."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Noah Bennet

PrimaTech Facility, Hartsdale, New York

Noah paced the room like a caged tiger. Word from the field was that Sylar had taken out another target, absorbing yet another ability. That made three in just two months. The company was oh-so-pleased with his performance. They should be terrified.

It made his blood run cold to think of the amount of power that monster had taken already. It should frighten the hell out of his superiors. But all they saw was the potential ways they could use that power. Why couldn't they see that Sylar would allow them to use him only so long as he received benefit? But even that, was no guarantee that he wouldn't grow bored of being their pet despite regular feedings. When that happened, he would slaughter them all. The sheer arrogance of the company left him feeling that they deserved what they got but unfortunately, Claire was right in the middle of this mess.

Claire. His face became a mask of sadness. She wouldn't even talk to him. He'd tried to apologize numerous times but she wasn't hearing it. He had been pretty cruel but he thought it was the only way to reach her. But Sylar was manipulating the situation at every turn, playing the victim, and offering penance for his crimes. It was sickening. If it was the last thing he ever did on this earth he would make sure that monster suffered for every time he touched Claire.

The office door opened. "You needed to see me, Noah?"

"Angela, yes."

She closed the door behind her. "Why don't you walk with me? I have a few things I need to address down on Level 2."

"Sure." Noah fell in step beside her. Their footsteps echoed hollowly against the concrete walls. There was no mistaking the underground levels for anything other than what they were, a prison, a prison for some of the most dangerous people to walk the planet.

They reached the elevator just as the doors opened. Angela stepped ahead and pushed the button, "So what was so urgent that you needed to be excused from an assignment?"

Noah waited until the doors had closed. "I read the progress reports on Sylar."

Angela sighed. "Noah, I already warned you about this. Sylar is my responsibility, not yours."

"Three abilities in two months. You and I both know what that means." He had to make her listen. The more abilities Sylar took the more dangerous he became and his daughter was living with him. He couldn't even think about it without becoming slightly queasy.

"Yes, of course I do," she replied wearily. How could she not?

"Well, what are you doing about it?" he snapped.

Angela eyes narrowed, "I know you don't mean to sound like you're demanding answers on how I choose to run this company." The doors opened and Angela strode out without a backwards glance.

Noah trailed behind. He'd pushed too hard. He needed Angela on his side to keep an eye on Claire for him. "No, of course not. I'm just worried about Claire, that's all. I apologize."

"I know you are but I can assure you that I am watching out for her." She turned and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder.

Noah inwardly scoffed. Only so long as it doesn't interfere with your plans, he thought. "Would you mind telling me what you're going to do about Sylar and his latest *fall off the wagon*?"

"All right, all right," Angela threw up her hands. "If you must know, I've taken him off rotation until the doctor signs off on his neuro-transmitter levels. He won't return to active duty until he's cleared."

"Is that all?" he couldn't help the bite in his tone. It was a joke. "Slap the monster on the wrist and hope he doesn't do it again?"

"You are trying my patience," Angela turned and walked away.

"Claire is your grand-daughter!" Noah called after her. "I would think you'd want to do all you can to get her away from him."

She shook her head, "How many times do we need to go through this? She chose him of her own free will. Unlike you, I'm trying to work with that."

"That's not the whole story and you know it," he scoffed. "You should be on my side!"

"We all make compromises for the greater good. I don't regret my contribution to the situation and I know that despite everything, Claire doesn't either."

Bennet chose to ignore the implication. He couldn't go there. "You're giving him everything he wants. He's got an all access pass to make himself a God and you're just letting him do it. This will only turn out badly for all of us. Please... please don't put the company ahead of what you know is right."

She sighed, "Listen to me. We know a lot more about Sylar's pathology than we did before. We're doing all the right things. He'll remain stable and controllable which will keep everyone safe. Claire will be fine."

"Please don't tell me that he has you fooled into believing his shit about not being able to control himself. It's an excuse. He doesn't want to control it. He likes being a monster." He'd had a ringside seat to many an atrocity courtesy of Sylar. He knew what he was talking about but then again so did Angela.

"Which is why he has me… and Claire. We'll remind him that he's human," she replied with certainty.

"If he is human," Noah muttered under his breath.

Angela stopped to look Noah in the eyes, "Sylar is off rotation and his meds have been adjusted accordingly. There's nothing to worry about. Go back to work. Leave Sylar to me... if you ever want Claire to forgive you."

"Has she said anything? About me?" Bennet swallowed the hard lump in his throat.

"I'm afraid not." Her expression softened slightly, "You weren't really expecting anything were you?"

As if he didn't have reason enough to hate Sylar before.. taking his daughter was the final straw. It had been an ugly scene with even uglier things said. Things that he couldn't regret saying, if only, because they were true. "You know I didn't mean it!"

"Yes, you did and that's the problem." Angela pointed a finger at him. "You accuse me of using Claire for my own ends but I would never disown her for the choice she made. She's done more good than any of us. You should think about that, Noah."

"You know why I did what I did. A year ago she would have been trying to help me. It's intolerable!" he paced around in a circle. "He's playing yet another game and we all know how it will turn out."

"Of course he is, just not in the way you seem to think. Did you ever consider that he'll be a good husband to her for no other reason than to spite you?" she looked him up and down. "You're both so obsessive," Angela shook her head. "Men."

The guard snapped to attention as they approached access to Level 2. "Is there anything else you need?"

"A way to kill Sylar for good?" Noah quipped.

Angela rolled her eyes, "Goodbye, Noah. Make sure you see Iverson about your new assignment. I really don't want to have this conversation with you again. Do we understand one another?"

He nodded. Oh, I understand perfectly, he thought.

Sylar

PrimaTech, Facility, Hartsdale, New York

Sylar was seething. Who did they think they were, dictating orders to him? Simons was lucky he didn't fry him where he stood. Two months. Two fucking months before they would let him back on the streets to hunt.. to recon.. people with abilities. Sylar smirked. He made them nervous when he used terms like hunting. They should be nervous.

He was well aware of the game that Angela was playing. It was fine with him so long as he got what he needed, but this enforced abstinence… he wasn't having it. He didn't need anyone's permission to do what came naturally to him. When he needed an ability he would take it, end of story. It was that simple. He didn't expect them to understand and he didn't care if they approved as long as they stayed out of his way.

He paced around the room, his hands clenching and unclenching. He was becoming more agitated by the second. Absorbing powers consecutively did tend to set him on edge but he wasn't about to admit it to Angela or anyone else for that matter. Sylar looked at his hands, they were trembling slightly.

He turned his mind's eye inwards following synaptic pathways, tracing the course of chemical interactions within his brain. There was an awful lot of accelerated chemical activity. But he wasn't some slobbering beast. He wasn't out of control. After all, he could hear the prisoners held down in the levels even now and he wasn't wreaking havoc and opening heads. No, he was being a perfect gentleman. No murder.

Sylar reached out, seeking those sweet abilities with his senses. An ultra high frequency sound resonated through his cells and he cringed. The high pitched shriek was usually a prelude to feeding. The idiot he had taken the ability from had only used it for explosive parlor tricks, never even trying to develop the potential.

He had quickly discovered further uses.

A precise beam of high frequency sound could be used as a cutting tool that was as accurate as a laser. Granted, it was a bit messy but despite a couple of forays into empathic absorption of abilities he'd found it to be the quickest, most effective way of getting to a power. Open them up and let his intuitive aptitude do the rest. Plus there was no learning curve to speak of as he'd found with empathic absorption. The understanding was immediate and within a few days the new ability was as natural to him as breathing.

It was a trickier procedure to extract the ability empathically. It took him longer to figure how to incorporate an ability when using empathy, perhaps because he didn't have much of it. Plus conjoining with other people like that made him uncomfortable...vulnerable. He didn't like feeling vulnerable. Vulnerable meant weak and weak meant you became a victim.

He stopped pacing and plopped down in the nearest chair, where the fuck was Simons with his test results? He wanted to get the hell out of this place with it's steel doors and concrete walls. He'd been imprisoned here once too often for comfort. He could still feel the pain of the needles and rods that they had inserted into him. Their knives as they cut pieces from him, ignoring his pleas. Stripped naked like an animal, not caring about his dignity because to them, he wasn't even human. His anger started to boil. He would never become victim to these people again.

Sylar took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. He rapidly tapped his fingers on the table top. He'd never told anyone that another process for taking abilities was even possible for him. Mostly because that would open up a whole big can of ugly-ass worms about how committed he was to his rehabilitation. If anyone found out there was another way for him to absorb abilities but he chose murder because it was frankly, easier… well, that might seem like he was a bad person.

Luckily, the only two other people that knew about it were now dead. He thought Peter had some suspicions, having traveled to several possible futures/pasts where events often played out much differently. Peter had enough speculative information on him to make him nervous. But so far, nothing had come of it. Probably because Peter had gotten a taste of the hunger up close and personal. He now understood just what it could drive a person to do.

He didn't want to kill. He really didn't. But the urge to acquire was overwhelmingly strong and he simply didn't have enough empathic ability to make it a viable option. But if he was honest with himself, Angela and the others were probably right. The more he killed the less guilt he felt, the less connected he became. Something inside him changed each time he took an ability and it wasn't just about DNA. It was about what it meant to be human. It was something that he was wondering more and more if he still was. Besides, he didn't owe these people anything but a slow death. He would honor the agreement he had with Angela but nothing more.

He scowled. If that fucking doctor didn't show in the next five minutes someone was going to get a piece of his mind, Sylar grumbled to himself. "Shit," he stated to no one in particular. Claire would be waiting for him. He just wanted to get home and relax before he crawled out of his skin. He took a deep breath and reached out with his senses again. There were so many abilities swirling around the place, it gave him a hard-on. All lined up in the levels below like a buffet. It made his head swim with the need to know. It would be so simple to go down there. So simple to take what he wanted. Enough!

He pulled back his senses from the wretches caged below. No murder. He had just taken an ability two days ago. He didn't need any more powers to digest right now. Sylar nodded absently to himself. He really should go home and be with Claire. She could calm him... and distract him from dangerous thoughts. He was completely in control of himself. No murder.

Claire Gray

New York Apartment

Claire threw the take-out for two in the microwave. She hadn't heard from Sylar but knew that he was back from his latest assignment. She also knew that he had killed again. Angela hadn't mentioned what abilities he had absorbed but they must have been substantial if she was worried enough to call.

You never knew with Sylar. He would, at times, take one power over another that seemed to make no sense... at least not to anyone but him. He said they were building blocks, that he was taking what he needed to forward his "evolution". He couldn't.. or wouldn't.. elaborate further.

He'd been "acquiring" too much of late, changing his DNA too rapidly. That was obvious. His attitude was confrontational and aggressive, more so than usual. It was still a strange thing to witness, though she'd been through it more than once. It was like a switch being thrown, like anything human in him was completely submerged and all that was left was the predator.. cold, vicious, deadly.

Of course, many would say that there was nothing human in him to begin with, so the point was moot. A year ago, she would have agreed without hesitation but now she had her doubts. He was able to feel and if he could feel, he could be influenced. So far, she had been the only one to reach him on that level, to make him listen when he crossed that line.

She had no illusions about Sylar and his "feelings" toward her. He needed her. That was all he was emotionally capable of, but as long as he felt that need, he would take good care of her. Claire briefly thought of Elle and shivered. She had to remember that Elle had not been a positive, calming, influence on him. On the contrary, she liked to provoke and challenge. Sylar was someone that you really didn't want to push to the limit. His self control over his violent impulses was often tenuous at best.

In many ways, the two of them had been very much alike. It was a nightmare Bonnie and Clyde scenario. In the end, Elle's lack of understanding of what she was dealing with in Sylar had probably contributed to her death. At least, that's what Claire was currently telling herself. She had her own feelings for Sylar, confused as they were, and she didn't want to think that she was next on the chopping block.

Claire thought she well understood where the line was drawn, when she could or should push and how much. Most of the time she felt secure in the fact that he wouldn't hurt her but when he was high on his new abilities he had little self control. Despite the fact that she was indestructible, it didn't mean she couldn't be hurt, in many ways. Sylar had proven that to her.

While she was finally able to forgive him for his actions, she would never forget them, never forget what he was. For her own sanity and safety she couldn't. Claire sighed. All this introspection didn't help. It didn't resolve her feelings for someone who was literally a monster. She understood the reasons for her decisions but she might never understand the emotion that lurked behind them.

Angela had asked that she smooth things over with him. She had pulled him from active duty until he stabilized. Apparently, he was not pleased. He would not want to comply. If he couldn't be talked down, Angela would escalate control over the situation and Sylar, being Sylar, wouldn't back down. It could get ugly. It had been more than year since Sylar had been on one of his rampages, all-concerned would rather it stayed that way.

Claire chuckled, if anyone had told her a year ago that she would be in a relationship with Sylar she would have laughed in their face. And now… now she had better get her strategy in order for dealing with a husband that wasn't going to be reasonable about his habit of murder.

The microwave dinged. It promised to be an interesting evening.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sylar

New York Streets

Sylar walked slowly towards the apartment that the company had provided Claire and himself. He didn't really care about a permanent residence but he knew that Claire did, even if they weren't there most of the time. She was trying to make a home for them. He still found that odd, probably always would. When she had agreed to his proposal, he hadn't thought that she would really try to be his wife. The most he thought he could hope for, was that she wouldn't try to cut his head off while he slept. But from the very beginning, she had stuck to her word. In a way, he admired that. He also thought it stupid in the extreme.

But that was the good guys for you, the self-appointed protectors of all that was just and good. The insipid little band of Dudley Do-Rights, that seemed to delight in trying to thwart him at every turn. They were always so noble and so… wretched. Always sticking their noses in where they didn't belong. How many times had his plans been derailed because one of the "good guys" decided to do something insufferably selfless? How could you predict what someone like that would do?

Still, he had come up against them all and was still standing.

There was the mind-bender, Matt. He was probably the most threat and arguably the most powerful. Something had held him back from going after Matt's ability. He didn't understand why but he trusted in his instincts and for whatever reason he wasn't ready for that gift. Then there was Hiro, the time traveler, talk about a thorn in his side. How do stop someone that jumps back and forth in time? He was still trying to figure that one out but lately the pint size menace had stopped interfering. What little he learned from Claire was that Hiro had been gravely ill. Something about his interference had caught up to him. He didn't think he would need to worry about the traveler any time soon. Then of course there was a ration of lesser abilities that when combined against him had taken a toll. But these days any one of them, on their own, would be in trouble, even the Haitian couldn't hold him for long now.

Peter Petrelli was probably the worst. Peter who mimicked abilities but never really advanced those gifts. The eternal boy-scout was insufferable. He scowled. It was criminal to have such ability and not carry it to its natural conclusion, not that he was entirely sure what that conclusion would be. No, the "good guys" had a moral code. "Pointless," Sylar mumbled under his breath. Why didn't anyone see that? This wasn't about any notions of good or evil it was simply nature doing what nature does best. Evolution was natural. Yet Peter tried desperately to hold onto a humanity that was rapidly becoming obsolete. It disgusted him to no end.

Then there was Mohinder. In hindsight, that had been a huge error in judgment. In his opinion, he was the only one with a legitimate beef and that was only because their road trip had got a lot more personal than it should have. The geneticist didn't take it very well when he found out who he had really been sleeping with. He carried such a grudge over his father. It was too bad in Sylar's opinion. They had made a good team.

But they had all underestimated the power of one small cheerleader. Claire's ability was different. She was different. He discovered it when he took her ability. She called herself indestructible but it was much more than that, her cells were imprinted into the fabric of existence. It sounded silly but he wasn't a scientist. He understood what it was and even how to replicate it but he didn't have the education to explain it. She couldn't die. You could eradicate all the molecules in her body but she would come back again and again. He never told her all of it. She didn't seem to want to know but he thought her to be truly immortal… and if she was immortal then so was he. All Noah's machinations were for nothing. He could never be destroyed… but he could be hurt.

If his time at Primatech had taught him anything, it was that there were things worse than death. They had been very inventive. He'd rather his enemies thought him killable than not. Primatech. A cold sensation leached up his spine. Primatech liked to present themselves as if they were on the side of the angels but he knew better. Efficient and brutal, they didn't act with moral considerations. They acted in their own best interests just like he did, that he could understand. It made them predictable. At least, they had been until Angela came looking for him with a deal.

When Angela had come to him with her ridiculous idea, he had merely strung her along to see what he could get out of it. Then, when it seemed the old broad was actually serious about making it work, he had thrown Claire into the mix as a way out. She had only become part of the deal as a fuck you to Bennet. He never thought in his wildest dreams that she would agree. He thought only to stir up the hornet's nest on the way out the door. He assumed Angela would just call it a day and leave him the fuck alone. Now here he was, married to the cheerleader and working for the very people that had turned him into a monster. What the hell had happened to his life? How did he end up here? And why did he seem to care?

In the end, he chose Angela's deal because it gave him access to abilities. Simple. Claire was little more than a hostage to make sure Angela behaved. Not that he trusted Angela not to betray her granddaughter but oddly enough he trusted Bennet not to allow her to make Claire into a sacrificial lamb. At least, that's what was supposed to happen. Somewhere along the line, he had lost control of the situation. And it was all Claire Bennet's fault. Brought to his knees by a pint sized cheerleader, how embarrassing. While he could pretend it was all about hurting Noah Bennet through his daughter and there was a definite appeal there, somehow she had come to mean something to him. He even knew when and how it had happened. Now he had no intention of giving her up. Claire had no one to blame but herself.

Sylar started mentally kicking a small rock ahead of him as he walked. He had honed his telekinesis into a fine weapon. The amount of energy he could bring to bear was enough to flip an armored car and then some. It might not actually be his strongest gift but it was the most useful in its flexibility. He could apply its use to almost anything. He made the rock dance in a figure eight. Fine motor control, he had learned, was as important as brute strength.

Those that stood in his way had no idea what he was really capable of. He was entirely unique even amongst his own kind, if he could even call them that, the others with ability. They had no idea yet just how unique. He had been careful to keep his advancements to himself. The scientists at the company still didn't even know what part of his DNA was responsible for his abilities. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Oh, they knew that he was strong. That his abilities had increased in strength over time. But what they didn't know was that he was learning how to integrate those abilities into one another.

The rolling rock started to glow red with heat. He was now combining his own abilities into more powerful ones. The first time he had created ice lightning he had been so excited he'd almost told Claire. He'd wanted to share his success with her but in the end he didn't trust her not to run straight to Angela. He couldn't afford their opposition right now. It wouldn't be long before he could create powers on demand. Matter to energy and energy to matter, he would be omnipotent. He could figure it out and he would.

He tried to practice as much as possible but between being watched at work and at home, it was slower going than he would like. But he had to make concessions in order for the company to provide him with the raw material he needed to pursue his biological imperative. One day soon, he knew he would come across a way to locate people like Molly Walker did but until then he would use his own talents and the resources of the company to bring down as many "dangerous" people with ability as he could. Most wouldn't make it back to the holding facility. Wasn't life grand?

Sylar took a deep breath. The smell of the city was rank. He was glad that his super senses were limited to hearing and eyesight. He didn't think he'd want to deal with super stink even if it was useful. He smiled, Claire would find that amusing. Claire. He had always liked her.. even when he was trying to kill her. She had a determination and spunk, quite different from Mohinder's quiet rage. She reminded him a bit of Elle… only with boundaries and conscience and not so much insanity. That girl really could have driven him to blow up New York.

He paused to wait for the crosswalk light. It was still a sore spot for him. He felt sort of bad about having to kill Elle but the situation became untenable. The company was determined to hunt them down at all costs and he couldn't play her games, their games, and take care of his own needs. In the end, his own needs would always come first. Evolution couldn't be stopped.

Things were different with Claire. He pursued his evolution without (much) hindrance and still had an opportunity for something more. He had thought he was above any of those considerations now but he quickly found that wasn't the case. He hadn't evolved past human emotion, human need. It irked him at times, like it was an inherent weakness that couldn't be excised, but when he calmed down, he realized it was probably not the case at all. As his mind and body changed so would his emotional needs. They already had. So until he was to that point, he would just have to make concessions for the part of him that still had human desires.

He jammed his hands down deeper into his jacket, he briefly wondered if he would miss those feelings once the time came but that was just insecurity on his part. He shouldn't worry about it. Sylar took another deep breath and launched the small stone into the air until it faded from sight.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Claire and Sylar

Their New York Apartment

Claire turned to the sound of the door being unlocked. Well here we go, she thought, who will I be dealing with tonight? The man or the monster?

Sylar's eyes were dark and bright, too dark, too bright. She could tell by his body language he was tense. "Hey," she offered.

"Hey," he responded with little emotion.

"I called Eddies and ordered in. I figured you'd want to just kick back at home. I know I'm looking forward to it."

He nodded once and peeled off his jacket tossing it on the nearest chair. She walked up to him and slowly wound her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. Claire knew it was silly but sometimes she could swear she could feel the energies inside him clawing to get out. It was unsettling. "I missed you."

"I doubt that."

The response was devoid of emotion, she wasn't sure whether to take that as a good sign or bad. She sighed softly, "You can tell when I'm lying."

"Oh... yeah."

She looked up to see he had a small smirk on his face. He was messing with her. "Smartass." She stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss. His eyes were nearly black, not good. "I got you chicken, I hope that's ok."

"I'm not very hungry." He pulled her tight into his arms... "At least not for food," he amended.

When most men said that to a beautiful girl in their arms they only meant one thing, with Sylar the possibilities were a bit more complicated. "Well maybe, I can be dessert," she smiled coyly.

"I am fond of sweets." He caressed her hair. Sylar brought his lips to hers crushing her small frame in his hyper-strong embrace. He nuzzled along the line of her neck trailing nips and kisses.

Claire sighed into his mouth, giving herself over to the sensations. Sylar had never been particularly gentle but he did know what he was doing, she'd give him that. Making love with him was like being caught in a storm. You felt somewhat overwhelmed when you were caught up in it and when it was over there was a sense of.. what the hell was that? And can I do it again? She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not. Now with his hand drawing circles along her back, she decided that it was definitely a compliment.

He pulled away suddenly, turning his back to her. "Chicken, huh?" He sat at the table looking down at the covered plate. Sylar gave new meaning to the term passive aggressive.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He picked up a fork and uncovered the plate. "No, you didn't do anything," he replied, his eyes still downcast. Sylar sat the fork back down and raised his black eyes to meet hers. "I don't think you want to be with me right now," he murmured. "Might be a little.. rough. Give me some time."

"Ok." It wasn't like she needed to ask. He was wound up so tight it was a wonder the walls weren't cracking all around them. It was another odd contradiction of his, his complete control and other times, utter lack of it. She sat down across the table from him. "Smells good."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Sylar offered, "So how did your assignment go? Save any good little boys and girls?"

"A couple," she smiled lightly. "I ran into Hiro and Ando. It was good to see them again."

He nodded. "Still out to save the world?"

"Of course. Can you pass the salt?" she reached out.

"You tell them about us?" he passed over the shaker.

"They already knew we got married. I imagine it was probably quite the gossip on the company grapevine. Probably still is."

Sylar rolled his eyes. "Hiro's so saccharine he probably wished us well."

Claire chuckled lightly, "Well, he was a bit concerned but yeah, in the end he did wish us happiness."

Sylar shook his head, "Figures. I don't know which is worse. Hiro or Peter."

"You mean which is worse on the Sylar scale of goody-two-shoes? Peter definitely."

Sylar locked eyes with her. "Why Peter?"

Something in his tone made her pause in mid-bite. The answer was obvious. Hiro had never been a real threat to him, Peter on the other hand proved to be a thorn in his side more than once. But now was probably not a good time to mention that, not when he was in such a volatile state of mind. "I don't know."

"You're lying." His fork clanked loudly when he dropped it against the plate. His voice had become so cold she thought she could see his breath. Maybe she really could.

"I was just hoping to avoid unpleasantness. I'm tired and so are you. Can we just drop it?"

His gaze never left her face then he stood and walked slowly to the window. "I can hear it," he whispered.

"What?" Claire rose and came to stand just behind him. "What?"

"The ticking. I hear it." He leaned his forehead against the window. "I can sense someone out there, right now. They're using their ability."

Claire wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "You don't have to listen to it." A small smile played on his lips, his gaze far away, and he didn't answer. "Sylar, listen to me."

"I hear you. Doesn't change what I want," his voice had dropped an octave.

Claire let her hand trail down below his belt. "Is that all you want?"

There was a sharp intake of breath. "You don't want to do that."

"I know my own mind. I came into this marriage with my eyes wide open. I know what you're capable of, better than most. If I didn't want this, I wouldn't offer. You won't hurt me, you can't anyway. And no, that's not a challenge, so please don't take it as one. Let me give you some peace."

He turned to her. "I don't understand you at all." He brushed his hand along her cheek. "But I'm grateful."

Sylar scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sylar

Hunting

Sylar awoke to the sound of Claire's soft breathing. He turned to her and frowned. How the hell had he ended up here? Married to his worst enemy's daughter and working for the company that wanted either to kill him or control him, usually in that order. Life was certainly strange.

There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. He could feel the urge coursing through him. Looking at Claire once more, he slid himself lightly off the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans. There were no marks on his skin where Claire had raked her nails down his back and arms, anymore than there were bruises and bite marks to mar her perfect porcelain flesh. Their abilities had other less obvious uses.

Daddy's little "ClaireBear" was no innocent, not any more. Sylar smirked.. thanks to him. Claire wasn't technically a virgin when they wed, having once been with a high-school flyboy. But that wasn't really sex, that was two kids playing at what the grown-ups do. He had been more than willing to teach his new wife all about it. He'd been taking it slowly, adding subtle kinks here and there. Learning what she liked and then figuring out how to pervert it. It wasn't meant to hurt her, on the contrary, he was just teaching her all about pleasure in its many forms. No, the only one he meant to hurt by corrupting Claire was her bastard-father. Sylar knew that his marriage to Claire was eating Bennet up inside. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy in his opinion.

If it was the last thing he ever did he would make sure Bennet paid dearly for everything he had been put through in the last three years. Not only the torture on level five but what happened after he manifested. If not for Bennet, he might have been able to control his ability before it evolved into an all consuming hunger. He'd long since come to terms with that hunger but he wouldn't soon forgive those that could have helped him while there was still time, instead choosing to stand-by while he unraveled in the face of a power that sought to overwhelm him.

The apartment was pitch-black but that hardly mattered as he had taken the very handy ability to enhance his vision. He could now easily see in the dark as well as sharper and further than ever before. While abilities certainly made him powerful, he also understood their limitations. His abilities weren't magical. If he enhanced his vision for darkness then more than a soft light would blind him. He could see a fly from a block away but then his near vision would be overly magnified so he needed to be still. It was about degrees.

Sylar padded softly over to the window and pressed his face close. He opened his senses wide and let the sensations wash over him. His eyes dilated fully open, black and shining. It was still there, the trace of the ability that he had sensed earlier. Not too far, he could find the person while it was still night and be back before Claire woke.

He drew in a ragged breath. It had now been three days since he had taken the ability to create a shield of energy around himself. He had already honed it to a degree that it would stop a bullet. Not only did it have the obvious practical applications but something innate told him that it was an ability that he could use in enhancing other of his abilities. Sylar put his palm flat to the window and leaned against it. Three days on his way to two months. Two months that they wanted him to wait before taking another power.

This was none of the company's fucking business. He scowled. He had made it clear when the company made their offer that he would do what he had to do when it came to his needs. They promised to look the other way when necessary but it hadn't been more than a month before they were talking about helping him with his little "problem". Nothing that couldn't be treated, they assured him. Addiction wasn't anyone's fault and with their help he could get "better". He bristled, better. Oh, he would get better all right. In fact, he was getting better, faster than they imagined. No one would stand in the way of him doing what he had to do. No one.

Sylar grabbed his jacket on the way out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The night air was pleasantly cool to his overheated skin. There was a rush of blood in his ears that pounded in time with his heart. It was the thrill of the hunt. His body sang with ultra sonic vibration. It felt good. Right. This was what he was meant to be.

The residue trail of power flowed in and around the buildings and cars like water, unerringly leading him to his quarry, all he had to do was follow. Follow and gather yet another new ability. Unless Sylar observed his prey beforehand, he never knew what that ability would be, only that certain ones called to him stronger than others. His body knew what he needed even if he didn't understand on a conscious level. Intuitive aptitude was a strange gift.

Mohinder was a brilliant geneticist with a doctorate or two and an IQ off the charts, yet Sylar knew things that Mohinder could never comprehend even if he could explain it to him.. and he couldn't. That was the problem with his ability. The knowledge he had wasn't easily transferrable. He could, quite literally, mentally reach into his own cells on a subatomic level and understand, organize, manipulate. Hell, he could reach into almost anything with the same results. But he had no way of explaining to anyone else what he was doing or how.

It wasn't just a matter of elucidating that when you push button number one, door number two opens. It was more like when you push button number one you create a vibration in the dimensional fabric of reality that causes repercussions down to the molecular level and beyond. Oh, you opened door number two all right, but unless you could see and comprehend the action on a whole, you simply didn't have the proper context. All the average person would see is the cause and the effect. But he could see far reaching implications on a whole other level. He might not understand all those implications.. yet.. but he was getting there.

Sylar was also well aware that no one would ever understand him, accept him. To the gifted and ungifted alike, he would always be a monster, a freak. So be it. He had always been the oddball, it was nothing new. The difference now was this time he had the control, the power. He was the special one and he couldn't be ignored. Sylar suddenly stopped up short and looked around.

The air around him had thickened with the aroma of the ability was hunting. He tilted his head up like an animal scenting, as if he could really smell his prey in the usual sense. He was close now. He drew back into the shadow of a doorway and opened his ability wide. Currents and eddies swirled around him in invisible pools, this was the very stuff of existence. This belonged to him.

His eyes shone reflective black as they trailed up to the third floor window of a non-descript apartment building. She was there. He knew that as surely as he knew his name. And she had something that belonged to him. Sylar smiled.

Angela and Noah and Claire and Sylar

Crossroads

That point in time where all things converge. Where bargains are made and decisions are reached.

The phone rang once, twice. Angela fumbled for a moment to reach the lamp on the side table next to her oversized bed. Before the third ring sounded Angela had the phone in her hand. "Yes?" there was a pause, "Understood."

She sat up and grabbed the robe at the end of the bed. "Do you have him in sight now?" she sighed and her expression grew determined. "Mobilize a team and have them in position but do not, I repeat, do not engage, I'll be there as soon as I can." She slammed the receiver down, "Damn it, Sylar. You're just spoiling for a fight."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Bennet might not have the same position in the new hierarchy of the company but that didn't mean he was without connections. He received the call right after Angela. Sylar was hunting. Well, there wasn't a surprise. You couldn't tame an animal like Sylar. He was nothing less than a vampire. Now all he had to do was find the right stake to drive through his heart.

Bennet pulled his Glock from the drawer and loaded the cartridge, pulling back the slide. The ammo was made especially for him, hollow point, hot load for maximum damage. It wouldn't kill Sylar but it would hurt like a son of a bitch. Once Sylar was down if he took his head off, it might just be for good. It was worth a try.

He paused, Claire. If he was able to kill Sylar, he might be ending any chance he had to reconcile with his daughter. His expression hardened, at least she would be free of that monster. He could live with her hating him for the rest of his days if Sylar was gone for good. Of course, Angela would never approve his plan but hopefully the recon team would be too busy to notice his involvement until it was too late. He was quite adept at doing what was necessary.. and killing Sylar was very necessary.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Claire sighed lightly in her sleep and reached out for her husband. His side of the bed was cold.. and empty. "Sylar," she mumbled. When there was no response her dream-filled mind snapped to sudden consciousness. "Sylar?" rubbing sleep from her eyes she looked around the room. It was probably nothing she told herself. He had been restless, even after making love, so he was probably just reading or watching TV. Or hunting, a small voice in her head offered. She practically leapt from the bed and threw on her t-shirt.

The living room was dark and quiet. He wasn't there. She looked at the clock, it was two in the morning. There was only one reason he would have left in the middle of the night. She walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. She needed to call Angela and let her know what was happening. Someone would die tonight if Sylar was hunting. She set the phone back down.

If she informed Angela of the situation, the company would send a team after Sylar. In his present state of mind, it was unlikely he'd be very cooperative. In fact, it was more likely he'd kill anyone that got in his way. More people would die. She sighed, she didn't have much choice. She didn't know where to look for Sylar, if she did she would go herself and keep the company out of it. Something seemed to spark an idea, maybe Angela would let her try and talk him down before there was a confrontation. It was worth a try. She dialed quickly, hoping it wasn't already too late.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sylar made his way up the stairs. The shrieking sound in his head increased with each step. He flexed his fingers. Soon he wouldn't be the only one to hear it. When he reached the third floor, he swept the apartments with his enhanced hearing. There was only one apartment where the occupant was still awake and it wasn't his quarry. He was always cautious. The police still hadn't connected Sylar to Gabriel Gray and he wanted to keep it that way. He preferred the shadows.

He strode down the hall brushing his fingertips silently along the walls and doors he passed until he crossed one in particular. He stopped. Cocking his head, he lay his palm flat to the door. This was the one. He telekinetically slid the lock open and stepped inside.

Sylar triggered his night vision and scanned the room. Nothing out of the ordinary. A shiver ran through him as his senses locked in on a heartbeat. She was so close. His blood burned in his veins. He needed to know, to understand, to absorb. And with that comprehension would come blessed peace… and eventually, ultimate power. He headed for the bedroom with a grin on his face.

There was a cloud of energy around the bed where she slept, her ability now singing to his senses. It surrounded him and penetrated him. It belonged to him. His black eyes seemed to shine from within as he inhaled deeply, drinking in the power. He studied her face. She was young and attractive, not that he cared. It wasn't personal. It was necessity. This wasn't the path he would have chosen for himself but there just wasn't any other way for him. Not anymore.

"Forgive me," he murmured under his breath and pointed his finger. The high pitched whine in his head spilled out into the quiet room. A small shuffling sound stopped him up short and he spun around at ready, expecting an attack. What he didn't expect was a little girl no more than three or four years old with long, curly, red hair and a blanket. He blinked down at her. She was rubbing her eyes and looking up at him curiously. Shit.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Set up the parameter here and here," Angela pointed. "When I give the signal you go in and take him down fast. Use whatever means necessary but get him out of there. He goes straight back to Level 5."

Angela looked to the Haitian. "How long can you give us?"

"Maybe three minutes," he answered quietly.

"That will have to be long enough." She turned back to the agent in charge. "You heard him. You'll have three minutes or less to sedate him before he'll be able to use abilities against you. After that, it'll just depend on his mood whether you live or die so make it count the first time."

The man nodded grimly. "If the police show?"

"Standard procedures. But keep in mind who we're dealing with. If the police get in his way, Sylar won't be as nice."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Bennet made his way around the south side of the building. The perimeter had been set up and a mobile unit was in place on the northwest side. It was an armored unit. Just as he thought, Angela was going to try and bring him in. He gritted his teeth. That was not going to happen if he had anything to say about it. He pulled his sidearm and crouched down. When Sylar was through tearing through the retrieval team, he'd be ready.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As soon as Claire hung up the phone, she bolted from the apartment at a dead run. They were already in place to take Sylar down. Angela wouldn't wait long before giving the order. She couldn't, a life depended on it. Would he even listen to her?

Claire shivered slightly, memories flooded her consciousness unbidden. Horrible memories of being chased and trapped… of violation and pain. She shook her head clear. She couldn't go there now. Lives depended on her bond with Sylar.

This had always been part of the deal. She had known from day one what life would be like, the horrors she would likely face. What she hadn't counted on was that it wasn't all horror and darkness. Because he wasn't all horror and darkness, no matter what anyone tried to say about it, and her father had said plenty. She would never forget his vicious words, calling her whore to a monster.

In what should have been a living nightmare, she had managed to find some measure of happiness with Sylar. Perhaps, he was only a monster, perhaps, he was something else entirely. Maybe that made her as sick and twisted as he was, but all she could think about was as much as she didn't want anyone to die at Sylar's hands that she also didn't want her husband hurt.

Hell was a confusing place she decided as she rounded the corner and saw the armored retrieval van.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Big blue eyes regarded him solemnly. "Daddy?" the child whispered.

His eyes widened and he looked to the woman in the bed. God damn it. Sylar brought his finger up to his lips and shhh'd lightly. Just fucking great. That's all he needed, a crying brat and her screaming mother. There would be begging and tears. There always were, sometimes he even enjoyed them. Truthfully, he enjoyed them more often than not. But he wasn't that much of a sadist that he wanted to kill the kid's mother right in front of her. He'd been there and done that already. His mother's body sprawled and bleeding in the dirt flashed behind his eyes.

Sylar cocked his head, was this empathy? He looked back to the bed and his body tightened in pleasure. No, it wasn't. While in one sense he regretted the necessity of killing the little one's mother, he had no intention of changing his plans. Her ability belonged to him and he would take it. Still, there was no need for excessive cruelty. The child was an innocent. So he did the first thing that came to mind.

Sylar scooped the little girl into his arms and held her against him. "Shh shhh, it's ok, go back to sleep," he murmured. "It's ok." He had no experience with children but he had always liked animals. They couldn't be that different he reasoned. He rocked slightly side to side.

The child's mother made a small noise and turned over in the bed. If she woke he would have to kill them both. Could he kill an innocent that was literally no more than a baby? He had slaughtered the Walker family to get at Molly without a second thought. But Molly had an ability. Molly was prey. It wasn't that he really wanted to kill a child but survival of the fittest in that instance demanded it.

This little one was of no value to him. If she did have an ability, it had yet to manifest or at least there was no trace and he had no interest in pursuing the issue. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Something inside him found the idea distasteful but another part of him, the part that was currently ticking away in his head, wanted that ability... he wanted to feed and he didn't care who had to die.

He continued to watch the woman as he slowly rocked the child back to sleep in his arms.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"We identified the apartment on the third floor. He's in there now."

Angela nodded. She had made it clear to Sylar that there would be no more deaths. Obviously, he had disregarded her threat of action. If he had gone this far there would be no reasoning him back to compliance. He would have to go into isolation until his chemical levels balanced out and was more willing to listen to reason again. He would not go willingly. "All right then, move in for extraction."

The agent hesitated, "We have a potential problem, M'am."

"Another one you mean?" she sighed. This night just got better and better. "What is it?"

"It appears he's holding a small child."

Angela's eyes widened. God in heaven, was he there to kill a child? And if they went charging in there... "Who else is in the apartment?"

"A single female," he reported.

"Her status?"

"Appears to be unharmed and unaware at this point. He hasn't made a move either way."

The longer the situation was allowed to continue the greater the chance for exposure. She had to consider the best interests of the company. If Sylar was intent on killing a mother and/or her child it would get messy fast.

They hadn't revealed their presence yet. Sylar would feel safe. In the end, it might be better all around if they let him do what he had come to do and handle clean-up after the fact. Once Sylar had satisfied his immediate need he would go back home. They could be waiting to bag him. He would be easier to handle right after a feeding anyway.

They couldn't allow the truth about the serial killer known as Sylar to become public. Two more deaths were a small price to pay, Angela decided.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Noah looked at his watch. Something was wrong. They should have gone in and taken Sylar down by now. He scanned the quiet building again. It was possible that they had arrived too late. Sylar may have already taken out his intended target.

He considered their next move. Angela would provide clean-up and cover for the murder. There wasn't a choice. If the government and general public ever got wind of what had been happening to humanity all hell would break loose. It wasn't so much a matter of "if" anymore but rather "when". Whatever was happening to people, there was enough of the population beginning to manifest that at some point there wouldn't be any way to keep it quiet anymore.

Even if Claire wasn't one of the special ones, Noah would have advocated for secrecy. Mankind wasn't ready for the idea of change, not this kind of change. And people like Sylar just made the whole situation more untenable. While he was the worst of the lot, there were more than enough of the garden variety scum-bags out there to incite the rest of the world against anyone having an ability, no matter how benign.

Sylar, on the other hand, was in a class all by himself. There was something inherently wrong about him. You could just sense it when he was close, like our nomadic ancestors might have sensed when a predator was near. Had he not seen the test results himself, he might have questioned Sylar's status as human. The difference was that disturbing. But unfortunately, most people were too far removed from the jungle, they didn't or wouldn't see it.. which was why Sylar was still alive. Which was why they were all here now, Noah flicked off the safety on his Glock.

If Sylar had made his kill they would wait for him to come out then confront him. Noah scanned the perimeter. That worked for him.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Angela!" An agent dressed in protective gear escorted Claire to where Angela had set up a base of operations. "Am I in time? Did you send the team in?" Please, let it not be too late, she thought desperately.

"I have everyone in place but there's been a complication," Angela admitted.

"What kind of complication?" Claire questioned. Complications where Sylar was concerned were usually bad. She needed to prepare herself that he may have already killed someone.

"We're using an echo location device that allows us to see into the building. So far no one has been hurt but that won't be the case for long. It looks like there is a small child involved."

Claire inhaled sharply, "He won't hurt the child, not if you don't push him. Let me go in. I can bring him out before it gets out of hand."

"It's already out of hand, Claire. You can't reason with him now." Angela nodded to someone over her shoulder.

"So what does it hurt to try?" she pleaded.

"We need to contain the situation before anyone else gets involved. None of us can risk exposure. You know that."

"Then just give me five minutes. Let me go in, I know I can do this. Please."

Angela shook her head, "Even if you can talk him out of there, he's not going to come willingly back to Level 5. And that's where he needs to be."

"That's my point, things will get… bad and no one wants that." Claire tried again, "You don't want him to go rogue. He listens to me."

Angela studied her granddaughter's tense expression, "Please tell me you haven't become attached to him." She sighed. Sylar could be charming in his own quirky way, Angela knew. He was also compelling and attractive. She couldn't say she was all that surprised that Claire would have some feelings for him but she needed to be reminded, "He can only bring you pain. I should know. Arthur may not have been like Sylar but he was no less a monster, maybe more so because he couldn't blame his ability for the things he did. Remember what he is Claire. Never forget."

"You think I could!?" Claire's voice grew loud, "You think I don't still have nightmares of.. what happened.. what he did to me? I close my eyes and I can still see the blood, my blood. And I can still feel his hands on me.. in me. I was there, I don't need you to tell me what he is."

Angela's expression softened, "You don't need to do this. We can handle him."

"No, you can't. Not if you want this to be bloodless. You have nothing to lose by sending me to him and everything to gain."

Angela sighed, there would be no reasoning with her grand-daughter. She should have seen it sooner. Her grand-daughter had developed an attachment. "Five minutes, that's all I can give you.. then we have to go in and take him down.. whatever it takes."

Claire nodded and ran into the apartment building.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Noah crossed through the narrow alley between the two apartment buildings just in time to see Claire run in through the main door. "Son of a bitch," he mumbled under his breath. What the hell was Angela thinking? Actually, he knew what she was thinking. She wanted to draw him out quietly. If she could use Claire to achieve the goal she would. Noah took a deep breath.

He had to remember, Sylar couldn't really hurt her.. at least not in a permanent way. He could still make this work. Slowly, Noah made his way around to the main door and slipped inside.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The ticking in his head was now so loud it drowned out any other considerations. Sylar walked across the hall into the child's bedroom and lay her back in her bed. She sighed softly but didn't wake. Sylar brushed his fingers over her soft hair. "Sleep, little one," he instructed quietly, "For your own sake." He pulled the blanket up over her and turned. It was time to finish this. He couldn't wait any longer.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oo

Claire slipped into the dark apartment quietly. The dense population of the city made it harder for Sylar to use his super-hearing ability and more likely than not he would have it dampened to prevent sensory overload. But he could easily hear her if he made a conscience effort. She took a deep breath noting that her hands were trembling slightly. This reminded her too much of the last time she had been in a darkened home with Sylar's hunger raging. She steadied her emotions. There was a child involved. If she didn't resolve this situation quickly, he was more than capable of killing everyone.

As she rounded the corner into the hall, a familiar dark shape stepped out of one of the rooms. She stopped up short.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

They stood eying one another for a heartbeat before Sylar snapped out of the momentary shock of seeing her there. His voice was low and gruff, reverberating oddly with the power that was coursing through him. "What the hell are you doing here?" his whole attitude radiated menace.

"I need you to come with me, right now," Claire pleaded.

He cocked his head, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. "You need to get the hell out of here.. right now."

"I'm not leaving without you," she stood her ground.

He smiled unpleasantly. "Well, if you really want to wait for me to finish up. But I don't think you'll find it very enjoyable."

"The company is waiting for you outside. They've been following you."

Sylar's eyes narrowed. He knew about the surveillance of course but he thought he had given them the slip. "You've been helping them?"

"You know better than that. I'm here trying to help you. Please just come with me before this goes too far. We can still salvage the situation but not if you kill that woman or her child. You'll be back to square one and you know what that means. Don't let it control you, Sylar, please. You can fight it."

His eyes were as black and as cold as deep space. "I don't want to fight it." His low melodic voice chilled her to the core.

"I don't believe you. You've fought for normalcy, for peace. You've fought your hunger. You have a home and a life other than just killing. You wouldn't do all that if it wasn't what you wanted. If it wasn't important to you." Claire took a step closer. "And you have me. Aren't I important to you?"

Sylar stared at her, his expression unreadable. Was she even reaching him at all? She took a small step towards him.

Claire knew he was determining her honesty, gauging her intent. She chose her words carefully, "I know we don't have a traditional relationship but I don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose you."

He couldn't quite keep the incredulity from his voice, "You mean that."

"Yes, I do. My family will want to have my head examined, of course." Claire gave him a weak smile then her expression grew serious. "But I can't, I won't, support murder. You have to let her go and come with me now. Let me help you. We'll get through this together."

He paused, uncertainty playing across his features. Then something dark seemed to reassert itself. "You knew what I was before you agreed to be with me. If you don't want to deal with it then leave. But don't get in my way, Claire. It would be a mistake."

"Better that you hurt me than an innocent." She made a decision. "If that's what it will take to get you to leave them alone. Then hurt me."

Sylar sneered at her, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. I don't want to hurt you, but.. if you don't leave right now.. I will."

She took another step toward him only to find herself propelled back at a high rate of speed. Claire hit the wall hard, the air knocked from her lungs in a rush. She slid slowly to the floor. She looked up to see Sylar standing over her. "No more warnings, Claire. Leave!"

Claire started to answer with a less than complimentary remark when movement behind Sylar caught her attention. The young woman Sylar had come for was standing in the hall, her mouth open in surprise. The words caught in her throat. The woman would die and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Sylar heard the heartbeat behind him, fast and hard. He turned to see his prey gaping at him like a fish. There was a sharp intake of breath on the cusp of a scream but Sylar responded quicker, "You make one sound and I will kill your little girl." He took a step toward her. Her eyes had become so wide he thought they might pop from her head. She looked to the little girl's room.

He followed her line of sight, "She's safe and sound in her bed as long as you do exactly what I tell you to do. Do you understand me?" For some odd reason, he didn't want to use force with Claire there. Why the hell did he care what she thought anyway?

The woman nodded mutely. "Turn around and go back into your bedroom. You touch the phone and she dies. Go in there and wait for me." When the woman didn't move he added, "Now!" She backed away from him and disappeared into the bedroom.

He turned back to Claire. "Go home, Claire. I'll be there soon."

She shook her head. "If you do this.. don't bother coming home."

Sylar smirked, "And here I thought you promised until death do us part." His expression grew hard, "You're just like the rest of them. If you want out of this marriage, I'm sure I can arrange it."

"Are you threatening me now? Do I mean nothing to you?" if he felt anything at all for her maybe he would listen. "What am I to you? Do you care for me? Because if you do this, then you never cared at all."

"Save the guilt trip." He turned towards the bedroom but hesitated in the doorway. "I don't have a choice, Claire. I couldn't stop this even if I wanted to… I don't want to."

"Then you choose to be a monster."

He shrugged, "I choose not to fight it."

There was a lump in her throat as Sylar left her there in the hall. Of course, Claire knew about the ones that he had killed while on assignment. Those deaths she had been able to justify as "part of the job." But there was no way to mollify her conscience about this. This was murder, up-close and personal. Rather it was driven by compulsion or real physical necessity didn't matter, what mattered was if she didn't do everything she could to stop it then she was as lost as Sylar was.

Claire staggered to her feet, her body healing with each motion. She could hear the woman begging Sylar not to hurt her child and crying. She took a deep breath and came to a decision. If he wasn't strong enough to fight for them then she would have to be strong enough for both of them. She would fight for his soul… and she would win.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I wrote this chapter with the idea in mind of the S3 episode "Eclipse Part 2" where the depth of HRG's obsession was really shown. Claire lay dying in the hospital and yet he chose to continue to hunt Sylar and Elle instead of going to her. It was more important to him that he kill Sylar than be there for his daughter. That attitude really stuck with me and served to remind me that Noah is not a nice man. He helped create a monster, now he can't accept the guilt of his complicity in all the things that Sylar has done. Danko nailed it when he called Sylar "white whale" Noah has become Ahab.

Noah poked his head around the corner and then pulled it back. There were two agents outside an apartment door about half way down the hall. He considered it probably wouldn't look too good if he killed his own men to get to Sylar. No matter that right now, he didn't really care what it took.

He needed a new plan. He'd have to go up one floor and come down the fire-escape. He should be able to get in through the window. Noah paused, Claire was most likely already in the apartment with Sylar, that's why the team hadn't broached yet. It was even possible that she might be able to talk him down. If anyone could reach him, it would be her. Noah gritted his teeth so hard he thought they might crack. God, how he hated it, his precious daughter married to that freak of nature.

He wanted revenge for himself, for his daughter, and for all the others that Sylar had corrupted or destroyed in one way or another. How many had there been after three years? Not just the specials that Sylar fed on but the family and friends that got in Sylar's way, the agents that tried to stop him, the police that never stood a chance against him… all the victims. Claire.

Noah remembered every last one of them. How could he not? He'd been there to witness the birth of a monster. But it wasn't his fault, not really. How could he have known what Sylar would become? He was a good agent, he was following orders. It wouldn't have mattered if they had bagged Sylar anyway. He was, what he was, they would only have been postponing the inevitable. He was nothing more than an animal, a monster without conscience or humanity.

"What if his suicide attempt changed things? I don't think he'll kill again." Elle had practically been begging him.

Noah moved back to the stairwell taking the steps two at a time.

"Sure he will, it's what he is, we just need to prime the situation." his words echoed around him but he didn't want to hear. "If they had wanted us to bring him in, they would have ordered us to bring him in. They want to see him kill."

He slid open the window and crawled out onto the fire escape.

"But he had a soul! We could have saved him," she decried.

He moved from one ladder to the next until he reached the targeted apartment.

"We're not missionaries, Elle. We're agents." He had dismissed her.

Noah reached around his waistband at the back.. "had a soul".. and pulled the razor-sharp blade free of it's sheath… "could have saved him"… He slid open the window and closed his mind to those traitorous memories.

"Let's see how well you regenerate without a head," he thought.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"M'am?"

"What is it now Agent?" Angela looked at her watch, three minutes until breach.

"Team Four is in position on the south side of the building and they spotted what they thought was a non-com."

"Well, get him out of there." Great, just what they needed, a civilian caught in the crossfire.

"It's Agent Bennet, M'am."

"Bennet? He's here? I didn't order.. son of a bitch." Angela eyes traveled up the side of the building. "Spoiling for a fight too, Noah?" she shook her head. "You two have more in common than you know."