Worst Case Scenario (Oneshot)
Title: Worst Case Scenario (Oneshot)
Author: yaoi_anti_drug
Beta: ladywilde80
Pairings: Gabriel/Mohinder, Sylar/Mohinder
Genre: Drama, Angst
Characters: Mohinder, Gabriel, Sylar, Chandra, Isaac, Eden
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU fic, Mohinder goes with Chandra to NY
Word Count: 7,827 (I know it's long, super long, sorry!)
Spoilers: If you don't know Sylar killed Chandra, well..you shouldn't be here..><
Warnings: Violence, Non-con, Angst, Character Death, the usual.
Notes: Thanks goes out to ladywilde80, who helped me with the plot and so much more! She really held my hand through this...Constructive criticism is always loved, comments, even if it’s to say you hate it, are always appreciated too. Also: This was written for the Sylar Ficathon promoted by verbalvixen and is for trinaweena Hope you like it, I really did try, but this definitely did not turn out as well as I'd hoped. So Sorry! & Title came from "Worst Case Scenario" by The Hoosiers
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but if I did, this would have been the entire first episode...
Worst Case Scenario
“Who’s our next stop?”
“Gabriel Gray.”
“Marvelous. Let’s hope this one doesn’t slam the door in our faces…”
~~~~~~
The bells above the door clanged to signal the young watchmaker that he had visitors. Gabriel was so focused on fixing this one timepiece he didn’t even hear the indicating noise.
“Mr. Gray?”
Gabriel looked up from his timepiece, just now noticing that he wasn’t alone. He wrenched his eyes from the precious cogs and gears to look up towards the shop entrance.
There were two men there, one more obviously Indian while the other Gabriel assumed at first glance was Caucasian. The younger and darker of the two was gorgeous; he immediately took Gabriel’s breath away.
He blinked, oblivious to the older man’s attempts to speak to him.
The young man had caught his stare. He gave him a lop-sided grin and looked to the ground before resting his eyes back on Gabriel.
The Indian finally glanced at the man with him, as if amused. That was when Gabriel realized he’d been completely unaware of everything else. He turned his attention over to the other; sure his face must have been bright red.
Gabriel took off his glasses and put them on the table next to the timepiece, standing up, trying to ignore the fact that he’d been concentrating on the man’s companion instead of responding. He gave him a nod to indicate he was in fact Gabriel Gray.
“My name is Chandra Suresh.”
Chandra swept his hand towards the opposite man.
“This is my son, Mohinder.”
Gabriel forced his eyes to stay away from the beauty he now knew as Mohinder, certain if he looked at him he would do something else to embarrass himself.
It seemed as though Mohinder was not willing to let him ignore his presence. He was soon in front of him, his hand out in greeting, a trusting smile on his face. It took Gabriel a second to react, but he eventually took his hand, albeit nervously.
Gabriel focused on Mohinder’s hand instead of his face. It was then he noticed something. The man’s leather strapped watch wasn’t working properly. He pulled his hand from his grasp and pointed down at it.
“Your watch is broken.”
Mohinder also glanced down at it, shaking his head.
“It couldn’t be, I have only had it for a few weeks.”
His accent was smooth and disorientating, but Gabriel ignored that, his attention ensnared already. Mohinder had challenged his knowledge and he had to correct the man.
“Let me see it.”
Mohinder stole a glimpse at his father who nodded, obviously telling him to humor the watchmaker. He took off his watch and handed it to Gabriel, still tentative of what he was going to do with it.
Gabriel brought it to his ear and took a moment to listen.
“It’s running two seconds slow. It’s a simple problem to fix.”
He brought it to his worktable, putting on his glasses once more before using a screwdriver to tighten the loose coil. He handed it back to Mohinder when he was done, who stared at him in stunned silence.
“How did you know?”
Gabriel shrugged.
“It-It’s a talent I’ve always had. I simply…understand how things work.”
Already feeling overwhelmed by Mohinder’s observant stare, Gabriel decided it was probably better if he went right to the point, looking over at Chandra.
“If you didn’t come here for the watch, what is it you need?”
Chandra shook his head, offering Gabriel the book he held in his hand. Gabriel took it hesitantly, gazing down at it quizzically.
“It’s my book I have written on human evolution. We think you might be a part of it. It’s why we came here. Why don’t you read it and then give us a call? A phone number is in the book if you wish to reach us.”
Gabriel felt as though all of this was going too fast for him to grasp properly, but he nodded anyways, his eyes returning to the book. Evolution. Why would a book like this be given to him of all people?
They had left his life now just as swiftly as they had entered it, leaving behind a wealth of new, unanswered questions
~~~~~~~
“He was beautiful, wasn’t he?”
Gabriel agreed with the voice in his head, thinking nothing of the change in tone, the menace in it. He was used to its presence, it’d been there for as long as he could remember.
He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d call the voice, whether it was his imagination or not, nor did he really care. It’d kept him company in times of loneliness and was, sadly, his single real friend. It cared for him; it wanted what was best for him, even if Gabriel hardly ever heeded the whispered commands.
“Don’t fuck this up, Gabriel. I want him.”
~~~~~~
“I’m glad you came.”
Chandra was smiling at Gabriel as he spoke; profoundly pleased that someone had finally called them back.
“How could I not? This is just…fascinating.”
Mohinder let out a snort of amusement as he poured the three of them cups of tea.
“Yeah, well, you’re the only one who seems to think so. You’re the first person to take us seriously.”
Gabriel gave Mohinder a surprised look, the first time he’d been able to look at him without turning into a muddled mess.
“Really?”
His voice was one of true disbelief. He heard Chandra laugh a bit at him, shaking his head.
“Yes, not everyone is as open-minded as you appear to be.”
The man’s smile fell as he went into work mode, wanting to make sure Gabriel understood what they planned on doing.
“We just want to take some simple tests, Gabriel, to see if you do in fact possess an ability.”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, his inquisitive nature kicking in.
“What sort of tests?”
“EEGs, EKGs, nothing invasive. We’ll also try to get you an MRI if those other tests go well.”
“Mapping the brain?”
Mohinder handed him his tea and then sat down next to his father at the table, his own cup resting on the cherry wood.
Chandra nodded.
“Yes, we want to track its activity. If you do have an ability, I believe we can see it from there. After all, the brain is the center of the body, whatever is going on in it can be traced right back to the brain. If the soul exists, scientifically speaking, it’s in the brain.”
Gabriel smiled a bit, pondering his good luck. To have the two geneticists come to him, to believe for a moment that he could be part of something important, it was a dream come true.
“When I was younger, I used to wish someone would come and tell me my family wasn’t really my family. They weren’t bad people. They were just…insignificant. I always thought I was meant for more. I wanted to be special.”
“You are special, Gabriel.”
Mohinder’s voice this time, and Gabriel abandoned Chandra’s eyes for his sons’. Gabriel smiled at him, Mohinder returned it, filling the lonely man with a warmth he’d never before felt.
~~~~~~
Gabriel had done his homework before coming to their apartment, he knew all about evolution now. The theories involved were all incredibly remarkable. Gabriel wasn’t even sure how long the three had sat and talked, sharing ideas and thoughts, Gabriel’s previously vast knowledge growing.
When it was time to leave, Mohinder stopped him halfway down the hall, doing so with one uttered word.
“Gabriel?”
He slowly turned to face him; glad after their conversation he could finally look him in the eyes without blushing.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to meet for coffee tomorrow, before we start the tests. I don’t have any real friends in the city, I’d like to have one person I can interact with when my father and I tire of each other.”
To Gabriel it sounded more like a date. He’d never been on a date before, he’d never even been asked to go out to coffee with someone as friends. He tensed up.
“W-with me?”
Mohinder grinned at him, nodding. Gabriel frowned, clearing his throat a bit.
“Of course. Where?”
“Well, this is my first visit to New York, but I did see a Starbucks right down the road…unless you have a better suggestion.”
Gabriel suddenly felt like an idiot, expecting Mohinder to know the places to go in the city.
“Oh. Yeah, that sounds great.”
Gabriel stood there wishing that he had more experience in such matters. Maybe, then he wouldn't find himself behaving like a fool whenever he found himself in Mohinder's presence.
“I thought I told you not to fuck it up…”
It was just one slip…I won’t do it again.
He could hear the echo of the threat of what the voice would do if he didn’t. Gabriel never took the frequent intimidation seriously. Maybe he should have.
~~~~~~
“I’ll have a vente chai latte. What’ll you have, Gabriel?”
“Oh, no, I can pay for myself.”
“I invited you here. I’ll pay.”
Gabriel didn’t have the strength to fight the stubborn man so he simply nodded, looking at the barista.
“I’ll have the same as him.”
Once they got their respective drinks, they sat in the corner at a small two-person table. Gabriel had tried to dress up for this occasion but he’d found he didn’t have many variations of clothes, so he’d just worn a red sweater vest over a nice light blue shirt with khaki pants.
Mohinder wore a light green button up shirt and light brown cargo pants, as if he hadn’t even tried. He still looked stunning nevertheless.
“I’m glad you said yes, as I said before, I’d like to have a real friend in the city.”
“I’m happy to oblige. I don’t really have anyone either.”
“Really? That’s too bad, you’re worth getting to know. People can be blind sometimes.”
Gabriel decided to make every effort to get to know Mohinder beyond more than simple small talk. He was determined to carry on a lengthy conversation with the man, hoping to learn everything he could, wanting to understand him more than he had ever felt the need to with anyone else before.
He had many questions, but most of them he didn’t have the courage to ask.
“So, you’re from India, right? Why don’t you tell me a bit about your life there, I’ve never been out of the U.S. so I’m a bit curious.”
“Yeah, I am…”
~~~~~~
Gabriel learned much of Mohinder’s past, his education, and quite a bit about his father. Chandra had being working on his theory of evolution for as long as Mohinder could remember. Mohinder used to revere his father for his work, which had lost him plenty of friends as well as professional respect.
That was until a friend of his showed him the truth, that it was all nonsense. How could humans have extraordinary powers such as spontaneous regeneration and flight? It was only a juvenile mind that would cling to such unrealistic dreams.
He and his father had a falling out, but when Chandra decided to go to America, Mohinder begged to be allowed to go with him.
Mohinder said he wanted to see for himself but most of all he wanted to patch things up between his father and himself. After all, they were family and the animosity was really upsetting his mother, who hated to see them angry at one another.
Being away from all of his pompous peers back at the university allowed him to look at life through the eyes of someone who was not being demanded to not believe something. A lack of peer pressure, as one could say. Mohinder was ready to again have faith in his father’s work, as he used to.
They walked back to Mohinder’s apartment side by side, continuing their conversation. Gabriel let Mohinder lead the discussion since he really didn’t have much to add. He was just a watchmaker. He didn’t exactly lead an exciting life.
He was boring whereas Mohinder was sophisticated and exotic.
Yet, Mohinder still took an interest in Gabriel’s mundane life. He asked him what kind of food he usually ate, what movies and music he liked. The parallels between American and Indian life seemed to really intrigue him.
Chandra was waiting for them when they arrived back at the apartment and they set to work immediately. Test after test, day after day with no sign of a breakthrough in sight.
~~~~~~
Another day and yet another experiment. While the computer tracked his brain waves, Chandra asked Gabriel some questions, things that he and Mohinder had already gone over.
“Why do you fix watches, Gabriel?”
“My father did it before me, I suppose you could call it a family tradition.”
“You could have changed the tradition, did something else. Why didn’t you?”
Gabriel thought for a moment before he seemed to come to something close to an epiphany.
“You used a phrase in your work. Evolutionary Imperative.”
He was echoed by Mohinder’s voice.
“That which we are destined to do.”
Gabriel nodded, continuing.
“Sea turtles die on the same beach they were born. Lions slaughter gazelles. Spiders eat their own young. Not because they want to but because they have to.”
Mohinder looked almost enraptured by Gabriel’s speech. Chandra didn’t seem to be paying much attention to him, even though he’d asked the question. The man let out a sigh, shaking his head.
Mohinder looked over at his father, a worried glint in his eye.
“Father?”
Chandra gave him a look before focusing on Gabriel.
“Well, you’re healthy.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“There is absolutely no trace of an abnormality so far, Gabriel. The truth is I might have been wrong; you may not have an ability.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened as he quickly ripped off the long, thin wires attached to his temples before standing up. His eyes were wide, he looked as though he would either break down crying or punch Chandra right in the face.
Mohinder stood up, ready to calm the storm brewing.
“Gabriel is on your list, his name wouldn’t be there without a reason. We have to keep trying.”
Chandra’s gaze was almost venomous. It was obvious he was ready to stop this charade and pronounce Gabriel ordinary. He wanted to move on. Mohinder had fire in his eyes as he glared at his father before turning to Gabriel.
“I’m not ready to give up, Gabriel. We’ll find something yet.”
Gabriel smiled, somehow reassured by Mohinder’s confidence even if his own wasn’t as strong.
~~~~~~
It was eight in the evening; Gabriel had recently taken a shower when Mohinder showed up on his doorstep. Mohinder marched inside with some books underneath one arm and his laptop under the other, as if armed for a coming war.
“I told you I wasn’t ready to give up.”
“Mohinder, it’s eight…”
Mohinder turned around and looked at him, his eyes narrowed and curious.
“Yeah, and your point?”
Gabriel sighed, running a hand through his wet hair.
“I’m usually asleep by eight thirty…”
Mohinder smiled before letting out a laugh.
“You’re serious?”
Gabriel shrugged, feeling tired already. He had a very set schedule and not even the arrival of Mohinder could alter that. Mohinder still put his books and laptop down on a clean table by Gabriel’s couch, even if Gabriel had tried to make it clear he was tired.
Gabriel wasn’t really sure he wanted Mohinder to leave anyways. Sure, he was worn-out, but this was Mohinder. He was worth a bit of lost sleep, especially since he was only trying to help him.
“I was reading into more theories like my father’s and I was thinking maybe your ability is just more subtle than most, so we wouldn’t be able to see it at first glance.”
Gabriel wanted to feel hopeful at those words, but he was feeling pessimistic. He frowned shaking his head.
“Or your father is right and I’m a nobody. I’m trying to prepare myself to accept the inevitable.”
“No, Gabriel, you’re on my father’s list. That means something. You aren’t a nobody, you mean something. You’re the first person to return our calls, you’re Patient Zero. I don’t want to give up on you.”
Mohinder smiled and stepped closer to him, reaching a hand out to stroke a clean-shaven cheek.
“You’re special.”
Gabriel felt his heart catch in his throat and he found he could only stare dumbly at Mohinder. The opposite man’s eyes were a warm brown, begging for Gabriel to understand what he was saying.
Gabriel did understand, he wasn’t that dense, but he wasn’t ready to believe he could be this lucky. He’d never been the type to take something good without asking what he’d done to deserve it.
His life was fraught with bad luck. His father had died; his mother and him had almost lost everything they knew. The sole reason they’d survived is because his mother took on extra work. For that, Gabriel did everything she asked of him, even continuing the family business to honor his father’s memories, his mother’s wishes, never thinking about his own.
The few times good things had happened; his mother had told him it was because God was giving them mercy. Was it god’s mercy that made Mohinder kiss him like he suddenly was?
No. God couldn’t want this, homosexuality was a sin. But all thoughts of how wrong this was were wiped away as Mohinder’s tongue slipped into his mouth, his eyes closed as he just enjoyed his first kiss.
Mohinder began to push him back towards Gabriel’s bedroom, in the direction of the bed. His exotic hands were exploring Gabriel’s untouched skin, every nerve felt as though it were suddenly on fire.
Mohinder didn't seem to mind that was all new him. That his kisses were a bit sloppy and inexperienced, it was beautiful, better than Gabriel could have ever imagined.
If he made a mistake, if he seemed too eager one moment or suddenly shy the next, then Mohinder simply kissed it away.
As far as Mohinder was concerned, they had all night to experiment. To explore one another, learning each other’s bodies and simply basking in the pleasure they had found with one another.
~~~~~~
Gabriel woke up before Mohinder did, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He rolled over and simply watched in amazement for a moment, drinking in the sight of Mohinder's sleeping form. He had one hand underneath his dark cheeks, a slight smile on his lips. He looked even more beautiful when resting.
Waking up to someone like Mohinder had been something he could only have imagined in his most private, locked away dreams.
He then went to make them both some breakfast, hoping Mohinder would appreciate the gesture. He wasn’t one for making elaborate breakfasts, but he managed to work his way around pancakes and sausage quite nicely.
He’d had an amazing night and it was soon completed by the breakfast smells that greeted him. He sat up as Gabriel came into the room, a plate and cup already set out on the tray in his hands.
“Don’t get up…”
Gabriel laid the tray out before him as Mohinder automatically adjusted himself to the gift.
"I'm flattered, Gabriel. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."
He was obviously pleased with Gabriel’s gesture.
“Really?”
Gabriel was filled with happiness to be the first one to serve Mohinder like this. He’d thought it cliché and as such assumed that someone had done it for Mohinder before.
Mohinder took a bite of the pancakes, chewed and smiled up at a nervous looking Gabriel. Mohinder found it endearing how nervous Gabriel seemed over the quality of his cooking.
"This is wonderful, thank you. Where's your own breakfast?"
Mohinder was frowning, as if scolding Gabriel.
"In the kitchen."
"Well, bring it in here and eat with me."
Mohinder leaned over to offer Gabriel a taste of his pancakes.
"You’re a good cook, you should be eating."
Gabriel nodded, smiling and blushing through the mouthful he accepted.
“Ok.”
After they’d eaten, Mohinder was the first one to get into Gabriel’s shower. While he did so, Gabriel just sat on his bed with a huge, dumb smile on his face. The night before had been the most incredible night of his life. He could only hope it had been even half as wonderful for Mohinder.
Steam followed the man as he walked out of the bathroom with merely a towel wrapped around his slender frame. Gabriel could do no more than stare at him, unable to tear his eyes away.
“What is it?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
Mohinder smirked before sitting down next to him, leaning against the wall of the bed. He reached his hand out and stroked Gabriel’s face absently, his eyes trailing his own movements. Mohinder wanted to admire what he had right now. Part of him felt as though it could fall apart at any second. He just wanted to cling to this moment, make it last as long as possible.
“Last night was perfect, by the way. Though, I don’t think I need to say that.”
Gabriel’s smile widened, nodding in agreement. Mohinder pulled his hand away before glancing at the clock. Nearly noon. He sighed loudly.
“I should be going soon though. My father will worry.”
"Alright."
Gabriel hated having to let go of Mohinder for the time being. Mohinder noticed his disappointment and leaned forward, cupping Gabriel’s chin in hand before planting a gentle but firm kiss against his lips.
"Don't worry you're not getting rid of me that easy.”
Mohinder grinned through his words, obviously teasing Gabriel. The kiss and Mohinder's words seemed to cheer Gabriel up a bit. He smiled.
"I hope not.”
~~~~~~
As Mohinder was walking towards the door of room 613, a girl was walking out. He recognized her as their new neighbor, Eden McCain. She spotted him and gave him a warm smile, one Mohinder returned.
“Hello, Mohinder. I was just giving your father some Mac and cheese I made since you two don’t seem to cook much. Just getting in?”
“Oh, I was at…a friend’s house.”
“You’ve already met someone in New York? That’s great! Well, I’m going to get going, I’ve got work and all. I’ll see you later, Mohinder.”
They said their goodbyes before Mohinder unlocked the apartment and stepped inside. Chandra was in the kitchen, standing up as he ate what was obviously Mac and cheese from a blue bowl. When he saw Mohinder, he put the bowl down, a frown on his face.
“Where were you?”
“I told you yesterday I was going to work with Gabriel. We ended up working late and I just slept on his couch.”
“Anything?”
“Uh, not anything in particular.”
Chandra shook his head, disappointed.
“Well, we have somewhere to go today. Isaac Mendez returned our call, he wants to see us.”
Mohinder beamed; excited at the prospect of really meeting someone with powers they could use as real proof of his father’s research. He still held hope of Gabriel’s potential, but until they happened, Mohinder and his father did need something of substance.
~~~~~~
“Isaac Mendez?”
“Yes, and you must be Chandra Suresh.”
When Isaac’s eyes fell on Mohinder, he paused for a second, as if he couldn’t believe he was standing there.
“And you are…?”
“Mohinder Suresh.”
Isaac nodded hesitantly before allowing the two into his loft. His hair was up in a bandana and he looked quite the mess, paint stains dotting his entire frame. Both men knew right then that Isaac was an artist.
The canvas laid out around them immediately intrigued Mohinder; they had a phenomenal pull to them. They weren’t exactly realistic paintings, more of a cartoon style to them, but the scenes depicted in them seemed to be happening in the here and now.
Isaac went straight to the point.
“Everything I paint happens. Earthquakes, bombings in Iraq, it’s like I can predict the future.”
“You believe you’re a precog then?”
“Yes, I do.”
“It is not impossible, you very well could be. We’ll need to do some tests to make sure…”
Isaac got impatient quickly; Mohinder could tell by the way he barely paid attention that he had something to say.
“Dr. Suresh, I painted you a few days ago.”
Isaac appeared uneasy as he pulled out a painting from a pile on his right, setting it up on an easel so it could be seen clearly.
There was a taxi with the same logo as the company Mohinder and his father worked for. Inside the vehicle was Chandra. He was slumped to the side of the driver’s seat, his head at a distorted, sickening angle. Behind him sat a shadowed figure.
Mohinder felt as though an anvil had been dropped down inside his stomach when he realized what the work of art portrayed. His father’s death by the hands of an unknown stranger, right in his own taxi. Mohinder blanched at the sight.
“You say all of your paintings come true?”
Isaac simply nodded, though Mohinder couldn’t see that. His eyes were glued to the image. He wanted to say Isaac was insane, but he’d drawn the perfect likeness of his father, face frozen in death without having ever met the man before today.
His father laughed. Mohinder knew Chandra didn’t want to believe it, but he was definitely disturbed by the image.
“I just wanted you to be aware. Maybe we can stop this. Together.”
Mohinder glanced at him, nodding.
“How about we meet tomorrow, either here or at our apartment so start the tests…And if you paint anything else in the meanwhile, please be sure to let us know.”
~~~~~~
Not two hours later and the phone rang.
“Mohinder?”
“Isaac? What is it?”
“I found another painting. A painting of you. I think you should come and see it. Come alone.”
He then hung up the phone and Mohinder was left with no choice but to go and see Isaac if he wanted more information.
“That was Isaac? What did he want?”
“He wanted to talk to me. I’ll only be out for a little while.”
He grabbed his coat by the door and set out, a troubling chill taking root in his spine.
~~~~~~
“I remembered it right when I saw you. It’s over here…I didn’t want to show it to you with your father here, so I waited.”
No wonder he’d looked at Mohinder so strangely when they’d first met. Mohinder followed him to the other room in his loft, anxious of what it was he was going to be shown. It had to be awful, since Isaac had asked for him and not his father.
His eyes fell on dark canvas and what was painted there made him hold his breath, his eyes wide, his feet nailed to the floor.
“It’s the same man, I know it is.”
In the painting was Gabriel. Well, what looked like Gabriel. He wore no glasses and the expression held in his eyes was clearly a deadly one and his stance screamed possession and control.
Mohinder was opposite of him, slammed up against a wall that was noticeably in his apartment. His eyes were fearful and watery. A hand was curled around his throat, another sliding down into his pants.
Blush crept across his face, but Isaac didn’t seem to notice or care. The artist wanted more details.
“Do you know him?”
Mohinder nodded, still fixated on the painting.
“But that can’t be him…He couldn’t do those things.”
The Gabriel he knew could never be capable of anything as horrific as the events illustrated by the painter. The thought of Gabriel being responsible for killing his father was almost too ludicrous to contemplate.
“I’m telling you, it is the same man in both paintings. If you know him, you need to stop him.”
Mohinder nodded absently before turning around and leaving without a word, even as Isaac called his name.
~~~~~~
Mohinder had slept with Gabriel because he’d liked him. He was quirky and sweet, holding an innocence that Mohinder had been quite attracted to. He hadn’t been lying to Gabriel when he said he was special.
If Gabriel truly was the man in those pictures, then Isaac was right. It was up to Mohinder to stop him. But how? He hardly thought Gabriel was capable of something so terrible anyways. Maybe it was because of the path he was on now.
Mohinder wasn’t sure if Gabriel had a power, but he still had hope since he was on his father’s list. But perhaps, that’s how Gabriel turned into what he was in those paintings. Unlocking his ability could drive him insane with power. Whatever his power was, it could just take over.
Mohinder suddenly knew what he had to do to stop the future from happening. He had to stop Gabriel from ever finding his ability, if he had one. If he didn’t, well, Mohinder didn’t want to take any chances when his father’s life was at stake.
Gabriel would never know the pain Mohinder would feel or what it was costing him inside to have to let him go, but if it was the only way to save his father’s life, then so be it.
~~~~~~
When his father was working, he called Gabriel up, planning on ending their peculiar friendship here and now. He played nervously with a string of hair, waiting for Gabriel to answer. When he did, his hand went to his side as he forced himself to speak.
“Gabriel, I need to talk to you.”
“Mohinder! No problem, I’ll come over to your apartment then. I want to see you anyways.”
There was a naïve sense of joy in Gabriel’s voice and Mohinder felt as though his heart were already rendered in two. He didn’t want to do this in person, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.
“Wa-”
Yet it was too late. The other man had already hung up.
~~~~~~
There was a knock on the door and Mohinder opened it to Gabriel. He was dressed in his usual attire of sweater vest and khakis complete with his glasses, but he had a huge grin on his face. Mohinder couldn’t help but be reminded of a happy little child.
Mohinder let him in and prepared himself to shatter the man’s heart. He’d been hoping not to do this in person, which was why their phone call had been so disappointing to him. This was going to hurt him as well. Now he had to keep a solid face, not just a stoic voice.
Gabriel was standing close to his father’s desk, looking around a bit before shooting a hopeful smile towards Mohinder, one that fell when he saw the sorrow in Mohinder’s eyes. Mohinder had thought of how to say this, he knew telling him they shouldn’t see each other anymore wouldn’t work.
Gabriel would ask too many questions and he wouldn’t accept it. He had to let him down without mercy, even if it killed him to do it. He wiped away any emotion on his face in merely a second.
“Gabriel…What we did yesterday was fun, but that’s it. You do know it didn’t mean anything, right? It was just sex.”
Gabriel was speechless; he just stared at Mohinder, hurt shining through every pore. Mohinder had to be playing with him. This was all some huge, nasty joke.
“B-but, Mohinder…You said I was special.”
Mohinder cocked his head, a small smile on his face as he put his all into destroying Gabriel Gray. He was sure he’d recuperate. He’d be fine after a month, no harm, no foul. He’d find someone different, someone better. But, Mohinder knew he’d never stop hating him.
“I lied. Oh, and I’ve done all the tests I can. You’re normal, so don’t bother coming back, there’s no reason to.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, shaking his head. He wouldn’t accept this.
“You said you wouldn’t give up.”
“It’s hopeless, Gabriel. You show no signs of having a power.”
Gabriel grabbed some of the folders off the desk, shaking them in Mohinder’s direction. He looked down at one, ripping the post-it off.
“This…Brian Davis. You think he has a power? And what will you do if he doesn’t show any signs? Just use him and toss him away like you are doing to me?”
Gabriel was getting angry. How could Mohinder do this to him? As he yelled at him, Mohinder saw a bit of what he’d been shown in the painting, a kind of unadulterated rage. But this would change it all, it had to. He had to believe he was doing what was right, that it would fix everything.
No matter his reasoning, he still felt despicable. This was more than cruel. Still, he closed off his emotions and kept at it.
“This is science, Gabriel. No one said it would be kind. Now, you should leave.”
Mohinder’s stomach twisted and fell as Gabriel flew past him and out the door, not saying a thing to him as he did so. When the door slammed shut, Mohinder steadied himself on a kitchen chair and lowered his head before succumbing to sobs.
~~~~~~
“He was screwing around with you from the beginning. He hurt you. We need to hurt him back, Gabriel. Tear him down for what he did.”
Gabriel didn’t know what to think. Mohinder had said he’d been lying, that it was all fake, just to get him into bed. But that made no sense; he’d seemed so sincere.
He’d been the first person to ask him on a date, the first person to look at him and not solely see a lowly watchmaker. He’d made him feel loved, important.
“It’s not your fault. He probably does that to every one he meets, he looks the type. He’s beautiful and intelligent, and knows it. He used you. We need to get him back.”
For the first time in his life, Gabriel wanted to harm someone. He wanted to pay Mohinder back for the pain he was putting him through, he wanted to make him feel the way he was, as though his still-beating heart had been torn out of his chest.
He looked down at the post it in his hand, a smirk stealing his lips.
The creature that had long been inside of Gabriel had finally found its crack in Gabriel’s defenses.
~~~~~~
The door to his shop rang open and for a split second Gabriel hoped it was Mohinder, but when he turned and looked, reality hit him like a hammer. It was a mousy looking man who looked as though he, not Gabriel, belonged working in a watch shop.
“Yes?”
“Uh, I’m Brian Davis. You called me.”
Gabriel suddenly remembered. He took off his glasses and stood up from his desk.
“I’m Gabriel…”
He looked down at the watch he was working on, the white writing as big as life.
“Gabriel Sylar.”
~~~~~~
The creature had a name. It had control. Everything it’d been waiting for was in his grasp. He’d promised Gabriel one thing, though. He’d get him his revenge.
The first person to go was the closest person to Mohinder Suresh. His father. The man who had also wriggled hope under Gabriel’s nose before snatching it away.
He tracked Chandra down, he waited for him in his taxi and then he murdered him. All it took was a few swift movements to break the man’s neck and it was all over.
Blood from where the old man’s head had cracked into the glass defenses meant to keep predators like him out dripped off his fingertips as he walked away from the scene. He was unafraid of anyone catching him; he’d disappear within a day or so. Even if he was caught, no one could stop him now.
He had dominion over so much power. He could murder a person walking across the street from him; one effortless thought and they would no longer be able to breath in oxygen. It was as simple as that. He was the ultimate end of evolution, meant solely to wipe out the weakness in the world.
He had to set things right with Mohinder and what better way to do that than deliver the news of his father's death in person.
~~~~~~
Mohinder had heard nothing from Gabriel in the past few days and he hoped never to again. He still felt terrible about what he’d done. Hurting him like that had been wrong, even if it’d been the only option to save his father and himself and to stop Gabriel from turning into a monster.
He was sitting down on his couch, reading a book to help keep his mind from Gabriel. It kept going back to him though, scolding Mohinder for his coldness. He heard the door open and he thought nothing of it, it was just his father arriving home from work.
“Mohinder.”
Mohinder looked up from his book quickly, his heart quickening. He looked in the direction of the door, where a black clothed Gabriel stood. But it wasn’t Gabriel; it was what he’d seen in that painting.
No glasses, no sweater vests. This was a completely different person.
Mohinder stood up hastily, wide-eyed and scared.
“Gabriel. What are you doing here?”
Gabriel chuckled darkly at him. He shook his head.
“No, it’s not Gabriel anymore. My name is Sylar. I thought you’d want to know I have just come from killing your father.”
Sylar, not Gabriel. What had happened to him? And his father was dead…Killed by the man who was in front of him now as well as the one Isaac’s prophetic hand had depicted. Mohinder’s let out a hyperventilated breath.
“No…No, this wasn’t supposed to happen!”
Sylar wasn’t really sure what he was talking about, but understand what Mohinder was saying wasn’t forefront on his mind.
“It would have one day. You know, I’ve been waiting to take over Gabriel’s body for a while now. You gave me the opportunity I needed.”
Sylar was stalking forward, pressuring Mohinder into the wall behind him. He reached a hand out, tracing Mohinder’s jaw line.
“I have you to thank for my release.”
With a burst of courage, Mohinder shoved his hand away and threw as much of a punch as he could with their proximity, one that connected with a crack. He’d probably hurt his own knuckles more than Sylar’s face in the foolish attack.
Using Sylar’s instant of surprise, Mohinder attempted to move past him. Sylar’s hand went to his chest and pushed him back forcefully, his back hitting the wall with a slight thud.
Sylar ignored the pang in his cheek, not caring about the bruise that would probably form there. Sylar didn’t remove his hand as he leaned in close to Mohinder until their faces were barely an inch apart. He put his lips a second away from Mohinder’s own.
Mohinder was frozen; he could only stare into Sylar’s half lidded eyes.
“When I first saw you, I knew I had to have you. Your beautiful dark grace, your untouched potential. I wanted to cage you. I wanted to be the only one to taste these sweet lips of yours…”
Sylar tugged at Mohinder’s lower lip, sliding his knee in between Mohinder’s legs, spreading them ever so slightly apart without any struggle.
“Not the way Gabriel longed for you. Not sweetly, not innocently. I want to own you.”
At that word, Sylar grinded his knee painfully into Mohinder’s groin. Mohinder cried out.
“Shhh, don’t worry, I won’t hurt you permanently. I don’t want you to break yet.”
Mohinder’s paralyzing fear finally changed, anger taking over.
“Why, Gabriel?”
Sylar’s eyes turned feral, his lips creasing into a frown.
“I told you, it’s Sylar now. I don’t want to hear that pathetic name…”
“It’s your name, Gabriel. You can’t just become someone else when something goes wrong.”
“Oh, but I can Mohinder. I did…I am.”
Sylar didn’t feel like taking the time to explain to Mohinder that he wasn’t Gabriel, that he was someone else who’d been there all along. That he’d been biding his time until he was able to break through the thin barriers of Gabriel Gray’s sanity and make himself real.
He instead decided to get on with what he wanted to do. He wouldn’t answer any more questions. Mohinder’s opened his mouth to speak but strong fingers fastened around his throat, silencing him.
Mohinder gaped, taking in a large breath before he was unable to take another, already beginning to choke. Sylar loosened his hold a bit; he didn’t want Mohinder passing out on him just yet.
He sneaked his free hand underneath Mohinder’s shirt, feeling his taut stomach, relishing the shudder of Mohinder’s body. He traveled beneath the cloth barriers to Mohinder’s groin, grasping him tightly, smiling as Mohinder winced, letting out a gasp of both pleasure and pain.
His movements were soothing Sylar’s earlier violence, even if Sylar didn’t much care if Mohinder enjoyed this. He’d come here to declare him his property, that was all. He wasn’t here to make the other man happy. He simply wanted to see the look on his face when he violated him this intimately.
“Don’t touch me!”
Mohinder’s voice was a low hiss, the only way he could speak with Sylar’s hand wrapped around his throat. This was his attempt at sounding bold and it just made Sylar laugh. He released his hold on Mohinder’s elegantly long neck. It was time to really start having some fun with his little catalyst.
Unseen fingers ran down Mohinder’s spine and raked across his groin. The Indian closed his eyes to the somehow warm but empty touch. But how was this happening? The touches felt like puffs of air, but there was a pressure to it that was unreal.
This had to be his powers, whatever it was. Somehow Gabriel, no Sylar, had unlocked them. Was it because of the suffering he’d put the man through? Was that what triggered them? Mohinder knew he’d made the wrong decision. He’d tried to do the right thing, but he’d gotten it all wrong.
Suddenly, those invisible fingers were stretching him; somewhere he’d never been touched before. Seeing past the pain Mohinder knew he was only preparing him to increase his suffering. He was using no lube or liquid of any kind to make this easier. Mohinder again attempted to scramble away, his finger nails digging into Sylar’s flesh.
Tears sprung into Mohinder’s eyes. He panted out another plea for Sylar to stop. Sylar paid no mind to him as he yanked down his pants and boxers with his mind. The cold air brushed against Mohinder’s heated groin, his arousal increasing. He struggled against him and the emotions flooding him, the collective tears falling.
“Please, stop, don’t do this.”
His voice was ceased with a squeeze to his vocal cords, causing him to gasp for breath.
“Don’t speak unless I tell you to.”
Sylar flipped Mohinder around, the grip on his throat vanished replaced by smooth lips. Sylar pushed Mohinder into the wall, his forehead resting on the wall to stop his face from being smashed into it, his hands on either side of his head.
Something held Mohinder fast to the wall; he was unable to move even an inch.
Those imperceptible fingers were still leaving a trail across his body, still pulling him so mercilessly. How could Gabriel let this be done to him? Where was the man he’d fallen in love with? His disappearance was Mohinder’s own fault. Everything he touched would eventually crumble. He knew that now.
Mohinder felt hopeless. Everything was falling apart. He’d tried to prevent the future, but it happened anyways. His father was dead and Gabriel had become this monster. A quick bite into Mohinder’s neck brought him back to full concentration.
Tangible fingertips graced his back, down past the curve of his ass to move in between his thighs, caressing the warm skin. Mohinder heard a zipper being yanked and a rustling of clothes. The ethereal touches vanished, quickly replaced by a blinding pain as Sylar buried himself inside of Mohinder without hesitation.
Mohinder released an anguished whine, gritting his teeth to stifle the noises. Sylar moved against him, skin on skin, cloth on cloth, a wavering breath the sole sign of the killer’s utmost pleasure.
Mohinder’s nails bit into the wall beside his head. He tried to focus on the ache located there instead of elsewhere. Sylar refused to let his attentions wander.
His hands coiled around Mohinder’s waist, the other on his chin to force him away from the wall to face him. He kissed Mohinder, his kiss greedy and aggressive. Mohinder knew Sylar would never let him go. The man owned him, just as he’d said before.
Sylar’s sharp teeth bit into his lips, tearing into them in order to lap up the blood as he used Mohinder’s body as a mere demonstration of his newfound power, thrusting more roughly with every passing moment.
Sylar came with a groan, Mohinder echoing it with a whimper of defeat. Sylar pulled out of him, leaving behind only the ghostly remnants of his violation
Mohinder slid to his knees, curling against the wall in a broken ball. Every nerve was on fire, like he was being poked with a thousand needles. He could feel blood dribble down his thighs. The excruciating pain went in time with his heartbeat, a faint backdrop to his crimson tinted world.
Everything that had taken place in the past few days had fallen down to this single moment of violence and hate and there was nothing he could do to take it all back, no way to change the past.
Now he had to worry about his future.
Mohinder loathed to look Sylar in the eyes, so he kept them trained on the ground, his arms hugged around his shoulders in a symbol of protection.
“What now?”
Sylar shuffled on his clothes, Mohinder could almost hear his lips twist into a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m not done with you yet. But first I’m going to need that list of your father’s, Mohinder.”
A horrified expression took over Mohinder’s face. That list had the name of every talented person he’d been able to find. If Sylar had them, he would have access to their very lives.
Mohinder didn’t know what Sylar was capable of, but he did know he was a murderer and to give the location of so many people to a sociopath was not a good idea.
“Why?”
Sylar smirked.
“You’ll see.”
X-Crossed to mylar_fic and heroes_slash
Author: yaoi_anti_drug
Beta: ladywilde80
Pairings: Gabriel/Mohinder, Sylar/Mohinder
Genre: Drama, Angst
Characters: Mohinder, Gabriel, Sylar, Chandra, Isaac, Eden
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU fic, Mohinder goes with Chandra to NY
Word Count: 7,827 (I know it's long, super long, sorry!)
Spoilers: If you don't know Sylar killed Chandra, well..you shouldn't be here..><
Warnings: Violence, Non-con, Angst, Character Death, the usual.
Notes: Thanks goes out to ladywilde80, who helped me with the plot and so much more! She really held my hand through this...Constructive criticism is always loved, comments, even if it’s to say you hate it, are always appreciated too. Also: This was written for the Sylar Ficathon promoted by verbalvixen and is for trinaweena Hope you like it, I really did try, but this definitely did not turn out as well as I'd hoped. So Sorry! & Title came from "Worst Case Scenario" by The Hoosiers
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but if I did, this would have been the entire first episode...
Worst Case Scenario
“Who’s our next stop?”
“Gabriel Gray.”
“Marvelous. Let’s hope this one doesn’t slam the door in our faces…”
~~~~~~
The bells above the door clanged to signal the young watchmaker that he had visitors. Gabriel was so focused on fixing this one timepiece he didn’t even hear the indicating noise.
“Mr. Gray?”
Gabriel looked up from his timepiece, just now noticing that he wasn’t alone. He wrenched his eyes from the precious cogs and gears to look up towards the shop entrance.
There were two men there, one more obviously Indian while the other Gabriel assumed at first glance was Caucasian. The younger and darker of the two was gorgeous; he immediately took Gabriel’s breath away.
He blinked, oblivious to the older man’s attempts to speak to him.
The young man had caught his stare. He gave him a lop-sided grin and looked to the ground before resting his eyes back on Gabriel.
The Indian finally glanced at the man with him, as if amused. That was when Gabriel realized he’d been completely unaware of everything else. He turned his attention over to the other; sure his face must have been bright red.
Gabriel took off his glasses and put them on the table next to the timepiece, standing up, trying to ignore the fact that he’d been concentrating on the man’s companion instead of responding. He gave him a nod to indicate he was in fact Gabriel Gray.
“My name is Chandra Suresh.”
Chandra swept his hand towards the opposite man.
“This is my son, Mohinder.”
Gabriel forced his eyes to stay away from the beauty he now knew as Mohinder, certain if he looked at him he would do something else to embarrass himself.
It seemed as though Mohinder was not willing to let him ignore his presence. He was soon in front of him, his hand out in greeting, a trusting smile on his face. It took Gabriel a second to react, but he eventually took his hand, albeit nervously.
Gabriel focused on Mohinder’s hand instead of his face. It was then he noticed something. The man’s leather strapped watch wasn’t working properly. He pulled his hand from his grasp and pointed down at it.
“Your watch is broken.”
Mohinder also glanced down at it, shaking his head.
“It couldn’t be, I have only had it for a few weeks.”
His accent was smooth and disorientating, but Gabriel ignored that, his attention ensnared already. Mohinder had challenged his knowledge and he had to correct the man.
“Let me see it.”
Mohinder stole a glimpse at his father who nodded, obviously telling him to humor the watchmaker. He took off his watch and handed it to Gabriel, still tentative of what he was going to do with it.
Gabriel brought it to his ear and took a moment to listen.
“It’s running two seconds slow. It’s a simple problem to fix.”
He brought it to his worktable, putting on his glasses once more before using a screwdriver to tighten the loose coil. He handed it back to Mohinder when he was done, who stared at him in stunned silence.
“How did you know?”
Gabriel shrugged.
“It-It’s a talent I’ve always had. I simply…understand how things work.”
Already feeling overwhelmed by Mohinder’s observant stare, Gabriel decided it was probably better if he went right to the point, looking over at Chandra.
“If you didn’t come here for the watch, what is it you need?”
Chandra shook his head, offering Gabriel the book he held in his hand. Gabriel took it hesitantly, gazing down at it quizzically.
“It’s my book I have written on human evolution. We think you might be a part of it. It’s why we came here. Why don’t you read it and then give us a call? A phone number is in the book if you wish to reach us.”
Gabriel felt as though all of this was going too fast for him to grasp properly, but he nodded anyways, his eyes returning to the book. Evolution. Why would a book like this be given to him of all people?
They had left his life now just as swiftly as they had entered it, leaving behind a wealth of new, unanswered questions
~~~~~~~
“He was beautiful, wasn’t he?”
Gabriel agreed with the voice in his head, thinking nothing of the change in tone, the menace in it. He was used to its presence, it’d been there for as long as he could remember.
He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d call the voice, whether it was his imagination or not, nor did he really care. It’d kept him company in times of loneliness and was, sadly, his single real friend. It cared for him; it wanted what was best for him, even if Gabriel hardly ever heeded the whispered commands.
“Don’t fuck this up, Gabriel. I want him.”
~~~~~~
“I’m glad you came.”
Chandra was smiling at Gabriel as he spoke; profoundly pleased that someone had finally called them back.
“How could I not? This is just…fascinating.”
Mohinder let out a snort of amusement as he poured the three of them cups of tea.
“Yeah, well, you’re the only one who seems to think so. You’re the first person to take us seriously.”
Gabriel gave Mohinder a surprised look, the first time he’d been able to look at him without turning into a muddled mess.
“Really?”
His voice was one of true disbelief. He heard Chandra laugh a bit at him, shaking his head.
“Yes, not everyone is as open-minded as you appear to be.”
The man’s smile fell as he went into work mode, wanting to make sure Gabriel understood what they planned on doing.
“We just want to take some simple tests, Gabriel, to see if you do in fact possess an ability.”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, his inquisitive nature kicking in.
“What sort of tests?”
“EEGs, EKGs, nothing invasive. We’ll also try to get you an MRI if those other tests go well.”
“Mapping the brain?”
Mohinder handed him his tea and then sat down next to his father at the table, his own cup resting on the cherry wood.
Chandra nodded.
“Yes, we want to track its activity. If you do have an ability, I believe we can see it from there. After all, the brain is the center of the body, whatever is going on in it can be traced right back to the brain. If the soul exists, scientifically speaking, it’s in the brain.”
Gabriel smiled a bit, pondering his good luck. To have the two geneticists come to him, to believe for a moment that he could be part of something important, it was a dream come true.
“When I was younger, I used to wish someone would come and tell me my family wasn’t really my family. They weren’t bad people. They were just…insignificant. I always thought I was meant for more. I wanted to be special.”
“You are special, Gabriel.”
Mohinder’s voice this time, and Gabriel abandoned Chandra’s eyes for his sons’. Gabriel smiled at him, Mohinder returned it, filling the lonely man with a warmth he’d never before felt.
~~~~~~
Gabriel had done his homework before coming to their apartment, he knew all about evolution now. The theories involved were all incredibly remarkable. Gabriel wasn’t even sure how long the three had sat and talked, sharing ideas and thoughts, Gabriel’s previously vast knowledge growing.
When it was time to leave, Mohinder stopped him halfway down the hall, doing so with one uttered word.
“Gabriel?”
He slowly turned to face him; glad after their conversation he could finally look him in the eyes without blushing.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to meet for coffee tomorrow, before we start the tests. I don’t have any real friends in the city, I’d like to have one person I can interact with when my father and I tire of each other.”
To Gabriel it sounded more like a date. He’d never been on a date before, he’d never even been asked to go out to coffee with someone as friends. He tensed up.
“W-with me?”
Mohinder grinned at him, nodding. Gabriel frowned, clearing his throat a bit.
“Of course. Where?”
“Well, this is my first visit to New York, but I did see a Starbucks right down the road…unless you have a better suggestion.”
Gabriel suddenly felt like an idiot, expecting Mohinder to know the places to go in the city.
“Oh. Yeah, that sounds great.”
Gabriel stood there wishing that he had more experience in such matters. Maybe, then he wouldn't find himself behaving like a fool whenever he found himself in Mohinder's presence.
“I thought I told you not to fuck it up…”
It was just one slip…I won’t do it again.
He could hear the echo of the threat of what the voice would do if he didn’t. Gabriel never took the frequent intimidation seriously. Maybe he should have.
~~~~~~
“I’ll have a vente chai latte. What’ll you have, Gabriel?”
“Oh, no, I can pay for myself.”
“I invited you here. I’ll pay.”
Gabriel didn’t have the strength to fight the stubborn man so he simply nodded, looking at the barista.
“I’ll have the same as him.”
Once they got their respective drinks, they sat in the corner at a small two-person table. Gabriel had tried to dress up for this occasion but he’d found he didn’t have many variations of clothes, so he’d just worn a red sweater vest over a nice light blue shirt with khaki pants.
Mohinder wore a light green button up shirt and light brown cargo pants, as if he hadn’t even tried. He still looked stunning nevertheless.
“I’m glad you said yes, as I said before, I’d like to have a real friend in the city.”
“I’m happy to oblige. I don’t really have anyone either.”
“Really? That’s too bad, you’re worth getting to know. People can be blind sometimes.”
Gabriel decided to make every effort to get to know Mohinder beyond more than simple small talk. He was determined to carry on a lengthy conversation with the man, hoping to learn everything he could, wanting to understand him more than he had ever felt the need to with anyone else before.
He had many questions, but most of them he didn’t have the courage to ask.
“So, you’re from India, right? Why don’t you tell me a bit about your life there, I’ve never been out of the U.S. so I’m a bit curious.”
“Yeah, I am…”
~~~~~~
Gabriel learned much of Mohinder’s past, his education, and quite a bit about his father. Chandra had being working on his theory of evolution for as long as Mohinder could remember. Mohinder used to revere his father for his work, which had lost him plenty of friends as well as professional respect.
That was until a friend of his showed him the truth, that it was all nonsense. How could humans have extraordinary powers such as spontaneous regeneration and flight? It was only a juvenile mind that would cling to such unrealistic dreams.
He and his father had a falling out, but when Chandra decided to go to America, Mohinder begged to be allowed to go with him.
Mohinder said he wanted to see for himself but most of all he wanted to patch things up between his father and himself. After all, they were family and the animosity was really upsetting his mother, who hated to see them angry at one another.
Being away from all of his pompous peers back at the university allowed him to look at life through the eyes of someone who was not being demanded to not believe something. A lack of peer pressure, as one could say. Mohinder was ready to again have faith in his father’s work, as he used to.
They walked back to Mohinder’s apartment side by side, continuing their conversation. Gabriel let Mohinder lead the discussion since he really didn’t have much to add. He was just a watchmaker. He didn’t exactly lead an exciting life.
He was boring whereas Mohinder was sophisticated and exotic.
Yet, Mohinder still took an interest in Gabriel’s mundane life. He asked him what kind of food he usually ate, what movies and music he liked. The parallels between American and Indian life seemed to really intrigue him.
Chandra was waiting for them when they arrived back at the apartment and they set to work immediately. Test after test, day after day with no sign of a breakthrough in sight.
~~~~~~
Another day and yet another experiment. While the computer tracked his brain waves, Chandra asked Gabriel some questions, things that he and Mohinder had already gone over.
“Why do you fix watches, Gabriel?”
“My father did it before me, I suppose you could call it a family tradition.”
“You could have changed the tradition, did something else. Why didn’t you?”
Gabriel thought for a moment before he seemed to come to something close to an epiphany.
“You used a phrase in your work. Evolutionary Imperative.”
He was echoed by Mohinder’s voice.
“That which we are destined to do.”
Gabriel nodded, continuing.
“Sea turtles die on the same beach they were born. Lions slaughter gazelles. Spiders eat their own young. Not because they want to but because they have to.”
Mohinder looked almost enraptured by Gabriel’s speech. Chandra didn’t seem to be paying much attention to him, even though he’d asked the question. The man let out a sigh, shaking his head.
Mohinder looked over at his father, a worried glint in his eye.
“Father?”
Chandra gave him a look before focusing on Gabriel.
“Well, you’re healthy.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“There is absolutely no trace of an abnormality so far, Gabriel. The truth is I might have been wrong; you may not have an ability.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened as he quickly ripped off the long, thin wires attached to his temples before standing up. His eyes were wide, he looked as though he would either break down crying or punch Chandra right in the face.
Mohinder stood up, ready to calm the storm brewing.
“Gabriel is on your list, his name wouldn’t be there without a reason. We have to keep trying.”
Chandra’s gaze was almost venomous. It was obvious he was ready to stop this charade and pronounce Gabriel ordinary. He wanted to move on. Mohinder had fire in his eyes as he glared at his father before turning to Gabriel.
“I’m not ready to give up, Gabriel. We’ll find something yet.”
Gabriel smiled, somehow reassured by Mohinder’s confidence even if his own wasn’t as strong.
~~~~~~
It was eight in the evening; Gabriel had recently taken a shower when Mohinder showed up on his doorstep. Mohinder marched inside with some books underneath one arm and his laptop under the other, as if armed for a coming war.
“I told you I wasn’t ready to give up.”
“Mohinder, it’s eight…”
Mohinder turned around and looked at him, his eyes narrowed and curious.
“Yeah, and your point?”
Gabriel sighed, running a hand through his wet hair.
“I’m usually asleep by eight thirty…”
Mohinder smiled before letting out a laugh.
“You’re serious?”
Gabriel shrugged, feeling tired already. He had a very set schedule and not even the arrival of Mohinder could alter that. Mohinder still put his books and laptop down on a clean table by Gabriel’s couch, even if Gabriel had tried to make it clear he was tired.
Gabriel wasn’t really sure he wanted Mohinder to leave anyways. Sure, he was worn-out, but this was Mohinder. He was worth a bit of lost sleep, especially since he was only trying to help him.
“I was reading into more theories like my father’s and I was thinking maybe your ability is just more subtle than most, so we wouldn’t be able to see it at first glance.”
Gabriel wanted to feel hopeful at those words, but he was feeling pessimistic. He frowned shaking his head.
“Or your father is right and I’m a nobody. I’m trying to prepare myself to accept the inevitable.”
“No, Gabriel, you’re on my father’s list. That means something. You aren’t a nobody, you mean something. You’re the first person to return our calls, you’re Patient Zero. I don’t want to give up on you.”
Mohinder smiled and stepped closer to him, reaching a hand out to stroke a clean-shaven cheek.
“You’re special.”
Gabriel felt his heart catch in his throat and he found he could only stare dumbly at Mohinder. The opposite man’s eyes were a warm brown, begging for Gabriel to understand what he was saying.
Gabriel did understand, he wasn’t that dense, but he wasn’t ready to believe he could be this lucky. He’d never been the type to take something good without asking what he’d done to deserve it.
His life was fraught with bad luck. His father had died; his mother and him had almost lost everything they knew. The sole reason they’d survived is because his mother took on extra work. For that, Gabriel did everything she asked of him, even continuing the family business to honor his father’s memories, his mother’s wishes, never thinking about his own.
The few times good things had happened; his mother had told him it was because God was giving them mercy. Was it god’s mercy that made Mohinder kiss him like he suddenly was?
No. God couldn’t want this, homosexuality was a sin. But all thoughts of how wrong this was were wiped away as Mohinder’s tongue slipped into his mouth, his eyes closed as he just enjoyed his first kiss.
Mohinder began to push him back towards Gabriel’s bedroom, in the direction of the bed. His exotic hands were exploring Gabriel’s untouched skin, every nerve felt as though it were suddenly on fire.
Mohinder didn't seem to mind that was all new him. That his kisses were a bit sloppy and inexperienced, it was beautiful, better than Gabriel could have ever imagined.
If he made a mistake, if he seemed too eager one moment or suddenly shy the next, then Mohinder simply kissed it away.
As far as Mohinder was concerned, they had all night to experiment. To explore one another, learning each other’s bodies and simply basking in the pleasure they had found with one another.
~~~~~~
Gabriel woke up before Mohinder did, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He rolled over and simply watched in amazement for a moment, drinking in the sight of Mohinder's sleeping form. He had one hand underneath his dark cheeks, a slight smile on his lips. He looked even more beautiful when resting.
Waking up to someone like Mohinder had been something he could only have imagined in his most private, locked away dreams.
He then went to make them both some breakfast, hoping Mohinder would appreciate the gesture. He wasn’t one for making elaborate breakfasts, but he managed to work his way around pancakes and sausage quite nicely.
He’d had an amazing night and it was soon completed by the breakfast smells that greeted him. He sat up as Gabriel came into the room, a plate and cup already set out on the tray in his hands.
“Don’t get up…”
Gabriel laid the tray out before him as Mohinder automatically adjusted himself to the gift.
"I'm flattered, Gabriel. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."
He was obviously pleased with Gabriel’s gesture.
“Really?”
Gabriel was filled with happiness to be the first one to serve Mohinder like this. He’d thought it cliché and as such assumed that someone had done it for Mohinder before.
Mohinder took a bite of the pancakes, chewed and smiled up at a nervous looking Gabriel. Mohinder found it endearing how nervous Gabriel seemed over the quality of his cooking.
"This is wonderful, thank you. Where's your own breakfast?"
Mohinder was frowning, as if scolding Gabriel.
"In the kitchen."
"Well, bring it in here and eat with me."
Mohinder leaned over to offer Gabriel a taste of his pancakes.
"You’re a good cook, you should be eating."
Gabriel nodded, smiling and blushing through the mouthful he accepted.
“Ok.”
After they’d eaten, Mohinder was the first one to get into Gabriel’s shower. While he did so, Gabriel just sat on his bed with a huge, dumb smile on his face. The night before had been the most incredible night of his life. He could only hope it had been even half as wonderful for Mohinder.
Steam followed the man as he walked out of the bathroom with merely a towel wrapped around his slender frame. Gabriel could do no more than stare at him, unable to tear his eyes away.
“What is it?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
Mohinder smirked before sitting down next to him, leaning against the wall of the bed. He reached his hand out and stroked Gabriel’s face absently, his eyes trailing his own movements. Mohinder wanted to admire what he had right now. Part of him felt as though it could fall apart at any second. He just wanted to cling to this moment, make it last as long as possible.
“Last night was perfect, by the way. Though, I don’t think I need to say that.”
Gabriel’s smile widened, nodding in agreement. Mohinder pulled his hand away before glancing at the clock. Nearly noon. He sighed loudly.
“I should be going soon though. My father will worry.”
"Alright."
Gabriel hated having to let go of Mohinder for the time being. Mohinder noticed his disappointment and leaned forward, cupping Gabriel’s chin in hand before planting a gentle but firm kiss against his lips.
"Don't worry you're not getting rid of me that easy.”
Mohinder grinned through his words, obviously teasing Gabriel. The kiss and Mohinder's words seemed to cheer Gabriel up a bit. He smiled.
"I hope not.”
~~~~~~
As Mohinder was walking towards the door of room 613, a girl was walking out. He recognized her as their new neighbor, Eden McCain. She spotted him and gave him a warm smile, one Mohinder returned.
“Hello, Mohinder. I was just giving your father some Mac and cheese I made since you two don’t seem to cook much. Just getting in?”
“Oh, I was at…a friend’s house.”
“You’ve already met someone in New York? That’s great! Well, I’m going to get going, I’ve got work and all. I’ll see you later, Mohinder.”
They said their goodbyes before Mohinder unlocked the apartment and stepped inside. Chandra was in the kitchen, standing up as he ate what was obviously Mac and cheese from a blue bowl. When he saw Mohinder, he put the bowl down, a frown on his face.
“Where were you?”
“I told you yesterday I was going to work with Gabriel. We ended up working late and I just slept on his couch.”
“Anything?”
“Uh, not anything in particular.”
Chandra shook his head, disappointed.
“Well, we have somewhere to go today. Isaac Mendez returned our call, he wants to see us.”
Mohinder beamed; excited at the prospect of really meeting someone with powers they could use as real proof of his father’s research. He still held hope of Gabriel’s potential, but until they happened, Mohinder and his father did need something of substance.
~~~~~~
“Isaac Mendez?”
“Yes, and you must be Chandra Suresh.”
When Isaac’s eyes fell on Mohinder, he paused for a second, as if he couldn’t believe he was standing there.
“And you are…?”
“Mohinder Suresh.”
Isaac nodded hesitantly before allowing the two into his loft. His hair was up in a bandana and he looked quite the mess, paint stains dotting his entire frame. Both men knew right then that Isaac was an artist.
The canvas laid out around them immediately intrigued Mohinder; they had a phenomenal pull to them. They weren’t exactly realistic paintings, more of a cartoon style to them, but the scenes depicted in them seemed to be happening in the here and now.
Isaac went straight to the point.
“Everything I paint happens. Earthquakes, bombings in Iraq, it’s like I can predict the future.”
“You believe you’re a precog then?”
“Yes, I do.”
“It is not impossible, you very well could be. We’ll need to do some tests to make sure…”
Isaac got impatient quickly; Mohinder could tell by the way he barely paid attention that he had something to say.
“Dr. Suresh, I painted you a few days ago.”
Isaac appeared uneasy as he pulled out a painting from a pile on his right, setting it up on an easel so it could be seen clearly.
There was a taxi with the same logo as the company Mohinder and his father worked for. Inside the vehicle was Chandra. He was slumped to the side of the driver’s seat, his head at a distorted, sickening angle. Behind him sat a shadowed figure.
Mohinder felt as though an anvil had been dropped down inside his stomach when he realized what the work of art portrayed. His father’s death by the hands of an unknown stranger, right in his own taxi. Mohinder blanched at the sight.
“You say all of your paintings come true?”
Isaac simply nodded, though Mohinder couldn’t see that. His eyes were glued to the image. He wanted to say Isaac was insane, but he’d drawn the perfect likeness of his father, face frozen in death without having ever met the man before today.
His father laughed. Mohinder knew Chandra didn’t want to believe it, but he was definitely disturbed by the image.
“I just wanted you to be aware. Maybe we can stop this. Together.”
Mohinder glanced at him, nodding.
“How about we meet tomorrow, either here or at our apartment so start the tests…And if you paint anything else in the meanwhile, please be sure to let us know.”
~~~~~~
Not two hours later and the phone rang.
“Mohinder?”
“Isaac? What is it?”
“I found another painting. A painting of you. I think you should come and see it. Come alone.”
He then hung up the phone and Mohinder was left with no choice but to go and see Isaac if he wanted more information.
“That was Isaac? What did he want?”
“He wanted to talk to me. I’ll only be out for a little while.”
He grabbed his coat by the door and set out, a troubling chill taking root in his spine.
~~~~~~
“I remembered it right when I saw you. It’s over here…I didn’t want to show it to you with your father here, so I waited.”
No wonder he’d looked at Mohinder so strangely when they’d first met. Mohinder followed him to the other room in his loft, anxious of what it was he was going to be shown. It had to be awful, since Isaac had asked for him and not his father.
His eyes fell on dark canvas and what was painted there made him hold his breath, his eyes wide, his feet nailed to the floor.
“It’s the same man, I know it is.”
In the painting was Gabriel. Well, what looked like Gabriel. He wore no glasses and the expression held in his eyes was clearly a deadly one and his stance screamed possession and control.
Mohinder was opposite of him, slammed up against a wall that was noticeably in his apartment. His eyes were fearful and watery. A hand was curled around his throat, another sliding down into his pants.
Blush crept across his face, but Isaac didn’t seem to notice or care. The artist wanted more details.
“Do you know him?”
Mohinder nodded, still fixated on the painting.
“But that can’t be him…He couldn’t do those things.”
The Gabriel he knew could never be capable of anything as horrific as the events illustrated by the painter. The thought of Gabriel being responsible for killing his father was almost too ludicrous to contemplate.
“I’m telling you, it is the same man in both paintings. If you know him, you need to stop him.”
Mohinder nodded absently before turning around and leaving without a word, even as Isaac called his name.
~~~~~~
Mohinder had slept with Gabriel because he’d liked him. He was quirky and sweet, holding an innocence that Mohinder had been quite attracted to. He hadn’t been lying to Gabriel when he said he was special.
If Gabriel truly was the man in those pictures, then Isaac was right. It was up to Mohinder to stop him. But how? He hardly thought Gabriel was capable of something so terrible anyways. Maybe it was because of the path he was on now.
Mohinder wasn’t sure if Gabriel had a power, but he still had hope since he was on his father’s list. But perhaps, that’s how Gabriel turned into what he was in those paintings. Unlocking his ability could drive him insane with power. Whatever his power was, it could just take over.
Mohinder suddenly knew what he had to do to stop the future from happening. He had to stop Gabriel from ever finding his ability, if he had one. If he didn’t, well, Mohinder didn’t want to take any chances when his father’s life was at stake.
Gabriel would never know the pain Mohinder would feel or what it was costing him inside to have to let him go, but if it was the only way to save his father’s life, then so be it.
~~~~~~
When his father was working, he called Gabriel up, planning on ending their peculiar friendship here and now. He played nervously with a string of hair, waiting for Gabriel to answer. When he did, his hand went to his side as he forced himself to speak.
“Gabriel, I need to talk to you.”
“Mohinder! No problem, I’ll come over to your apartment then. I want to see you anyways.”
There was a naïve sense of joy in Gabriel’s voice and Mohinder felt as though his heart were already rendered in two. He didn’t want to do this in person, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.
“Wa-”
Yet it was too late. The other man had already hung up.
~~~~~~
There was a knock on the door and Mohinder opened it to Gabriel. He was dressed in his usual attire of sweater vest and khakis complete with his glasses, but he had a huge grin on his face. Mohinder couldn’t help but be reminded of a happy little child.
Mohinder let him in and prepared himself to shatter the man’s heart. He’d been hoping not to do this in person, which was why their phone call had been so disappointing to him. This was going to hurt him as well. Now he had to keep a solid face, not just a stoic voice.
Gabriel was standing close to his father’s desk, looking around a bit before shooting a hopeful smile towards Mohinder, one that fell when he saw the sorrow in Mohinder’s eyes. Mohinder had thought of how to say this, he knew telling him they shouldn’t see each other anymore wouldn’t work.
Gabriel would ask too many questions and he wouldn’t accept it. He had to let him down without mercy, even if it killed him to do it. He wiped away any emotion on his face in merely a second.
“Gabriel…What we did yesterday was fun, but that’s it. You do know it didn’t mean anything, right? It was just sex.”
Gabriel was speechless; he just stared at Mohinder, hurt shining through every pore. Mohinder had to be playing with him. This was all some huge, nasty joke.
“B-but, Mohinder…You said I was special.”
Mohinder cocked his head, a small smile on his face as he put his all into destroying Gabriel Gray. He was sure he’d recuperate. He’d be fine after a month, no harm, no foul. He’d find someone different, someone better. But, Mohinder knew he’d never stop hating him.
“I lied. Oh, and I’ve done all the tests I can. You’re normal, so don’t bother coming back, there’s no reason to.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, shaking his head. He wouldn’t accept this.
“You said you wouldn’t give up.”
“It’s hopeless, Gabriel. You show no signs of having a power.”
Gabriel grabbed some of the folders off the desk, shaking them in Mohinder’s direction. He looked down at one, ripping the post-it off.
“This…Brian Davis. You think he has a power? And what will you do if he doesn’t show any signs? Just use him and toss him away like you are doing to me?”
Gabriel was getting angry. How could Mohinder do this to him? As he yelled at him, Mohinder saw a bit of what he’d been shown in the painting, a kind of unadulterated rage. But this would change it all, it had to. He had to believe he was doing what was right, that it would fix everything.
No matter his reasoning, he still felt despicable. This was more than cruel. Still, he closed off his emotions and kept at it.
“This is science, Gabriel. No one said it would be kind. Now, you should leave.”
Mohinder’s stomach twisted and fell as Gabriel flew past him and out the door, not saying a thing to him as he did so. When the door slammed shut, Mohinder steadied himself on a kitchen chair and lowered his head before succumbing to sobs.
~~~~~~
“He was screwing around with you from the beginning. He hurt you. We need to hurt him back, Gabriel. Tear him down for what he did.”
Gabriel didn’t know what to think. Mohinder had said he’d been lying, that it was all fake, just to get him into bed. But that made no sense; he’d seemed so sincere.
He’d been the first person to ask him on a date, the first person to look at him and not solely see a lowly watchmaker. He’d made him feel loved, important.
“It’s not your fault. He probably does that to every one he meets, he looks the type. He’s beautiful and intelligent, and knows it. He used you. We need to get him back.”
For the first time in his life, Gabriel wanted to harm someone. He wanted to pay Mohinder back for the pain he was putting him through, he wanted to make him feel the way he was, as though his still-beating heart had been torn out of his chest.
He looked down at the post it in his hand, a smirk stealing his lips.
The creature that had long been inside of Gabriel had finally found its crack in Gabriel’s defenses.
~~~~~~
The door to his shop rang open and for a split second Gabriel hoped it was Mohinder, but when he turned and looked, reality hit him like a hammer. It was a mousy looking man who looked as though he, not Gabriel, belonged working in a watch shop.
“Yes?”
“Uh, I’m Brian Davis. You called me.”
Gabriel suddenly remembered. He took off his glasses and stood up from his desk.
“I’m Gabriel…”
He looked down at the watch he was working on, the white writing as big as life.
“Gabriel Sylar.”
~~~~~~
The creature had a name. It had control. Everything it’d been waiting for was in his grasp. He’d promised Gabriel one thing, though. He’d get him his revenge.
The first person to go was the closest person to Mohinder Suresh. His father. The man who had also wriggled hope under Gabriel’s nose before snatching it away.
He tracked Chandra down, he waited for him in his taxi and then he murdered him. All it took was a few swift movements to break the man’s neck and it was all over.
Blood from where the old man’s head had cracked into the glass defenses meant to keep predators like him out dripped off his fingertips as he walked away from the scene. He was unafraid of anyone catching him; he’d disappear within a day or so. Even if he was caught, no one could stop him now.
He had dominion over so much power. He could murder a person walking across the street from him; one effortless thought and they would no longer be able to breath in oxygen. It was as simple as that. He was the ultimate end of evolution, meant solely to wipe out the weakness in the world.
He had to set things right with Mohinder and what better way to do that than deliver the news of his father's death in person.
~~~~~~
Mohinder had heard nothing from Gabriel in the past few days and he hoped never to again. He still felt terrible about what he’d done. Hurting him like that had been wrong, even if it’d been the only option to save his father and himself and to stop Gabriel from turning into a monster.
He was sitting down on his couch, reading a book to help keep his mind from Gabriel. It kept going back to him though, scolding Mohinder for his coldness. He heard the door open and he thought nothing of it, it was just his father arriving home from work.
“Mohinder.”
Mohinder looked up from his book quickly, his heart quickening. He looked in the direction of the door, where a black clothed Gabriel stood. But it wasn’t Gabriel; it was what he’d seen in that painting.
No glasses, no sweater vests. This was a completely different person.
Mohinder stood up hastily, wide-eyed and scared.
“Gabriel. What are you doing here?”
Gabriel chuckled darkly at him. He shook his head.
“No, it’s not Gabriel anymore. My name is Sylar. I thought you’d want to know I have just come from killing your father.”
Sylar, not Gabriel. What had happened to him? And his father was dead…Killed by the man who was in front of him now as well as the one Isaac’s prophetic hand had depicted. Mohinder’s let out a hyperventilated breath.
“No…No, this wasn’t supposed to happen!”
Sylar wasn’t really sure what he was talking about, but understand what Mohinder was saying wasn’t forefront on his mind.
“It would have one day. You know, I’ve been waiting to take over Gabriel’s body for a while now. You gave me the opportunity I needed.”
Sylar was stalking forward, pressuring Mohinder into the wall behind him. He reached a hand out, tracing Mohinder’s jaw line.
“I have you to thank for my release.”
With a burst of courage, Mohinder shoved his hand away and threw as much of a punch as he could with their proximity, one that connected with a crack. He’d probably hurt his own knuckles more than Sylar’s face in the foolish attack.
Using Sylar’s instant of surprise, Mohinder attempted to move past him. Sylar’s hand went to his chest and pushed him back forcefully, his back hitting the wall with a slight thud.
Sylar ignored the pang in his cheek, not caring about the bruise that would probably form there. Sylar didn’t remove his hand as he leaned in close to Mohinder until their faces were barely an inch apart. He put his lips a second away from Mohinder’s own.
Mohinder was frozen; he could only stare into Sylar’s half lidded eyes.
“When I first saw you, I knew I had to have you. Your beautiful dark grace, your untouched potential. I wanted to cage you. I wanted to be the only one to taste these sweet lips of yours…”
Sylar tugged at Mohinder’s lower lip, sliding his knee in between Mohinder’s legs, spreading them ever so slightly apart without any struggle.
“Not the way Gabriel longed for you. Not sweetly, not innocently. I want to own you.”
At that word, Sylar grinded his knee painfully into Mohinder’s groin. Mohinder cried out.
“Shhh, don’t worry, I won’t hurt you permanently. I don’t want you to break yet.”
Mohinder’s paralyzing fear finally changed, anger taking over.
“Why, Gabriel?”
Sylar’s eyes turned feral, his lips creasing into a frown.
“I told you, it’s Sylar now. I don’t want to hear that pathetic name…”
“It’s your name, Gabriel. You can’t just become someone else when something goes wrong.”
“Oh, but I can Mohinder. I did…I am.”
Sylar didn’t feel like taking the time to explain to Mohinder that he wasn’t Gabriel, that he was someone else who’d been there all along. That he’d been biding his time until he was able to break through the thin barriers of Gabriel Gray’s sanity and make himself real.
He instead decided to get on with what he wanted to do. He wouldn’t answer any more questions. Mohinder’s opened his mouth to speak but strong fingers fastened around his throat, silencing him.
Mohinder gaped, taking in a large breath before he was unable to take another, already beginning to choke. Sylar loosened his hold a bit; he didn’t want Mohinder passing out on him just yet.
He sneaked his free hand underneath Mohinder’s shirt, feeling his taut stomach, relishing the shudder of Mohinder’s body. He traveled beneath the cloth barriers to Mohinder’s groin, grasping him tightly, smiling as Mohinder winced, letting out a gasp of both pleasure and pain.
His movements were soothing Sylar’s earlier violence, even if Sylar didn’t much care if Mohinder enjoyed this. He’d come here to declare him his property, that was all. He wasn’t here to make the other man happy. He simply wanted to see the look on his face when he violated him this intimately.
“Don’t touch me!”
Mohinder’s voice was a low hiss, the only way he could speak with Sylar’s hand wrapped around his throat. This was his attempt at sounding bold and it just made Sylar laugh. He released his hold on Mohinder’s elegantly long neck. It was time to really start having some fun with his little catalyst.
Unseen fingers ran down Mohinder’s spine and raked across his groin. The Indian closed his eyes to the somehow warm but empty touch. But how was this happening? The touches felt like puffs of air, but there was a pressure to it that was unreal.
This had to be his powers, whatever it was. Somehow Gabriel, no Sylar, had unlocked them. Was it because of the suffering he’d put the man through? Was that what triggered them? Mohinder knew he’d made the wrong decision. He’d tried to do the right thing, but he’d gotten it all wrong.
Suddenly, those invisible fingers were stretching him; somewhere he’d never been touched before. Seeing past the pain Mohinder knew he was only preparing him to increase his suffering. He was using no lube or liquid of any kind to make this easier. Mohinder again attempted to scramble away, his finger nails digging into Sylar’s flesh.
Tears sprung into Mohinder’s eyes. He panted out another plea for Sylar to stop. Sylar paid no mind to him as he yanked down his pants and boxers with his mind. The cold air brushed against Mohinder’s heated groin, his arousal increasing. He struggled against him and the emotions flooding him, the collective tears falling.
“Please, stop, don’t do this.”
His voice was ceased with a squeeze to his vocal cords, causing him to gasp for breath.
“Don’t speak unless I tell you to.”
Sylar flipped Mohinder around, the grip on his throat vanished replaced by smooth lips. Sylar pushed Mohinder into the wall, his forehead resting on the wall to stop his face from being smashed into it, his hands on either side of his head.
Something held Mohinder fast to the wall; he was unable to move even an inch.
Those imperceptible fingers were still leaving a trail across his body, still pulling him so mercilessly. How could Gabriel let this be done to him? Where was the man he’d fallen in love with? His disappearance was Mohinder’s own fault. Everything he touched would eventually crumble. He knew that now.
Mohinder felt hopeless. Everything was falling apart. He’d tried to prevent the future, but it happened anyways. His father was dead and Gabriel had become this monster. A quick bite into Mohinder’s neck brought him back to full concentration.
Tangible fingertips graced his back, down past the curve of his ass to move in between his thighs, caressing the warm skin. Mohinder heard a zipper being yanked and a rustling of clothes. The ethereal touches vanished, quickly replaced by a blinding pain as Sylar buried himself inside of Mohinder without hesitation.
Mohinder released an anguished whine, gritting his teeth to stifle the noises. Sylar moved against him, skin on skin, cloth on cloth, a wavering breath the sole sign of the killer’s utmost pleasure.
Mohinder’s nails bit into the wall beside his head. He tried to focus on the ache located there instead of elsewhere. Sylar refused to let his attentions wander.
His hands coiled around Mohinder’s waist, the other on his chin to force him away from the wall to face him. He kissed Mohinder, his kiss greedy and aggressive. Mohinder knew Sylar would never let him go. The man owned him, just as he’d said before.
Sylar’s sharp teeth bit into his lips, tearing into them in order to lap up the blood as he used Mohinder’s body as a mere demonstration of his newfound power, thrusting more roughly with every passing moment.
Sylar came with a groan, Mohinder echoing it with a whimper of defeat. Sylar pulled out of him, leaving behind only the ghostly remnants of his violation
Mohinder slid to his knees, curling against the wall in a broken ball. Every nerve was on fire, like he was being poked with a thousand needles. He could feel blood dribble down his thighs. The excruciating pain went in time with his heartbeat, a faint backdrop to his crimson tinted world.
Everything that had taken place in the past few days had fallen down to this single moment of violence and hate and there was nothing he could do to take it all back, no way to change the past.
Now he had to worry about his future.
Mohinder loathed to look Sylar in the eyes, so he kept them trained on the ground, his arms hugged around his shoulders in a symbol of protection.
“What now?”
Sylar shuffled on his clothes, Mohinder could almost hear his lips twist into a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m not done with you yet. But first I’m going to need that list of your father’s, Mohinder.”
A horrified expression took over Mohinder’s face. That list had the name of every talented person he’d been able to find. If Sylar had them, he would have access to their very lives.
Mohinder didn’t know what Sylar was capable of, but he did know he was a murderer and to give the location of so many people to a sociopath was not a good idea.
“Why?”
Sylar smirked.
“You’ll see.”
X-Crossed to mylar_fic and heroes_slash