Emo Bear
Title: Emo Bear
Author: kanedax
Fandom: Heroes
Spoilers: post-“Powerless”
Characters: Claire & Lyle Bennet
Rating: PG-13 for language and icky discussion
Notes: For
trollprincess’s T-Shirt Fanfiction Challenge. I was assigned this t-shirt (picture here).
I don’t own these characters. They belong to NBC.
Claire Bennet stared out the window into the dark Texas night, absently tapping her mechanical pencil against the open notebook. She knew she should be focusing on her homework, but she just...
Mom had received a phone call that afternoon from Union Wells. Claire's grades had been... Well, slipping was the nice way of putting it. Freefalling and slowly burning up upon re-entry was more accurate. Ever since the Bennets had returned to Odessa (one of the conditions brought upon by Primatech in order to keep Noah Bennet's family in line), ever since Claire was forced to return to the school that had been the home of so much pain, so much death... well, of course she was having problems focusing on something like trigonometry.
Mom understood, of course. If she had gotten that call two years ago Claire would currently be sitting in her room, her cell phone confiscated until she returned to the kitchen to show Mr. Muggles her completed homework.
But things were different now. They all knew it. That’s why, instead of being sequestered, Claire was currently sitting in the living room, the television mumbling quietly while Lyle lay on the couch playing video games. She still had to do her homework, of course. But this was nice…
I have to go away for a bit, Claire Bear, Dad had said to her three days ago. I wish I could tell you where, but you know I can’t…
Of course, Claire had said. She had gone through enough in the past month. She had seen her Dad take a bullet straight to the eye, only to see him walk through their door without a scratch on him.
She knew that her blood had something to do with that. Just like she knew that Noah Bennet still be dead of Primatech didn’t want him alive. As much as she hated to admit it, they now held something over her. Her dad’s life was theirs, and she wouldn’t dare to risk losing him again. None of them would.
So she kept her mouth shut. Didn’t ask any questions. Didn’t hang the chimes outside of her window, didn’t call Peter to see if he knew anything that she didn’t.
Of course, Peter had plenty on his plate already, what with his brother, Claire’s biological father, getting “assassinated” and all…
So Claire Bennet played the good little girl. Because she knew she’d get the opportunity to make herself heard again.
In the meantime, she sat quietly in the living room of their new, strange house outside of Odessa, staring out the window into the dark street. The Bennets had obviously had to find somewhere more inhabitable upon their return after Fallout Boy turned their old house into a nuclear waste dump.
They had expected questions when they returned. People giving Claire and Lyle odd glances when they returned to school. But there weren’t any. Primatech had done a good job cleaning up the mess that the Bennets had caused in the town. Anyone who wanted to ask questions had them answered promptly and efficiently. Anyone who kept asking probably got a visit from The Haitian or someone like him. Somehow Claire doubted that he was the only one on Primatech’s payroll with the power to alter memories.
“I doubt he’s coming.”
“Huh?” Claire said, pulling herself back to reality as she snapped her head away from the window.
“You keep staring out the window,” Lyle said, never pulling his eyes from his Game Boy. “All mopey-eyed and shit.”
“So?” Claire replied. “This homework sucks.” As if to explain her point, she raised her notebook, which was covered with countless doodles.
“Uh huh,” Lyle said slowly, scanning the page. “See? I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“You have a lot of little flying stick figures.”
Shit, Claire mentally snapped, pulling the notebook away. “So what?”
“So you miss him,” said Lyle. “But you know he’s not coming.”
“You don’t know that,” Claire said, chiding herself for falling into her little brother’s trap. “Besides, since when did you get all insightful?”
“Since I’m bored,” said Lyle, returning to his game.
“Whatever,” Claire grumbled, returning to her homework. She vainly read the next problem before giving it up as a lost cause. “Besides, who says that he can’t come here? He can fly, you know.”
“Whatever,” Lyle mirrored. “But don’t worry, Claire Bear. You’ll find another emo boy to replace him soon enough.”
“Emo boy?” Claire asked with a raised eyebrow. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“What, isn’t that your type?” said Lyle. “Black hair, bangs hanging over the eyes, sad ‘I’m so in alone and in pain’ type?”
“Not at all,” said Claire, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“Well, what about Zach?”
“What about him?”
“He’s emo.”
“And he’s gay?”
“Probably didn’t stop you from wanting him to ask you out, though, did it?” Lyle said with a mischievous smirk.
“Well, that’s beside the point!” Claire protested.
“No, actually, I thought it’s exactly the point,” said Lyle, setting his game aside in the rare opportunity to torment his sister. “And what about Peter?”
“You mean my uncle?” Claire said with a look of disgust.
“Oh, please,” said Lyle, putting his feet up. “Before you found out you two were related you were fawning all over him. You couldn’t stop talking about him, I remember that even after I got my memory erased.”
“Yes, that was before,” Claire said carefully. “Which is different than now, when we’re related.”
“Yeah, whatever,” said Lyle. “Doesn’t stop you from talking about him all googly…”
“Cram it, Lyle…”
“Oh, Peter!” Lyle said in a crackling falsetto, clutching his hands to his bosom. “You’re, like, totally my hero!”
“Don’t make me break your Game Boy over your head,” Claire said through clenched teeth.
“Don’t make me cut your hand off,” Lyle retorted. “And it’s a Nintendo DS.”
“Same thing.”
“Completely different, and beside my point. It’s totally obvious that you’re in some weird family there, Claire.”
“Says my little brother,” Claire said sweetly.
“Adopted brother,” said Lyle. “I mean, look at Wes…”
“West.”
“Whatever,” Lyle said, waving her off. “Isn’t it obvious that he’s your brother?”
“That’s disgusting,” said Claire, leaning forward, “And if you even continue that line of conversation…”
“He can fly,” said Lyle. “So can your real dad. Isn’t that a bit too much of a coincidence?”
“No,” said Claire with a shrug. “So what if they can both fly? My dad can fly, and my mom can make fire. And last time I checked I can’t do either of those things.”
“But doesn’t not make it a possibility.”
“And he’s my age?”
“Twins!”
“Jackass,” Claire snarled, falling back against the chair.
“I live to serve,” said Lyle with a deep bow. “But, okay, weird incest thing aside… Zach equals emo. Peter equals emo. West equals emo. Claire looooooves emo.”
“Whatever you say, Lyle,” Claire said with a roll of her eyes.
Lyle smiled with triumph, then picked up the phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“Dad,” Lyle said, dialing a number.
“You can’t call him!” Claire said. “He’s… Look, Lyle, I don’t want anything to happen.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen,” said Lyle, putting the phone to his ear. “I just have an idea for a present for you, is all.”
“What?” Claire said flatly.
“A new bear for your collection,” said Lyle with a shrug. “I hear there’s a new Care Bear on the market. Mopes-A-Lot, the Emo Bear.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t!” Claire said, jumping at Lyle, who darted away, phone pressed to his ear.
“Oh, but he’s the cutest thing!” Lyle cried. “He’s gray with a broken heart on his chest and a big black bang hanging over one eye. Just the thing for you to snuggle up with at night.”
“Lyle!” Claire yelled. “Give me that phone!”
“I think his ear’s gauged, too,” said Lyle, nimbly darting away. “But that might just be the limited edition.”
“Give me the phone!”
“It’s riiiinging!” he sang.
“What’s the big deal, anyway?” she said quickly. “So what if that’s the kind of guy I like? I’ve seen your bookmarks.”
Lyle paused, glaring at his sister.
“Sure,” said Claire, leaning against the back of the sofa. “I’m sure Mom would love to hear about those Suicide Girls pages you’ve been looking at when everyone else is asleep.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said, his eyes narrowing.
“Hang up the phone…” she threatened.
Lyle glared at his sister, then clicked the receiver back down on its cradle.
“Not like I was calling him, anyway,” said Lyle dejectedly as he fell back down on the couch. “It was the pizza delivery place.”
“Well, either or,” Claire said with a smile. “I’m sure they would love to hear your obsession with The Girls of Roller Derby, too.”
“You’re not my sister,” Lyle said, sticking out his tongue before returning to his game.
“And you’re not my brother,” Claire rebutted, just like she always did to their regular jibe, picking up her pencil to continue her homework.
But once again Claire Bennet found herself staring out the window, waiting for someone. Waiting to hear from her Dad, to see him pull in with his new SUV.
Waiting for some sort of breaking news report on TV about her biological father.
Or waiting for an emo boy to land on their front driveway.
Waiting for answers.