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How Many Angels

Summary:

The inevitable is given a "valid" reason to commence when the government enacts roundup #2 thanks to Claire's exposure of hyperabled people. Allies turn enemy, enemies turn to allies, and boundaries cross and blur in the wake of her actions.

Can Peter prevent the future he saw for Claire or is her path to darkness destined? And is there such a thing as "beyond redemption" for anyone willing to sincerely seek it? Answers will come, bringing new questions and revelations. Some old understandings will be revised while others are renewed.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes or any of the preexisting characters.

This story is a canon continuation for the original.

Chapter 1: Private Tutoring

Summary:

Sylar teaches Claire a lesson. Her headstrong naïvety of thinking being indestructible means she can't get hurt gets under his skin. He decides that she needs to learn (the hard way), exactly what everyone is always trying to protect her from.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

Private Tutoring

He stands, eyeing her every movement no matter how minute. She halts her pacing to round on him.

"Let me out of here!" Her shout echos.

"That would defeat the purpose," he taunts. Grunting in frustration, her pacing resumes before trying again. She makes her way toward him.

"Let me out of here." A fearless demand as she stops directly in front of him, looking straight up into his face. He stands to his full height and crosses his arms. He presents this as a stance of resistance, an imposing unspoken 'No.' The reality is he's restraining himself.

"I should be out there. I could be helping! I could be… useful." The last word is unintentionally honest and he can suddenly see what the constant coddling has born within. Her insecurity just put her vulnerability on full display as she looked directly into his eyes, desperately trying to sway him. She accidently showed him a deep look into herself and seeing the begging, quiet desperation, in those big green eyes, triggered his predatory instincts. His nails dig into his bicep. Leaning closer to her face he locks her gaze.

"It's not safe, Claire." He cooley replies with a brief pause before her name, saying it with only the slightest inflection.

She held his gaze for a minute longer, silently insisting and searching for anything to hint he might relent. She lets out a grunt that grows in volume as she turns on heel and storms away.

He stands again, seemingly rooted to his post in front of the dean's door.

"What does that even mean‽ It's not safe. I don't need to be protected! Why can't I help everyone else? I want to be a hero too!"

Finding himself caught somewhere between the annoyance of having to repeat himself and the wave of sensations her righteous indignation is sending through him, his nails dig in deeper. Lowering his head slightly to look at her through his brow he speaks in a lower octave and volume. The effect is immediately ominous.

"It. Isn't. Safe... ... Claire." The added emphasis on each word comes out like a command with the very clear subtext of 'I won't tell you again.' All words but her name, that is. Speaking it was a reminder of the situation he found himself in and who he was talking to, protecting, and locked in a room alone with. It came out as a near whisper with a hint of desire. She scoffs.

"I don't need to be protected! Especially not by you!" She emptied all her disdain into the reference of him and sized him up with as much disgust as she could muster. His nails dug deeper still as his jaw sets. He knew he was about to lose his white knuckle grip on control and he was starting to feel like she deserved it. She could see she was angering him, but didn't care. After all, she had nothing to fear. It's not like he could hurt her.

"You know better than anyone what my ability is capable of, and thanks to you, I can't feel pain anymore! So what the Hell do I need to be protected from‽"

Me, for starters.

The thought intruded.

"I'm a freak! And instead of being allowed to do the one thing that could make me feel like that's ok and help save people, I just get treated like I'm some kind of china doll!"

She was becoming dangerously angry for present company as she shouted louder and louder.

"The sickest joke of all is claiming everyone is trying to keep me safe by locking me into a room with the one person that wants to hurt me the most!" This slightly calmed him as he knew why she'd think that but needed to correct her.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have." Though he was attempting to be sincere, the predatory edge and the reveling in how much he likes causing others pain made the statement come out in his most dangerous tone yet.

"YOU ALREADY HAVE!" He looked away as if remembering.

"As I recall, I turned off your pain receptors so that I couldn't hurt you physically. Not I, or anyone else. You're welcome."  Her eyes widened. She'd suspected that he did do something and even accused him but the confirmation gave her new anger mixed with strange hope.

"You admit it," she said in disbelief.

"You did something to me, while you were..." She stared accusingly then averted her eyes as she realized exactly who she was talking to and thought it best not to try describing it as she believed that would spare her from feeling violated.

Never take your eyes off a predator waiting to pounce.

Instinct took over and he was on her before she could even realize he'd moved. Standing invasively close but not touching her, she felt and heard him inhale her scent in an upward movement, exhaling just as deeply into her ear. The sudden warmth of his breath on her skin sent shivers down her spine.

"Inside you," he finished for her.

Whatever violation she'd attempted to avoid was infinitely compounded as his whispered words carried the weight of his transgression. Her face flushed completely realizing his innuendo and couldn't deny that he had, in fact, been inside her. She quickly turned to create as much space as she could with him now standing in the center of the room.

A self-satisfied smirk began creeping up his face as he looked back upon his favorite attack with a new perspective and fondness. Still angry and not wanting to feel even more helpless than she already did before this development, she started again.

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of anyone or anything! I CAN'T BE HURT!" This proclamation snapped him out of his reminiscence and a new found wave of anger washed over him as he realized something important and dangerous.

Stupid girl.

"You naïve little girl! You're mistaking indestructible for invulnerable."  At this he mentally slammed her into the wall behind her, directly at eye level, and was once again standing before her. Looking into her eyes made her sink into the unsettling depths of his. The bottomless darkness of his soul was threatening to consume her.

"I thought I'd already done this once but apparently I overestimated bio mom's significance, so I'll have to try a different approach. I think it's time you learned a valuable lesson… in pain."

With this, he lifted her higher up the wall and slammed her down onto the floor behind him with such speed and force it cracked and several of her bones broke from the impact.

He removed the telekinesis long enough to let her body bounce up before slamming it back down again. Claire spluttered and gasped from the wind being knocked out of her. He slammed his palm into the ground as he lowered himself and began slowly crawling over her. Every movement was deliberate and powerful as he slammed his hands to punctuate each. The impression was that of a panther looming over a rabbit. Once his face was directly over hers, he spoke.

"I thought you'd have learned this by now from Doyle..." 

The name dripped with jealous rage at someone playing with what was rightfully his, but was calmed by the reminder that he'd already beaten him, twice.

"... and Brody." He did feel irritation at the fact someone nearly successfully raped her and had even managed to kill her but he felt more proud of her vengeance. 

That's my girl.

"Though," Another revelation.

"The bumbling jock didn't actually accomplish what he set out to, seeing as he accidently killed you, which spared you a fate worse than death..." Gears started clicking as he trailed off. More evidence of what needed to be done. He wasn't liking this but his power was never wrong. 

He looked back down at her, forgetting what he was trying to do, and felt himself slipping. His eyes slightly softened as discipline was replaced by desire. The breath caught in his throat as he tried to swallow the temptation away. She looked so small and innocent beneath him. He wanted to be sweet and tender, replacing all her misery with meaning. He wanted to desecrate her angelic visage until she was as soiled as he.

The kiss came quickly and with an overwhelming urgency as his left hand met her ribs and slid down, making its way to her outer thigh. There was a firmness to his caress and upon reaching her thigh he squeezed it once before moving slightly up and squeezing her hip allowing his thumb to dip into her pelvis, gripping the bone. Here he held for a bit longer and his kiss became more passionate as the pleasure of touching her started making his head swim.

His hand slid up the rest of her body before cradling her cheek, jaw, and neck. The moment he did this, he stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes. The defiance he saw there only spurred him on. The second wave came crashing over her as he kissed her while gently but firmly holding her face and neck. The warmth radiating from his large body began overheating her and her brain noted, very briefly, that it felt good, before she remembered who this is and felt disgust once again.

His kissing slowed as he wrestled back control remembering that there was a purpose to this and (much to his dismay), it wasn't getting what he wanted. He looked at her again and felt more doubt and discomfort. His hesitation must have shown in his face because she laughed at him. The sound instantly put him on guard.

"I'm sorry. I must have missed the joke," he said in a razor-like voice.

"The joke is you!" His eyes instantly hardened and began to darken.

"Gabriel," she mocked.

"Sylar," she added venom.

"You don't even know who you are! You pretend that Sylar is this manifestation of your power but I bet he was always there. Lurking around the edges of your mind every time a pretty girl made you feel unwanted, every time a bully beat you, every time Mommy didn't make you feel special and loved. You were just waiting for an excuse because you felt too weak to get revenge! But as soon as you got power you became a monster, and that's pathetic!"

He lowered his head and she could feel herself vibrating from the parts of his body touching hers because he was shaking. She felt she might have gone too far until she heard it. The laugh was barely audible and somehow dangerous.

"Thank you..." The words were suffocatingly hollow. His head reared up to the right then directly at her. She physically saw Sylar take over what she realized too late was Gabriel.

"... for making this easier!" He was a man possessed and she felt a shock of fear before reminding herself.

He can't hurt me.

His next contact with her was an assault on her senses. He dove in for a violent kiss as he began caressing every part of her he could reach with both hands. She felt the full weight of him press her further into the floor as he lay atop her. At some point she stopped trying to jerk her head away because there were too many things happening and she couldn't concentrate on anything. He was ensnaring her with his expert and calculated onslaught. Every time she felt like she was getting used to his movements enough to fight back, he switched positions, as if reading her thoughts. In fact, he was doing the closest thing he could. Between his natural ability and Lydia's desire detection, he was more than able to read when she was feeling less overwhelmed and would start anew. This was a war and he was going to win.

She was right about one thing. He hated the popular girls that made him feel unwanted and being a former cheerleader that just deliberately tried to make him feel small meant that she was going to pay for the sins of them all. He was relentless. She couldn't breathe between the intensity of his attack and the kissing. As if realizing she couldn't breathe well he suddenly looked up and paused just long enough for her to think he might be done. He shoved his face into her shoulder and licked one long languid stroke from her collar bone, up behind her ear. An involuntary moan came out from the new sensation and she felt herself blush with annoyance. She wasn't enjoying this and felt impatient wondering how much longer this was going to last.

It's not like you can hurt me, so just get it over with already.

The sound damned any attempt he might have had at regaining control as it reverberated in his ears and, though she could lie to herself, his abilities made it abundantly clear that to some degree her body was enjoying this even if she wasn't. He smirked viciously upon seeing her flushed cheeks and lingered long enough for her to see it before plunging into her neck and biting it savagely. He made a grand show of doing his best vampire impression as she started to bleed and he began to suck. He had understood something about her inability to feel pain that she didn't and he was about to prove it. He was fervently groping her once again. The intensity of the bite coupled with the other sensations made her brain form a new neural pathway to process it. It hurt... so good. Claire let out a gasp followed by a moan as the ability to feel pain again overwhelmed her and flooded her mind in dopamine. He was drowning her in ecstasy and he knew it.

One hand moved under her jaw as he stopped sucking the wound, jerking her head in his direction as he went. Before she could register his actions he kissed her again, this time using his puppetry to open her mouth and shoving his tongue in. She could taste her blood in his mouth and felt something stir. His right hand slid down her left arm until it found her wrist and brought it crashing down above her head. Not letting go of his grip on her face he used telekinesis to do the same to her right and pinned them both within his massive hand. Again she felt a twinge of excitement that betrayed her and again he knew.

He suddenly thrust against her and waited as he read her response. She'd never gotten this far with anyone else and didn't know how to feel about being humped. Feeling her mind's indecision he did it again and decided to keep a steady rhythm so as to mirror sex. This should have sent off warning signals all in her brain as the situation became more real. Still nothing. Growling in frustration, he reared up again and glared at her. 

Why isn't she trying to stop me? I don't want to go further. She should have been scared enough to learn by now. She doesn't want this, does she? No. It's something else.

"What's wrong with you‽" His tone was demanding but he was curious. He stared into her with his ability and asked his next question so that the answer would make itself known.

"Why aren't you scared?" She answered honestly, and his power confirmed it.

"You won't," was all she said. His eyes narrowed.

"And what exactly gives you that impression in light of the current circumstances?"

"If you were going to rape me you'd have done so long ago. You've had plenty of chances. You don't want me. You just get off on scaring me and I refuse to give you the satisfaction. You'll soon get bored, like always, and stop. Furthermore, you don't like touching me. There's this hesitation like you're doing something repulsive. I've actually thought for a while now that you might be gay because of it. Lastly, you're shaking. That doesn't exactly scream confidence in one's actions. It confirms what I already knew. You don't want to do this. You don't want me, at least, not like that. I think you want me like a cat craves a mouse. I'm just something you like to toy with when you're bored and the only reason you haven't killed me is that you can't, which is likely why you love to play with me." Her absolute certainty infuriated him. She was right but for all the wrong reasons.

Stupid girl.

Her lecture had given him time to collect himself and solving her like a puzzle gave clarity. He was thinking clearly again. He leaned forward and lowered himself so that he was resting on top of her with his face directly over hers, cradled in his hand. The casualness of his demeanor was so incongruous to what he'd been doing that it reminded her of how utterly unpredictable he was. It unintentionally confirmed her suspicion that he had only been playing with her.

"Let's set some things straight, shall we. 1: It's foolish to mistake restraint for nobility. Someone not doing something when they have the opportunity in no way suggests they never will. Maybe I find that kind of thing deplorable. Maybe I respect you and am waiting until you want me too. I can literally wait forever. Or maybe I've been biding my time and the toying is in building it up until I finally do claim you." He emphasized "claim" with a pelvic thrust.

"2: You're the only gay one in the room. Nothing against it, it's just not something I crave, but in a few hundred years, who knows. I'm not opposed to the idea, it's just not something I want to explore at present. 3: What would a virgin know about sexual body language?" He quirked an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"There are many reasons a body shakes. Fear, disgust, anger..." The word was waxed with relatability.

"... and..." He took her in and allowed the hunger to fill his eyes once again. Leaning closer, he brushed his lips against hers and then caressed her nose with his before locking eyes with her to show her his insatiable appetite.

"... excitement. I started shaking because you pissed me off and after that, slowly my body could no longer contain my eager anticipation. You silly little girl."

He lowered his head as if dejected and the air around him shifted as he sighed. She found this alarming. His emotions could affect the very atmosphere of the room.

"It's true..." He picked his head back up to look at her, his eyes were deep pools of sadness, regret, and longing. He was showing her vulnerability and it set her skin on edge.

"I don't want to do this. Not like this, at least." There was another sigh and he looked as though he might cry.

"I just don't see any other way. I've been searching and keep coming back to it. My ability is never wrong. Its very nature is understanding how things work. Everything is saying you're only going to learn the hard way." The double meaning wasn't lost on him but he couldn't bring himself to smile. He brought the back of his left hand to her cheek and caressed it gently. His fingers opened and stretched across her face as they moved back and weaved their way into her hair until he was cradling her head.

"You were right about one thing, but so very wrong about another." He once again lowered his face to hers, this time at an alarmingly slow pace. Scanning her features once again, there was a new emotion showing through that she recognized but refused to acknowledge. Looking into his eyes made it even harder to ignore.

"I do want you, Claire." He continued to come closer at that torturously slow rate.

"I want you more than I've ever wanted anything." As his eyes drifted closed and she felt hers joining him. The look in them paired with this slowness was hypnotic.

When their lips met, she didn't kiss him back, but she didn't resist him either. For the first time ever, she allowed him to kiss her. The kiss was the most gentle and brief she'd ever had. Instead of the usual revulsion she felt when he touched her, or the intense and hot feelings she got kissing someone she wanted, there was yet another new sensation. Down in her toes and rising up, she started to feel it building, as gently and slowly as his touch.

Though he only kissed them once for 3.5 seconds (he was timing it), she could still feel his lips there, as though they left an impression. He moved leftward as he went. Next was the corner of her mouth, then her chin, jaw, and serval down her neck. Each one exactly three and a half seconds with an equivalent pause as he lingered over the next spot. Something about this new approach was scaring her. She couldn't understand why, but his tenderness was terrifying. She wanted nothing more than to escape, yet, even though he hadn't been restraining her for quite some time so couldn't bring herself to move. He was a vile monster that tormented her for years. Her very own boogie man. So why did this feel so right?

She refused. Steeling her mind, she tried shutting him out. It nearly worked until his kissing reached the collar of her shirt and he delicately dragged his finger halfway down the center of it, cutting it open with his mind. Even though she wouldn't feel it, he cut it with expert precision and didn't even leave a scratch. It was only in this moment that she grasped how in control he was. Not only of his multitudinous abilities but also this situation. Why was being so sweet and delicate making her feel more helpless by the second?

She flinched when she felt the tips of his fingers slide under her shirt until his palm lay flat on her stomach and pushed up to reveal her abdomen. So far, he'd never once touched her covered flesh and this sudden invasion of space made every muscle in her body tense. He stopped kissing her momentarily as he shifted his body. Moving his caressing hand to support himself, he lowered to her stomach and kissed right on the edge of her pants at the same pace.

Before the next kiss he looked up at her through his lashes and even though it was the same soft gaze, it pierced right through her. Her abs twitched involuntarily at the sight. He kissed again and moved on without looking. After the third kiss, he looked up at her once more, and again the muscles nearest his lips twitched. As he resumed she could feel a smirk dancing along the edge of his mouth but not form.

Grabbing the bottom of her shirt with his teeth, he meticulously pulled up, caressing her diaphragm with his nose as he went. It was only when he slowly used his telekinesis to slide the right side open that she realized he'd cut the shirt completely, having finished the job with his teeth.

Right... He's actually doing those things with his mind. I guess he doesn't have to use hand gestures. Maybe he just likes to…

Her musing was interrupted as he gently removed the hand under her head and sat up. He hesitated before moving the left side of her shirt with a wave of his left hand. He surveyed her now exposed torso with awe and appreciation. Her breath hitched, realizing he was the first person to ever see her in a bra in a sexual situation. When he looked into her eyes, though his were still kind, there was a question now visible. 'Do you want me to stop?'

She didn't need to hear it to know. She didn't want to dignify it with a response.

Why bother? He won't do it, anyway. He's bluffing.

She realized this was the longest she'd ever gone without hearing his voice in his company. He was always loquacious around her. She found herself missing it in this all encompassing silence.

Her head felt cold where his hand had been. Again her body demanded something treacherous as it yearned to feel his warmth return. He took her silence as an answer and continued, though she swore he looked disappointed. Without breaking eye contact he placed his right hand beside her shoulder and the left just below her breast. He traced it lower and lower until it reached her pants button. Still no reaction. He opened it. Nothing. He slowly unzipped her fly. Nada. He was testing her and she knew it.

I'm not afraid of you.

She willed herself to believe it.

No one can hurt me.

He sat up again grabbing her hips with both hands and slowly pulled her pants down. Lifting her legs as he stood, never breaking eye contact, and lowered them with his mind as gravity took off her pants. Nothing still. He shot them across the room with his mind as his frustration rose.

The speed and sound of the action startled her as everything had been so slow and quiet for what felt like an eternity. He thought he might be making progress when she jumped but she refused to get up or even try to get away and he knew she was challenging him.

'You won't,' he recalled.

Foolish girl… She's right but she doesn't actually know that. She should have some self-preservation instincts left!

His face and eyes started to harden as he felt himself pleading.

Please understand all the ways you can be hurt that are so much worse than physical pain. Please don't make me do this.

More silence and indifference. He sighed and started slowly undoing his belt. The metallic clinking echoed through the silence. Still nothing.

Stubborn brat! I don't want to be the one that teaches you this lesson, but I'd rather it be me than anyone else.

He opened his pants fully but left them on.

Damn you, Claire!

He was getting angry again but it was different. More than anything, he felt disappointed.

She gets this stubbornness from her fathers!

The cogs began ticking again.

She still thinks she's in control…

It dawned on him that he was being too nice.

Time to switch gears.

He straddled her legs as he walked over her, stopping right over her knees, and allowing his gaze to show some of his frustration. Without warning he slowly ensconced her body with his power and gently lifted until she was hovering before him at eye level. The involuntary movement shocked her for a moment but she was annoyingly getting used to being ragdolled by his mind. What little hope he had of seeing the smallest hint of fear diminished upon seeing her complete and utter indifference.

Idiot!

He pushed her forward with his mind until he could see her completely from where he was standing. Using his power he forced her arms out, away from her sides. He inspected every last inch of her, deliberately lingering on the parts he was most attracted to so that she'd feel violated by his leering. Once he'd seen everything, he spun her like a display model, stopping to appraise her entire body from all angles. While looking at her backside he used a quick swipe of telekinesis to unfasten her bra but held everything except the back in place. He wanted her to feel the vulnerability without exposing her. That was the last resort before the point of no return and he prayed he wouldn't need to. No matter how badly he wanted to see her naked, he only wanted it consensually.

His attitude changed sharply, when, turning her back to face him he was greeted with a smug grin. He knew right then, her delusion of invincibility was as dangerously cemented as he'd feared. She'd keep disobeying and chasing danger with reckless abandon from the hubris that nothing could hurt her, until she found something that could…

What if... No.

There go those gears again. He realized he'd have to break the silence to find out. If it was there it was buried deep. He needed bait. He let all his frustration pour out of his eyes and creep over his face as he quickly jerked her into his arms. Staring deeply into her, he let the dark hope that it was true show, like a twinkling diamond in the deep.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually want me." Whenever he used that seductive tone it felt like sucking honey off a poisonous comb, sweet and deadly. Uncomfortably titillating. She despised it, but not as much as she despised how happy she felt hearing him speak just now.

"Ha! Why would I ever want you? You're a monster," she spit maliciously.

He felt hurt but it was lessened for two reasons. He realized that he'd missed her voice once it filled the air again, and, more importantly, she'd fallen into his trap. He grinned, darkly. She immediately regretted addressing him as a monster the second he let it back out.

"I think you're becoming an adrenaline junkie. Numbing your pain really messed you up because I didn't account for your desperate need to feel normal, or at least you think that's what you want. What you really want is to be accepted for who you are and you can't stand that no one does more than I do. So you keep chasing danger to get that next big high, something, anything, just so long as you can feel." He paused to verify and was both saddened and elated to be right.

"Well, sweetheart, there's nothing more dangerous than me!"

Before she could react he kissed her wildly, forcing his tongue into her mouth without having to use his power. He began tightening his grip around her like an anaconda, telling her, wordlessly, that she'd never escape him. Once her bones started creaking from the constriction, she began to feel fear again. This time was different. Being stripped down and ogled didn't make her feel exposed. She rationalized it as being seen in a bathing suit. Having him so accurately lay bare her darkest desires before she'd admitted them to herself left her feeling truly exposed. She didn't want him to be right. She didn't want to want him after everything he'd done. She knew this discovery meant that he just granted himself permission because a messed up place inside her (that he created), was desperate for exactly what he was. Raw, unbridled, emotion. He acted on his every whim and desire no matter how dark, regardless of the consequences. He was unapologetically himself. The one thing she desperately wanted to be, free.

The steadily building panic she'd been repressing burst forth and consumed her. She thrashed wildly, kicking and writhing. His grip tightened, still using his physical strength to crush her in his bear hug. She was starting to lose consciousness from his grip and the airtight seal of his kiss. She realized that was his intention. She didn't want to find out why he wanted her unconscious.

Claire fought harder. Drawing his lip into her mouth, she bit down making it bleed. He pretended the pain was enough and dropped her. She looked up at him for a second with the last bit of defiance she could muster. She should've realized this was part of his plan when he didn't make a sound from the pain. Instead, he closed his eyes and tipped his head back, savoring the sensation of her sucking any part of him. As soon as it healed he made a show of licking the blood off his lip. Keeping his head back, he side glanced down at her, pulling the current back, revealing his every dark desire and intent and began to grin. The only thing he saw in her eyes was pure terror as she scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door.

Finally.

He let her reach it before dragging her feet out from under her with his mind and pulling her back toward him. She struggled desperately and he let her go. This time he stopped her before she could touch the door and did the same thing, edging her slightly closer to him before letting her go. He did this twice more, stopping her further and further from the door and pulling her ever closer to him. The last time he tapped her foot with his boot as a reminder of how close he was and could hear the blood pumping into her every inch as her eyes dilated further from the fear. He smiled to himself and let go.

You're right, cat and mouse is fun for me.

He let her open the door and she stopped for a second expecting to be pulled back in. She dared a glance at him over her shoulder and he quickly flicked his eyebrows.

She knew it's what he wanted but she didn't have any other choice. It was clear what he'd just commended her to do: 'Run.' She obliged, hoping like Hell she'd find someone.

He sat for a beat to think of his next moves and fastened his pants and belt. He was enjoying himself far more than he'd intended to but that predatory instinct of his couldn't help itself.

"I love it when they run!" He pursued without another thought, calmly lurking through the school halls, stalking his prey; as any good serial killer does. He briefly lamented not being in an open area that he could truly chase her in, as it dawned on him that he was such an efficient predator, he'd never had to chase any of his prey as he just walked after them. Most never even got the chance to run. Hunting had plenty of its own merits, though. He formed a new plan.

How the Hell is he so fast while walking around!

Claire swore to herself as she heard his footsteps approaching. She was fumbling to fasten her bra now that he wasn't keeping it on, which made her realize he had been.

Does he have any powers that help with this?

She only needed to think for a second before recalling the sheet she'd seen in her father's office.

Super hearing! Great! That means he can hear my heartbeat and follow it like a frickin' beacon straight to me!

Wait... 

A dark thought snuck into her mind.

No heartbeat? No problem. After all, it's not like I can die.

She searched the classroom for something sharp and found a pair of large scissors.

That'll work! Though... maybe that might...

Who cares‽ What's he gonna do, get so triggered he kills me?

It was her turn to laugh darkly to herself. She contemplated wear to stab and decided the fastest death would be best.

Heart it is.

She immediately felt dizzy and slumped over to the ground, cursing that she didn't lie down first in response to the light thud of her body hitting the floor. Even though she couldn't die, her brain always thought of things she didn't want to acknowledge like it was trying to make peace with itself.

He was right... No! No. Screw that! Ugh… But he really was. What the Hell was I thinking believing that my will was stronger than his. His will is so strong he does whatever he pleases with blatant disregard for society and civility.

She paused and felt bile rise.

Society... What the Hell has society ever done for me? I'm a social pariah for doing what was right to that rapist bastard. My second school rejected me for being weird. My sorority sister killed my roommate and tried to kill the first girl I ever cared about. Then there was all the stuff with "The Company".

She thought with disdain.

My birth father abandoned me. My birth mother used me to extort money from him. My bio dad also hunted all of our kind while acting like he was doing me a favor by not grabbing me. My adopted father has done nothing but lie to me my whole life in order to "protect" me and obey the so-called "rules" of society.

...

He was right.

Even though he's chased me, cut upon my head like a watermelon, has sexually assaulted me twice now! He's the only person that's never lied to me… Peter, Nathan, Angela, my mom and dad, they've all lied. He's never tried to change me and always accepts me exactly as I am with no role he expects me to play or manipulation. Even that demented stuff at Primatech was his attempt to prove we're the same.

The blood loss was finally bringing unconsciousness.

I HATE HIM!

I hate him!

I hate him.

Him...

She was successfully evading him. His every sense was tuned in to maximum, every tool at his disposal was in use. He hadn't felt like this in ages. He was about to round the corner when he heard a metallic thud, a few floors above. He had a sneaking suspicion as to how she'd managed to hide and felt a flutter of thrill.

His heart skipped a beat as he approached the door. Sliding it open as slowly as possible, he gave himself just enough space and crept inside, closing it as he entered.

No escaping this time. Though, she could jump out a window and be fine... and so could I. Wouldn't that be fun!

Her ability was his favorite and he always marveled at how willingly she'd broken herself over and over when she could feel pain, all to satisfy her morbid curiosity. He traced his fingers over the black table tops as he realized this was a science classroom. For some reason the notion that she could pour acid or some volatile chemicals on him only excited him. He was starting to feel the effects of immortality too, it would seem. Just then he saw the glint in his periphery. He rocked back and forth on his heels catching it again and again. He leisurely headed towards what he knew would be the mysterious metal object he'd heard. He rounded the next table and saw her foot sticking out.

Mmm. I'd really love to… Not now!

He couldn't suppress his smile as he drew nearer and more of her was coming into view. He stood above her bloodied body and felt a mixture of emotions. His smile only widened as he saw that she stabbed herself in the heart to stop him from hearing it.

Clever girl. Something only you could do to hide from me. I see you haven't been timing how long your regen takes to remove impaled objects vs how long it takes to revive you from temporary death... Tsk tsk tsk. It's almost unfair how much more I know about our ability than you, seeing as it was yours first.

A darkness seeped into his grin as it turned sinister reliving the moment he finally got to her.

"We've come so far..." He crouched down and traced his left hand up the inside of her exposed thigh.

"How far can we go?"

Notes:

This is the first chapter of many that are already written. Updates will be once a week. So look forward to more and feel free to share your thoughts and theories.