Angel of ice (Sylar and Othala)

Gabriel Grey, also known as Sylar, was a man of many mysteries. His true parentage (revealed to be Petrelli) was the smallest of these mysteries with one of the biggest being his rise as a serial killer who killed other evolved humans for their abilities. But one thing he was, despite all his abilities, was human. And as a human being he felt the powerful emotions in the world.

He felt envious of others with powers.

He felt a heady feeling when he was around Othala that he couldn't really place. Maybe it was the feeling of having a friend? As a bit of a nerd, Sylar had never had many friends at school but the feeling of acceptance from a few had felt like a slightly weaker version of the feeling.

But he wanted to spend more time with her... and show her his latest work. Something to keep his mind off of the Hunger. His sculptures of ice that he had filled a workshop, not unlike that of Isaac, with. Most of it, to be honest, was flowers. It looked like an ice garden but that was fine by him. Sitting down in a sofa of ice, he ignored the cold as he waited for her to arrive.

For some reason he always felt a lot more relaxed in the cold and he didn't know why. He would have to ask Othala if she knew but for now he was content in simply looking at his icy creations.

Othala had been invited over to Gabriel's house this afternoon and she was more than happy to go seeing as it wasn't for training, so it must just be to hang out together. They hadn't done anything like that since the ball a few weeks ago, it had just been getting back down to work all of the time, although occasionally they did go out for lunch and such things.

It was rather sweet the way they had become such good friends with each other, it was like they had clicked on some completely different level to all of the other specials she had met...well...apart from Nathan. The thing with Nathan was a lot more sexual than this was, all the flirting and the eye contact. Gabriel hadn't even hinted that he was interested in anything like that.

Approaching his apartment, Othala knocked on the door and waited for Gabriel to open it for her, although it was strange, she thought for sure she was colder waiting here by the door than she had been in the shop down the street where she had bought some cola for herself a few minutes ago.

"Hey Gabriel it's me." she called out, worrying her lip between her teeth as she waited for him to come to the door and open it "I can't wait to see what it is you asked me here to come and see." Othala grinned, really very excited to see what he had been making, she never really thought of him as an artistic kind of man.

Sylar heard his real name being called from the door and he almost scowled at anyone calling him that before he realised that it was Othala using the name and he smiled a little bit. Othala was the only one allowed to call him Gabriel and she did so very often, almost like she enjoyed being the only one he liked calling him by that name. He could tell that she was excited as to why he had invited her over and now that she was here so was he.

Moving over to the door, he opened the door wide for her, gesturing at the massive ice garden of flowers, trees, ponds and even ice fish inside the ice pond. He smirked a little bit as he ushered her inside the loft apartment before closing to door to keep the heat out,

"Hello Othala, I am so glad that you could join me here." he told her honestly as he began to lead her around the little garden, "I have spent a lot of time making my ice garden, making it in as high a detail as possible... what do you think?"

He was almost giddy with excitement to hear what she thought about his work but he would not dare react that way externally, even if only Othala was here. Othala with all of her... power... He swallowed a little bit as his throat ran dry all of a sudden and he felt the Hunger beginning to rise. He fought it down quickly and smirked a little bit,

"Would you like me to show you the ice animals I made as well?"

Othala stepped inside of the apartment as soon as the door was opened for her, she now could see why it was so cold in here! Because Gabriel had been making lots and lots of ice sculptures! In fact the terms lots and lots seemed to be a little bit of an understatement. After all they were so detailed it must have taken him such a long time and he must have made so many intricate little sculptures. Did he do all this just to show her? Of course not.

That couldn't possibly be true. Could it?

"Oh wow Gabriel I think it's so wonderful!" she praised, clasping her hands together and she bent over to admire the view of the pond, that had all the little fish within it "I never knew that you could make ice sculptures, especially ones this wonderful, then again, you don't do anything by halves, you are always the best at everything." Othala teased, sticking her tongue out lightly as she continued to wander around the ice garden ooing and ahhing over the sweet little sculptures.

Nodding her head enthusiastically, Othala followed Gabriel to where he would be keeping the ice animals that he had talked about she assumed, surely they would be as detailed and amazing as the garden that he had created in his living room.

"You know I would love that." she grinned, a large beaming smile on her lips "I never thought you were the artistic type but, I guess you should never judge a book by its cover, you can do anything after all, even help me get control of my power which was no mean feat."

Gabriel, for he was Gabriel when she was around him, smirked a little bit as she seemed to take in as much of garden as she could, as fast as she could. It made him grin to know that she liked his efforts so much. He had used his powers in a most creative way and creativity was something that just screamed to be acknowledged. After all, he had made this ice garden and the ice animals to focus on something other than the Hunger but his pride in the sculptures had encouraged him to show them to others. Well... other; singular. He only wanted to show it to Othala really,

"Thank you Othala, it took quite some time to reach the desired level of detail I admit." he told her with a little grin before having to avert her eyes from her beautiful form when she bent over to look at the pond. He coughed a little bit to cover up his light blush, "Thank you but I'm not the best at anything of course... I just understand how things work. So if I focus hard enough I know how to do some artistic techniques. It's a... useful ability."

He swallowed a little bit thickly when a stray thought popped into his head as he was idly showing off the mother tiger figure with her five little cubs. The thought was simple. He could figure out anything, literally anything. What was to stop him from, say, figuring out how to control Othala's powers perfectly if he possessed them? The answer was nothing.

And again the thought popped into his head when she told him that he could do anything, including helping her with the control of her powers,

"Thank you Othala..." he tilted his head to the side slightly as he attempted to supress the Hunger, "Speaking of controlling your powers... how are you doing with that recently? Have you figured out the limits of your powers yet I wonder?"

Othala smiled brightly when Gabriel told her more about how he could create the sculptures that he did, to be honest she wished that she could understand how things worked so completely, then she wouldn't have so many questions about the universe and scientific processes and things. She could merely just...understand them! Its not like this power didn't come with its downside though...

Gabriel had told her about the hunger, the desire to possess other special's powers. It was what he had wanted to do when he had come to see her the first time, or a large part of it anyway. Yet, Othala didn't worry about that, Gabriel was different, he was controlling it.

"You bet its useful, I would love to be able to understand how to do certain brush strokes and to carve sculptures and then be able to do it, you can create things, all I can do is rip them apart in a spectacular fashion." she sighed dramatically, blowing her fringe up in a playful huff.

When he asked how she was getting on with the limits of her powers, Othala beamed at Gabriel. She hadn't been wanting to go into this straight away and make the meeting all about her, because it was not, it was about appreciating Gabriel's work! But she had made some headway in her powers, even discovered she could do some awesome stuff;

"Well now that you mentioned it, I discovered some new things that I can do!" Othala grinned "Like really old school Biblical...I was reading a passage for my Philosophy seminar and then I decided to just, see if I could do any of it, and look!"

Excitedly Othala closed her eyes and envisioned the sculpture of the swan nearest her, and only the sculpture of the swan, to be made out of frozen blood instead of frozen water. Opening her eyes and seeing she was successful, Othala grinned; "I can make water turn into blood and things, like one of the plagues of Egypt. I don't think I should test that one out on a real river though."

Gabriel wasn't too big on the whole artistic side of life but when it came to his powers, any excuse to use them was a good one to him. And this was one that required a lot of intricacy that forced him to refine just how he used his abilities until his control was massively improved even over the ice power, which he'd had for awhile. But the ability he was most proud of was still his primary ability. How many people could say that just looking at something gave them instant understanding of it? No one but him and that made him feel... special.

The Hunger was the only real downside of the power and he was doing his best to control it but sometimes... sometimes it was hard to see why he should. Why should he be bothering to force it back? Why should he not just let it all out? Let his Hunger take over until he was either the only special one left or simply the most powerful. He smirked a little bit as she explained why his ability was so good,

"Well there is art in ripping things apart you know." he told her with a sly little smile as he came to stand a little closer to her, "Some say that the ability to destroy something... to rip it apart... is the best way to turn it into art. Creating isn't nearly as practical either I might add."

Seeing beam at him about her powers made Gabriel - Sylar - lick his lips a little bit in excitement too. Oh it was just too good... he would learn just how much power she had! Of course he would... he would try to help her control it. Nothing more. No... nothing more. He swallowed a little bit harder when she mentioned something to do with the bible.

When she turned the water in the ice into blood his eyes widened and the Hunger forced it's way to the surface of his mind,

"The Biblical plagues..." he muttered in awe before turning to her, a hungry glint in his eyes, stalking towards her with a slight smirk, "I wonder... do you think I'd be able to rain down fire and brimstone if I could use your power? Kill all the first born sons?"

Othala could tell that Gabriel was dwelling a little bit too much on her power, and it began to send up little alarm flares in her mind. Hopefully it wasn't what she thought it was, maybe he was just being interested and hoping to have other peoples powers is totally within his nature...it wasn't surprising that every now and again he would have little lapses in his self control.

It didn't mean he was going to do anything! No no not at all, Othala trusted Gabriel completely. He had many chances before, when she had been wiped out from exhaustion after training and he hadn't even hurt one hair on her head.

Although...as soon as he started talking in that voice about using her power, with that glint in his eyes, Othala's heart beat faster in her chest, she could sense the air around them altering slightly and couldn't believe what was happening. Gabriel was actually feeling the hunger towards her right now! He wanted her power and...and if she didn't stop him he was going to kill her to take it!

"Gabriel..." she whispered softly, backing away from him as he stalked towards her, until her back was against the wall of his apartment, Othala's eyes were wide and frightened, not knowing what she could do that would stop him but not seriously hurt him "Gabriel please stop talking like that you're scaring me!"

Seeing he needed something more, Othala closed her eyes and swiftly pressed her lips against Gabriel's in a passionate kiss, her hands cupping both of his cheeks as she worked her soft plump lips against his own. Enjoying the distraction a little too much, Othala had to jolt herself out of it. Panting slightly she pleaded;

"Please, will you stop?"

Sylar had taken over again - there was no Gabriel. Neither Gabriel Grey nor Gabriel Petrelli, there was only Sylar! And Sylar was not as forgiving as the weak minded Gabriel. He wanted the power that she possessed, the power that she wasted by being afraid of it. If she embraced her ability, used it for once instead of just trying to stop using it, then he would be able to leave it with her but no! Once again he was the only person who was willing to use the abilities given and so he would take them and he would do it right now.

As he stalked towards her he slowly raised his hand, his finger pointed at her at the ready, the Hunger singing in his ears. It was urging him on, telling him to cut off the top of her head and feast upon the knowledge and power inside! When she called him Gabriel his smirk grew darker,

"Not Gabriel..." he whispered to her darkly as he prepared to use his powers to cut off the top of her head, "My name... is SYLAR!"

Before he could use his powers though she was on him, kissing him passionately. It was so sudden, so shocking, that Sylar's eyes widened and his hand dropped around her waist as he slowly, tentatively, began to kiss her back a little bit. This was... amazing. This alone drowned out the Hunger he had been feeling immediately and without question. Swallowing thickly as the kiss ended, he nodded, in a daze,

"I'm sorry Othala..." he whispered hoarsely, "I wasn't strong enough and you saved us both from the Hunger... thank you..."

Othala felt herself becoming so afraid, more afraid than she had ever been before. Her friend, the man she had trusted even when she had only met him for a few minutes, was...was going native on her and wanted to open the top of her head and mess around with her brain! Was Gabriel not even in there any more? Wasn't he trying to stop the hunger?

The very thought made tears well up in her eyes, both from the shock, and the fright when Sylar shouted at her like that, it made her tremor in fear as she rested her back against the wall, unable to move anywhere else, both from his body locking her in, and her body refusing to move. Almost as if her joints had fused in that one spot.

So very very glad that the kiss had worked, Othala felt her relief washing through her when Gabriel placed his hands on her waist instead of having them poised ready to cut the top of her head off. If she wasn't so scared she would have revelled in the feeling of his large warm hands holding her close to himself, and the sweet way his kiss was so tentative.

When the kiss had ended, Othala swiftly moved away from the wall she was pinned to and shook her head slowly, she was still crying much to her surprise and she backed slowly towards the door;

"N-no I'm sorry..." she whispered, panicked "I think I should go...l-let you calm down a little bit. I never should have...have been around you when my training was done I never wanted to tempt you like this I...I..."

Shaking her head, Othala turned quickly on her heel and raced towards the door, opening it swiftly and slamming it behind her as she rushed down the steps of the apartment block and onto the street outside.

Gabriel, the Hunger now more supressed than it had ever been, reached out after Othala as she began to back away from him slowly towards the door. He immediately dropped his hand when he realised that it could be seen as him trying to cut off her head again. Gabriel had never felt more ashamed of himself than he did in that moment and seeing the fear in her eyes... it broke him more than anything else.

Even more than realising he'd killed his own mother,

"O-othala please... please don't go..." he urged her as he took a few steps towards her, "Please I... it was just... I didn't mean to..."

When she rushed towards the door his eyes widened and he tried to dash after her, forgetting all of his abilities as he tried to reach out to her,

"Othala please! Please don't!" he cried, the tears rolling down his cheeks as the door slammed and he whispered, "Don't leave me all alone again..."

One by one, each and every ice sculpture began to shatter into a million pieces as he knelt down on the ground, gently sobbing even as the destruction raged around him.