Grabbing Coffee [Riley]

[General Admin]

November 24, 2008

Gabriel Gray liked California and the only reason why he liked California was because the Starbucks that he always frequent was the best in his opinion. He couldn’t stand the coffee shops in New York and he lived there. Maybe it was a good thing to have teleporting abilities. However, he hated that he had to kill for this ability. Of course, what was the use? He was a damn murderer and no one even cared about that. Everything thought he was a good man.

However, why did everyone have to tell him he was a good person? Have they not seen what he could do? Or were they blind as a bat? It didn’t matter anymore. Gabriel or Sylar was a murderer and he knew that. He wasn’t tempted to murder again. In fact, he hated having the ability to absorb other people’s powers. It was too much for him. He wished he could go back in time and just undo taking Empathic Mimicry from Osborne.

For some reason, he hated having to think about Osborne every time he absorbed a power. In fact, he only absorbed a few powers from people. But did he really want to have the burden of having to reflect on what he had done with Tony, in killing him. Okay, he didn’t kill him. Tony begged him to kill him and he did that. He only pretended it was an accident and no one was going to know what the real reason was. No one needed to know.

Gabriel sighed as he thought of those two reasons. He shook his head and went into the Starbucks that he was going to. He was going to order his usually coffee and then be on his way to meet Mohinder for lunch. Or something. He couldn’t remember why he was supposed to meet Mohinder. That was probably a bad thing on his part, to not even remember why he was meeting Mohinder for lunch. Sylar went up to the counter and ordered his drink, “A Venti Pumpkin Spice Frapp” He said as he gave the cashier the money, for his coffee.

He went over to where the coffee would be put once it was finished. He then grabbed the coffee and exited the building. It was a beautiful day to sip a cold beverage outside. Of course, California had the best weather all year long and Sylar quite enjoyed that. He wanted to move out here, but he knew that it would be hard if he even told Claire, that he was planning on moving out here with Molly and Mohinder. He sat down and placed his feet on the table as he enjoyed his coffee.

[maiwolf]

It was early in the morning when Riley decided to leave the house. Elle was at the Company again, and Aunt Polly hadn’t come home last night. Riley was fairly sure her aunt had expired-and by expired Riley meant fallen asleep-somewhere, probably at a hotel. Aunt Poll wasn’t exactly the most motherly sort. Nevertheless, Riley left Aunt olly, or Elle, whoever got home first, a note.

Dear Aunt Polly or Elle,

I have gone off exploring again. I promise I’ll be fine, no need to worry. I’ll stay near the block, promise. I’ll call the house at noon and ell you where I am. It will probably be Starbucks, but I may be somewhere else.

Love, Riley

[/i]

True to her word, Riley went to Starbucks. Starbucks was awesome, but today Riley had no money. In fact, she hadn’t had money for a while: it was all in her bank account. She had gotten close to 200 dollars (and ice cream!) on her birthday, and had put it all n her savings. She liked the Starbucks atmosphere, and rather liked to read there. She brought one of her favorite books, Warriors, and walked the sort while to Starbucks.

As soon as she opened the door, the sweet coffee aroma wafted toward her. She loved the coffee smell but not the taste of coffee unless it was iced and had creamer and vanilla flavoring. The worker at the cash register looked up. Riley noticed Jennifer.

“Hey, Riley!” Jennifer said, waving. “The regular?”

Riley smiled and waved back, but shook her head, “Sorry, Jennifer. I don’t have money today.” She shrugged, “I just came to read.”

Jennifer smiled, “We’ve got open seats this morning, what book are you reading?”

Riley showed the cashier her book, “It’s only the third time I’ve read it.”

Jennifer grinned, “Already halfway done I see.”

“Well, I had to do something while I was walking here.” Riley countered.

“You could have taken in the sights, and not run into anybody.” Jennifer smiled. Riley flinched as she heard Jennifer say that. She had run into someone. But it wasn’t her fault, honest! “Just, go read, Riley.” Jennifer said.

Riley did as she was told and sat there reading for a while. A time passed before Riley noticed that an hour had gone by. She was about to set the book down when she heard something: “A Venti Pumpkin Spice Frapp” Riley’s head popped up. She knew that voice, or at least had heard it once before.

“Gabriel…?” Riley asked herself, and sure enough, Gabriel was walking about of Starbucks.

“Wait!” Riley called, “Gabriel!” She got up, hitched her book under her arm, and raced out the door. Jennifer watched, confused. “Did she just say Gabriel? The guy gave the name ‘Sylar’ to me.”

Riley found Gabriel sitting with is feet on the table. She smiled, happy that he hadn’t transported or flown off, and sat at the table with him. “Hello, Gabriel!” Riley grinned, setting down her book. “Where have you been lately? Been the boogeyman to little kids?”[/blockquote]

[General Admin]

”Gabriel”

He heard someone say his name, but he just brushed it off. He was probably hearing things. He always heard things. However, he glanced up as he saw the girl that was sitting next to him at the wedding. He sighed as he gave a weak smile. He watched her sit at the table with him.

“I have been working” He said and chuckled at Riley, “No boogeyman to the little kids,” He said shaking his head.

He had made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t kill any children or teenagers. That was the only thing he would not do. Even though his hunger was tempted for him to take some of these children and children’s abilities. He was trying his best to make sure he didn’t prey on the sweet and innocent.

The adults were the ones that were that he would most likely kill, for. However, he tried his best to stay away from adults with abilities. He just had too. There was no cure, for the hunger, that he had and it made him furious that his future self would ensure that he never had the cure for the hunger. He was destined to be a monster.

He hated being a monster. He just wanted to be good, but maybe if he could control his hunger with structure than maybe there was hope for him and he didn’t have to be a murder or a monster. Maybe he was destined to speak with this fourteen-year-old that he thought was a stalker of his. Or a part of his little fan club. Of course, for some reason he had a little fan club. It was consisted of teenagers.

Sylar couldn’t believe that he had a little fan club of teenagers. Seriously, why did these teenagers look up to him? He was just a watch repairman that stole people’s abilities, so what made them think that he was the greatest hero? He wasn’t a hero, he was a monster. A monster with a hunger.

The twenty-eight year old bit his lower lip and decided to come back to reality as he took a sip of his coffee, “So how have you been?” He asked wondering what she was doing at Starbucks.

[maiwolf]

Riley smiled, and sat back in her chair. She pulled her legs up, and, hugging them to her chest, looked at Gabriel with her green eyes. There were things he wasn't telling her. She knew that, even if he didn't say that. She could tell by the troubled look in his eyes. But she didn't press him. In fact, she did nothing but stare at him. Leave him to his own troubles. She didn't care, or maybe she did.

Since the wedding she had talked to Elle. Elle had told her that Gabriel was Sylar, and that Sylar was bad. Riley wanted to know how Sylar could possibly be bad and Gabriel be good. Riley wanted to know why they got their powers in the first place, or if something bad must have happened to awaken the powers in Sylar. Riley wanted to know what the difference was between Sylar and Gabriel.

"Huh?" Riley asked to his question. "Oh, i've been fine." She said, then asked, "Can I ask you a question? What's the difference between Sylar and Gabriel?"

[General Admin]

Gabriel wanted to know why the teenager was talking to him. He really was clueless. Maybe he should have teleported back to New York, when he got his coffee and not stayed here. Teenagers always asked questions and he wasn’t sure if this one would be the type to ask questions.

However, his gut feeling told him that she might ask him a few questions. And he wondered what he was supposed to do if she asked him questions. Was he supposed to lie or be honest about it? Perhaps maybe he could be honest about it, but then maybe he could lie. Elle wouldn’t kill him, if he didn’t tell the truth.

He sighed as he took a sip of his coffee. “The difference between Sylar and Gabriel” He repeated as he raised an eyebrow, “Sylar is the identity I took after I became a killer, and Gabriel is my birth name.” He said sighing. He wasn’t sure if he should have told her that, but the fact was. He really didn’t care.

[maiwolf]

Riley fingered her hair. So Sylar was Gabriel, and Gabriel was Sylar… but at the same time Sylar wasn’t Gabriel and Gabriel wasn’t Sylar. She could see what Elle was saying about Sylar, but not what her sister said about Gabriel. What her sister had said about Gabriel was all wrong, from her pint of view. Riley could see a good man behind Gabriel’s hard outer exterior. She’d grown up around bullies, and knew their different types.

In fact, there were several different types of bullies. The most common was the bully that enjoyed hitting on other people. They loved seeing the other person feel pain. Then there were the unwilling bullies, the bullies who didn’t want to bully, and yet did. There could be two types of those bullies: the ones who followed the top bullies in order to not get bullied and the ones who bullied because they were hiding something and needed a hard exterior. Riley knew from her short time with Gabriel that he was the type of bully who was unwilling to hurt, but did anyway.

This was all an educated guess, though. Riley had no idea how Gabriel really was. “Oh.” Riley said flatly. She turned her eyes to her book. “Do you like reading? Ever heard of the Warriors series?” She pushed the book over to him. “I love these books.”

[General Admin]

“Yes, I do love reading” He said with a smile as she pushed the book over to him, “Never heard it, and is it any good?” He asked as he examined the front of the cover. He was interest to know if the book was interesting. He hoped that she would tell him about it but
not ruin it for him.

“I like The Chronicles of Narina, and Harry Potter” He said as he slide back the book to her. However, he wasn’t sure if a girl like her would like those books, but he decided to throw them out into the conversation. It really didn’t matter. He knew a lot of people weren’t kin on the British books, but Gabriel thought that they were amazing.

Of course, he always wanted to be either Harry Potter or Lord Voldemort.

He took a sip of his drink and awaited a response from Riley. He had no where were this conversation was going and hopefully it wouldn’t be awkward as he was thinking it was going to turn out.

[maiwolf]

Riley looked at Gabriel as he studied her book. “Actually, the series is a good read. I think you’ll like it if you like talking cats, or cats in general. The books follow a group of wild cats, which call themselves a Clan. There are four Clans in all, ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. The first group of books follows a cat named Fireheart as he lives in ThunderClan. The second follows Fireheart’s daughter and her mate as they find a new home for the four Clans. The third is not fully written out yet, but it follows Fireheart’s daughter’s kits.” Riley hoped she hadn’t spoiled it, she hadn’t said a lot about the books, but then again, a little words can go a long way. “I don’t suggest you start at this book, though. You’d have no idea what was happening, ‘cause this is the middle of the second series.”

Riley listened as Gabriel told her his favorite books, and she smiled. “I love The Chronicles of Narnia. They were my favorite books when I was growing up. Unfortunately, I dislike the Harry Potter series because Rowling killed off my favorite character, Tonks.” She shrugged, “The earlier of her novels were okay, though.”

[General Admin]

Gabe listened to Riley’s spill on the book: Warriors It sounded interested expect for the fact that he didn’t like cats. He was allergic to cats and that was why, he wasn’t a fan of cats. He hated having allergies. His adopted mother had many cats and it was devastated for her to make them go all away. Because of his allergies. Gabe’s father Simon hated those cats. “Well, that is interesting, I’m not a cat person, I’m allergic to them” He admitted with a slight frown. He didn’t want to upset Riley.

“I love The Chronicles of Narnia, my mother approved of the books. My adopted mother was very religious, so she approved those books” He said shaking head as he remembered his adopted mother. “Yeah, I was adopted, so I was never raised by my biological parents” He admitted. It was just randomly come out of his month. He didn’t care. He nodded at Riley about the Harry Potter series. “I totally agree, the last two books personally sucked” He said shaking his head. “I for one was pissed when she killed off Sirius Black, I liked Sirius” He admitted.

[maiwolf]

Riley shrugged when Gabriel said he wasn’t a cat person. Riley knew a lot of people who weren’t cat people but who loved the books. The books were tantalizing for any cat person, so why couldn’t they be for any other person? But Riley knew people’s tastes. Some people adored the Twilight books while some people abhorred them. Riley wasn’t about to judge Gabe by his interests, she was just going to explain to him the books, which she already did, even if it hadn’t worked out well.

“It’s fine if you don’t like cats. I am allergic to them, too.” Riley grinned, pointing to her face. The direction was generalized, as she was meaning her sinuses and not just her nose. “Whenever I sniff cat dust—that’s the hair and dandruff left from a cat—my nose gets all clogged up. Fortunately, I take Alavert, which relieves any of my stuffy nose symptoms as well as my headaches when my nose gets too clogged.” After another shrug, Riley continued. “I’ve just always liked cats. Too bad Elle won’t let me keep one. It’s not just Elle, I think Aunt Polly thinks that a cat would take away from my schoolwork, like that would ever happen.”

Riley politely listened to Gabriel’s explanation of why he liked his two favorite series, and she frowned when he touched upon the Sirius Black subject. “Don’t get me started on Sirius Black, Gabriel.” She announced sulkily. “I never wanted Black to die, and I thought his death was cheesy. I mean, who falls into a curtained whatever it was!” Then she touched back on the ‘adopted parents’ statement. She frowned, “I could have been adopted for all I know. Daddy was never really around; when he was he always loved Elle more than he loved me. He bought Elle all of these wonderful items, and do you know what he got me?” Not waiting for an answer to the rhetorical question, Riley blurted out, “A bed. I had always used Elle’s old bed, which was just fine with me, but all Daddy ever really got me that I remember was a bed. And I don’t remember Mom much, only that she disappeared when I was young. Probably she died giving birth to me or something, it would account for Daddy’s ferociousness toward me.”

Riley fingered the book open and close. “I never did get to say goodbye to Daddy. You know the last thing I said to him? ‘You’re always gone.’” Riley huffed. “Now I’ll never say anything to him again.”

[General Admin]

Gabe really was interested in the book that Riley was talking about. However, he wasn’t sure if he was making clear that he was interesting in it. Perhaps. He should have said something. Of course, sometimes things that came out of his month rarely made any sense these days.

“So you’re allergic with the sinuses” He said he pointed at his face also. “I’m the same” He admitted as he pointed to his face also. “Well, that is good I don’t take Alavert, I take Claritin” He admitted as he shrugged his shoulders back finishing his Pumpkin Spice beverage. “Well, that is good, I used to have a cat to be honest” He said sighing as he took out his iphone and decided to show her a picture. Picture of CatHe handed her the phone. “This was my cat before it ran away and no I didn’t kill it, I was pretending to kill it because my roommate’s ward wanted a nice pose of me with the cat, so I did it"

Gabe nodded as he also listened to her explanation on Sirius Black. “I know it was just freaking awful ”He said shaking his head“And don’t get me started on the movie when they got him to die, that was just lame” He announced in a angry tone. He then changed his tone when Riley began to rant about her father. He swallowed his tongue. He was the one behind Riley’s father’s death. It was his fault. He just frowned and looked at the ground. “That is sad” He said trying to be sympathetic. He was bad at being sympathetic. "I'm sorry for the loss of your father"

Gabe placed his Starbucks cup down and didn’t notice that he had turned it gold. He was thinking about Bob, the man that he killed. He sighed and looked at Riley. “Well, that is sad” he said as he stood up. He frowned and sighed decided to tell her the truth, “Listen Riley, I’m the one reasonable for your father’s death” He said “I’m the one that murdered him, I’m sorry for taking him away from you” He said as he grabbed his drink and tossed it in the trashcan.

“I’m a murderer and not a good person” He huffed as he closed his eyes and disappeared for a while. He was behind Riley as he reappeared. “No one can change me, I’m sorry to disappoint and for the record, I would kill you and take your ability, but I have restrains on people, I don’t kill younger people, just ask Molly Walker” He admitted as he whispered in her ear. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to go back to New York, I have a lunch date” He said as he disappeared for good.

[maiwolf]

Riley politely looked at the cat (and ‘awwed’ when she thought it was cute). And she frowned and nodded her head in answer to Gabriel talking about how Sirius died. And she was genuinely confused when Gabriel repeated the phrase, ‘that is sad,’ twice. Riley wondered what Gabriel was talking about, but she had noticed that Gabriel’s cup had slowly turned to gold. Riley stared at it in wonderment, and then something in her head clicked. She knew before Gabriel even said the truth that he had killed her father. Her eyes stayed glued to the cup, and tears filled them. ‘No,’ she said to herself. ‘I will not cry, I never cry.’ But the tears spilled over. The whole time Riley’s eyes were plastered to the cup. Then Gabriel threw it away.

”I’m sorry for taking him away from you.” Gabriel said. Was he really? Did Gabriel give a fuck about Bob Bishop or Riley Bishop or even Elle Bishop, who had taken it the hardest? Did he really think about his actions before he did them? Or was Gabriel Gray an unfeeling bastard inside? Riley felt her hand grasp the book, clench it with numb fingers. She could feel her arm move automatically, and she threw the book to where Gabriel was… or to where Gabriel had been. Gabriel was automatically behind the girl, as if he had anticipated the book being thrown. ‘Kill me now.’ Riley pleaded, ‘Kill me and take my powers, even if you’ve sworn not to.’ Riley wanted to kill Gabriel. ‘Better yet, kill me and Elle. End our misery.’

”I’m a murderer and not a good person, No one can change me.” Gabriel’s voice was in her ear. Riley wanted to kill him, to take a knife right through his neck. No, better yet, Riley wanted to chop off his head, chop it off and burn it. Start a small state fire, she didn’t care: she wouldn’t get burned. Riley wanted to die. Tears continued to spill down from her face as she stared where the cup had been. Where Gabriel had been. It didn’t take her long to figure out that Gabriel was no longer behind her.

Riley wiped her tear-laden cheeks with the back of her hand, and then her arm. The tears finally stopped after a while, but Riley didn’t care. She stood up and walked over to her book. It rested open on a page with an image of a battle. The cats were tearing into each other, blood was everywhere. Riley looked at the page for a second before picking up the book. She didn’t care anymore. She decided to leave, to go home; home was the only place where she could escape the temporary trappings of the world. Then she stopped, and turned toward the trash can.

“Daddy, I know you didn’t make this.” She said slowly, forcing herself not to cry, “But it was made using your power.” She caressed the golden cup that she had fished out of the trash can. It was heavy, like gold, and it smelled like Gabriel’s drink, but it reminded Riley of Bob Bishop. She poured out the rest of the drink, which had turned to liquid gold, and washed it with a water fountain nearby. Satisfied that it was cleaned out, she stuck it in her sweater pocket.

Then she looked to where she knew Gabriel had been last: behind her when she had been sitting in the chair. She smiled, and knew now what she was going to do. ”No one can change me,” Gabriel had said. No one could change him. But was that really true? Would he really remain unchanged throughout the years? ‘No,’ Riley decided definitively, ‘no, Gabriel Gray will not remain unchanged. And I will see to that. I’m going to join Pinehearst, and I’m going to make sure he does good and not bad. I, Riley Bishop, sister of Elle Bishop and daughter of Bob Bishop, will make sure nothing ill becomes Gabriel.’

“And I promise you that, Gabriel.” Riley said. Bishops don’t go back on their word.