Kaitlyn was silent, and her silence extended well past what would be considered a normal pause in a conversation. She stared at a window on the opposite building. Deep breath in, long sigh out.

Finally, she spoke. “Where do I start?” Bitter chuckle. “My mutation probably killed my parents, for one thing. I never knew my mom, but my dad blamed me for her dying and hated me and sometimes beat the crap out of me, until my mutation activated one day when I thought he was gonna stab me.”

The redhead turned to actually look at him. “Once I got to the Sanctuary, I could barely go outside without accidentally blowing something up and learning how much everyone hated me. One guy tried to gun me down when I was 9. So, yeah, just ‘cause I don’t have the mutant look doesn’t mean I don’t deal with the kinda crap you prolly deal with.” She gave him an intense look as she said this, as though daring him to think otherwise.

Sylar was an odd individual, as most human begins couldn't stand silence for too long. After awhile they'll inadvertently begin to talk just to keep the silence away. Sylar spent hours on end, sitting alone, in a world silent of speech, but full of many other sounds the rest of the human race couldn't hear. So now, when Kaitlyn sat silent, his ears were not devoid of sound, so he simply allowed her to take her time. Sylar never injured his parents, as Kaitlyn claimed she might have, but he had injured a boy at school. He felt no guilt over it though. He did however, know when it was proper to offer a condolence. "I'm sorry...for your loss." He said sincerely.

"I guess that would make it hard to deal with them, even when you look the part." He said, his earlier words hadn't been meant as insults, but Sylar's tone often made his words sharper than he thought they would be. "My first offense was sending another boy through a wall with just a shove." He told her of his own violent outburst. "But he was nothing to me." Her look at him was quite difficult to take, Sylar's blindness made Kaitlyn's intense stare unnoticeable, his own face holding it's place as they looked at one another. "I didn't mean to offend you earlier. But I'm not so good at this talking thing, even with mutants." Sylar defended himself, hoping to prove that his curiosity was simply that, and that speaking with Kaitlyn was meant to be a friendly encounter.

"My parent's despised me, as soon as they heard the word mutant, they dropped my status as a son, and called me a monster." He told her a bit more about himself, feeling enough connection now that he could tell the girl things as she had him. "So I don't know what it's like to miss that connection. But regular people are terrified ignorant creatures. I understand how it feels to dislike them." He retorted.

By the time Sylar started to respond, Kaitlyn already regretted telling her story, and she regretted the tone of voice she’d used: a little angry, acting like she had to prove that she had suffered. She hated telling that story, but she thought it would be even worse if she let Sylar, this total freakin’ stranger, keep thinking that she didn’t have a story like that. Why did she even care what he thought?

The redhead answered his condolences with a shrug. It was a nice gesture, but it didn’t feel like the right thing for him to be saying; it made her feel like he didn’t really understand what she was still going through when she thought about that whole mess. Honestly, that made two of them.

And he had his own problems. His story sounded eerily similar to the ones she’d heard in the Sanctuary, but there was one important part where those stories diverged from his.

“…I still don’t get why you wanna keep doing this whole thing.” She sipped her soda. “With the food stealing and stuff. I mean, my power killed my freakin’ parents, and the Sanctuary was still cool with me. They’d help you get your hunger or whatever under control.” But maybe he wasn’t just afraid of hurting people. He’d have to have a pretty good reason to steer clear from free room and board with almost no strings attached, especially in his position. “Are you afraid of something?”

The girl questioned his refusal of a free home at a place like Sanctuary. A major part of it was Sylar was afraid of losing control and hurting someone, but he'd hurt people before to keep his solitude. It was deeper than that, the fear of what would happen if he did connect with other mutants, found friends or a new family. If he reached out for bonds he never had as a normal person, and then lost it all again when his mind gave in to the darkness, wouldn't it have never been worth it? Or was it something as simple as pride and refusing charity. He looked at his left hand, completely clad in obsidian claw down to the wrist, but mostly normal after that to his shoulder.

"It's...confusing." He muttered in response. "I ran away to protect myself and now I'm so used to this life...that trying to fit in sounds alien to me." He wasn't exactly sure how he felt anymore, other mutants, friends, all of it called to him, but he'd lived as an animal learning to get by on instinct, not emotion to the point that now he wasn't sure he could just switch it off again properly.

And to be around normal people again, even if they were just mutants with no physical mutations. The hunger always rumbled in his stomach, that dark instinct to hunt, to feed on the ultimate taboo. "This mutation started small, and I've grown into this in three years. The more of this blackness you see...the less human I become." He tried to explain how every year his instincts grew stronger, more in control, and his rational mind became weaker, a backseat driver. "I don't think it would be ok, to ask for asylum and friendship when eventually I'd need to be put down."

That was it, the idea of pretending to be social as he slowly turned from man to monster, only for whoever he ended up bonding with to be forced to end him before he became an abomination. "And that hunger I have...it gets worse if I spend too much time around normal looking people." He avoided the words that would truly give it away, cannibalism, and the physical urge to want to commit the act would scare anyone.

“Maybe seeing normals just pisses you off?” Hopefully. It would make sense, right? He would get pissed off seeing ‘normal’ people, then crazy things like eating them would pop into his head. “They could hook you up with a shrink, too, you know.” The Sanctuary would pay for it, and it would be a lot better than killing him.

Of course, people usually didn’t like hearing that they needed professional help. And this guy was trying to say that he was dangerous. She shifted uncomfortably, thinking about how she could deal with him if he got upset and suddenly decided to indulge his ‘hunger.’ She was also, pointedly, not thinking about whether she needed professional help for her own problems.

Sylar pondered her words for a moment, was it some deep seated hatred of normal people? He knew he didn't like them, feared them, but was it truly hate? He wasn't sure, this hunger...it was a primal thing, more basic than any human emotion, it was an animal feeling. Like some old monstrous ancestor from long ago that finally found a way into the modern world, full of fresh meat. It was an urge, a need, a craving, not a feeling. He chuckled a bit, a rarity for the monster, and one of the few times his voice sounded normal. "I don't know if I actually hate them. I hate their ignorance...their fear, but sometimes when I look at them...it's like staring at cattle." He said, words which pointed to a very scary thought that brewed in Sylar's mind.

He turned to look at Kaitlyn once more. "Besides Kaitlyn. Do you really want a monster in your midst?" Sylar knew mutants disliked his use of the word monster, but Kaitlyn unlike most of the mutants he'd met knew the cravings and hunger Sylar had. Whether Mutant or Human, could you tolerate a creature that had thoughts of Cannibalism. "I'm not sure even a shrink can fix the thing I'm turning into." Sylar was still a bit surprised, at how even a younger mutant like this girl showed more maturity and complexity to her thoughts than any of the normal people that lived.

“I’d be a hypocrite if I said I’d be mad about it. I mean, the monster part isn’t you. You’re not hurting people because you actually want to. It’s like the thing where I used to blow people up on accident.” If the Sanctuary kicked out every mutant who was dangerous to themselves and others, there would be a lot fewer mutants living in the Sanctuary. And she’d still be living in the streets, unless she got killed, or worse.

“Plus, I already told you about my girlfriend. She kills people and drinks their blood to live, sometimes. I still love her.” They could probably grab some corpses for him to munch on, if they really had to. Not that they would have to try very hard. The Order would get free corpse disposal, and he would get his ‘hunger’ dealt with. Win-win.

Or she could introduce him to Drew. Even if she still technically hated Drew, or felt obligated to hate him, his power could really come in handy here.

Sylar focused on her statement for a moment. The monster part isn't him, but what he's becoming. For now he was still a man, a person, clad in a growing monstrosity. He was afraid of seeking friends or help because he'd become a monster someday, but maybe she was right, maybe the help could slow that process down, keep him sane longer. He didn't know which side of the argument was correct actually. She mentioned her friend the vampire again, showing that Sanctuary had dealt with dangerous mutants before.

Sylar wondered what made her choose Sanctuary though, well maybe it had chosen her instead, but the Mansion was another home for mutants. Were they the ones who avoided dangerous mutants. "Oh right, that vampire friend of yours. So she actually feeds then." Sylar had the urge, sometimes powerfully, but he'd never actually given in. At least not yet. "So Sanctuary pays for a girl to consume blood?" Sylar wasn't questioning the ethics behind this, but actually wondering if an organization would be willing to pay for such an unusual habit.

"I was wondering this as well, you defend this Sanctuary. I've been to another home for mutants though, a very big Mansion. What made you chose Sanctuary over that place." Sylar didn't know much about either home in reality, and was probing for more information, something he needed if he was ever going to make a decision.

“Pretty much.” Though strictly speaking, Victoria wasn’t a Sanctuary resident. Yet. Kaitlyn had vague plans for changing that. Or maybe they were just pipe dreams.

“I, uh… didn’t really choose the Sanctuary. I sorta got…” Kidnapped? Not good word choice. Too many negative connotations, even if it was technically accurate. Technically. It was still probably one of the best things that had ever happened to her, up to that point, even if it was technically a crime being committed against her. This probably said a lot of very depressing things about her quality of life.

“…Surprise-adopted, I guess." Still sounded sketchy, though they were getting somewhere. "But it’s a good thing they found me, and not the Mansion guys. I had just caused…” Eyebrows scrunched as she tried to remember the number, “at least a hundred Gs of property damage. And killed three people.” She said this very neutrally, very matter-of-factly, but it still made her feel a little numb if she thought about it too hard.

Moving on. “So, the Xaviers’ guys prolly woulda told the law all about what happened, and I’d be completely screwed. I’d have been sent back with some part of my family, too.” Which would have sucked. “I mean, the Xaviers’ guys care too much about the law. But the Sanctuary cares about mutants. They snuck off with me to save me from the law. The adoption thing happened after.”

Sylar wasn't dense enough to ignore Kaitlyn's odd response to his question, her words carefully dodging some topic. And then she used a phrase Sylar knew he'd not heard before or expected to hear basically ever. Surprise-adopted? I mean isn't that basically like conscription? Or in Kaitlyn's case did she mean she was just taken from her previous life? She didn't seem to regret whatever reason had led her to Sanctuary, and even pointed out that the Mansion would have probably been a negative thing for her life. Sylar did however, know what it was like to be able to inflict damage that normal people couldn't do, or comprehend.

So basically she caused a lot of damage, was in trouble, and Sanctuary stepped in saving her by taking her. That sounded more...benign he guessed. "Human laws...don't translate well when it comes to us." For the first time Sylar included himself and Kaitlyn in the same grouping, recognizing their kinship as mutants with a sorted background, though hers did sound a bit more complex than his in terms of messing with the law of normal people. "The mutants I've met have all been pretty concerned with the well being of all of us mutants, including me." Sylar was surprised, pleasantly so at how compassionate mutants had been towards him, his hopes having almost been crushed during the time he spent in the sewers.

"I don't know many of the mutants at Sanctuary, and I'm not part of their family like you. But I did recognize it as a safe place, it's nice to know that's true." Sylar didn't feel bad about using the Mansion and the Sanctuary lately for his own good, but he'd been a creature of selfish concerns for a few years now, knowing these places might genuinely be willing to help him, to care for him, kind of made him want to come out of the shadows. "Part of me dislikes the idea of family, because of my parents. But...it'd be nice to have friends out there. Maybe I should spend more time around this Sanctuary of yours."

Kaitlyn nodded. “Yeah. Plus, free food.” Thankfully, Kaitlyn only had to do that about three or four times in her life. “You’re prolly a lot better at stealing it than I was, though.” Nervous chuckle. “You know those stands they have in Central Park, with the—“

Bang! Bang! Bang! Kaitlyn stopped talking. She could hear the gunshots from across the street, could see the bright flashes of light from the window she was monitoring, periodically drowning out the faint blue light of the television screen.

“Wha? Hold on a sec.” Shaky with adrenaline, she scrambled down the wall and dived for an earphone. Too late. The window she was monitoring burst open, shattered by some poor guy getting thrown out of it. As he fell, Kaitlyn could have sworn the guy was actually made of large, jagged rocks held together by some unknown force, instead of a normal flesh-and-blood person. Whatever fell out of that window, it shattered when it hit the sidewalk.

A silhouette appeared in the broken window. First, the figure looked straight down at the scattered rocks. Then, its gaze wandered to the building where Sylar and Kaitlyn were. She had the distinct impression that it was looking directly at her, right before it disappeared from that window.

Whatever had just happened, it was bad. And Kaitlyn and Sylar were witnesses. And the figure in the window knew that they were witnesses.

“…We need to leave.” Kaitlyn turned off her laptop, started packing up everything she brought with her. She probably didn’t have enough time to get down to ground level and cover her tracks like she’d been planning. “Uh, Sylar? Think you could carry me down the side of this building?”

The offer of free food cetainly made Sylar want to considering moving in to one of these homes. Being around so many people, and having nothing to offer in return though? That made it hard to come out of his shell. Though if a girl like her with a background more violent than his own was wanted, maybe he could ease into it. If only he had a stepping stone to work his way up with. "Had to be good at it, it was that or starve. The weapons makes mugging pretty easy normally." He said showing off his knife like fingers. However their easy dialogue they'd been having was cut out by the obvious gunfire from across the street. Sylar immediately glared towards the window Kaitlyn had been spying on, Kaitlyn rushed for her equipment, but Sylar didn't need her input to hear, and see what was going on.

Shattered glass, a large form falling to the ground with a sickening thud. Something went wrong in that little get together, and this oddly shapen man had paid a price for it. "That can't be good." Sylar mumbled, his tail shooting straight up behind him as he began to think of where to escape to. A form stood in the window, motionless for a bit of time. Whoever it was, he was either staring at his dirty work...or more likely at Sylar and Kaitlyn. A hiss escaped from Sylar's throat, if it was one thing a predator hated, it was being seen. Kaitlyn seemed to have arrived upon Sylar's exact thought, time to bail on this little spying spot. Normally Sylar would have bounded off like the wind, with no chance of being caught, but he'd made an interesting new friend tonight and she wasn't nearly as physically able as him.

He turned to watch as Kaitlyn gathered up what must be her laptop and other spying toys. She asked him for a favor, which Sylar would usually avoid offering, but he wasn't about to let a girl younger than himself, who was also a mutant be stranded. "You got it." He stated, jumping from his spot and running into the girl, picking her up with one arm and pressing her to his form. "Hold on tight." He said with a stern voice before continuing his run and leaping off the roof like it was nothing. He hit the opposing wall of another building, and began to leap frog down the building, one hop back to the main building, and a final to the ground with a thud. Once on the ground, he released the strong grip on Kaitlyn, letting her touch the ground as well. "What now, not much time before they hit the streets as well." He asked the girl, the two of them embedded in some kind of serious trouble thanks to the girl's spy game.

Kaitlyn released her death grip on Sylar’s torso, legs shaking a little after her feet returned to the ground. That was faster than the stairs, which was the important thing. Plus, she didn’t die on the way down; also a good thing. She took a deep breath.

“If that’s who I think it is,” Kaitlyn said, voice still shaking, “We should keep running.”

She grabbed for his hand, thinking she would pull him farther along down the alleyway. Instead, she nicked her hand on one of his claws. “Crap! Ow.” That was dumb. “Also, we shouldn’t split up.” Safety in numbers. She hoped she could convince him that he’d be safer staying with her. She’d certainly be safer, that way.

Sylar, standing on the ground of the alley took a moment to look towards the street they were fleeing from, then the other direction. Nobody else around for the moment, which meant they were ahead, a good thing when you were running from something. Kaitlyn proposed to keep running, to which Sylar responded. "Good plan." He reached with one hand to pull his hood snug around his head, and then felt the girl reach for his other hand, pulling back after trying to grab it. He let his eyes wander to her slender fingers, blood trickling from a wound. She'd cut herself on his claws, a thought that kind of irked him. Even touching Sylar was dangerous, what a life.

She exclaimed pain before saying they should stick together, which was fair enough. Sylar didn't know anything about these people she'd been spying on, and the girl said she could make things explode, possibly a relevant back up plan if things went sour. He began to run down the alley, away from whoever had killed that mutant just moments ago, but his pace was much slower than normal. He'd have to run at a normal speed if Kaitlyn had any hope of keeping up, that or he'd have to pick her up and sprint off like a cheetah, however he'd not pick the girl up again unless he had to or she asked, moving at his pace was quite intimidating, as he'd noticed when he carried her to the ground moments ago.

"Any idea on where we're going?" He asked bluntly as he and Kaitlyn ran away from whomever was assuredly pursuing them now.

“I… don’t know.”

That was probably an important detail. Kait had been too focused on getting far away from there to plan that far ahead. “I guess we could go to the Sanctuary…” But that was kinda far away. Especially if they didn’t take the subway, and Sylar seemed like he would object to taking the subway. “Unless you can think of somewhere better.”

She hoped his suggestion wouldn’t involve sewers.