Ficlet: The light comes down like a hammer, Heroes, Gen, PG
Title: The light comes down like a hammer
Rating: PG
Characters: Claire, Peter
Genre: Gen
Pairing: None
Disclaimer: Not mine
Spoilers: For 'Powerless'
A/N: My muse is a bitch. Big thanks to Sandersyager for the looking over.
Summary: She tries to understand
She hears about the shooting within an hour of it happening. It’s on every news station and soon she stops watching the footage of her biological father on the floor, her uncle holding onto him with a fierceness that is unnerving.
The next day Texas is gone. So are the states that surround it. The days that follow are chaos. Reports and rumors are everywhere. The world goes crazy, countries looking for someone to turn their weapons on, and people praying for God to save them.
Her dad can’t be found, so her mom takes her and Lyle and runs. They make it to Canada, a few of the thousands that cross the border out of fear and desperation.
Claire watches the television and shakes her head at the reporters who try and find the truth. She watches it all unfold like a horrible puzzle that only she can put together. It’s Peter and this time he didn’t have Nathan to help stop him.
Then comes gut-twisting terror as she realizes Peter’s not out of control and he deliberately does it over, and over again. She leaves a note for her mom. Getting to New York is easier than she’d thought it would be. The city is still standing and she hopes this means he can still be reached. She finds him at the house they’d all shared for a few days.
He’s in Nathan’s office and she stops to observe him for a moment. He knows she’s there, but lets her watch. He looks normal, but something inside her shivers at the look in his eyes. It’s not sane and she hasn’t been afraid of anything in a long time, but her uncle scares her.
He smiles and studies her, waiting for her to talk. The Peter she knew before would have said something first, made sure she was okay. This version smiles softly and puts down the photo album he’s been gazing at.
“Maybe my blood can still save him.”
He taps fingers against the desk and looks out the window. “I can bring Nathan back and I will. But first I have some things to do.” He stands and studies the few people he can see outside on the street.
“Why, Peter? Why kill all those people?”
He keeps smiling at her and she just wants to go home. She’s tired and almost wishes she’d never found out about her powers.
“Adam was right, or half-right. I think his hatred of Hiro blinded him to certain things. He wanted to start over; kill everyone. But I’ve thought about it. You don’t need to kill everyone.” He shrugs; an elegant gesture that reminds her of a man that once told her life got better after high school. He’d lied.
She asks, because she has to know. “What do you mean?”
“You only need to kill half the population. The rest will fall in line and follow whoever promises them a better, safer life.” The look in his eyes says it all, but she says it out loud, because she can’t not.
“Nathan? They’ll follow Nathan? Peter, he wouldn’t want this!”
He stares at her, his eyes cold. “Don’t assume to know anything about him. He may not want it, but he’ll take the job and everyone will listen and love him. He has that effect.”
“What about you? Do you think he won’t lock you up?”
He smirks at her. “You know so little. He’ll be mad, but in the end? Nathan always forgives me. That’s the way we are and you can’t begin to comprehend that.”
Peter turns away and dismisses her with a wave of his hand. “Go back home. I don’t want you here.”
She turns to leave, but she has one last question and she knows deep down, Peter has the answer.
“Where’s my dad? The one who raised me?”
Peter doesn’t look at her as he gives her the brutal truth. “People that hurt Nathan get what they deserve.”
She leaves and in the following years never sees Peter or Nathan again. Her uncle was right and the Petrelli brothers are seen as heroes. No one opposes them publicly and Nathan becomes a legend, his smiling and faithful brother by his side.
End.
Rating: PG
Characters: Claire, Peter
Genre: Gen
Pairing: None
Disclaimer: Not mine
Spoilers: For 'Powerless'
A/N: My muse is a bitch. Big thanks to Sandersyager for the looking over.
Summary: She tries to understand
She hears about the shooting within an hour of it happening. It’s on every news station and soon she stops watching the footage of her biological father on the floor, her uncle holding onto him with a fierceness that is unnerving.
The next day Texas is gone. So are the states that surround it. The days that follow are chaos. Reports and rumors are everywhere. The world goes crazy, countries looking for someone to turn their weapons on, and people praying for God to save them.
Her dad can’t be found, so her mom takes her and Lyle and runs. They make it to Canada, a few of the thousands that cross the border out of fear and desperation.
Claire watches the television and shakes her head at the reporters who try and find the truth. She watches it all unfold like a horrible puzzle that only she can put together. It’s Peter and this time he didn’t have Nathan to help stop him.
Then comes gut-twisting terror as she realizes Peter’s not out of control and he deliberately does it over, and over again. She leaves a note for her mom. Getting to New York is easier than she’d thought it would be. The city is still standing and she hopes this means he can still be reached. She finds him at the house they’d all shared for a few days.
He’s in Nathan’s office and she stops to observe him for a moment. He knows she’s there, but lets her watch. He looks normal, but something inside her shivers at the look in his eyes. It’s not sane and she hasn’t been afraid of anything in a long time, but her uncle scares her.
He smiles and studies her, waiting for her to talk. The Peter she knew before would have said something first, made sure she was okay. This version smiles softly and puts down the photo album he’s been gazing at.
“Maybe my blood can still save him.”
He taps fingers against the desk and looks out the window. “I can bring Nathan back and I will. But first I have some things to do.” He stands and studies the few people he can see outside on the street.
“Why, Peter? Why kill all those people?”
He keeps smiling at her and she just wants to go home. She’s tired and almost wishes she’d never found out about her powers.
“Adam was right, or half-right. I think his hatred of Hiro blinded him to certain things. He wanted to start over; kill everyone. But I’ve thought about it. You don’t need to kill everyone.” He shrugs; an elegant gesture that reminds her of a man that once told her life got better after high school. He’d lied.
She asks, because she has to know. “What do you mean?”
“You only need to kill half the population. The rest will fall in line and follow whoever promises them a better, safer life.” The look in his eyes says it all, but she says it out loud, because she can’t not.
“Nathan? They’ll follow Nathan? Peter, he wouldn’t want this!”
He stares at her, his eyes cold. “Don’t assume to know anything about him. He may not want it, but he’ll take the job and everyone will listen and love him. He has that effect.”
“What about you? Do you think he won’t lock you up?”
He smirks at her. “You know so little. He’ll be mad, but in the end? Nathan always forgives me. That’s the way we are and you can’t begin to comprehend that.”
Peter turns away and dismisses her with a wave of his hand. “Go back home. I don’t want you here.”
She turns to leave, but she has one last question and she knows deep down, Peter has the answer.
“Where’s my dad? The one who raised me?”
Peter doesn’t look at her as he gives her the brutal truth. “People that hurt Nathan get what they deserve.”
She leaves and in the following years never sees Peter or Nathan again. Her uncle was right and the Petrelli brothers are seen as heroes. No one opposes them publicly and Nathan becomes a legend, his smiling and faithful brother by his side.
End.