Okay, this is a songfic I wrote to one of my favorite songs, "Me Against the World" by Simple Plan, for one of my favorite Heroes, Peter Petrelli. I was captivated by Future Peter from Volume 3, and I decided to go a little bit more indepth into why he shot Nathan. I think this song goes very well with Peter from both the future and the present. This is my first songfic, so please be nice if you review.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Heroes or the song, even though I really wish I did.
Peter glared up at the security camera as he passed it on the streets, hoping that his brother would see him through the lens. There was no reason to hide his rage now; everyone with abilities was already labeled as a terrorist, so what was the point in hiding anything anymore? They were destroying the lives of innocent people, and someone had to do something about it.
We're not gonna be just a part of their game
We're not gonna be just the victims
They're taking our dreams
And they tear them apart
Til everyone's the same
No one seemed brave enough to stand up for what was right. Everyone just seemed to accept that they would never live like normal people, and Peter didn't think that was right. He had been flushed out of every hiding place he'd ever had, and had even been mauled because of his abilities. The scar across his face was proof of that. People had treated him cruelly and inhumanly, just because of his powers, and he was sick of such imminent discrimination being ignored and so common.
I've got no place to go
I've got nowhere to run
They'd love to watch me fall
They think they know it all
Nathan… just his name filled Peter with a hateful passion. He used to look up to his older brother, used to consider him a kind of idol. Now he wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he had the chance. He was the one who had done this to people with powers; as soon as he'd gotten rid of his own with Mohinder's help, he had declared abilities to be dangerous and an international problem. Even now, Nathan was rounding up people with abilities, exterminating them. Peter had been targeted multiple times, but none of the squads sent after him had stood a chance.
I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I'm gonna prove them wrong
Me against the world
He had to change this. He had to bring equality back into the world. Nathan had always told him that he could never be a hero, that he would never be special, but now was his time to make a difference. Even if he were going to fight against the entire government, or even the entire world, he would fight until the end. He had a hope for the future, and he wanted that future to be full of normal people and people with abilities living side by side in harmony and acceptance. Just because they had special abilities didn't mean they were less than human.
It's me against the world
He was alone in his fight, that much he knew. But he couldn't just sit back and watch his own kind being treated like animals. He needed to do something about it. The government hadn't reached him in their brainwashing ways, hadn't convinced him that he was dangerous and not trustable like they'd convinced so many others.
We won't let them change how we feel in our hearts
We're not gonna let them control us
We won't let them shove all these thoughts in our heads
And we'll never be like them
He would never be considered human again. Peter just wanted to be treated equally, but that would never happen. Times were desperate for people with abilities; someone needed to do something, something that would make an impact on the future. And if no one was willing to stand up and fight, he would do it alone.
I've got no place to go
I've got nowhere to run
They'd love to watch me fall
They think they know it all
Nathan was ruining the future. He was making it impossible for two types of people to live together in complete equality and peace. The community of people with abilities was on the brink of war with the federal government; first had come the restraining laws, then the issued status of "terrorist", then the special prisons for "dangerous people". It disgusted Peter to think that someone sharing his own blood was responsible for all of this.
I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I'm gonna prove them wrong
Me against the world
He tried to think back to when things had started turning ugly. Probably when Nathan had publicly announced the existence of people with abilities. At the time, Peter had supported the idea and had stood beside his brother as he had made his speech. But he had been keen to have Mohinder "remove" his ability, and he hadn't announced the existence of it at the press conference. Yes, that's when things had started turning bad. If there were only a way to erase that day…
Me against the world
Time traveling. Of course. He hadn't traveled back in time in a while, not since he had last had contact with Hiro almost three years ago. Poor Hiro, wiped off the face of the earth in a hail of gunfire. It wasn't his fault that he had powers, and people had killed him because they had been afraid of him and his abilities. Taking a deep breath, he teleported to his hideout on the outskirts of Los Angeles. It was time to prepare.
Now I'm sick of this waiting
So come on and take your shot
You can speed up your insults
But nothing you say is gonna change us
You can sit there and judge me
Say what you want to
We'll never let you win
"It's for the good of the country, Pete." That's what Nathan had said as he had told him that he was declaring people with powers dangerous. Peter didn't care what he said; he didn't think people with abilities were dangerous. They'd been judged without even being known. It was wrong. As he finished buttoning the old trench coat, Peter cast a last glance at the clock so that he knew what time he should return to. He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, and disappeared into the folds of time.
I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
Me against the world
He was at the press conference. Below him, he could see his younger self, Matt Parkman, and Nathan standing on the pavilion in front of the many news crews. This was where it had all happened, where the first influences of the future were created. This was where things needed to be changed, where the future could be altered. Peter reached into his coat, his fingers closing around the grip of the small black pistol. He began to draw it as Nathan began to speak.
I'm a nightmare, a disaster
That's what they always say
I'm a lost cause, not a hero
But I'll make it on my own
I'm gonna prove them wrong
They'll never bring us down
We'll never fall in line
I'll make it on my own
Me against the world
He pointed the gun at his older brother. He had to do this, hard as it might be. He had to save the future, to being back the equality that had been lost on this very pavilion because of this very man. Nathan was still his brother, no matter how horrible a man he was, and memories came flooding into his mind as he aimed the pistol. He had to do this… he had to…
He squeezed the trigger, and the room was filled with screams.