A.N: Ok, D-day is finally here, and I'm nervous. This is the prologue for my first ever Heroes multi-chap fic, In Abyssus, which I've been working on for the majority of this summer. It's not finished yet, but I hope it will be before September, so I can just post the chapters for you. A big thank you goes to alaricnomad, who's my beta, and who is doing a fabulous job )

Warnings/Disclaimer: This fic will contain (eventually) canon Paire, so that means incest. If you don't like that sort of thing, please don't read. Spoilers up to the end of Season 2, and possibly spoilers/speculation for Season 3 later on in the story. You have been warned. I don't own Heroes, that all belongs to Tim Kring and NBC.

Summary: Peter Petrelli has little to live for in 2010, what with his brother bent on ridding the world of those with powers, the title of the Most Wanted Man in America on his head, and the killing of thousands of people on his hands. But when the President announces plans to open containment camps to hold such people, and a certain cheerleader is imprisoned, his life will be turned upside down once more.

So, here we go! Oh yeah, if you go onto my author page and click on my LiveJournal link, on the bottom of the post entitled: "In Abyssus (1/?) A Paire fan-fic" is a download link to the song I wrote the chapter to. I originally planned to make a soundtrack, but I thought that the music lends a lot to the emotion in the chapters, so each one will have a specific song relating to the events happening/characters involved. : )

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Prologue: Last Man Standing

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The fall from the window hurt less than she had expected, considering she had just slammed into the pavement from at least thirty feet. Knowing time was against her, Claire got up quicker than she should have, having to stop seconds later to pop her leg back into place with a sickening sound.

She paused a moment more to glance up at the two faces still gazing desperately after her, a resolute expression on her usually serene face.

I'm not a Petrelli, not if Petrellis' behave like this.

With that, she raced off down the road, uncertain exactly where she was headed, but knowing that whatever way she took, she had to reach Peter.

She had to save him as he had saved her. It's what they did, it's how they rolled.

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Peter had always wanted to be someone, always felt that within his life, he was meant to achieve…something. He was never quite sure what it was and, over time, as he realised Nathan was the brother to accomplish everything Peter couldn't, he started to believe it was foolish desperation on his part.

And now here he was, trying to save the world, when at the same time he was the one putting it in danger. How he wished his big brother was here now to make it all right.

The hospice nurse sank to his knees, the powerful force of energy coursing through him almost becoming too much to bear, hands pulsing with nuclear energy. Sylar lay still across from him, the corpse of the murderer sealing Peter's fate with one last wave of his hand before collapsing, sending Peter's only saviour, Hiro, hurtling into the air.

Unless…

Growing weak, Peter cast his eyes forwards, heart leaping when he registered Claire's small form neared. As she came closer, he noticed her confident stride, but at the same time heard all the thoughts buzzing around her head.

I don't want to do this. I can't do this. I've got to save him, but not like this, there's got to be another way – another way. There's got to be! I can't lose him, I can't, I can't –

He stood up, using the last of his energy to get to his feet and look her in the eye, to make sure she did her job, "Do it." He held his arms wide so she could get a better shot, bracing himself.

She didn't reply, or do anything, only stared at him with a conflicted expression, fumbling with the gun in her hand.

"Do it!" He repeated urgently, overcome with the power that was rushing through him, "You're the only one, Claire."

She was crying now, hands shaking, and Peter wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to tell her it would be alright, except he didn't know if it would be. He wasn't sure he could survive a bullet to the head, just like he wasn't sure he would survive if he exploded.

But he didn't want to leave her like this; he didn't want to leave her at all. He watched as she shook her head, tears still streaming down her face, "Tell me there's another way, please."

The broken emotion in her voice made Peter's heart wrench, but he couldn't lie to her, not now, not after all they'd been through, "Shoot me," he replied, his eyes boring into hers, "There is no other way."

Another pause and Peter knew time was growing short. He could feel the power building up inside of him, making it difficult to stand, talk, to breathe even. Hot fire coursed through his veins, and he knew it wasn't going to be long before –

"Please," He pleaded through gritted teeth, even as he saw Claire shaking her head, dropping the gun to the floor, "You have to."

"I can't," She was closer to him now, and the radiation around his body was getting stronger, beginning to singe his skin. If Claire wasn't careful, hers would too.

"Don –" He flinched as she hesitantly linked her fingers with his, taking a sharp intake of breath as the radiation began to burn through her skin.

"It's okay," she said, trying to smile through her tears and the pain, "This is how we roll. It's you and me."

Looking into her eyes, glittering with tears as she stared back at him, Peter felt a rush of emotion flood through him. Images flashed through his mind of the night at Homecoming, where he'd bumped into Claire and that sad little smile of hers for the first time.

He reached up and wiped her tears away, burns forming on her cheeks and then healing again instantly as he did so. Claire was crying openly, clinging onto him, not caring that her body was beginning to struggle to keep up with the constant radiation.

"I'm here," She mumbled, finding it hard to keep her eyes from shutting in pain.

From the corner of his eye, Peter could see Noah Bennet herding away the rest of the people that had congregated around Kirby Plaza away, talking fast on his cell phone while he helped the men with injuries walk. He sighed, the shuddering movement reverberating around his body and causing searing pain to shoot through his spine; even breathing hurt at that moment.

He knew there wouldn't be enough time to evacuate the city; Linderman hadn't put any plans in place. The statistic 0.07 whirred around his head as if it were on repeat. All he could see were the faces of the ones he loved and scared about, burnt and scarred, screaming for help.

The whole city a mass of flame because of his hand, because of what he was capable of. He had never wanted this; all he wanted was to be a hero, to change the world, to do something.

If he survived this, a fact he doubted very much, he would find a way to atone for this catastrophe. If he killed Claire in the process, he'd make damn sure he found a way to die.

You're totally my hero. No matter what happens, you're still my hero, Peter.

Those thoughts and a pair of dazzling green eyes were the last thing he registered as the sky set alight and the whole world burst into flames.

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Four years into the future, Peter woke up with a jolt, heart beating a thousand miles a minute. The same dream, every night, for four years. If that wasn't punishment, Peter didn't want to know what was.

But of course, there was an even worse price. The memory of her sad little smile and the curl of her hair still haunted him, while the betrayal of his brother stung like a knife in the gut every time his face was in the paper, or on the news.

The violence and trouble of the day he could deal with, a world full of new laws and his scarred face plastered on reward posters. It was the nightmares he couldn't stand.

Nightmares that were real, that were a living memory of what he'd done wrong that night, what he failed to achieve.

He moved from the bed to the bathroom, both dingy and off-white, the plaster peeling off the walls, to glance in the mirror, his distorted reflection staring back at him without pity.

He'd failed to be Claire's hero that night, but what he wouldn't give to have a second chance.