cargojet | IC Contact

[ She takes a breath, because the overwhelming guilt of having lost her entire team to something she can't even identify is still sitting heavy on her shoulders, even if it wasn't actually her fault. ]

Kate Bishop sent me a message. I was her comm liason for the recon mission this month. I haven't been able to find them or get in touch with them or anything and then she sent me this.

[ The message Claire sends is full of static, harsh and loud, and the voices are distorted and far away, but present. ]

--aire we los ... somew ... doorway and ... follow ... you have to come help ... can't get ... don't ....

You can't blame yourself for that, Claire. The first thing that happens when people go out in those corridors is they lose contact with the network. It helps keep people disorientated and vulnerable.

[ He's listened to the static three times by the time he finishes speaking, having fed it on a loop into his other ear. There's another pause, and then-- ]

They're off my grid too. Not just them but... I'll get this information to Tyke and see what we can do. I know she asked for your help, and I...

[ And I know you feel responsible, but you shouldn't go. He stops himself before he says it. Claire showed a lot of faith in bringing this to him.. ]

If you're going to go down there, you're going to do it with me. We won't leave them to whatever fate this is, but I won't lose you to it either.

I know, I know, but it's hard not to feel at least partially responsible when you're the one who was supposed to keep an eye on their position.

[ Claire does know that it's not her fault, but shaking that off is easier said than done, given her penchant for putting herself in the middle of things. She would rather he not go at all, but they're similar in that way. ]

I would feel better if I was with you, if you're going.

[ Maybe not for reasons of her own protection, but for his instead. She isn't afraid, hasn't been in a long time, but she's afraid for him and anyone else who runs into this and can't immediately bounce back. ]

And I would feel better if you were with me, if we're going. Somewhere we can keep an eye on each other. I don't like leaving Peter, but...but in this case I have to lead, and you, Claire--you could be invaluable out there.

I don't want to put you under any pressure but there's a chance these people are going to be hurt, and our only doctor is out there being hunted by something.

[ tl;dr your magic blood is all the surgeon we have and he doesn't want to put it that way, but that's what it is.

Honestly, Nathan would rather have Claire back at base, barricaded in medical with half a dozen guns and a grenade launcher, but...but maybe if she's with him he can protect her. At least that way he can protect one of them. ]

It's not your fault, you know. No more than it's mine. [ And yet he blames himself too. ]

[ The relief and gratitude she feels at hearing him say that - that she could be not just invaluable but useful - goes miles with her. She's spent too long feeling like just a victim, and while she's felt more proactive in recent months, it's still true that her power is more passive than anything. Still, there are reservations that come with that kind of potential responsibility, and Claire finds herself nervous. ]

I'll do whatever I can to help. [ He knows that. ] I don't know... I spent so long trying to keep everything about myself a secret that the idea of putting my blood into someone who's hurt when I don't know them just seems like a terrible idea. But I don't think I'd want that responsibility on my shoulders either, if I could have done something. We're already bad enough at blaming ourselves for things out of our control. Or things we couldn't get under control.

[ Meanwhile, a grenade launcher would be cool. ]

In the best case scenario we don't have to do it at all. I just want you to prepare in case you have to, that's all.

I'm proud of you, Claire. You've always been courageous, but the pressures you've been put under here--losing your memory, finding me, and now this: you've weathered it well.

I know I'll be just fine out there so long as you're with me.

[ He's here to inspire, and Claire doesn't miss out on that just because they're family. He expects more from her than he does anyone else, that's true, but only because he knows she can do it; she's one half Petrelli after all. ]

I'm resilient.

[ It's said with a smile, and that translates easily. It always does. What doesn't show is how tight it feels around the corners of her mouth, like she blames herself for half of those pressures and more. Or, at least, blames herself for her inability to be able to compensate for them. ]

I'm proud of you, too. [ She says it after a moment of almost radio silence. ] I'm serious. You've done a lot of things here that people wouldn't step up to do themselves, even at your own expense. I know we haven't always... seen things the same way, in the past. We probably won't again at some point. But I never - I just didn't get the chance to tell you that.

[ Nathan considers for a few moments just letting it hang in the air, then speaks more softly into the communicator. ]

Then we'll agree to be proud of each other no matter how rough things get. Deal?