Participants:
| Scene Title | Passing On Bad News |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | As she promised to Liz, Claire goes to tell Cardinal that a certain old man is free and out in the world again. |
| Date | January 15, 2009 |
It was the day before they'd make landfall and try to save the world. And the pressure is on. Claire is already up.. already done her time on the treadmill and the day is only just starting. She is nervous, very much so. Breakfast was the last thing on her mind, even if she still wasn't eating as much as everyone would like.
She still had something she had to do. She had promised Elisabeth that she would talk to Cardinal about the fact she had seen Danko and where. However, by time they had eaten, the tiny blonde had been distracted and when she remembered, she couldn't find the shadowman.
Dressed as she has been in her since she started the whole thing, Claire wears a pair of camouflaged pants, tucked neatly into the black combat boots, the black tee shirt she's wearing is visible under the military grade jacket she wears to ward off the chill in the air.
"Richard?"She leans over to knock on Cardinal's door to his bunk, hoping he's alone in there. Well… unless it's Liz… then she just hopes to hell she's not interrupting anything.
"He's not in."
It's a hollow murmur from behind her as the shadow of Richard Cardinal sweeps under her feet as she turns, then up beneath the door to the two-person cabin he's been assigned to reside in during his stay here.
A few seconds later, the door's pulled open, and he flashes a grin, "Now he is. C'mon in, Claire."
Turning around at the voice over her shoulder, Claire's brows dropping in confusion, only to turn to amusement as he opens the door. "Okay.. I just have to say… love that ability of yours." Ability envy? Maybe a little. She returns his grin before slipping into the cabin, "Liz wanted me to come talk to you yesterday.. but it didn't work out."
Turning to Richard she looks suddenly serious. "She nearly had a panic attack in the gym." Her eyes narrow a bit. "I… kind of caused it without meaning too." She grimaces, giving him an apologetic look.
"Oh, hell…" The door's closed behind her before Cardinal turns back to her, brow furrowed in concern, "…did the lights go off, or— something? What happened?" She'd seemed fairly normal since meeting her again back on the ship - he'd almost forgotten that she still had scars that he couldn't see.
"No… We were talking and she was talking about what happened to her with her memory loss.. and she mentioned Danko." Claire licks her lower lip and teeth catches it for a moment before she continues. "That name jogged a memory…" The way she says it sounds rather ominous. Then she just drops the bomb, "A memory of following an older bald man, who had been the last of the first Bravo team, onto an enemy boat to slaughter them all." She falls quiet as she lets that news sink in, before affirming what he might be thinking.
"It was Danko."
"Christ." Cardinal brings a hand up, fingers splaying over the side of his face to rub against it, his eyes closing, "I should've known they wouldn't just bury the sonuvabitch, they had to think they could leash him…" His hand falls, and he looks over grimly, "What happened after the mission? Did he leave with you?"
"That is my only memory of his there." Claire admits, apologetically, hands spreading in front of her. "He didn't extract with us that I know of.. so I'm not sure where he is." That's what sucks about missing memories. "But I can say with certainty that any memory I do have after that, he's not in it. So I don't know if that was a one time encounter or not. You'd have to talk to Gabriel and those two woman who were with him.. Huruma was one of them now that I think about it." Brows drop thoughtfully.
Squeezes her eyes shut and works to try to think of something, Claire finally sighs. "Yeah.. that's all of it." Her tone bland.
"Yeah, they're just my favorite people in the world to talk to," observes Cardinal darkly, his head falling back with a sigh as he stares at the ceiling, "God damn it, Kershner." A breath's drawn back in, and he looks back to Claire, "So… how's Liz?"
A smile touches a young woman's lips. "Actually.. Gabriel and I….. I think we've come to an understanding. We had a chat the other night. As for Liz…" Claire's smile slips away a little "When I last saw her she seemed fine. Once the shock wore off, really." She sighs a bit. "I really had no idea how bad she'd react. I wasn't thinking… I was just excited that two pieces clicked together."
"You're serious." It's as heavy as a lead weight in tone, Cardinal's gaze dropping to her face as she speaks, brows beetling together, "An… understanding? He tried to cut your head open."
"I know, Richard.. Remember.. I was there for that and for some reason remember it." Claire gives him a 'Do I really look that stupid?' look. She paces away from him a little, course she can't go far in the cramped quarters. "He could have done it so many times on the trip. So many times. Those nights when he was on guard duty.. Several times on the river." Claire takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "He attacked me after a man names Usutu… painted an image of the future. The other woman.. ah.. Eileen.. holding his dead body. It was after that. If I was in his place.. with his ability.. I'm not too sure I wouldn't have tried something simular." She turns back to look at Cardinal.
"He admitted his mistake…. Said it wouldn't happen again.. and again.. He'd had plenty of chances." She holds up her hands to stave off anything just yet. "So for once, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and try to believe he means it." A hint of a smile tugs at her lips. "Doesn't mean I trust him.. not at all.. and I sure as hell don't forgive him, but this mission is much bigger then the crap that happened between us in the past."
"So he's just an occasional serial killer, who once and awhile slips and goes back to his former ways? It's not like being a fucking alcoholic, you know," Cardinal states roughly, gesturing with one hand, "His ability's driven others insane before, I find it hard to believe that he 'won't do it again'…"
He grimaces, glancing to one side, "So long as he stays on our side, I can deal with him on this mission, but he'd better remember whose side he's on, or I'll end his brain-eating addiction forever."
"Like I said.. He had plenty of chances. I won't trust him completely, but it really worked in Madagascar. Bravo Team.. was scary." Is that a little pride in the tiny blonde's voice. "So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now."
Fingers move to lightly, grip Cardinal's arm and Claire gives him a soft smile. "And it's cause I have friends like you and Liz to help watch my back, that I feel I can give him this chance. I can't play scared teenager all the time about my boogie man and run away." Which Gabriel is for her really. "So as long as he's on our side and keeps his hands off my brain, I'm going to try to believe he means it." She completely avoids the word trust, as there will probably never be trust in her for Sylar.
"Alright." Cardinal's free hand raises up to brush a bit of hair away from her face, and he offers her a faint smile, "Just don't turn your back on him for a minute if you can help it, Claire, a'ight?" A wry smile, "I'd really hate to have to go on a vengeance streak, or something."
"Pfft.. You would not." Claire tries to blow that off jokingly, swatting his arm. "Sure you'd be happy to get rid of my annoying behind." She gives him a wink and adds much more seriously, "Don't worry, boss.. I don't plan on turning my back on him, if I can help it. Kazimir needs him.. I'd rather keep him around…"
The regenerator looks worried again, "Of course, what's coming in the next day or so will determine if I have to keep worrying." Blue eyes slide shut and she shakes her head slowly, "So much pressure to save the world and my uncle." When they open again they look tired, "I haven't been sleeping well cause of it. I just… what if I fail again?"
"It's not annoying. Just dotted with little red hearts…" Cardinal observes deadpan, then trails off as he looks down to her, brow furrowing a little, "Again? You'll do fine, Claire. You should get some sleep, though, before the mission at least. Sickbay's probably got some sedatives…"
"My body processes drugs stuff funny." Claire states with a shake of her head, at his joke about her underwear, obviously not going there. "I can't even get drunk." There is a little roll of her eyes, before she sighs softly. "I just wish I had your confidence, though. I don't exactly have the best record at this stuff. Good at dying, but not so good at the important things." Midtown for one… Trusting her grandfather… "Hell.. talking to Magnes, I couldn't even close the deal there and sleep with him. What the hell type of person was I?" She gives a little frustrated huff. "Sorry.. I told myself I wasn't going to mention him around you if I could help it."
"We actually talked about that," Cardinal says with a tight shake of his head, allowing wryly, "It was a little awkward, but… you weren't ready. You weren't sure if you wanted to go there yet, and you were feeling a little pressured."
"Seriously?" Claire's voice goes flat as if she can't believe that. A hand rubs at the side of her face. "I apologize. I really do. I just.. can't understand my hang up." Her hands drops to her side again and her head shakes a bit. "There are so much more important things then being worried about something like that. I dunno." Her brows drop as she tries to figure out her reasoning. "Sometimes I think this whole memory thing wasn't totally a bad thing."
"Why're you apologizing to me? I'm not the one you weren't fucking," Cardinal points out dryly, his head shaking, "And maybe you just didn't— think it was right with him. I don't know, I just work here."
"I'm apologizing for making you endure that sort of talk about him. It really doesn't seem such a big deal. Though yeah, right now. He's not my choice for that sort of activity." Claire says with a chuckle, as she moves to slip around him, reachign for the door. "Either way, I'll leave you be, Richard. I just wanted you to know about Danko, since it got such a violent reaction from her."
"Yeah." Cardinal turns with a frown to look to the door, "I'll go look for her, make sure she's alright… and thanks, Claire." A faint smile's flashed over, "For letting me know."
"Welcome, boss." Claire states simply returning the small smile with one of her own, before yanking the door open and quickly slipping out again.