Title: Threat

Pairing/Characters: Noah/Claire

Rating: R for nudity XD

Summary: Prompt #5 of 20. Dref is my Master and I shall write what she wants me to.

Word Count: 650

I snapped my phone closed as Claire closed the bathroom door. The text message had been sent from Parkman. The news wasn't good. I watched as Claire walked over to her suitcase and looked through it. The towel piled on top of her head was leaning and about to fall. I stood up and placed my phone on the table before walking up behind her. I massaged her wet hair with the towel as she continued to search through her clothes. "Did Matt call?" She asked leaning her towel-clad body against me. I pulled the drenched towel off her hair and tossed it aside before wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"No, he sent a text-"

"Must be urgent then."

"Yes, he's confirmed that Nathan has hired an assassin." She stiffened in my arms and I just hugger her closer to me.

"Are they-"

"Yes. They've evaded him, but I don't know for how long..." Her hair was soaking my shirt, but I didn't care. She turned in my arms, which loosened the towel around her. I grabbed it before it fell. She looked at me, I could see the fear, but determination was over-shadowing it. "You don't-"

"Yes I do! I'm the only one who can now."

"No you don't!" I said forgetting the towel and gripping her shoulders. Her body against mine was the only thing keeping the towel from dropping to the floor. "You are just as vulnerable as the rest of us. One lucky shot to the head..." I trailed off not even wanting to think of such things. She dropped her gaze from mine.

"I have to try. With that assassin out there, the people who weren't trained to evade, trained to survive, they have no chance. None at all. Sylar failed, he was stupid... I'm not." She paused looking back into my eyes. "You've trained me well."

"What then?" I asked not wanting to be mean, just wanting her to realize that not everything is as easy as that.

"Then we're fre-"

"Then Nathan hires another assassin." The anger that was so often at the surface these trying days, surfaced in her eyes.

"Then I'll kill-"

"He'll hire another."

"Him."

"And another, and another." She looked away from me.

"Eventually they'll learn not to work for him then." She said with clenched teeth. "Because I'll kill them all." And deep down I knew she could, would. That wasn't the issue.

"And what about the one you couldn't save? The ten with abilities that died before you realized that yet another assassin is out there... Hunting once again? What about them?" She looked down turning away from me as tears dripped from her lashes. Her back and butt bare as she held the towel to her chest.

"What then? Give up on them? The ones that will die from this threat? The one I could- can deal with? We can't run forever... Well Daphne and Matt can, but we can't. Eventually he'll find us." I crossed the distance between us, placing my large hand on the small of her back, rubbing.

"I know Clairebear. I know." She turned around and threw her arms around me. "I was merely pointing out that until the head is cut off the arms will keep growing, reaching. We must focus on Nathan. Until he's dead, none of us will be safe." I pulled her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I kissed her hard as I finally allowed myself to respond to her naked form.

It always only took one discussion of tactics with her for her to understand, adapt and perform. She was the perfect weapon, but she was also the love of my life.