The sun had almost set as Octavia lay in wait for her prey. Perched lightly on a tree branch, she waited. And remembered…
It had been three months since that day. Since she'd killed Pike and saved Indra from the cross. She'd taken her injured former mentor to TonDC, where Nyko had healed her, but Octavia hadn't been able to stay there. She'd tried to stick around at first, but the way she was feeling… She couldn't drag them down with her. Besides, TonDC and its people brought back too many memories. She'd known she would miss her family, but it had been for the best.
Heartbroken and utterly alone, Octavia had wandered around for a month. Hunting for food, staying away from other people... She'd kept wishing time would just stop and swallow her whole. But it hadn't, it had gone on and so had life around her. She'd taken refuge in Lincoln's cave. And, even though the memories that the place brought up were painful, they also brought her some semblance of comfort. Besides, she knew that it was a good place, a hidden spot where she could safely rest and gather herself before her next mission. She'd made it her home.
One night, she'd woken up in panic after one of her constant nightmares. Much like her other night terrors, it had been about that awful day in Arkadia when she'd lost Lincoln. She touched the spot where the needle had pierced her skin when he'd tranqued her. Remembering that day still gave her shivers… Shaken up from the nightmare and feeling nauseous, she'd decided to take a walk outside. She'd walked through the woods, aimlessly, with no destination in mind, feeling the cold night air on her skin, feeling… empty.
She'd kept thinking that the pain would ease somewhat with time. No such luck. Octavia had felt so empty and cold, desperate. She had nothing left. She had considered just… ending it. During her walk, she'd noticed there was a cliff nearby and she'd seen a way out. What did she have left to live for? What did she have left to lose? The people she had loved were either dead, had stabbed her in the back or were being kept at arm's length so they wouldn't get hurt. She'd had nothing, she'd been nothing. She had wondered what it would feel like. Would it hurt? Would she see Lincoln again after she was gone?
Octavia had been at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the distance between her and her final release from this hell. Alone, with no place to call her own and no one to turn to, she'd finally given into despair. She had removed her weapons and set them aside. She'd taken a step forward, closer to the edge, the tip of her boot finding the place where the ground ended… Then, she had heard a loud scream. The sound had echoed through the woods. She'd turned around startled at the sound. It was a woman's voice. Octavia hadn't hesitated, the warrior awakening again from the numbness. Without thinking twice, she grabbed her discarded weapons and rushed toward the sound.
There was a man on top of the screaming woman, groping her and reaching for her private parts. The bastard had been trying to rape her. The young woman had been screaming and squirming, trying to get away from the brute man.
At the sight, Octavia had been immediately taken back to the Ark and the thought of her mother and those goddamned filthy guards who'd raped her over and over again, blackmailing her... Using and abusing her sexually in exchange for little favors like keeping her dirty little secret and warning her before there was a 'surprise' inspection.
There could be no tolerance for that scum.
Octavia had pulled him off the young girl roughly and landed a sharp right hook on his jaw. Then, she had reached for her dagger and slit the rapist's throat with one easy slash. The young woman had stood up, tears running down her face, a panicked expression in her eyes. Some of the asshole's blood had splattered onto her face. Holding her clothes tightly to her body, protecting herself, she had looked at Octavia.
"Mochof*1," she'd whispered hoarsely before running away.
Octavia had frowned down at that rapist scum, dead at her feet.
Gillmer, Pike, this asshole…
It's not enough, a voice in her head had told her. They all have to pay.
There was no hope left for her, but maybe… Then, her new purpose became clear. She may not be able to help herself, but she could help others. The empty, shallow darkness that had haunted her heart for so long began to lift. So many crimes went unpunished in this world. Not anymore, not if she had anything to say about it. Every sinner had to pay for their crimes.
The need for vengeance and justice drove her.
In the two months since that night, Octavia had been ridding the world of the filth. She'd been punishing the guilty, saving the innocent from further suffering… That disgusting rapist had been her first kill as Trikova*2. Shadow… That was the name the people had given her. The young assassin was known for being quiet as a shadow, quick as a snake. She hunted down criminals and dispensing justice quickly and efficiently.
She'd become a rogue assassin. A renegade, Octavia didn't play by anyone's rules. She obeyed to no laws but her own. Helping people was what drove her nowadays. An avenger, Octavia sought to bring justice and vengeance to the victims.
No one knew her true identity. People only hear rumors about the Shadow. People heard the name Trikova and they knew what she was capable of. Criminals feared her wrath, and with good reason. Trikova was known for delivering her punishment quickly, efficiently and mercilessly. She was the Shadow, moving in the dark.
Octavia took no joy or pleasure in the killings. It was what she knew, what she excelled at. Lincoln and Indra had turned her into a fighter, a warrior. They'd taught her how to kill. And now, she was putting those skills to good use.
That was how she'd gotten there, waiting for her next target. This prick had been beating his wife and kids for months. She'd followed him to a small cabin in the woods where he and his personal punching bags lived.
A movement in the dark brought her to attention. The scumbag was here. And it was time to pay. The large man stumbled through the woods as he reached the cabin. He was drunk, and ready to give another beat down on his family. That son of a bitch wouldn't get the chance. He wouldn't even walk through that door.
Quietly jumping from the tree branch, she attacked. She'd taken him by surprise, but he was quick and fought back.
The man was a brute. He fought mean and dirty, but he was a skilled warrior and, even staggering drunk, he managed to get her a couple of times. But, in the end, Octavia overpowered him and threw him on the ground.
"Chon yu bilaik*3?" he fumed.
"Raitnes*4."
Trikova stroke a forceful blow on the man's face.
The man looked up at her with bleary eyes. He was close to losing consciousness. When he realized there was no way out of that situation, he settled on begging.
"Beja*5..."
She was reminded of something Indra said all the time. Those who are about to die will say anything. She knew the truth. He had no intention of stopping, so she had to stop him.
"No." Before landing the final blow, she whispered, "Jus drein jus daun*6."
After she was done with the piece of human filth, Octavia entered the house slowly. His wife had watched everything from the window. She looked at the Shadow with a fearful expression, her two small children behind her, trembling. Octavia held her hands up in surrender, showing them that she had no intention of harming them. She told the woman that she didn't have to worry about her asshole husband anymore, and to get her children and go to Luna's clan. They would be alright there.
She gathered her weapons – Lincoln's sword, her long hunting knife, her throwing knives and her three daggers – and left for her sanctuary. She was almost halfway there when, suddenly, she froze. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Out of the blue, she was jumped by three individuals.
"Frag em op*7," one of them ordered loudly.
They managed to land quite a few blows on her. They punched and kicked her, beating her to the ground. Still geared up and high on the adrenaline from her last match, Octavia fought back. With some effort and a great amount of luck, she got the upper hand on her attackers. One by one, they fell dead on the ground, their blood on her hands and her hunting knife.
Octavia dropped to the ground, exhausted and breathless. Her entire body hurt. They'd beaten her up pretty badly.
"Ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim*8," she murmured. "Come on, Blake... Get up."
Slowly, she rose to her feet. She needed a safe place to hide, to lay low. A refuge… She knew just where she could go. Niylah's house was close by. She'd helped her once, maybe she would do it again. Octavia remembered how she'd helped them when they'd needed help saving Raven from Alie's control. Niylah wasn't one to turn someone in need away.
When she got to Niylah's home, night had fallen and the sky was pitch black. She knocked lightly on the door and the woman in question opened the door. Niylah was in shock when she saw the familiar face. Octavia looked weary, battered and bloody, clutching her midsection.
"What happened to you?"
"It's a long story," Octavia sighed, leaning against the door frame.
"How can I help?"
"I could use some food and a place to crash for the night. Please."
Niylah nodded and opened the door further to let her in. She guided the injured Octavia through her home, taking her to her bedroom and gently helped her sit down on the furs.
"Here."
She removed Octavia's weapons and jacket gingerly, so as not to hurt her further. Next, Niylah went to get her medicine chest and gathered the supplies she needed. She sat down in front of Octavia and set to work on treating her face.
Carefully, Niylah said, "The man who was here the other time, when you were saving that girl. The one who…" she couldn't go on, and she didn't have to. Octavia knew who she was talking about. Bellamy… He'd killed Niylah's father when he and the rest of Pike's goons had attacked and slaughtered the grounder army outside Arkadia. "He's your brother?"
"He was."
Niylah knew the young man wasn't dead, so something very serious must have happened between them.
"He's been looking for you. He came by a few days ago."
"Did he?" Octavia asked drily. The thought of her brother and everything he'd done still left a sour taste in her mouth.
"Yes. He said he's worried about you. That Skaikru is hunting you," she told Octavia, a concerned tone in her voice. The news took Octavia by surprise. Hunting her? She was about to ask why the hell they would be hunting her when Niylah continued, "For killing their leader."
Pike… Octavia closed her eyes.
"I'll be fine. I'm good at hiding."
It was true. Octavia was great at hiding, especially with how she'd grown up. She knew how to hide, how to sneak away. No one would ever find her.
Niylah cleaned the blood off her skin and dabbed her skin gently with some kind of healing concoction.
After a brief moment of silence, she asked again, "So, what happened?"
"I told you, it's–"
"A long story," Niylah finished for her. "We've got time."
To protect her, Octavia decided to lie.
"I, uh... I was mugged. On the road, three guys just jumped out of nowhere, attacked me. I got them in the end."
"That's not a very long story…" Niylah remarked wryly, a smirk playing at her lips.
Octavia laughed, then winced from the pain. "I guess not."
Niylah wasn't buying the lie, though. She was smart, and she already suspected the truth. She decided to test her new friend.
"There are rumors of a rogue warrior, an assassin," she began. Octavia stiffened ever so slightly, giving Niylah her first clue. "They say she moves in the shadows… You never see her coming until it's too late."
Octavia had already known about these rumors, but Niylah's mention of it caught her off guard.
"Is that what they say?"
"It is," Niylah replied. She added, "She's been cleaning the world of scum for weeks. No one knows who she is. They say she whispers something to her targets right before she kills them," Niylah went on. "Jus drein jus daun. Blood must have blood."
Octavia looked down, her expression dark and somber. And, just like that, Niylah had her confirmation. She was sitting right in front of the legendary Trikova, the people's savior.
"It is you…" she whispered.
"Niylah..."
"You're Shadow."
Octavia stared at her wide-eyed for what seemed like an eternity.
"How did you even…?"
"When your brother was here…" Niylah said. "He told me what happened in Polis, what you did, how you left. They hadn't seen or heard from you in months and suddenly the mysterious Trikova appeared. He also said he'd heard rumors that she has long dark hair and green eyes. Like you."
There was a brief moment of silence between them.
"You can't tell anyone, Niylah," Octavia pleaded quietly. "Please."
"I won't," she vowed. "I think it's noble, protecting the weak from those who would harm them. Bringing them justice, avenging them. Thank you."
Octavia nodded. She didn't want or need thanks for what she did, she just wanted to do the right thing. It had never been her goal to draw attention to herself, but she had built an unintentional and unwanted reputation. She thought of the criminals she'd fought off, of the lives she'd saved.
"They all have to pay," Octavia stated suddenly, firmly.
"Why?"
"If death has no cost, life has no worth," she echoed Lincoln's words.
"What about you?" Niylah prodded. "Don't you have to pay? For the lives you take."
Octavia remembered the loneliness, the emptiness, the recurring nightmares that still haunted her...
"I already do… every day."
They sat in silence as Niylah continued to treat her injuries.
"What you're doing is noble, but… it's dangerous," Niylah warned. Then, she pointed at Octavia's battered condition. "You shouldn't do it by yourself. You could've died tonight."
"I didn't." Octavia shrugged. "Besides, it doesn't matter. I don't have anything left to lose."
"Your life?"
"It's not really worth that much to me. I don't want to die," she assured Niylah quickly. Not anymore, she added silently. "But if I do… then, I do."
Octavia had never been afraid of death. Not her own, anyway.
"The people I kill need killing. None of us are innocent, Niylah. We all deserve to die," she explained. Then, added, more lightly, "Some are just more deserving than others."
"I believe you, but this is more dangerous than you might think. Nobody dispatches justice but the Commander. If they catch you-"
"They won't."
She was very good at hiding. She'd had years of experience on the Ark, after all.
"How do you even find them? The bad guys."
Octavia shrugged, wincing at the pain the motion brought. "People talk. You hear things here and there."
"You've made quite the name for yourself"
"Yeah… I got that." Octavia raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Maybe that's a good thing. If they think 'the Shadow' will come for them if they misbehave, it might stop them to doing bad stuff," she pointed out. She became very serious. "If I can save even just one life or spare someone from suffering, it's worth it."
Niylah smiled. This wounded warrior was selfless and brave, recklessly so. She had no caution for her own well being… She would protect the innocent and destroy the guilty. No matter what it might cost her. Niylah wished she could've protected her father from Skaikru's weapons.
After she'd finished treating Octavia's wounds, she stated, "You'll be fine. You'll be very sore for a while, but you'll be alright."
"Sore is better than dead," Octavia said ruefully, smirking at the other woman. "Thank you, Niylah."
Niylah grinned and nodded.
"You could stay here, you know," she told Octavia as she stored her materials away. "I wouldn't mind the company."
Octavia considered. Part of her wanted to say yes, but in one regard, Niylah was spot on. What she did was dangerous. Besides, she couldn't let people get too close to her. Anyone who did usually ended up dead. She felt like she was cursed sometimes.
"Niylah... it wouldn't be safe for you. You know that," she told her. "I appreciate the offer and everything you've done, but I have to keep going."
The other woman nodded sadly.
"You can stay in this room. I'll sleep in my father's bed," she informed her. "Try to get some rest."
Octavia settled down and closed her eyes, willing her sore body to relax and rest.
Later that night, Niylah went back to check on her guest. She'd wanted to know if Octavia needed anything. Some food would be good for her right now, to help her heal. But the young woman lay sound asleep on the bed. Exhaustion had taken her over. Covering a sleeping, wounded Octavia with a blanket, Niylah whispered, "Reshop... Trikova*9."
It was time to leave. Octavia knew that much. She'd ended up staying at Niylah's home for almost a week, resting and healing from the attack. She couldn't linger any more. She'd already put Niylah in too much danger.
She began gathering her things and preparing her departure.
"Time to go?" Niylah asked from the doorway.
Octavia glanced at her and nodded somberly.
"Niylah... I don't know how to thank you, for everything you've done."
Instead of answering right away, Niylah just walked up to her friend and hugged her tightly.
"Just don't get caught," she murmured in Octavia's ear.
Octavia was touched the other woman's concern and return the embrace.
Niylah walked her out. The sun shone brightly through the shade of the trees that surrounded Niylah's home and trading post. She took Niylah's hand in hers as they bid farewell.
"Mochof, ai lukot*10."
Niylah squeezed her hand. "Be careful."
Octavia nodded and turn to leave. Niylah watched her walk away, still limping slightly.
The Shadow would carry on. Skaikru's hatred for her didn't matter, her brother's apparent concern for her didn't matter. She was going to continue her path of righteousness, killing the criminals and saving the innocent from harm's way, until it killed her. There would always be criminals, people seeking to hurt other people. And she would always be there to stop them, or, at the very least, avenge their victims.
She hoped that when she died, someone else would take her place and carry on the mission. She hoped that, no matter what happened to her, Trikova would live on.
*1 – "Thank you."
*2 – "Shadow."
*3 – "Who are you?"
*4 – "Justice."
*5 – "Please."
*6 – "Blood must have blood."
*7 – "Kill her!"
*8 – "Get knocked down, get back up."
*9 – "Goodnight... Shadow."
*10 – "Thank you, my friend."