~ LEXA ~
After that last breath I felt nothing. Not my love for the girl I left behind, not the physical pain caused by the bullet that pierced my chest, just a blissful nothing.
It seemed to last for a moment when I felt a pull on my consciousness. I gasped. Futile, my lungs didn't seem to need the intake of air. My consciousness detected a very familiar presence and suddenly I woke from a stupor. Clarke! Is she safe? I let my mind wander and memories flowed back into my mind, our last moments, our shared soul, our... love.
No.. Impossible! I... died? The only way I would be able to feel her, to remember, was through the flame, which held a part of my consciousness. I jerked up and opened my eyes. In awe I stared at my hands which quickly flew to my chest. No pain! No blood. I lifted my shirt in order to inspect the wound, my hands moved up and down, but I didn't find a hole.
Then, all kinds of information flowed into my mind. I groaned as toppled forward and grasped my head. This was too much, I couldn't make out anything from the blurry images, it was as if my brain was rewiring, adapting to something. Then, I saw her. Clarke! Firstly I looked at her in awe, it was only now that I realised how much I'd miss her. Then, confusion took over.
But.. How? Clarke was not a nightblood and she can not adapt to the flame, it would kill her! The thought of Clarke dead made me leap up protectively, just in time for my vision to clear and to witness her being violently attacked and collapse on a staircase. I growled in anger and made my way to her, I reached for my swords on my back. Smugly, I realised that whatever I thought of having on me, I had on me. Weird, like this place we were in, but I sure as hell wasn't questioning it.
With a howl I attacked the men that were beating down Clarke and the two more that came running up to us. As they collapsed I grinned at a dumbfounded Clarke.
"Lexa?" She gasped.
I didn't realize how much I had missed her, her blue eyes stared at me. No doubt trying to piece the pieces together. I smiled reassuring at her and turned around to scan the area for other threats. I struck down a dozen of other people easily. It was like they weren't even trying to fight me.
After I slayed the last one in sight, I retrieved my sword smugly, Clarke was still staring at me dumbfounded. After making sure that no others were coming, I sheathed my swords and ran back up the stairs towards Clarke. The rain was pouring down, Clarke was lying on the staircase, weakened. I only felt the need to protect her as she whimpered and extended her arm to me in a silent cry for help.
As I reached her, she scrambled up with the last of her powers, silently taking my face in her hands. We took a moment to stare in each others eyes. It was not until now that I realised how powerful my love for this girl was. Her touch was cold as ice, she was soaked by the rain, but all I felt was the searing heat of her touch. She took a couple of seconds to process everything before falling into my arms.
"Oh my god." Clarke breathed.
I smiled and held her tight to me, never wanting to let her go again. I felt her heart flutter against my own chest, her heartbeat was weak and she was struggling to stay conscious. Her nose was bleeding, a sign that her body was rejecting the flame. Holding Clarke felt like home. I knew this moment would not last, but if it was all we had left, I would take it.
Then I spotted more people looking for her. I loosened the embrace and looked her deep into her eyes.
"Clarke, listen. Your fight is not over." I urged her. I had to make sure she understood that she had to fight. Even if that meant she would lose me – or I'd lose her forever.
I supported her and dragged her up the staircase. She was so weakened that she was barely able to walk. Instinctively I knew where I had to take her. When we descended the staircase on the other end of the city, her knees buckled.
Clarke was panting, she was leaning heavily on me. "Something is wrong" she panted before she collapsed.
"I can't" Clarke gasped exasperated.
I took her face in my hands. "Hey, hey. Shhhh, it's okay." Her body was giving up, rejecting the flame.
Her gasps became heavier when in between gasps she managed to bring out; "I'd.. Never thought" gasp "I would see you again." She gasped
Clarke is so powerful and strong, and I was so proud of her. I smiled at her reassuring; "I told you, my spirit would choose wisely." I half-whispered at her.
She nodded softly while still gasping for air when suddenly the atmosphere and everything around us changed.
"What is it?" Clarke whispered frightened.
"Alie knows you're here." I don't even know how I came across this information, it all just seemed to appear in my mind. "She is uploading the flame from your mind, that is why your mind is changing things. Day turns to night, it rains" I looked at Clarke. "We have to hurry."
I tried to help her up but then she completely collapsed. "AAH" Clarke cried out. I managed to catch her in my arms. "Clarke?!" I called out alarmed as I shook her limp body lightly. Clarke then started convulsing uncontrollably.
"Clarke?! Clarke! Come back!" I shouted frightened. This is not how Clarke is supposed to die!
"Clarke? Come back! We need you!" I cried out. Scared to lose her again, I held her close to me, trying to comfort her with my own body while stroking her hair. After a scary few minutes, the convulsing slowed down and eventually stopped. Her heartbeat stabilized. It was working. Her eyes fluttered. "Okay." I whispered while my trembling hands were soothingly on her body. "Hey" I whispered when she opened her eyes. She scrambled up directly and stared deep into my eyes. The fright and sorrow were still evident in my eyes, my heart was racing and my hands were trembling.
Without hesitation Clarke leaned in and kissed me. When her soft lips locked with mine, all emotions formed a bitter mixture of love, sadness and fear. Lost love, stolen moments and so much pain. The wave of emotions was almost too much to bear. I could mostly feel her fear of losing me, just because I knew I felt the same way. After a blissful minute I pulled back and brought my hand to her cheek, brushing a strand of blond hair from her face while fighting tears.
"Listen to me." I whispered anxiously. "Now the upload has begun, Alie's people will be able to see us."
Clarke's formed a worried wrinkle on her forehead.
"We need to be more careful." I pressed.
"Why aren't they here already?" Clarke asked suspiciously.
"The flame offers some protection." I explained. "But less and less." I added worriedly.
I looked at Clarke. "Can you stand?" I asked.
"Yeah" She breathed.
I got up and extended my arm to help her up. She took it and grabbed my other hand as well, not so much for the physical support as for the emotional support. I could tell that my death had been really hard on her and that she was not ready to let me go.
Clarke gasped as she noticed something familiar around her wrist. "My fathers watch!"
"It's working" she added dumbfounded. "And it's counting down." She moved her eyes from the watch to me. "We have ten minutes to find that kill-switch."
Ten minutes. We would have ten more minutes together before we would part, before I would have to let her go without my protection, before... Our last goodbye ever.
We shared a long look, contemplating on how we were going to find that kill-switch in a huge city that was build- and ruled by artificial intelligence. The ringing of a bike bell disturbed our train of thoughts and we turned to look at it. A little girl biked by and upon passing we noticed she had Becca's symbol on her back.
It suddenly occurred that the first commander, Becca, must be the one sending out the signs. "Thank you, Becca." I said. "Come on" I urged Clarke. Still needing my support, we ran to follow the girl.
"Wait!" Clarke yelled. "We're losing her!"
We ran into a closed gate. "It's a firewall" I noticed. Becca was not consciously speaking to me, but the knowledge just appeared in my mind. I never heard of a firewall before, but I knew it was a barrier created by a computer.
"I don't understand." Clarke said anxiously while frantically trying to find an opening in the gate.
Then a voice from behind startled us. "You'll never get to the kill-switch." A boy approached us, casually strolling up to us with his hands in his pockets.
I gritted my teeth while unsheathing my swords. I would kill him. Clarke then stuck her hand up in a gesture to stop me. "No Lexa, it's okay." She said confidently.
"Jasper, what are you doing here?" Clarke asked the boy. Clarke knew the boy, so I couldn't just kill him. I flexed my jaw annoyed.
Jasper continued to approach us, not impressed or completely oblivious of the fact that I could kill him in a heartbeat. "Trying to stop you" He said casually. "You have seen the city of light now, it's perfect. There's peace, happiness, safety. Why would you want to deny that to anyone?"
Clarke sighed. "She is torturing people to get them here, Jasper." Pleadingly, she continued; "Taking their memories and controlling them. This isn't even you. This is Alie"
"She's doing what has to be done." He replied stoic.
"She took away our choice!" Clarke cried out. "Human beings have free will, we get to decide how we should live."
He rolled his eyes at Clarke's plead. "Human beings are the only species that act against their own self-interest."
This guy was getting on my nerves, I clenched my sword and gritted my teeth in order to contain myself. There were only a few viable minutes left.
Jasper continued. "We torture each other, we fight, we hurt each other. We break each other's hearts.." The last statement was a sneer directed at me. The pain of a thousand blades coursed through my being when I was reminded how I had hurt Clarke to do right by my people. Now I would do right by Clarke – it would not make up for the past, but it would make the future.
Jasper was smiling almost euphorically, oblivious. "None of this exists here. Alie is protecting us from ourselves." This guy was definitely crazy.
I couldn't bear to hear it anymore. "Clarke." I ordered. "There is still time. We'll find another sign. Let's go."
I took her hand when Jasper raised a brow. "We can't let you do that." He said.
I heard Clarke gasp. A full army appeared behind Jasper, with Jaha in the lead.
Jaha belowed. "Clarke! There is nowhere to run. It's over!" he grinned smugly. "The second A.I. can no longer protect you."
Clarke turned to me warily. "Lexa, if I remove the flame, will it stop the update?"
I looked at her confused. "Yes, but no one's ever done that by choice before." I then realised what the effect would be and my face hardened. Not an option. "Regardless Clarke, you'll be one of them. Alie will get the flame either way."
Jasper had approached us during this small discussion. "Stop fighting." He goaded. Not an option. I stared him down and slit my eyes at him while making an estimation of the entire situation.
Then, something happened. A hatch appeared out of nowhere. "Clarke!" I said alarmed.
We both stared at the hatch for a few seconds when a white bird appeared on the hatch.
"Raven." Clarke breathed.
Jasper launched himself in front of the hatch, his arms splayed protectively over the hatch.
Clarke stepped forward. "Jasper." She said in a warning tone. "Get out of the way!"
I balled my fist and gritted my teeth. In one sweep he was down. Damn, that felt good.
That was the cue for the army to move. They were now coming for us. I couldn't let them have Clarke.
"Clarke, we can't let them follow." I said. Clarke looked back at me pleading. "GO!" I urged. "I'll hold them off."
Before I could turn around to fend off the attackers, Clarke grabbed my arm. "No! Lexa!" She cried out, the pain in her voice was audible. She pulled me towards her and I looked in her pleading blue eyes, those beautiful loving eyes. "I love you, Lexa." Clarke whispered. My heart jumped. We stared at each other for a moment, our last moment. I didn't want to let it go, to let her go. I was not ready, but it was also the only right thing to do. "I will always be with you." I assured her with a small smile before turning around and heading for the angry crowd. This time I kept my word, I would protect her. Whatever it took.
With a howl I unsheathed my swords and mowed down everyone in my path. With only one thought to comfort my mind I slaughtered all that came in my path; for Clarke.
A minute later, everything around me suddenly fell silent. The surroundings vanished, everything around me vanished. She did it. Clarke found the kill-switch. I smiled and felt proud of her.
With a sigh I sheathed my swords and examined the carnage around me. The bodies of the people that fell victim to my swords slowly started disintegrating. I recognized a few faces from my time as Heda; mothers, children and very skilled fighters. I crumpled down to floor, waiting to disintegrate myself. "You're on your own darling." I whispered as I closed my eyes. "Ai gonplei ste odon."
However, I did not slip back into a full stupor as I expected. I was somehow lingering between the remains of the City of Light and some alternate universe I could not control.
Waiting.
