Chapter 2: As Death Sets the Board
She ran the decon cycle to avoid radiation alerts, hoping to remain anonymous for as long as possible.
Her eyes trained on the door, ears straining to pick up movement or voices.
She knew she couldn't just take the corridors. Even with the cameras out, she was still easily recognizable.
She needed to plan out another route.
Clarke reached into her jacket's breast pocket unfolding the duct blueprints. Bellamy had said he used the air tunnels to maneuvering around Mount Weather undetected and had relayed via radio for Raven to reconstruct the blue prints themselves.
Clarke swallowed hard as she tried not to think of what could have happened to either of them.
Refocusing on the mission, Clarke squared her shoulders and moved toward the next room looking for the air duct entries.
She didn't find an air duct large enough for her to fit in but she did find a locker room.
The first two out of the unlocked held nothing but ordinary clothing, but the third she came across had a small bullet proof vest she quickly donned under her jacket.
The fourth held nothing but a foul smelling pair of boots.
It was the fifth unlocked locker she found a walkie-talkie she quickly clipped to the back for her belt and another pistol. With a little more digging she found 3 more clips of ammo that would fit the guns and one small flash grenade.
The remaining lockers were secure.
It was forty minutes until the President's speech; but she had an idea.
Which is more then she had coming in.
Clarke crawled through the tiny ass vent wondering how the hell Bellamy could fit though such spaces.
She was getting closer to the reapers door, she knew Octavia was waiting on Bellamy to open it for her.
She knew she would be alone.
She watched as two guards entered the room under.
"Yah, soon we can start building above ground, thanks to that new group of Arcer's we just brought in." the first one laughs.
"I don't really like what has to happen to get where we are, but we got to do what we got to do." The other replied nodding his head.
"It does feels different using them. They're not the Savages, but they are our enemies just the same. Kane is just doing what's best for us." The first one said, swiping his card to enter the tunnels.
They weren't wearing hazmat suits. These two had the marrow of her people.
Clarke tampered down her rage at the site.
'They won't be alive to enjoy it for long'
As the door shut she swung down form the vent, and went to the door. Swiping out and swinging it open.
Her blade came up just in time to block Octavia's sword's downswing.
Octavia's eyes went wide, "Clarke!"
Clarke breathed a sigh of relief at the site of her friend unhurt.
"Octavia," Clarke, " We,"
Clarke gets cut off by a screaming wail echoing from the vent to the right.
She removes the grate with now practiced ease and begins moving down the vent, Octavia following behind only slowing to put the grate back on.
She follows the screams until she is overlooking the hidden lab.
Her eyes widen in horror at what she sees.
The majority of the 44 trapped in mount weather, the ones they had come to rescue were in the room.
A handful were missing, most bound with their hands over their heads chained to the rock walls, and a few already bloody mutilated corpses, discarded carelessly in a pile as the butchers moved on to the next victim.
'I was too late' she thought, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
Clarke looked five guards, three butchers still mutilation her people.
Rage coiled so tightly in her throat and she can almost drowned in it.
"Oh god, Clarke" Octavia whispered.
She hissed, eyes so bright blue they glowed in vengeance.
Octavia looked at her in fear.
Clarke closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.
She reached into her pocket for the blue print, and tapped a spot on the map.
"Go here, cause a distraction. Do not get killed.
I'm going to take out the butchers to slow them down in killing out people.
Meet back here." She breathed tapping the second spot on the map. "Got it?"
Octavia nodded, eyes narrow with intent.
"Go," Clarke mouthed the command, turning to watch the grate Octavia would be responsible for causing the distraction from.
Once she saw Octavia by the grate she didn't have to wait long, Octavia stabbed one of the roving guards in the leg with her sword.
As soon as the guard screamed, Clarke fired three rounds. One in each of the butchers' heads.
She was able to get off another shot at one of the guards who had not taken cover before scrambling back away from the bullets ripping through her vent.
"They're in the vents! There in the vents!" she heard as she moved to the meet up point.
She was about half way there when she saw Octavia close behind her again.
Octavia gave her a small pleased smile before putting on her more serious face.
As they near one of the cross sections to the next location, Clarke can feel the vibrations of someone else besides her and Octavia in the vent.
She closes her fist to halt Octavia then flattens her hand out and lowers it.
Octavia lowers herself down not moving.
Clarke crawls forward until her body barely out of site from the corner, her blade ready to strike as she awaits her opponent.
The first thing she sees is the cuff of a guard uniform and almost slides the knife into the neck before shaggy head comes into view.
All three look at each other startled.
Bellamy smiling in relief and joy at seeing them.
Octavia has tears tracking her cheeks in joy that her brother is alive.
Clarke's face hurts from smiling in relief.
Clarke sees the two siblings about to talk and raises her finger across her lips for silence.
"Safe room" she mouths so Bellamy can see her, squeezing his shoulder to let him know she is glad he is alive.
He nods, and sends one more blindingly joyous smile to his sister before crawling forward.
Monty hugged Clarke as he crawled by and Jasper had tears of joy to match Octavia.
Clarke nodded to Maya as she passed by.
As she and Octavia followed them as close behind, Clarke felt her heart begin to beat its older rhythms and hope found the young leader once more.
She was surrounded by her friends again, her people.
No matter what the odds, they had a better chance together then alone.
