Lexa had been looking at a map of the City with Becca when she felt a presence flicker within her mind, startling her.
"Do you feel that?" Becca asked looking to Lexa whose face was a mirror image of the surprise on her own.
"Sha," Lexa breathed quietly. Curious as to what was happening. This new mind was calling to her, looking for her. Cautiously she answered, feeling this new presence was a friend and not a foe. The answering emotions was elation and relief as the connection between them grew stronger, more solid, along with the understanding of who it was.
"Raven?"
The plan had been simple. Find Lexa. Raven already knew that her presence was causing a major disruption in ALIE's primary programming. The fact that Lexa had autonomous control of herself and the past data files of the previous Commanders was like a virus to ALIE's code. What resources ALIE had were not able to combat the rogue element that is Heda Lexa. Add to that the curiosity of Lexa's sudden disappearance from the City's awareness, while obviously still very much unconscious was a puzzle that she knew ALIE was trying desperately to figure out. For all intent and purposes the Commander had become invisible.
Her return to the City had brought with it a slight feeling of being boneless as she immediately felt an odd sensation of being encased in jelly, cold and pressing while also encased in a thin layer of warmth right below the jelly that tingled and dance along her skin. Her sense of self was now very much her own and she found that she could push through the warmth and still maintain that control. As her mind quickly adjusted to the new information and her new found control she began to see clearly the way that City and ALIE worked, and how much Lexa's freedom and presence change that. While ALIE's control had become dull and almost background in noise. Lexa's was vital but faint so Raven had focused on making the connection stronger to Lexa.
She had taken a moment to collect her barring feeling the Commanders energy signature instantly. Sending a silent call along the connection. It took only a moment for relief and excitement to flooded her when Lexa answered her call, causing the connection she felt with the Grounder leader to strengthen. Sharpening further Ravens keen understanding of how the City of Light and ALIE worked and how Lexa's presence had changed it.
Raven, using her stronger connection with the Commander to guide her as she made her way carefully through alley ways, around corners and down various streets as the connection continued to increase. As she passed by a flower shop she felt a pull to enter. Pausing a moment, smiling at how peculiar something like this would exist in a place so artificial in creation, before opening the door. The pull continued, becoming more insistent as she was drawn to the back, coming to a staircase leading down, where a soft blue glow emanated.
She made her way cautiously down the stairs, straining her senses for any unknown dangers. She trusted the Commander, but was unsure of the situation she was slowly getting herself into.
"Commander," Raven called, in a voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Raven?" came Lexa's shocked reply.
"Yes," she said in a rush eager to tell Lexa the news. She began to quicken her steps down the stairs. When she reached the bottom stairs looking down. "Clarke," Raven began as she raised her head. "ALIE!" Raven said in a panic backing haphazardly away, unconcerned about where she was backing into.
"Raven," Lexa began moving closer towards the dark eyed girl. Her hands out in an attempt to calm her.
"No! Get away from me," Raven voice shrill, picking up the first thing she found on the table as a means to protect her self. She began to swing the screwdriver before her in a show of courage.
"This is Becca," Lexa said slowly, carefully eyeing the pointy dagger like tool that Raven brandished before her.
"Who?" Raven asked momentarily confused, but still holding the screwdriver at them, moving between the two.
"She is ALIE's creator," Lexa explained her tone placating. "As well as the First Heda," she said stilling her mind to try and restrengthen the connection with Raven's, that had been temporarily strained from shock, to let her feel the sincerity and truth of her words. While the images that Becca had shown her began to flicker slowly across the vid screen. Raven became entranced by what she saw. The launching of the nuclear missiles, and the resulting destruction. The people who had turned the mountains into strongholds to ride out the resulting nuclear radiation. How Mount Weather had been one. Becca and how her hand touch directly or indirectly everything that had occurred and Becca's life on the ground. She felt the soul crushing guilt that almost swallowed Becca, before she steel herself, determined to fix it. She realized that the lab they were standing in was an extension of Becca herself, and everything was hers to manipulate and control. It was a sanctuary and pocket that ALIE had no knowledge even existed.
Raven looked at Becca, trying to separate the fears and feelings from her that she felt with ALIE.
"We have to stop her," Raven breathed once the last image was shown.
"We will," Lexa said more sure than she felt.
"We have to," Raven said looking Lexa in the eyes. Brown meeting green. "Clarke is waiting for you."
Lexa's heart soared at hearing this as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I miss her too."
Becca had been quietly watching. Her lower lip between her teeth in worry as a swarm of questions buzzed around her head. How had Raven come here? How was she in control? Was she working with ALIE? Being used to get to Lexa?
"How?" Becca began unsure how to start.
Raven looked at her head tilted to the side. "Lexa's blood. The nanobots you introduced, they are counteracting ALIE's control."
Becca stared at her a moment, her mind buzzing at the realization that should have so obvious. "Of course," Becca exclaimed as her hand open quickly besides her, eyes bright with understanding. Aware that not even she knew the full extant of what the blood coursing through her veins was capable of. "Who figure it out?" She looked to Raven, her brow creased with wonder.
"Clarke," Raven said grinning as she felt Lexa's pride flare.
"Your Clarke is amazing," Becca said looking at Lexa.
"My Clarke," Lexa said quietly almost reverently. "She sure is. That one of the reasons why I love her."
There was a noticeable pause as Lexa's realized what she had exposed. Her face beginning to pink.
Smirking at the obvious embarrassment on the Commanders blushing face. "I'll be sure to let her know." Raven promised.
Lexa opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "Thank you," she said instead.
Raven gave a quick nodded. "Now," turning to Becca. "Tell me about the shack on the lake."
"It's where ALIE's kill switch is, her heart."
It was a curious feeling that invaded Titus's senses. All the anger and hurt he had felt quickly leaving his body, replaced by an almost total feeling of bliss and serenity. His anger at everything wiped away like dust on a mirror. The animosity towards the conflicting information he had learned since coming here was unimportant and forgotten. His feelings of respect and duty to the commanders spirit were now replaced by respect and duty towards the woman in the red dress. He was now hers to command.
"I am yours," he said kneeling head down before her, his voice reverent.
"Rise and tell me how I can beat those who stand in my way," the lady in the red dress ordered.
"I would be my pleasure." He said as a slight buzzing filled his head. Smiling at the knowledge the buzzing brought.
Becca became filled with hope as the plan quickly came together. Raven proved to be a mechanical wonder and all her bolster and bravado that radiated from her were backed up by how quickly she grasped what Becca explained. She had waited patiently for years hoping one of her own descendants would take on the mantle of the Commander. She knew that any natblida would do, but her pride and guilt wanted one of her own to atone for her sins. As the years and Heda's passed she began to think she would never see her blood again on the throne. When Lexa took the throne, she began to breathed easier, hoping than that her chance would happen in Lexa's lifetime. She had known that there were so many variables that needed to occur to make any of that possible, but Becca had faith it would, plus she had forever to wait. She didn't count on it taking nearly 100 years to happen or that it would be the space station that had destroyed her own would be the catalyst.
The plan was straight forward, but hardly simple. The moment Raven returned to her body the plan was in motion. First Becca had to establish a link on this end that Raven could then link to from outside. Together they would work to separate the various minds from ALIE's collective. It was a small comfort that ALIE hadn't gain as many followers to her cause. While they did that Lexa along with her army of past Heda's would make their way to the Shack. Becca would provided a dampener that Lexa could wear that would keep her hidden from ALIE, until she reached the Lake. While Becca created the link, Raven would inform Clarke of their plans. It then became Clarke's job to keep Jaha and his followers occupied while they worked. The amount of coordination was epic is scale, but they were positive they could win. They really had no other choice.
"Okay, give me an hour to fill Clarke in and establish my end of the link."
"Sha, We will be ready," Lexa assured her. Before hesitantly adding. "Don't.."
"I won't," Raven said clasping her hand to Lexa's shoulder reassuringly, before closing her eyes and blinking out.
Medbay felt cramped and oppressive as Clarke paced back and forth anxious to find out anything. As Indra and Lincoln, who was standing besides Octavia, both watched as she muttered and made various expressions that ran the gambit of happy, sad, angry and fearful.
Trying to ignore the waves of mixed emotions rolling of the blonde Monty and her mother instead focused on learning more about Lexa's blood.
Murphy, with his blue all seeing eyes, sat watching Clarke quiet and out of the way. Just watching, absorbing, and learning. His eyes flicked to the still body resting surrounded by them all. Everything rested right now on Ravens slight, and very capable shoulders. She had closed her eyes a little over two hours ago looking for the Commander. The steady beep beep of the heart monitor connected to her offering some comfort that Raven was okay.
Clarke had held her breath when her mother gave her the news that Raven had been okay after being injected by the serum. While Clarke had kept Jackson occupied, her mother had relayed the plan to Raven and alerted Murphy to the good news. When Clarke returned, with Jaha in tow, Raven had already returned set upon her mission.
The brunette looked calm, nothing like when she had seen her friend in passing when she first came, her breathing slow and measured. Now the pieces were slowly coming together. Raven would find Lexa. She said silently to herself, more sure then she felt. Unwilling to give power to the possibility of it not working she continued to pace, continued to wait until she could get the answers to questions she desperately wanted to ask. And maybe could say things she desperately should have said earlier.
Raven began to slowly open her eyes, vaguely aware of the sounds of someone pacing and muttering in agitation. While she could hear the soft murmurings of Monty and Abby. She ignore them focusing instead on watching her friend, noticing the way her muscles tensed and relaxed as she tried to control the tension in her muscles.
"I saw her, Clarke," Raven croaked. She heard the soft intakes of breathe from those around her, noting the blonde still deep in her thoughts, hadn't reacted…yet.
It had taken Clarke a minute to realize that Raven had spoken. Pacing a moment more before stopping abruptly, head snapping up and turning on her heel to stare in shock at what Raven had just said.
"How is she?" Clarke asked her voice shaking with tension and fear as she came closer to her friend.
"She is fine, but we don't have a lot of time. There is so much to tell you but I have to keep it to the main crux. First, I met a scientist named Becca Lawford."
"Who?" Clarke interrupted, brows furrowed, not knowing the name
"She's the scientist who helped created ALIE," Raven watched as Clarke processed this first bit of information. Before Clarke could voice her anger, she continued. "And the First Heda," she watched as the blonde's mind seemed to stall and stutter while the two grounders present growled softly. The confusion and anger that danced across Clarke's features would have been comical if not for the seriousness of the situation.
"Huh," Clarke said utterly dumbfounded.
"It's too long of a story to tell now, we have much to do and little time. Just know that she is shielding the Commander and that the moment her part is fulfilled we will have very little time to do everything we need."
"Which is?"
"Protecting and saving the minds of everyone connected to ALIE before destroying her heart."
"Heart?" Abby asked, confused, before Clarke could.
"Kill switch," Raven clarified, tilting her head in Abby's direction, but not taking her eyes from Clarke.
Clarke's eyes widen in shock.
"Yep," Raven nodded reading the others girls expression. "Which is where Lexa will be making her way to it as Becca and I work to protect the minds of the people under ALIE's control. You, my blonde beauty, will need to provide a distraction to Jaha and the others. We aren't sure how the people will react once the link is severed. Once the ball is set in motion there will be zero room for errors."
"I see," Clarke said her tone clipped as her features became hard and stony, determination etched into every line of her face.
"Indra," Clarke said leveling a gleaming vengeful stare at the Chief General. "Jus drien jus duan."
A smile mirrored in kind, in reply.
