Dragonball256 (FF) Not all the guys, just many of them, and some of them only temporarily. Bellamy will get straightened out, he wasn't such a bad guy during S2 when he realized he wasn't cut out to be a commander, but a second in command (specifically to Clarke). Finn I fucking hate, but I already mentioned that, and I think canon shows Kane to be a damn decent fellow with a shitty job and absolute dedication to the law and protecting the people of the Ark.
Saywhaa (AO3): yeah, I actually really enjoy writing Jealous Lexa, who often switches back and forth with Harem-Plotter Lexa. I must admit, writing her like this is one of my favorite things right now with this story.
Alex (AO3): more badass Clarke will feature soon, she is still coming into her own, as it were. Glad your loving Lexa (people really seem to like how I am handling her!) and the slaves!
Gemini1179 (AO3): Sylvanas isn't brash enough to make that kind of offer without her mother's approval, as Nia would have the right to block the request, but to do so publicly would cause a backlash. Doing that with so many clan leaders present would put her nation and its people at risk, and someone as kind-hearted as she will not do that. Don't think she has forgotten Clarke's mercy though!
As a general note, like i said in chapter 9, this chapter wildly diverged from how I planned. In fact, I never planned for Cage and Sydney to know eachother, but I had a eureka moment and began cackling madly. Please enjoy the results!
Furthermore, make sure to spread this story around as much as you can, I really wan to get it out there for two reasons: One, because ego. I love having people reading and enjoying my stories. Two, because JRoth is a fucking bastard and I want more Clexa fans to know that we loyal few fight on!
As always, make sure to review! I feed on reviews! They fuel my soul and my muse! After all, nothing inspires writers more than tangible evidence that people enjoy our work!
And as always, make sure to read the end authors note too for world-building lore things and other comments from me! I would also love it if anyone was willing to draw up a cover photo for this! PM me if you are interested or know someone who might be and I can describe my desires for you :D
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Nothing Is True (Save For The Blood We've Shed)
Chapter Ten
Treachery Moste Foule
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"Why is that, Diane Sydney? Why should I kill her instead of bringing her into my Mountain? Or, better yet, my lead scientist believes that we can use the blood of your people to allow us outside Mount Weather without radiation suits." Cage responded, even as Raven struggled to remain silent and unnoticed despite what she had just overheard.
"Oh? Interesting, what then would you say if I told you that in two years' time, at least twenty more teens in excellent health will be sent down very nearly on top of you? All criminals that we care little for beyond their use as scouts and breeders?" Diane responded, and there was a long silence from the other side before Cage responded, sounding very interested indeed.
"Well, to that I would say that I am extremely interested indeed, and I might be willing to get rid of this girl for you, but what is your beef with her?" he asked curiously. While it would make no difference to him one way or another, he was interested in what might make the calculating, cold, and cruel Diane ask him to hunt someone down.
"The Griffin family has been a thorn in my side for years, I would never have lost the Chancellorship if that bitch Abigail and her fucking husband hadn't messed thing up for me!" Diane snarled hatefully, surprising both her listeners with the amount of pure venom in her voice, though Cage quickly shoved this aside, countenance darkening severely at the surname of his new target.
"I'll take care of it Diane, I'm not terribly fond of the Griffin family myself. Our families had…issues with one another, back in the Old World." He said coldly before ending the call, leaving the former Chancellor blinking at the now-blank screen in surprise and displeasure at the abrupt dismissal, but her mood quickly improved almost immediately thereafter. Whatever Cage's reasons, he had agreed to remove a thorn of potentially massive size from her side. How and why he did it wasn't all that important to her, though she was mildly curious why the two families had been in conflict with one another, especially a conflict that was bad enough to create so long-lasting and fatal a grudge as the one Cage seemed to bear. Deftly covering her tracks, she swept from the room and hastened back towards her quarters.
Raven, meanwhile, was struggling between incandescent fury and pure terror. She had never imagined that people might have survived the war on earth, and she couldn't even begin to fathom how Sydney had discovered the fact and initiated contact with them. By not informing the Council, she was most assuredly committing a treason significant enough for her death, the immense popularity and political clout she possessed or not. Retreating to her own room, Raven began plotting away, intent on saving Clarke from this 'Cage' person. Warning her via was right out, or course, which meant that the only other viable option was to send someone from their faction to act as a messenger and help Clarke. The only question was, whom to send, how to send them, and when? Not to mention, how would whomever they sent even get in touch with Clarke in the first place?
It would certainly be a difficult and dangerous task to undertake, thought that was obviously a given. It would also have to be someone who had a decent chance of surviving on the ground, and helping Clarke get into the Mountain and contact the Ark. And, really, that left only one option. Convincing the others, of course, would be another issue.
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"I'm going." Octavia declared the moment Raven had told the gathered group of girls and Kane that someone had to warn Clarke, cutting her off mid-sentence, much to her amusement and exasperation. There was an incredible clamor as all the girls protested, offered themselves instead, or generally tried to talk over each other. It took several tries, but finally the mechanical genius was able to restore order and, for once, laid down the law. She would be the one to go down to Earth to help Clarke, and that was the end of it.
"I'm the best choice." She explained firmly to the unhappy group of teens, uncharacteristically solemn and serious as she looked around at them all with hard eyes. "There is a damn good chance that Kane can get me sent down on a Council-sanctioned mission. It can very easily be pointed out that Clarke will need technical support and know-how to get into the Mountain and make it habitable, never mind getting in contact with the Ark itself. The Council won't go for sending any qualified adults down, so that means it has to be me. Besides, there was always the chance I would get floated instead of sent down with our other plan, and this way that can't happen."
"And, this way no one else is implicated if you have to go rogue and do this alone. If any other member of your group were to go down in a one or two-man pod, they would know you were involved because you are the only one in this little group with the ability to get one into useable shape." Kane added, glad that Raven was thinking things through. He had been the one to originally suggest it back when he first joined the little group, after all, and the rest of the group couldn't afford to be imprisoned, they weren't trained enough to be locked away and unable to learn and train more, and if too many people went down they would go to their deaths, for while Clarke was well-trained and well-equipped, she couldn't protect a half-dozen half-trained people at the same time. No, Raven was the best choice, and it wouldn't even be that hard to convince the rest of The Council that she had figured out what was going on and had fled to Earth. Sinclair would support the idea of Raven surviving, the Head of Maintenance adored the dark-skinned, referring to her as 'the youngest and most skilled mechanic in the history of the Ark' on many occasions. Even Jake Griffin had complimented her skill many times, claiming that she would one day surpass him and take his own position.
"I don't like this." Octavia grumbled angrily, folding her arms, as if any of them felt any differently than she about the circumstances. Glaring at Kane, she continued in an accusing tone. "I know ArkSec isn't exactly amazing, but how the hell did Sydney get in touch with the ground, especially with none of you noticing? How in God's name did she even think of trying?"
"I can honestly say that I have no idea. I mean, there are a few satellites left, so I can only imagine that the Mount Weather survivors pinged one of them at the same time as Sydney, back when she was Chancellor. Each noticed the other party and started communicating. I would guess that she kept the information private until she thought she could use it to take power back or discredit Jaha in some way, she is both cunning and manipulative enough to pull it off." Kane responded thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he evaluated the situation at hand. "Regardless of this, you had better get to work Raven, as soon as you can. Even you can't get a drop-pod properly operation overnight."
"Overnight, no. Give me three days to a week and I can get both Octavia and I down in one piece." Raven snorted, waving off the renewed protests from the group, though Octavia was positively gleeful that her friend had changed her mind and decided she could go. "The Council will probably take it as an excuse to lock her up regardless of whether they can prove she was involved or not. She represents an unknown and disloyal quantity that they can't tolerate. Plus, you don't need us around if you've got Kane training you."
"I'm going to have to train both of you into the ground once that pod is finished, because you are no good to Clarke if you can't keep yourselves alive for longer than five minutes." Kane warned the pair of them, though neither seemed to be discouraged in the least. Indeed, they seemed almost excited at the prospect. "Three weeks, minimum, is the length of time before I will sign off on this. Probably closer to a month."
"Tch…fine." Octavia grumbled discontentedly, while Raven simply nodded in acceptance, though she looked far from happy about the caveat. Not that Kane was particularly interested in their happiness, so long as they managed to survive on the ground. He had to admit though, this group was really starting to grow on him.
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"Please forgive my failure, oh beloved queen. I underestimated the usurper badly, and have brought you difficulty and shame. I offer my life in compensation for these transgressions." Azrael's head touched the cold stone floor as he prostrated himself before his lover and ruler, who was reclining on her throne, Roan seated on the Heir's throne a tier below her own lofty dais. A ring of Iceborn Elites, the very best of her nation's soldiers (and as such had the duties of the Royal Guard) stood in intervals around the room, eyes ever-watchful on everyone present, including each other, for any hint of treachery. A wariness and distrust that she encouraged, just as she encouraged infighting and savage rivalry amongst her advisors and the High Houses. After all, if they were busy murdering each other for profits and her favor, they would be too busy and to grudge-laden to combine forces for a coup, with the excellent bonus of ensuring only the best, brightest, and cruelest survived to serve her. Everyone else was weeded out and cast down.
"Your shame will not end so easily, Muruta, your life is still worth using. It will only be expended at the time I decree it in a manner that I see fit. Besides, your blunder in Polis may work greatly in our favor. This Clarke has revealed has revealed a truly debilitating weakness in allowing you to live simply because Sylvanas asked it of her. She did not even demand the girl's life in return as she should have, nor claimed her as a thrallina as she might have. The girl is merciful, and this mercy will bring about the downfall of the Coalition." Nia responded coldly, not permitting him to rise just yet. Even if she wasn't going to slaughter the fool, he could endure a little discomfort.
"We could always offer her, if you should so desire, as recompense for my own transgressions? We had always intended for her to marry someone in a position of power, did we not? And with her inside of the SkaiPrisa's household, we will have a significant asset in place." Azrael said tentatively, very much afraid of the reaction this would garner from his lover, but she scoffed and waved a hand in dismissal.
"She may have been intended for such, but she will not be anything less than the domina of some weak-willed noble or powerful merchant house head. I'll not feed her unnatural fixation on being a thrallina, and especially not thrallina to a woman whose head will adorn my throne." She sneered, her contempt for Clarke dripping from her words.
After some further discussion, everyone save her guards were dismissed, and she frowned heavily as she considered her next move. The SkaiPrisa had revealed a devastating weakness, one of incredible size and ease of manipulation. She would have to bide her time in exploiting it personally, however, for all the world knew that her soldiers and her lover had tried to kill the chit, even within the sacred boundaries of Polis itself, the city in which conflict was forbidden and perpetrators often faced public execution for the transgression. Indeed, the Senate Guard would have been obligated to execute her lover regardless of who he was if not for Clarke's direct pardoning of the man.
She assuredly had to try and discover where and how the girl was communing with the Old Ones or, failing that, eliminate her promptly thereafter. She would be helpless and weakened whilst her mind was in the otherworld or shortly after returning, perhaps enough so that she could be taken or slain, either of which would benefit her immensely. With Clarke in her possession, she would be immune from retribution from Lexa and her Coalition troops. Perhaps she could even force concessions from the Coalition for the promise of Clarke's life? Of course, she would still kill Clarke anyway, but she didn't need to tell them that.
The only problem was, it would be difficult at best to find the ultra-secret location in which she currently resided, since all the Heda had ever told anyone (including the generals) was that she would be spending the next month in some sort of mystical stasis as she spoke with the ancient power and learned to wield arts long forgotten. Obviously, Nia wanted to prevent that from occurring, but even if she could find the location she doubted she would be able to gain entrance. Which means that she would have to be dealt with after she emerged, which meant that Nia couldn't be tied to the action in any way. That meant she needed someone with personal motivation to kill the blonde, and there was only one person in her nation she could think of.
"Bring Ontari kom Nightblood to me immediately." She commanded the nearest Iceborn, who bowed and departed to find the most gifted warrior in her possession, one whose merciless brutality would have earned her a spot in Logos had she not been entirely too brash for such secretive operations as those undertaken by the unit.
Most bizzarly given Ontari's attitude, was that the brunette warrior was her daughter's closest friend and confidant. If Sylvanas didn't know that Nia would butcher the Nightblood heiress for it, she was sure that Ontari would have been brought into the girl's bed already, so close was their relationship. Fortunately, for her, manipulating one in turn controlled the other, and if she told Ontari that Sylvanas was in danger, she would charge off on a rampage without asking for proof or explanation. Perfectly deniable, for all the Ice Nation (and thus Lexa's spies) knew of Ontari's fanatical devotion to Sylvanas. She would demand an honor duel from Clarke at the earliest possible moment, and either kill her or die heroically, turning Sylvanas' admiration into hatred. Either way, Nia came out far ahead.
A scant handful of minutes later, and Ontari strode into the throne room, cloak swirling around her, hand resting as ever on the hilt of her long, curved sword, which resembled what the Old World would have called a katana. She bowed rather than knelt, one of the few who could get away with such an action thanks to her own prestige and the favor she enjoyed with the royal family.
"My Queen, how might I be of service?" she inquired straightening from her bow with raised eyebrows as she took in Nia's carefully cultivated expression of solemn concern.
"You heard, of course, of the SkaiPrisa's survival of the lamentable and rogue actions of our nation's warriors?" she inquired coolly, and received a nod in return. Leaning back in her throne, she steepled her hands. "I have reason to believe that when she awakens from this...spiritual retreat she has apparently gone on, she will attempt to claim Sylvanas as a thrallina for compensation. I fear for my daughter, worry over what perverse depredations she will suffer at the hands of this foreign jackal for crimes not her own, but I will have no choice but to give her up if I am to preserve this peace that we enjoy."
She has already claimed four of our greatest, including Ailyn, and now she seeks to take away Sylvanas too?" Ontari hissed, knuckles white on the hilt of her sword. Nia nearly twitched at that, for she had forgotten that Ailyn and Ontari had often trained together. The amusement she felt at her deception grew, for so blindly and foolishly devoted was the warrior that she had decided within her own mind that the four girls had not been offered to Clarke by Nia herself, despite all evidence to the contrary. Amusing indeed, and it would only strengthen the girl's hate with no effort on her part, something she delighted in whenever it was possible.
"So it would seem. Of course, there is always the chance that some disaster might befall her and save Sylvanas and the others from her cruelty, but I did not wish for you to be caught off-guard when things come to a head. After all, I know how you value my daughter." Nia told her with sadness filling her voice and glee filling her heart, and Ontari's eyes became stone-death as she asked to be dismissed. Allowing it with hidden eagerness, she watched the warrior storm from the room happily. Everything would fall into place, she was sure, with little effort on her part. And if not, she lost nothing at all.
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Ontari stormed through the halls of the palace, expression thunderous, and servants, nobles, and soldiers alike scattered before her, eager to remove themselves from her path lest she unleashed her wrath upon them and painted the corridors red with their blood. While normally she would take note off and somewhat enjoy their fear, she was far too focused on her planned vengeance. She would burn Polis and all the Coalition lands to the ground before she would allow any harm to befall Sylvanas. The girl who had given her a purpose, who had saved her from herself in her darkest of moments.
Flashback, Three Years Ago
Ontari gazed listlessly across the glittering expanse of lights that was the night sky, legs swinging aimlessly over the empty darkness of the drop to the ground from the heights of the parapet on which she sat, dry tear tracks streaked across her face. Empty bottles, once filled with alcohol, lay whole or in piles of shattered glass upon the wall behind her or upon the ground far below. A testament to how long and how heavily she had been drinking away the agony within her heart.
"Any particular reason you're sitting up here drinking this piss?" a soft voice inquired from beside her, and had she been less drink she might have fallen to her death after jumping in surprise. As it was, her head rolled limply to the side, eyes landing upon a red-eyed girl dressed in black leathers. What few thought processes her alcohol-soaked mind was still capable of noted that she had appeared without making a single sound of any kind until she had spoken up.
I'll have you know that...that...that this is highest quality mead that I stole from..." she mumbled back, devolving into indecipherable muttering as she tried to recall just where she had stolen all the mead from. After several minutes of this, she perked up and blurted out the name of a bar...which had burned down several years previously. Not that she could recall the detail at the moment, it was likely just the first bar she had recalled the name of. "An' I'm drinking away my sorrows, ain't it clear?"
"Its clear that you're running from something, thinking of jumping off this wall just to get away from whatever it is that haunts you, that tortures you so. So what is it you flee before?" her companion asked softly, and Ontari snarled at her anrily.
"I'm not running from nothing! Them fucking Trikru killed my mum, my dad, and my brothers, all four of 'em. All dead. I'm the last one, the Last Nightblood." She started out sounding indignant, but was despondent by the time she finished, and her companion gasped softly, prompting a thrill of pride to run through her. The Nightblood family had earned their name for their skills on stealth, deception, sabotage, and assassination. The fact that only one of them still lived meant that they had gone after something far beyond, most likely Anya and Indra, if they died in Trikru lands.
"I am very sorry for your loss. Please, tell me about them?" the girl requested softly, and so Ontari launched into a description of her family. She spoke of growing upon their small farm, waking to the smell of her mother's herbal garden and baking bread. Of training and playing with her brothers under the watchful eyes of her parents, who were as kind and gentle as they were strict and deadly. How she had been raised to be a proud and competent warrior, a servant to her leaders and superior to any civilian, though she had also been taught that only a fool is too cruel to their lessers, for though they are weaker they are many.
"Do you really think that your family would want you to kill yourself to be at their side? Would they not want you to honor their memories by fighting and surviving instead of just giving up?" the girl asked finally when she had finished.
Ontari was silent for a long moment, before flopping backwards onto the safety of the wall proper, which thankfully had been cleared of glass by her mysterious friend, and started sobbing uncontrollably.
Flashback Ends
Sylvanas had taken her back to the palace, had her bathed and clothed before bringing her into her own bed. When she had awoken the next morning with the princess of her tribe curled up in her arms, she had known that she was going to die. Probably in a very painful fashion, if the Queen thought she had drunkenly deflowered the princess, especially with the princess in what many would consider a position of submission.
Fortunately for her, Sylvanas had awoken not long after, and the pair had dressed and departed for the training grounds where Ontari was able to fight an Iceborn to a draw. Nia had offered her a place in the unit, but Sylvanas had claimed her as a bodyguard immediately. Over the years, Ontari had foiled more than one attempt to dominate or kidnap the gentle huntress, growing cold and mistrust, even hateful towards everyone but her beloved friend. Only the presence of the silverette could cool her anger and convince her to stay her hand, a feat that for anyone else was impossible. Now, she would protect her again, defend her innocence from cruel molestation.
She debated on visiting Sylvanas, but decided that the sweet-hearted girl would try to convince her to stay and not risk her own safety. It was so like the archer to sacrifice her own safety and happiness for that of another, so she wouldn't go to her. Besides, Ontari hated goodbyes, especially emotional ones, and a goodbye with Sylvanas was guaranteed to be very emotional.
Heading instead to her own rooms, she quickly packed for the trip to Polis, ensuring she had her favored weapons and, after a moment's hesitation, her favorite book series. She wished she had the first one, but alas no library in the Ice Nation possessed them. She would have to wait weeks for her chance at the SkaiPrisa, best to have something to do in the meantime.
An hour later, she was galloping through the main gates of Gaithers, her mount's hooves pounding the dirt as she hastened towards the south, and to Polis.
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Cage Wallace was, and had been since he talk to Diane Sydney, a cross between exhilarated, furious, and terrified. He could scarcly believe that not only was an assassin here on Earth, but the heiress of the Griffin family. Heiress to the longest and greatest legacy of the Brotherhood, one that had also produced some powerful and legendary Templars as well. Not only could that line and its foul beliefs be extinguished forever, but thanks to the Arkers he would have more than enough research subjects to free his people from The Mountain at long last. The problem, of course, would be in finding and killing the girl without getting caught by the degenerates. Were the girl anyone else, he would just let the planet or the degenerates kill her and have done with it, but she didn't want to risk the bitch somehow finding out about her heritage and resurrecting that damnable cult, or worse yet teaming up with the degenerates and teaching it to them. His men already had a hard enough time finding them as it was, what with their skills in woodsmanship. Given the arts of the Brotherhood, and he would have to rely entirely on the Reapers to supply his people with the blood transfusions they needed to survive. A problematic issue, as reapers had no skills in stealth or tracking, but simply blundered about until they captured enough degenerates to satisfy their directives. Highly unreliable at the very best of times, which rarely occurred anymore.
He wasn't willing to sacrifice his men with no guaranteed outcome, and resolved to wait for an opportunity to present itself. As one was sure to do eventually. For now, he decided as he got to his feet, he was hungry, and the cafeteria was serving chicken broccoli alfredo tonight.
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Elsewhere in the Mountain, Maya Vie and her father were meeting with other like-minded people. That is to say, people who were opposed to the madness of Cage Wallace and Lorelai Tsieng, the depraved depredations that they had committed in an effort to 'free' their people. Those gathered were those that did not wish to gain their freedom at the loss of their souls, their humanity. The difficulty, of course, was that everyone else cared too much for the chance of freedom to look to hard at the horrible things their current leader was doing. How someone like Cage had a father like Dante was anyone's guess, and something oft wondered about.
"I don't know that we will have a better opportunity than this. When the Ark scout is captured, we can get rid of Cage and his faction, and contact the Ark directly. After they can come down safely, it won't be hard to convince them to help us find a cure. After that, we would just...integrate with them and let the tribes be none the wiser. Our descendants will live in peace and lives free of the crippling guilt and self-condemnation that I will take to my grave." Vincent said solemnly, looking around at the group of twenty or so people that were his co-conspirators. Of them, Maya was the only teen, the rest being weary old adults like himself.
"All well and good, but how are we supposed to get rid of Cage? He has a real tight grip on all the weapons and most anyone who knows how to use them, and without them we have no chance." One of his compatriots, a female communications tech that was fairly high-ranking and a considerable asset. Vincent's ideals were well known to anyone in the mountain, as such he was often monitored for any...seditious behavior. The only reason he was a member of the President's advisor was the fact that he was well-respected by the civilians, and Cage figured it would be easier to keep an eye on him that way.
"And even if we do, how do we convince this scout to work with us? They certainly wouldn't have any reason to trust us, and definitely not if the tribes found her first." An older man in his sixties added, getting curious looks for the assignment of gender and the definitive statement. Elaborating, he continued. "I used to be a soldier, as you all know. I was frequently in the vicinity when prisoners were being interrogated before processing." Everyone present knew that he really meant 'tortured' and 'bled dry like animals', but he had enough trouble with guilt-born nightmares without them correcting him and rubbing it in. 'And many of them screamed and raged and swore oaths that 'The One Who Is Promised', the Sky Princess, would come to Earth from the stars and destroy us all. If that scout is female and they find her, they won't kill her. They will deify her and wipe us out, casualties be damned."
"True, all very true. Fortunately, I've decided that I like you lot. I'll tell the Sky Princess to spare whomsoever decides to change their ways." An unfamiliar voice cooed from above them, and the group reflexively looked skyway, but they were unable to discern whom had spoken. "Now, don't go getting all alarmed. I'm not nearly as nice as the Princess is, and I can't have you letting people know I'm here. Let's all keep our voices down and stay alive, hmm?"
"And just who are you?" Vincent asked carefully, hearing the threat in her words for what it was, and he could have sworn he felt the woman smirk at him in response.
"Just call me Galina. I want you lot to keep doing what you're doing, but be subtle about it. I don't want my new-found insiders just yet, you're going to be much to useful to me. In payment for your assistance, I am willing to synthesize a cure, and elixir of life if you will, that will allow you to live free outside as the tribes do. No constant blood transfusions, no stale air and life of fear. All I want is a way to get in touch with you for intel and set up meetings." The mystery woman responded, no doubt enjoying the reactions that swept over her listeners at that. Chuckling softly, she waited for Vincent to acquire her a radio and toss it up into the air, one hand flicked it out and plucked it from the air, before vanishing into the depths of the Mountain once more. She still had scouting to do after all, inside help or not.
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Italy, 1476
Clarke's fury was incandescent, much as her ancestor's was. When they had realized that their father's oldest friend had betrayed their entire family (save their mother and sister, and only because the men hid them away) to their deaths, they had rushed to stop the execution, but had only arrived in time to watch them die. In that moment, Clarke had over-synched with the memories, become unable to separate herself from them with either emotions or logic.
Now, they trained with their Uncle, learning all that they could with an obsession bordering on the fanatical in order to achieve their revenge, the second strongest despite that kept them going. Even then, the strongest (protecting their mother and sister) was related entirely to annihilating their enemies. After all, if all of them were dead, they could hardly be threats could they?
As Clarke was forcibly separated from the memory and appeared in the Animus Standby, she felt waves of vertigo and raging emotions sweep over her, sending her to her knees as the world seemed to warp and twist around her. Her slaves hastened to her side with cries of alarm as she clutched her head and screamed in agony and confused rage. She had no idea what was happening to her, and thought neither her slaves nor herself were aware of it, her eyes were flickering between her normal sky blue, blinding silver, burnished gold, and a deep, seething, malevolent crimson in time with her emotions.
Abruptly, the Capitoliane Triad appeared in a blaze of power, Minerva sending a bolt of green energy into the agony-enveloped teen, instantly causing her avatar to slump and vanish as she slipped into unconsciousness. Ignoring the furious and terrified slaves, they began to speak amongst themselves.
"We underestimated that the impact of Ezio's memory sequences would have on her thanks to similar events. Perhaps adjustments of an overt nature are required to settle things down?" Jupiter asked his female kin, and while Juno seemed moderately in favor, Minerva was decidedly not.
"No she needs to come to peace with what happened in her own heart, not thanks to manipulations on our part. Ezio was able to do so and became a much greater man for it. Besides, she is clearly Awakening into her inheritance ever more powerfully. Overt adjustment wouldn't sustain itself for very long under the kind of pressure her inheritance would place on it." The woman who had once been thought to be Jupiter's daughter pointed out with a shaken head, and Jupiter gave a grunt of acknowledgment while Juno frowned slightly as she gave a slight nod in agreement.
"We are running out of time. If she doesn't stabilize when Ezio does, drastic measures will become necessary." Juno folded her arms and turned towards the slaves, wiping the memory from their minds and casting them into unconsciousness. It wouldn't do for them to go tattling to Clarke, after all...
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One Month Later
Raven's breath came in semi-even pants as she and Octavia plummeted towards the planet, eyes constantly roving across her instruments. It hadn't been easy getting the Council to agree to send them down, but she and Kane had convinced that her incredible skills would best serve in helping Clarke enter the Mountain and communicate with the Ark, while Octavia had been sent along in order to 'keep her under control', since Raven was the only one she really listened to anymore. Of course, none of them really expected either of them to survive, but on the off chance that the ground was in fact survivable, Clarke had no way to tell them unless she got insanely lucky. Three days after the agreement, she and Octavia had been launched at the nearest safe landing zone nearest to a fallout shelter, where it was assumed Clarke would have taken shelter upon her landing.
"How you doing back there, O?" she asked her companion, who was strapped into a makeshift seat that had been bolted to the floor of the pod.
"How do you think I am doing?" the firebrand bit back, voice tight and shaking both from fear and the intense vibration of the pod itself. Snorting in amused agreement, Raven went back to her readouts. Telling Octavia that they were nearing landing, she began checking the limited equipment she had been given and her safety harnesses, hearing Octavia mimic her actions behind her. They were almost there, they were almost to Earth, to freedom, to Clarke. She just hoped that they all lived long enough for any of this to matter in the least.
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Cage Wallace paced agitatedly in his office, waiting for word that the units he had sent to apprehend the new Arkers had done so. Hopefully, and frankly most likely, they would be able to capture Clarke Griffin as well. She would come running out of whatever hole she had hidden herself in the minute she realized more of her people were making landfall, he was positive.
He had arranged for the unit to use one of the few operational shoulder-can attachments they possessed so that he could observe the operation and for the gathering of intel. He just hoped that they succeeded in their mission, he was taking an awful risk sending more men out so soon after losing some.
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Ontari put down Off Armageddon Reef, the first book of her favorite series (which she had acquired from the Heda of all people, whom she had met when the other girl was roaming the city in disguise, and whom had been delighted to see the rest of the series as she had been to see the first book) as the sky screamed some miles away, a ball of fire trailed by a pillar of smoke streaking across the sky. All across the city, guards rushed to reinforce the walls, and moments later she watched the generals come streaming into the palace. Putting her book down (reluctantly indeed!) she gathered her weapons and strode from the room. If more Sky People were here, the Sky Princess would show herself, and she could finally perform her sworn duty. Even if she was no longer sure of its necessity.
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Lexa, Founder of The Coalition and Heda of the Tribes, was speaking with her gathered generals, advisors, and Ontari about the second Fallen Fire when the doors flew open, admitting four figures dressed in the white armor of the Brotherhood. They fanned out, surveying the room and its inhabitants with shrouded eyes before turning back to the door, fists over their hearts as they knelt in reverence. The darkly armored form of Clarke Griffin strode past them, strides confident and silent despite the heavy combat boots which she wore. Lexa's heart stuttered as her hood came down, piercing blue eyes surveying them, lingering on Ontari, before fixing on her, and she blushed faintly at the power and affection she saw in their depths.
"You're back..." she couldn't help but whisper softly, and Clarke grinned broadly in response, nodding in agreement as they gazed upon one another. A gentle and subtle touch from Anya's hand upon her own reminded Lexa that there were more serious things to do right now than stare into Clarke's eyes like the love-sick teen that she was inside. "Yes, right. Clarke, it seems that another pod like your own has landed not far from here. Scouts report that a group of some dozen Mountain Men, all heavily armed, are heading for the landing site. Even with horses, we might not arrive before they claim your friends."
"I thought that the other children of the Sky would not be arriving for another two years, SkaiPrisa. Were you perhaps mistaken? Why is it here and not near TonDC?" Anya asked politely enough, though her eyes were sharp and suspicious, and Clarke frowned heavily as she shook her head.
"No, the pod is too small to be the main group. My guess is that it is either supplies and communications equipment, or they sent down 'help' for me. Likely because they realized that I couldn't access the Mountain and contact them without greater technological prowess than I possessed at the time of my departure. Since they wouldn't send a valuable adult down, they had to send another teen, one with technological knowledge. That means that they sent Raven down, and I will be damned before she of all people suffers at the hands of the Mountain. Ailyn, bring me mounts. We must make haste." The order was given so smoothly and naturally that Lexa and the others almost didn't hear it, leaving them blinking as one of the white-robed warriors seemingly vanished before their eyes. Smiling at their confusion, she continued. "The girl in that pod is a very dear friend, and she is capable of getting us into that Mountain and giving control of it to us. As for why she was sent down near here, I can only assume it is because there are so many fallout shelters in this area. That is likely where they assumed I would go once I realized I couldn't enter the Mountain itself. Regardless of their reasoning, I will return with Raven presently.
"Wait, Clarke. Anya, Ontari and I are coming with you." Lexa said quickly, circling the table with a stern Anya and surprised Ontari following her. Though the blond was surprised, a single glance towards her thrallinas had another one vanishing, likely to inform Ailyn that more mounts would be needed. Turning back to the ritually marked member of the Azkru, Clarke held out her arm, and Ontari hesitated before clasping forearms with her in a traditional warriors greetings.
"Well met, Ontari. I look forward to learning more of you, for you must be someone of great value if you stand by Lexa and are called to follow her at such a moment as this." Clarke said with a small smile, getting a silent, almost bewildered nod from the brunette, and Lexa suppressed a smile. Ontari had confided in her (before she had revealed herself as Heda) that she wished to protect Sylvanas from Clarke through an honor duel. Clearly Nia's trickery was at play, and she hoped that exposure to Clarke's decidedly non-evil nature would show her the truth of the matter. The Princess of Ice's best friend would be a powerful asset indeed, one that could strike against Nia personally without suspicion. Plus, as the scion of the Nightbloods, she certainly qualified for 'strongest warriors of the generation' that the Heda was meant to gather for the Sky Princess, and she was easy on the eyes.
Not long thereafter, the group was pounding away through the city towards the massive main gates, Clarke's mighty Sleipnir several lengths ahead of the rest, who struggled to keep up with the great beast. Lexa just hoped they saved Clarke's friend in time, she hated to think how her domina would handle it otherwise.
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An hour and a half later, she discovered the answer: poorly, very poorly indeed. The Mountain Men had laid claim to Raven and whomever had come down with her before they arrived, and judging by the blood spotting the ground had harmed them in the process. The three warriors stood back with the Assassins as Clarke looked around the clearing before snarling something in a language they didn't know (for it was neither 'sleng nor English) and sat down cross-legged on the forest floor, eyes closing and head drooping slightly. Lexa heard Ontari scoff lightly at the perceived surrender and abandonment of her friends, but Lexa knew that such was not Clarke's way, and so she made to go to the girl's side and offer advice and consolation. Instead, Daine small, soft hand clasped her arm in a grip far to steely for a girl of her size, with a hiss order to remain where she was. Shocked by the gall of a thrallina to command her, even one of Clarke's, she was opening her mouth to unleash fury upon the girl when Anya and Ontari gasped. Returning her gaze to Clarke, she saw that the girl had stood once more, eyes open and searching, but this was not that shocked them so. No, it was the fact that her eyes were a bright, shimmering silver, and a wave of power emanated from her, ethereal and unseen as the air became charged with her presence, causing all present to shiver in mingled lust, awe, and dare they say it, fear.
"Bring the horses and follow. There is knife-work that needs doing." Clarke ordered the trio of warriors, leaping into the trees with her four slaves blurring into motion after her. Lexa gasped again softly, for while she had known that the arts of the Brotherhood were potent and beyond anything she knew, she did not think that humans could move with such speed, nor vanish into the trees unseen whilst wearing garments of pure white, as the slaves were.
"What in the name of the Maker is going on here?" she heard Ontari growl to herself softly, no doubt greatly confused, and Lexa shrugged slightly before remounting, passing the reins for the four slaves' mounts to Anya and Ontari, while she herself took Sleipnir's and led the other two in the direction the five Assassins had headed. After some twenty minutes of riding, they came to a halt at the scene of a massacre. Nearly a dozen Mountain Men were scattered around in pools of their own blood, the four slaves tending to a scratched and bruised pair of Sky Girls, while Clarke was holding aloft by his throat the last Mountain Man (who was dying most painfully from radiation exposure, according to his screams) and talking to some odd mechanical apperatus on his shoulder.
"You are going to die, Templar. Not for your crimes against the Tribes, not for the innumerable sins of your Order, but for daring to harm MY people. You will burn, and anyone foolish enough to stand by your side will be consumed by the flames with you." She snarled, eyes now a burning red that reflected the rage and hate in her soul.
"I think not, Assassin, because you are going to die here and now." A male voice, crackling slightly but clear, echoed from the radio on the mans other shoulder before a great, deafening crack resounded, and Clarke's head snapped to the side in a spray of blood. The gathered women cried out in fear and denial as they witnessed what they thought was the death of the woman they all (to a greater or lesser degree, and not including Ontari) cared for. Yet instead of falling limply to the ground, she merely turned her head back to the apparatus with a smirk, a small and shallow cut in her forehead the only sign of the bullet's passing.
"Fool. I am not so easily slain by your weapons, Templar. I am far beyond you and them, now. Daine, Samara." The two named Assassins blurred into motion as the sound of the sniper trying to flee echoed around them. "Your plan might have worked on someone else, Templar, but you have merely compounded your failure."
This is not over, Assassin! Whatever relics you possess, whatever the Isu have given you as a weapon, I will finish the job my ancestors began! You and your entire filthy Order will be destroyed once and for all, even if I have to hunt you down and gut you myself!" the man raged and swore before a telltale crackling signaled the end of the conversation.
Tossing the corpse aside, Clarke turned back to them as her eyes faded back to blue, no longer shining brightly within the depths of her hood. Walking over to them, she smirked as her freshly returned slaves dropped the sniper face first onto the ground at her feet. Shoving him over onto his back with her foot, she looked down at him and scoffed.
"Worthless. Pointless. Had you simply fled, you would have been spared for this day. Instead, you shall die with nothing but failure as your legacy, shame as your final moments." She commented, flicking a finger at Daja, who immediately executed him with a blade to the chest. Turning to the others, Clarke smiled her broad and warm smile, spreading her arms in welcome. "Raven, you I expected, but I must admit that Octavia comes as something of a surprise. Welcome to Earth."
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That is a wrap. Just shy of 8000 words of story, so a bit longer than usual! I promise that Clarke isn't suddenly some sort of mage, but remember what is said: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." And we know that the Isu technology is as such, given that such is shown many times in AC canon (the Shards of Eden, for example, which can be controlled by a users mind and block anything the user desires, or how the Apple can do mind control and create illusions). However, technology aside, Clarke is still far more than human, and a great deal of the feats she will perform will involve no Pieces of Eden whatsoever.
As a note, surnames don't entirely seem to be a thing in the 100 universe, lore wise due to being kom (tribe name), and in reality probably just to make the writing simpler. However, in this story, your TRIBE name and your CLAN name are totally different things. Generally, you only use your clan name within your own nation, as unless you identify yourself otherwise it is assumed you are from that nation. I.E., Ontari is Ontari kom Azkru when outside of the Ice Nation, but within it she is Ontari kom Nightblood, which I decided to make her last name for this story because I felt like it. Make sense? If not let me know in reviews and I can elaborate.
Furthermore, Thrall and thrallina are the old Roman terms for male and female slave, respectively, and will be used interchangingly with their English meanings.