*Last night's episode was infuriatingly frustrating...I am still in shock of everything and I hope to fuck that next week helps clear some shit up... But I took a few moments from the episode and twisted them into this story. Hope you're enjoying the journey so far!
Chapter 25:
Clarke silently followed Octavia through the trees, after about an hour of walking they came across Lincoln hiding in the shadows of the spot light from Arkadia. He greeted them silently before ushering them forward. "The guard is changing now, you need to hurry."
The two girls shot forward into the night keeping to the shadows. The slipped in through a patch in the fence that the Ark connected to sloppily. Clarke smiled as she realized this was Raven and Octavia's doing, this gap was a little too convenient, a little too perfect.
They got in without incident. Octavia led Clarke into a vent and then through the crawlspaces she had grown up in since she was baby. Turning left and right Octavia popped the grate off and hopped into the room. Clarke followed and found herself in the medical bay.
"Mom?" Clarke said as found her on a bed. She rushed to her side looking her over. Clarke noticed she had marks from the electric baton that the guard's used as well as some cuts and bruises. Clarke flinched as she saw how swollen her right eye was.
"Clarke? What are you doing here?" Abby hissed.
"I had to find out what was going on," Clarke said stiffening.
"You can't be here, it isn't safe," Abby pleaded.
"I had to come anyways. Pike killed the grounders outside the fence, what is he thinking?"
"Farm station landed in Ice Nation. Apparently it was a rocky landing with an even bigger fall out than you kids had when you landed," Kane appeared beside the bed filling Clarke in. He's pushing for our people to set up a second camp in the mountain."
Clarke looked at him, "You mean the place that thousands of grounders were drained of their blood in?"
He nodded, "I know, if he goes through with this we will be in another war. The grounder's will never accept it."
Clarke shook her head. They really had no idea. "It's too late Kane. We're already in one. Ice Nation is moving against Lexa, they've split their army and joined with some other clans. You'll be surrounded before you know what's happening."
Kane and Abby shared a look before turning their attention back to Clarke. She let her words hang in the silence a bit longer before continuing. "I don't have much time, look I need to speak to Raven then I need to find Bellamy."
"Clarke, he's with Pike now. He's changed." Abby told her.
Clarke tried to ignore the sinking feeling that was pressing on her chest. Changed, she thought. They had all changed since they landed. Not a single one of them were the same person as when their feet hit the ground. This world was violent, cruel and unrelenting Clarke had learned that the hard way time and time again.
She still had her moral compass though. She still had a driving force keeping her from losing herself to this world completely. Deep down she believed Bellamy to be good, she knew him to be strong – he had to be able to see error in his ways. She couldn't believe that he took part in the killing of the grounders outside the walls. Even if he had, she could make him see reason, couldn't she? But you left him… the small voice in her head spoke up. You sent that boy into the heart of the beast that was the mountain ALONE. You let him help you murder hundreds of mountain men and then you left them all to pick up the pieces. Clarke swallowed and took a deep breath to steady herself. She tried to ignore the voice that was telling her she was wrong. The voice that was nagging in her ear saying too much had happened, too much time had passed since the mountain and too many unspoken apologies and explanations went unheard.
"Fine," she said finally turning to Octavia, "take me to Raven." Clarke turned back to her mom, "I'll find a way to stay in contact, give word to Raven and Octavia on anything developing, they'll find a way to pass along the message. We – Lexa and I are heading to Polis, she's gathering the ambassadors of the coalition," she explained, "it was to raise an army to hold back the Ice Nation but now with Pike and slaughtering those members of TriKru…if Arkadia is going against the grounders…I don't know that I can stop what will happen. Lexa and her army will wipe us out. I'll do what I can, but you need to figure out a way to make them see reason!"
Clarke stood up straight up, unloading what she had just told Kane and her mother made her feel lighter. She didn't carry the severity of the situation on her own, "Let's go," she said turning to Octavia and following her into another piece of vent. They silently crouched through the walls of the Ark before Octavia held up a hand signalling Clarke to stop.
Clarke could hear muffled voices. She listened harder, she heard Raven speaking to someone. She sounded angry. She heard a man's voice. Pike. Then she heard another – it was Bellamy. Clarke heard a door open and shut followed by the slam of a tool on metal. Raven was pissed, Clarke could tell. Octavia popped off the vent and jumped out. Bellamy swung around and caught Clarke's eye.
"Where have you been?" he said urgently, concern filling his voice as he rushed to stand a few feet from her.
Clarke looked at him sternly, "I was with Lexa at the TriKru camp."
Bellamy made a disgusted face, "You mean that grounder that left us all to die in the mountain?" He turned to Octavia, "and you knew about this?"
Clarke licked her lips, he was justified in his anger, she knew. He also wasn't nearly as mad as Clarke had been considering Lexa had betrayed her on a personal level as well as professional.
"Bellamy, Lexa saved Clarke's life. Without her we would have been the last to know of the bounty on Clarke's head. She also rode through the day and night to get Clarke to Abby for medical attention. If she hadn't of gotten her here Clarke would be dead, you know that," Octavia jumped on his words before Clarke could respond.
"So what? That makes it all better? That redeems her?" he spat angrily.
Clarke was annoyed now, she and Lexa had squashed this already and here he was stirring it all up again. Clarke fought the urge to defend Lexa and failed, "She did what she had to at the mountain. We all did." She looked at Bellamy seriously, "she didn't force me to go back into the mountain, she didn't force me to tell Monty to figure out how to kill them all, she didn't make me shoot Dante, she didn't force me to pull that level and she sure as hell didn't force you to help me!"
Clarke's outburst caught Bellamy off guard, before he could respond she continued, "she also didn't force you to murder those grounders outside." She glared at Bellamy.
"Those grounders outside shouldn't have been there." He looked flatly at Clarke, "We don't need their help. We didn't need it at the mountain and we don't need it now. Pike is going to make Arkadia prosperous and safe, we are going to retake the mountainyou're your little grounder friends will accept that or die. This is for the good of our people. I have always done what is right for us! This is our land now."
"You're a fucking moron Bellamy. There's an army marching towards Arkadia as we speak. They will wipe this place out! You're going to get us all killed." Octavia screamed at him.
"No, I won't. I'm doing this too keep us all safe," Bellamy replied so calmly that it sent a shiver down Clarke's spine. He quickly made a move to grab Clarke, "Come on, I'm taking you to Pike."
Octavia's arm shot forward and landed on his chest, "I can't let you do that big brother."
"Step aside Octavia," he said gruffly.
"I can't do that," she said quietly shooting a threatening stare at Bellamy.
Clarke glanced at Raven as Bellamy tightened the grip on her arm. It began to become painful and Clarke winced. Bellamy only tightened his grip as he repeated his command to Octavia. Raven looked to the table where she had been repairing one the electric batons, she snagged it and tossed it Clarke's way just as Octavia ducked and swung her leg out catching Bellamy behind the knees and making him fall. He released his grip on Clarke in surprise and Clarke snagged the baton Raven tossed. She extended it in the same motion as she heard the satisfying sound of electricity emit from it and she struck Bellamy on the chest. The boy began to convulse as the pulses rung through his body before Octavia stood up and planted a knee to the side of his head knocking him out.
The three girls paused for a moment breathing heavily through the shock of what just happened. Clarke shook her head and went to raven's side. "I don't have much time, listen."
Clarke explained to Raven that she needed one of their radios and a secure channel away from prying unwanted ears. Raven began gathering what Clarke needed and working on the frequency and channel as she spoke. She told Raven to fill her in on any developments, on any info they'd need to react. Lastly she told her that Octavia would be joining them in Polis now that she had obviously chosen the grounders over her own brother meant she wouldn't be safe inside the walls. Clarke looked at Raven as Raven finished her tinkering and handed her the radio. Clarke tried to hide the worry on her face as she looked at her friend.
"Go on, you better get out of here," Raven said trying to cut the moment.
Clarke pulled her in for a hug. "Be safe," she whispered in Raven's ear. She felt Raven hug her back and squeeze tight before pulling out of the hug and looking at Clarke.
"Don't worry Clarke, I got this," She said with a reassuring nod. "Besides, I'm the youngest and best mechanic on the Ark, they need me more than you do." Raven smiled her dazzling smile, the one that reminded Clarke of Rave's zest for life.
Clarke smiled back and hugged her one last time, "They don't need you more than me," she told her fighting down the emotion in her voice. It was true, since Clarke had met Raven there had been few sky people she could rely on. Raven had always come through for Clarke. She was constant.
"Get out of here," Raven said with a slight shove toward the vent but a thankful smile crossed her lips.
Clarke nodded, looked once more at Raven before following Octavia back into the vents. They went back to the medical bay to find Abby and Kane. They were just about to open the vent to the escape route when a man came in. He paused as he took in Kane, Abby, Clarke and Octavia. The four of them froze.
Clarke watched as the man made a move to grab his radio. He was about to bring it up to his lips and call for reinforcement when Clarke found her dagger in her hand as if it was moving on its own. Before she realized it she had flung the pointed edge across the room with dazzling accuracy striking him square in the chest. Right where his heart was. The man looked to the knife and then fell to his knees.
Clarke barely registered what she had done before she was moving. She was grabbing the man's body and pulling him to the vent. "Clarke what are you doing?" Octavia asked hurridly coming to her side.
"He can't be here. If they find him they'll kill you for treason, for helping us!" She replied to Octavia but the statement was addressed to her mom and Kane. Octavia understood and began to help Clarke. Kane removed the vent cover and the girls made there way in shoving the body ahead of them. Clarke turned around and caught her mom's eye, Clarke gave her a small smile. As Abby returned it Clarke turned and followed Octavia back out of the Ark.