Warning. Very violent chapter. Probably follows the level of violence and gore in the conclave episode of "The 100". Please see the bottom author's note for more detailed warnings (please note, this includes spoilers for the chapter)

This chapter takes place right after the last chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 37: I'll Fight Until My Last Breath

Day 8 in the arena

As soon as she heard the creak, she sprang into action. Clarke's heart hammered in her chest as she turned to her alliance, a single finger pressed to her lips in a plea for silence. Raven caught her eye. She must've noticed how panicked she looked because a look of horror overcame her face too.

The group fell completely silent within an instant. Bellamy was crouched, ready to pounce at any second, a nearby knife clutched in his hands.

They waited.

One beat.

Two beats.

Then, they heard it again.

It was faint, but she knew it wasn't her imagination. She could hear shuffling from a few floors below them, on the staircase.

Clarke felt like she was going to get sick. She would have, too, if they had more time. But they didn't. They had to move – quickly.

Clarke was thankful Raven had come up with an escape plan. It looked like they were going to be using it sooner than any of them were prepared for.

She began throwing whatever items that were around her into her backpack. Her fingers shook as she slammed fistfuls of gauze and food packages into her bag.

If they were going to escape, they needed to move before they were spotted. They still had a minute until whoever was below them would reach the top of the stairs.

She knew it was risky to be packing supplies, but they needed everything they could carry. Without any supplies, they would die just as easily as staying to be hunted by other tributes.

"Clarke!" Bellamy's voice was deadly quiet and serious. He tugged on her forearm, catching her attention. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and was attempting to help Octavia stand. "We have to go! No time!"

He was right. Clarke swore under her breath before zipping up the partially filled bag. She swung it onto her back and clipped it to her body in one swift motion. It was heavy and awkward, making her swear again. If she had to fight, she didn't know how well she would be able to balance with it on.

But she didn't have any time to fix it. They had to leave.

Lincoln was already standing by the door, a sword in his hand. He kept glancing back every few seconds, but didn't dare leave his post at the door.

This was their plan. They prepared for this. They all knew it was coming one day. And while she wasn't sure if they were ready, they would have to be if they wanted to survive.

Clarke quickly glanced over her shoulder, scanning the room of her friends. Raven had followed her lead and was quickly throwing random items into a nearby backpack. Clarke tossed a food package at her head to grab her attention. Their eyes met.

"Let's go!" She mouthed the words as clearly as she could, gesturing towards the door for emphasis. Monty already had his bag on and had joined Lincoln at the door, an axe clutched in his hands. A rope hung on his opposite arm – it was their way to safety.

Clarke tried to toss another food package at Murphy, but missed. "Murphy!" Clarke hissed. He was quickly gathering all of the food scattered around the room. He glanced at her, a look of understanding passing over his face.

"No time," Bellamy echoed his words from earlier.

He was standing now, his arm hooked around Octavia's middle. She was standing mostly on her own, but still relied on him to keep her upright. She looked frustrated and exhausted already. Clarke wasn't too sure how long she would be able to run on her own.

That was a problem for later.

"Let's move!" Murphy snapped, nudging Lincoln forward. He glanced towards Clarke for confirmation. She sent him a strong nod, ignoring the twist of her gut. They had to leave – now – or risk never getting out of this building alive.

He opened the door slowly, his sword at the ready. He opened it a crack at first, taking his time to examine the hallway. After a moment, he stuck his head out further. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the group and nodded.

Clarke let out the breath she was holding. He didn't see anyone.

Following the plan, Lincoln led the group out of the room. All they had to do was cross the open hallway, climb a set of stairs, and exit onto the roof. Monty had made sure there was something up there to block off the door so they could rappel to safety.

They could make it.

Lincoln slowly crept into the hallway, his sword in front of his face. Right on his tail was Bellamy with Octavia, followed by Monty and Raven. Leading the back of the group would be Murphy and herself, making sure everyone got up to the roof safely.

She tried to keep her footsteps light, but every step sounded like it echoed around the stairwell. She could hear their breaths, too. She bet that if someone was on the first floor, they would be able to hear them.

She swallowed thickly, her sword clutched tightly in her hand. She knew Bellamy taught her to keep a light grip on it, but it was physically impossible with all the adrenaline in her system. Her knuckles were groaning with the force she was gripping the hilt with, but it was the only thing keeping her sane in that moment.

Beside her, Murphy held a knife in his hand and several others strapped to his side. She didn't dare turn her head completely to look at him; she was terrified that the rustling of her clothes would give their position away.

A little in front of him, Raven also had her weapons set up the same way. She had her arm poised to throw at anything that made a sudden movement. While she still had a prominent limp, she was walking on her own. They wouldn't need to run for their plan; not right away, anyways.

Monty stuck closely to Bellamy's back and Lincoln to his front. He was mostly defenceless with Octavia in his arms. He still clutched his sword, but she doubted he would be able to use it to defend himself very well.

Clarke's ears were ringing from her rushing blood. Her mouth was dry and her heart hammering. She felt like she was going to pass out. Or throw up. Or both.

Lincoln made it halfway across the hallway, heading towards the ascending staircase across the landing, and Clarke had just exited the room.

Then chaos broke out.

As soon as she made it safely out of their camp, she felt something fly past her nose. She flinched out of the way of the path, bumping into the wall behind her.

It felt like time slowed down, just for an instant. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her heart completely stop. She was petrified with fear in that moment. All she could do was stare blankly at the back of Murphy's head, too shocked too move or even look at what had flown in front of her face.

Then, reality came rushing back to her.

"Run!" Raven had cried out the word and pushed Monty forward.

Clarke's hand was taken by Murphy as he pulled her along with the group. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a single arrow embedded in the wall where her head used to be.

She didn't have time to think about what that meant. All she knew was someone found them and was wanting to kill them. Someone was there and she almost died.

They needed to get out. They needed to get to safety. She needed to save her friends.

She took off sprinting alongside Murphy, dropping his hand in the process. Lincoln had fallen back from the head of the group, choosing to protect Bellamy's exposed side instead. The two men led the group towards the last flight of stairs – towards their safety. A single metal door sat at the top of the flight of stairs, leading to the roof.

Her mind was spinning as she tried to take in everything happening around her. Another arrow flew over top of her head, bouncing off the concrete wall behind her. The tip ricocheted and slashed her cheek, instantly drawing blood. There wasn't enough time to slow down.

Arrows were flying all around them. Murphy had stuck by her side as they dodged each one that came for them. Her breath came out in pants as she tried to make her way towards the stairs.

She latched onto Murphy's sleeve and pulled him towards her, right out of the way of an arrow. He stumbled backwards from the momentum, nearly knocking her to the ground. He froze for a split second as the world rushed around him.

He turned to her, panic in his eyes. "Thanks."

That was all they had time for. They were rushing forward again, fighting to keep up with the ground. Lincoln had reached the stairs at that point and was helping Bellamy keep Octavia out of harm's way. Monty was next up the stairs, and then it was Raven. She threw the knife she held blindly down the stairwell, in the general direction that the arrows were coming from.

Just as Murphy was about to do the same, Monty let out a terrified cry.

It happened too fast.

One moment, they were running forward, the next she was stumbling backwards, a warm substance covering the front of her body. Murphy caught Raven as she fell backwards off the staircase. He quickly righted her.

Then she saw him.

Monty's eyes locked with her eyes one final time. She could see the faintest hint of a smile still spread across his face.

Then, he was gone.

He slumped forward, his body hitting the stairs with a loud and painful thud. A long spear was embedded into his body, taking all of the life in him. His face was dotted with blood – his own – as he stared up at the ceiling, eyes unseeing.

Raven let out a terrible cry. Clarke hadn't heard anything like it before. It sounded like an animal's growl and sob of pain, sending chills throughout her whole body. Luckily, Monty had landed behind a beam of wood, which provided enough cover for Raven to slump to the ground beside him. Murphy pulled Clarke behind a concrete beam that stood at the junction between the hallway and the staircase.

Monty was dead.

Her chest was heaving and she could feel tears pricking her eyes. Arrows still rained down around her. She could feel them smacking into the back of the pole, one after the other. She glanced towards Monty, a feeling of pain overwhelming her.

No time, no time, no time.

He was dead. Monty was dead. He was dead.

She pushed down her feelings of pain and sorrow. She didn't have time to feel anything in that moment. She had to get out of there. She had to make sure the rest of her friends got out alive.

Clarke quickly peered around the corner of the large pole she was pressed into. Across the stairwell, she caught sight of their attackers. Ontari, Roan, and Cage were crouched on the stairs a floor below them, looks of pure hatred on their faces. An arrow came flying towards her and she jerked her body back behind the pole.

The Careers. They found them.

Lincoln, Bellamy and Octavia were at the door to the roof at that point. Murphy, Raven and Clarke stood at the base of the stairs. In between them was a stretch of flying arrows and the body of her dead friend.

Bellamy turned back towards her. She locked eyes with him. Brown met blue. It wasn't for the first time, and she prayed to the gods that it wouldn't be the last.

"GO!" she shouted as loudly as she could, urging him to continue. Lincoln pulled him and Octavia through the open door, onto the roof. As soon as they were safe on the roof, she snapped back to her two friends around her. "Raven! We have to go!" She clutched Monty's body tightly, her face twisted in pain. She wasn't listening. "Screw it."

Clarke took off from the cover behind the pole, slamming roughly to the floor behind the wooden beam Raven crouched behind. An arrow hit the wall inches over her head. Clarke reached out for her friend. She could feel her trembling.

"We have to go," she told her. Raven made eye contact with her, rage like no other in her eyes. "Raven, we have to go!" A second later, Murphy had landed beside Clarke, his ribs smacking into the edge of a stair painfully. He swore.

"Raven," he snapped, bringing her attention to him. "Leave him. He's gone. We're not."

"But-"

"Move it, Reyes!" He was standing back up, pulling Raven with him. He surged forward, Clarke following him closely. He continued to guide Raven up the stairs, leaving Monty behind.

Just as they were almost at the top of the stairs, her world came crashing down again. Murphy let out a loud grunt as an arrow hit him in the stomach. His body stiffened and his grip on Raven loosened.

Clarke's step faltered as she watched. Murphy reached down, feeling where the arrow had entered his body. She could see blood spreading quickly, radiating from the point of entry. When he pulled back his hand, it was covered in blood, too.

No time. No time. No time.

Clarke continued running, gripping his arm with her own. She threw it over her shoulders and pulled most of his weight onto her own feet. Raven was on the other side of him, doing the same with his arm. She was openly sobbing. Together, the two girls hauled him up the remaining two steps, through the door that lead to the roof.

The bright sun hurt Clarke's eyes. She winced and covered her face as she stumbled onto the roof. She didn't know who, but someone grabbed her, pulling her away from the doorway. She could hear the metal door slam shut and the lock click as soon as she was through the doorway.

Clarke lowered Murphy to the ground and Raven fell beside him. She was trying to still her sobs, but her whole body still shook from them. Murphy reached out towards her, resting a bloody hand on her forearm in a sign of solidarity.

Clarke blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness. She stood up again, her mind spinning. Then, Bellamy was beside her. Her hand clutched the front of his shirt tightly, her world spinning around her. Words were flowing out of her mouth before she knew what was happening.

"Monty's dead!" she gasped. Her eyes locked on Bellamy's, pain filling his. She stumbled away from him a few steps as she leaned over. She glanced down at her body and almost got sick. She was covered in blood. Who's, she didn't know. "Oh, gods." She straightened herself and looked towards Murphy. "Oh, gods." Bellamy swore once he seen Murphy.

He was laying on the ground, his face drained of blood and sweat on his forehead. His lips were pressed tightly together and his fists were balled at the side of his body. He looked like he was in pain. An arrow protruded from his stomach, pointing towards the sky. Blood had spread from his wound, turning his shirt dark and sticky.

Clarke dropped to her knees beside him, her sword clattering to the ground. Her hands hovered over his body, too afraid to touch anything. She didn't want to make it worse, especially when they weren't in a safe spot. She couldn't bandage him up on the roof – they had to keep moving.

Murphy's eyes fluttered open slowly. He squinted from the sun, his nose scrunching up and forehead creasing. Raven rocked forward, leaning towards him. They locked eyes.

"You're stupid, you know that, right?" she snapped harshly. Tears were filling her eyes again as she spoke. "You took that arrow for me, didn't you?"

"And you say I don't love you." He tried to pull a smile, but it came off as a grimace. Raven let out a small sob at that. "That's what I do, Raven, don't you know by now? I jump in front of anything dangerous and like to get shot."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Murphy," she told him. She sounded breathless and broken.

Then, Raven was moving forward. Her lips met his in a desperate kiss. Her hands cupped his face tenderly, smearing blood across his cheeks. His hand tightened around the front of her shirt, pulling the material between his fists.

When she pulled back, Clarke realized she was crying. "You're so fucking stupid."

He chuckled weakly at that. "I know, but this is not one of those times. I'd take anything for you, Raven."

"Don't die, Murphy. Okay? Don't die."

"Promise me you'll kiss me again later?" He tried to look cheeky, but it came out as a grimace. "I'd definitely live then."

She pulled him in for another kiss – shorter this time, but still filled with so much desperation and adoration. "Live because I care about you. Live because I need you."

His eyes were locked on her face, his hands gripping hers. He wet his lips and grimaced again. "Raven?"

"I'm here."

"You remember what I told you that day? The day of the bloodbath?"

"I couldn't forget," she promised him. "But you're not dying, Murphy. Okay? You won't die alone. You'll be fine."

"I don't want to die alone."

"You aren't alone," she promised him. "And you aren't fucking dying. You hear me?" Raven turned to Clarke, desperation in her eyes. "He's fine, right?"

Clarke tried to keep her face emotionless. He wasn't fine and he wouldn't be unless they could get somewhere to work, but she couldn't tell that to Raven. She already lost Monty; she didn't want to make her worry about Murphy, too.

"If we get out of this, we'll do everything we can," Clarke promised her. Raven sniffed and turned back to Murphy. Clarke's heart filled with pain as she watched them.

While the two of them weren't friends when the Games first started, they came a long way since. Clearly. She didn't know they'd became more than friends over the last weeks, but it barely surprised her. They'd been chemistry between the two of them ever since they got over their hostility towards each other.

They were good for each other. Even though it felt like the world was seconds away from ending, she took a second to acknowledge how good they were together. She wanted to live to see them together again – really together.

"Lincoln, how's the door going to hold up?" Bellamy asked, his eyes still not moving from Murphy.

Clarke leaned forward, her hands finding their way to his torso. She ripped the bottom portion of his shirt, exposing the arrow. If possible, his skin was even worse to look at than all the blood.

"We need to move. It's not going to hold for long once they reach it." Lincoln had his back towards them as he watched the door. He was crouched low and his arm was up. He was ready to fight. "What's going on back there?"

"Monty was killed," Raven rasped out. Lincoln's shoulders tensed. "He… He pushed me out of the way. A spear was coming for me. I could see it. He seen it too. Just as I braced for it, he threw me to the side. He… He died. For me." Raven's voice sounded numb and hollow as she spoke.

"And Murphy?"

"He was hit with an arrow." Clarke' voice sounded so far away. She felt far away too, like she wasn't truly inside of her body. She was running completely on autopilot in that moment, relying on her instincts to keep moving. "We need to get him bandaged. I don't… I don't know if he'll last very long without them."

"Not here," Lincoln said fiercely. "This door isn't-"

His sentence was cut off as the door was banged against from the opposite side. Clarke froze, a chill going up her spine.

They were going to die.

They were stuck on a roof, ten stories off the ground. Raven had just lost her best friend. Murphy was bleeding profusely and an arrow was jutting out from his stomach. Octavia still was too weak to walk on her own. Bellamy and Lincoln were the only ones available to fight off the Careers as Clarke tried to tend to Murphy.

"Shit!" Clarke's fist clenched as she realized something terrible. The rope was with Monty, still on the stairs. They had no way to get off the roof. That was their plan for escape. "The rope…" She didn't need to say anymore. Raven's eyes shot to her own.

"It's with Monty," Raven hissed. Her hand flew into her hair, panic overwhelming her. "Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. We have no way down." Bellamy swore loudly. They were all silent for a moment, each desperate to think of a solution.

"We'll have to stand our ground and fight," Bellamy determined. "That's the only way. If we can't run, we have to fight." Clarke could hear the pain in his voice. He didn't think they would be able to win this battle – not with so many of them injured. "We will-"

"Over here!" Octavia called from the opposite side of the roof. She had managed to make her way to the roof across from where they stood, along the ledge that was behind the door. If the Careers busted through, they would have to turn around completely to see her. "There's a ledge I can jump to, and then we can use the pole to get down."

Bellamy took off towards where his sister stood, peering over the edge of the roof. He examined the ledge she was pointing to. He was silent for a few seconds.

"It'll do." He turned back towards the group, a solid look in his eye. "Let's move." Clarke helped Murphy up from the ground. Lincoln didn't move an inch, his eyes still locked on the door.

"I'm right behind everyone. Go."

"Lincoln, you-"

"Go." His tone was heavy, cutting off Octavia. It wasn't a question either, it was a demand. He wouldn't take any other opinion on his decision.

"He's right, O. Once everyone's down, Lincoln and I will follow," Bellamy promised. He reached for Murphy and helped steady him on the ledge of the roof. He examined the drop to the ledge below, a concentrated look on his face. "Octavia, how are you feeling?"

"Bellamy, this isn't exactly the right time-"

"What I mean is, can you make it there yourself?" He gestured towards the ledge below them.

It was a story below, which made her gut twist. Clarke wasn't too sure if she could jump to make that. Octavia leaned over the roof and studied the fall again.

"Yes."

"And what about if we lower Murphy down. Can you help him to the ground?"

Octavia sent him a look. "Bellamy, that's nine stories below. I have to climb a freaking pole to get to the ground." She glanced over the side of the roof again, then turned back to Murphy, internally debating. After only five seconds, she nodded her head with determination. "Yeah. I can do it."

"You guys have to hurry!" Lincoln called. "The door isn't going to hold much longer!" Bellamy glanced towards the other man, a determined look coming over his face. His eyes met Clarke's.

"Get them to safety." Before she could say anything else, he was already moving towards Lincoln, his sword clutched in his hands. Clarke watched him walk off, too shocked to do anything.

Octavia jumped off the roof, landing on the ledge below roughly. She let out a gasp and rolled to her knees to catch her breath. As soon as she did, she glanced up at Clarke.

"Send him down!"

That broke Clarke out of her trance. She turned to Murphy, hooking her hands under his arms. His eyes were barely open anymore and his head lulled to the side. She tried lowering him down towards Octavia, but her body was aching. She physically couldn't stretch further.

Raven reached forward and helped steady Clarke's back, letting her shift Murphy a few more inches. It still wasn't enough.

"We can't do it!" she cried out. "It's too far!"

Clarke pressed her lips tightly together and sucked in a breath through her nose. Murphy's legs were dangling by Octavia's elbows, but she couldn't drop him yet. If she did, he would land roughly on her. She also couldn't lower him anymore, otherwise she would topple off the roof.

"We have to!" she snapped, her words coming out harsher than expected.

The two girls shared a long look. Finally, Raven nodded. With Raven's help supporting her back, they lowered Murphy a few more inches.

When they couldn't go any further, they tried transferring to Octavia as best as possible. Octavia was clearly in pain as she stretched upwards, pulling on her healing wound. Clarke winced. That wouldn't good for her stiches.

Then, they dropped him. Murphy went crashing towards Octavia. She let him fly into her arms before she absorbed the impact by rolling to the ground. He let out a moan of pain as the arrow in his torso was moved around.

The three girls looked at each other for a long moment. In that brief moment of time, Clarke felt a surge of happiness. It was fleeting, but it was there. They got Murphy down. Now, it would be up to Octavia to try and get him down the pole.

Clarke turned to Raven, urgency once again filling her.

"You're next."

"Clarke, I-"

Before Raven could finish speaking, a loud bang filled the air. Clarke jumped from it and chills raced throughout her whole body. Her eyes flew to the door that led to the apartment building, watching in horror as Roan flew onto the roof.

Her body acted on an instinct she didn't knew she had. Clarke took off sprinting towards the open door, ever cell in her body telling her to fight.

She rounded the corner of the doorway, coming face to face with Ontari. She let out a startled gasp and rolled out of the way of her blade.

Clarke managed to roll to beside Lincoln, standing only a few feet away from Bellamy. She lifted her sword, still on her knees, and swung it towards Roan. He easily dodged it, but turned his attention to her.

She rolled out of the way of his blade, scrambling quickly into a standing position. She swung her sword to clash against his. The vibrations ran up the blade and through her arm. She could feel the clash in her teeth.

She could see Bellamy fighting Ontari a few paces away. She stood close to the door, a distance safe enough so she could turn and run for cover if needed. Cage hung back in the shadows, arrows flying out from him. He obviously wasn't very good, since he kept missing. Roan was the only Career fully on the roof, completely exposed.

Roan pulled back, swinging his sword at her with a loud cry. Clarke managed to block his blade just before it swept across her body. She didn't have time to examine him for any weaknesses or openings like Bellamy instructed it. In that moment, she was fighting for her survival. Every thought she had went towards ensuring she stayed alive.

Raven came up beside her, joining her in her fight against Roan. She had managed to block three of his thrusts with her own, but hadn't managed to hit him. As soon as Raven came up beside her, it all changed.

She let a knife fly from her hand, which was narrowly dodged by the Career. Clarke stepped forward, bringing her sword up from under him. She managed to knick the outside of his calf, which drew blood instantly. He let out a grunt of pain and turned to her again.

Clarke wasn't watching what was happening with Bellamy and Lincoln, but she knew they would be okay. They were the most trained out of their whole alliance, other than Octavia. They could hold their own against Careers.

Roan lunged at Raven, who stumbled back a few steps. As she was regaining her footing, Clarke jumped in front of her, meeting Roan's sword in the middle. Quickly, she examined him. He was leaning heavily on one leg after she managed to cut him, making him an easy target to take off balance. All she needed to do was twist him around and hit his shoulder and he would be gone.

She jumped into action quickly. Raven threw a knife towards his torso, which he narrowly dodged. He had to jump out of the way, since he wasn't willing to put weight on his injured leg. Clarke used his distraction to push on his blade, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

Raven threw another knife. This time, it embedded deep into his arm. He let out a hiss of anger and his upper body was thrown backwards. They were mere feet away from the door and Cage was looking angry.

She swung her sword at him one more time, but was easily blocked by him. She swung again, using it as a distraction, and quickly rolled to her side. He swung to meet her strike, throwing him off balance when there was nothing to push off of. Clarke swept her sword along his good ankle, cutting it deeply. He roared in pain. As she worked on getting him off balance, Raven threw a knife into the hand that clutched in sword. It went crashing to the ground.

He was defenceless and open.

Clarke's sword drove into his torso, sending blood splatting everywhere. She withdrew her blade and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards into the stairs. He smashed painfully into Cage and continued rolling. She didn't wait to see what happened to him; she already knew he wouldn't be able to survive that. Without hesitation, she turned to Ontari. Bellamy was still fighting her, but she was quickly overpowering him.

She watched closely as Bellamy swung his sword high, leaving an opening for her to swing low. Clarke read his intentions easily and slashed her sword through the air, towards her legs. The Career jumped out of the way, narrowly catching Bellamy's sword with her own. Ontari stumbled back towards the door, her eyes never leaving Bellamy's.

Clarke kicked one of her legs out from under her, throwing her off balance. She was balancing on the top step, her arms outstretched to regain stability. Instead of swinging his sword, Bellamy gripped the edge of the metal door and slammed it shut.

For a moment, it was quiet.

Bellamy locked eyes with Clarke, his eyes filled with pain. She was breathing heavily and felt faint. He winced as he looked down at his arm, where a large gash sat. Blood trickled all the way down his arm, reaching his finger tips. It didn't look good.

Her eyes scanned the roof, her mind racing to keep up with what happened.

Her heart completely stopped when she seen Lincoln's body slumped against the opposite end of the door. No. His eyes were closed and his face relaxed, almost like he was sleeping. But she knew better. He sat in a pool of his own blood.

He was dead.

She didn't know how or when it happened, but he was killed. Clarke let out a strangled gasp as she seen him, tears once again filling her eyes.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods.

Pounding at the door started back up again, breaking her attention. Bellamy was bounced forward as they hit the door repeatedly, almost throwing it open completely. He looked like he was in both emotional and physical pain.

"We can't do it!" Raven said, her voice breaking. "Clarke and I could barely take Roan together. All three of them are still alive and just waiting to get to us. We can't fight them."

"Lincoln, I-"

"Lincoln's dead!" Clarke sobbed. Bellamy's head snapped up, a horrified expression on his face. Clarke felt something inside of her break. "Oh, gods, Bellamy. We're going to die."

"We can do this. We aren't going to die," he promised. The door flew open a few inches again, but he pushed it back closed. She didn't know how much longer he could hold them off. "We can. We just need… I don't know. We need an advantage. We need…"

"A distraction," Raven finished. An unreadable expression was on her face, like she was wearing a mask. Her eyes had hardened and her shoulders were thrown back. "We need a distraction so you guys can escape."

Clarke instantly picked up on her use of words.

"You guys?" she repeated back, panic rising.

What did she mean? What was she planning on doing?

A distraction.

Clarke remembered their conversation from the other night. The explosives. Monty and Raven had set up explosives around the apartment while they slept, in case they ever needed to get away. She couldn't have been talking about that… Could she?

Looking at her determined and stony expression made her question herself.

"Raven," Clarke warned harshly. "There's other ways. We can-"

"No," she said strongly. "This is the only way. I need to get in there to set off the bombs. Monty and I put the switch right at the doorway. I just need to get in there and-"

"No," Bellamy snapped once he realized what she was talking about. "It's too dangerous. They're waiting for us right at the other end of the door. They won't let you flick a switch to set off bombs."

"It doesn't matter," she said strongly.

"It does!" He pushed the door closed again as it was banged open. "You won't be able to get away if you go, they'll-"

"Bellamy. Clarke." Raven had unclipped her backpack, dropping it to the ground. "I lied."

Her blood ran cold.

"What?"

"The manual operation of the explosives won't allow me to get away," she said. Clarke's heart fell to her stomach. She felt like she was going to get sick. "There won't be enough time to clear the blast zone if they're set off manually."

"This is exactly why I told you no!" she said. Her voice was already sounding hysterical and her eyes were burning with tears. "I said 'not if we have to sacrifice someone.' You did it anyways!"

"I knew this would happen," Raven pointed out, rounding on Clarke. "I know you're watching out for me. I know you want what's best. But this is it. One life for several. You all can make it if I flick that switch. If I don't, we'll all die. It's simple math."

"Raven, this is life. Not a fucking math problem." Bellamy had fallen silent at that point. Clarke felt like she was on the verge of hysteria. Raven couldn't sacrifice herself. No way. No. She wasn't going to let it happen.

"I'll do it," Bellamy offered, his voice emotionless. "I… I can fight them off and then hit the button. You can all escape. Just tell me where it is and I'll do it."

Raven's face softened at his offer. "No, Bellamy. I'm the only one alive that knows how to work explosives," she reminded him. "You're needed here. It's the only way. You know this."

"No, Raven!" Clarke grasped her forearm, desperate to make her stay. "No, okay? We'll find another way."

"There isn't one!" She shook Clarke off. Her voice softened. "There isn't one. That's life, okay? I have a plan. Let me do it." Clarke was shaking. She couldn't lose her. She couldn't lose another friend. Not three in one day. She couldn't.

"Bellamy," she pleaded, turning towards him. "Tell her she can't do it. Tell her there's another way. Tell her."

His face was emotionless. He locked eyes with Raven. "Are you sure, Raven?" Clarke felt like his words slapped her in the face.

"No doubt in my mind." Bellamy's lips were pressed in a tight line as he nodded. Clarke was rooted to the spot where she stood, absolute horror overwhelming her.

No. Bellamy, don't do that. Don't let her die.

Raven pulled away from Clarke again and went to where Bellamy was pushing on the door. She planted her feet solidly and leaned heavily against the door. Her face strained from the effort.

"Don't you fucking dare," Clarke warned. She stepped closer, her arms shaking at her sides. "Raven, I swear to gods, if you do this…" The mechanic's expression softened as she looked at Clarke.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was as genuine as the pain and fear on her face.

"No, Raven, I-"

"Run."

With that one word, Raven pushed Bellamy off of the door. He went stumbling forward, towards Clarke.

"Raven!"

She strained as she tried to hold the door closed long enough for Bellamy and Clarke to escape. "I can't hold it for long," she warned, her voice tensed.

Clarke couldn't move. Every muscle in her body was frozen. She felt like she wasn't even in her body anymore as she watched Raven press against the door.

She was going to die.

She was going to lose three of her allies in one day – three of her friends. Three people she loved.

She couldn't. She couldn't lose them. They were who she was fighting for. They were the reason she was willing to risk her life. They were what kept Clarke going. It wasn't the chance of survival or to get home anymore. It was about them. It was about getting them as far as possible, so one of them could go home.

Clarke wasn't going to leave her. If Raven was going to sacrifice herself, so would she.

"Raven Reyes, don't you dare. I will-"

"Bellamy!" Raven locked eyes with him. Her jaw was clenched so tightly that it looked like it was hurting her teeth. "Get her out of here!"

He was shaking his head now, too. "Raven, I can't leave you. We aren't doing this. There has to be another way and-"

Ravens' voice was hysterical. "There is no other goddamn way." She was on the verge of crying. "You told me you loved them; that you love her."

"Raven-"

Clarke wasn't listening to her at this point. She was sobbing openly, begging her to come with them, begging anyone to come up with a better plan.

"You love her and you fucking promised me you'd keep them safe." Clarke didn't know what she was talking about, but it looked like Bellamy did. He looked petrified. "Keep all of them safe, Bellamy." He wasn't arguing against her anymore, but he also hadn't moved away. Raven was getting desperate. "Bellamy, go! I can't-" She grunted as the door was thrust open. She struggled to get it closed again. "You promised! Go!"

With those words, he seemed to make up his mind. He stumbled over to Clarke, gripping her hand in his. She ripped it from his grip. His contact was enough to get her moving again. Clarke surged forward, lunging towards Raven.

He caught her before she reached them. He lifted her off of her feet and began pulling her towards the edge of the roof. Clarke let out screams of anguish as they got further away.

"No!" she screamed. Her throat was hurting from all the yelling. "No! Put me down! Raven! Don't do this!" Raven let out a loud grunt before being thrown to the ground. The door flew open and the Careers rushed onto the roof.

The last time she seen Raven, she was rolling onto her side, Lincoln's sword in her hand. She had fire in her eyes, just like she always did. Her face was set in stone.

She was determined.

Fierce.

Unrelenting.

That was the last time she seen Raven Reyes.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: blood, violence, major character death

TRIBUTE LIST: The bolded ones are the tributes that are confirmed dead from this current chapter.

District 1 Male: Roan
District 1 Female: Ontari
District 2 Male: Bellamy
District 2 Female: Octavia
District 3 Male: Monty
District 3 Female: Raven
District 4 Male: Cage
District 4 Female: Luna
District 5 Male: Murphy
District 5 Female: Echo
District 6 Female: Clarke
District 8 Male: Lincoln
District 10 Male: Dax

I'm really looking forward to reviews about this chapter. Please feel free to scream.

Thanks for reading.