Chamberstaneshia69: I suppose you could argue that. It just seems that they needed all the attention of those inside rather than just the few guards hunting Clarke and Lexa.
Also, we're well over 300k words, 200 reviews, and 30 chapters. Thanks so much for all the support. Ya'll are awesome.
Continuing the last one.
(Mount Weather, Prison Chamber. Bellamy Blake.)
The thick door hissed and clicked as Bellamy's stolen key card sent it opening slowly.
He'd managed to weasel his way into binging President Wallace his evening meal. No one had even noticed when he'd swiped the tray, he now carried into the room with him.
Dante seemed on edge the second the door opened to reveal Bellamy. On its own, the door closed, leaving the older man and the younger man very much alone, save the security camera watching them. Though, as long as Bellamy made their voices unhearable and hid his face from the camera, he would be fine.
"Your evening meal President Wallace," Bellamy said, making eye contact with the man.
It was clear the old painter did not recognize Bellamy from the way he roved his eyes up and down. Dante said nothing however, as he walked over to his record player and turned the music up just a little bit louder. Now, it would be that much harder for them to be overheard. The man could think on his feet. His age certainly hadn't dulled his mind.
Bellamy walked forward with the tray, placing the small dishes of food on Dante's desk. It was a luxurious prison to be fair. It was nicer than the small rectangle Bellamy had grown up in for sure.
"Who are you?" Dante asked.
"Jasper sent me," Bellamy replied as he placed a cup of tea with a coaster onto the table. "We need your help. Your son is killing my friends."
Bellamy put a salad plate and some eating utensils wrapped in a napkin on the table while Dante responded.
"I'm a prisoner," Dante said. "Same as them."
"A prisoner who knows every inch of this mountain," Bellamy said.
He turned back to face Dante, keeping his head low so the brim of his hat would hide his face from the camera. Dante stared at him, but simultaneously moved to block Bellamy from the picture, just making it that much easier. Damn the President was good.
"You know every security measure," Bellamy said.
"Who's helping you?" Dante asked suspiciously.
"That's not important right now," Bellamy answered.
"After Clarke escaped, I had all exits fortified and put under extra surveillance," Dante explained. "My son has no doubt changed all access and entrance codes by now. Your friends will never even make it off level five."
"I won't let them die here," Bellamy stated determinedly.
"I'm sorry," Dante said. "I can't help them escape."
Bellamy shook his head in frustration and collected the tray from the table behind him. He tossed a napkin onto it and made his way towards the door with his head bowed.
"But I may be able to buy them some time," Dante said.
Bellamy stopped instantly. Anything the ex-President could do to help them now was good. The question was what exactly could he do trapped in a cell like this?
"How?" Bellamy turned back to Dante.
"There are still a few people in this mountain loyal to me," Dante answered speaking calmly. "A few guards, some teachers, they can create the time your friends need."
"What's the plan?" Bellamy asked.
"I believe," Dante began cautiously. "That if the right steps are taken, we could induce a controlled radiation leak on level five."
"That would make it tougher to get to them," Bellamy said, nodding. "How do we do it?"
"Leave that to me," Dante said. "I'll handle it."
Bellamy inclined his head in respect towards the old man. There was an aura of toughness about him, like an old school military veteran.
"Be at these coordinates at twenty-one hundred," Dante said as he quickly jotted down a note and handed it to Bellamy.
"Thank you," Bellamy said, taking the note.
"Don't thank me yet," Dante replied stonily. "There is still a long way to go until your friends are free."
"Thanks anyway," Bellamy said with a nod.
He opened the door with a tap of his card. It hissed and opened automatically again.
"Watch your back young man," Dante spoke seriously.
"I will," Bellamy returned.
He left President Wallace in his cell to listen to his classical music and stare at his paintings. Bellamy only hoped that Dante's radiation leak plan would be good enough to save his friends.
(Trikru Territory, TonDC. Clarke Griffin.)
The sky was rapidly growing dark as Clarke approached TonDC with Ryder alongside. She found it quite humorous that Ryder was riding a horse. The word play was amusing to her.
They had barely stopped galloping for the entire journey. Clarke figured their horses must've been tired, but she ignored that fact and pushed harder. The threat to TonDC was imminent, and she had to do something about it.
She found the gate open as they approached the village. There were young but armed grounders standing at the front gate. While Clarke dismounted from her horse, Octavia approached.
"Clarke you made it," Octavia acknowledged.
"I need you to take me to Lexa," Clarke ordered, ignoring the greeting from her friend.
"What's wrong?" Octavia asked, stepping in front of Clarke and stopping her from walking forward any further.
"Nothing," Clarke replied, still unsure of whether or not she wanted to share her knowledge of the approaching missile with everyone.
Octavia very obviously didn't buy that answer, but she made no comment on it. It seemed that Octavia's time under Indra's tutelage had encouraged her to be less inquisitive and take orders better. There was a time when Clarke would've considered that a bad thing, but these days, the less questions she was asked, the better she could run things.
"Is Bellamy ready?" Octavia asked instead. "Did he get the acid fog down?"
"He's working on it," Clarke answered absently. She didn't have time to answer questions, not even if they involved Octavia's family.
Octavia spoke no further as she led Clarke to Lexa. The Commander stood in her full armor, but without the war paint Clarke had come to recognize on her face. She was actually rather pretty without the paint.
"Clarke of the sky people has honored us with her presence," Lexa said, sounding slightly condescending.
"I'm sorry I'm late Commander," Clarke replied simply.
"You made good time," Kane spoke as he along with Indra joined them. "I assume the kids in Mount Weather are okay."
"For now," Clarke said.
She turned her attention to Lexa, who still eyed Clarke critically. Too bad for her that Clarke didn't show up on time. Clarke wasn't someone to be ordered around like a pawn.
"Can we talk in private?" Clarke asked Lexa.
"Yes," Lexa responded after a moment's thought. "This way."
She led Clarke inside a familiar large building, then into a familiar room. This was where the nearly fateful feast had occurred where Clarke was convinced that Raven had attempted to poison Lexa. This was where her friendship with Raven and with Maynard had fallen apart. She had lost their trust.
Lexa turned to face Clarke, "What is it?"
"There's a missile heading straight for TonDC," Clarke explained. "Bellamy overheard a conversation between some of the leaders of Mount Weather. They know about the meeting, and they're going to launch a missile at us."
"A missile?" Lexa asked. "You're sure."
"Yes," Clarke answered with a nod. "We need to start evacuating everyone now."
Lexa looked Clarke straight in the eyes for only a moment before responding.
"No," She said.
"What do you mean no?" Clarke asked.
"If we evacuate, they'll know we have a spy inside their walls," Lexa returned.
"Not necessarily," Clarke shook her head.
Lexa looked away from Clarke, a bit perturbed.
"We can't risk it," Lexa said.
The Commander walked a short distance away from Clarke, no longer meeting her eyes.
"What's the point of having an inside man if we can't act on what he's telling us?" Clarke questioned.
"Is the acid fog disabled?" Lexa asked in reply. "Is our sleeping army uncaged?"
Clarke pulled a tight frown and shook her head.
"Then Bellamy's job is not done," Lexa said forcefully. "Without him, we can't win this war."
"So what are you saying?" Clarke asked. "We just do nothing? Let them bomb us?"
Lexa remained silent for a moment. It was tense in the room, but Clarke couldn't help but wonder whether Lexa was right.
"It'll be a blow," Lexa said. "But our army will be safe inside the woods, and it will inspire them."
"What about us?" Clarke asked uncertainly.
"We slip away," Lexa answered, turning to meet Clarke's eyes. "Right now."
Lexa reached for a small garment draped over the back of a chair. She shoved it into Clarke's hands.
"Put this on," Lexa said.
Clarke felt terribly unsure about all of this. On some level it didn't feel right, yet what Lexa said made so much sense. Concessions had to be made as did sacrifices, and what was this but a sacrifice?
Then she realized why all this was happening in the first place. It was Maynard's fault. He had freed Emerson rather than killing him and he had sent the man out with a message provoking Mount Weather. Her conscience eased slightly. If people died here today, it wouldn't be her fault, it would be Maynard's.
(Camp Jaha, personal quarters. Maynard Draiman.)
I still couldn't believe I'd worked up the courage to tell Raven I loved her. That in itself was an accomplishment. I had faced down some of the most dangerous people on planet Earth these days, but sharing my deepest feelings with Raven, that was a whole different ballgame.
Somehow though, I'd managed it. Then, much to my elation, she returned the sentiment.
We'd sat up on the platform making out for a while before the urge to celebrate with further actions became irresistible. So, we quickly ran back to our own private quarters and done so.
In my personal opinion, it was the best time we'd had together.
Now, finished with our fun, Raven rested against my chest. Despite all that was happening in our lives, this moment was pure bliss. Taking a time out to spend time with each other seemed almost necessary, now that we had done so. Funny how life works. You only realize how much you needed something after you already did it.
"We need to do this more often," I said with a contented smile on my face.
"I agree," Raven sighed softly as she wrapped her arms around me tighter.
An indescribable feeling overcame me as Raven clung to me. It felt so good that someone cared that much about me. I had never considered myself particularly great, so for Raven, the coolest, hottest, and smartest woman I'd ever met, to reciprocate my love was unbelievable.
"I love you," I said softly as I ran a hand through her hair.
"You're so corny," Raven joked lightly. "I mean, I am pretty awesome, but you don't have to keep saying it all the time."
I smiled to myself, "It's just surreal. I'm worried I'm dreaming."
I was convinced that anyone who told you love was overrated was an idiot. This was the greatest feeling in the world. I felt more connected, not only to Raven but also to myself, than ever before. I was complete, lacking nothing in my own life.
"Let's hope you don't wake up then," Raven said.
"Yeah," I replied.
It was an odd role reversal that Raven seemed so much more in control of her emotions than I did. I was usually the calm logical one, no matter what. That wasn't to say that Raven was overly emotional, because she certainly wasn't, but she was more emotional than I was. She seemed to be in complete control of her mental capacities, while I felt high.
"We need to make time for this," I continued assured of myself. "I don't care what's happenin'. This is more important."
I meant every word. Raven was far more important to me than any other person in my life. I remembered the feast just a few days ago, when the grounders attempted to execute raven in retribution for her supposed crimes. The grounders drew swords on my friends, threatening to kill them if I took any action to save Raven's life. Thankfully, I wasn't forced to take action, because I would have saved Raven at the cost of everyone else. She was that important to me.
Raven hummed against my chest, warming my heart. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to go anywhere, but there was still so much work to do.
"Ya think we should get back to work?" I asked.
"They can wait a few more minutes," Raven replied, sighing contentedly.
(Dead Zone. John Murphy.)
Rolling Emori's damn cart through the sand was obnoxious. In general, wheels didn't work well on sand, and the cart was no exception.
Jaha helped Murphy and Emori pull it along, each of them grunting and straining against the sand. The ground though, gave way beneath their feet every time they stepped forward. All they could do was keep pushing forward. In his mind, Sand by He Is Legend continued playing. Murphy couldn't remove the song.
A shout came from in front of them. Murphy glanced up and stared in shock as a man on a horse stood at the top of the nearest dune. In his hands was an RPG. How he got his hands on it, Murphy had no clue.
The horse whinnied as the Guards brought their guns up on the man with the explosives.
"Chancellor get down!" One man shouted. Apparently, he'd missed the memo that Jaha wasn't the Chancellor.
Jaha didn't listen, the idiot. Instead, he stepped out in front of the group while the guy with the rocket launcher continued to shout at them.
"Hold your fire!" Jaha commanded.
Then, Murphy felt an arm around his throat as he was hit from behind by someone. It didn't take him long to realize it was Emori that had grabbed him. She pulled a knife from her belt and lay it against Murphy's neck.
"Everybody put your weapons and supplies in the cart," Emori ordered as she stepped out in front of Jaha. "And nobody gets hurt."
Murphy was pissed now. He knew there was something up with Emori from the second he saw her, but he was blinded by his own emotions.
"If we give you all our supplies, we'll die out there," Jaha said.
"If you don't, you'll die right here," Emori replied calmly.
Emori brought the knife closer to Murphy's neck. He could feel the edge. That knife was well-sharpened.
"Do as she says now," Jaha ordered, gesturing for the men to lower their weapons.
It took a few seconds before they complied, straightening their posture and lowering the barrels.
The man behind them asked something loudly enough to be heard, and Emori replied in the same language, still holding her knife on Murphy's throat.
"How's your faith holding up Chancellor?" Murphy asked dryly.
"Shut up," Emori ordered.
"Unwavering," Jaha answered Murphy, ignoring Emori.
Jaha turned his eyes up to the man on the ridge behind Murphy and began slowly walking forward.
"You don't want to do this," Jaha said.
"Stop walking," Emori said.
Jaha did stop walking, but he didn't stop talking. That guy never stopped talking.
"We all came out here searching for a better life, same as you," Jaha continued. "Maybe we can find it if we work together?"
"Thanks," Emori answered. "But no."
The man shouted something in a threatening tone, still probably aiming the rocket straight at them.
"Now," Emori said. "Everyone back away from the cart and get on your knees. Now!"
"Do what she says," Jaha assured his people.
They complied, while Jaha remained standing defiantly.
"You too," Emori pushed the knife just a little harder against Murphy's neck.
Jaha knelt, keeping eye contact with Emori the whole time. Now sure that no one was going to try anything, Emori released Murphy, forced him to the ground, and turned him towards her.
"What a surprise you're just like everyone else," Murphy commented.
She didn't really care about him. She definitely didn't like him. What else was new though? Murphy wasn't exactly a likeable guy.
Then, Emori leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"The City of Light, you'll find it," She said. "Head due north."
She leaned back and looked him in the eyes.
"Good luck John," Emori said.
No body called him John. No body had done so since he was a kid.
Then, Emori whacked him on the forehead with the butt of the knife. A splitting pain shot through Murphy's head as everything went black.
(Camp Jaha, Engineering. Skylar Artinakis.)
Skylar had spent the past few hours helping Bellamy to locate the acid fog control system. He was off air for the moment while he searched for the next tunnel. In the meantime, Skylar continued to update her computer model of Mount Weather. It was nearly complete now.
Throughout the time, Elena remained in the room with her, providing Skylar with company and conversation.
The Furlan had surprised Skylar when she'd first shown up. Elena was definitely a badass, and Skylar had seen that during her spars, but she was also quite smart. Elena was intelligent and engaging to speak to, she learned quickly, and she showed an interest in Skylar's activities.
Skylar eyed the other woman in the room while her back was turned looking at the glass diagram board. Elena was a powerfully built woman. Her weight was mostly concentrated in her legs, but she also had muscular arms and shoulders. Though Skylar couldn't see it, she could imagine Elena's face with a wide smile and big brown eyes. Her dark hair was gray streaked, yet the gray didn't age her appearance as it did to Maynard. Elena's gray streaks looked more like hair dye than natural products.
Skylar found that she really liked the short hair style Elena wore too. Now, with it hanging loose, it only reached the base of her neck while the left side was buzzed short. It was a sick haircut.
All that wasn't even including her tattoos. In her short-sleeved shirt, an artfully constructed sleeve covered her right arm. Those tattoos weren't just in black ink but were a splash of color. There were birds and flowers, but also a few different geometric pieces of art.
Elena was just sexy. Skylar couldn't help but feel attracted to her.
She knew she liked girls about six or so years ago at age thirteen. Unfortunately, though, she had never found another girl who also liked girls. That was just the nature of the problem. It was rarer to find a gay person than a straight person. On the Ark, it made dating pretty difficult. Plus, most of the girls Skylar had tried to date weren't really great people. Elena seemed different, though Skylar had only known Elena for about two days.
"So what happens when we do turn off the acid fog?" Elena asked idly.
The question was enough to bring Skylar back to reality. She shook her head slightly and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back over her head.
"Then we fight our way into the mountain," Skylar answered. "We'll have one group enter through the reaper tunnels and another attack the main gate I guess. I'm not much of a military strategist."
"Well that's why I'm here," Elena said with a smirk turning back to Skylar.
Skylar chuckled lightly, smiling at Elena. She hadn't even found Elena's comment particularly funny, but under the circumstances it had a hint of humor to it.
"Wait," Elena said to herself. She turned back to the diagrams, looking at the front gate closely.
"What is it?" Skylar questioned, standing from her seat and joining Elena at the board.
Skylar stood a couple of inches shorter than Elena. Now that she was close, she could even smell her skin. Skylar worked hard not to blush profusely.
"I came up with a way to knock the gate down," Elena said.
"Yeah," Skylar said still confused. "All we have to do is set some explosives on the door."
"I can do you one better," Elena returned with a manic grin.
"Now I'm interested," Skylar said.
"Back in Lyle's bunker, he had a tank," Elena said.
Lyle, as Skylar recalled, was one of the Furlan. According to Maynard, he hadn't been willing to join them in fighting physically, but he had been willing to supply their endeavors.
"A tank?" Skylar asked in shock.
"Yeah," Elena replied. "He said it had been in the bunker for years. It doesn't work, but we could fix it couldn't we?"
Skylar's face spread into a large grin, matching Elena's facial expression.
"Skylar," Bellamy's voice came over the radio, interrupting the moment. "I think I found the maintenance tunnel."
She looked over at the radio with a slightly perturbed expression. Just when things were progressing, Skylar had to go back to work. She gave Elena a regretful smile and returned to the desk with the radio.
"What does it look like in there?" Skylar questioned though her end of the radio.
"Close your eyes and imagine a bottomless pit," Bellamy replied.
"Just stick with it," Skylar said. "According to Dante's coordinates you're almost there."
"What's happening on your end?" Bellamy asked. "Did they evacuate TonDC?"
"Not sure," Skylar answered. "But Clarke's there. She'll figure something out."
Elena looked to Skylar with a question written across her face. She didn't look happy. That was probably because Skylar hadn't told her or anyone that Clarke was going to TonDC with a missile on the way.
"Evacuate?" Elena whispered.
"Concentrate on crawling through those vents," Skylar said, ignoring Elena's question. "Stop worrying about your sister."
"Octavia's in TonDC?" Bellamy asked.
Shit. Skylar hadn't meant to let that fact slip.
Then, Maynard and Raven entered the room just seconds later. Maynard looked royally pissed.
"Skylar talk to me," Bellamy said.
"She's going to be okay," Skylar assured him.
Behind her, Elena, Maynard, and Raven communicated in urgent whispers, probably asking questions about what evacuate meant.
"Clarke left as soon as we found out, she'll get there on time," Skylar continued.
"How could you keep this from me?" Bellamy asked, sounding angry.
"Clarke was trying to protect you," Skylar said.
"What's goin' on?" Maynard asked forcefully, taking a few steps towards Skylar's seat.
She held up a hand, signaling for him to wait.
"You still have a job to do Bellamy," Skylar said. "I know you're worried about Octavia, but you have to focus."
Silence hung over them for a good few seconds.
"Talk to you when I get there," Bellamy said finally.
Then, with a click, the radio disconnected.
Skylar swiveled her chair around to face the expectant stares of the others.
"What is this?" Maynard asked. "Why's TonDC bein' evacuated?"
Skylar glanced uncomfortably at each of her three companions. She was fairly comfortable with all of them. Maynard had saved her life, she'd worked with Raven for many hours each day, and then there was Elena.
"Well," Skylar started hesitantly. "Bellamy overheard the Mountain Men talking about dropping a missile on TonDC. They definitely got your message Maynard."
"Wait," Elena said. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me?"
Skylar tried to look past Elena's very personal word choice. She had just started getting close to Elena, and now she had broken her trust.
"Clarke's probably there now trying to evacuate everyone," Skylar defended herself.
"Ya think Clarke's gonna evacuate that village?" Maynard asked. "She's probly tryin' to save Lexa. She'll leave everyone else to die."
Maynard ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace back and forth.
"And all this is in retaliation to my actions," Maynard grumbled quietly to himself.
"It's not your fault May," Raven said with a shake of her head. "This is on Mount Weather."
"Yer actions have consequences," Maynard whispered to himself, like he was ignoring everyone else.
He said something else unintelligible, then stopped pacing and looked up.
"I'm gonna get Braveheart," Maynard announced. "We're goin' to TonDC. Ya should probly come with us Elena."
"Actually," Elena said. "Skylar and I are working on something else."
"We really could use yer help," Maynard said.
"We're going to Lyle's bunker," Elena ignored Maynard's requests. "Skylar reckons she can fix the tank."
"Tank?" Raven asked. "There was a tank in the bunker?"
Maynard nodded slightly to himself. Skylar could practically see the calculations flying behind his eyes.
"Right," Maynard nodded again. "Good plan. Get it workin' if ya can."
"How are you going to fix it?" Raven butted in. "You're a programmer Skylar, not a mechanic."
"I learn fast," Skylar responded with a smirk. "I'll take Wick too."
Raven shook her head and smiled at Skylar's confidence.
"Ya comin' with me Raven?" Maynard asked, turning his eyes to his girlfriend.
"Of course," Raven answered.
"You'll probly want yer gun," Maynard said. "I'll pick up Braveheart and meet ya at the gate."
(Trikru territory, TonDC. Octavia Blake.)
Octavia glanced around the thick woods with cautious eyes. Along with the other seconds, Octavia was ordered to stand guard outside the gate and scan for threats. It was a boring job, but it had to be done. And the least you could do when given a job would be to put in the maximum amount of effort possible.
Apparently, Atohl, the second on guard duty with her, hadn't gotten that message. He stood around whining and complaining about every little thing. He didn't seem to like Octavia, the task of standing guard, or any work for that matter.
"I should be in there at the meeting," Atohl grumbled. "Not watching the trees with you."
Atohl was just all around arrogant and resentful. He complained that he wasn't high enough on the societal hierarchy, while simultaneously doing no work to climb up said hierarchy.
A snapping of branches came from the distance. Octavia's eyes whipped in the direction of the sound, spotting a shadow sprinting through the foliage.
"Quiet," Octavia berated. "Some's out there."
Octavia drew her sword from her back as she eyed the last location she had seen the shadowy figure. Atohl drew his sword seconds later.
"This one's mine sky girl," He muttered as he walked straight past her.
She watched as Atohl snuck up the hill, keeping low to the ground. He had no regard for tactics. Were they smart, they would split up and try to flank the shadowy figure, but no, Atohl just had to show her how much better he was.
"Dumbass," Octavia grumbled as she snuck after him. She couldn't let him go in there on his own.
Atohl disappeared into the thick branches under the trees when he reached the top of the hill. Octavia crept after him, stopping at the edge of the tree line. Going in there after him could be a death sentence depending on the threat lurking in the darkness.
"Atohl," Octavia called softly.
She heard grunting sounds as a bush in the distance shifted back and forth violently. He was probably in trouble. Octavia would have to resist the urge to say, 'I told you so'. It didn't reflect well on her to antagonize other seconds.
Octavia entered the trees after Atohl. The ground was rough for a short distance but levelled out quickly when she reached the top of the hill.
She glanced around, not seeing any sign of Atohl or the shadowy threat. Most of the trees here were old and cracked, giving the woods a decidedly creepy feeling.
Then, she caught sight of the figure. It was obviously a man, judging by the broad shoulders and shaved head. Best of all, he hadn't seen her yet.
Octavia ghosted along the ground as quietly as she could, quickly hopping over a dead log in her path. As she got closer to the figure though, she noticed something.
Atohl lay in front of the man, out cold, his sword on the ground harmlessly. So much for taking out the threat. What was more concerning was the man hunched over him.
"Lincoln?" Octavia asked breathlessly.
She watched as Lincoln fiddled with a rope in his hands. What he was doing wasn't obvious, but it didn't look good. Why would Lincoln knock out a second, a trikru second for that matter?
"What are you doing?" Octavia questioned as she approached.
Lincoln glared at her with hard eyes, before returning to his work with the rope. It looked like he was trying to tie Atohl up.
"Get away from him!" Octavia cried, kicking Lincoln in the side.
Lincoln tumbled over his own head, trying to find his balance again.
"I said get away from him," Octavia said, holding her sword threateningly.
Lincoln didn't look like himself. He looked like the man she and Bellamy had found in the parking garage, like a hollowed-out shell of himself. Lincoln eyed the sword warily.
Then, he shook his head. His face contorted into an expression of pain. A single tear dripped down his cheek.
"You don't understand," Lincoln hung his head almost shamefully. "I can't fight it."
This wasn't the man Octavia loved. Lincoln would fight until his dying breath. He wasn't a disheveled wreck of a man like this thing before her.
"Yes you can," Octavia replied, trying to appeal to the true Lincoln, lying somewhere deep inside him.
She knelt before Lincoln, bring their faces closer together. She could see the great pain and suffering in Lincoln's eyes. This was a man broken by the world, a man who didn't want to fight anymore.
"We can," Octavia assured him passionately.
"I betrayed your brother," Lincoln croaked. "He's a prisoner in the mountain because of me."
Octavia shook her head slightly. She pushed down whatever emotions she felt and pressed on with the task of trying to bring Lincoln back to the real world.
"Lincoln," She said. "I don't know what happened between you two, but Bellamy made it. He's fine. We've got our inside man."
Lincoln looked shocked. Something had gone disastrously wrong. Lincoln said it was his fault, but Octavia wouldn't let him do that. He needed to understand that things went wrong, and when they did, it was an opportunity to get better.
As Maynard would say, 'Good'. That single word was so powerful. Taking the happenings of the world in stride and using them as fuel to better yourself was the only real way forward. It was up to you to say, 'Good', maybe things aren't working out now, but they will soon after you put in the work.
"I need you to come with me," Octavia begged him softly.
Lincoln's jaw clenched. He strained with every muscle he had not to cry. Then, he shook his head.
She came to her feet in fury. Lincoln wasn't weak. Lincoln was strong. He wouldn't quit over some little drug.
With a cry of anger, she smacked Lincoln across the face.
"Get knocked down, get back up!" She said in Trigedasleng.
Lincoln looked to Octavia almost angily, but he did nothing. He just glared at her with red-rimmed eyes.
"Grounders don't give up," Octavia continued. "We fight. Either you get up and fight this, or you crawl away and die alone like a coward."
Lincoln's eyes softened at Octavia's words. He seemed to recognize the pain in her voice and understand what his actions were doing to her.
He hung his head in shame, knowing she was right.
Octavia couldn't bear the sight of Lincoln's broken form any longer. She bent down to her knees again and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She held him close, afraid that she would lose him again.
A gentle sob wracked Lincoln's body as he lay his head against her shoulder. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer as he let all the pain out.
Octavia held him against her, acting as a sponge for his pain, sucking it all up. She just wanted Lincoln back.
"I'm sorry," Lincoln croaked softly. "I'm sorry."
Octavia managed a small smile, "Just fight it Lincoln. I know you can."
(Dead Zone. John Murphy.)
Murphy's head ached.
"John," A soft voice spoke from above. "Come on, we've got to go."
Murphy grunted and tried to sit up, only for his head to start swimming again. He dropped his head back against the ground.
"There, he's up. It's about time," A voice said.
"Quiet Caspian," The first voice said.
Murphy slowly opened his eyes to see Jaha kneeling over him. Emori had really nailed him good. He wasn't even thinking about He Is Legend anymore.
"You alright?" Jaha asked.
"If he's not, we're leaving him here," Caspian said. "It's time to go home."
"I'm okay," Murphy grunted softly while Jaha helped him to his feet.
The others gathered behind Caspian in a mass, like they were waiting for instructions. None of them looked eager to continue based on the downcast looks and ragged appearances.
"And where exactly is that?" Jaha questioned.
Caspian left the larger group and approached Jaha.
"Sir," He said. "I know you're trying to take us to a better place, but look around. We've got no food. We've got no water. And we have no idea how to find it."
"Due north," Murphy muttered mostly to himself. Those were the last words Emori had whispered in his ear. "She said due north."
"What is due north John?" Jaha asked, staring at Caspian still.
"She was talking about the City of Light," Murphy said.
"Did she say that?" Caspian asked.
"Yes," Murphy answered.
"Did she say how far due north?" Jaha asked.
"No," Murphy said. "But she wouldn't be sending us there if we couldn't make it."
"You mean the liar and the thief who robbed us and knocked you out?" Caspian asked. "Sir I really hope you're not considering this."
"John," Jaha kept his attention to Murphy, ignoring Caspian. "We have no weapons and no rations. If we go north and you're wrong, then all of us will die. If we turn back now, we live."
Murphy shook his head slightly. People quit so easily.
"So that's it?" Murphy asked with a shrug. "We've reached the point of no return, and you just want to give up?"
"I didn't say that," Jaha said.
"You didn't not say it either," Murphy replied.
Jaha looked away from Murphy for a moment, his breath fogging up in the cool night air. The fluctuation in desert temperatures was insane.
"That is the North Star," Jaha pointed to the sky.
He remained silent for a moment as they looked at the bright white dot in the sky.
"After you," Jaha gestured with one hand in the direction they looked.
If this was a test of faith, it wasn't hard to pass. Murphy shrugged slightly, then walked north.
"The rest of you need to decide for yourselves," He heard Jaha addressing the group behind him. "We'll come back and get you when we find it."
"Sir?" Caspian questioned loud enough for Murphy to hear even while he walked away. "This is a mistake. You're not going to find it. You're not going to make it."
Murphy ignored the voices, continuing on up the dune in front of him.
"I believe this is what they call having faith John," Jaha said.
"Faith?" Murphy asked with a smirk on his face. "Nah, just got nothing better to do."
Feeling his spirits rise, Murphy started humming as he led the group forward. Sand by He Is Legend was back in his head again.
When you leave, and you will
When the going gets tough and you turn tail and run
We're aware that you're scared
But uncertainty's always nine tenths of the fun
(Trikru territory, TonDC. Lexa.)
Thankfully, Clarke had listened to her and followed her out of TonDC. The missile would cause many deaths, but her people were strong. They would get over it, and they would be motivated by it. The attack would create more anger in the ranks of her army towards the Mountain Men.
Lexa flipped her hood up as she led Clarke through a secret passage out of the village. She couldn't be spotted sneaking out. That would not end well for her.
Once they reached the trees, Lexa relaxed slightly, but kept up a brisk pace, being sure they wouldn't be caught. Sacrifices had to be made to win a war.
Clarke looked back at the people in the village again. Her expression was undefinable. Lexa wasn't sure what Clarke was thinking.
The blonde certainly appeared more at ease with her decision now than previously. Why that was, Lexa wasn't sure, but she did catch Clarke continuously glancing back at TonDC, looking for something or someone.
"Clarke," Lexa said as she stopped and turned back to her. "We have to keep moving. We're not far enough away."
She walked slowly back towards Clarke, who looked to her with the same expression. It almost looked like Clarke was thinking of going in to rescue someone, someone in particular.
"The last time they used a missile was before I was born," Lexa continued trying to impart to Clarke the danger they were in. "According to legend, it left a hold in the woods so wide you could not see across. Let's go."
Lexa turned to walk away. For a moment, Clarke followed behind her, but then she suddenly stopped.
"No," Clarke whispered.
Lexa turned in frustration, looking towards the village. After casting her eyes around for a moment, Lexa noticed the person who drew Clarke's attention. It was Abby Griffin, her mother.
"What's she doing here?" Clarke asked.
"Clarke you can't go back," Lexa insisted.
Clarke dashed off anyway, completely ignoring Lexa's warnings.
"Clarke!" Lexa called softly after the blonde.
This was ridiculous. Clarke had seemed assured of her plan. Now, because her mother was in the village, she was willing to go back.
Lexa huffed loudly, wondering what she should do now.
(Trikru territory, TonDC. Abby Griffin.)
She couldn't believe Clarke's words earlier in the day. 'She's needed here.' Who did Clarke think she was to order Abby around? First, Abby was her mother, and second, Abby was the Chancellor. Clarke was just a kid, a smart and stubborn kid at that.
Abby had followed directly after Clarke, unwilling to let her go alone. Now, she was surrounded by hundreds of voices she couldn't understand.
She had to find her daughter. That was the most important task in her life right now. Clarke needed help.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and snatched her from the path. Abby was shoved up against a building. She was about to give her attacker a piece of her mind when she realized it was Clarke who shoved her.
"Mom what are you doing here?" She asked. "I told you to stay back at camp."
"Enough," Abby interrupted Clarke before she could say anything else. "I'm the Chancellor. I don't need your permission-"
"No we have to leave," Clarke stepped closer to Abby, her eyes wide. "Now."
"What is going on?" Abby asked.
"We can't be here," Clarke answered vaguely. "Mom I'm begging you, please."
Abby stared at her daughter, unsure of what to say.
"Come on," Clarke urged her.
She tugged Abby by the wrist, dragging her along.
"Clarke what are you doing?" Abby asked.
Clarke didn't answer. She only pulled Abby further.
In only minutes, they were outside the village, and Abby had had enough.
"Wait," Abby said, jerking her wrist back.
"No," Clarke turned back to Abby speaking in a rush. "We can't stop. There's no time."
"I am not taking a step further until you tell me what is happening," Abby replied stubbornly.
To her shock, a red-orange flame appeared in the sky over their heads. It whizzed past as smoke filled the air behind it. Abby knew what that was. It was a missile.
It flew straight towards TonDC, where they had just come from. Then, in a ball of orange gas, the village exploded.
A shockwave emanated from the impact, blasting Abby off her feet.
She hit the ground hard as her ears began to ring. Everything was foggy, both because of her collision with the ground and the smoke in the air.
There were vague screams in the distance coming from TonDC. People were hurt and needed her help.
"Mom?" A voice spoke from behind her. "Mom are you okay?"
Abby rolled over to see TonDC. There wasn't much to see at the bottom of the hill, but she could imagine the carnage at the top. So much death.
"Come on," Clarke whispered. "We can't be here. We have to go."
Abby turned her head back to Clarke seeing her urgent expression. Then, it all clicked into place. Clarke had first said that Abby wasn't needed in TonDC, sending Kane instead, then she had left herself, and finally she had ordered Abby to leave the village, dragging her all the way. Clarke had known about the missile all along.
"You knew," Abby realized. "You knew and you let this happen?"
Clarke returned Abby's furious gaze with one of helplessness.
"We had no choice," Clarke said.
Abby gritted her teeth and looked to the flaming hill above them.
"So many people," She whispered to herself. "Our people."
"We had to protect Bellamy," Clarke argued. "Without him-"
"No," Abby said. "No stop it. I don't want to hear it."
Protect Bellamy? That was why she did this?
Abby came to her feet, unable to meet Clarke's eyes.
"Mom," Clarke pleaded.
"Tell me this was Lexa," Abby said. "Please Clarke."
Clarke remained silent.
"Please tell me this wasn't you," Abby said again.
"I wish I could," Clarke returned softly.
Abby didn't know what to say. She'd felt Clarke's growing desire for power and had been warned about it by Kane, Maynard, and others. But, she had refused to see that they were right and she was wrong. Now, this was what Clarke did with her newfound power?
"You can't tell anyone about this," Clarke said. "If anyone finds out that we knew, the alliance of the twelve clans will break. We'll lose the war."
Abby met Clarke's eyes with a dead-eyed stare. She couldn't believe that her own daughter had done this. She wanted to scream at Clarke, slap her, berate her for an eternity, but she couldn't. There wasn't time for that now. There were lives in danger at the top of that hill.
"You crossed a line," Abby said.
"Mom-" Clarke begged.
"Their blood is on your hands," Abby said again. "And even if we win, I'm afraid you won't be able to wash it off this time."
"This is Maynard Mom," Clarke said. "Not me. He let Emerson go. He provoked them."
"Don't try to avoid this," Abby replied. "This is on you, no one else."
She remained silent for a moment, still trying to come to terms with Clarke's decision and her refusal to accept responsibility for it.
"Don't worry," Abby said. "Your secret's safe with me."
"Mom wait," Clarke said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Abby didn't listen. She didn't have time for Clarke. There were lives at stake, lives her daughter had taken.
(Trikru territory, TonDC. Raven Reyes.)
They saw the cloud over TonDC a little over thirty minutes ago. Now, the group of three was nearly there.
Maynard was somewhere between enraged and defeated. He blamed himself for this, as he had provoked Mount Weather into taking action. Raven knew better though. This was on Clarke and Lexa. They had decided to let the people in this village suffer because they would claim they didn't have another choice. It disgusted Raven.
Roan seemed calmer, but still obviously seething in silence.
A snap came from the edge of the trees. Raven swung her gun in the direction of the noise, ready to fire at the threat.
What emerged though, was no threat. It was Octavia with Lincoln just behind.
"Oh thank god," Raven said, embracing Octavia strongly.
"What happened?" Octavia asked as they broke apart. "All we saw was the explosion."
"Mount Weather launched a missile at TonDC," Maynard explained.
"What?" Octavia asked. "How do you know?"
"Apparently Bellamy overheard the Mountain Men talking about it," Raven said. "Clarke left hours ago."
"That's why she showed up?" Octavia asked. "Not because she wanted to be a part of the meeting. She wanted to save Lexa."
Octavia looked pissed now. She took off towards the smoke in the distance. The others followed her, keeping her pace.
When they reached the walls of the village, all Raven saw was rubble. Everything was reduced to crumbled bits. You couldn't call this a village anymore. It was a ruin.
People screamed and fires burned as Raven clambered up to the top of what used to be the wall but was now a pile of scrap. It was a horrifying sight.
Bodies were strewn across the streets, most bleeding profusely. Those who weren't wept as they worked desperately to save the dying.
Raven was angry. She couldn't help but blame Clarke for this. She had known and had done nothing. Raven didn't know exactly what had happened once Clarke came to TonDC, but she felt certain that the blonde hadn't tried to save the villagers that now lay across the street like dead fish.
"Damn ya Clarke," Maynard muttered.
That's all for this one. Tensions rise in the battle with Mount Weather. At least Maynard and Raven had a good moment to start this chapter though.
Let me know what ya'll think.
Thanks for reading.