Chapter 19
As soon as the rains started, Clarke ordered everyone into the drop ship. She took Raven, Monroe, Roma, and Octavia to the top with her. Miller was on guard on the second level with Murphy and Wells. Charlotte was also sent up after the thunder started roaring. Clarke was glad that they had packed so quickly. She knew that they would survive this. The camp might not, but she knew that they could rebuild.
"We still doing this?" Clarke asked Raven.
"I don't see why not?"
Clarke knew that they were all going to freak out when she started the blood transfer. No one else had seen Clarke's black blood. She knew their immediate response was going to be one of terror and shear morbid fascination. It was the same one that she had when she approached Lexa after Ontari sprayed her black blood on her face before Lexa's duel with Roan. She wouldn't blame them for it either. But, part of her actually wondered if they would ask for the same treatment. She wanted to give it to them, but she knew that she couldn't donate that much that fast.
"Hey," Raven said as she sat down beside her. "Small crew."
"Yeah, well, we could only pick the people that we knew would stand with us and wouldn't start spreading rumors. Plus, I needed to leave certain people below to make sure that the rest of them did as we asked. Octavia doesn't realize how crazy things were going to be since most of the delinquents were still alive at this point," Clarke stated. Clarke almost felt bad for her, almost. She knew that Octavia had it hard enough in the bunker, but this wasn't the bunker. "This was the drop ship with ninety-eight teenagers with no real supervision during a natural disaster. Thankfully, Lincoln will be with her," Clarke stated.
"What are you going to tell all them?" Raven asked her.
"I don't know."
"You gonna tell them the truth?"
"I doubt it. They are still blissfully unaware of things, but I know that they support me and Octavia and what we're doing. They want to survive and they are willing to work together to do that. I don't want to start putting people against each other just because we have a different color blood. Plus, I don't want anyone to know about it just in case they get captured by the mountain. The less people that know the better."
"Then, how in the Hell are you going to explain this to them?" Raven questioned.
"I actually have no idea," Clarke replied, realizing that there was no good conclusion to this.
"I have an idea," Octavia said.
"What?"
"We send them all down," Octavia stated.
"Won't it be crowded?" Raven inquired.
"It will be, but we'll tell them that you are working on the radio. Yeah, we've made contact, but you're working on setting up a rotation with the Ark for everyone to talk to someone if they want. That should buy you like an hour or two, right? That should be long enough for you to handle this, right?" Octavia asked Clarke.
"Yeah," Clarke answered.
"Well, I'll go deal with the kids. You two get started. We don't have all day and all that," Octavia told them as she started down the ladder and closed the hatch.
They could hear a few grumbles from below, but Clarke knew that they couldn't wait. They would have only so long before Bellamy or Octavia came back to check on them. Clarke looked over at Raven and waited for her to say something smart. She didn't. Instead, Raven just watched her.
"Did you make a tablet or something, yet?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Good. I need you to calculate something for me. Do you think that you could do that while set and do the transfusion with you?"
"I don't see why not," Raven stated. "Whatcha need?"
Clarke nodded as she moved the bag around and got next to Raven.
"I'll use your left arm since I know that you are right handed. Plus, that helps me as I am left handed. Get comfortable. We'll be here for around an hour."
Raven just nodded as she let her left arm go limp. She balanced the tablet up against her right leg as she watched Clarke move. She could see the same determination in Clarke's face as she saw in Mama G's. Clarke learned a lot from her mother, but she could also see how different they were. Abby may have wanted her daughter to become a doctor, but Raven couldn't see her following completely in Abby's footsteps. She saw Clarke more as a leader and healer. She would do her time in the clinic, but she would be amongst the people trying to help them have a better life. And, maybe that is where the disconnect was between, Raven mused as Clarke swabbed her arm.
"I get it."
"What?"
"Being angry with your mother," Raven stated.
"I know you do, Raven, but I've gotten passed it. I had no choice. She is the only family I have left. That's why I know it is hard for you with Finn."
"But, you aren't going to stop me from being with him?" Raven questioned.
"It's your choice, Rae. I just want you to be happy. And, I hope that we become close again."
"Why is that?"
"Because I miss my older sister, Rae. I miss her and her wit. I need you with me, Rae. I know that every time and every time since the first, Octavia and I fight for you. I'll fight for you."
"Damn, if you wanted me, all you had to say was please," Raven quipped.
"Raven, I love you, but we would kill each other if we ever tried that," Clarke stated. "Sit back and get ready to use your brain. Does that hurt?"
"No, it's fine," Raven said as she looked down at her arm.
"Good, now for me."
Clarke made sure the tube was clamped as she moved closer to Raven. She was glad that they were sitting the way they were because it allowed her to to still use her dominate arm. She'd given herself meds before in the medbay on the Ark, but this was a little different. She had to hit the vein just right. She grabbed the needle and stuck it in. As soon as she saw the flash, she hooked up the rest of the tubing and reached for the clamp. They both watched as her black blood moved from the tube towards Raven.
"Lay down," Clarke instructed and helped her down. "We need to let gravity help us. Can you still work like this?"
"Yeah, I'm good," Raven said as reclined as low as she could and still keeping her head up.
She positioned the tablet against her chest so she could still see the screen. Clarke watched her as she typed away on it. She knew that she was still do the calculations to bring the Ark down, but she needed for Raven to work on something that was now a little closer to "home."
"Okay, so I got all that running so I talk to to Sinclair about it later, what did you need?"
"Mount Weather has an acid fog."
"Yeah, I know."
"I need to know what the effective range of it is."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the animals know when to flee. The Grounders have learned to take cover and have developed areas to hide in and when they get caught in it. I wnat to know what the maximum effective range of it is."
"I would need to know what the acid is made out of. Do you know anything more? Did you ever see the symbols on the tank or whatever?"
"No, just that it has a yellowish-tan color and it flows down the mountain quickly. I don't know how the animals know to not be there, but they do. It doesn't effect the trees or any of the flora in the area. It seems to single out man the most. The body literally burns and melts. Almost like radiation, but so much worse. I don't know how else to explain it," Clarke answered.
"Is there anything else that you can tell me?"
"When it kill Atom the first time, it took all the color from his eyes. His throat was raw and very hoarse. I don't know if that was screaming for help or from the acid. It moves like fog or a mist and it rolls across the ground quickly."
"Yellowish color?" Raven asked to clarify.
"Yeah," Clarke said as she undid the clamp and let the blood really begin to flow between them.
"I guess I'll just have to guess and work through a bunch of different things. Why do we need to know what it is? Are you going to try to stop it?"
"We need to stop it in order to get close enough. I know that there are other ways to get in, but they all cause too many deaths. I want to figure out a way in that doesn't cause so much death and heartache. I need to get in without causing so much genocide. We've tried blowing the dam. Sure it stops their electricity, but depending on how we go about it, we flood the valley below wiping out many villagers. I don't want to hurt any of the grounders."
"But, you don't care about those in the Mountain?" Raven asked her.
"No, not all of them, I don't."
"Want to elaborate?" Raven pushed.
"You don't remember, so you wouldn't understand," Clarke replied.
"Explain it to me, then. Make me understand. You said something about bombs and genocide. Tell me more," Raven said.
"You built bombs to blow the dam. Only we were working with old maps and schematics from the Ark. They weren't really complete. We thought there were only four turbines, but there were five. You took a team with Wick, a few Arkers and a few Grounders. In the end, you were captured. They drilled into your leg, even with your injury. We still managed to get in, but Lexa had to betray us for us to win. Had we known about the fifth turbine, I'm sure we would have planned for it better. But, they seemed to know that we were there and ready. They used you against me and the rest of us. By doing that, I had to kill them all. It was either them or us, and I wasn't about to lose anymore of us," Clarke said.
"That must have been a hard call," Raven stated.
"One of the hardest," Clarke replied. "But, I'd do it over and over again. In fact, I have. I kill most of Mount Weather every time."
"Why?" Raven asked.
There was a knock on the hatch. Clarke stopped talking. She looked at the hatch and then to Raven.
"Has it been long enough?" Raven asked her.
"No," Clarke stated.
"Okay, then. I got this. Cover your ears," it was the only warning that Clarke got. "THIS BETTER BE GOOD. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
A muffled cry came back, "I need to talk to Clarke!"
"WELL, SHE'S A LITTLE BUSY."
"SOMEONE IS SICK."
"Ask them how?" Clarke urged as she
"SHE'S DEALING WITH HER MOM. GIVE ME THE SYMPTOMS AND I'LL ASK HER. YOU GOT A NAME?" Raven called back.
"Raven, it's Bell. Come on and open up. I need to talk to Clarke."
"WELL, BELLBOY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT. SHE'S BUSY LIKE I SAID. TELL HOW THE PERSON IS SICK, AND I'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER."
"What if someone is really sick?" Clarke asked.
"Are we done?"
"No," Clarke answered.
"Then, they aren't that sick. If they were, he would be pounded harder. From what you and O both told, he doesn't like not knowing what's going on. We're up here with the radio and he isn't. I know you promised to help him, but he doesn't know that you've secured that yet. All he knows is that if he's found out and he's not protected, he's dead. You and O have already threatened to kill him, too. From where he's sitting, he doesn't who to trust," Raven told her.
"It should be us. I could have and probably should have killed him twice over by now, but I haven't. And, honestly, I don't want to kill him, either."
"Why not?"
"He helps to temper O sometimes."
"Temper her?" Raven inquired.
"She tends to get a little heavy handed sometimes," Clarke replied.
"In a good or bad way?" Raven asked as quirked an eyebrow.
"I guess that depends on which side of it you're on," Clarke answered with a strange scoff. "She's awesome on a battlefield, though, Rae. It's like she's dancing a deadly ballet as she cuts through them. She's deadly, but she's awesome. And, you..."
"Okay, Clarke," Raven said as she looked at her arm. Her veins were starting to become darker. "I think that's enough for now."
"Oh, yeah, yeah," Clarke said as she reached over and clamped the tubing to stop the blood flow.
"So, you keep him alive for her?"
"I do."
"Is that the only reason?"
"No."
"What's the other reason?"
"You," Clarke answered.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
"Why me?"
"You become friends, sisters really, with a Grounder woman named Echo."
"And?" Raven pushed.
"She and Bellamy are together."
"Is that all?"
"Well, you did sleep with him. You tell me?"
"I slept with him? Seriously? When?"
"Well, by now, actually. When you found out about me and Finn, you turned to him to try to get Finn out of your system. In the end, you decided to be friends with Bellamy instead. Honestly, I was glad. I didn't know what I would have done if you had sided with him. I think it was weird that I was the one that you came to about that, but given who was in camp and you didn't know a lot of us, it makes sense now."
"And, that's how we became friends?" Raven asked.
"Sorta."
"This was before Finn died?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm? Sounds like I wanted a friend and I knew a good thing when I saw it. What happened after that?" Raven asked her as she watched Clarke remove the catheter from her arm first.
"Finn got caught. You gave me a knife to kill Lexa to save him. You had to have known that it wouldn't have saved him. If I killed their leader, I would have been killed on the spot. He would have died, still, and all the Grounders would have run over what was left of the Ark. It would have been the end of all of us. Those in Mount Weather would have been killed for their blood. Mount Weather would have been able to walk on the ground again. The Grounders would have gone to war with them and many people would have died. Killing Finn for killing eighteen...save thousands of lives," Clarke told her.
She couldn't look up at Raven at this point. She just couldn't. She continued to clean up everything and hide what they were doing. She couldn't face Raven. She couldn't see the hurt in her eyes again. She couldn't look at her hands, even then, with Raven so close, and not see his blood while hearing her scream echoing in her ears. She wanted to crawl over into the corner and weep, but she didn't have time. Like every time before, they had to get into Mount Weather and bring it down from the inside. She had to push her own problems to the side and deal with saving the rest first.
"Hey," Raven said as she moved to Clarke's side. "Hey, stop it. Stop, Clarke. I can't imagine the crap that you and O are carrying. But, this time around you didn't sleep with him. I haven't slept with Bellamy. And, you've saved some many already, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Then, will figure this out. Okay, you got my brain, O's brawn, and your beauty. There isn't a damn thing on this planet that we can't make our bitch."
"I love you," Clarke replied as she pulled her into a big hug.
There was another pounding at the door. They could hear voices below. They weren't quiet, but they also weren't loud enough for them to make out what was being said. The voices went a way after a rather loud and large thud. Then, the pounding came back at the hatch. Raven went to answer it, but Clarke shook her head. She reached into her bag and pulled out the gun that Bellamy had. She pointed it at the hatch.
"Okay, now, open it," Clarke told her.
Raven nodded and opened the hatch for O to pop up through it. She looked a little miffed but good. Raven watched as she surveyed the scene in front her, as she slowly came up from the ladder and then dropped the hatch shut herself.
"Sorry. Had to knock Bell out. Charlotte was scared by the storm. She's with Lincoln now. He's keeping her calm. What's up? You good?" Octavia asked as she eyed the gun in Clarke's hand.
"We weren't sure who was coming through," Clarke offered.
"Fair enough. Though if Bell doesn't calm down, you aren't going to have to shoot him. I'll stab him first."
"Wow, he really screwed up in all those past lives, didn't he?" Raven questioned.
"Yes," they both said as Octavia got situated.
"You good, though? The transfusion done? No problems?" O asked them.
"Yeah, we're good. Just finished. We're both going to need fresh meat soon. We need the protein to work our blood."
"Okay, I'll get Lincoln on that as soon as we can get back outside," O said. "Is there anything else I need to know?"
"I think I know how to get into Mount Weather, but you're not going to like it."
"Yeah? How?" Octavia said as she helped Clarke bandage herself.
"Remember the Grounders Hemorrhagic Fever?"
"To thin out the herd," Octavia whispered.
"Yeah, you're an a-symptomatic carrier," Clarke added.
"And, you were knee deep in it and took you two days and Raven over three or four to get sick," Octavia replied.
"Just enough time to get into Mount Weather and create a lot of havoc," Clarke answered.
"Tell me more," Octavia said, as she planted hard between them. "Because Clarkey, ai skaiprisa, it's got to be a really damn good plan for Lexa, Indra, and Anya to let us do it."
"And, that is where you both come in," Clarke told her with a wicked smile on her face.
"Hello, Wanheda, nice of you to join us today. So, tell me, how are going to save our people without them already being inside? And, are we going to save anyone inside?"