AN: Hello all, I hope you all have been doing well. Man time really can get away from you when you are looking. I am deeply sorry for the long wait on an update for this story. Life happened fast and next thing I knew it had been six months since the last update. Well the wait is over!
Now I have to preface this chapter with a few warnings. This chapter went significantly darker than I had originally planned but as I was writing it out it just flowed and while it may be dark it fits exactly how I would imagine meeting Death would go.
This was possibly the hardest chapter for me to write just from a personal standpoint. As you read this chapter I do have to preface it by saying that there is mention of Suicide and the side effects it can cause on people. As someone that has lived through this and seen how it effects people, I just wanted to give a fair warning out of respect.
Also in this chapter there is scene that involve torture for information. I tried to convey what would be involved while not giving to much graphic detail as I know that could be skit some boundaries.
I love all of you and wanted to give a fair warning at the start of this chapter. Now this is the first part of a 3 part thing. I found it would be easier to split this up as it wound up being a very long day so to speak.
I hope you all enjoy and I will do my best to not make you all wait so long for the next couple of parts.
Camp Jaha
Med Bay
Middle of the Night
She knew she was dreaming as soon as she looked around. Her feet were covered in a layer of fog that swirled around her, as she took in the area surrounding her. Off in the distance she saw what looked like mountains but they were flicking in and out of focus. She turned behind her and saw the mountains shift to be where she looked. She raised an eyebrow as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand straight.
She turned around slowly and saw a body being revealed in the fog. She squinted her eyes as she approached and saw the unmistakable blond hair of her daughter. She ran forward and kneeled beside her. She grabbed her shoulder and rolled her into her lap and she was met by a cold blue gaze that pierced through the bruises on her face.
"How could you let this happen to me? This is all your fault mom." She was confused at her words as the scene shifted and she was on the ark.
She looked around and saw Jaha to her left. She looked down from the level they were on as she watched her daughter being torn to shreds by Bellamy. She tried to scream, she tried to move but felt like she was in concrete.
"You caused this Abigail. Isn't this what you wanted so you could control your daughter. That's why you came to me for help." She felt his hand stroke his face as she tried to pull away from him.
"I didn't want this. My poor baby." She felt tears fall as the scene shifted again and she was standing behind an airlock looking at her daughter. She didn't know where they were but her daughter was different.
"I am sorry mom. You have left me no choice. I tried to reason with you, I tried to get you to see what your actions had caused but did you care at all?" She was even more confused as she tried to speak but couldn't. She felt the air being sucked from her lungs as she was flung into space. She landed hard back in the field of fog and looked up into the blank sky.
"Abigail Griffin. Oh how I have waited to meet you." She scrambled to her feet at the chilling voice that pierced through her mind.
She looked at where the voice was coming from and felt fear come over her. In front of her was a figure that had long black hair that faded to white as it came to a stop just above it's ass. She could see silver eyes staring at her through the dark hair and she saw the pale sunken skin of a face behind them as well. Black wings were folded behind the figure's back and a long white robe covered the rest of the figure's body. She tried to back away but felt her feet stuck in place.
"Running will do you no favors." She watched as Jake came from behind the figure. His skin was a dark grey and had no blood coursing through him.
"You took me from my children." A woman with shoulder length black hair came out from behind the figure as well. Aurora she thought.
Slowly more and more figures came out from behind this figure. She recognized most of them as people from the ark but her stomach turned at the state they were in. What has happened to her people that she was being held like this.
"If you hadn't convinced Octavia of the gladiator pits we would be alive." A collective sound came from the people gathered. What were they talking about?
"I am sure you are confused as to what they mean my sweet girl." She felt the figure approach and stroke her face with a cold bony hand.
"Let me show you what your misguidance can cause." She felt herself being sucked forward as she landed on a balcony. She looked to the center of the room and saw blood covered every inch of the walls. She looked across the way and saw Octavia sitting on a throne as she watched a battle wage beneath her. Next to her was Indra standing stoic as ever.
She watched as different people fought to survive. One by one she watched people be killed till only one was left. He was covered in blood from head to toe and fell to his knees in front of Octavia.
"Blodreina, I dedicate this victory to our leader." He bowed in her direction as Octavia stood.
"Take him to the cells. He has not fulfilled his punishment for his crimes." She watched as he was removed with his head hanging low.
"Gather the bodies and take them away." She felt her body move following the guards that carried the bodies away. She wound up in a medical area that had gurneys everywhere. She watched as one by one she inspected the bodies and marked certain parts with lines. Surgery lines? She watched as body after body she repeated this process.
She was moving again but this time towards a door in the medical area. She could feel her guys twist as she pulled the door open and stepped inside. She felt her hands move and start taking notes as she moved through the plastic curtains. All around her was cold and on hooks were pieces of human bodies.
She felt her eyes blow open as things clicked into place. She was harvesting humans for food. What the fuck had happened. She felt her body being sucked back away from the scene as she landed back in the field. She felt the contents of her stomach leave her body as she regurgitated in front of her.
"Who knew the chief medical doctor that was supposed to save lives would be so unfazed that she could become a cannibal." She looked up and saw the face right in front of her.
"You think you are right in your actions don't you Abigail. That you were doing the best for everyone. Well I believe everyone around you will disagree. Does Clarke know what you did on the ark? Maybe I should pay her a visit and show her exactly what you did to secure your position on the ark. I'm sure she would love to see you with your legs in the air on Jahas' desk. On second thought, I think she already knew." She tried to swing at the figure but her fist passed right through it. She heard a chuckle come from the figure.
"I must say you are not the first to use their wiles for power but you intrigue me Abigail. You had a family that loved you but you wanted so much to control everything that you sentenced your own family to death." She watched as Jake came forward.
"How could you betray us Abby? How could you stand by and watch as our daughter almost died because of your cohort? What did we do to make you turn your back on us?" She felt tears form as he spoke.
"No you don't get to show remorse. Clarke is more of a woman than you will ever be and that is directly because of you. That night she was brought to me and she almost died. Bellamy did a number on her and from what Raven told me Jaha was there watching. I knew you won off the fights but I never thought you would agree to what happened to our daughter." She felt a wave of anger wash over her.
"What I did to her. You were the one that caused her to rebel against us. You were the one Jake that did your job too damn well and got too close to our plans. The ark was dying but no one wanted to go back to earth. Jaha knew this already and came to me asking me to deal with you. I thought I had but then you had to go and convince our daughter that exposing the truth was the right thing. If only you had stayed quiet, maybe Clarke would have both parents on the ground." She heard Jake laugh at her.
"So all of this is my fault then. It is my fault that Clarke came to me for help on how to deal with the trauma of learning that you knew about the fights and agreed to what happened." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh yes she knew. Bellamy came by about a month into her recovery and told her everything. He felt terrible about what happened and well at least I thought she forgave him. It seems from what this person has shared that I was wrong. She turned on you the moment she found out what you were doing. You didn't see her because she was always in the vents spying on the council. She had healed in the first month and spent the next two gathering information for us to use against all of you."She tried to speak but found her voice was gone.
"You dealt with your problem before it could become something bigger than you wanted. You went to Jaha and gathered my notes about the failing of the ark and made a fake video of me blowing the whistle. You framed me and locked your daughter up for it. I realize now that my life was forfeit as soon as I found the problem and came to you with it. I just didn't know how far your corruption ran." She watched as Jake turned his back on her and disappeared.
"He speaks the truth Abigail. Clarke knew about 90% of what he said. I know this because we share a body." She felt herself being lifted from her knees to a standing position.
"After that night where she almost died I was pulled to her. She is a warrior and survived death. It was not the first time she had survived death though. I think the count is now at 11. This is the 11th time at least that she has lived through this life. I have been with her for every single one of them. I have watched your daughter lose family and loved ones over and over. I have watched your daughter fight to the brink of death to save her people, the same people that you allowed to be consumed and led by a hateful man." She felt a fire spread through her as the figure in front of her spread its wings.
"I have seen countless times how your ineptness and unwillingness to accept change has caused her people to turn on her. I have seen Clarke lose everyone to the point she slaughtered numerous people because they killed her daughter. I have seen the blood on your hands Abigail and it is flowing." She felt herself being held in place as she tried to fight.
"You think you know what war is like. You think that because Clarke is young that she can't lead? Let me show you what war is like Abigail. Let me show you exactly what your daughter is capable of." She felt her body being engulfed by flames as she was transported through space and time.
She landed on a battlefield where bodies were scattered everywhere. Everywhere she looked, lay bodies as people moved through them trying to get somewhere. She heard a horn sound in the distance and she watched as people charged in a direction. She felt her body being dragged along as she moved in front of the charging army. She came face to face with her daughter. But she was different. Her hair was matted and streaked with blood. Her face was covered in scars. She had an eye patch covering her left eye and the other was closed. She watched as Clarke sat in the middle of the field she was in. Blood started to come from the bodies surrounding her and move towards Clarke.
She watched as the blood made its way to Clarke and surrounded her. It was infusing with her weapons and body. She watched as her wounds healed and disappeared. She saw Clarke open her eye and she saw silver. Gone were her normal blue eyes. She saw the smile on her daughter's face as the rumbling got closer.
"Nice of you to join us, mother. Thank you Wanheda for bringing her. Now she can know exactly who she turned me into after Lexa was killed. We had peace till you tried to rescue me and indirectly killed my wife. I was happy in Polis. I had survived assassination attempts from all sides and was not expecting my own mother to be the one to kill my wife. Imagine the shock when I got back to my home and found my own mother standing over my dead wife." Clarke stood as the rumbling got closer.
"After your death at my hands I was blamed for Lexa's death. The people didn't know what happened. I had to flee. I had to leave my life behind because of you. I had to kill to survive. I become persona non grata to everyone. I was never liked by the Kongeda because I was Wanheda. I had the following, yes but it wasn't enough to save me." She heard the rumbling stop as the surrounding army stilled.
"Now you can bear witness to what happens when someone wrongs the commander of death and the true commander of the clans." She watched as a red and white glow formed around her daughter.
The blood from the bodies came again as they formed dark red wings behind her daughter. She watched as they attached to her and spread more blood over her limbs. A white robe appeared next and formed around her body. Her hair went from blondish red to black with white highlights. She watched as her daughter became death incarnate and literally flew head first into the awaiting army.
Around her the ground began to shake as the battle raged on. Every time her daughter killed someone she saw their soul leave their body and fly into Clarke giving her more power. What was going on? For what seemed like an eternity she watched her daughter slaughter everyone in sight till there was no one left. She felt herself flying through the air towards her daughter. Gone were the wings of blood and the white robe.
"My job is finished. I can finally be at peace with my wife. I hope you are proud of what you turned me into. I hope the next time we meet you don't make the same mistakes." With those words she watched as Clarke pulled out a dagger and brought it to her throat.
"Wanheda, I ask that you allow me to pass on to my next life as you see fit. I don't want to remember anything from this life. Under no circumstances should I be made aware of this life." She watched as the figure she had been dealing with came forward and laid a hand on her daughters.
"Your wish is my command. Let me help you, my child. I am sorry your life came to this end. This was not supposed to happen." She watched as Clarke nodded and together her daughter and this spirit sliced across her jugular. She fell to her knees watching her own daughter take her life. She felt her insides being torn to shreds as she watched her only child fall to the side and bleed out.
"This all could have been avoided Abigail if you had just listened to your daughter. Skaikru never listened to her and caused her to become my truest form." She felt the spirit as it came beside her.
"Look around you Abigail. This is what war is like. Your daughter was left with no choice and had no allies to call on. One small choice can cause a ripple effect to take hold." She was pulled back again and landed back in the original field.
"You are walking a dangerous path Abigail. I leave you with a warning. Doing what you plan will not end like you are hoping." The spirit disappeared and she saw everyone else appear. She tried to move as they approached with weapons. She tried to scream as each blade tore through her flesh. Slice after slice took her body as she passed out.
She awoke in a sweat and panted as she sat up trying to get her bearings. What the actually fuck was that? She threw the covers of her and grabbed the brace she had been given. She put it on and made her way to the bathroom that was attached to her room in Med Bay. She turned on the water in the sink and splashed it on her face a couple times. She looked in the mirror and jumped as she saw the dead face of Jake laughing at her and the water coming from the sink had turned into blood. She shook her head and closed her eyes as she heard the laughter coming for her. She held her head as she slid down the wall trying to get it to stop.
"You can't outrun your past Abigail. Sooner or later it catches up to you." She heard the voice of the spirit say to her.
She stood from where she was and bolted out the door. As she exited she saw that she was no longer in her room but inside a bunker. All around her were corpses. She turned to go back through the door but it was gone. She heard laughter as the corpses began to rise and move toward her.
"You killed all of us, Chancellor." She turned and saw her own daughter's face on one of the bodies.
"Why didn't you trust me mom? I thought you trusted me." She felt tears come down her face.
"I am sorry Clarke but you are only a child how can I trust you." At her words more laughter sounded as flames erupted around her and she was pulled further into this nightmare she couldn't escape.
"You never learn do you?" Is all she heard as she awoke for the second time with a scream.
Jackson POV
He was awoken by his monitors blaring to life. He looked at them and saw they were Abigail's. Her pulse was skyrocketing along with her blood pressure. He rushed out of his office and made it to her room as fast as possible grabbing the supplies he would need. He came into her room and saw Abby rocking back and forth on her bed crying and talking to herself.
"It wasn't my fault." He heard her say through sobs.
"I did what was right."
"I am sorry, Jake. I have failed you."
"I am so sorry Clarke." He was not prepared for what came next.
As fast as he could think it was possible he had to rush Abby and wrestle a scalpel from her hand as she was trying to slice her own throat. He used all his weight to lay on her and pry the scalpel from her hand. He turned and grabbed the restraints that were still attached to her bed and latched it over her wrist. He repeated the process while fighting with Abby as she wept and kept apologizing to Clarke. He secured the last restraint on her ankle and radio to Kane. He sat in the chair beside her as he caught his breath as Abby passed back out. What the hell had just happened. In all his years he had never seen Abby act like this or give any indication of taking her own life.
He heard the door open to the room. He looked up and saw Kane enter the room exhausted and looking like he hadn't slept. He stood and walked over to him as they sat on the small couch in the room.
"What happened, Jackson?" He sighed as he explained what he had been alerted to and saw.
"It was like whatever she saw in her dreams shook her to her core. I know she has some skeletons in her closet that come with being Chief medical officer but I never thought they could be bad enough to drive her to try and take her own life." Kane thought for a moment as he looked over at Abby.
"I know that everyone one of us that was on the council did some shady shit. But none of us knew what the shady shit was that one person was doing. There were rumors of course but no one wanted to believe them. She has a tortured past and probably blames herself for the death of Jake. There is no telling what she saw that could have done this." He took a breath as he looked back at Jackson.
"I have seen some shit down here that I never thought was possible. I never thought I would be witness to an actual spirit habiting someone but I have. I hope that this was just a really bad nightmare and she will be okay." Jackson nodded at him.
"I am going to stay close to her for a few hours. She was so out of it that she fought me and didn't register that I was here." He felt the gashes on his arms. He saw Kane get up and grab some bandages for him. He thanked him and cleaned his wounds.
"This does cause a set back. I can't release her to her own doing after this. I will need to talk to her once she wakes again and find out what she remembers. For all I know this could be a side effect of nightmares. Whatever she saw was bad enough that she kept saying she failed Jake and Clarke. She kept saying that she thought she was doing the right thing as well." He looked at Kane and saw he was deep in thought.
"As her doctor, I must know if you know something that could be attributed to this state she is in." He saw the sag in his shoulders.
"I expect you to keep this to yourself Jackson. Once you are told you will understand why certain things have happened." He nodded at the man.
"Then as acting second in command to Wanheda, Skaiheda Clarke kom Skaikru, I will tell you what I know. Follow me." Kane led him to his office. Whatever this was he knew he would need a drink. He grabbed the bottle of hooch he had been given and poured a glass for each of them.
"Abigail is no longer chancellor. Skaikru is led by Wanheda and with what I have found Abby is in deep shit. I have found documents and plans that Abby has made to try and "rescue" Clarke from the commander. Abigail is of the mind that she is being held captive by the Commander." he took a drink as Kane continued.
"She has tried to control Clarke even when we were still on the ark. A lot happened up there that caused a rift between the two. I don't know all of it but from what I know it wasn't good. She isn't mentally stable and is blinded by her hatred of the commander. She has lost control of her daughter and it is causing her to be rash." His mind was swimming with this information.
"We are going back to Mount Weather today and I need to take Abby with us." He raised his eyebrows at the man and started to protest.
"Jackson I know with what has just occurred it wouldn't be the best idea but look at it this way. It is either you or her that goes. With the state she is in and her plans she needs to be watched. I can't leave her by herself anymore. I am hoping that taking her to the mountain will change how she views a lot of things." He pondered his thoughts trying to find another solution.
"The reason she is needed is because Heda is allowing us to take the medical equipment from the mountain. She sent a messenger a few hours ago and wants us to be there 2 hours past midday. I need her because of her knowledge. I am also hoping that she will be able to put her grievances aside when she sees what the commander is doing for us." He took a breath as he waited for the bomb to drop that he felt coming.
"If shit does go sideways, you may have to step up and become the next Chief Medical officer. I know it is sudden and may seem rash but Jackson we may have no choice. If Abby forces Clarke's hand it won't be good. She is on thin ice and running out of options." He took a drink and set it down on his desk.
"The Commander knows all about what she is doing, correct?" Kane nodded.
"All except for what I have recently found. My plan is to take the plans Abby made and give them to Clarke while we are at the mountain. I'll have Wick find the copies I made and get rid of them while Monty searches to see if he can find where she is stashing the gas or devices. I have to get ahead of this before the commander comes here." He downed the rest of his drink and poured another for the both of them.
"We will most likely have visitors coming from the other clans soon and we need to have everything secure and have no loose ends. I have seen the benefits of working with the other clans. For the first time we are not in control and we have to play our part. We have knowledge of different things we can offer. The main thing being our medical knowledge." He could see where Kane was going with this. Abby needed to get her shit sorted or move aside.
"Thank you for telling me Marcus. When she wakes I will do a thorough check on her and will release her into your care before you leave." Kane nodded at him as they stood.
"I know this is a lot Jackson but it has come time for people to realize that Clarke knows what she is doing and those that don't see that can go float themselves as the kids would say." He laughed for the first time in a long time.
Kane POV
He exited Jackson's office and made his way back to his. It was still dark outside and he was still trying to finalize the list of people that would be going with him to the mountain. He felt the exhaustion starting to hit him as he stepped inside Raven's shop and headed straight for the coffee machine that was constantly running for the both of them. He looked over to Raven's desk and saw the mechanic tinkering with something. He filled his mug and one for her and made his way over to her. He tapped her shoulder with the mug and sat it in front of her and greeted her with a faint smile. She returned it and took a long swig of the drink.
"What was all that about?" She asked him.
"Nightmares. Abigail is not well and almost took her own life tonight. From what Jackson told me her heart rate spiked and set off all his alarms. It took everything he had to restrain her and pry the scalpel away from her grasp." He sighed as he leaned against the table.
"He is now aware of the current situation and was reluctant to go along with my wishes but he will release Abby to my care in the morning after he runs an evaluation on her." He took a swig and set his mug down and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes to no avail. He was going on 36 hours with no sleep but where was the time to sleep when so much was happening.
"Kane, if we take Abigail in the state she is in wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?" He smiled at her.
"Normally Raven you would be correct, but our options are limited in the people that would be able to accurately access what equipment we need to help not just our people but the other clans. It was either Abby or Jackson, and to be honest I would rather Abigail be with us and in the event that she tries something we can turn her plans on her." He sighed before he continued and looked at the coffee machine feeling like it wasn't enough. He heard some rustling coming from beside him and felt a glass bottle being tapped on his arm.
"Something a little stronger perhaps." He chuckled at her and unscrewed the lid on the glass container and took a long swig. He felt it burn all the way down and woke him up for a little burst of energy just from the burn.
"Thanks." He said as he handed it back to her.
"I plan to bring the plans with us and present them to the Commander and Wanheda while Abby is distracted with the medical equipment. I will need you and Miller Senior to keep an eye on her. While this is going on I will be having Wick get rid of the copies I made and have Monty turn this place upside down looking for where she hid the machines. If I know Abby like I do, she has already made a few and was waiting for the perfect opportunity." he saw Raven nod at him as she took a long swig from the glass bottle.
"So in the event this goes sideways, I am guessing you have already told Jackson that he would be her replacement." he nodded at her.
"You know, this feels like a new council. I know Clarke said there would be no more council but you have to admit that there is one. I mean Clarke is the leader, You are just below her, then you have Chief Of Engineering which fell to me, you have Chief of Medical which right now is Jackson, then you have Head of Security which was Bellamy but since he is not here it's the Millers, I could go on and on but Kane tell me I'm not crazy. How are we to change how things are run if we just did the exact same fucking thing as before." He stared at her and realized she was right. They had fallen back into what they had known. He would need to talk with Clarke about this.
"You are not crazy Raven, I will bring this up with Clarke. She probably didn't realize that is exactly what happened. I know she was trying to not put all the weight on my shoulders but that may be what needs done. We have to give our people a voice and with that may come more difficulties than I think Clarke foresaw." She heard Raven chuckle.
"Well maybe if she wasn't making love eyes with the Commander she would have noticed." He spit out his drink at her words and heard Raven dying of laughter.
"That could pose a problem later, but if what we saw is any indication Clarke is getting the clans on her side. I have never seen something like that before."
"Yeah about that." He heard Raven take her feet off the desk and move to stand in front of him.
"There is something you should know about Clarke or Wanheda I should say." She leaned against the table in the middle of the room and took a breath.
"How much did you know about the fights on the ark?" Kane raised an eyebrow at her change in topics.
"I knew that there were rumors of them and I knew that certain council members would randomly get extra rations or other things out of the blue. It was actually something I was looking into before they just stopped randomly." he said as she nodded.
"They stopped because Clarke almost died." He felt the air being pulled from his lungs.
"Bellamy was the cause of it because Jaha used Octavia against him. Jaha had told him to beat Clarke in the next fight or his sister would die. Jaha and Abigail knew about Octavia long before she was caught. They knew that they had leverage over Bellamy and Aurora. They used it at every turn. I only know about this because Bellamy came clean about everything after that fight." He saw her take a breath as she started to pace.
"It was about a month after the fight that this went down. Everyday I would go by Jake's shop and check on Clarke. She was hiding there and healing. The only thing was that she was healed after the first two weeks. I have never seen someone heal as fast as she did with the injuries she had. It should have been impossible but now we know how it happened. She was on the brink of death Kane and I guess that is when this spirit took hold." He pondered this as she continued.
"Bellamy came by to check on her and she had to be pulled off of him. She was a different person, Kane. She was speaking a different language that we didn't know at the time was the grounder language. She would flip between their language and normal English at a moment's notice. When she saw Bellamy she changed. Her hair became black and white, her eyes became silver and she looked him dead in the face and said that he had been marked and this was his first warning. After she thoroughly scared all of us shitless we all saw her revert to Clarke and ask him what he wanted like nothing had happened." He saw her stop and start to shiver as she went down memory lane. He took off her jacket and draped it over her shoulders and guided her to a chair.
"Fearing for his life, Bellamy came clean. He told her about what Jaha and her mother were up to, he told her that her mother was betting on the fights and winning big off her, and that Abigail was the reason for Jaha coming to him that night. Abby wanted to teach her a lesson on the ideal that if she almost died she would stop what she was doing and come under her thumb." He saw her shiver again and stare off into a dark corner of the shop.
"The more he spoke the more we could feel that change in the air. Clarke would go still with whatever she was doing and she would start to glow white. Jake was the only one that would be able to get her to calm down in those moments. Once she was calm she told him to continue. As he continued, I would watch her turn metal into weapons like she had done it a million times over. She looked like she had been around that line of work for centuries. She made dozens of daggers and small weapons that could be easily hidden. It was like she was gearing for war." He saw more shivers take over her body and he got up and got her a hot cup of coffee hoping that would help. He heard a small thanks come from the mechanic.
"Once he had finished, She thanked Bellamy for the information and told him to remember Wanheda's warning. That was the first time I had heard that name and it sent chills through my whole body. I have never seen someone exit a room as fast as that. From that moment till we landed on the ground she trained and crawled in the vents spying on every single council member. She has dirt on everyone, Kane, including you." He nodded at her words knowing that whatever she had found Clarke was keeping close to the chest.
"When the whole thing went down with Jake she had enough information to bring the whole counsel down but Jake told her to wait. To use it for her gain at a later point in her life. He gave himself up willingly and Clarke took out 15 guards trying to save her father. It took the whole force to subdue her." He nodded remembering that day. He had personally carried her to her cell.
"I remember that day Raven, we had no choice but to lock her up. I still remember the look on her mothers face as this was going down. It was a cross between fear and satisfaction. She had thought that she had won. As much as it pains me to say this, she was the most corrupt one besides Jaha. She used her power as Chief Medical Officer to her gain. There were multiple reports of extortion and malpractice against her but there was no one that dared to bring it up. I know this because as Head of Security it was my job to dig up the dirt on everyone but whatever means necessary no matter how much it sucked." He grabbed the glass bottle and downed what was left.
"When we raided Jake's office after his death we found all his notes on the ark and Clarke's hidden stash. I quickly took them before Shumway found them. He was on Jaha's payroll and I know if he had found them Clarke would be floated instantly." Raven nodded at him.
"I will give her this, she is damn good at gathering intel. She knew about stuff even I didn't know about. She knew everyone's dirt like you said but she also knew who was fucking who per say." He took a breath before he walked over to his office to grab some documents. He reached into his desk and pulled out paper that he never wanted to see again. He walked back to Raven and set them down in front of her.
"Hell she even knew about her own mother fucking Jaha." He pointed at one page that was labeled targets and had Jaha and her mothers name at the top.
"She was making a hit list, Kane. Look at this." He leaned over and looked at the names that had been crossed out. He recognized them as lower council members that had a shady history. He couldn't say that he was sorry about those names being crossed off.
"From the looks of it she was just getting started. She was going to burn the whole damn ark down from the inside. Does she know that you have these?" He shook his head at her.
" I don't believe so but I would be a fool to underestimate her. At this point I don't think it would matter anyway. She in a way is better off now than she was then. As much as I don't want to admit it, she is different around the commander. We both know why but it would be wise for us to not speak of it." Raven nodded at him as she handed the papers back to him, not looking at the rest of them. He grabbed the blow torch and set the flame to the sheets of paper effectively leaving them in the past.
"Now to the next steps. I need you to go wake Monty and Wick. I know it is early but we need to start planning for Abby being released in a few hours." He saw her nod at him as he watched the flame burn through the paper quickly. He held it as long as he could before he dropped it on the metal floor and watched the flame die as it consumed the last bit of evidence Clarke had on the ark.
Monty POV
Very Early Morning
Gunshots. Blood. Burns. Acid filling his lungs as he tried to breath. He sat up in a sweat as he tried to place his surroundings. He tried to slow his breathing as he told himself it was just a nightmare. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes as he tried to forget his memories. He swung his legs over the side of his bed and sighed as he grabbed the bottle from the side of his bed. He took a look at it as he swished the liquid around and around a couple times. Deciding against falling down the same hole as his best friend now exiled, he sat it back where it was and grabbed his shoes instead.
He slung a jacket over his shoulders as he stepped out of his room and made his way outside into the darkness that was surely still there. He came outside and looked and through the dim light he was able to make out the stars dotted throughout the night sky. He made his way through the still muddy ground toward the one spot in the camp that he could truly be alone. He climbed on top of one of the buildings that didn't see much attention and laid back to look at the sky.
Even with the small amount of light coming from the camp he was able to make out many stars and constellations in the night sky. It was different down here on the ground than in space. Still he found it peaceful. He heard footsteps slowly approach behind him. He leaned his head back to see who it was and he relaxed.
"Hey Raven." He returned to looking at the stars.
"How are you Monty?" He heard her ask as she sat beside him.
"Could be better, could be worse. Don't know how Clarke is able to handle everything she does with the knowledge of what happened." He figured talking could help.
"Well, it probably helps that she has kept herself busy. Eventually it will all come back to her again. My bet is tomorrow." He turned his head to look at her.
"Tomorrow?" He saw her head nod at him.
"Around afternoon tomorrow we are going back inside the mountain. Heda has approved Skaikru's use of the medical equipment. We have to help with the clearing of the bodies inside and I'm sure there is going to be some politicking but I'll leave that to Kane and Clarke." He chuckled a little at her phrasing.
"Who all is going?" He asked sheepishly hoping he wouldn't have to go but if he asked he would.
"Well, so far it's Kane, me, Abby, ten guards, and some people to help move the equipment. I think Kane is going to try and leverage the use of a transport truck. It would make traveling easier and we would be able to get out of there faster." He let loose a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"What do I need to do?" He propped himself up on his elbows.
"Well that is part of the reason I came to find you. Kane would like to speak to you." He nodded as he stood up and followed her to her shop.
A brief walk later he entered Raven's shop and saw Kane. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. He saw his head come up and try to smile. He motioned for him to join him and he did. He got the feeling this was important if it was happening in the wee hours of the morning.
"How are you Monty?" He sat down before he spoke and he saw a cup of coffee sat in front of him by Raven. He mouthed thank you at her as he let the aroma hit his nose.
"Could be better, could be worse. Losing Jasper stung but I know there is nothing we could do. He made his choice." Kane nodded at him.
"While that may be the case, it is okay to mourn the loss of a friend. I know he isn't dead but you still lost that friend. It's hard especially considering you two were close, almost brothers if I had to guess." Monty smiled slightly and nodded.
"He basically was like my brother but shit happens and if we try to hold onto the past we can't move forward." He was trying to hide how he felt because if he stopped to think about it he wouldn't be able to move on. He felt Raven place her hand on his.
"Monty, while that is true, we are here for you. We don't want to lose you as well. If you ever need to talk or it just becomes too much to bear, come find us. Please." He felt her emotion and understood what they were trying to say without saying it.
"I will." They nodded at him.
"Now, I was told you needed to speak with me Kane." He took a sip of his coffee and felt the warmth spread through his body.
"Yes, a small group of us will be leaving for the mountain around midday. We have been summoned by the commander to help in the removal of the bodies so they can pass." He nodded as he listened slowly sipping on his drink.
"While this is going on I have a special assignment for you." He raised an eyebrow at him. He watched as he pulled out plans from his desk. He sat his cup down and leaned forward.
"Abigail is going to be leaving with us as she is still head of medical. However it has been brought to my attention that she has nefarious plans up her sleeve." He looked at the plans and felt his eyes widen. He felt like he shouldn't believe this but honestly he was getting to the point where nothing surprised him.
"I'm guessing you want me to see if I can find these while you are gone?" He looked up at Kane and saw him nod.
"Do you know how many she could potentially have? Something like this would have taken time and I don't know where she would have found the time unless she had been working on this before the mountain." He felt like his mind was racing trying to sort through the possible locations they could be hidden. From the dimensions they wouldn't be big enough to be spotted.
"No we do not. And as far as how long she has been doing this we don't know either. We need to get ahead of this because from the letter Heda sent, we may have more guests from the other clans." He understood as he absentmindedly nodded his head.
"I'll see what I can find. Who else knows about this?" He looked around the room and got his answer.
"Just us got it." He thought for a moment.
"Where were these found?"
"In her office behind a hidden wall in her bookshelf. I found them when I did a sweep of her office after we found her journal. That journal was brought to us by Bellamy. It looked like it was her rough plan." He nodded.
"Originals?" He felt can raise an eyebrow at him.
"Still in her office. I was going to have brought them with us when we left. Speaking of which we need to get those before Abigail is released. I will distract her while it is done. She won't be released till just before midday. We will be leaving right after that." Monty sat back his mind running laps.
"So, I am going to guess that it will be brought up while you are at the mountain? I would suggest using the security room. It is the most secure place that still has power." Kane nodded at him.
"Thank you Monty. Now while you are here try to get some shut eye." He chuckled and moved to a chair in the corner.
"Could say the same for you Kane, you look like hell." He heard Kane laugh as he sank into the chair.
Two hours later
Early morning
TonDC
Octavia POV
She stepped outside her tent as the sun was just barely coming through the trees. She pulled her coat tighter around her as the early morning was slightly colder than she was used to. She made her way through the camp heading for Bellamy. She needed answers and it was time she got them. She found Echo's tent and pulled back the curtain not expecting what she saw. There was only one bed in the tent and lying on it was Bellamy and Echo. Interesting she thought.
She stepped back outside and looked around. She heard the tent flap open behind her and felt Echo beside her. She looked at the woman who had obviously seen her earlier. She raised an eyebrow at her and just waited.
"It's not what you think." She turned her head to watch the city start to slowly come to life.
"What you do with your charge is none of my business. I will warn you that he will test everything you have ever known. My brother is stubborn and bull headed." She heard the chuckle come from beside her.
"I have seen that already but why are you here? The final fight isn't for hours." She turned to look at the woman she barely knew.
"I need answers from him. Stuff is not lining up with what I have been told and have heard. Plus he needs to train anyway." Echo smiled slightly at her words.
"You are very correct. What a better way to get those answers. Give me a moment. I believe you will enjoy this." She raised an eyebrow as she watched Echo grab the water skin from her side and head back inside. She heard a muffled spitting coming from her brother and she had to hide her laughter.
Five minutes passed and Echo came back out and stood beside her tent. She saw the smile and nodded at her passing a knowing glance between them. Bellamy was in for a rude wake up call. She moved just out of sight while Echo crouched low and waited.
As soon as they saw Bellamy they sprung. Echo went low sweeping his legs out from him. As he was falling forward she brought her knee up and caught him in the chest knocking the wind out of him. She got an idea as she pulled out some rope from her side pouch and tied his hands. Echo saw what she was doing and grabbed a bag from beside the tent and put it on his head. They looked around and saw a couple of people looking at them and they just put a finger to their lips in a signal to stay quiet.
She heard a couple of Gonas snicker at their antics as it was a common thing to do to new sekons. It helped them be aware of their surroundings. Together they picked up Bellamy and quickly carried him to the same spot Echo had dragged him to yesterday. It was a clearing that was secluded and would be perfect for their training/ interrogation.
They tossed Bellamy hard to the ground and waited. Echo needed to see how her new Sekon would handle being surprised and basically captured. They were honestly expecting more struggling but were surprised when they heard snoring coming from him. They looked at each other and shrugged.
They removed the bag and watched as his eyes blew open and he spun using his legs to try and knock them off balance. Thankfully they were aware enough to dodge his attempts as he managed to stand and look at who was in front of him. They saw his shoulders sag as he registered what was going on.
"What the fuck O?" he said as he tried to undo the binds on his wrists.
"Situational awareness." Echo said as she moved behind him to undo the binds.
"You enemies can strike wherever and whenever. Be alert at all times. If you had been, you would have noticed your sister coming into the tent this morning." She smirked as she watched Bellamy go ten shades of red. She held up her hand before he could embarrass himself further.
"Like I told her, I do not care what happens between you two." She smirked as he blushed again.
"Now it is time for you to train today. Echo has agreed for us to train together. Plus I am in need of some answers, Bell." She saw his shoulders sag as she prepared her sword. She saw Echo toss one to Bellamy and he prepared himself.
She looked at his stance and mentally knew he was not used to fighting with a sword but she wasn't either when she first started. She paced back and forth watching her brother. She watched for any sign of what he would do. She knew her patience would pay off and she knew that she had the upper hand when it came to fighting with a sword but she knew her brother could fight hand to hand. It was his preferred method when he wasn't relying on the Skaikru method. It was effective but costly. She had seen the benefits and the downsides immediately.
She saw out of the corner of her eye as she passed Bellamy and started to move towards her. She watched and waited still. She watched as he tensed his right side as he planted with his left foot and swung downwards at her. She brought her sword up and parried with the flat of her blade. She followed that move with a quick slash of her dagger to his back as she exposed her back on purpose giving him the opportunity but he was too slow to react. She was easing him into this because she wanted him to be invested. As she connected with her dagger across his back she asked her first question.
"What happened on the Ark between you and Wanheda?" She saw him tense for a quick second before he slashed at her again. She blocked and quickly slashed with her dagger at his side this time. She watched as he came at her again speaking no words. Interesting she thought. She feigned to her left to dodge his swing. Quickly she slashed with her sword aiming for his side and felt it blocked and she spun slashing with her dagger again. Nothing too fancy she thought.
"I ask again Bell, What happened on the ark?" No answer again. Okay he wanted to play that way fine.
She started moving faster putting him on the defensive. When she would swing with her sword, it was blocked and she followed that with a quick slash of her dagger. Over and over she moved around her brother asking the same question over and over. After a couple of minutes he started to slow with the increased pace as his stamina was shit. She stepped around him and used her boot to kick him square in the back sending him to the ground. She pounced on top of him, disarming him and placing her dagger at his throat.
"Either you answer my question or I'll let Echo go next." She whispered in his ear. She felt his head move slightly as she removed herself from him.
"What do you know already?" He panted as he tried to stand. His clothes showed signs of every dagger slash she landed.
"Well, something about fighting pits, you running them, you almost killing Clarke, and oh yeah somehow Jaha was involved." The shock on his face confirmed what she had found out from Raven before they left for camp. She got the full run down and she was pissed to say the least.
"Listen O, you have to understand that I had no choice. If I didn't do it I would die along with Mom. I am not proud of what I did. I am not proud of anything I have done." She watched as he tossed his sword to Echo. After a quick convo he took off running around the clearing. She watched as she looked at Echo and raised her sword asking a silent question. Echo nodded at her as they began their dance both pondering what to do about Bellamy.
Azgeda
Early Morning
Ontari POV
She walked through the halls heading for the cell that held the Sky person they had captured. She had talked to him for a brief moment but had gained nothing of use when she had brought him food for the night. He was still coming down from his drunken stupor. She was not looking forward to what she was about to do but she needed answers. She was hoping he would be easy to break and she wouldn't have to go to extreme lengths like with some of the other clans.
She pulled open the iron door and stepped inside dragging the little table she used for her tools. She closed the door behind her with a slam loud enough to wake her prisoner. She saw him wake but she didn't say anything as she moved the table closer but not close enough he could knock it over. She had learned that lesson early on. She sat her cloth bundle on the table and undid the cord holding it together. She unrolled it and saw her tools glint in the little light that was coming through the cell.
She picked up a small dagger to use first and made her way in front of the man. She squatted down to look him in the eyes. She still saw the hint of a glossy gaze but his eyes were moving rapidly from her to the table and back to her. She played with the dagger while she studied his features. She had learned early on that silence could be a very effective tool in unnerving someone.
"So, I'm sure that you can tell that you are not in the cave you were calling home." She drug the point of the dagger up his leg. Not hard enough to cut anything but just enough to make him think he was being cut. She felt him start to squirm trying to move away from the dagger.
"You see this is going to go one of two ways. Either you give me the information I am needing or you are going to acquire some lovely new marks to that near perfect body of yours." She had seen the wound on his chest. She never went into an interrogation without fully knowing where her prey was weak.
"Now, I am under the impression that you are from the people that fell from the sky? Is this correct?" She watched as the battle was raised behind his eyes. She could tell he was weighing his options. She saw his jaw tighten and his lips tightened. She let out a sigh as she shook her head. They never made it easy.
She grabbed the man's right foot and removed the shoe that was on it. She quickly removed the remnants of the sock on his foot and forcefully straightened his leg. She looked up at the man and locked eyes with him as she brought her dagger closer to his foot lightly pressing the point into the middle of his foot. She watched his eyes go wide but his mouth still stayed shut. She applied more pressure and felt the skin resist till it broke. She knew how this felt, everything she had in her arsenal had been used on her at one point or another. She saw him clench his jaw even more. She repeated this multiple times in different positions that would cause pain but not cause major damage. She saw him start to sweat the longer this went on. She paused and looked up at him.
"Now, I will ask again. You are from the people that fell from the sky, correct?" She saw the slight nod come from him and she internally sighed. Maybe this would be easy. She withdrew her dagger, but didn't let go of his ankle.
"Who is your leader?" She knew the answer but she needed it confirmed and again she saw the same signs again. No answer came.
She placed the blade of the dagger right between his second and third toe and pressed down enough to cut the skin. She saw the flinch but no answer came. She drug the blade down in a line applying the correct amount of pressure to cut the skin. The further she got the more he started to squirm. She knew that this was the least gruesome thing she could do but it would cause him to walk with a limp while it healed. She got almost to the heal when she heard a whimper but nothing else. She looked up and saw his mouth tightly shut and tears starting to form from the pain but nothing else. No sign of an answer coming. She dragged her blade to the bottom of the foot only stopping when it impacted the floor.
She quickly turned his foot to the side and began slicing his skin from right above the ankle moving up his leg. She saw blood start to seep from the line and the squirming started to become more frequent. She paused at mid calf and asked her question again. No answer again. She continued moving up his leg pausing again when she reached the knee. Still no answer. She continued upward, being careful to not nick any arteries in his leg. She paused at the thigh as she heard what sounded like a muffled name slip from his lips.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you." She looked up at the man as he swallowed trying to talk.
"Clarke." Is all he said. Well it was an answer and confirmed what the mountain man had told her.
"Who is she close with?" She waited for an answer she knew wouldn't come. She sighed as she moved to grab a chair. She didn't have time to play these games today. She had somewhere to be.
She grabbed the chair and sat it in front of the man. She roughly picked him up and sat him in it. She secured his arm that was not chained to the wall and secured his legs as well. Now she looked at the man after she was sure the bindings were in place.
"I am quickly losing my patience with you." Still no answer came and she decided to up the ante.
She brought her dagger to his chest and started cutting from the top of his left peck down to the opposite side. She went deeper than before and after a couple of seconds the man let out a scream as she continued her line. She reached her stopping point just above his hip and immediately went to the opposite peck. She didn't wait this time before she repeated the same movement again. Another scream came from the man. She needed to break him, that was the only way he would talk.
She continued her line stopping just above the hip. She moved to his left arm that was tied to the chair. She placed the blade of the dagger at the top of his bicep and dragged it down causing a deep cut to form. Another scream but no words. She stopped at the bend in his arm and moved to the opposite bicep that was chained to the wall. She copied the same line and stopped at the bend in his arm.
By this point blood was dripping from multiple places. She quickly looked at them but not enough to look like she cared. Blood was not pouring out so she hadn't gone too deep but the damage was done. She crouched in front of him and used the flat of her blade to lift his chin.
"She is close with Raven, Monty, Octavia, and Bellamy." She nodded and asked another question that would gauge what this man actually knew.
"What is her relationship with the false commander?" She saw a puzzled look cross his face.
"How am I supposed to know? I was in the fucking mountain. All I know is that she left us to die. At least that is what I was told. I could care less what happens to both of them." She raised an eyebrow at his words.
"So, you know nothing about the false commander then?" He nodded. Well there went that route. She needed to press into the new one that opened for her.
"Tell me about Clarke." She saw the change in his demeanor and she knew she found her way in.
"She is the one that killed the one woman I loved. She executed her. I watched her die in my arms covered in burns. Clarke is the reason I was in that cave. Everyone was telling me she did what she had to do but there had to be another way." She saw the anger turn to grief back to anger again as he spoke.
"For all I care she could die and I wouldn't care. She took everything from me." She saw his head sag as tears fell from his face.
"Do you know where the camp is weak?" He nodded at her.
"Is there any place where they would be able to be exploited?" He nodded at her.
"Clarke and her mother don't see eye to eye. Currently there is a rift between them over who should be in charge. Clarke has almost everyone behind her but there are people that still support her mother." He took a breath trying to get his mouth wet enough to speak.
"From what I have been told, Clarke has the support of the commander. That swayed a lot of people to her side. If you were looking for a place to strike, that is your opening." She nodded and loosened his restraints.
She left the chair where it was figuring he was weak to try anything. She cleaned off the small table she brought with her and left it there as well. This was the least she could do after the information she had received. She wiped her dagger on a rag she had brought and placed it back in the correct spot. She rolled the tools back up and tucked them under arm.
"I will have you brought something to eat. I would suggest next time you give me what I want immediately or this will be twice as bad." With her words she slammed the metal door shut and locked the door.
She leaned against the door and took a couple of breaths. No matter how many times she had done this, she felt a piece of herself slip away. She had to adopt a persona every time and it caused her to lose a little bit of herself. She felt one stray tear fall from her face and she wiped it away hanging on to the memory that she would be gone soon.
She pushed off the door and made her way to the throne room to relay information to Nia. She was not looking forward to this, she never did. She walked into the throne room and she felt a chill come over her as she felt Nia's gaze fall on her. She briefly saw an eyebrow raise. Clearly she was not expected to be back so soon.
She moved to the side of the room waiting for the conversation that was currently being held to be over. From what she could see it was just a routine scouting mission but then she noticed a second person with the scout. This man had a bag over his head and was bound. He was dressed in lighter clothing that was more seen with Skaikru but it was weathered by the sun.
"So another has been captured. How do you know this one belongs to the Sky people?l she heard the raspy voice come from Nia.
"He claims to be their leader. He says that he came down after they did and left them after he was no longer wanted. We found him wandering the dead zone searching for something. Rumors say that he had escaped capture once before while traveling with the boy we sent to Polis." Interesting, she thought. There had been no reports of any Skaikru leaving their camp, let alone escaping capture. Especially any that would suggest another leader. Everything they had been told pointed to a power struggle between Clarke and her mother.
"If that is true, then the next few days will be very enlightening. Take him to the cells." The scout nodded and bowed at Nia. Great more work for her to do. She sighed as she watched the scout leave with the man.
"Ontari, I assume you have news since you are here quicker than I had anticipated." She looked away from the door and back at Nia.
She had stood from her throne and made her way over to a war table that was set off to the side. She had learned long ago to never approach unless told to do so. Nia was cruel, arrogant, and blind. She liked to be the one with the light shining on her and if any one impacted that, they were dealt with.
"Come Ontari, tell me what you have learned while we eat." Just as she had finished two meals were brought and placed in front of Nia. The servant never made eye contact with her and just bowed and backed away. God she couldn't wait to leave this place. She made her way to the table and took her place.
"So what have you learned? I am assuming he was easy to break." She waited a minute as she collected her thoughts. It always unnerved her at how Nia could talk about torture so casually over a meal.
"Yes, at first he resisted but he broke quickly. He informed me that there is a power struggle with the Sky people. A majority stand behind Clark but there is a small group that still backs their old leader. That leader just happens to be her own mother." She watched as Nia raised an eyebrow as she chewed into the meat.
"Interesting, did the prisoner mention anything else?" She nodded as she took a bite.
"He seems to be angry with their leader. Something about taking the one person he cared for away from him. He mentioned Clarke being the one that killed her. Something about her being covered in burns. Whatever happened in the Mountain affected him. He should be easily swayed to our side." Nia nodded at her information. She saw the wheels turning in her mind. She feared what she could be concocting. She quietly ate her meal while she could.
"We need to see if there is a way to get to the mountain before they are able to. From your experience with the mountain man, would he be willing to help us gain access to the mountain?" She pondered this for a moment while she swallowed the last bit of her meal.
"I believe so. He says he knows of a back way into the mountain that requires his code. It was the way escaped and as far as he is aware no one knew where he went." Nia nodded again and finished her meal.
"Good, mobilize a small team. Escort this man to this entrance and see what we can find. Remember if there is trouble capture if possible. If not then survive. You are special to me, Ontari. I would hate for anything to happen to you." She had to fight the immediate revulsion that threatened to escape from her throat.
"Understood Azplana, I will leave soon." Nia nodded and dismissed her. Maybe her chance to escape would be coming sooner than planned. Now she had to visit with someone before gathering the five people for this journey. She felt a sense of calm but unease come over her as she made her way through the city.