There were so many times in Lexa's life recently where she couldn't figure out how she had come to be doing the things she was doing. Crashing down onto earth, realising there were forces at play amongst the people who had survived that made her life seem so bland up in space. The reapers, acid fog. Nightbloods. Clarke. Lexa was pretty sure she had even died. Her body just barely still thrummed with whatever it was that had brought her back and she hadn't had the time to decompress. She hadn't had the time to think about what it really meant.

She paused as she looked at the bomb in her hands. It was heavy. Probably heavier than she expected it to be. The screen continued to blink at her as it waited for her input. Other bombs were placed around the dam in strategic locations. Some placed on the turbines themselves. Others on consoles and any kind of system she recognised that when damaged would cause issues.

That very fact wasn't lost on her. She knew she was about to cause more hurt and suffering than she had been responsible for before. But she had thrown her weight behind Clarke and her people and Lexa had made her mind up. Her people had done terrible things to survive. They had sacrificed people when there was no other choice. And she was sure those in Mount Weather had sacrificed, too. That they had made choices and decisions that would weigh on their minds for years to come.

But Those choices had been the farming of people. Treating them like animals. Turning others into reapers and destroying families just so they would survive.

Lexa didn't think she'd be able to live with herself if she sided with people like that.

So really, despite everything, despite the dangers, despite the shades of grey she saw amongst Clarke and her people, she knew she had made the right decision.

"Ok," Lexa said and she looked around at everyone. "Begin moving everything we think is useful out. Once these bombs go off we probably won't be able to get in here for a while."

Tobias nodded his head at her from across the large engine room and hefted a basket full of tech and Mount Weather supplies they had gathered. Other warriors did the same.

Lexa was nervous though. She still hadn't heard anything from Clarke, nor had she heard anything from Anya or Bellamy inside the Mountain. Even reinforcement from the tunnels or outside hadn't given them any kind of sign that the battle was going their way. She hadn't really expected to be kept in the loop continuously. But it didn't help her nerves.

Lexa sighed as she walked the last explosive towards the hallway they had used to enter the dam. Collapsing all but one entrance would make it easier to control it in the future. At least no one would be able to use their own sneak attack against them if things got violent in the future.

She wasn't any kind of explosives expert but she was pretty sure taking out the ladder down into the dam would be enough to really make a mess. That just left the main entrance and the entrance through the tunnels to deal with.

And so Lexa came to a stop by the wrung of ladders that stretched up high above her and smiled awkwardly at Serka who was standing nearby as lookout just incase someone tried to sneak up on them.

"Maya," Lexa called out, her voice echoing against the stone.

"Yeah?" the answer came back with its own echo.

"How long do you think we need to set the timers for?"

"Two minutes?" it wasn't as confident an answer as Lexa wanted to hear.

"You think that's enough time to get everyone out through the main entrance?" Lexa answered before chewing her lip and eyeing the screen on the bomb again.

There was a long pause and she knew Maya seemed to be considering things.

"It's plenty of time. The main entrance isn't that far away. But," there was another pause. "Make it five. Just incase something holds us up. But wait," Maya added.

Lexa turned to look back down the hallway.

"Yeah?"

"Let me check the main entrance. I know it's open but give me a chance to double check and put some warriors there."

Lexa shouted a response before she stepped back off the first wrung and leant against the stone wall. Her heart was beating more strongly in her chest. Adrenaline had really spiked in that conversation and she tried to force herself to calm.

"I too do not like tech," Serka said with a wry smile and Lexa looked up at the man.

"It's not nice," she said as she looked at the bomb still held in her hands.

Serka looked at her for a long moment. His face was wiry, lined with wrinkles and the telltale scars of those from Azgeda. Lexa hadn't had a chance to really get to know many people. Of course she recognise many from Ton DC but Clarke had always kept her away from most. Perhaps once this was all over Lexa would visit the clans and travel, see the world as much as she could.

"When this is all over," Lexa said to Serka. "Where should I visit in Azgeda first?"

Serka smiled at the question and seemed to give it a lot of thought before answering.

"Village Ronto," he said eventually. "It is close to the Trikru border," he paused in thought once more. "Many of the warriors fighting here now are from Village Ronto or others close by."

Lexa nodded her head at his answer. There was so much of the world she didn't know, so much of the world she would need to come to understand far more intricately if she was to make sure her people would find a place amongst the coalition. Perhaps once all the fighting was over she'd set her mind on establishing peace. On making sure all their people were somehow united so that they wouldn't have to worry about fighting, life and death and so many other things.

She wasn't an idiot. Shew knew that there'd be a period where upheaval and violence could threaten to spill into open conflict yet again. It was bound to be a risk with the Mountain destroyed and many of her people having sided with them even unknowingly. But she'd do everything in her power to make sure things settled as best they could.

It was the least she could do.

"Hey Lexa," she turned back down the hallway to see Maya standing at the far end waving at her. "Everything's ready to go."

"Ok," Lexa said. "Get everyone not needed moving to the main entrance. Once they're ready let me know. I'll get the countdown going on these."

Maya shot her a thumbs-up before moving away and Lexa turned back to the ladder rungs. She probably didn't need to put the bomb too far up to severely damage this access point and so she began to climb the short distance. It was an awkward dance of feet and arms and one bomb tucked under her arm. But eventually Lexa got high enough that she thought the bomb would cause enough damage.

It took her only another moment to juggle with the bomb and place it solidly into one of the rungs with the screen facing her. As she reached out she felt her fingers shaking a little from the exertion and from the adrenaline that was once more flowing through her veins.

Lexa even triple checked that the timer on the explosive was set to five minutes and not five seconds. It was plenty of time but still, she didn't want to be anywhere near the dam when they went off.

"Maya," Lexa called out.

"I'm ready to hit the countdown," Maya's voice came next.

Lexa looked down at Serka standing guard.

"Once I hit this we should probably get moving."

"I agree," he said and eyed the explosive with something between trepidation and disgust.

"Yeah," Lexa laughed. "I feel the same."

Lexa took in one steady breath.

"Ready," she called out to Maya once more.

She waited until Maya responded before Lexa started calling out a countdown.

Five.

She let her finger hover over the button that would set the timer going.

Four.

She felt sweat clinging to her brow.

Three.

There was no going back

Two.

She should have started counting down from three.

One.

And Lexa hit the button.

"Let's go," she said. She heard Maya call out success before the sounds of the warriors running away filtered down the hallway. Lexa didn't even blame them for getting out of the dam quickly.

But in her haste she slipped on the last few rungs, she fell and hit her head and she saw stars.

But Serka caught her before she hit the ground and she cursed and grunted in pain as she held a hand up to her forehead.

"It is not serious," he said as he pulled her hand away from the wound.

"Thanks," Lexa said. She wasn't bleeding, that much she was thankful for. But she'd bruise, maybe even swell up.

But it could be worse.

"Let's go.

Lexa didn't entirely jog but she most definitely walked faster than normal away from the ladder and the explosive. Serka was beside her too. It would only take them a few short moments to reach the main turbine room and then the hallway that lead to the main entrance but it all felt far too long. And though the countdown was inaudible Lexa felt like she could hear it echoing in her mind more loudly than her own thoughts or even the beating of her heart she could feel in her chest.

She also found herself trying to stamp down the combination of relief and apprehension. She knew they weren't out of the woods yet and that there was still far too much uncertainty in the conflict that was raging underground. But there seemed to be a sense of finality with the explosives being set. But Lexa shook her head and—

She froze.

Lexa didn't really see it. But she sense it more than anything. She stood at a t-intersection of the hallway. Behind her was the ladder that they had used to enter the dam, and to her left was one of the hallways she knew provided access to the dam through the tunnels. Warriors had been posted there not thirty seconds ago but they had all left with Maya as the explosives were set. She had heard them leave.

But Lexa saw something in the corner of her eye.

It probably lasted half a second, but in the time that she froze and sensed something and began to turn she felt it had lasted years.

Lexa turned to face the newcomer who stood in the shadows. They were dressed in dark green with a gas mask covering their face. They wore a bulletproof vest and in their hands was held a rifle that was pointed straight at her face.

Lexa didn't think, she didn't fully comprehend what was happening in the next few seconds. A gunshot screamed at her face. She ducked and hit the ground as her ears were deafened and her vision went white. Pain stabbed against her body somewhere, somehow and then everything around her went blank.

It was quiet in the tunnels. The sounds of fighting had faded off into the distance but Jake knew he wasn't safe. He knew those with him weren't safe too. He had been hunting that same mountain man group that was attempting to reach the dam. The quiet drip of water falling onto the tunnel floor made his skin crawl but he stamped down the discomfort as he paused in the dark and waited.

The mountain had tech they used to help them see in the dark. But that only helped if he let himself be shown. He knew his warriors had better senses, that the mountain's reliance on tech dulled their own and that was their advantage. He could hear them moving forward a short distance away and he had been stalking them quietly, patiently.

He glanced back behind him to find the warriors further back still keeping their retreat clear. They would strike fast before splitting off the regrouping further ahead, the twists and turns inside the tunnels both helping making it difficult at the same time.

As long as they could slow the reinforcements he didn't care.

And so…

Jake eyed the shadows, he dared not peer over the small cover he hid behind and he prepared to draw his knife and strike true.

He could sense more than see those close enough to strike doing the same and he trusted them and their senses and their judgement as much as he trusted his own.

He waited another second, and another.

And then he struck.

Jake leapt from the shadows, he lashed out with his knife and he grinned as his blade hit flesh before he pulled his knife free and began to run back into the shadows.

Those who struck with him did so just as fast, just as quickly before they dove into the dark and fled.

He didn't have time to see if his warriors had struck true or not, he didn't have time to see if they had slipped away before gunfire echoed out around him. Bullets ripped into the walls, ricocheted off the stone and he cursed the mountain and its tech as he fled into the dark.

Jake felt three of his warriors with him, he saw another group move off to his left and others scattering in the dark. He hoped they would all get away and regroup, he hoped enough of them would survive this ambush and get through to reinforce the dam.

And so Jake ran.

At times one of his warriors would pause, spin around and fire an arrow into the dark at the sounds of those giving chase. At times Jake would duck under the swing of a reaper that stumbled across them and he would attack, defend, deflect and kill without thought and without worry.

His people had never been this close to success. Each and every warrior with him knew it too for some gave their all, some fell in sacrifice as they delayed the reapers, some already wounded stayed behind to delay, to distract, to give those more able bodied the time to get to the dam and ensure they could kill the Mountain's source of power for good.

And Jake knew at a later time he would reflect on all those that were lost.

But in that moment he snarled as he wrenched his sword through the chest of a reaper. He barely gave it another thought before he shoulder checked a second, flipped them over his shoulder and ducked the swing of a third. Kess had somehow found him in the dark, she had somehow fought to his side and he smiled. She plunged her own spear into the heart of that third reaper and then they both began to run.

Jake was so close. He knew the Mountain Men knew they were close. He could hear gunfire. He could hear fighting ahead and he didn't know what that meant. Not yet. But he would find out.

The tunnel opened up a fraction and as he rounded one last bend he saw the entrance Maya had described tho him. And it was just like any other entrance to the Mountain he had spied or to any of their bunkers buried through their lands.

Jake's heart was beating so fast in his chest. His lungs were burning and his legs were screaming at him to give them a chance to recover. But he couldn't spare the time. Not when everything hinged on the control of what was in front of him.

Jake hoped his daughter had succeeded inside the Mountain. He hoped Ontari had managed to intercept those trying to reinforce the Mountain and he hoped every other warrior fighting inside the tunnels or causing havoc amongst the roaming reaper packs aboveground had found success.

They all had a part to play.

And for him and the few warriors who had made it this far, their part was only half over.

And so Jake steadied his heart as much as he could before he pressed forward and entered the dam from the rear and he hoped beyond hope that he wasn't too late.

Maya began counting those who had gathered at the main entrance to the dam. They were only missing Lexa and Serka who she knew were only a few seconds behind them. She wasn't worried that they hadn't caught up yet but still, Maya really didn't like know that the explosives were on a countdown and each passing second only brought the explosions closer.

It also didn't help that the countdown was both literally and metaphorically counting down the seconds until the end of her people as she knew it.

But Maya couldn't turn back what had happened anymore than she could turn back time.

She looked at the watch she kept on her wrist and chewed her lip. She could feel the frown forming on her face and a headache that seemed ever constant the last few hours.

"Tobias," she said and she turned to the large warrior.

"Yes?"

"Did—"

Gunshots echoed throughout the dam, it startled her and made her flinch. Other warriors reacted to the sound, too. Some ducked instinctively. others drew swords and Maya swore.

She started running at the same time Tobias did but she was quickly overtaken by the larger man. Maya didn't know how they had missed someone. Or maybe the battle in the tunnel was going more poorly than they had hoped. Whatever the reason didn't matter though. They needed to get Lexa and Serka and get out of the dam before everything blew up around them.

Maya didn't know what she was about to run into as she rounded the last corner and burst back into the engine room.

The first thing she saw were four figures clothed in green standing by the far wall. Two were carrying Serka's body between them. The third dragged Lexa's body by the feet and the fourth had a rifle levelled straight towards them as if they anticipated their actions.

Maya had just enough time to dive for cover before more gunshots echoed out through the engine room. Tobias dove for cover too but not before he threw his knife forward as hard and as fast as he could. Maya cursed as she began scrambling forward towards a rifle that lay discarded leaning against a chair. Other warriors began moving, too. She heard them rushing forward in an attempt to close the distance and gunfire began to bellow out around them.

Maya's heart was pounding so hard in her chest as she reached the gun. Snaps of bullets thundered overhead, the twang of arrows being fired in return hissed through the air and Maya didn't have time for this. She didn't have time for any of this.

Time was running out and she needed to get to Lexa and Serka.

Maya cursed as glass shattered over her head and rained down on her. She winced and gasped in pain as some cut into her as she crawled forward. She thought she heard one of the warriors fall to the ground with a thump, she thought she sensed one or two manage to reach those trying to stop them.

But then Maya reached the gun, she reached for it, shouldered it and rose to her feet behind a console.

Maya had just a second to take in everything she saw.

One of the Mountain Men lay with Tobias' knife lodged in their chest. Two remained in locked battle with the warriors who had reached them and the fourth was firing shot after shot at the warriors pouring back into the engine room.

Maya had half a second to flip the safety off with a satisfying click. She had barely a moment to take aim, to let the red dot of the sight float right over the man's chest.

And then she fired.

But the man had turned to her, he had levelled his own gun. And in the time Maya took to take aim, so too did he take the time to aim.

And Maya couldn't see his face. She didn't know he was. All that mattered in that moment was that she squeezed the trigger and she held on for dear life as the rifle in her hands began to spit bullet after bullet at the man.

The thunder echoed throughout her body as she fired, her teeth shattered together from the recoil and her hair flew back off her face.

Maya's feet left the ground, she felt something impact her squarely in the chest and her chest seized, it seemed to scream out at her and then she found herself lying on her back.

Maya stared up at the ceiling of the dam as she struggled for breath. She couldn't move. She couldn't really do anything in that very moment. But she was thankful the gunfire had stopped. It had hurt her ears and she would be happy if she never had to hear that again.

And there was something she was sure she was missing. There was something she was sure she was forgetting. It had been important. It had been urgent, something time sensitive that had seemed to be the reason why she was in the state she was in.

But she couldn't remember what it was.

Not anymore.