Silence sat heavy, oppressive, and unkind in the air. Clarke's vision was swallowed by the dark and her breathing froze. She stared, her eyes strained and she tried to pierce the dark, she tried to see movement, she tried to see anything at all.
She felt someone press themselves to her. She felt a strong hand grip her behind the neck as if to root her to the spot. She felt someone else back into her other side and she realised that each warrior around her was backing up, that they had all turned outwards and were preparing for an attack from any direction.
Clarke's heart began to race, her mind began to scramble, run, hide, jump from one thing to another as she tried concentrate.
Whatever sound they had all heard had quietened, whatever thing had dared break the silence had vanished into whispered ghosts and Clarke couldn't hear anything over the beating of her heart.
Fear began to spike a little more comfortably in her chest as she swallowed the lump in her throat. But she knew this was always a risk. She knew ripas existing in Mount Weather was always something to be prepared for and yet being faced with it made it far more real.
Clarke managed to glance over her shoulder the way she thought they had come. She saw the dull light of the flaming torches held by the two warriors guarding the stairwell. She watched as one of them stood just slightly past the corner, the person lifted a hand very slowly before letting it drop and running it in a sideways sweep.
Whatever message was sent was lost on Clarke but she knew something was communicated because someone to her left let out the quietest of birdcalls, the response sounding too loud in the silence.
She felt the warriors slowly start moving as one, she felt each and every one beginning to walk back towards the light and Clarke moved, she let her feet take her, each step she took heavy, unbearable and too unsure beneath her.
Clarke could just barely make out a wall to her left. She could just barely make out something that seemed like a metal crate to her right. On the ground she could just barely see light reflecting of the smooth, dusty, weathered concrete and she hoped beyond hope that all that they had heard was the ghosts of Mount Weather, the ghosts that still lingered and threatened to pull fears—
And what happened next happened so fast that Clarke had no time to think, had no time to recognise, no time to make any other decision than to run.
A growl came from somewhere close by. It was feral, horrid, grotesque, moist and wet as it lingered in the air. And it was close.
A warrior shouted a warning, Clarke felt herself shoved down onto the ground. Someone in the dark spun, she could just barely make out their shape in the dim light. The sword of a sword unsheathed, slashed, hissed through the air before a sickening thud landed somewhere close by.
And then the world around her exploded in commotion.
Warriors suddenly ignited their torches, firelight spat in every direction, Clarke's eyes adjusted to the light, to the suddenness and the sight.
A body lay twitching on the ground, its head removed. The warrior who had acted stood in front of her, their sword glinting, keen, sharp and then Clarke saw.
In the distance were figures, dark, shrouded in shadow, lurching, stumbling, revolting, horrid and haphazard and so very clear. They stood, their heads snapped one way and another as they searched and then their eyes landed on them. And then they started to run. To scream, to growl and cry and roar out. Warriors started to move, started to lunge, to run, to make way for the stair well and Clarke needed to move, needed to run, needed to flee.
Strong hands gripped her shoulder, strong hands pulled her to her feet and Clarke ran. A arrow snapped right past her face, she didn't know if it hit its mark. Something else whizzed past her. A warrior, shield in hand stepped aside enough for her to past. Orders were barked, shouted, screamed out to those around her and Clarke didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to run but forward and towards the light.
She heard the thundering footsteps behind her, she heard the roaring, she heard the shouts, and she heard the sounds of bodies hitting against each other.
Shouts of pain or surprise or fear and anger and fury filled the once dead hallways and Clarke's feet took her faster and faster and faster.
She dove over fallen obstacle in front of her, she leaped past thing and furniture, box and crate and she felt fear and panic setting in.
She didn't, she couldn't, wouldn't look back over her shoulder. The sounds of fear were too loud for her to dare look back as she ran. And Clarke was so close to the stairwell, she was so close to safety, to the light, to the warriors guarding their back. Another arrow snapped by overhead. Someone ran past her in the opposite direction as if they were charging headfirst into the fray. She didn't know who it was, couldn't even begin to make sense of the flashes of warriors and blade and metal and weapon that flashed by.
Someone threw a flaming torch over their heads. Or Clarke thought it was before something close to an explosion roared behind her. This time she looked, she saw a ball of fire spitting out in every direction as whatever was thrown smashed and broke against the closest hard surface.
The firelight spat its hate across every surface. Evil shadows, sharp and dagger-like clawed their way through the space and Clarke saw warriors already beginning to turn, already beginning to form a wall to defend against whatever was coming, whatever as chasing.
Clarke saw them, too. She saw the ripas. She saw their shuffling, crazed, deranged bodies, gnashing teeth and clawing hands scrambling forward as if they were possessed as they ran into, against, over everything in their path. One roared, one screamed, one began to dive, run and chase after them only to be hit squarely in the face by an arrow. Another jumped, lunged out from the shadows and stumbled, lost its footing and fell into the burning flames. Another ball of fire was thrown overhead, it exploded in a ball of hate and heat and engulfed the ripa. Clarke's eyes were wide, were vision dazed. Stars blinding and brilliant engulfed her vision as she took in the horror of the putrid body twisting, screaming, burning engulfed in flame.
"Retreat," Lexa's voice was loud, it was firm, strong. It echoed out into the space. "To the surface," Lexa said and Clarke realised the one who had stayed back, the one who had first moved to defend, to face the ripas had been her and Clarke stared at her, she stared and she took in the way Lexa stood silhouetted by the flames, her sword pointed outwards as she stood between her warriors and the flames and the ripas and the danger.
But Lorelei's voice broke through the commotion. Her voice broke through the frenzy.
"My research," Lorelei screamed. "We need my research. I know where it is."
And with that Lorelei began to sprint.
Clarke stared at the doctor as she ran. She looked back at Lexa and Clarke didn't know if she had heard, her back still to them, her blade suddenly slashing, stabbing forward, outwards as she dared the ripas to lunge through the flames.
And Clarke had one opportunity.
One opportunity to save her people. One opportunity to prove to Lexa that her people could help, that they could better the lives of everyone on the earth. But it was risky.
She knew that.
And so Clarke threw caution to the wind.
All Clarke had time to do was bark out that she was following Lorelei before she ran. She ran and she tried not to trip, stumble, fall down the stairs as she descended into the dark. She could hear Lorelei's footsteps further ahead and Clarke hoped beyond hope that the ripas were distracted, that the commotion upstairs would give them enough time to find the research, find whatever was left without—
Clarke ran face first into something solid. She grunted out in pain and fell to the ground, her eyes seeing stars and her ears ringing.
She cursed, scrunched her face in pain and found herself lying on the ground at another stairwell landing. What little light from the flames above just barely illuminated the area. Dim shadows bled into the dark and it took her moment to realise she had run face first into a large vat or water tank that seemed to have been moved into the way as if it had once been placed there to block the way.
Clarke looked around for Lorelei, she couldn't see her, couldn't even begin to guess where—
"Clarke," Lorelei whispered.
Clarke's eyes snapped up to find Lorelei had pulled herself up onto the large water tank.
"Up here, Clarke."
Clarke pushed herself onto her feet, a hand quick to check her forehead and nose lest she be bleeding. Satisfied she reached up for something close to a handhold and started trying to pull herself up. She tried not to grunt or make too much noise as she managed to find purchase and thankfully Lorelei helped take some of their weight.
In the distance Clarke could hear the sounds of footsteps running back and forth, she could hear voices echoing and at times the clang of metal against metal but Clarke couldn't think about that. Not yet.
She knew it was stupid. She knew she shouldn't be risking what she was risking but she had already made up her mind.
Once Clarke was up on the top of the water tank she took a moment to reorient herself and to gather her thoughts.
She could hardly see. The dark was overbearing. She felt it weighing down on her shoulders and she knew they'd have to be doubly careful.
"I know where we are," Lorelei whispered. "We tried to block off access to the upper levels," she seemed to gesture at the water tank. "That's where the reapers live," she paused. "Or lived."
Clarke chewed her lip and tried staring out into the dark once more.
"In front of us," Lorelei continued. "There's a main hallway, just like above. My office, it's on the far end."
Clarke nodded for she felt herself unsure if her voice would remain calm as the adrenaline started to spike once more. Clarke took in a steadying breath and tried to plan ahead, tried to think of what to do, of where to run if she needed to. It didn't help much that she couldn't see anything, but thinking, planning, considering her next steps seemed to help alleviate some of her anxiety.
"After this is all done," Clarke said quietly. "You're going to have to explain how this happened."
Lorelei answered her with a quiet exhale, the sound almost sad to Clarke's ears.
"You'll think I'm a monster," Lorelei said, her tone simple, perhaps almost resigned.
Clarke turned and looked at her in the dark and tried to see the expression on her face. She didn't really know what to think and she wouldn't presume to know whatever had happened. But her people had done things, too. Her people had sacrificed people, had sent people to their deaths before and she knew they weren't innocent in their own fight for survival.
"I won't," Clarke answered quietly and she reached out in the dark and managed to find Lorelei's hand. She squeezed it, hoped Lorelei would feel reassured and then she nodded to herself. "Come on."
Despite the bravado of her words Clarke almost had to force herself to slide forward and off the other side of the water tank. She winced as her feet hit the ground with a gentle thud. It wasn't until Lorelei slid down beside her that Clarke realised they were both completely unarmed.
Clarke pushed that thought aside just as she had pushed her initial worries aside, too. She didn't know if it was her mind playing tricks on her or not but the sounds of escape from the floor above had all but ended and Clarke didn't know if that was a good sign or not. Even the light from the flames were hardly seen, the dark deeper, richer, more enticing as she slowly started walking forward.
Each step Clarke took was cautious and slow. Each she step took she imagined a beast waiting for her in the dark, its claws just barely out of sight as it tempted her forward.
Lorelei stuck to her side, both women's bodies drawn within as if they tried to shield themselves from the dark and the quiet.
Clarke's ears tried straining for any sound, any evidence that ripas existed this far down. Dust was kicked up with each step they took and Clarke found it partly comforting simply because it told her nothing had been down here in an age, but another part of Clarke despised the dust because it made her nose itch and threatened to bring with it a sneeze that would break the silence.
Clarke found herself slowing following Lorelei, and from what Clarke could feel Lorelei's hand was stretched out touching the closest wall as they continued to fumble blindly forward.
Clarke had so many questions racing through her mind, too. She wanted, needed, desired to know what had caused the ripas, what had created them, why they had come to be and she'd get her answers. She'd get the cure, save those she could and—
Lorelei paused. Clarke paused and Clarke stared into the dark in search of whatever had made Lorelei freeze. Lorelei seemed to shift closer to her before Clarke felt Lorelei's breath on the side of her neck.
"I think its two more doors down," Lorelei whispered. There's a large intersection," Lorelei continued. "A fork in the road ahead. We just need to walk straight."
Clarke understood what Lorelei meant. Getting lost in the dark would make it almost impossible to find their way out without finding a light source of some kind and Clarke didn't fancy fumbling around blindly for the rest of her life.
Clarke squeezed Lorelei's hand in understand before they both started walking forward again. It only took a few more short paces before Clarke was sure they started moving through the large intersection. The air around them felt a little less overbearing and claustrophobic but much to her disgust that feeling of being surrounded and closed in on was replaced by the expanse of the unknown, of the dark depths that seemed far more endless.
Clarke didn't think it should have been as hard as it was walking forward in a straight line, but she realised she concentrated, stared as hard as she could down at the dark as if she could see an imaginary line guiding her forward.
Her steps were ever slow and measured and Clarke held her breath, she held her thoughts at bay and she felt her body tensing up more and more. But just as quickly as that tension had appeared, so too did it vanish. Lorelei's hand in hers started pulling away from her more confidently and Clarke realised they had crossed the distance, Clarke even felt a wall to her side, her hand quick to find comfort in its presence as they moved forward as one once more.
It was just another few short moments before Lorelei stopped. Clarke could barely make anything out aside from the slight rustle of Lorelei's hand that seemed to be running against the concrete in search of something. There was another moment of tense silence and that Clarke heard Lorelei let out a quiet exhale.
"My office," Lorelei whispered into the dark. "Give me a moment."
Clarke's breath was coming more quickly now. She didn't know why but she turned and looked back the way she thought they had come. She knew she wouldn't be able to see anything but it did give her some reprieve from the worries before she turned back forward.
There was a subtle click that sounded far too loud for Clarke's comfort before she heard what she assumed to be a door opening. The hinges protested the sudden assault on their years of disuse with a sound that made Clarke's heart freeze.
Lorelei must have frozen too for the door opening stopped as suddenly as the sound had started.
Clarke urged her ears to pick up any sound and she knew Lorelei was doing the same. Clarke's heart started racing yet again and for the briefest of moments she wondered just how pathetic it would be if she were to die of a heart attack in that very moment.
Both of them remained quiet and frozen to the spot as they listened but eventually Lorelei started pushing the door open before she seemed to slip through. Clarke followed behind her presence, careful as ever to avoid moving the door more than it needed to be moved.
And so Clarke stepped through the threshold, Lorelei closed the door behind them and Clarke let out a shaky breath. The office was almost darker somehow, the black around them impenetrable.
"We should be safe in here," Lorelei said, her voice just a little louder now that they were alone.
Clarke reached into her bag and fumbled blindly for her tablet. It took her a second or two before she pulled it free. She turned it on, the screen's light suddenly spitting out around them so harshly that it made her eyes water and her vision grow hazy for a second.
Clarke squinted through the suddenness as her vision adjusted to the light. The first thing she saw was that she stood in a large office. A desk sat on one side of the room with a chair and a computer before it. Against the other side was a large filing cabinet with draws, what looked like boxes and—
Clarke gasped, her heart leaped up into her throat and she instinctively took a step back.
On the floor was a body. Or what used to be a body. Ragged clothes clung to what looked like the remnants of a body. What she could see of the skin was dry, sullen, sunken as if it had been smoked, cured, jerked and it made Clarke's stomach twist.
Lorelei came to stand beside her, the woman's face heavy as she took in the scene before them.
"I—" Lorelei paused as if she were trying to find the words. "I knew him," she managed to find her voice. "He was my assistant."
Clarke looked at Lorelei before back at the body on the ground. She could tell it had been there undisturbed for years and Clarke felt a pang of sorrow for the man, that his final resting place seemed so undignified.
"I'm sorry," Clarke said.
She didn't know the man but still, she thought it important to say.
Lorelei let out a gentle sigh before she started looking around.
"A lot of people died because of me," she said over her shoulder as she started walking toward the filing cabinet.
Clarke was quick to prop the tablet up on the desk and aim it at the filing cabinet to give them some light before she moved towards Lorelei.
"Look for Operation Cerberus," Lorelei started opening drawers, her motions just a little cautious lest she make too much noise.
Clarke stood still for a moment as she stared at everything around her. Dust clung to every surface, it lingered in the air and long shadows seemed a little unkind as they hugged the crevices of the office space. Clarke looked behind her, perhaps to check the door was closed, perhaps to check that they were safe, and maybe just to give herself time to consider the situation she was in.
She tried listening for the sounds of anything else, a ripa, a monster, animal, even Lexa, Indra, anyone else who they had left behind. It was quiet, but Clarke wouldn't let their guard down, not after the close call they had just had.
"These ripas," Clarke said as she stepped forward and started opening drawers. "What do you call them?" she started flicking through folders that were inside each drawer, her eyes scanning each word or title she saw.
"Reapers," Lorelei answered her.
Clarke looked up to find Lorelei frowning as she moved to the next drawer.
"Reapers," Clarke echoed.
"Grim reaper for short," Lorelei said with a snort, the sound sardonic, unkind. Guilt ridden.
Clarke looked back at Lorelei, her curiosity and intrigue and caution piqued more fully.
"Some asshole thought it would be funny to call them that. I guess it stuck."
Clarke found it fascinating how much language had diverged between those in Mount Weather and those that lived on the ground. Perhaps she should have guessed what the word ripa had come from but she'd been too overwhelmed by everything to have time to truly think about it.
"What happened?" Clarke asked, she turned back to the drawers, her gaze settling on a folder before discarding it in search of her target.
"Radiation sickness," Lorelei said. "Generations ago," she shrugged. "My people realised there were survivors on the surface who had adapted to the increased levels of radiation," her voice drifted off for a long moment. "We were trapped underground. Mount Weather protected us from the radiation but it meant the descendants of the first generation never needed to adapt. Or the ones who didn't have some kind of natural resistance weren't killed off," Lorelei paused and Clarke looked at her to find her staring up at the ceiling.
What Lorelei said was familiar, Clarke's people had gone through something similar, they had adapted to space in more ways than one. She had heard the stories, the challenges the first generations had struggled with.
"We tried making a cure, something that could be passed down from generation to generation until our people grew accustomed to to life on the surface" Lorelei continued. "It backfired," she shrugged her shoulder. "I fucked up."
She glared down at whatever folder she had in her hands.
Clarke nodded her head, not quite in understanding. But she could understand enough that her questions for the time being were sated. Still, she wanted and needed to know more.
"Here," Lorelei said after a moment.
Clarke found her holding a number of folders in her hands.
"That's what we want?" Clarke asked.
Lorelei held the folders up for Clarke to read the print — Project Cerberus
"Everything we need or whatever's left is in here," and Lorelei seemed distant, void of emotion suddenly as if being this close had pushed her mind back years.
Clarke nodded her head as she shrugged her bag off her shoulders and opened it.
"Here," Clarke held the bag open for Lorelei to put the folders inside.
It only took them a minute to gather all the files they needed and Clarke hoped beyond hope that they'd find what they were looking for. As she was closing her bag she also started looking back at the drawers they had gone through, a hope that lost science was still available.
"Once we've cured the reapers," Clarke said. "I'm coming back here," she gestured to everything. "My people, and your people, we can work together with Lexa's people to build, make life better for everyone."
Clarke believed it. She really did.
Lorelei stared at her though and there was something close to resignation in her eyes. Clarke knew enough, she remembered what she had heard, how Lexa's people had rejected what Mount Weather could offer them. She didn't blame them for doing that, not with what had seemingly happened. But she wouldn't give up.
"Come on," Clarke said, perhaps changing the topic would do them all some good. "Let's get out of here," she smiled and gestured for the door. "The others are probably worried."
Clarke didn't let herself think about the fact that she had left them behind. She didn't let herself consider the fact that they might be trapped inside Mount Weather forever. Clarke grabbed her tablet off the table and cast its light across the filing cabinet just one more time.
"Are you sure we've got everything," Clarke asked.
"I'm sure," Lorelei said, she looked back over the cabinet too and Clarke saw her taking note of everything there. "Let's get out of here."
Once back out into the main hallway Clarke felt herself feeling that same anxiety and apprehension. She felt that same oppressive weight on her shoulders as the dark swallowed them whole. As the door to Lorelei's office closed Clarke winced as the subtle creaking of its hinges echoed around them.
She felt Lorelei freeze as they both listened for sounds of reapers but none came. Clarke had to fight the feeling of success that threatened to seep through the anxiety. She wasn't safe, not yet. Not until they were back above ground and behind the guarded walls of Ton DC.
They both started walking forward blindly, Lorelei's presence perhaps a little reassuring, simply because she knew the way back to safety in the dark. Lorelei continued to walk in front of them, her steps slow and measured as Clarke followed close behind. Both women had their hands on the closest wall to help guide them in the pitch black and at times Clarke was sure something would reach out and grab her, would pounce on her and sinks its teeth into her neck.
Perhaps the only real reassurance was the fact that the reapers couldn't see in the dark and that the only way they'd run into any real trouble is if they made noise.
Lorelei paused and Clarke felt her turn to face her in the dark, she felt her lean in closer before she whispered.
"The intersection," Lorelei's voice was barely audible. "Just walk straight, we're almost through this."
Clarke hummed a quiet response and chewed her lip as they started walking forward. She felt the wall disappear from her fingertips and though she knew walking in a straight line was simple, though she knew the distance wasn't far, the loss of tactility, the loss of feeling and the endless pitch black made her feel all the more vulnerable and swamped, dwarfed, consumed by the void of—
Lorelei slipped. Her shoe squeaked on the ground as she fell with an oomph. Clarke tripped, too, something underfoot gave way, and it was soft, wet, she yelped half in surprise and shock and fear and Clarke toppled over.
She managed to catch her footing, she managed to find Lorelei's arm in the dark and hold onto her. Clarke's other hand was braced against the ground. Or whatever was beneath her as she found her balance and— and Clarke froze.
She froze and she didn't dare make a sound.
Clarke didn't know why or how but she knew beyond all doubt that her hand not holding onto Lorelei's hand was pressed against a body lying on the floor beneath them.
Clarke couldn't see it. Couldn't even begin to make sense of what it looked like. But it was still warm.
Her knee was kneeling on something wet and warm and it took her mind far too long to register what it must have been. She knew that same wet on the ground was what Lorelei had slipped on and Clarke's fear began to spike and seep into her very fibres.
And then they heard it.
It was distant. Too near and too far to pinpoint. But it wasn't human, wasn't kind, wasn't friendly.
Clarke's heart started racing in her chest once more, her mind started screaming out at her and she knew all they needed to do was run forward, she knew all they needed to do was move the way they had been going. But she also realised something horrid, something loathsome and unkind.
She didn't know which way she was facing. Not anymore. Not after tripping, not after catching her footing and stumbling onto her knees on the ground, in the dark, surrounded by black and fear and the depths of the Earth.
She heard the shuffling, the snuffling, the growling getting louder, closer, she couldn't tell which direction it came from. She could hear something bumping into walls, bumping into objects in its way as it searched in the dark, as it prowled, guessed, tracked and stalked blindly forward towards them and Clarke hated it, hated the vulnerability, hated the fact she had been the one to be sent down to Earth alone, hated the fact that she was where she was in that moment.
Clarke needed to see, that was their only hope, their only way out of this situation.
She knew she could get her tablet, she knew the screen would give them enough light to see which way to run. They'd have a chance, a chance before the reaper or reapers got to them. If they were fast, if they were lucky and quick on their feet they could make it to the stairwell, get on top of the water tank and get up to the surface. If they were lucky the reapers wouldn't be as sure and agile in getting over the water tank, of following them.
If they were lucky.
Clarke squeezed Lorelei's arm in the dark, she hoped the pressure was reassuring. She squeezed her arm in the dark and hoped beyond hope that Lorelei would understand that she was planning something.
They'd have one chance to run, one chance to flee, one chance to get out of the dark.
Clarke started fumbling for her tablet, her hand was shaking, her body trembling with fear and adrenaline. Weight settled on her shoulders, anxiety pitted in the core of her chest, her stomach twisted into knots. Fear coloured the black of her vision. Trembling fingers searched, hoping, praying not to make more noise than they were.
Clarke's heart was screaming in her ears, her mind was screaming out at her and—
And Clarke found her tablet, she found the only thing that could get them out of situation they were in and she knew they needed to be fast.
Clarke pulled her tablet free, she felt Lorelei shifting barely contained beside her. She pushed the edge of the tablet against Lorelei's shoulder, she pushed it against her body and she felt Lorelei freeze, felt Lorelei seem to understand what Clarke was doing. Clarke sensed more than saw Lorelei nod her head in understand as Clarke pulled her tablet free and pointed the screen outwards. Her fingers were trembling, her mind was bracing for impact as her thumb hovered over the power button.
And so Clarke pressed—
A hand clamped over Clarke's mouth, she felt herself pulled back firmly and she would have gasped had it not been for the grip across her mouth and at the same time she was sure she felt the same happen to Lorelei beside her.
And then Clarke felt breath on the back of her neck.
"Do not make a sound," Lexa's voice whispered against the shell of her ear.