Chapter 2: Together
Clarke and Octavia bond.
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Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds
-Oppenheimer
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She screamed and kicked as they grabbed onto her struggling to get her into the room. Her friends looked up as she was pushed in.
Octavia's eyes went wide. "What the hell did you do to her!"
Clarke groaned and slumped on the floor; her head bleeding and her mouth coughed up blood from her biting her tongue.
A disciple turned around. "We didn't do anything to her." He looked at her. "She did it to herself." The door shut and he took one last look at her before walking away.
Miller's eyes scanned her. Her hair was a mess, all frizzy, and her head was bleeding badly. "Clarke, are you okay?" He watched as she nodded. Then laughed. Then nodded again.
"Clarke?" Niylah's voice wavered as she walked up to her friend and ex-lover. She put her hand in Clarke's. It was warm. Too warm. "Clarke, what happened? What did they do to you?"
Octavia barged into the conversation. "They shocked her. They forced her to share her memories. They hurt her and didn't stop. That's what happened."
Echo shook her head. "Clarke, I know I've always hated you, but no one deserves this. Grounder punishments were cruel, the physical pain excruciating, but I can't imagine the mental pain you had to go through."
Clarke nodded. The corner of her lip twitched up.
"Did you find an anchor Clarke?" Clarke looked at Octavia and shook her head.
"Not yet." A tear dropped down her cheek. "He just watched O. He just watched as Cadogan increased the dial higher and higher. They saw everything O."
Octavia nodded. "I know Clarke, I know." She shook her head. "That stupid brother of mine. First it was Pike and now it's this."
Clarke felt the bubbling in her chest and before she could help it, she burst out laughing. Laughing so much tears rolled down her cheeks. "You know what's funny?" She sniffed. "He left me. Then I left him. And now he's left me again." She frowned. "Is it every going to end?"
Silence filled the room. No one spoke. They didn't know what to say. Then Octavia broke the silence. "Clarke." She put a hand on her leg. "Clarke. Find an anchor. Find something. Anything. Don't let them do this. You need to fight it Clarke! You survived the grounders - no offense Echo - you survived the Mountain Men." She smiled. "You kicked A.L.I.E's AI butt! You survived the end of the world Clarke! And you survived the Primes! If you survived all of that, you can survive this."
Clarke shook her head. "No Octavia. The only reason I survived is because I killed people." She looked Octavia straight in the eyes. "I killed so many people. Wanheda killed so many people!" She shook and shifted her eyes to the side suddenly gaining interest in the wall. "I held a gun to my head Octavia. I held a gun to my head when I was left on Earth! I lost my friends." She mimicked her words. "I lost my father. I lost my mother."
She put her hands on her head and looked down. "I'm done O. I can't do this anymore--"
"Don't be selfish Clarke!" Her head shot up as Raven spoke. "Think about Madi. How do you think she would feel if her mother didn't come back? She doesn't even know you're gone and yet she's waiting for you. She needs you Clarke."
Clarke vibrated and she stood up stumbling but catching herself before she fell. "Selfish?" She walked over to Raven. "Selfish!" She scoffed. "Raven, do you know how I felt when you hated me? When you left me on the ground to die just like my mother!." She laughed but cut it short. "What was it you said before? Oh yeah."
She paused leaning in. "She stopped being a kid the moment you sent her down to die."
Raven's eyes went wide. "Clarke--"
"No! Don't speak Raven! You don't get to speak!" She walked back to the other side of the room. "I didn't want Shaw to die. I tried to save him! I tried Raven! I tried! But hey!" She shrugged. "Blame it all on me. Because whenever I'm around, people always die. Death follows me around like a shadow. Wanheda."
She sat back down on the floor. All eyes were on her. She repeated the words she'd said years ago. "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine! I'll be the bad guy."
Raven opened her mouth to speak but closed it. She would only make it worse if she spoke anymore. And so she sighed and leaned against the wall crossing her arms together against her chest and focusing on anything besides Clarke.
Octavia watched her. Watched the woman who'd stole her Brother's heart, broke it and then stole it again. "Clarke. Remember Blodreina? Remember the woman who had to hide under the floor again as we escaped Praimfaya? Remember how I was after. How I enjoyed the pain. How I laughed. How I killed people for entertainment. To please the others? Remember who I used to be?"
Clarke nodded.
"I overcame it Clarke. I looked Blodreina in the eyes and stabbed a sword into her stomach. I defeated her."
Clarke nodded.
"So Clarke. You look Wanheda in the eyes and you destroy her too. You are not Wanheda."
Clarke nodded. Then laughed. She looked Octavia in the eyes again. But this time she saw Bellamy. Her warm eyes a reflection of Bellamy's. "Now here's something I thought I'd never see. the Red Queen comforting the Commander of Death."
Octavia smiled burst out laughing. "You know what Bell would say right now?"
Everyone smiled as Octavia and Clarke spoke, their voices merging together to make one voice. "Together."