Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 39: Perchance to Dream

Clarke's woken by the sound of shouting nearby. She jerks upright and turns to look at Lexa, a question already on her lips – to find Lexa absent. She stares at the empty spot for a second, heart pounding far too quickly. Lexa. Where is Lexa?

She doesn't even bother to put on clothing, thankful it was cold enough last night that she yanked some pants and a top on before drifting off to sleep. She does go to grab her knives though, only to pause again for a second in shock when she sees that every single one of Lexa's weapons are there. Even the clever sheath Costia made for her sits with her knives. Lexa never goes anywhere without weapons. Even in sleep they're within reaching distance.

Clarke stumbles outside. Some guards are still outside the tent, staying stiffly in their positions, but everyone else is gone. "What's happening?" she says sharply to the nearest gona.

"Heda yelled out," the gona tells her. He's trying to look stoic, but can't quite prevent himself from looking around himself nervously, searching for threats. "The Maunon are here."

Clarke gapes at him for a second. "Where's Lexa?" she says, voice cracking. "Which way is Lexa?"

"The shout came from that way," He gestures and she nearly sprints. She forces herself to keep to a swift jog instead so that she'll still have energy when she reaches the enemy, her guards keeping pace with her easily.

Then there are more gonas in front of her and she's never felt sicker. She can feel the colour drain out of her face. They carry Lexa between them, slumped, boneless, lifeless.

"No," Clarke croaks, staggering back for a second, and then her medical training takes over and she races towards them. She won't fail Lexa this time. She won't. She reaches out, puts her fingers against Lexa's pulse – steady, strong. Clarke takes a deep breath. She's alive. "Where's she injured?" she snaps at the two gonas holding her.

"Maunon sleep darts," Octavia says, appearing from behind them. She looks angry, her eyes snapping with furious energy. "They hit her with two but one didn't get through her armour. The other one hit her right arm. I got it out nearly immediately though."

"What's going on?" another voice intrudes. Clarke glances up briefly before returning her attention to Lexa, lightly slapping her cheeks, double-checking her breathing.

It's a man dressed in Skaikru guard clothing, waving a gun around like he's never held one before. She recognises him as Jay, a guard she's met a few times, including yesterday. There are others behind him, all looking terrified. "Clarke? What's going -" then he gasps. "Charles. Charles!"

"His fight is over," A woman says, and Clarke glances up again from counting Lexa's pulse to realise that more gonas have arrived, this time carrying Pike. Or, she's guessing from the absolute stillness of him and what the gona just said, Pike's body. She doesn't have the attention to check right now.

"You savages!" Jay says furiously, pointing his gun at them. "What did you do to him?"

"They didn't do anything," Octavia snarls at him. "Those are sleep darts, they're used by the Mountain Men. They've been gunning for the Commander for a long time. He must've gotten in their way. "

"Do you really think -" he starts to say to her angrily, then pauses. "Wait. You're the Blake kid. Bellamy's little sister?"

"Yeah," Octavia says, "What's it to you?"

"You're from the Ark," he says obviously. "I'm sorry, dressed like that, I thought..."

"I'm from the Ark," Octavia spits out the word like it's dirty. "And this isn't the time for you to be throwing accusations around. Take your friend's body. Check the darts in him. They're way above what the Trikru and Azgeda are capable of producing."