Chapter 41: Ch. 41 – Raven and Lexa: Successful Plans in Motion

Darkness. That was all that Raven could see as she was pulled through the Shadow Realm. It was longer than either time that she had moved through this strange layer of space, and there were moments when she could almost see the hands grabbing for her despite the blackness. Something lived within this plane of existence, and it was hungry.

When the light returned, Lexa collapsed to her knees as she clutched her head. Raven knelt down next to her and set her gear to the side then pulled out a rag to wipe away the streaks of blood that were dripping from Lexa's eyes. She eased her against the wall and passed over the cloth.

"Don't forget... the door," Lexa groaned.

"I know, now meditate and leave protecting us to me for a little bit," Raven replied.

"Thanks," she said with a weak smile.

While Lexa started meditating, Raven stood up and grabbed her bag. Lexa had brought them straight into the server room inside the mansion, bypassing all of Alie's defense systems, so no one knew that they were there, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Raven locked the deadbolt, but then pulled out a few things to jam up the door and tie it shut it. There was only so much she could do, so after she finished with the door, she started setting up the small computer that she had brought, but she waited to connect anything to the mainframe on the chance that it might alert her sooner. A few hours later, things were still quiet when Lexa reopened her eyes.

"You better?" Raven asked.

"It's downgraded from mind-numbing pressure to a simple headache, so I'll be fine. Is everything ready?"

"Just waiting on the go ahead to hook everything up."

Lexa nodded her head and stood up slowly. She walked over to the door then knelt down and placed her hands on the stone floor. Unlike Octavia, whose mana could easily infuse into the different elements, Lexa would create a field of black around her because she was fighting the natural world around her. Black spindles stretched out from under Lexa and spread out along the edge of the door, slowly building up a stone wall on the inside of the room.

"Damn, she makes that look too easy," Lexa huffed as she had created a foot high wall that completely locked the door shut.

"Says the other superpowered human that can jump through the Shadows and move faster than the eye can see," Raven retorted.

Lexa chuckled as she stood back up then headed over to the computer that Raven had set up. While they stayed in the lighthouse bunker for a day, Lexa realized that the Flame could still function with its original purpose when Raven had set up the little computer. Everything that she saw, the AI chip could analyze and process, then give her step-by-step instructions on how to complete whatever task she wanted. Raven had even put her through a few tests to see if she could stump her on anything, but the Flame always won out.

"Let's do this," Lexa said as she placed her hands on the keyboard.

Raven nodded her head and grabbed the cables attached to the computer. She started attaching the ends to the different racks to make sure that Alie could not sever one specific spot. Lexa waited until three lines were connected then she pulled up the command window and started hacking into the system. Things were quiet, at first, as Lexa used the Flame to combat Alie's firewalls, but she had more than virtual defenses. Something pounded heavily on the door which caused both of their heads to turn.

"Alie blocks all types of pain, so they won't stop unless they are dead. Can you do it, or do I need to?" Lexa asked.

Raven pulled out the two guns from the back of her waistband and replied, "Just shut the damn thing down; I'll handle the door."

Lexa gave her a nod and returned her attention to the computer. Another heavy blow landed on the door as Raven walked up and took a deep breath. When the next blow hit, she aimed her pistol and fired through the door a few times. The next bang was softer and slightly off place, but she still opened fire again, aiming for the person on the other side.

While Raven handled the door, Lexa channeled a bit of her mana to enhance the speed of her fingers as she typed away, breaking down every firewall that Alie put up. Within a few minutes, she broke through the Citadel defenses and input the kill code that was buried within the memory of the Flame. The constant hum of the machine fans throughout the server room suddenly went out and all of the lights shut off.

"Did you do it?" Raven asked.

"I think so... but there is one way to know for sure," Lexa replied.

Raven moved aside as Lexa walked up to the door and placed a hand on the stone wall that was blocking the door. She channeled her mana into it then pulled it away since it was easier than reforming the floor properly. When she opened the door, there were three people lying in the hallway, two dead, but the last was still alive though not for long. Lexa hurried over to the Frikdreina man and knelt down at his side.

"You destroyed... it... our peace, our hope," he coughed in Trigedasleng with blood staining his lips.

"I'm sorry... but your fight is over," Lexa replied in their language then snapped his neck so that he would not have to suffer any longer. She sighed and looked over her shoulder at Raven then nodded her head, saying, "Alie is gone."

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

Raven and Lexa stood on the end of the dock as they watched a ship slowly approach. It had been nearly a week since Alie was shut down and both women had combed the databanks in both the mansion and the lab for any traces of the rogue AI, but they had found nothing. With that confirmation, Raven had sent out a message to Mount Weather and asked Abby to come.

"Chancellor Griffin, it is good to see you again," Lexa said as the boat drifted up to the edge of the dock.

"It's just Doctor Griffin, now. Kane was officially elected to the Chancellor position last week," Abby replied.

"Good, he is a very capable leader and I'm sure your patients will appreciate your sole focus."

"It's hard focus on them when I'm all the way out here," she huffed.

Raven chuckled, "I don't think she's forgiven you for sending Clarke to the Ice Nation yet."

"I assure you that your daughter is in excellent hands with Octavia watching over her," Lexa replied.

Abby gave her an annoyed look, but did not comment further as she stepped onto the dock. There were a couple more people from Skaikru on the ship and they started securing the boat to the dock while the three of them walked back to shore.

"How have your tests gone with recreating the Nightblood serum?" Lexa asked.

"Nowhere... I don't understand how it was created in the first place. Nothing that I have tried has been able to fuse the Nightblood into the protein chains," Abby explained with a sigh.

"As I told you, without a zero-G environment, it will be impossible. The bone marrow is our only option."

"There's that rocket back in the lab. Could we use it?" Raven suggested.

"While its possible, I would not recommend it. Aside from the difficulties that would come using the rocket, my people believe that Nightblood is something holy and the mark of the Commanders. Turning everyone into Natblidas will destabilize things further and Eden cannot support that many people while the bunkers are going to be stretched to their limits as is. The serum can't save everyone, just allow a few to travel between the locations... Besides, I'm not about to tell Octavia that I let you go into space. I don't need her any madder at me than she will be when we're all back together."

"And when will that be?" Abby asked.

"Mid-February, but I'll need to return to Polis and start arranging things before I have an exact date. I plan on announcing Praimfaya at a summit of the clan leaders, so Clarke will be back at your side soon enough," Lexa replied.

Abby huffed, "My daughter is just a child, and you sent her into a dangerous kingdom with only a few other kids and a single guard."

"Abby... she stopped being a kid the day you sent her down here to die, all of them did," Raven sighed. "You have no idea what it was like before Octavia met Lexa. Clarke and Bellamy are the reason why we all survived until then."

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Abby sighed, but did not argue.

"Allow me to show you to the mansion and then the lab. You and your people are welcome to any room that neither of us have taken; there are plenty, I assure you," Lexa said as the rest of the Skaikru members walked up.

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

Raven sat in the garage of the mansion with grease and oil covering her hands and forearms as she disassembled one of the motorcycles that she had brought over from the lighthouse bunker. In the background, AWOLNATION's 'Kill Your Heroes' was blasting through the speakers, and she swayed along with the rhythm with a light smile on her face. If anyone would have told her how different her life could be in four months, she would have called them crazy, but here she was, living it out.

Lexa watched Raven for a few minutes from the shadows, amazed by the difference between her in the show and who she was now. Lexa had yet to really see the effects of the changes that she and Octavia had made, but this was something that Octavia had done on her own. The strong, stubborn Raven that would not back down from anything was still there, but there was a lightness to her, since she did not have the same burdens from the show. She could smile and have fun, which truly made Lexa feel good when she saw the difference.

"Abby wants to run another test before we head back to Polis," Lexa said as she shut off the music.

"This is the fourth one," Raven groaned as she dropped her wrench into the toolbox at her side.

"Well, it should be the last one for a while. We're leaving in the morning, and she'll be heading back to Mount Weather while we stay in Polis."

"I'd rather stay here," Raven remarked as she stood up. "No offense, but it's nice being able to have a hot shower whenever I want."

"I completely agree, but there is still a lot that that I have to manage with my people, and I'm not leaving you unattended."

Raven smirked, "Are you really that worried about Rebecca?"

"The sheer fact that you keep insisting on calling her 'Rebecca' is what makes me so worried. She may not hate me, but we are obviously tied together, so I would prefer to not make her angry. I'd like to be friends with her, rather than just someone that she tolerates."

Raven gave her a look of suspicion as she walked over to her and said with a slightly threatening tone, "She's mine."

"I know... but it would be nice if you would share, especially if I teach her some of the tricks that I can do. You'd be surprised at the effectiveness of superspeed when applied to the right places," Lexa teased, wriggling her fingers at such high speeds that they were blurs.

"Damn... you're just as bad as her with that cockiness," Raven retorted, rolling her eyes, although there was a faint blush in her cheeks as she imagined Octavia using the same power.

"The powers help, but I did have plenty of practice in my past life and in this one," Lexa chuckled as she held out a hand.

Raven rolled her eyes again, then took Lexa's hand. The next moment, Lexa drew them into the Shadow Realm and raced over to the lab with Raven in tow. Abby jumped when the two suddenly appeared in the shadows which made both of them chuckle.

"It's been a week, Abby. Even I got used to it quicker than you," Raven laughed.

"Is there something wrong with just walking like a normal person? We have no idea what effects those powers have on your body, and others who don't have them," Abby chided.

Lexa shrugged, "There isn't, but I don't get a lot of chances to practice when I'm in Polis, managing everything. As for the effects... well, we only live once, right?"

Raven started snickering off to the side which made Abby sigh since she knew that this was Lexa's second life, in a sense. Of course, Raven knew more, but she was not going to reveal it casually.

"Well, come on. I want to confirm that there are still no differences between your blood," Abby said, motioning both of them over to the bench.

"I'm starting to feel like a pincushion," Raven complained as she sat down with Lexa.

"At least the next time that we have to do this, Octavia will be around to heal us. Her powers are bound to have grown with how much Nia is probably working her," Lexa replied.

"Don't think I'm going to let her start this procedure without running even more tests on her so that I can see if there have been any changes while she was gone," Abby said, picking up a syringe and turning towards Raven.

"I'm sure that she will pass them all," Lexa said.

Abby hummed but did not argue as she drew a sample of Raven's blood. As she pulled back on the plunger, black blood filled up the tube.

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

Lexa and Raven appeared in Raven's room within the Second Dawn Bunker. They had left their bags with Abby's group that was on their way into Polis since they could not re-enter the city with them.

"I'll be moving you into a cell today or tomorrow, but I'll break you out after Azgeda has a chance to see you," Lexa said.

"Can't I stay here? There is nothing for me to do in the tower and we still have a month to keep all of this going," Raven complained.

"No, we've all got to play our parts for Nia to fall into this trap, and yours is to be bored out of your mind, unfortunately," Lexa retorted. "Find some books or something because you'll be staying in my room unless you want to stay in the cell."

"I get the bed."

"As you wish," Lexa replied before she vanished.

When she reappeared, she was standing in her bedroom at the top of the tower in Polis. She let out a sigh of relief and collapsed back onto her bed. Although she had enjoyed her time away, there were constant doubts and fears in the back of her mind because so much could go wrong. With those thoughts returning to the front of her mind, she forced herself to sit up and then stood up, heading for her throne room.

Thankfully, she was in luck and Titus was already there, looking over some paperwork. Lexa smiled and walked over to him. He was startled by her sudden appearance, but smiled back at her when he realized it was her.

"It is good to see that you have returned, Heda," Titus said.

"I agree. My city is still standing, so I am sure you have done an excellent job, seda (teacher)," Lexa replied. "How have things been with Azgeda?"

"Quiet," he answered as he handed her several sheets of paper. "From your dead drops, but I am not sure these are what you wanted."

She smirked as she looked at the series of dots and dashes which were morse code. It was a dead language in the 100, but she had a love of languages in her past life and memorized over a dozen, including morse code. She taught Echo when she had been here, but as she translated it, it was clear that she had mixed up a few letters here and there. There were only two messages in total since it was difficult for Echo to slip away from Nia's side without drawing attention to herself, but it was enough since both said that Nia had yet to start mobilizing her army. They also revealed that Roan had returned to Troit and that Octavia and he were getting along well.

"It looks like everything is going to plan. Now, we just need to figure out when to reveal Praimfaya," Lexa said, placing the papers down on the table.

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