Chapter 46: Ch. 46 – Clarke Griffin, Future Leader of Skaikru

I laid out on a bed inside the Second Dawn bunker's clinic, nodding my head along with the music in my headphones. There were over a dozen probes connected to my body that were hooked up to a few machines around me as Abby ran her tests. It was the fourth day in a row of these tests, so Raven had stopped joining me so that she could help out with the machines in the bunker. Bellamy had yet to reappear, keeping a wide berth from me, Raven, and even Clarke after she tried to talk to him after his blow-up.

 

"Alright, we're done for the day," Abby sighed as she started disconnecting the probes.

 

"Please, don't sound too excited with my clean bill of health," I chuckled, pulling out my headphones.

 

"It doesn't make sense that you can have these powers and there are no side-effects, yet I still can't find anything wrong with you. In fact, your body is the healthiest that I've ever seen; all of your vitals are perfectly balanced. It shouldn't be possible," she replied.

 

"A lot of things shouldn't be possible when it comes to me," I retorted.

 

"That's true," she was forced to agree.

 

"So, where's Clarke today?" 

 

"With Kane, meeting with Lexa. They are finalizing the distribution of our people between the three locations."

 

"And why does that seem to bother you?" I asked, noticing her displeasure.

 

"Lexa insisted on it. Clarke is not our leader, yet she seems determined to force her into that position."

 

I chuckled, sitting up, "Abby, if I hadn't taken on such a heavy role this time, she would be our leader, even before you and Kane. She led the hundred that you sent down here, she should have been the one to negotiate peace with the Grounders to take down Mount Weather then wiped out the residents of the mountain to save yours, Kane's, Raven's, and even more lives, and her accomplishments grew from there. She was still a bit brash and jaded after everything she experienced, but she still has the potential to be a great leader, especially since we've saved her from some of the hardest decisions that she was forced to make. You need to stop thinking of her as your baby girl and be proud of the beautiful, compassionate, and smart woman that she has become."

 

"Why are people half my age constantly telling me how to 'look' my daughter?"

 

"I, for one, lived to be about the same age as you before I died in a car accident of all things, but it's also because you haven't been able to see her growth. Last time, everything slapped you in the face with the reality of it all. And after Alie, you had no choice but to truly accept it. She's got to grow up at some point, right? Just be happy that she isn't carrying the same burdens this time around," I replied, sliding off the medical bed.

 

"Are things going to get better for us? For you?"

 

I shrugged, "The only danger that we faced during our time underground was from the inside, but I'm sure that you have an understanding of how hard it can be to control a group of people in a confined space with limited resources. After that, we just need to secure Diyoza's ship and then the only craziness that should follow is managing all of the different groups that will be living together in Eden and the bunkers, but by that time, who would be foolish enough to fight against me or Lexa after we have six years to truly focus on our training, especially with a spaceship on our side."

 

"I hope it's as easy as you make it sound," Abby replied.

 

"You and me both. Things may be a lot better than the original timeline, but there has been enough death already."

 

She sighed and nodded her head.

 

"Come on, cheer up. Aren't you the one who always preaches about never giving up hope?" I asked with a light smile.

 

She smirked, "Get out of here before Raven comes looking for you. Tell her that we'll be leaving in two days, so you both need to pack."

 

"Does that mean that I'm done with these tests?" I asked with a chuckle.

 

"You are until we reach Becca's Island, but I need you to bring the other one tomorrow, so I can run a few tests on her. Lexa has assured me that she is in good health, but I want to confirm it."

 

"I'll bring Echo down in the morning then. Thanks for everything, Abby," I said with a smile.

 

"You're welcome," she said before she headed over to her desk.

 

I walked out of the room and made my way down to Level C where the hydrofarm and water recycler was located. Both were fully up and running, but it was still the most likely place to find Raven since there were a few teams working to expand production of the farm. Nearly every inch of available space was being converted into places where the shallow tanks could be set up. While it did increase the chances that mold could spread through the farm which had been what led to the disaster during the dark period within the bunker, the hope behind doing this was that we could build up a larger reserve of soybeans since they could be dried and stored for years.

 

Raven and a few others were installing another tank, so I stood off to the side and looked at all of the growing plants. The tanks by me were growing lettuce in three rows with ten in each row, and nearly ready to be harvested. The familiar, tightly packed ball of green leaves made me think of my old life where I would see iceberg lettuce packed on the shelves of the grocery store, wrapped in plastic to keep it fresh. It was strange to see the food that I ate growing, but it also made me realize how spoiled I had been in my past life. Food just came to a grocery store and was bought with money, never having to think about everything that went into making it.

 

I reached out and touched the plant, but instead of just feeling the cool leaves, I sensed a slight fluctuation within it. It was hard for me to detect, but there was the faintest hint of mana inside the plant. It was not quite the same as Earth, Water, or Light, yet it was more like a combination of the three. The story where my powers originated from did not combine the elements, so I did not know how it was possible, but then again, Light was not an original element.

 

"Whatcha doing?" a familiar voice asked.

 

I looked up and found Monty giving me a curious look. I chuckled, pulling my hand away, and replied, "Nothing really. It's just nice to see the plants growing so well. I didn't even know you were in Polis; how have you been?"

 

"Pretty good. They have me and my mom bouncing between here, Mount Weather, and Arkadia, working on different projects to get the farms going at peak efficiency which is easier said than done," he replied with a smile.

 

"And the rest of our motley band? Anything interesting that happened while I was gone?"

 

"Not really. Everybody has just been getting ready for the end of the world."

 

"I get that," I chuckled lightly. "How's Jasper been?"

 

"Better," he said, despite the change in his tone, "He's stopped getting drunk every night, but he is still pushing people away."

 

"Don't worry, and don't give up on him. It's never easy to lose someone that you love. Just be there for him when he comes around and you'll get him back," I replied with some hope.

 

He nodded his head with a weak smile.

 

"Abby let you out early," Raven remarked as she walked up from behind me.

 

I turned around and said, "I'm done, for now at least. Tomorrow, it's Echo's turn and then we're off again."

 

"Where are you guys going?" Monty asked.

 

"An island that Lexa knows about. There is a lot of tech inside the lab there, so before Sinclair and his team can dismantle everything, Abby is going to run some more advanced tests on me, trying to figure out where my powers come from. Raven and Echo, from the Ice Nation, are the two people who have been the most exposed to them, so she also wanted to check them," I explained with an easy lie since revealing that we were becoming Nightbloods would be dangerous if it got out.

 

"You never stop moving, huh?" he asked with a chuckle.

 

"Once Praimfaya happens, I plan on slowing down a little," I retorted.

 

"Sure you will," Raven chuckled.

 

I rolled my eyes, but still smiled and then excused us, saying, "Well, we have some packing to do, and I need to tell Echo before it gets too late in the day, so we'll see you later, Monty."

 

"Have fun," he replied.

 

I smirked and walked away with Raven while he went back to work. We walked hand in hand through the bunker and up to the surface. By the sky, it was less than an hour before sunset, so Lexa's daily meetings should be coming to an end soon. We headed back to the tower and took the elevator up to our floor. There was no one to run into through the halls, but when we walked into Lexa's suite, Clarke and Kane were still there.

 

"Octavia, good timing. We are finalizing the leaders for each bunker and your opinion would be helpful," Lexa said as we walked in.

 

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but alright," I replied with a shrug and headed for an empty chair with Raven at my side.

 

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"You are just trying to pressure me into agreeing with you," Kane complained.

 

That made my eyebrow raise as I looked between them for an explanation as we sat down, but it was Clarke who provided it.

 

"Lexa wants to put me in charge of Polis bunker as the Skaikru representative while Kane goes to Mount Weather," Clarke said.

 

I chuckled, thinking about my conversation earlier with Abby, and asked, "Two questions: who else will be positioned in the different bunkers, and where will Abby be?"

 

"For the bunker here, I plan on placing Luna kom Floukru and Barshu kom Yujleda while Mount Weather will have King Roan and Indra. Abby would also be in Mount Weather as their main doctor, Jackson in Arkadia, and Clarke would also double as Polis's doctor," Lexa explained.

 

"Clarke is not fully trained as a doctor, nor is she old enough to be leading over a thousand people even if it's jointly," Kane insisted.

 

I sighed, rubbing my temples since I knew that there was more than one reason behind the placement. I gave Lexa a look, asking a silent question, to which she smiled lightly and nodded her head.

 

"Honestly, Kane," I agreed with another sigh, "it will be the safest place for her. Even if Roan is willing to work with us, the grudge between Trikru and Azgeda is deep so managing those two groups will be difficult for anyone but you. Place Azgeda with either of the other candidates for leadership and there is a chance that Roan might try to take control. I want to believe in him, he's shown me that he is capable of seeing the bigger picture, but we killed Nia because she would turn on Lexa; it was just a matter of when and Roan is her son."

 

"How am I supposed to tell Abby that she won't see her daughter for six years?" Kane complained.

 

"That's your problem," I chuckled. "What's your opinion on it, Clarke? It's been a while since you had to be in charge, and I'm more than happy to have a break from it."

 

"We don't have a lot of options, since Lexa won't allow anyone with ties to Farm Station to lead a bunker and insists that the majority of the Guard be stationed at Mount Weather," Clarke replied.

 

"With Roan and Indra there, 'we' have to be the peacekeepers. I don't know much of Barshu, but Luna... wait, Floukru is still fine and intact, right?" I asked, suddenly remembering how she went crazy before the Conclave and wanted everyone to die in Praimfaya.

 

"Yes, and due to move into the bunker at the end of the month, preventing them from being poisoned by radiation. In fact, Luna is the one who will be traveling with you to the island and donating the bone marrow for you and Echo, so you can confirm she is still the same before Alie," Lexa assured.

 

I let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Then Luna is one of the kindest people that you'll meet among the Grounders. Floukru only accepts members who are done with the fighting and want peace, which she leads. With her there as a leader, she will listen to you and there is a lot she could teach you as well."

 

"What happened before that made you concerned about her?" Kane asked.

 

I made a face while Lexa chuckled at my discomfort. "In her defense, she had to suffer the worst of Alie's wrath originally, watching her lover kill many of her people before she killed him herself to save her adopted daughter, and then the few that remained were all killed by radiation poisoning except for her due to her Nightblood, including said daughter. She worked with Abby and a couple of people to recreate the Nightblood serum, but after everything that happened throughout that process and the fact that we couldn't create enough to save everyone, she turned on... well, everyone. In the Final Conclave, if she had won, no one would have been allowed to use the bunker and everyone would be killed."

 

Kane, Clarke, and Raven looked a little disturbed by what I revealed, but there was something about it that resonated with all of us since each of us had lost someone close to them in a tragic way. There was a hatred that came when a loved one's life was taken by another, and the repeated blows to Luna, followed by losing everyone else she had... It was not hard to understand how she could just snap and decide that humanity itself was not worth saving.

 

"Luna is still the peaceful woman that I remember, I assure you, but everyone has a breaking point," Lexa said.

 

"I'll do it," Clarke agreed.

 

"That's three to one, Kane, unless you want to pull in Raven too, but I would hope that you trust Octavia, Clarke, and I more at this point," Lexa taunted with an easygoing smile.

 

Kane sighed, "You're coming with me to tell her then, Clarke."

 

"Please also tell Abby about the function of my mark. Octavia should be able to make her own in another month or two if I get the chance to teach her before Praimfaya; either way, Octavia can replace my mark with her own if she would rather not trust me," Lexa added.

 

"I'll let her know," Kane said, standing up. "Have a good evening."

 

"You as well," Lexa replied with a nod.

 

Kane headed for the door while Clarke stood up slowly. There was a short moment when Clarke and Lexa's eyes met, and Lexa gave her a gentle, reassuring smile, but it made me roll my eyes internally since I could see the signs. I waited until both of them left the room, before I let out a loud sigh which drew a glare from Lexa.

 

"Is there something that you'd like to say, Rebecca?" Lexa asked with a hint of a growl.

 

"Is Echo not enough for you?" I retorted.

 

"I have Lexa's memories," she said quietly. "There will always be a part of me that loves her. Can you really fault me?"

 

I sighed, "I'm sorry."

 

"It's fine; I just want you to understand. So, what brought you here other than 'fate' to help me with Kane?"

 

"Abby wants to run a few tests on Echo tomorrow morning, and I figured that this was the best place to find her," I replied.

 

"Echo! Octavia needs to talk to you," Lexa called out.

 

I chuckled as I leaned towards Raven and kissed her cheek. "So, which room of the mansion did you choose for us?"

 

"The one closest to the garage," she replied with a faint blush on her cheeks at the display of affection.

 

I chuckled, sliding my chair closer to hers, and whispered in her ear, "Just don't be too distracted with whatever toy you are playing with while I deal with all of Abby's tests. I expect to be your number one toy."

 

"Will you stop?" she playfully growled.

 

"I would say, 'get a room you two', but even that has proven to not be enough to keep me from hearing your nightly activities," Lexa remarked.

 

While Raven turned crimson, I chuckled, "Does that mean we should settle on either side of Eden? I would hate for you to be bothered every night."

 

"Don't tempt me, Rebecca. I've lived longer than you, and I know how to touch a woman properly. Rely on those tricks you've stolen from me; I don't need them to satisfy my partner," Lexa retorted with a cocky grin.

 

I opened my mouth to fight back, but Raven was a step ahead of me and threatened, "If you say another word, I'll stay in one of the bunkers for the next six years."

 

Although I knew that she was bluffing, I also knew better than to call her on it. I let out a huff then rested my head on Raven's shoulder. There was a faint trace of jealousy in the look that Lexa gave me, but I passed it off as the fact that Echo and she could not be as affectionate. Echo walked out of the back rooms a moment later, and I kissed Raven's cheek before I sat up straight.

 

"Enjoying the simple life?" I taunted.

 

"Keep your powers in check and say that to me again," Echo snapped.

 

"I'm not looking for fight," I said, holding my hands up in surrender. "Abby, the doctor that we need to turn us into Natblidas, wants to run her tests on you. She'll draw some blood and hook up some probes on you, but otherwise, it's fine. She just wants to make sure that you are healthy, and I've been dealing with it the past few days, so I'm sure you'll survive the one day that she has requested."

 

Echo snorted at my explanation and sat down next to Lexa which made me smile. She may not have the exact same level of relationship with Echo as I did with Raven, but it was good to see that someone else was there for her. I picked up Raven's hand and laced my fingers in between hers which made her give me a loving smile.

 

"So, when do you leave because I need to talk to Luna?" Lexa asked.

 

"Two days, so long as Echo is healthy," I replied.

 

"Good, then I'll arrange things with Luna since I'm not able to go this time because I'm needed here to manage this mess," Lexa said with a sigh towards the end.

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