Movements
Chapter Four: Movements
Lexa and Clarke woke just before dawn, Clarke helping Lexa get dressed while complaining all the while about how Lexa shouldn't be doing this. How it was too soon after her injury to do this, et cetera, et cetera. Lexa kept quiet, letting Clarke air out her worries. It didn't bother her that Clarke was complaining like this, in fact, it just showed Lexa that she cared about her wellbeing.
Clarke began to braid Lexa's hair back and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Clarke's fingers through her hair. Her fingers gently ran through her hair, pulling pieces back in a way that even though Clarke was frustrated with Lexa, she never hurt her. Lexa appreciated that.
When she was finished with her hair, Lexa stood and took a deep breath. "It's time," she told Clarke, gazing out at the window. The first hints of dawn began to show at the horizon and the pair made their way down to the city square.
There, ambassadors from eleven of the twelve clans were present, ready to watch the execution of one of the last Flamekeepers in existence. Clarke knew that after this, Lexa would send out a search for another one, though she wasn't sure where to find them.
Clarke was in her own world when Lexa began to address the crowd that gathered. She zoned in on Titus, who was tied up, glaring at her. Clarke felt chills run up her spine as she stared back at Titus with all the confidence and indifference that she could manage.
That's when Lexa began to move toward him. She was unhappy, Clarke knew, but she didn't show it. Only the Commander was present there in the square in front of Titus. Lexa was tucked away, only to come out for Clarke to see.
Titus spoke in Trigedasleng to Lexa. "Disha ste wrong, Heda," (This is wrong, Commander) he hissed at her. "This sky girl will be the death of you and the death of us all." His voice raised to seem as if he was addressing the crowd that came to watch.
Lexa bristled, a snarl rising to her lips. "The only one who would be the death of me and everyone else here is you, Titus. It is why I don't kill Wanheda, it is why the punishment falls on you." Lexa held her hand out and a soldier off to the side placed a knife in it.
The spectators became silent as they watched Heda bring her knife to Titus' chest for the first cut. Then, she turned around and held it out to Wanheda.
Clarke blinked, shocked for a moment before recovering and hiding her expression beneath a cool mask she's watched Lexa put up too many times. She took a few steps forward and took the knife from Lexa, her hand not shaking from pure willpower.
"The attempt was on your life, Wanheda," Lexa spoke in her Commander's voice. "You must have the second blood."
She didn't like it but slowly drew a line of red parallel to Lexa's. Clarke kept her emotions far from her body language and face as she carried this out. Titus' eyes bore holes into hers, pooling with hatred. Clarke wondered how he could hate her so much solely for loving Lexa. She couldn't understand it.
The ambassadors had their turns with Titus, then it went back to Lexa's hands. She strung another long line, then Clarke drew one in red too. Back to the ambassadors. The scent of blood didn't bother Clarke and hasn't bothered her, but the sight of someone being tortured...that was another story. She had killed Finn to protect him from this kind of death, and so she felt sorry for Titus. He had no one here who would grant him the sweet release of death.
His punishment continued until Lexa's confidence was shaken as she stared at the man who guided her through her time of being the Commander. She gestured for a sword, taking aim. She would've asked if he had any last words, but he was too dazed to respond.
Taking a breath, Lexa said softly, "Yu gonplei ste odon," then drove the sword into Titus' heart, killing him instantly. She looked to the soldiers. "Take him down and call for a funeral pyre to be made."
They bowed their heads and hurried to carry out her orders.
Lexa walked with confidence, her head held high as she entered into her building, headed toward her room. With each step she took farther and farther from watchful eyes, Clarke could see her stature beginning to waver. She wanted to help her carry some of the weight, either her physical weight or the mental kind.
When they were in the safety of her own room, Lexa's breathing was ragged.
"Hey," Clarke's voice was kind and quiet as she carefully took Lexa's hand. "I'm sorry. I know he meant a lot to you, regardless of what he did." Lexa didn't meet her eyes. Clarke pursed her lips, worried. "Take a seat, please," she requested, pulling Lexa toward the couch.
Lexa didn't resist and Clarke had her seated on the couch, though it seemed like she was still in a daze.
"How are your stitches holding up?" Clarke questioned, trying to change the tone of the conversation in order to stop Lexa from dissociating. Lexa looked at her, registering that Clarke was there with her. Clarke asked the question again, causing her to shrug in response. Now, she asked a different question. "How much pain are you in?"
This seemed to snap Lexa out of it, as Clarke knew it would. She straightened her spine, taking a sharp breath. "Very little pain," she responded. "I'm okay. You shouldn't worry about me, but rather about Murphy. He'll either be Skaikru's salvation or their worst enemy," Lexa told her.
Clarke seemed to sober up from that thought as well. She nodded gravely, staring out the window behind Lexa.
"I'm sorry, Clarke," Lexa said, stiffening up with worry. She didn't want Clarke to be angry with her if Murphy fails. She was the one who put him up to the task, so the blame would fall on her, and Lexa was terrified of that. She didn't want to lose Clarke again.
To Lexa's surprise, Clarke sighed, saying, "Don't be. I know you've done everything you can to help me and I appreciate that more than anything. Now, it's out of our control. We just have to hope Murphy survives Arkadia."
Murphy was just as surprised to see Raven as she was to see him. They stared at each other, a bit stunned before Raven shook her head dismissively. "Abby, I need to talk to you," she said, looking at the doctor with near-frantic eyes.
He watched as the two women interacted silently before Abby walked away at a brisk pace, Raven in tow. Murphy took long strides to keep up with them, nearly flinching when Jasper slid out from the shadows unexpectedly.
"I'm surprised you're still alive," Murphy said to him, barely sparing him a second glance.
Jasper responded in the next second, "me too."
They turned a corner and stepped into a room with medical supplies. Abby turned to face Raven, stepping anxiously in place with a grave expression. "Well?" She questioned. "What'd you find out?"
"I know how to stop A.L.I.E."
It seemed as if everyone collectively inhaled sharply. Abby was the first to break, taking another breath, a slower one. "How?" Raven glanced over her shoulder as if someone was standing there that shouldn't be. Her eyes landed on Murphy. "Raven, he's with us," Abby explained.
Raven scowled in response but continued nonetheless. "The bracelets that you sent us to the ground with, I could rewire it and destroy the chip and stop A.L.I.E.. I could fix this, Abby." The hope Raven had was painfully obvious. "We have to leave as soon as possible. Jaha knows by now, because of A.L.I.E.. It's like a hive mind..." Raven droned away, motioning with her hands animatedly as she spoke.
"So what I'm hearing," Murphy cut in, "is that you need to make sure Jaha doesn't get there first."
Raven said nothing and nodded instead.
Murphy adjusted his sling and took a step back toward the exit. "I'll take care of it. You go get those bracelets."
Walking with purpose, Murphy slipped through hallways and went in search of the crazy old man. Turning down another hallway, he found his way into the mess hall. There, Jaha was unsurprisingly surrounded by at least ten people. Murphy kept his distance, sitting down in one of the farthest chairs while watching Jaha carefully. He couldn't kill him here, not with everyone around, especially not his devoted followers.
Murphy must've been sitting there for at least an hour before Jaha stood, worry lines creasing his forehead but his nauseating smile ever-present. He nodded to his cult members and turned on his heel, leaving the mess hall.
He got to his feet and waited until Jaha was out of the room before walking at a quick pace after him. He spotted Jaha at the end of the hall, going left. Murphy followed. Next, Jaha went right. Murphy hurried after.
This led him outside, where Jaha was slipping out of camp.
"Oh no you don't," Murphy mumbled, crouching down until Jaha was a good ways away before following him through the hidden hole in the fence.
Jaha was moving at a fast pace in the woods, not worried about looking over his shoulder. Murphy supposed that A.L.I.E. was telling Jaha it was completely safe to simply not pay attention to his surroundings.
Murphy would have to thank A.L.I.E. for making it easy to kill Jaha before Raven destroys her.
After ten minutes of walking, Jaha suddenly stopped. Murphy ducked behind a tree, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Come on out, John." Jaha's voice wasn't taunting, which aggravated Murphy. "I know you're there."
Pulling the gun from his sling, Murphy stepped out from behind the tree with it raised. "Looks like you've found me, but I still win," Murphy smiled at his gun, "by default."
Jaha's pleasant expression never changed. "You're in a lot of pain, John. I can help you with that."
Murphy shook his head, gritting his teeth. "You haven't helped anyone, old man. You've just fucked people up. That's all you've ever done." Jaha was about to speak again, but Murphy cut him off. "I'm not big on monologues or dialogue of any sort. So let's cut this short. Do you have any last words, Chancellor?" He mocked him.
"You're making a mistake, John--" Was all Jaha had to say before the bullet Murphy loosed became embedded in Jaha's chest. The man clawed at the fabric, gasping, and Murphy put a second bullet into him. He collapsed.
His skin crawling, Murphy walked over and put two fingers to Jaha's neck. No pulse. He let out a breath of relief, but it was short. He stared at the dead man and closed his eyes. Murphy straightened his back and turned around, heading back towards Arkadia.
Half his job was done.