Chapter 4
After the day Lexa watched Clarke pull away in the limo, she refocused on work. She had always been a workaholic by every definition, but this time she recommitted with a vengeance. Everyone's calls were pushed to voicemail unless it was for work. Lexa was not only the first one in the office, but she didn't leave until the custodial workers shut the lights off in the building for the night. And sleep, sleep had become like the rare sunlight that broke through in Alaska during the dead of winter. Between the news of the commander and Clarke leaving, Lexa had plenty of reasons to distract herself. But she found her plan undermined every time she did find time to lay down and close her eyes. Every night Clarke was there in her dreams waiting for her. Like the gravity of the moon that brought in the tides, the woman had been there racing through her slumbering thoughts so consistently Lexa was often confused when she woke up to remember the sheets next to her were empty. It was difficult to have to make the same revelation day in and day out, but there was nothing she could do but suffer in silence and hope that the distance between her and Clarke would eventually cause the water levels to recede back to normal.
After a week had come and gone since the surprise meeting, Lexa was sent on a new assignment. Her father was sending her out to an area in Trikru territory where some of their forces had been dispensed to deal with a Reaper problem.
The Reapers were a well established gang made up of individuals who had been condemned to live as outcasts for their crimes in their territories, but instead of being taken away quietly in the middle of the night, they had banded together. Lexa might of felt some sympathy for the group if the reputation that preceded them wasn't one of pillaging, assaulting, and sometimes even murder.
The families considered them a menace, and her father was no different. Anytime any of the vagabond group attempted to pass through their lands, her father was quick to send out troops to deter them by any means necessary. But today they had somebody with them that her father was very interested in meeting with.
When Lexa left the city, it was still the early hours of the morning where the beating heart of the city slowed down it's pace for a moment. When she showed up at the village the troops had been deployed to, the land had embraced the sun as the fresh morning dew still clung to green blades of grass. If it wasn't for the occasional blood splatter, the absence of birds chirping, or bodies that lead into the trees, it would have been a beautiful morning.
After getting out and stretching her limbs, she approached the soldiers who stood at the edge of the tree line in camouflage uniforms that were strewn with dirt and grass stains. With the loud yelling, It didn't take long before she found the tall bald man she called uncle.
"Give me the run down," Lexa said walking up to her uncle, Titus, who had the same scowl he wore at all times attached to his face. It somehow only grew deeper when he turned his head and saw her.
"We attacked right before first light broke this morning. We took out most of their force before some escaped and the remaining fifty or so found themselves surrounded by my troops in the woods." Titus and Lexa never had the best relationship. He wasn't too happy with the prospect that his brother wanted to pass the mantle to Lexa. Titus was quick to criticize her youth, her optimism, her general sense of having any hope or compassion for humanity. Usually Lexa would just stay out of his way and ignored his endless slew of insults, but that was not currently an option. "As you can see, I have this covered."
Lexa tried not to roll her eyes. She didn't want to be here anymore than he wanted her there, but they both had their orders. "I'm sure you do. I'm just here for this man," she said handing him a picture of a rugged man with long brown hair and scars on his face. Titus took one look at it before practically throwing it back at her.
"Of course you are. That man has killed several of my soldiers already today. You think he's going to come if you just ask nicely?"
"I appreciate the confidence. Don't worry though," Lexa said with a confident smile. "I have it covered. Just let me know when you're ready to close in on the remainder of them." Titus narrowed his eyes before he just walked away mumbling something under his breath.
Lexa just shook her head and went back to her car to pop her trunk. She did have a plan, and it was starring back at her. With a quick tug, she slung the bag that carried her rifle over her shoulder.
She found herself a comfortable perch and began assembling it. The cool metal felt the same way in her hand that it did the first time she held it. Lexa's fingers traced over the engraving trying to recall every memory burned into it. It was a gift she had been given years ago by Gustus, her mother's brother. He came over a couple of times a week after Lexa's mother passed when Lexa was just a kid. Gustus wasn't a Wood's, and the families of Trikru's who were married into the prominent family weren't always the most welcome. But he never forgot about Lexa in George's lonely mansion. Even if it meant arguing with her father, Gustus was always dropping by to check on her. He had been the one to teach her how to shoot with his experience as a soldier, how to shut out the rest of the world and focus. When Lexa was sixteen, she woke up one morning to find the rifle laying at the foot of her bed with a letter. She never heard from Gustus after that, but the rifle and years of training stuck with her.
After the gun was set up and loaded with a custom tranquilizer round, she checked the wind and lined up her shot for when it all began.
It only took moments after the orders to the troops were given before all hell broke loose. In a blink of an eye, confused faces looked around before hitting the ground with a lifeless thud while others tried to find cover and return fire. Her target left his tent shortly after the commotion began right into her line of fire. Narrowing her sights, with a deep breath and a steady hand, her finger pulled the trigger. Less than a second later she watched the man stagger and pull out the tranquilizer from his neck. His eyes searched for her hastily before his muscles gave out, and he collapsed.
By the time the battle was over, there was a reverberation ringing through her ears and a haze of gun powder that clung to the air. It wasn't long after that before her target found his way in front of her waking up in chains. The confusion on his face passed quickly when he saw her.
"Well look who it is," Lexa said with her hands clasped behind her back. "You're a long way from home Roan."
"You know," the man said with a casual smile. "I just thought it might be nice to get away, go somewhere warmer."
Lexa didn't have anything against Roan personally. She certainly didn't think much of him after he left his place in Azgeda to roam with the Reapers, but she didn't necessarily blame him either. His family was well known for having their own issues that were only amplified by their power. Still, she had a job to do.
"Cute Roan, but you're lucky you're not already dead. Your family name is the only thing that's keeping you breathing."
"My family name?" Roan asked throwing his head back and laughing before he hardened his face. "You and I both know that wouldn't be enough if George didn't want something. So what is it? What is it that dear old daddy wants so bad?"
Lexa shook her head at the man. "Just your cooperation. Agree to help, and this won't be any harder than it needs to be. You can be back in Azgeda shortly dealing with the mess you left there."
"You've come a long way from the little girl hiding behind her mothers dre-" Lexa cut him short as her fist found misplaced itself against his face leaving him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Usually Lexa was pretty good about controlling her anger, but she found herself opening and closing her hand a few times trying to contain herself.
"Are you going to do as I ask, or do you need some further persuading?"
"Alright alright," Roan said as a smile found its way back to his face. "So much for catching up."
Lexa stared at him for a moment before nodding to the soldiers around her. They quickly picked the man up and put him into the back of a black SUV.
A sigh found its way out of her lips as the vehicle drove away. Today had only been a taste of what real war would look like. But it wouldn't just be a patch of forest that would be dyed in red; it would be villages, towns, cities even. The bodies would pile up as the bombs dropped indiscriminately and hot lead rained down onto soldiers. It would leave people fleeing destroyed homes with nothing more than the cloths on their backs and the children attached to their hands.
It wasn't an easy image to swallow, but the consequences of war were no mystery to anyone who understood victory always came with a list of casualties. All she could do was play her part and hope it was all worth it in the end.
As the day ended and she drove back to the city in silence, she reported back to her father.
"Alexandria," he said turning around to greet her as she knocked and opened the door to his office.
"Everything went according to plan."
"Good, I know I can always count on you to get the job done," he said sitting down with a smile. "That's why I'm sending you to the capital."
"The capital?" Lexa asked as the news sunk in and her brow furrowed.
"Yes, I need you to go to Polis and keep an eye on the Griffin's for me. There's a good chance that Abby is using her daughter to send messages to their allies. I need you to keep track of her and find out what you can."
"What do I say if someone asks I'm there? I haven't been to the capital in years. Anyone from Skaikru or their allies will be suspicious if Abby shared your meeting."
"That's why I have you attending a few meetings in my place. Everyone knows you're my pick to be the next leader of Trikru. It'll just look like I'm grooming you further for the role." He handed her an envelope with a key card. "You'll be staying across the street from the capital building in a hotel. Feel free to bring you friends," he paused and waved his hand in the air searching for the names. "Lincoln and Anya."
Lexa stared at him for a moment dumbfounded before she bit her lip. There was a large piece of her that was resisting the urge to scream yes back at him, but she had tapered down her expectations of seeing Clarke anytime soon. This seemed like another dream of hers, but this time instead of waiting for the earth to rotate for the water to retreat, he was asking her to detonate the moon.
"Don't grow soft on me now Alexandria," her father said. "You remember what I've taught you?"
"You don't overcome an enemy through just sheer force. You find their weakness and exploit it," she repeated the motto she had been fed since the day she took her first step.
"That's my girl," he said leaning back in his seat as his smile grew larger. "We will make Skaikru pay once and for all Lexa." Lexa just nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. "It will only be for the next couple of weeks. When I hear word of the commanders death, you need to be somewhere secure where you can escape quickly. Things will escalate fast from there."
"When do I leave?"
"First thing in the morning. So go home and get some sleep," he said leaving Lexa to make her exit. "I know you'll make me proud Alexandria. You always do."
Lexa left the office and called Lincoln and Anya to set up arrangements for tomorrow and the office while they were gone.
When Lexa did finally arrive home to catch a few hours of sleep and pack, she couldn't help but find herself pacing back and forth. She knew what she had to do, what was expected of her. But for the first time in her life, the motivation wasn't as forth coming. Spy on Clarke, betray Clarke, it made her stomach churn. Clarke was the fresh air Lexa found herself breathing in, the cool breeze on a hot day, the catalyst that awoke a part of Lexa that had long since been dormant. Lexa didn't know if she could go back to the ways things were.
The bed frame whined underneath her and the sheets found their way to her feet as she tossed and turned. Yet, when sleep did finally find her, she couldn't help but smile at the ceiling and whisper into the dark, "May we meet again Clarke."