Chapter 9
It's with a heavy heart and a busy mind that Clarke finally came out of her room to go say her goodbyes to Costia and Lexa. Octavia would be waiting for her in the tavern just outside the tower, where she'd promised to meet up with her. She had some time, though, and she planned to use it to have that discussion with Lexa and Costia - a discussion that, if she were honest with herself, they should have had a long time ago. But it may well be the last time she saw them for months, and there was no delaying anymore.
Only when Clarke turned around from closing the door, her thoughts were abruptly stopped by the sight in front of her. Was that Murphy? Chained to a pallet of some kind? What the fuck was he doing here, last she heard he had left Arkadia with Jaha and died out there... Better yet, who put him here? There was no way anyone could walk past the guards... unless they were with them.
All these thoughts rushed through her head as she went forward to free him, ungag him, to know what the hell was going on. His face was covered in blood and bruises, as if he'd been tortured. He sure didn't look good. His eyes were wild with panic.
"Clarke, run, he's gonna kill you" he whispered, voice hoarse, as soon as she took the gag off.
"What? who?"
That's when a shot echoed through the room, and Clarke ducked behind the relative security of the pallet as she tried to both see who it was and untie Murphy.
"Who is it?!" she whispered as Murphy crouched next to her.
"Bald asshole, know him?"
"Titus!" she called for him, just as he rounded the side of the pallet and they had to run to the other side before he could aim. Clarke was glad Grounders had such a disgust for guns that he probably never learned to aim. "What the fuck are you doing?!" she yelled at him.
"Getting rid of you, what do you think." His voice was as cold as usual, emotionless. He'd have no qualms killing her. Good thing his aim sucked, yeah.
"You'll never get away with it!"
"You think?" he taunted her, slowly circling the room same time as her and Murphy. "It'll just look like your friend here did it. Revenge, and all that. No-one'd be surprised that you barbarians killed each other."
"If you think Lexa will let you—"
He squeezed the trigger, effectively cutting her short as she dodged. Tried to look around for some weapon. They were two against one, after all, they could overpower him if they worked together. Or at least stall long enough for Lexa's guards to hear the noise and arrive. Damn her for insisting she didn't need anyone sitting in front of her door 24/7 thankyouverymuch!
Another shot, and another. They'd done another circle around the room, as she tried to plead with Titus. Why had she kept Roan's knife in her room again, instead of having it with her at all times?
"Maybe we can make for the door, if you get him talking, distract him," Murphy suggested.
She pushed herself up from behind the pallet where they'd been hiding again, hands in the air.
"Okay, Titus, maybe we can talk this through. Find a solution. I was leaving anyways, you know, so. Your Commander'll be safe with me." She talked slowly. He was trigger-happy, and above all he was anxious, she could see his hand trembling. I've lived through worse assassination attempts, she told herself, but the pep talk wasn't quite cutting it.
"uh uh uh uh," he just said as she was standing a couple feet in front of the door, you're not getting away with it so easily!"
He straightened his arms again, ready to shoot.
"Wait!" Clarke could only beg.
The door behind her opened just as he fired, with Lexa, coming in sword blazing, Costia at her heels. No-one had ever told her, you don't bring a sword to a gun fight. Clarke turned around at the noise, and when she saw Lexa, she thought for a second that that was it, she was safe. But then Lexa looked down at her stomach, in pain. There was blood. Her sword clattered to the floor at the same time as Titus's gun.