Persphyni: I am Determined

84

"If all it took to save her people from that and delivered them to the promised land was surrender, would she do it?" We both waited for Indra's response.

"Any good leader would put their people before themselves. I would hope she would do the same." Indra's face softened before it grew hard as she flicked her eyes to Bellamy. "Of course you would never see the promised land because she would know it was you and, brother or not, throw you in the pits."

"Not if she thought it was Cooper. There's a failsafe in the processing room- I saw it when I was there. A way to kill the worms if-"

"Folly! Cooper would never push that button, and since she's the only one that handles the worms-" Indra cut Clarke of as she made her way to the door.

"Cooper would be dead." I cut in.

"We'd make it look like an accident." Clarke continued for me as Indra stopped to listen. "You would be the first responder. You would hit the failsafe button. No more worms."

"No more war." Indra turned. Her eyes meeting mine as I brought my hands to my hips.

"No more Cooper." I added smirking devilishly.

_______•*•*•*•_______

I smiled softly as Monty proceeded to nerd out. Though I had wished he had let Cooper eat the algae, I'm glad I'll get the privilege of taking her out. One less menace to deal with.

"We can have protein and biofuel and beer. Yeah, it tastes like crap, but who cares if it will get you drunk?" I saw the soft smile on Cooper's face. She appeared much older now. No longer running around playing dress up as she smiled at Monty.

That was until Clarke stepped forward.

"Is someone there?" Cooper turned serious as she moved in Clarke's direction.

Once Cooper had taken a few steps towards Clarke, Bellamy flew at her from behind. A white cloth to her mouth and an arm around her throat.

Cooper put up a good fight as she continued to elbow Bellamy in the side. However, Bellamy has had experience with getting his ass kicked so he took the blows as they came.

"Bellamy!" Monty shouted as I crept up to him.

"Don't be so loud Monty." I chided as I flipped a small tool in my hands.

"What are you doing?" He asked as glass shattered from Cooper's struggles.

"Don't you know, pests are bad for plants." Monty stared at me wide eyed as I turned away for a moment.

A sudden dark feeling creeping up on me as I stared at Cooper's limp form.

"Monty, come on, we need you to open the processing room." Clarke spoke as she walked towards us.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice squeaked as I held up the small tool in my hand.

"We'll explain later." I voiced as Bellamy lifted Cooper onto his shoulder.

"Actually, if you want me to open that door, you'll explain now." Monty snapped back. If he wasn't going against my agenda I'd have given him a high-five for standing up for himself.

"I know it doesn't look like it, but this is how we stop the war." Bellamy spoke. And for the first time, I saw Monty get truly angry.

"I was stopping the war." Monty growled out, tossing an arm towards the plants.

"Keep you voice down." Clarke chided him like a little kid. "If anyone hears us-"

"Clarke. He's not a child." I hissed out as I turned back to the Boy Genius.

"You're killing her aren't you?" I forced a grin to my face as I nod.

"If you don't open that door, we're the ones who get killed." I walked closer to Monty as Bellamy talks, my hand outstretched with the tool balancing on my fingers.

"Open the door, Monty." I left no room for discussion as he huffed and grasped the tool.

"And, of course, I help because what's one more, right?" I watched his eyes flick to Clarke as he spoke. "We're already murderers."

He walked passed me, taking a wide birth so he didn't hit me.

"That's not fair." Bellamy protested yet I didn't bother denying it.

"Monty, just get the door open. As for the two of you, he isn't wrong." I grumbled the last part as I fiddled with my empty hands. My red dagger quickly in my hands as I twirled it around, a smile on my face as I remember the day Miller's dad had given it to me.

"We are taking about taking one life to save hundreds." Bellamy continued, setting himself up for what Monty said next.

"Really? Then let's kill Octavia." Clarke bowed her head in shame at Monty's words as Bellamy clenched his jaw. I didn't need to look into his eyes to feel his conflict.

"That's enough." I spun my dagger once before slipping it back in its sheath. My boots thumping on the floor as I walked towards the three of them. "Monty. Are you opening the door or not. It's your choice. And if you don't want to side with a murderer, then I suggest you drop your tool and go back to playing with your plants." My voice was strong, not caring if someone heard.

"What happened to keeping your voice down?" Monty snarked as he contemplated my words.

This time I didn't have to force a grin as a toothy smile played at my lips.

"It would just be more prey to kill, after all, I'm just a murderer." Who is slowly getting back on a villain arc.

I kept a cool external facade as internally I felt myself fighting. The darkness I had thought I had gotten rid of had only been hiding.

It's claws seemed to dig into my skin as it crawled over me, forming almost a second layer to protect me. It's soft sweet words coaxing me as it slowly entrapped the good within my heart.

The darkness saw me as a powerful pawn to play, however, it was messing with a queen.

A queen who knew how to wield this darkness to be her own.

Her darkness.

My darkness.

"Open the door, Monty." I smiled at each word.

And he did. His angry demeanor faltering as he saw the swirl of fire and smoke in my eyes.

"We're doing the right thing." Clarke whispered to Bellamy.

I watched him stand from where Cooper's body laid unresponsive. Words coming to his tongue until he met my eyes.

"It seems only Death can be the judge of that now. After all, we are playing gods among men here."