The Commander and The Girl

Chapter 53

Clarke Pov**

I hear voices screaming in my mind, yet the picture is blank.

"You shouldn't have done that!"
"It's your fault."
"Clarke!"

The voices jump around in my skull, keeping me subdued.
They're attacking me, stabbing me, killing me from the inside out.

"Stop." I cry feeling my brain begin to melt.
"Stop!" My mouth feels dry yet my eyes haven't opened.

Suddenly an image comes in gaining my full attention.
"You don't deserve to live Clarke. I should know as good as you. You've hurt too many people, killed too many people. You're nothing but death."
I stare at the reflection of me.
My hairs slick back from sweat, and I'm drenched in blood.
My breath quickens as I try to fight my own imprisonment.

"No, no. No!" I collapse seeing the blinding light of the room.

"Clarke!" Someone runs to me cradling my head, but I have no strength to even recognize the person.

I feel my hair being brushed back as people speak softly to me. They all mash together in some sort of incomprehensible story.

"You're fine."
"You did great."
"Why did you do that?"
"ALIE's been-" the sentence drags off while I try to fight sleep.
ALIE.
Of course ALIE!
I suddenly gain a burst of energy and sit my self up, shielding my eyes.
I swallow down my ever drying throat and take in the room.
Indra stands at the door frame along with Murphy.
Raven's at the desk with Kane as Emori and Lexa sit by me.
Lexa.
"What are you doing here?" I see her take away her hand that was presumably holding my head up earlier.

"I thought to check up on you. You hadn't sent a word." She looks genuinely concerned and rightly so.

"You shouldn't have done that. You could've been at risk, your whole army. But thank you anyways." She keeps her gaze at mine, not wanting to break it.
I hear a cough and see Murphy rolling his eyes.

"What happened?" I ask trying to change topics.

Lexa stands up deftly and Emori pulls over a chair. I gratefully take Lexa's hand and sit feeling dizzy from just sitting up.

"We killed the AI. All it took was a little elbow grease and a virus, but I did it." Raven gloats putting her elbows on her knees.

"This will not happen again." Indra states gesturing to the mess in Arcadia.

"This was the issue of my people. Only we had the technology that could've stopped it, and we did. If we got anyone else involved it could've spread to all clans."
I speak defensively, even though I can barely stand.

"They are my people too Clarke." Lexa's masked herself in furry. She doesn't like being lied too, even if it wasn't coherently a lie.

"All the more reason to keep you in the dark. You are the leader of 13 clans Lexa. Getting mixed up in this could've lost you your life."
I can't believe the sheer ignorance she holds towards this. If she were subdued to the promises of ALIE she would be gone. Including the 2nd version of the chip she has stored in her neck.

"Yet you are so inclined to do what you lecture me to not?" Lexa gawks standing tall.

"That's because she doesn't have the 2nd version of Ms Murder Everyone." Murphy shrugs stepping away from Indra.

"The what?" Indra reaches for her dagger, if only to teach Murphy not to criticize the Commander.

"She was after the chip in your neck. The flame. Apparently that's level two of her technology."
Murphy doesn't even turn to see Indra with the dagger in hand.

"You're telling me that the thing controlling you, your people, is inside of me?" Lexa scoffs as if speaking to a child.

"No, not exactly. She showed me someone. Becca," Lexa looks shocked as I mention this name.
"made it seem like she was somehow attached to the flame." I see Lexa's eyes squint as she battles in her own head.

"Becca was the first Commander. She's given me the most wisdom of the past." She looks unsure, studying me.

"Can't you ask her? She can tell you the truth about all of this." Raven stretches, tired of the issue.

I can see Indra wanting to yell at Raven before a hysterical scream ripples through the air.

"What the hell." Emori whips her head to the doors.

"Raven didn't you come out of your ALIE trance crying and shouting?" Murphy leans against the wall, sliding to the ground.

"Yeah, what about it?" Raven's eyes stay trained on Indra and the door.

"Say hello to nearly 100 ex ALIE civilians." He presses his hands into his eyes as if he's already gotten a headache.

I bite my cheek and try to stand before falling back.

"No you stay here, you need to rest Clarke." Lexa grabs my forearm, forcing my put.

I obey cautiously.
"Where's Octavia?" I suddenly notice her absence.

"She left to help Lincoln with the chipped." Raven sits up walking out of the doors, and as if on que Octavia runs up.

"We need some help." She's determined and stands with assurance.

"Go figure. I call staying with Clarke." Murphy grabs blanket and props himself on the wall.
I glare at him before he shrugs.

"It's not that I like you, it's that I'm tired, and with you here I won't get killed." His voice is monotoned as he closes his eyes.

"Always the cockroach." I mutter following his lead and propping my legs on the cot. I grab the thin blanket attached to the wall and watch as everyone leaves besides Octavia, opting to guard the doors.

The world is silent again as I drift off into the darkness.