Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Gravity \| Book II: Brave New World	By : Prophecy Category: 1 through F > The 100 Views: 1373 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own The 100 and make no money off this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
I'm a small honeybee, I drown in the water
You are my hand in the well, hold on to me
Say you'll always love me
Tell me anything you want
Hold on, baby
Say you'll never leave me
Promise that you will hold on
- Bif Naked, “Hold On”

Clarke had walked so far that she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to navigate back to the lab without getting lost along the way, but she didn’t really care. What Abby wanted to do—expose Lexa and Luna to gradually increased doses of radiation to confirm that Nightblood was, in fact, radiation-proof—was nothing short of totally insane.

Clarke was a scientist herself and inherently understood the need for testing. God knows she wouldn’t take Becca at her word about anything, either. But there had to be a way around human testing, for chrissakes. Anything was better than risking Lexa and Luna’s lives on the off chance that Nightblood would save the world. And frankly, if that was true, then why hadn’t Becca made everyone natblidas in the first place?

No. There had to be a better way. But nobody was going to be looking for a better way if they were all focused on the Nightblood “cure”. She wasn’t privy to Luna or Raven’s feelings on any of this, but Lexa’s headaches were already taking over her life and certainly this wouldn’t make her feel better.

Clarke dropped down onto a log that faced the infinite ocean, pulling a scrap of burlap from her pocket and unrolling it, beginning to pick at one of the pinkfruit Lexa had packed for the trip. She felt herself tense with anger once more as she replayed their argument in her head.

She and Lexa had of course had their fair share of arguments—both serious ones and the day-to-day nonsense all couples argued about. Lexa had even slapped her once in a fit of anger; but she had never been downright cruel before. She had never said something purely intended to cause Clarke pain until today, and those words had hit her like a lightning bolt. Your people. That divide that had caused everyone so much pain and strife, that had caused war and destruction; but the words had fallen so easily from Lexa’s lips, and with so much venom.

It made Clarke’s heart hurt. It had been so long since she’d even thought of the distinction, honestly. Since Lexa had instituted her new policies and united all thirteen clans; since people began bowing their heads to her when she and Lexa walked the marketplace together. Clarke didn’t sit on Skaikru’s seat during summits or events; she sat in a throne similar to Lexa’s, at Lexa’s right hand. She’d begun thinking of them as equals, or at least a united front. She didn’t think of Skaikru as ‘her’ people and hadn’t for quite some time; rather, she thought of everyone as their people.

Our people, she thought as she sank her teeth into the sweet fruit, the sun beginning to set behind her and cast strange shadows through the trees onto the serene water. She felt her chest tighten as Lexa’s voice repeated those devastating words over and over again in her head.

Then Clarke heard quiet footsteps approaching behind her and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impending company of her mother, or perhaps even Lexa herself, from the soft, careful sound of the steps. Trouble was that she honestly couldn’t tell if she wanted it to be Lexa or not.

Much to her surprise, it was Echo who dropped onto the log beside her silently. The area around her stitches was still red and slightly swollen, but the long scar tracking down her face was beginning to heal fairly well, considering. They sat there quietly for awhile, the air cooling down as the sun crept lower in the sky.

After a bit, Echo spoke softly. “You have to understand our history, Skaiplana. We-”

“Clarke.” She glanced at the Azgedan spy, offering her a small nod. “Please. I’m nobody’s queen, least of all my friends’.”

Echo returned the nod, unable to keep a small smile off her face. “Clarke. We grow up in awe of natblidas. We worship them from the time they are born. We learn to treat the memory or even the mention of Bekka Pramheda as though she was a god; as though her successors are. We are all taught this, but these are the only things natblidas are taught. Heda Leksa is different from any other Commander I have ever heard of, but we cannot separate ourselves so easily from our upbringings as we would often like to.” Her face turned sad and slightly darker as she swallowed hard, thinking of her own upbringing.

“I know.” Clarke’s voice was quiet as she looked away, over the vast ocean that lay at their feet. “I know that, and I know she tries. And I know I overstepped.” She swallowed hard and glanced back at Echo. “I love her. And she could die.”

“She will die someday. We all will, and we will all lose people we care about before then.”

“Well. You picked me right up, Echo.” Clarke said dryly, starting to peel the bark off a twig with anxious fingers.

Echo didn’t smile, her voice quiet but serious. “Would you rather watch Lexa risk her life trying to save the world, or watch her lose her world and die knowing she might have saved it?”

“Neither.” Clarke glanced sideways at Echo, letting out a heavy sigh. “You, Octavia, and Raven spend too much time together. You’re starting to sound like them.”

Echo smiled as she stood. “There are worse people to sound like.” She paused, dusting the back of her pants off. “For what it’s worth, there is no way Lexa meant what she said. I know that doesn’t make it okay or less painful, but it does make it untrue. She loves you; that’s clear to everyone. And we are all each others’ people now.”

“Ai sonraun laik yu sonraun.” Clarke said softly, almost to herself.

Echo shrugged a little. “It’s only new to to us. The Commander’s life has always belonged to her people.”

Clarke squinted back out at the darkening sea as Echo’s quiet, deliberate footsteps retreated, lost in thought.

___________________________

Octavia sat on the table, her legs swinging lazily as she stuffed her face with some freeze-dried cotton candy they’d found in the canteen. They’d left Murphy there to supposedly whip up some dinner, and left Echo with him in case Murphy set the place on fire. Raven was typing furiously on a keyboard while Luna lurked nearby, still looking around with awe and nervousness.

Lexa sat on an exam bed in the next room, her eyes still red and puffy from crying, but her stony Commander mask was firmly back in place. Her jaw was tight as she watched Abby preparing a tray of shiny metal instruments that were far more intimidating than she’d let herself admit. Nothing in her world was shiny anymore—all of the metal was deteriorated, rusted, burned. The only things that shone in Polis were the sun, the occasional preserved bits of glass or mirror, and the flames that danced on candles and inside lanterns.

This entire place reflected itself and it was unnerving; it felt like an impending threat.

It’s okay, Lexa. It’s normal to feel frightened of all of this.
It’s all new to you, but this is my home, and nothing here is a threat to you.
You do still trust me, right?

Lexa took a shaky breath as Abby approached her. Her eyes were kind and her voice gentle. “Okay, Lexa. What I’m going to do is just take a blood sample from you. I have to find a good vein on you, and then I’ll put a small needle into it. It will sting a little, but just for a moment. You’ll be able to see your blood coming out and into these little clear tubes, but it won’t hurt. You might feel a little light-headed, but that will go away quickly.”

Lexa nodded a little, her mouth drying up rapidly. In her world, one only took another’s blood for the purpose of hurting or killing. Luna approached curiously, her voice softer than usual. “Is it okay if I watch, Heda?” Lexa nodded again, unable to force words from her throat as Luna sat on the bed beside her. She’d refused to let Luna take part; it wasn’t her burden to bear and, despite her initial protest, Luna had reluctantly adhered to the order of her Commander.

If she hadn’t run from the conclave like a coward, it would be hers to bear.
You would not have been able to beat her and we all know it.

She focused momentarily to force Sheidheda back once more, feeling the other Commanders’ strength assisting her.

“Are you ready?”

Abby’s voice shook her back to reality and Lexa sat up a little straighter, clearing her throat. “Yes. Yes, I am ready.”

The girls both looked on with wide eyes as Abby tied a band tightly around Lexa’s bicep and began gently pressing her fingers across the crook of her elbow. Luna cocked her head slightly when she saw Abby uncap a glinting needle.

Lexa swallowed hard and unconsciously clenched her fists a little, her body tensing up. Luna, sensing the distress from the girl who had been her best friend growing up, reached for her hand and slid her fingers into hers cautiously.

They both watched as the thin metal point slid expertly beneath Lexa’s skin. Abby rested her hand on her shoulder gently as the murky fluid sprayed inside the tube, filling it rapidly.

“Breathe out, Lexa.” Abby’s voice was kind as she rubbed her back comfortingly. Lexa slowly let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her hand still tightly entwined with Luna’s.

“Does it hurt, Heda?” Luna gently cupped her chin with her free hand, their bond as friends—sisters, really—outweighing the commander/subject dynamic only just so much.

Lexa shook her head truthfully, and rapidly grew more annoyed with the anxiety rising in her chest. Heda certainly wasn’t afraid; even if she was in danger—and she knew with full certainty that she wasn’t—the sight of her blood filling the little tubes made the room feel claustrophobic. Every muscle in her body was toiled and tight like snakes preparing to strike, her natural inclination towards battle practically quivering within her without a target to launch at. It was ridiculous, really.

Abby’s face wrinkled with concern as she paused before switching to another tube. Luna bit her lip, her eyes staying on Lexa’s ghostly face as she spoke too Abby. “We only bleed from injury or battle. This is.. very unusual for our people.”

“That’s understandable. The body gets used to certain responses to certain situations, and they become ingrained in us, out of our conscious control. On the Ark, we called it ‘Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder’—but it’s not a disorder, really. Its your brain’s way of protecting you from situations or people who have hurt you before.” Lexa wasn’t really hearing her and barely reacted as Luna rubbed her arm comfortingly, looking at Abby with worry lining her tanned face. “Why don’t we take a little break? I’ve got enough to get started here.” Abby was already pulling the contraption free of Lexa’s arm and pressing a small, sticky bit of bandage to the spot as a few more drops of blood escaped.

Luna’s voice was very quiet as she slid a little closer to Lexa’s stiffened body, putting her free arm around her shoulders. “Thank you, Abby kom Skaikru.”

Abby gathered the four tubes she had managed to obtain and nodded as she slid a tray with strange-looking food and drink on it closer to the bed they sat on. “Please make sure she eats and drinks this. It’s very sweet, but it’ll make her feel better physically.”

Luna nodded as Abby moved through the airlock into the lab next door, and quickly turned back to Lexa.

“Leksa,” she said softly, trying to catch her attention with a name she hadn’t used since Leksa became Heda, but her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly, trying to force herself to get out of her own head.

Luna let go of her hand and wrapped her arms around her instead, resting her chin on her head. Lexa instinctively curled against her, the familiar, earthy scent relaxing her shoulders slightly. She couldn’t even hear Bekka or the others anymore, although she knew they were very much present and probably shouting her away from the other girl.

Luna began rocking her slowly, humming a familiar cadence before beginning to sing it quietly instead. Lexa felt her chest tighten slightly, remembering the last time she’d heard the lullaby; the one Costia had always sang to comfort her; and she wondered if Luna remembered and mourned her fellow Floukru still, too.

Ai giv ai op gon nemiyon kom lanik-de
Ain laudnes, ain fleim op
Beja, krasha-de sen klir ai
Kom sof daun ai gada kamp raun
Ste shil ain keryon sof
Ste hosh ai daun
Teik ai klir, hod ai kamp raun
Nou sof osir daun noumou now
Wichen gon nemiyon kom lanik-de
Wichen gon nemiyon kom yu, ai snogon
Krasha-de hod osir in
Monin hou set raun ain tombom, meizen niron

[I give myself to the miracle of the sea
My pain, my anger, washes away
Please, let the waves release me
From the suffering I carry with me
Protect my gentle soul
Lull me to sleep
Make me safe, hold me close
We will never suffer again
Devoted to the miracle of the sea
Devoted to the miracle of you, my love
The waves hold us in
Welcome home to my heart, my beautiful dear]

Lexa relaxed into the comforting embrace, returning to her body as it calmed for Luna’s soft, melodic voice. After a few minutes, when Lexa had come back to herself, she sat up and regarded Luna, surprised that she felt no embarrassment about falling apart in her arms.

“Titus was wrong about you,” she said quietly. Luna’s eyes widened a little. “You are no coward, Luna kom Floukru. You would have made a good and kind Commander.”

Luna blushed and smiled at her old friend, touching her shoulder lightly with reassurance before handing her the strange drink from the tray. “Not as good as you, Heda.”

Lexa obediently took a sip of the orange fluid and her face twisted immediately as she tried her hardest not to spit it right back out. She swallowed it and gasped, “Ugh, jok!” Luna tried not to laugh unsuccessfully as Lexa shook her head rapidly, her tongue peeking out. “It tastes like fayaberi en shoga-skrish!”

Octavia’s head appeared in the doorway. “Everything good in here?”

Luna was still chuckling. “Heda doesn’t enjoy the Skaikru drink.”

Amused, Octavia glanced at the glass in Lexa’s hand. “If it makes you feel better, most of Skaikru doesn’t like Tang either.”

“Why would anyone want to bring this to space?” Lexa grumbled, but continued to drink, not wanting to find herself on Abby’s bad side; being on Clarke’s was more than enough to deal with at the moment.

“People can be strange, Heda.” Luna offered.

Octavia nodded her agreement, leaning on the doorframe. “Speaking of strange people, Clarke is back. She was heading for your room. You know, if you needed to talk to her or anything..”

Lexa set the empty glass down with a sour look at Octavia as she slid off the exam table, her voice dry. “Subtlety has never been your strong suit, Wanheda.” Octavia just lifted one eyebrow in a mild smirk and shrugged as Lexa brushed past her.

“Good luck, Commander.” Octavia and Luna exchanged an amused look when Lexa’s only response was a grunt tossed over her shoulder as she headed quickly towards the suite she shared with Clarke.
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Gravity | Book II: Brave New World