I stirred awake to the steady sway of the horse beneath me, the sound of hooves muffled by the forest floor. My head was heavy, thoughts fogged.

I pushed myself upright, blinking against the blue until I saw Octavia riding beside me.

"Lincoln" she whispered, voice breaking, and before I could even breathe she was off the horse, sprinting. My body reacted before my mind could catch up- I slid down and chased after her, the two of us crashing through the trees until we reached the ridge.

And there he was.

Lincoln. On his knees. Pike standing before him with that cruel look I'd seen too many times.

Marcus came to stand beside us, but I couldn't feel him there. All I could see was Lincoln raising his head, eyes searching- finding us. 

Then the gun fired.

"No" Octavia's voice cracked, a broken plea.

My body locked in place. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The world narrowed to Lincoln's body collapsing into the dirt. My chest ached, memories slamming into me- his calm strength, the quiet moments of guidance, the rare smile he gave Octavia that always softened her.

He was gone. Just like that.

My hand found Octavia's shoulder, a silent comfort, though I already knew it wouldn't be enough. She wasn't going to mourn. She was going to burn.

I watched her storm away toward the horse, rage radiating off her in waves, and still I couldn't move. My eyes stayed locked on Lincoln.

"May we meet again" I whispered, voice breaking as the words left me.

Then I finally forced myself to turn away.

We slowly walk into a cave, Octavia and I being the last ones. My eyes landed on Bellamy, chained and tense. I make brief eye contact with him before following O, feeling the weight of everything that's happened pressing down on me.

"Where's Lincoln?" Bellamy asks, his voice tight with fear and grief.
"Pike out a bullet in his brain" O answers, her words cold, cutting through the air.

"O...o I am so sorry" Bellamy said.
I see his face twist, the sorrow in his eyes, and I feel a pang of sympathy- but before I can process it, Octavia spins and punches him. She hits him again, raw anger fueling each strike.

Octavia spins around and punches him. She hits him again.

"Octavia, that's enough" Marcus says, but she doesn't stop.
"Kane, stay out of this" Bellamy tells him, his voice cracking, powerless.

My stomach knots as I watch her continue, her grief and rage mingling into something violent and unstoppable.

"That's enough" miller says, stepping forward, trying to grab her arm.

"Get out!" O screamed, shoving him off.

"Miller back up" Bellamy mutters, but his voice was weak, his face covered in blood.

She strikes him again and again. I can tell she's about to go too far, and my heart lurches.

"O" I said, soft but firm.

She glances at me, and I know she understands- I'm telling her to stop.

"You're dead to me" she spits at bellamy, and then, just like that, she walks away, leaving in silence that feels heavier than any scream.

I take a shaky breath, trying to process the storm around me. My heart ached, she needed comfort, but there's nothing I could do now except follow her, to try and guide the rage I see burning so fiercely in her.

I take a step, then stop. I look at Bellamy.

"I told you it would be too late" I said, my voice low.

I couldn't look him in the eyes. And with that, I walked off following O.

"I saw we run two-man patrol around the clock starting now." Bryan says, I didn't know him much. But if miller trusted him, right now I did too.

"We'll do that, but we should be safe here. The grounder blockade is too close for pike to risk looking for us." Marcus replies

"Yeah but are we safe from the blockade?" Miller asks

"As long as we stay this side of the line we should be" Marcus says

"They're grounders...you really think-" Bryan starts, but I cut him off sharply.

"Watch your mouth. With me here, you are all safe. I must speak with Lexa, I can get you guys past the blockade into polis" I say, grabbing my jacket.

"Diana-" Marcus starts

"Marcus, I will be fine. No one is allowed to touch me. Once I speak to Lexa-" I insist

"Diana. Stop" Marcus says, his voice carrying a weight that makes me fall silent. 

"What, Marcus?" I ask, heart thumping.

"Lexa died...A few nights ago" He tells me

My heart sinks.
"No...No, that's not possible" I mumble, hands trembling.

"Indra was here with Bellamy. She told him, it's true, Diana" Marcus says, and I spin to Bellamy, desperate.

"Tell me it's not true" I whisper

"I'm sorry, Diana" he replies, and it feels like the ground beneath me cracks.

I don't wait. I grab my sword, and walk out of the cave.

"Diana!" Bellamy calls after me, but I don't stop.

"No!" I scream, slashing a tree over and over, letting my rage pour through every swing. She couldn't be gone. Not Lexa. Anyone but her.

I sit against a trunk, chest heaving, letting my tears dry on my cheeks as her voice echoes faintly in my memory:
"Leaders don't mourn until the battle is over"

I stand, sliding my sword back into its sheath. I tilt my head to the sky, hoping, begging, that somehow she's looking down at me.

"May we meet again" I whisper, a single tear sliding down my face.

I return to the cave. Everyone watches, but i ignore them and sit, sharping my sword and knives in silence.

The radio crackles. Monty's voice cuts through. Marcus answers, then turns it off.

"What if it's a trap and pikes waiting?" Harper asks nervously.

"That's why I'm going alone" Marcus says

"Not alone. I'm coming" I tell him, standing.

"Like hell you are" O snaps, rising to her feet.

"I'm with them, Monty saved our lives. I'm going too." Miller says

"No you're not. If it is a trap I'm not marching our entire insurgency into it." Marcus warns

"To stop me you're going to have to kill me" O says

"She hopes it's a trap" Bellamy mutters

"Wouldn't be a bad thing if she did. Plus, you're coming too. We'll need a hostage to trade for Monty, if it is a trap, of course" I tell them

"It's a good plan. He stays chained. Gag him" Marcus orders

"Sir with all due respect-" miller starts

"He's the enemy. Do what I said." Marcus cuts him off

We creep up to the drop ship. Marcus grips Bellamy, gun ready. I step beside him, sword in hand.

"Monty?... we got here first" Marcus calls out, taking a few careful steps forward.

"No we didn't" I say, edging my sword closer to Bellamy.

"Hey what are you doing?" Marcus asks sharply

"Get outside now!" I yell.

Monty steps out slowly, and right behind him, pike emerges, gun trained on Monty's head.

"They followed me. I'm sorry" Monty says

"Let him go, pike" Marcus commands

"Can't do that. One at their feet" pike replies- and a gunshot cracks near my feet, making us all flinch

"It's over. Put down your weapons." He orders

"Shoot him" O commands Marcus.

"Monty's in the shot." Marcus says

"Come on, Marcus." Pike taunts, another shot at our feet.

"I promised Monty's mother that I'd bring him home alive. Don't make me a lier." Pike adds

Marcus lowered his gun.
"Kane no" O mutters under her breath as we watch.

"Now you" Pike demands me.

Before I can react, Octavia thrusts her sword at Bellamy's throat.

"What are you doing?" Marcus shouts

"One in the girls leg" pike warns- and I lunge to help, but Bellamy twist Octavia down.

I rush to intervene- and a bullet barely brushes into my arm. I let out a groan of pain and stumble to the ground.