Chapter Text
The cold, damp air filled Madi's lungs as she slashed her blade against the training dummy, slicing it in half. "Again," Indra said, Madi huffed as she moved to the next in line, pulling her sword back and tightening her grip. She took a deep breath and focused on her next moves, but just as she was about to attack a sudden boom filled Polis. Silence laid over the peaceful city. Guns were not permitted in Polis as everyone understood and feared the curse that would loom over their warriors if a gun was ever used by one of their own.
"Indra?" Madi asked, wondering what to do, "stay with me." Madi did as she was told staying right behind Indra, as they headed to the front gate, matching her movements. Two heavily armed men stood on the top of large towers looking out over the land surrounding Polis. "Guards find the keeper of the gun." One of the guards whistled at a group of men before shouting for them to search the area.
"We need to meet with Heda, just to be safe." Madi quickly but sharply nodded, with her head held high, a small smirk rose from her lips. She felt powerful walking by Indra's side as she barked orders. But what Madi didn't notice was a worried expression that slowly crept over Indra's face. There hasn't been a gun in Polis since Skaikru reached the earth, and wherever Skaikru went trouble followed. Indra knew this and she feared the worst.
On the commander's floor, Madi and Indra were greeted by a worried Raven, Octavia, and Lincoln. "What-" Madi's stomach dropped, her eyebrows furrowed and a lump formed in her throat .
"What's wrong?" Raven took Madi's hand and guided her to her bedroom, which was right around the corner of the elevator. "You should sit," Raven said softly, Madi did exactly that. Her heart began to race. Every possible scenario was racing through her head. "There was a-uh situation, and Lexa- she was shot." Madi stood there shell shocked, “What…?” It felt as though someone had just gut-punched her. "Clarkes working on her right now." Raven looked down slightly not knowing what else to say because there really was nothing else to report. The last time Raven had been in Clarke and Lexa’s room the floor was covered in a pool of black blood, and Clarke was zoned in on carefully maneuvering the bullet out of her lover's torso. At first, Lexa was screaming in pain when Clarke pressed her hands on the bullet wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, which was something new because Lexa had rarely shown weakness. But thankfully she fell unconscious once Clarke had begun pulling the bullet out.
“Where is she? Is she okay? I want to see her.” Madi questioned
“Madi, you can’t see her right now.” Raven placed a gentle, loving hand on Madi’s shoulder,
“What? Why not?” The panic had just then set in, down to her core, shaking her.
“Let me see her.” Madi stood up towering over Raven in her chair. Raven could see her mask cracking, just like her mother she didn’t like to show her weak side. As hard as she tried to look intimidating, Raven could see her sadness but most of all her fear. Raven remained silent, only holding Madi’s hand in her own. So Madi took things into her own hands.
She ripped her hand from Raven’s and sprinted for the door. “Dammit, kid!” Raven muttered.
To the best of her abilities, Raven chased after Madi but she was too late, as Madi was already far out of her grasp. She pushed her bedroom doors as hard as she could making both fly open and smack the walls they were attached to. She pushed forward with only one thought in mind, getting to her Mother.
Without hesitation Madi Bust through the doors of Clarke and Lexa’s bedroom. She only took one step before stepping into a pool of wet. She hung her head down looking at her feet barely comprehending what she had just stepped in. Blood. More specifically her Lexa’s blood.
In a daze, she pulled her head up observing Clarke doing compressions on Lexa’s lifeless chest, crying, while saying over and over again please, please, please in the most defeated, broken tone she had ever heard Clarke speak.
“Clarke?” Madi felt her legs go weak, nausea fill her stomach, and her vision blur. It wasn’t until she heard her name being called from behind her that she felt the tears streaming down her face and her trembling hands.
“Madi!” Hands grasping her shoulders whipped her around forcing her to face Raven. Her arms still shook violently and her breathing was spotty and uneven.
She felt a gentle hand on her chin guiding her head up, “Hey, hey look at me. It’s okay, come on.” Raven guided her out into the hallway where Madi backed herself against the wall and slid down to the ground. Raven grabbed both her hands and lifted them into the air instructing her to follow her breathing. Once Madi could grab a few deep breaths she let go of Raven’s hands and tucked her head on her knees. “ She looked dead, like less than dead, If that even makes sense. And Clarke, she looked so… defeated.” Bringing her head up she made eye contact with Raven, “Oh God- Is she dead?” she said sorrowfully, tears welling in her eyes.
“No, of course not,” Raven said, brushing a piece of hair that had fallen in front of Madi’s face to the side. Raven didn’t exactly believe what she had said.
“Hey guys, everything alright?” Octavia said, walking up to the both of them resting quietly against the wall.
“Yeah, we’re all good, right Madi?” Madi gave a plain smile and a thumbs up. “Where were you guys?”
“We were getting extra supplies for Lexa,” Indra said, “speaking of.” she gestured to the supplies and carried them into the bedroom.
A moment of comfortable silence passed before Madi spoke up, “Has anyone seen Titus, I mean he is the fleimkepa. I didn’t see him inside.”
Octavia scoffed, “Of course he’d run off after sh-” Lincoln shoved his elbow into her arm getting her to stop what she was saying, “Geez! What was that for!” Rubbing her arm she looked around to find that both Raven and Lincoln were giving her a wide-eyed stare.
“After what?” Madi asked, sitting up.
“Oh, it’s- uh, it’s nothing, don't worry about it.” Lincoln faltered.
“Lincoln-” Madi stared him down, he had to admit, for a kid she’s damn well intimidating. Her stare forced him to avert his eyes so the only thing in sight was his shoes.
“Shit…” Octavia whispered “Alright I’ll give to you straight kid,” She then fixed her posture so that her elbows were resting on her knees and her hands were laced together. “Titus was the one who shot Lexa.”
“What?” Madi scoffed “That makes no sense; he's the fleimkepa he would never harm the commander.”
“She wasn't the target,” Raven piped in “he was aiming for Clarke.”
“I’m confused, that makes no sense. Why would he want to shoot her?” Madi said not believing them.
“He believed Clarke was making Lexa weak. Blood must not have blood, that was Clarke's idea, and he hated it. After a couple of failed attempts at getting her to leave, I guess he decided that it was better to take things into his own hands.
Madi’s face fell. As much as she didn’t want to believe it. It made sense, the dirty looks, the petty fights, and God, the amount of times Lexa had to tell Titus that Clarke can speak for herself.
Madi could feel her stomach swirling, Intense hatred building inside of her. All she wanted to do was scream and punch something. But instead, she played it smart, focusing on the long game. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her knees.”I'm gonna go grab something from my room, be right back.”
“Alright, we’ll be here,” Raven said, giving a gentle smile. But Lincoln knew something was up. He tilted his head watching Madi walk away heavy-footed. “Hmmm,” He mumbled, but no one heard him.
Madi slipped into her bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. As soon as the door closed, she entered a doorway connecting her room and the ladder shaft, which took her to any floor. Two floors down she made her way to the Ascension room, knowing Titus was most likely to be there. And she was right, there he sat on his knees muttering something to himself. A black substance partially covered his back.
Rage filled Madi as she observed him being so calm after committing such a vile act. “Titus,” she said with complete and utter rage. Without looking back, he stood on both feet. “Look at me.” He then turned, his head still hanging down to avoid eye contact. “I said look at me!” Madi yelled, taking two big steps forward she shoved Titus with all of her might. Titus, shocked at her strength, took one step backward before toppling over a low lying table and falling to the ground. Madi then walked over to Titus who was on his hands and knees, his eyes still fixed on the ground. “Look at me!” she screamed
“I can’t,” he croaked, she then kicked the middle of his stomach. All air inside of his lungs was exerted with such force, he felt as though he’d never breathe again. Titus fell to his side and curled into a ball, hands on his stomach gasping for air. “I’m sorry.”, he said as his voice cracked, crying.
“You're sorry?! She’s dying in there!” She sent another kick to the base of his back. Her vision blurred, cloudy from tears flowing from her eyes. Titus groaned in pain, arching his back. “All because of you!”
One final blow landed on his hips causing Titus to scream, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” tears streaming down his face.
“I can’t do shit with ‘sorry’.” Madi then pulled her sheath from her ankle holster, grabbed the back of his clothing and placed the blade against the rough skin on Titus’s neck. Pressure building on the blade.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t slice your throat open.”
“I can’t, I should pay for my crimes.” He closed his eyes, accepting death. Madi was seconds from pulling the sheath, ending the life in front of her, until she heard Lincoln.
“Madi don’t!” he put his hands in front of him cautiously, trying to defuse the situation. “It won’t make you feel any better. Please, trust me.”
“He did this!” An uncontrollable river of tears now falling from the girl's eyes, “It’s all his fault!”
“You’re right.” Lincoln approached, “And he has to live with that. Killing him will only hurt you, don't let him be free in death. Let him suffer with the reality of what he’s done.”
“I can’t.” She faltered. Her voice so soft, so broken, Lincoln could see the usual glimmer in Madi’s eye disappear. The blade clattered on the floor as Madi dropped to the ground, cupping her face in her palms and crying tears that seemed to have been held back for years. Lincoln dropped down her to her level and to his surprise Madi clung to him. Hugging him so hard he thought she might never let go. She wept into his shoulder, the thought of losing her greatest sense of security in her parents was too much for her.
Lincoln stayed silent only saying one thing, “I know kid…” he closed his eyes holding her tight, “I know.”