The shock and confusion mingled with Clarke's desperation to prove her identity to her friends, especially to Zoe, whom she knew had feelings for Leon. So, taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with Zoe, before speaking.
"Zoe, please, you have to believe me," Clarke pleaded desperately. "I'm Clarke Griffin. I'm alive, and so is Leon. We didn't die when Praimfaya hit."
Zoe's gaze remained cold and distant, while her finger rested on the trigger of her weapon. "Stop pretending to be someone you're not," she retorted in anger. "Clarke and Leon are dead. We mourned their loss. "
Clarke's heart sank further when she heard Zoe's response. How had things come to this point? The reunion she had yearned for had turned into a battle to prove her own existence. Dyoza watched the tense exchange with her brow furrowed. If she had learned something in her life things never work the way you expect them to work.
But despite everything, Clarke wasn't going to leave just like that, not now when she was so close to reuniting with her mother after all of those years. Suddenly, she remembered that why would she try so hard to prove that she was Clarke when the answer was so simple?
"Zoe, remember the time we defended the dropship for the first time against the grounders and the Raptors? Or the time when we found Raven? Or the times when Leon and Bellamy were at each other throats, long before the two of them become friends? Or the times when you, Leon, and Sergey when down south and fought against the hefbis?"
Zoe's stern expression wavered for a moment, as she stared at Clarke's face in shock, unable to mutter a word. And just when Clarke thought that she finally prove who she was, a new voice, one that Clarke didn't recognize spoke up.
"Anyone can know those details," A short man responded in what Clarke could only describe as a hate-filled voice. "You could have gathered that information somehow. Why should we trust your words when you came here armed as if you were preparing for war?"
Clarke's gaze shifted towards the short man who had spoken, looking at him in confusion, not exactly recognizing the man.
"And who are you?" Clarke asked narrowing her eyes slightly. " What happened to Kane and Abby?"
The man smirked before he proudly explained. "The one in charge," he replied with a cold tone. "That's who I am. I took control after the chaos of Praimfaya. Someone had to step up and lead, and that someone was me."
"You didn't answer me! Where's my mother? " Clarke pressed and at this point, everyone could see that she was desperate for an answer. "They were the ones in charge of Mount Weather. Where are they now?"
The man's smirk widened in response before he spoke again. "Not even my wildest dreams would have I thought that you would survive, but alas, your mother, Abby, and her group of idealists thought otherwise," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They're no longer in charge. Those traitors, they forced my people to live with one ration a day for years! But not anymore, with me in charge no one and I…"
Clarke's heart sank when she heard that her mother had been deemed a traitor by this man. However, the fear in her heart only grow as she couldn't bear herself to ask the man if she was still alive or if…
Before the man could continue his arrogant response, Sergey moved behind him and without waiting for the man to react, he grabbed the man's neck from behind, cutting off his words, and forcefully pinned him to the ground, immobilizing him. The man struggled against Sergey's grip, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief. Not understanding why one of his best men would do this.
Following Leon for months made Sergey realize that the best way to deal with arrogant people that sees you below an ant was to end them so, Sergey raised his rifle. With a resolute pull of the trigger, the man's life was abruptly ended. Silence fell over the entrance of Mount Weather, as everyone couldn't believe the sudden turn of events.
Sergey released his grip and stood up, his expression softening as he turned to face Clarke. A smile formed on his face, glad to see his friend well and alive after all of those years. "Sorry about the little show. We had to make it believable so we could get this madman out of the bunker. Didn't mean to scare you."
Clarke's shock slowly transformed into a mix of emotions—relief, gratitude, and in all honesty, a tiny bit of curiosity. "Thank you, Sergey... But how did things end up like this? What happened after Praimfaya?"
Sergey's smile wavered slightly, and Clarke could swear that Sergey's eyes seem to darken a little. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering. "After Praimfaya hit, chaos ensued," he began. "Our people split into factions, each fighting for control. It was a power struggle, and this man, he took advantage of the situation, a few days ago, despite Kane and Abby doing everything in their power to calm everyone."
Before Clarke could ask him anything else, she was caught off guard by Zoe's arms that embraced her. "And what about you, Clarke? How have you been? We thought you were gone. The bunker wasn't the same without you and Leon."
"It's been tough, like really tough. Leon and I struggle a lot in our first months and believe it or not, it was a miracle that the two of us are still alive. Our crazy leader took off his suit to save me for god sake and carried me through the radiation as his body was slowly being burned by the Praimfaya…"
Zoe's embrace tightened, her eyes filled with tears as she listened to Clarke's story. "You've been through so much," she whispered. "We had no idea... We mourned your loss, and it tore us apart."
< Just change "3" with "e" Patr3on Link : https://patr3on.com/meatbunkun>