chapter 6 - gone girl

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"It's Dakota..." Octavia whispered, still in a state of disbelief.

The sound of her name caught Lincoln's attention, and he was finally hit with realization. The Reaper girl that was beginning to stand up in front of him wearing a snarl, was indeed a replica of his baby sister.

He used the word "replica" because he knew for a fact that this girl wasn't who Dakota was. As he shook his head in denial, while allowing his eyes to fully grasp the situation, he immediately started praying that they could find a way to bring her back from whatever foreign state her mind was currently in. As the Reaper girl stood up and faced the trio, her snarl only grew deeper as she set her golden eyes on them.

"Dakota!" The brunette tried calling to her. "Dakota, it's me! It's Octavia!"

Sadly, the brunette's attempts to get Dakota to acknowledge her failed, because the Reaper had no sense of recognition whatsoever.

"That's not Dakota," Lincoln stated warily, trying to get Octavia to understand.

The last thing he wanted was for her viewpoint of his sister to change. He feared that if Octavia kept the mindset of thinking that Dakota was aware of what she was or what she had become, then she wouldn't ever look at her the same. Similar to how Clarke now viewed Finn after his most recent actions. Even though that was a whole different circumstance entirely.

Within an instant, the Reaper girl was charging at them at full speed, causing Bellamy to raise his gun on instinct.

"No, don't kill her!" Octavia cried, jumping in front of the gun defensively.

Just as she did so, the Reaper came bounding over and quickly grabbed ahold of the brunette, roughly tossing her onto the hood of a nearby car.

"Octavia!!" Bellamy yelled, causing the Reaper girl to whip her head around and charge at him next.

Lincoln ran over to grab her before she could reach Bellamy, but she was too quick to dodge him. Dakota's reflexes were already profound, but the red drug managed to heighten both her skills and senses tremendously.

She ducked when Lincoln came near her before she suddenly kicked up her legs and jumped on top of his back, bringing her arms around his neck in an attempt to cut off his airway. Lincoln gasped loudly in her chokehold, as he tried to pry her hands off of him. However, the Reaper's face showed no mercy as her grip tightened on him, and soon enough, he began to stumble.

Meanwhile, Bellamy was struggling and shaking slightly, as he aimed his gun at the pair of siblings. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to have to kill Dakota, but her head wasn't in the right place and, ironically, it was the only open area for him to shoot at from his angle.

Thankfully, he didn't have time to think about it much longer, because he suddenly jumped at the noise of a single gunshot firing. The bullet that was released hit Dakota's leg, causing her to instantly fall off of Lincoln's back and onto the cold floor.

Behind her, Octavia stood out of breath and distraught as she lowered the small gun that Bellamy had given to her only a few moments ago.

The Reaper girl attempted to stand up once more, however, Bellamy retrieved the shock baton from his belt and placed it on the side of her neck, causing her to scream and convulse repeatedly. Her grunts continued to echo throughout the garage, as the silhouette of her shaking figure danced on the cemented walls until she finally passed out.

The three of them carefully approached her limp body, where Lincoln quickly knelt beside her and tied up her wrists, before picking her up from the ground bridal-style.

"She's a Reaper," Octavia uttered to herself, staring off into the distance. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know," Bellamy replied, stepping closer and embracing his sister in a comforting hug. "But we'll get her back, O. I promise."

"Bell...she looked right through me." Octavia choked out, trying her best to keep her tears of agony at bay.

Just a few feet away, Lincoln was trying his best to hide his emotions as well, while tucking a strand of hair behind his sister's ear. He observed her unconscious face more clearly and brought her head closer to his chest protectively.

"Now what?" Octavia voiced her thoughts.

At that, Bellamy glanced over to the unconscious girl in Lincoln's arms. "Now," he breathed. "We take her home."

_____

Ever since Commander Lexa released Jaha from his captivity with Kane, and sent him back to his people with the message of a future retaliation for the village massacre, it was no secret that all of the residents of the Ark were in panic mode.

They lived in space for all of their lives, and they weren't ready, nor prepared, for the possibility of an upcoming war. There were rumors and murmuring throughout camp ever since Thelonius returned, and yet, no one knew the exact plan of what was going to happen.

So, after some rushed deliberation, Abby and Jaha finally decided to speak to their people, after they had returned from the previous day's mission.

"By now, you've all heard the rumor." Abby spoke, as everyone gathered around the entrance of the Ark. "And unfortunately, it's true. The grounders are coming."

Immediately after her confirmation, the crowd of people gasped and began to whisper amongst themselves.

"We have a difficult decision to make." Abby continued. "Thankfully, Chancellor Jaha has found his way back to us, and we're discussing all options."

"But to be safe," Jaha cut in after the murmuring of the crowd grew louder. "You all need to pack. Now. Whatever you can carry. We may need to leave at a moment's notice."

"Where will we go?" One of the residents questioned him.

"I don't know, is the answer." The Chancellor replied. "But I heard of a place. A city of light. It's across the Dead Zone."

"What makes you think we'll make it there?" The man asked.

"Because we made it here," Jaha answered. "I have faith. And right now, given the alternative, that's good enough for me."

"Not for us." Clarke boldly declared, stepping forward as everyone turned to her. "If we leave, what happens to our people in Mount Weather?"

The Chancellor was quick to respond while furrowing his eyebrows. "As your mother said, that is a very difficult decision to make." He then addressed the rest of the crowd once more. "But the time has come for each and every one of us to ask, is this how the story of our people ends? Did we come all this way, just to die tomorrow? Because if we're not gone by the time that sun rises, that is exactly what will happen!"

"No decision has been made," Abby emphasized, trying to tame the now-panicked crowd. "In the meantime, please report to your station supervisor and gather emergency supplies." After she concluded, the people did just that. They slowly began to disperse into their rightful stations, so that they could follow her orders.

As Clarke shook her head and turned around to face Finn, she was surprised when a sweaty and dirty Bellamy, grabbed ahold of her shoulder.

"Hey, where the hell have you been?" She questioned him.

"In the drop ship." The boy replied, slightly out of breath. "You need to come with me right now."

"Why? What's happened?" The blonde asked, worriedly.

"I'll explain on the way. Bring a med kit. Meet me at Raven's gate."

After Bellamy turned around and left, Finn looked over to Clarke with a guilty expression plastered on his face.

"This is my fault." He stated, matter of factly. "The grounders are attacking because of me."

"No," Clarke shook her head, trying her best not to allow Finn to blame himself. "The grounders are attacking, because that's what they do."

Finn sighed and looked to the ground, ashamed and in thought. "Go with Bellamy." He told her. "Your mom said no decision has been made yet. If that changes, I'll let you know."

The blonde took another second to look at him, before nodding and eventually making her way over to the gate where Bellamy was waiting.

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After Bellamy and Clarke made their way to the drop ship, where they had resided not too long ago, the blonde climbed up the ladder and entered the upper room.

Upon seeing Octavia and Lincoln, sitting quietly in opposite corners, she smiled in acknowledgment at them, only to be frightened a moment later by what looked like a possessed Dakota, jumping out at her from the depths of the darkened room.

Clarke's eyes widened drastically at the sight as they traveled over the girl's body, while Dakota growled and thrashed around ferociously in her chains. The Reaper girl's aggression was definitely prominent as her golden eyes glowed, and the blonde had almost expected to see white foam drip from her snarled mouth like that of a rabid animal.

Clarke cautiously climbed the rest of the ladder, but jumped once more, when an uproarious yell emerged from the girl's mouth, causing her to back away in fear.

"It's okay. It's okay." Bellamy coaxed her, as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "She's been restrained."

The blonde shook her head as she saw Dakota trying to break free from the chains on each wall, that held both of her wrists and ankles. It reminded her of the time, not so long ago, when Bellamy and his goons were torturing her in that very room.

"I can't believe we're back here again," She mumbled to herself.

"Can you help her?" Octavia asked, flinching as the sound of a gut-wrenching roar escaped from the Reaper's throat.

"I-I don't know..." Clarke uttered, as she cautiously stepped forward. "I knew Mount Weather controlled the Reapers, but I had no idea that they were creating them."

The hostile girl grunted and belligerently shifted around some more in her restraints, as everyone continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"If they can do that to Dakota," Bellamy wondered aloud. "Then what are they doing with our friends?"

"And what are they doing with the rest of my people?" Lincoln questioned, never removing his saddened eyes from the monstrosity that his sister had become.

All of a sudden, Dakota's shouting stopped and her whole body began to shake as her eyes rolled back, which gained all their attention.

"She's convulsing," Clarke informed them, trying to assess the girl from afar.

"What does this mean?" Octavia questioned her, hastily.

The blonde took a moment to reply, as she took notice of the bleeding wound on the Dakota's thigh.

"What happened to her leg?" Clarke asked.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Octavia finally responded.

"......I shot her." The brunette whispered emotionlessly, before blinking away a few tears.

"Clarke, she's lost a lot of blood," Bellamy informed her, trying to change the subject. She nodded in return and cautiously tried approaching the hostile girl once more.

She only managed to make it a few feet in front of her, before Dakota's convulsing subsided, and she jolted forward with an aggressively loud growl. The suddenness caused Clarke to jump away in surprise, but not before she took notice of something odd on Dakota.

"Can you shine the light on her neck?" She requested. Octavia nodded and aimed her flashlight accordingly, which only made Dakota shrink back from how bright the light was.

"Those are needle marks." Clarke pointed out, referring to the multiple bruised areas on the girl's neck.

"You think she's being drugged?" Bellamy questioned.

"Maybe." Clarke sighed, as she stepped closer. But Dakota finally managed to rip one of the chains that was holding onto her wrist right off the wall, and she quickly pulled the blonde towards her in one swift motion.

The sudden commotion caused the others to quickly spring into action, as they all ran to help. Dakota thrashed Clarke left and right roughly, while Bellamy tried to pry her away.  This only angered her further, and so she tossed Clarke to the ground and head-butted Bellamy, making him groan in pain.

Just as Lincoln approached his sister to get her controlled, Dakota managed to break out of the other chain that was holding her left wrist, and she punched him directly in the jaw.

"Dakota!" Octavia cried, hoping that at any minute the Reaper girl's conscience would return back to normal, and she would stop this madness.

However, her attempts at pulling Dakota out of that deranged state had failed. Instead, the reaper ripped the chain on her right ankle right out from the floor, causing her to crawl over hungrily to where Bellamy and Clarke sat.

She somehow maneuvered herself to cradle Bellamy's waist, where she then proceeded to punch and bash his face repeatedly, with no mercy whatsoever. One would have originally deemed this fight as some sort of payback for the way he treated Dakota when they first met. And each jab that she delivered, would be like equalizing all of the blows and bruises that Bellamy had given her in this same room.

But they all knew that this wasn't a fair way of revenge, and that Dakota wasn't necessarily the vengeful type. Given the circumstances, and the fact that this grounder was now a Reaper, they knew all too well that Dakota was now capable of murdering Bellamy if it really came down to it. And the scary thing was, they also knew that this new and void Dakota, wouldn't give a damn if she did.

Lincoln jumped up and hauled his sister off of Bellamy, while trying to restrain the girl's arms behind her back. Unfortunately, he failed when Dakota used that new angle as a way to elbow his gut harshly.

Lincoln gasped and loosened his grip, allowing her to spin around and kick him in his ribs. He fell to the ground, which happened to cause his sword to fall out of it's sheath.

The shimmering weapon caught the Reaper's eyes, and she crawled over in a hurry to retrieve it. But she didn't make it far, because the next thing she knew, Octavia tore a metal bar from the drop ship's walls, and hit her on the back of the head with it, knocking her out once more.

_____

Awhile later, when the group finally restrained Dakota again by strapping her down to a table, Octavia walked out of the drop ship to get some fresh air and to clear her head. As the brunette climbed down the ladder, and stepped foot onto the wet dirt, she decided to breathe in the smell of the fresh air and finally let go of some of her bottles up tears.

Pain, agony, and heartbreak were only a few of the emotions that had been weighing her down all day. She missed being in the same presence as the old Dakota, and she craved her touch tremendously. She wanted nothing more than to be in her warm embrace, and to see her beautiful smile again. She missed her hazel eyes that were always able to comfort her with just a simple look, and she missed the girl who absolutely despised merciless violence, and always strived for nothing but peace.

Octavia knew that once that drug had left her system, Dakota would eventually be back, but would she ever be her true self again? Would she forever carry around those horrid memories with her from Mount Weather everywhere that she went? And would Dakota always view herself as some sort of monster that would never deserve to be loved?

The brunette hoped that it would never come down to that. However, she still decided that once Dakota was back to normal, she would finally tell the grounder girl that she loved her, and would continue to do so everyday for however long necessary.

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After Octavia calmed herself, she was ready to walk back into the drop ship, when suddenly someone grabbed her and placed a hand over her mouth. She screamed into the palm of whoever her attacker was, only to turn around and find out that it was none other than Nyko.

"Nyko? What are you doing here?" She questioned him with furrowed eyebrows.

"The scouts have already arrived," he informed her. "The Commander is true to her word. If you do not leave, you will die." The brunette fidgeted in frustration, while he continued. "Octavia. You saved my life from the reapers. Now let me save yours. It's what Dakota would've wanted."

Just then, Dakota's feral screams were heard coming from the drop ship, making Nyko quickly turn around in an attempt to find the source. "What was that?"

Octavia sighed and turned away from him in resignation. "That was Dakota."

She led him back into the drop ship, where Bellamy automatically raised his gun at the sight of him.

"Bellamy, don't!" Lincoln shouted, standing protectively in front of Nyko. "He's my friend and Trikru's only healer."

At that moment, Dakota began to convulse once more, which caused everyone to turn their attention back over to her.

"She's seizing again!" Clarke said.

At that, Bellamy finally allowed Nyko to step forward in order to help her. So, the grounder kneeled beside Dakota's shaking body and unraveled his pouch that war carrying several different antidotes. They all crowded around him as he picked one up and proceeded to open it.

"What is that?" The blonde questioned him, but Nyko just ignored her and placed his hand lightly onto Dakota's cheek.

"Yu gonplei ste odon." [ Your fight is over.] He uttered, tilting the bottle above the girl's face and letting a single drop escape.

"NOO!" Lincoln yelled, quickly pushing his hand out to catch the liquid from falling into his sister's mouth. The rest of the group was left confused over his sudden actions, however, Clarke soon caught on.

"Yu gonplei ste odon...." She repeated, before being hit with realization. "That's what they say before death." She then turned to look at Nyko accusingly. "He's not trying to heal her, he's trying to kill her."

Clarke's words were quick to anger everyone in the room and Bellamy aimed his gun at Nyko once more, while Octavia also sent him a deathly glare.

"Is this true?" Octavia gritted through her teeth.

"Yes." Nyko didn't hesitate to respond. "Death is the only way."

"Hold on," Clarke cut in. "There could be a way to bring her back."

"None that I've ever seen." He replied, as Lincoln knelt down and held onto Dakota's hand defensively. Just then, Finn emerged from the ladder and entered the room.

"We have to go. The camp's leaving." Finn informed them all, causing Nyko to stare at him furiously.

"You!" He shouted, jumping up and throwing the boy against the wall in a chokehold. "Ripa! [Murderer] You slaughtered my people! Elders, children, innocents!" His grip on Finn's airway only grew tighter, causing the boy's face to turn purple.

"Stop! You're killing him!" Clarke cried, the same time that Bellamy ordered him to get off as he cocked his gun.

"Blood must have blood!" Was Nyko's only response.

At this, Lincoln quickly left his sister's side and hauled Nyko away from Finn,