Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 59: What Monsters Fear

"She's lying," Emerson rages. "Kill her or I will." He raises his gun but Cage forces his arm down before he can fire.

"Gamma rays destroy electronics, if you're wondering why all your computers are freaking out," Clarke says helpfully. "And you can easily check if it's a bomb, if you have a close look at it. I don't bluff."

"Check it," he snaps at Dr Tsing, jerking his head at Raven's device. She hurries over, still nursing her wounded hand.

Clarke looks over at Octavia, whose entire face is now bloody and bruised. "O, are you okay?"

Octavia spits out some more blood and croaks, "Worth it. Though I will say she tasted awful." She lets out a hoarse laugh as blood trickles down the side of her face.

"I said to tell them everything as soon as possible," Clarke comments, still keeping a wary eye on the rest of the room. "Not get yourself tortured."

"More believable," Octavia says, looking like she's trying to smile. "Plus, I wanted them to think I still had useful information they might be able to get out of me with some more effort. If they thought I told them everything I knew they might have killed me." She has a point, Clarke admits. However, she's not too thrilled with how injured Octavia is, and she suspects Bellamy may well actually try and kill her over this one.

"The laser stamp on the metal says it contains uranium," Tsing says, face paling. "And it does look like the kind of metal they used for the outer layer of nuclear missiles."

"That's what we built it from," Clarke says. "We had a missile up on the Ark, so we brought it down with us. I just knew it would come in use."

Cage curses. He raises his own gun and points it at Clarke. "Disarm it, now," he snaps.

"You won't shoot me unless you want everyone here to die," Clarke says calmly. "You aren't protected down here. The entire Mountain will collapse in on itself. Your guards, your scientists, your children, you... if I let go of this trigger you're all dead."

"Clarke," Abby whispers, looking shocked.

Clarke manages to give her mother a crooked smile. "Hi, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too," Abby replies, but she's staring at Raven's device in mingled fear and horror as she says it.

"You'll kill your own people as well," Emerson says fiercely. "Not just our families, but yours."

"That's a lie," Abby says immediately, trying to sit up but stopped by her restraints. "They're dead, they're all dead, even Thelonious is dead ..." she breaks off into a sob.

Emerson walks up to her and hits her with the butt of his gun. "Shut up," he says viciously. Clarke can't stop herself from flinching. Then he looks at Clarke. "She's wrong," he tells Clarke, trying to keep his voice level. "More than a dozen of your people are still alive."

"You wouldn't keep any of them alive," Clarke says softly, looking at him. "Don't forget, Carl, I know you too. I know exactly what you're capable of, just like you know what I'm capable of. So tell your boss that I'm absolutely capable of blowing us all to hell if I have to, won't you?"

"He's telling the truth, actually," Cage says, his mouth twisting. "Some of our people have... misguided sympathies. The younger ones of your people are being protected by them. You'll kill your own people's children too. There's a dozen of them still alive."

Clarke shrugs, careful to keep her thumb on the button. "That doesn't matter. A dozen lives versus all the ones I could end if I just let go? Not a very good deal. Plus, you'll kill them anyway."