virago|c.g.|

xxxvii

The sun began to filter through the partly open window of the holding cell, Clary looking out not to embrace the sun's warm rays but rather keep an eye out for Rick. She was waiting for the decision the man had come to, which he promised he would reveal to her at the time of sunrise. She waited, hoping he would come soon to reveal her fate.

Her wish was granted as she heard footsteps approaching before the door opened, her head turning to where her gaze met that of Rick. The man entered, his eyes holding caution as he made his way to the chair against the wall. It was silent for a few moments, the two staring at each other as if waiting to see who would break it first. The man was looking for any ounce of fear or anger as he held the answer of her fate. The girl was looking for any indication of mercy or perhaps ruthlessness.

Their staring match continued until Rick looked away,
looking to his hands before looking back to her. "When I was young, I would always ask my grandpa if he killed Germans during the war. No matter how many times I asked, he always brushed me off, said it was grown-up stuff. So then I asked if the Germans ever tried killing him and his eyes would go dark and he was just... quiet." The man sighed in thought. "He told me that he was dead as soon as he stepped onto enemy territory. That everyday he woke up, he told himself, 'Rest in peace. Now get up and go to war.' But, after a few years of pretending he was dead... he made it out alive."

As Clary met his gaze, she let out a sharp breath upon seeing the vulnerability behind his blue eyes. "Why are you telling me this?" Clary asked, which caused the man to let out an amused noise. "I always thought it was the worst for kids, growing up in this world. But I think it's easier for you. You get to bounce back and keep on going. You do what you need to survive."

As Rick looked to the girl, he was surprised to see the small smile on her face. "So you see why I did what I did?" Clary asked, not too surprised when the man shrugged. "I think you did a lot to survive. I think you pretend to be this 'Angel of Death' because you want to be dead to the world. Can't lose anything if you've already lost yourself." Clary clenched her jaw, a humorless laugh sounding as she turned away. "You don't know shit." Rick shrugged. "I know that you're a leader. I know that you're a survivor." As her gaze met his eyes turned into slits. "But what I do need to know is that you're with us. That we come first. That you'll have our backs before you worry about your vendetta against the Saviors." Clary gave him a solid nod. "My loyalty is to Alexandria. To you. I will fight and die for you. I will kill for you. You won't have to worry about me because my loyalty is with you, not with revenge."

Rick waited a moment, looking for any micro expressions that would give away her true plans, but there were none. She was going to stand by them, and that's all he needed before he nodded. "Then congratulations, Angel of Death, you're helping us inside the compound. You still remember how to kill Saviors?" He questioned, causing the girl to let out a laugh. As he made his way to the door, the girl nodded. "It's what I was trained to do, can't really forget it."

The man said nothing, stopping her with a firm grip on her shoulder. "After all of this, after we win, we're going to need to sit down and talk about this. Right now, the only reason you're coming with us is because that Hilltop guy, Andy, heard Saviors talking about you, or rather the Angel of Death. And your alias was mentioned by the men Daryl, Abraham and Sasha came into contact with, so we know your story checks out and that they're damn terrified of you." The man, with his dark gaze, looked at the girl with a stern look. "After you've done what we need you to do, then we'll see what happens to you." Clary nodded her head, knowing it was a lot more than she deserved.

As they walked out of the holding cell and towards her home, Rick faced her once more. "Do they know you by face as the Angel of Death? Or do you have a whole little costume—" Clary sent him a glare, "Really?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at the hint of sarcasm. "Andy said they called you the Angel of Death because of the war paint you wear? Makes you look like a skull, so I just assumed a costume came with it." The girl let out a puff of air before nodding. "Not a costume, but there was some gear I'd wear, along with a face covering and the war paint. It kept my identity hidden so they couldn't track me to Solaris." Rick nodded in though. "Do you have what you need?" Clary nodded, knowing all of the supplies were within her bag.