Flatlined Heart

Chapter 17

"How was bible study?"Elyza asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Praise Jesus",Alicia answers with a wide dopey grin. The world around her seems light, too light to be angry at Elyza. Her heart and mind feel like they're floating. She stumbles forward and Elyza catches her in an embrace with a clear, crisp, husky laugh.

It makes Alicia feel light, the responsibility giving her shoulders a breather. The temperature is nice and cool for once. They stand in the dusk, wrapping in each other's arms for a long while, so long that Alicia almost drifts into sleep with a smile on her face. It's a rare lightness that being a teenager has afforded her, one that never lasts.

This is a reprieve, and perhaps the very last.

-0-

Magna races to the gate, long legs leaping over slightly larger rocks. When she had shot up at the commotion and alarms ringing, Lindsay had nodded and told her to go ahead. She hates leaving people behind but she reluctantly ran off. It was within the safety of the ranch and Lindsay would be okay within this vicinity.

The lanky woman almost crashes into Yumiko as she races towards the gate as well, both instinctively running towards danger. Magna grinds her heels into the ground at the last minute, and they grab on to each other to avoid falling.

"Hey..."Yumiko greets uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot.

Magna nods and gives a little smile. She may not like Yumiko's decisions right now, but the woman was still her best friend and girlfriend. Yumiko nods back, face flooding with relief before hardening and turning towards the fences where an army of menacing looking vehicles and Native Americans have gathered.

They are jolted out of their reverie as Alicia passes by, nudging Magna on the shoulder at the semi-circle that most of the ranch is forming around the gate.

It is sick how eager everyone seems for death, Elyza thinks. Is that all that humanity is destined to be? Scrambling among death, scrambling to live. But then again she does the same.

The gate rolls open to reveal Taqa, all the players are set. Immediately guns snap up to point at Taqa, who raises his hands in mock surrender. Nobody was stupid enough to believe it was real surrender. The ranch was surrounded. He could turn the tables anytime that he wished.

They instinctually fan out and form a semi-circle around the gate. Against Taqa, they are a united front with their weapons raised.

"C'mon. Some of you are less greedy than Jeremiah Otto, and others more sensible. There's no need to do this as long as you hand over the one who took down so many of ours",Taqa says almost soothingly. He eyes Elyza meaningfully.

Everyone's eyes follow his obediently.

"No!"Alicia spits out, "she has a better and braver heart than that." She truly believes it, since the first moment she's seen Clarke: the brazen girl who waltzed into her tent without cowering, the australian woman who had saved her with guns blazing from the neighbor-turned-zombie. Either way, she never cowered.

Of course, nobody else understands that like Alicia does. How could they? Nobody else had traveled to another universe, another lifetime as Elyza's soulmate. Especially not Troy, who's brain was more messed up than the apocalypse made everyone else."We all know you just want Elyza", he sneers. Troy lunges at Elyza, who freezes. Her muscles were prepared to lunge to Alicia's side to protect her, not expecting herself to be attacked.

Alicia throws herself in between them. "I dare you to keep going!" She puts her face right into his, grabbing him by the collar, green eyes a blazing fire. She is a storm of fury, her small frame now muscular from the months in an apocalypse.

Madison looks at Taqa, and then Elyza. Her frown deepens as if realizing that Elyza doesn't quite have what it takes to do what is needed, an expression that she is all too familiar of because she was the one who had judged like that once. Elyza is tired of doing what is needed.

Madison's gun raises at Jermiah Otto. Gasps pass around the crowd, cries of protest, but nobody is brave enough to step between, especially because Alicia is holding onto Troy by the collar. Elyza keeps her eyes trained on Alicia, refusing to raise her gun at anyone. If she has it pointed already, she can't use it to defend Alicia in case anyone tries to save Troy. Magna looks like her soul is tearing in two. To believe in peace, but also know how vile humanity is. How unsavable.

"No. There has to be a line we can't cross",Alicia protests. She has to believe that, or the world would be hopeless.

"I'm not a murderer. I'm just doing what is needed to survive." Madison's answer is piteous. A life just surviving isn't living at all. It's being an empty shell, with robotic, repetitive movements. Life should be enjoyed, time take advantage of. That's who Lexa had become after Costia's death. It was also who Clarke had taught Lexa not to be.

All the people murdered, all the blood she had spilt flies by in Alicia's head. All the regrets, the choices that make her disappointed at her past self. "You're worse! You're heartless!" Alicia almost hopes that if she appears disappointed, angry enough, Madison will not choose to do this. Even though Alicia's body is only eighteen, her mind is hundreds, of thousands of years old. Hundreds, of thousands years traveled, hundreds of years existing in the flame before she finally rested, only to be woken up again.

Alicia shakes her head, unable to believe this is happening, that her own mother would do this. A person can't go back on betraying. To her, Madison's finger moves in slow motion, the click, and then the distinct BANG! The shot rings out, but Alicia's ears keep ringing.

The bullet buries itself and Jeremiah crumples like a ragdoll, dead without even a final word, without ever having a chance to raise his hands in surrender. An anguished cry tears itself from Troy's chest and he throws Alicia (who goes flying) to run to Jeremiah's side. He cradles his father, eyes blazing with anger.

Madison's face has never been more emotionless as she turns to Taqa, who assess her approvingly. "I accept your offer. We will keep the weapons under lockdown and we can all share this ranch, since you have proven that there are some of you that have...potential."

"Are you fucking kidding me? We're not giving up our weapons!" a bystander yells.

"He's right. I'm not giving up. Do you stand with me or not?!" Troy screams, shooting to his feet and yanking his gun. Desperation manifesting in a crazy, glazed look.

Taqa snaps his fingers and all of the weapons are aimed at Troy. Charlie looks like she's about to cry at the edge of the crowd, wanting to protect the one person who ever took care of her. Elyza sees this, realizes this, and reaches forward to grab her, hold her back. The look on Charlie's face resembles Madi's determination too much. Her sense of duty, but more importantly her urge to protect the one most important to her. In Elyza's head it is all happening again. A child rushing forward to protect a parent who couldn't have known their attempts to do what they believed would result in their child's demise. Her heart pangs because she doesn't want Charlie to be another Madi.

It is too late. Elyza's hand slides past the fabric of Charlie's jacket as she rushes forward, naively placing herself in front of Troy even though Troy is surrounded on all four sides.

Troy's eyes widened, the situation dawning too late. He starts to move, but that triggers the enemy to surge forward. From the side, a tall, beanstring of a figure tackles Charlie to the ground. Nick rolls to the other side with Charlie tucked in his arms as Troy is overwhelmed by sheer manpower.

It is all over in seconds, sand particles settling around them. In one irreversible action, Madison steps forward and declares, "Those who oppose our agreement endanger us all. This is the first example. Troy will be exiled, and I will personally see to it."