Everything! They took everything!' Carl almost screamed, the sound bounding through the empty cave, as Madi winced. ''One month later after the goddamned trap, and they're still doing it!''
Weekly raids. Whenever Carl built up anything of sustenance, it was gone. Clarke didn't tell Madi anything about it, and neither did Lexa. But all Carl did was scream about it.
She didn't believe it, not at first. Not when Lexa had only finished the repairs for her wheelchair and was still getting used to its manoeuvres. Not when Clarke was too immersed in helping Lexa too much to care about Emerson. Not when they didn't even know where he was, not when they didn't even talk about him in the abode, the topic too much a taboo that the left it untouched.
But who else could it be?
(And yet the doubt was seeded; for so long, and she can't help but think: was there something else at play? Was it not just about... them? What if she was right? What if... there was something else out there? That wasn't her imagination?)
But that thought was jolted from her mind once Carl glared at her. Madi was scared. Apprehensive, almost. ''I-I can convince them, Carl,'' Madi said, turning up her palms. ''Just gimme a chance, Carl, and I'll prove to them that you didn't do it. I'll prove it,'' she said, even if she had no idea how. Because they didn't know, did they? They didn't know that she knew Carl, and they didn't know that she'd met him, learned about him, and talked with him during all those nights. And even if she tried to prove something, anything that said it wasn't him that did it, then they would learn where exactly she was going out in all those nights in secret... and she'd probably get grounded and punished, not let out to go on her own and something while there was a fight raging on outside.
''They won't believe you!'' he raged on. ''Because—you know why? Because their minds are set on me being evil, me being the last Maunon, me being their goddamned monster. And you're just a kid. Nothing you're gonna say'll change their minds.''
''You don't know that!'' Madi yelled back. ''You don't know that! Clarke and Lexa are rational. They—I'm sure they'll understand.'' and even then it sounded hollow, like a question, but Madi needn't make it sound so.
''Is that not a rational thought?'' Carl kicked a stone over. Glared at his empty cave, once filled with weapons, rations, food and comfort, all raided by her people. It was only he was out hunting that saved him from discovery, and a possible long, agonising death. ''That I, the Maunon, the disgusting, low-lived being that didn't deserve to survive, set a trap that very nearly killed your Heda? That he had kidnapped you, and told you to tell them that it wasn't my fault, all for the chance of what? For goddamned peace?'' and at this, Madi flinched.
Peace. Peace was good. Peace was what they all wanted. Peace was the best thing that could come out of surviving together. So why'd he had to degrade that word like that?
''They already think I'm a monster! Nothing you say will change that. Why the hell would it matter!'' Carl snarled, his glare on the cave turning onto hers.
''It matters—'' and Madi tore her eyes away from Carl, ''—it matters because it matters!'' Desperately, for Madi didn't know what else to say: ''Because your life matters! Because peace matters! Because-'' because I don't want anyone to DIE, especially not now, not when we're the last four people left on Earth ALIVE!''
Carl was breathing hard, and his glare riveted on Madi, who was panting after her outburst. She gazed at him, waited for his response. For him to understand what her line of thinking was, for him to agree. And for one fateful moment he wondered—
This is still a game of kill or be killed, Emerson.
Don't forget that because Madi's here.
''Don't you get it, Madi?!'' Carl exploded, nearly a yell. ''We're never gonna have peace! Not—not even if it's the end of the world! You know why? Because I'm Maunon, and they're the Grounders. I'm always evil, and they're always gonna be on the good side of the tale.'' he growled, gazed at Madi with hatred. ''And now they know I lived,'' and this he spat with disgust. ''Somehow. And that's enough reason to kill me, for the sake of their people or some crap like that.''
Madi didn't know what to say. ''But why can't you become our people?! Then there—there won't be need f-for you or us. W-we can all just survive, 'cause that's all that matters now, isn't it? Survival?''
And then, at her words, Carl fell silent.
''W-we don't need'ta fight, Carl, not anymore.'' And when Carl didn't respond, Madi continued on: ''Y-you don't know Clarke'n Lexa like I do. B-but they can change. Ma-maybe it's cause you didn't give 'em a chance. But you can do that now.''
And Madi felt hope... until there was a growl and he began pacing around. ''A chance?! If anything, they're the ones that didn't give me a damn chance when they took everything I needed to survive.'' And then she was petrified. ''I've avoided them, I've ignored them, I tried my best to forget them ever since you told me they've existed. But fine,'' Carl snarled with a rage Madi never had felt on him before. ''They want a monster? Fine, I'll give it to them.''
''Wait!'' Madi yelled after Carl, but she heard the sound of a squelch and a groan... and her eyes flew up in horror and realisation.
The boulder slammed over the entrance and she was left in a cave in the dark, banging on the cave walls, screaming with a ferocity that no one but the bats and the troglodytes heard.
You're making a mistake!
Don't do this!
Carl, no !
And it was the darkness that laughed back at her, as she screamed into the night no-one heard.
