Chapter Text
The delinquents didn’t need a reason. That phrase was whispered among the criminal underworld and the mercenaries alike. The delinquents didn’t need a reason any more than they needed permission - to slaughter a gang, to kill an army, or to change the course of history. If the delinquents decide to come for you then you were already halfway to your grave. Nobody knew who they were or where they come from or who they worked for or how they chose their jobs. Nobody knew if it was a company that recruited people or if it were the same people training others like them. The Delinquents have been in the nightmares and prayers and whispers of armies and smugglers and victims for as long as anyone can remember. They were almost a myth. Almost.
Clarke always thought the name was quite ridiculous. It was started by some king two or three centuries ago, maybe. She didn’t put the effort into remembering anymore. They had started calling them that because of the recklessness the delinquents operated with. It literally meant juvenile offenders. They were offenders, maybe. But Juvenile, no, far from it. They were immortals. Almost.
JASPER
Jasper sat down with a grunt. He regretted bringing the sniper rifle in his bag. But then again he didn’t like to be parted from it. Others on the table looked up at him in acknowledgment. Bellamy gave a side nod before going back to his book. Raven was showing Octavia something on her laptop, talking rapidly like a podcast played in double speed. Miller and Jackson were in their own world, half-asleep and hungover. Only Echo seemed to be genuinely interested in scanning the area, she was always the most skeptical one. Side effects of being a spy, Jasper thought.
“What?” Jasper said with hurt in his voice. “I don’t even get a hello? How are you?”
“You called this meeting on a Sunday morning while we were on vacation. What did you expect?” Raven said in a dismissive tone.
“Nice to see you too, Raven, you look good.” Jasper cheerily replied. “It was urgent.”
“When is it not,” Octavia muttered under her breath.
“Where is Clarke? And Murphy?” He asked, looking around.
Bellamy put his book down and picked up his cup of coffee before answering, “Murphy is Murphy. And when has Clarke ever stuck to a schedule unless it’s business. She sets her own schedule. She always has.”
CLARKE
The Sunday bazaar on the streets of Calcutta looked almost the same as it had for the last two centuries. The smell of spices and fish invaded her lungs. Clarke glided through the crowd looking for their designated coffee house. Her blonde hair and pale skin stood out in the crowd, gaining unwarranted attention. Initially, she had not wanted to do this in such a public place but Jasper had insisted that it was urgent. And this was the closest place for all of them to come together so quickly. Most of them had landed or drove or sailed here last night.
She was late. Her bike had broken down midway and she had to take the train. She could feel the exhaustion in her bones.
She clutched the rucksack on her shoulder tightly as the coffeehouse came into view. She regretted wearing the leather jacket over the hoodie. It gave her some anonymity but the weather was hot as hell. A figure joined her from her left swiftly. She would have sliced the intruder’s throat, had she not recognized those footsteps and the faint smell of whisky coming from his body.
“Hello, princess.” He said with his habitual smirk.
“Thought you had started the meeting already,” Clarke said, looking around the area for anything unusual.
“Couldn’t do it without you, boss,” Murphy smirked, he knew how much Clarke hated being princess or boss or anything other than her name. She was too exhausted to dive into their usual bickering, so she just nodded her head.
She spotted the others easily in the coffeehouse. Raven was moving his hands animatedly to the others who listened to him with smiles on their faces. Must be one of his wild stories, Clarke thought.
“There she is,” Miller said to the others as she approached the group. Everyone turned their attention to her and gave her a nod or a smile. She smiled in return. It was good to see them all happy and alive. Even Jasper seemed radiant. Jasper had a new haircut, Clarke noticed. Somehow it made him look older.
“Hello, Jasper,” Murphy smirked. “You look sober, the first time in what, five years?”
“I am clean,” Jasper said, indignantly. “And sober. Are you?”
Before Murphy could retort and escalate the matter even further, Bellamy put a hand on his shoulder. “Leave it, Murphy.”
“This better be worth it, Jasper,” Clarke said, taking her seat.
“Carl Emerson reached out again,” Jasper said.
“Emerson, the guy from the assignment in Colombia last year. He was CIA, or was it FBI?” Bellamy asked, intrigued.
“Ex-CIA. And yes he was the contact for the rescue operation in Colombia.” Jasper turned on his Ipad and gave it to Raven.
“You can tell him, we pass,” Clarke said.
“But Clarke-” Jasper started.
“Jasper, I love you, so help me, Zeus, if you say another word before I have had my coffee, I will slit your throat. Then, I will do it again.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Raven snickered. Her hands were busy connecting Jasper’s Ipad to her laptop.
“Or the fifth,” Murphy added, taking a flask of whisky out of his jacket.
Clarke grinned and opened up her rucksack. “Here, Bell, I got you something.” She held out an old hardcover book.
Bellamy eagerly took it and opened up the first page.
“What is it?” Octavia craned her neck to see.
“The great gatsby, signed first edition,” Bellamy said with surprising delight. “Thank you, Clarke. This couldn’t have been cheap.”
“It wasn’t.” Clarke shrugged nonchalantly, picking up the menu. Once their respective drinks and food arrived, she turned her attention back to Jasper. “So, what were you saying, Jas?”
“Emerson wants to meet Clarke,” Jasper said. “He is here in Mumbai. We can go see him tomorrow.”
“We don’t do repeats, especially these days. You know that, Jasper. It’s too risky.” Clarke said.
“He’s saying it’s urgent. He is offering a lot of money.” Jasper said to the rest of the group in hopes that someone might get interested because of the money. But who was he kidding? Everyone seemed to be waiting for Clarke’s decision.
“With men like him, it’s always urgent.” Murphy quipped.
“And always a lot of money,” Octavia added.
A chorus of their different notification alerts chirped up.
“And you have had a lot of experiences with men like him, haven’t you, Murph?” Octavia replied teasingly.
“Not more than you-”
“I have sent all the information to your devices,” Raven interrupted Murphy. She scrolled through her screen. “It looks like a hostage situation.”
“There are kids involved,” Jackson said, sitting up straight, putting his hands on the table.
“It is a private corporation, Emerson is working with. Mount Weather Pharma.” Bellamy said to Clarke who was too busy cutting through her french omelet and still disinterested. “A group of armed men attacked one of their relief foundations. They killed the teachers and abducted the students at gunpoint.”
“The girls, they took the girls,” Jasper added, looking hopefully at Clarke.
Clarke halted her fork mid-air. She always had a soft spot for her team. How they all falsely believed she was a good person. She smiled.
“Raven?” She said and resumed her breakfast. Raven, their tech-genie was one of her oldest allies. Raven had always used her time to catch up with the technological advancement of each decade. In fact, Clarke was pretty sure that Raven was a few decades ahead of the world in some cases.
“Yeah,” Raven started at her usual faster-than-normal pace. “I cross-checked with the local newspapers, police reports, and Radio transcripts. The story holds. I have the satellite images as per Emerson’s co-ordinates. There has been activity in the compound since last night. It’s legit.”
Clarke nodded and placed her fork down. Done with her breakfast, she scanned the menu for something sweet.
“I wouldn’t have brought it up if it weren’t legit,” Jasper said like an eager puppy.
Clarke turned to Echo for much-needed rationality. Echo was a spy in KGB in the 1950s. She was probably the most rational person in the group after Clarke. She had this calm, detached, practical thinking process that Clarke admired.
“Check if they have any connections with Tree Crew Securities.” Echo said after some careful thinking. Clarke shot her an appreciative smile, thanking her for the reminder.
“On it.” Raven typed away at her computer. The others picked up the conversation about other menial things. Their new and old hobbies. Bellamy’s new car. Jackson’s old records and Octavia’s getaway in the mountains. Murphy was sleeping again or pretending to be, his mouth hanging open. Echo scrolled through the satellite maps on her phone, zooming in and out several times. Clarke picked up the newspaper.
“It’s clear,” Raven said after a while. “I have checked and cross-checked every accessible database. Tree Crew Securities have no involvement whatsoever.”
“So?” Jasper returned to Clarke.
“This isn’t a picnic, Jasper.” Murphy snickered.
Clarke tapped her fingers on the table. She was thinking. Tree Crew securities have been after them for a long time. Forty or fifty years even. But they had doubled their efforts in the past few years - trying to lure them into traps and fake assignments. Raven and Octavia have been successful at duping them so far both in the physical and virtual world. But the threat was still there. And as the leader of the so-called delinquents, it was her job to keep them safe and away from such traps.
“The photos of the port, they are being held in…” Bellamy said, “There is no sign of food or water being brought in.”
“So they are not staying there long.” Echo supplied.
“Or worse, they are gonna split up and we will never find them again,” Octavia said.
“It’s got to be done fast and it’s got to be done by the best,” Jasper added.
“And we are the best,” Murphy smirked, pouring whisky into his coffee.
Clarke stood up and put her jacket back on. They all looked up to her in silent questioning. She sighed and dropped a fifty on the table.
“Fine.” She said. “We leave tonight. Bell, Echo, and I will go to meet Emerson to finalize about the finances.”
They all nodded respectively, packing up their belongings and getting ready to leave the coffeehouse.
“Jasper and Murphy, get the chopper and the gear.”
Jasper looked at Murphy in slight disgust. “Yes, boss.”
“Raven, you know what you have to do. Erase the money trail after it is transferred. Jackson, we might have some injured civilians. Prepare the field medical kits. We will discuss more later.”
Raven closed her laptop and fiddled with her cables to put them in order as Jackson nodded in agreement.
“And O, I want you to shadow us in our meeting. I still don’t trust Emerson. Keep an eye from above. See if anything’s unusual.”
Octavia gave a mock-salute. “Si, jefa.”
Clarke almost smiled at Octavia’s nuances. But she saw the look they were giving her. Like she was some sort of a saint to look up to. She was not. Everything good inside her had died a long time ago. She was not the good guy anymore. If thousands and thousands of years have taught her anything, it is that there are no good guys.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Jasper, we haven’t talked money yet.” She said with one of her wicked smiles. “See you tonight.” She picked up her rucksack and left the coffeehouse. "When it's our time -"
"It's our time." They all replied.
LEXA
Lexa stared at the budget reports but did not read them. Her back was aching from sitting too long in the same position. The accounts guy was presenting some data related to their quarterly performance. This meeting could have been concluded without her but Titus was adamant that she joined it.
In retrospect, Titus has been adamant about a lot of stuff lately. Or maybe he always has been and she was noticing it now. Since turning twenty-two four months ago, her life has been quite hectic. She finished her Master’s in Business and gradually assumed her role as the CEO of TCS with Titus as her advisor, just like her parents had wanted.
Truthfully, she missed the gym. She hadn’t been there in months. Although she wasn’t the best at combat, she liked the honesty of it. She could’ve been better if Titus had let her train. Instead, he forced her to sit at every boring meeting, attend pretentious galas, and go through every report. She missed the sweat and physical exertion of a good spar with Indra or Anya. Anya.
Her fleeting thoughts halted on Anya. Anya had left for one of their most awaited assignments with her team a few days ago. Anya was leading the team, in fact. Lexa trusted Anya. She was their best shot at catching the Delinquents. Lexa wished she could go with her. But Lexa was stuck here in this boardroom while Anya was out there catching the most wanted criminals of all time like the badass she was.
Anya had been fourteen when she had decided that she wouldn’t take part in any management. She loved fighting. It was her thing. By default, Lexa was the one who had to take over. Tree Crew, as her grandfather had fondly named it, was a defense, securities, and intelligence company, which meant most of the fun happened in the gym and field.
“Lexa?” Titus nudged her by her elbow. His frustration was evident in his tone.
“Yes?” Lexa said, putting on her best stoic mask. Titus glanced towards the head of the accounting department who was eagerly waiting for her reaction.
They had done well last quarter. Their overall profits were even higher than projected. They were doing great like they always had. Then what was the guy droning on about for so long?
“Jerry,” She patted herself mentally for remembering his name. “Well done. And the team as well. You guys are doing a fantastic job. I appreciate your commitment to the betterment of this company.” The accounts’ head was preening by this point. “Send me a brief report on the Arms and weaponry section. We could use some cuts there. Again, good job.”
Titus was giving her a disappointed glare which Lexa truly hated. After her father had died that night, Titus was everything she and Anya had left. He was there for them as much as he could. He was her father’s best friend and now her advisor. In her absence, Titus had been managing the company and taking it to new heights for twelve years. Now that she was twenty-two, she was the CEO of the company. But she still relied upon his advice for every crucial decision. But just because she trusted him, didn’t mean she liked him.
He stood up as soon as the room emptied. He walked up to the minibar overlooking the cityscape. He poured whisky in two glasses and handed one to Lexa as he sat down.
“You were distracted.” He said in his usual condescending tone. “As their commander-in-chief, you should be focused-”
“I know.” She sighed. He really wanted to get on her nerves today. She gulped the alcohol down in one swig, she wasn’t sure she could get through this conversation without alcohol.
“You don’t act like you know.” He raised his voice. “I had expected more from you.”
“I know. I was trying. It-it’s…” Would he even care if she told him? “I am worried about Anya. I do understand why she had to go but I am worried.”
He turned around, piercing her with a cold gaze. His red tie was a sharp contrast to the bright blue sky outside. He stepped closer to her and took a seat at the nearest chair, prompting her to look at him.
“Lexa,” He tried to soften his voice. “Anya trained her whole life for this. She was ready. We might not get an opportunity like this again. We have waited too long for justice. Your parents, your town, your people deserve this. And Anya is just there to make sure we catch them all.”
She understood that. She had approved the mission. She was aware of Anya’s capabilities. Still, Anya was her sister. Her only family.
“But it would all be wasted if you keep getting distracted like this. We all have our jobs and responsibilities. We can’t afford mistakes and distractions especially in a position like yours. Do you understand what I am saying?”
She hated him sometimes. Wasn’t she allowed to be selfish for one moment? She should have taken the day off. “Yes, I understand.” She closed her eyes, trying to relax.
When she opened them, she was standing in a dockyard in the dark. She blinked again. Walls of containers on both sides. What the fuck? She could smell the salt and blood in the air. She was holding swords in both her hands. The swords were coated in a thick layer of blood. In front of her, a man hit another with the back of his gun.
“Thank me later, Princess.” said the man who had defended her.
She blinked and she could hear Titus’s voice again who was oblivious to her predicament.
“- Good.” He said, opening up his laptop again. “We have another meeting with Mount Weather in thirty minutes. Let’s go over the objectives once again.”
“We already went over that,” Lexa stated, regaining some of her postures. She could feel the early waves of a headache coming. She hadn’t eaten anything in eight hours. “I am not accepting their proposal. It’s shady. There have been reports of illegal human experiments from their labs. And from what I hear, they are under federal investigation as well. Why do they need so many armed guards for a lab? I don’t want Tree Crew to be involved in it.”
Titus loosened his tie before speaking. “I would disagree with you. Why do they need such protection is none of our business. It’s a multinational company. They are potential A-tier clients. They are offering more payment than usual. And which pharma company is not involved in experimentation. You can’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgment. They value us as a company. I say we should do the same.”
Lexa disagreed with him. It didn’t feel right. Her head was throbbing. “We can’t reach a decision like this Titus. I understand the potential but if they are seriously involved in some illegal businesses, we will be protecting them in it.”
“It’s a good business opportunity is all I am saying. And every good opportunity has its risks. Just listen to what they have to say about it.” He leaned back in his chair. “I hear, Dante Wallace will be handing over the business to his son Cage Wallace. He has been grooming him for the role since he was a child. And what a handsome young man Cage has turned out to be. Both of your stories are quite similar - ”
“Titus, you realize I am gay, right?” Lexa said, somewhat angrily. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with him right now.
“Of course,” he said. “I know. But think about it.”
“You are suggesting that I think about marrying someone I will never be able to love, for what? Business?” She didn’t even put in the effort to hide her frustration.
“Lexa, love is -”
She raised a finger to say something but suddenly, her hands were gloved. She blinked in hopes of clearing the view. But it did not work. She was in a crouching position behind a shipping container. She was near water, she could tell from the sound of waves hitting rocks somewhere nearby. The air smelled like metal and blood. Her eyes took their time to adjust to the darkness. Then she heard gunfire, loud and close. There were screams and curses in different accents. Something was weighing down her hands. She looked at her own hands. They were scratched and bruised and not hers. She gasped as she noticed a deep slice near her abdomen, just beneath some sort of armor.
A gun fired just around the corner. Her instincts kicked in as he reached behind her back to find a gun. It wasn’t there. Why didn’t she have a fucking gun? A shadow landed behind her with a resounding thump. They were holding a gun. Lexa felt her heart pounding. She fumbled with the swords, not knowing how to distribute their weight properly.
“Boss?” The shadowy figure had a female voice. “You okay there?” They asked. As they came closer, Lexa noticed that their face was covered with a scarf but she sounded young, almost her age. “You seem pale.” The figure said.
“What the fuck is taking so long, Echo?” A voice shouted from somewhere behind them. “I can’t hold them off forever. We gotta go.”
“Just getting her out of here.” The figure said. “Let’s go, boss.” They said to Lexa. Lexa’s face was one of fright and confusion. But it was covered in some sort of scarf like the figure before her. As Lexa tried to stand up, another figure in professional tactical gear turned the corner of the container.
Lexa would have recognized her anywhere. She had seen her too many times in the same gear, lounging on her office sofa.
“Anya,” Lexa said, getting up. But Anya pointed a gun at her like she didn’t recognize her at all. The figure on Lexa’s left, Echo, or whatever, pointed her gun at Anya in response. In a quick motion, Lexa wrestled the gun out of Echo’s hands. But before she could get back to her sister, another figure had come up behind Anya. The new fighter landed the pommel of their sword on the back of Anya’s head as Lexa watched it happen in slow motion. The force of the sword toppled her sister to the ground as blood trickled down from under her helmet.
“NO!” Lexa screamed.
Suddenly, there was too much light. She squinted her eyes at the floor to ceiling windows, trying to make the pain in her head stop, trying to go back to her sister. She was sweating profusely. Her own heart was hammering a ragged rhythm and her lungs already felt tight. Her body was numb and aching and the light seemed impenetrable. She could hear Titus’s distant voice; people rushing in through the door. She felt like she was dying.
Then, everything went black.
The trojan war (A page from Clarke's sketchbook)
