Darkness. That was all that surrounded Monica. She felt like she'd been walking for years, through the dark... trying to find someone, anyone.

"Hello? A voice called out as Monica recognised it and turned around, as her eyes landed on Hope and Clarke. "Hey." The blonde greeted as she walked over to Hope as she was still strutting confidently in her heels, even in a hell dimension.

"I didn't expect a hell dimension to feel so..." Monica trailed off. "Dark? Lonely?" Hope tried to finish her sentence though Monica shook her head before she added, "Peaceful."

Hope looked surprised by this answer. "I mean after a while it would be horrible but for the first time in a long time my head doesn't feel so... noisy."

Suddenly a bright light shone, as Monica and Hope began to float. "Okay what the fuck-" The Montgomery blurted out before she grabbed onto Hope's arm. They floated towards the black hole above but it suddenly closed and dropped them, as Clarke had grabbed onto Hope's leg.

"What the hell are you doing?" Monica snapped at Clarke who responded with, "Saving your life, obviously." To which the girls both frowned. "No. We're supposed to be in peace, okay! You are not peace! Infact you're the opposite of peace!" Hope complained, feeling just as annoyed as Monica was.

"Should I point out that all of your romantic heroics were for nada? Your lesbian Romeo and Juliet sacrifices were for nothing? That the big bad lives to see another day and all of your friends have forgotten you ever existed?" Clarke said to the pair.

Monica felt uneasy before she admitted, "This place no longer feels peaceful.." As Hope groaned at Clarke, "Can you stop talking?!" Clarke just shrugged before he said sarcastically, "If I were you guys, I'd make peace with that."

Hope rolled her eye she before looked to Monica, who had already started to walk away. The tribrid left Clarke to keep up with the vampire.

"Hope! Wait! I can help you!" Clarke suggested before he rushed to keep up with the girls. They both turned to look at him, "Really? Because I don't see how the fuck you will be of any use to us." Monica hissed.

Clarke ignored her tone and said, "I've spent years inside of this place, and while you canonballing into the belly of Malivore didn't seem to destroy him, it has changed things. So stop being dicks to me and maybe I'll elaborate."

Monica and Hope shared a glance before they looked back to the boy. "We're partially listening."

"Every creature consumed by my father used to exist here in total isolation, but here we are, talking to each other." Clarke began to explain. "Your presence here has somehow opened the cell doors. If it can do that, maybe there's a way for us to escape. So what do you say? Partners?"

Monica and Hope looked at eachother again before they both burst out into a fit of laughter. Once they looked back at Clarke, they spoke in unison, "Pass." Clarke scoffed in response, "You are such children. No wonder you failed."

"Says the guy whose entire life has been about failing Daddy." Monica teased Clarke with a smirk, which caused Hope to snort in amusement. The tribrid then looked to Clarke, "I don't trust you, okay? And I never will. You're the one who brought me into this mess."

Clarke frowned at Hope, "If you'd just let me meat-puppet my loser little brother, then we wouldn't even be in-"

"Imitantor pupulis." Hope suddenly cut Clarke off before she covered her mouth. Clarke copied her, which caused Monica to laugh.

"Your old friend, the mimic spell. You will do anything I intend you to do, and it is my intention that this is the last conversation we will ever have." Hope declared as Monica grinned, "If I were you, I'd make peace with that." The blonde spat.

The girls continued to walk away as Clarke was forced to walk in the opposite direction, due to the spell. He yelled out, "Hope! We can work this out! Don't do this to me!"

Suddenly a bright light appeared above the duo's heads again, causing them to float again. Monica frowned and opened her mouth to say something but Clarke shouted out, "Listen to me— whatever this is, it's gonna destroy you! It'll rip you both apart!"

The girls looked at eachother with a worried glance before they heard Clarke speak, "Please break the spell so I can help you!" With that, Hope mumbled a spell to undo Clarke's mimicking state, which caused Clarke to run as fast as possible towards the girls before grabbing onto Hope's leg again. The bright light disappeared and yet again the trio fell to the ground.

❤︎

"How long do you think we've been here?" Hope asked Monica as the blonde shrugged, completely unsure. Clarke answered the tribrid, "Hard to say. A week? A month? A year? What difference does it make?" He spoke nonchalantly.

Suddenly there was a loud like growl caused the trio to jump back. "What the hell was that?" Clarke asked as Hope answered, "Uh, a gargoyle, I think. I killed one once with my friends. You know, my teenage friends." She explained.

Curiousity hit Monica, so she asked, "So why is a supervillain like you scared?" Clarke sighed before he answered, "I'm not a villain. I never have been." Before he looked to Monica, who was intrigued. "I'm just a kid who's afraid of his father and will do anything to get away from him." Clarke said as Monica nodded before she mumbled, "I... I actually understand."

"My entire life's been about figuring out how. And failing miserably." Clarke added, before he looked back to the blonde, wondering if she had any solution. "Well... I wish I could help you, but my best friend accidentally killed my dad protecting me from him as he tried to kill me. Maybe you need a best friend..." Monica suggested, before she added quickly, "Hm nope. Definitely too hard." Clarke just frowned at the Montgomery in response.

"Papilio lux." Hope casted a spell, which worried Clarke, "You think that's our ticket out?" Hope shook her head, "No. It's a comfort spell. It's, it's supposed to provide peace of mind." Monica nudged the tribrid, "Mikealson you have turned soft... Ruby has definitely rubbed off on you." She said which caused Hope to blush for a moment. "Thank you." Clarke finally said to the Mikealson.

Yet again the bright light reappeared  and it disappeared as Clarke grabbed ahold of Hope only to quickly let go of her when the light was gone. "Why did you do that?" Hope asked Clarke skeptically. "Do what?" Clarke answered, obviously playing dumb.

Before anything else could said, loud cracking and hissing sounds were heard, as Skeleton like monsters approached the group. "Oh, crap." Hope blurted out before she grabbed onto Monica's arm. "Invisique."

"Meaning?"

"Monica and I are invisible to them"

"You're invisible. What about me?" Clarke asked in a panic before the monsters passed by, not seeing any of the trio. Clarke let out a sigh of relief before he grinned at Hope, "Guess we're partners after all."

"She didn't say that." Monica hissed before Hope declared, "But you did just save my life." As she eyed the boy. "Because you're keeping things from me, and I want to know why. Veritas tempus."

Clarke groaned now as his shoulders slumped, "Would you stop with the magic already? It's not fair." Hope looked to Clarke, "Think before you answer. Is it unfair, or do you deserve it?"

"I totally deserve it. What? Wh-why did I just say that?!" Clarke blurted out as he seemed both confused and surprised. Monica couldn't help but to laugh at this.

"Because I cast a truth spell. You can only answer me honestly. Now, how does that make you feel?" The Mikealson grinned as Clarke groaned in realisation, "Like this isn't gonna end well for me"

"This entire time, I've been working on a theory, you know, trying to figure out why the vortex comes. And then I realized, it's always after I do magic." Hope explained. "Is she getting warm?" The Montgomery asked him.

"Scalding."

"You know, it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. I thought that I was wrong about me being the only one who could destroy him, but I think my actual mistake was that I wasn't a fully activated Tribrid when I dove into that pit. I've never died, so my vampire side hasn't been activated yet. And what I'm realizing now is that Malivore doesn't want me here. I'm toxic to him. Finish that sentence, please?" Hope pleaded. "Malivore's trying to expel you. To send you back from where you came." Clarke answered the Mikaelson honestly.

"And every time he tries?"

"I grab hold of you to try to get expelled with you. But as much as my father wants you to leave, he wants to keep torturing me here even more."

"Then it's official. All we have to do is wait." Monica smiled as Clarke raised an eyebrow, "For what?" He asked.

Upon Hope using magic, the bright light reappeared. "That's our ride." Monica declared, before she linked her arm with Hope's. The pair now floated towards the light.

"Hope, you can't leave me here." Clarke begged her. "I can't leave with you. Okay? I have to get back to my friends. I have to get back to Ruby." The Mikealson insisted. "I can't lie, right? So you know I'm telling the truth when I say that if you help me go back, too, you'll never see me again. I promise."

"I'm sorry. But do you understand why we can't take that risk?" Monica asked innocently before Clarke admitted, "Yeah. I would do the same thing if I were you— God."

The two girls exited Malivore as they waved at the boy. "Good luck, Clarke." They spoke in unison as Clarke glared them down before lastly saying, "Screw you, Monica and Hope."