GAME OF SURVIVAL - Delilah1990 (2024)

Chapter 1: THIRTEEN

Chapter Text

POLARIS SPACE STATION

OCTOBER1, 2054

In the year 2052 nukes from across the world detonated, killing billions, and filling the air with radiation. All that is left of humanity, floats in the stars above. Two years have passed since the Nuclear Apocalypse, the survivors of planet Earth have made thirteen space stations their new home.

On the Polaris station, two scientist, Becca and Bella, have worked tirelessly to ensure the continued survival of the human race. After two long years, their work has paid off.

Becca, the eldest sister, is getting ready for her departure to Earth. Despite being the two brightest minds of their time, many on the space stations do not believe their solution will work. It is up to them to prove them all wrong.

"You’ve got all the vials packed?" Bella asks.

"Yeah, I just hope there are people to give them to.” Becca answers while looking down at the case containing the vials.

"There will be. And once you’ve given them the Nightblood serum the Commanders of the space stations will have no choice but to believe us. And then you and I will be reunited before you know it." Bella tells her sister.

Becca smiles at her sister’s optimism. “And then we’ll use the Flames to rebuild the world. A better one than the last.”

“It’ll be a great story for the grandkids.” Bella jokes.

“Yours maybe.” Becca retorts, and both sisters laugh. “Come on, help me get my space suit on.” Bella follows her into the docking bay and helps her with her suit.

Once Becca’s suit is on, and the case is in the drop ship, both sisters’ glance at each other. An unspoken, ‘I’ll miss you,’ passes between them. They wrap each other in a tight embrace, neither knowing when they’ll see the other again. A few moments pass before they finally pull away from each other, both with tears in their eyes. Becca gathers Bella’s face in her hands and wipes the tears from her eyes. “I’ll see you soon, take care of yourself until then.” Bella nods at her sister’s words, and Becca places a kiss on her forehead. She then pushes Bella towards the docking bay door, so she can get ready to launch.

A few minutes later Bella watches as her sister’s drop ship departs. She rushes over to the lab to catch a glimpse of it entering Earth’s atmosphere. Though Bella had never been a religious person, she couldn’t help but say a silent prayer for her sister.

"What the hell are you up to Polaris? Who was that in the drop ship?” The US Commander asks over intercom, but Bella ignores him. “Becca? Bella?” Bella quickly wipes her tears and activates her intercom.

"Commander, set up a meeting with the other stations, I’ll explain everything once we’ve gathered.” Bella simply says before deactivating the intercom. She looks back to the Earth noticing her sister’s drop ship has completely disappeared into Earth’s atmosphere. “May we meet again.”

ONE-HUNDRED YEARS LATER

THE ARK: SKY BOX

I feel the sun on my face. I see trees all around me, the scent of wildflowers on a breeze. It’s so beautiful. In this moment, I’m not stranded in space. It’s been a hundred years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone on Earth, leaving the plant simmering in radiation. Fortunately, there were survivors. Thirteen operational space stations were floating above Earth’s atmosphere at the time of the bombs. There is now only the Ark, one station forged from the many. We’re told the Earth needs another hundred years to become survivable again. Four more space-locked generations, and man can go back home, back to the ground. The ground, that’s the dream. This is reality…

Sketching on the floor of her prison cell, Clarke is suddenly interrupted from her work at the sound of her cell door opening. She looks up and sees a guard enter. Thinking he may have news of her sentence, Clarke immediately stands. “Has the council finally made a decision?” She asks, but the guard does not answer her. He takes out a stun gun and aims it at Clarke, noticing this she raises her hands and takes a step back. “What do you think you’re doing?” The guard is about to pull the trigger, when he suddenly falls unconscious on the floor.

When Clarke turns her head, she sees her childhood friend, Wells Jaha, with a baton in hand. He drops it the moment he realizes the guard unconscious, and rushes over to Clarke. “We need to go, now.” Before Clarke can question him, he takes her hand and drags her out of the cell.

With no guards in sight, the two friends make it out of the prison sector easily. Clarke looks back confused. Why did the guard point a stun gun at her? Why didn’t they run into any guards as they were leaving the sky box? She looks to Wells for answers, but he's too focused on getting as far away from there as possible. They continue to move without stopping until they come across Polaris station. "Wells what the hell is going on? Why are we here? Did my mom send you to get me? Is that why we didn’t come across any guards?” Clarke fires off.

"I'll explain everything I promise, but we need to get inside." Wells answers.

Seeing the anxious look on her friend’s face, she immediately unlocks the doors. Once inside she locks the doors and follows Wells towards the lab. The moment they enter a part of Clarke expects her mother to be there, waiting for her, but instead the lab is empty with her mother’s work scattered across the table. She turns to question Wells, but he’s not beside her. He’s standing in front of a locked cabinet staring intently at the keypad. “The key code is probably your birthday, right? Either yours or your dad’s maybe?” Wells asks, when he hears no reply from Clarke, he turns to repeat his questions, but stops when he sees her confused expression.

“What the hell is going on Wells?” Clarke asks again. Wells takes a calming breath before explaining everything.

"I’ve been trying to figure out what’s been going on since your arrest, but my father wouldn’t tell me anything. So, I climbed the air vents leading into the council room and listened in on their meeting." Wells begins, and Clarke has an idea of where this conversation is going to go.

"Then you know about the life support failing?" She asks, and Wells nods his head yes.

"They were debating what to do with you, they couldn't seem to agree on anything given your status on the Ark. After a while they finally ended the meeting, but Marcus Kane stayed behind. He thinks you're a threat Clarke, he sent that guard to kill you and make it look like a suicide." Wells finishes.

"Is that why there weren't any guards in sight?" Clarke asks.

"They were sent to keep an eye on gen pop due to 'rumors' of a riot brewing." Wells responds.

"So, what exactly is the plan here?" Clarke asks.

"This space station still has its own drop ship." Clarke looks at Wells with shock written on her face. "I'm gonna send you to Earth, you'll be safe there." Wells finishes. He then turns back to the locked cabinet and punches in Clarke’s birthday. He lets out a relieved sigh when the cabinet unlocks and removes a case similar to the one Becca had a hundred years prior.

Clarke’s body freezes when she spots the case. She hasn’t laid eyes on it since she was five years old. Both she and Wells had been playing in the lab when they first came across it. Curious about the contents inside Wells had tried unsuccessfully to open it. It wasn’t until Clarke attempted, that they realized she was the only one who could open it.

Inside the case were five journals, a scalpel, and a rectangular tin box. While Clarke took an interest in the journals, Wells opened the tin box and removed the object from inside, not realizing what he held in his hand was Bella’s Flame. He placed it back in the tin and picked up one of the journals.

It wasn’t until Clarke came upon a sketch that both children realized what Wells had in his hand. While closely observing the Flame, Wells had accidently spoken the words to activate it. If Clarke’s mother hadn’t walked in and swatted the Flame away from her daughter, it would have attached itself to her.

Clark had never seen her mother so furious with her. She had grounded her for a month, and she was confined in her room unless she had classes. After that day she had never laid eyes on that case, not until now.

"Wells this is crazy." Wells looks up at her, surprised by her words. We have no idea if I’d be able to survive the radiation, and even if I did how the hell am I supposed to survive Earth on my own? All I’ve ever known is the Ark. Clarke explains.

Wells gives her a sympathetic yet determined look. He approaches her and places both hands on her shoulders for comfort. “Out of everyone here, you stand a better chance of surviving the radiation than the rest of us. As for your survival, have you forgotten you were the top of the class in Earth survival skills?” Clarke can’t help but chuckle at this. “And you wouldn’t be alone. If what they say is true about the Flame, you’ll have your family with you to guide you.”

"It’s been fifty years since it was last used. What if it doesn’t work anymore? Clarke asks, then suddenly an alarm blares throughout the ship.

"They know you've escaped, Clarke you have to do this. It's the only way to ensure your survival."

As the alarm continues to sound Clarke realizes that Wells is right. She approaches the case and lifts up a cap that's attached to it. Inside is a small needle, she places her thumb over it and presses down. Above the cap there is a reader, it makes a beeping noise then turns green, causing the case to unlock itself. Wells quickly grabs the tin box and scalpel. "How do we do this?" Wells questions

Clarke grabs a large bandage from one of the drawers, turns away from Wells. “I don’t think you’ll need the scalpel for this.” She moves her blonde hair over her shoulders. “Hold the Flame over my neck.” Clarke instructs. Wells puts the scalpel down and removes the Flame from the tin box, he then holds it over her neck."Venerunt superterram." (Come over the horizon) Suddenly the chip begins to glow, and small tentacles come out of the bottom of the chip. Then, as if sensing Clarke it attaches itself to her.

Clarke yells out in pain as the Flame implants itself in her. Wells winces at the sound of her scream, unable to do anything for his best he has no choice but to stand there and watch until the Flame has fully implanted itself to her.

Once it is done, Clarke collapses unconscious on the floor. "Clarke?" Wells calls, but she does not respond. He then hears the sound of the guards approaching and realizes he's out of time. “sh*t.” He places Clarke over his shoulders and lifts her up. He then places everything back in the case before shutting it and heading towards the docking area. He’s careful when placing Clarke down and strapping her in. He takes one final glance at her before activating the drop ship and preparing it for launch.

It isn’t until the ship launches that the guards finally catch up with Wells. It is the same guard that was in Clarke’s cell that arrests him, but Wells says nothing to him. He simply looks out into space in the direction your drip ship is heading. May we meet again.

When Wells is turned around, he’s face to face with Clarke’s mother, Abby Griffin. She looks between the empty docking area and Wells, with a look of anger clearly written on her face. "What did you do?"

Chapter 2: THE BEGINNING

Chapter Text

"Remind me again why you spent all that money on this space station, when we could have just stayed on Alpha Station?" Becca asks as she and Bella enter their lab.

"Because if I didn't, we would have had to share a room with other people, not to mention follow that space station's rules, and you know how I feel about sharing and rules." Becca simply shakes her head at her sister. "Don't tell me you don't like having an entire station to yourself." Becca acts as if she's thinking about it, but soon caves in at the sight of her sister's quirked eyebrow.

"Ok, yes it's actually kinda nice having a whole space station to ourselves." She admits.

Bella does a victory dance, and Becca laughs at her sister's antics, but their moment of happiness is interrupted when Commander Cole rushes inside their lab. "Doctors, there's a situation on the ground. Ten minutes ago, Biomedical Engineer Alie Wolf, got through portal security for STRATCOM in Omaha."

"What's she doing?" Bella asks.

"She's hacking nuclear launch codes. 27 ICBMs have already been launched from China. They're headed for the United States." Cole finishes.

Both Becca and Bella are stunned by this news. Alie had been a childhood friend of the sisters. They had gone to the same schools and had occasionally worked together on a few projects. But the friends grew apart when Alie became obsessed with solving the world's population problem. "Why would she do this?" Cole asks.

"Too many people." Becca replies.

Bella can't help but shudder at the response, recalling the last conversation they had with Alie. They had been talking about how to make life better. Each had a different idea, but it was Alie's idea that stood out from Becca's and Bella's. When asked how she would make life better, her response was, 'By fixing the root of the problem', when asked what the root of the problem was, Alie simply answered, 'Too many people.'

"Open the window." Becca instructs, shaking Bella from her thoughts.

She goes over the keypad and opens the window, she then joins Becca and Cole, where they see the nukes have just been launched. Both sisters look on in horror, unable to do anything about it. "I've told the crew to contact their families. If there's anyone you need to talk to..." Cole is interrupted by someone over the intercom, stating they've managed to get a hold of his wife. As Cole speaks to his wife and daughter, Becca and Bella continue to look on as the nukes land and destroy everything they've ever known. Neither can help the tears that fall from their eyes.

FLASH FORWARD

It's been over four months since the nukes destroyed the Earth, making the planet uninhabitable. In that time, Becca has been working non-stop on a new project, while Bella has been busy by checking in on the other space stations. Neither of them has spoken to each other about what happened, or the of the person responsible for the Nuclear Apocalypse.

"Ascende superius." Becca speaks in an attempt to activate the AI chip she's working on, but all it does is glitch. She letsout a frustrated sigh. "Science log, day 128. The AI basal control module continues to malfunction."

"You know, you may be able to figure out the problem if you allowed yourself to take a breather. When I left you were working, I come back and you're still working." Bella says from the doorway.

"This coming from the doctor whose been jumping from one space station to another." Becca retorts .

"I had to, most of the crew members took what happened really hard..." Bella gets quiet, Becca looks up at her sister and sees a haunted look on her face. "They attempted suicide, only a handful survived." Becca approaches her sister and hugs her in comfort. "How could Alie do this? How did we not see it coming, the signs were right there?"

"I don't know. But I'm working on fixing it, that way something like this never happens again." Bella looks at her sister, wondering what she means. "Come." Becca takes hold of her hand and leads her to the worktable. "Let me ask you something, do you believe that there are enough smart people on these thirteen stations to save us? That their calculations are right? That there is enough air to last two centuries and enough food?"

"I'm pretty sure those 'smart' people stretched out those numbers to try to make people feel better about being stuck in space." Bella replies, and Becca can't help but chuckle at her use of air quotes. She then clears her throat and gets back to their subject of conversation.

"Humanity's biggest flaw is that we have a tendency to repeat history. We never really learn from our mistakes; we just find a new way of making them.

"Ok." Bella follows along.

"I'm trying to build an artificial intelligence that resides in a cybernetic neural implant that will interface with the human brain and augment it." Bella answers.

"So, basically you're trying to create an AI that will connect with humanity on a biological level?" Bella questions.

"Exactly, it will know our wants and needs because it's their wants and needs. It will never make a mistake because it will see the mistakes before we ever make them. In a nutshell, this is how we survive, the AI, or the Flame as I like to call it, will merge with the organic brain via the brain stem, and proceed to share and store information."

"An Artificial Intelligence with a conscious. That's pretty brilliant." Becca smiles at this. "There's only one problem. What you're building is too advanced, if you attempt an implant, it could liquify the nervous system of its host in a matter of seconds." Becca thinks of what Bella just said and realizes she may be right.

"I need to find to way to ensure the AI doesn't kill it's host."

"I'll find a way." Becca is taken back by her sister's statement. "You've got enough on your plate, let me figure this out for you." Becca can't help the smile that forms on her face.

"Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. Two minds are always better than one right."

FLASH FORWARD

Becca has just finished her work on the Flame. She's rushes out of her lab in search for her sister to give her the good news. She heads straight into her quarters, but once inside she doesn't spot her sister right away. She's about to leave, but notices Bella's computer is on, she figures Bella may be in the bathroom. Becca approaches her sister's desk and notices her work is up on the computer.

Her curiosity gets the better of her and she scrolls through her sister's work. When she's finished, she finds herself astonished by what her sister has accomplished. She reads through Bella's work again to ensure her eyes aren't playing tricks on her. She's read halfway through when her sister comes out of the bathroom. "Bella you out did yourself. You not only ensured the Flame won't kill its host, but you also boosted up the body's immune system. No more sickness, no-no radiation poisoning..." Becca turns around to properly congratulate her sister but stops when she notices how pale she looks.

"That's if the serum I created actually works, and at the moment I'm not sure it will." Bella says.

Her body begins to sway, Becca rushes to her and grabs hold of her to steady her. She then notices a black liquid falling from her nose. "Is that the serum?" She asks. Some of the liquid gets into Bella's mouth, she takes a moment to taste it and realizes it's her blood.

"It's my blood, must be a side effect of the serum." Bella answers.

Becca helps Bella to her couch, as they are walking, she notices her sister is limping. And when she sits, she sees a slight flicker of pain. "Where did you inject the serum?" Becca asks with concern in her voice.

"Center of the hip bone. Think of it like a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, but instead of replacing damaged blood cells, the serum boosts it up. Which is probably why my blood is black now. I think I'm gonna call it Nightblood." Bella replies.

"You should have waited for me; I could have helped." Becca states. Bellaa yawns and lays down on the couch.

"Sorry, I got excited." Bella says before succumbing to sleep.

TIME LAPSE

Bella's eyes flutter open at the sound of someone tinkering away inside her room. She sits up on her couch and sees her sister on the floor working on the Flame. She sees another on the table besides her elbow. "You're making another one?" Bella asks, her sister looks up from her work at the sound Bella's voice. She puts the second Flame down and kneels in front of her sister, looking her over, making sure she's ok.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"Better than I was before...or ever for that matter. I think the serum worked." Bella says with excitementin her voice.

"I'm glad." Becca slaps her knee. "Don't ever do something like that again."

"Ok, ok." Bella raises her hands in surrender, Becca stands. "So why the second Flame?"

"I figured having two Flames would be better than having one." Becca shrugs as she answers, Bella can't help but smile as Becca's words mirrored what she told her when she offered to help. "Should we test out this serum of yours?"

"No not yet. I wanna make sure the serum sticks first, that my body won't try to flush it out later." Bella replies.

"In that case you should inject me next, to see if it has different effects on different people. When you injected yourself, you looked sick, you could barely stand. Then two hours later you right as rain. "

"I'll whip up another batch, have you injected by tomorrow."

FLASH FORWARD

"Vitals are good, blood work normal, and you're still a Nightblood." Bella checks off, and Becca laughs at her last comment.

"Everything's good with you as well." She responds back.

"Now for the final test." Bella puts on latex gloves and picks up a scalpel. She then makes a motion for Becca to turn around.

"Oh, so I'm going first?" Becca questions.

"Well, you did create this, it's only fitting you should be the first to test it out." Bella retorts. Becca turns around in her chair and fixes her hair into a bun in order to keep it out of the way.

"You remember the phrase,right?"

"Yeah. Ready?" Becca nods her head yes, Bella then makes a single cut down Becca's neck, she puts down the scalpel and picks up the Flame, holding it over the incision. "Ascende superius." The Flame activates and small tentacles come out of it, as soon as it senses Becca's mind it latches on to her neck. She screams out in pain as it implants itself into her brain stem. Once inside Becca goes limp. "Becca?" Bella walks around her and sees that she is passed out, she then checks her pulse. "Elevated heart rate. This isn't good." Bella gets behind her. "Qui nunc..." Becca's grabs Bella's hand to stop her from deactivating the chip.

"It's ok."

"You scared the hell out of me Becca."

"I'm sorry."

"So how does it feel?" Becca stands and grabs the second Flame.

"Find out for yourself."

"Yeah, I don't know that looked really painful..."

"Quit being a baby and sit down." Bella grunts at being called a baby and sits on the chair. She moves her hair away from her neck and shakes her head.

"The things I do for science."

FLASH FORWARD

"You're both out of your mind." States the Commander of the United States space station.

"Well, that was rude." Bella retorts.

"I agree with his statement. Do you honestly expect us to believe that an AI can save us?" The Commander of the United Kingdom space station questions.

"Do you honestly believe that your space stations will survive the next two centuries?" Becca questions back.

"We have a better chance of survival up here than we do on the ground. Even if this did work, even if that serum of yours could keep us from dying of radiation, how would we survive? Everything on Earth is dead. There is no water, the soil is infertile. We'd die faster down there then we would up here." Says the France space station Commander.

"We would use the ships obviously, at least until the Earth reset itself." Bella answers as if he should know this.

"Why don't we take a moment to collect ourselves, all this arguing won't accomplish anything." The Commander of the China space station says in a calming voice. "Becca, Bella we know that the two of you are the brightest scientist in these thirteen stations. And while I cannot speak on behalf of the others, I do believe what the two of you created will work. So why not use what you created here, now? The people of the stations are starting to develop Cabin Fever and suicides are happening again. Prove to everyone else that what you have created will actually work, and then we'll talk about the possibility of going back to Earth." The rest of the Commanders nod in agreement.

TIME LAPSE

"Idiots, their all idiots!" Becca shouts as they enter the lab. "How are we supposed to prove that the Flame and Nightblood works, if no one's willing to take the first step!"

As Becca continues her rant, Bella can't help but think about what Commander Fang said about the people aboard the space stations. How their all beginning to go mad and deciding they would rather die than live aboard the ships any longer. She then thinks of a conversation she had with one of their own crew members earlier, about there being survivors on the ground. "I know how we can convince everyone else that not only will it be safe for us to return on the ground, but that we can survive it despite the radiation." Bella speaks up.

"How?" Becca asks. Bella heads towards the computer and pulls up a video.

"The end is coming. Hear me as I say it this time. The end is coming, and it's coming soon. The world is dark and getting darker all the time. Everything we once trusted has turned on us...Government, religion, even technology has become a weapon in their hands used to poison our minds. I know you're in pain. I know you're afraid, but it doesn't have to be like this. There is a way out of the darkness. I can show it to you. You can be saved. Join me. Join us, and together when the horsem*n come, from the ashes, we will rise."

"Isn't that William Cadogan the cult leader?" Becca asks confused.

"Yeah, he made that speech two weeks before the nukes were launched."

"So, he's a cult leader and he can see the future. How is this going to help us?" Becca asks annoyed.

"He built a bunker. Turns out one of the crew members is friends with him. William was his last call before communication with the Earth was lost. He and his followers managed to make it to the bunker safely." Bella explains.

"There are survivors on the ground?" Becca asks, shocked by this information. Bella nods her head yes. "How long have you known?"

"Not long."

Becca sits down and processes the information given to her. A minute later she gets back up and approaches her sister, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Then we go to Earth ourselves. We have our own dropships; we'll pack up what we need, get on board, and head straight to Earth. We'll try to convince the cultist to take the Nightblood, then figure out a way to communicate with the space stations. They'll have to believe us then." Bella looks at her with a sad expression. "What is it?"

"I can't go with you." Becca shakes her head, not understanding why Bella's telling her this. "The Commanders may be idiots, but Commander Fang was right about one thing. We could use the Flame to help the people aboard the space stations now, or rather I can use it to help them."

"You want to stay up here?"

"It's not that I want to, it's that I have to. Becca we've been so lost in our work, we failed to notice what was going on around us. Besides finding out about the survivors, I also found out that Cole committed suicide last week." Becca is taken back by this information. "I'm sorry Becca." Becca is quiet for a moment, she doesn't want to be separated from her sister, but she also knows that she has a point.

"Don't be, you're right. We can't just focus on saving the people on the ground, we have to save the people up here as well. I'm just..." Becca holds back a sob. "I'm just going to miss you."

Becca and Bella embrace each other. "I'm going to miss you too sis."

PRESENT TIME

THE GROUND

Clarke wakes from her strange dream, but as she wakes, she feels a flicker a pain coming from her neck. She brings her hand up to her neck and sees she's bleeding. It is then she remembers what happened. Wells implanted the Flame into her, and now it is showing her memories that are not her own. Growing up she had heard the Flame was capable of many things, memory storage being one of them. But to actually experience it?

Clarke unstraps herself from her seat and stands up. She looks up and sees she's no longer in space, but on the ground. "Whoa." She says in amazement. She's actually on the ground. She turns around and zeroes in on the door latch. She knows once she opens the drop ship's door one of two things will happen. She will either die from radiation poisoning, or her Nightblood will keep her alive. Either way there is only one way of finding out wither or not Bella's serum actually works. Clarke would have to step outside the ship and figure it out for herself.

Chapter 3: SURVIVAL 101

Chapter Text

Clarke's hand hovers over the door latch, she takes a deep breath and pulls the latch down. As the door creaks open, the sun's rays begin to shine through the ship. So far so good. When the door completely opens Clarke has to shield her eyes from the brightness of the sun. She slowly steps out of the drop ship and brings her hand down to her side. Tall trees and green Earth surround her. She breathes in the air and smiles to herself when nothing happens. I'm on Earth, I'm actually on Earth. Clarke continues to take in her surrounds when a sudden thought enters her mind. What the hell do I do now?

She heads back into the drop ship to look for something, anything that will help her survive, but all she finds is the case. She sits down and leans her head against the seat, flinching again in pain. She reaches for the incision and sees it's still bleeding.I have no food, no water, and no medical supplies. I am so screwed. Clarke closes her eyes in an attempt to keep thoughts of her current situation far from her mind.

FLASHBACK

A young Johnathan is sitting at his mother's desk, scrolling through her computer, when he ears the door slide open. He turns around and sees Bella has finally returned from her meeting. "Mom!" He slides down the chair and runs into his mother's arms. She picks him up and kisses him on the cheek in greeting. "I'm sorry I'm late, council meeting took longer than expected. Bella apologizes to the babysitter.

"It's ok, I don't mind. He's a well-behavedkid." She says as she gathers her things. "Let me know when you need me to watch him again."

"I will thanks." Once the babysitter leaves, Bella gives all her attention to her son. "What were you working on before I came home?" Bella asks as she walks them over to her desk.

"I was researching survival skills for when we go back to Earth." Bella raises her brow at this. Johnathan makes a motion for her to set him down. She does so and he immediately goes to the computer. "This says make a fire to keep warm, build a shelter, have something you can use to signal for help, food and water, first aid, and to make use of what you have available." Bella gives her son an impressed look.

END FLASHBACK

Clarke's eyes snap open, that's the second time she's seen a memory that wasn't her own.Whatever I'll dwell on it later, right now I need to get off my ass and do something. She crawls over to the case and opens it up; she looks through it and sees Wells tossed the scalpel back inside. She takes it out and uses it to cut a piece of her shirt out. She places her torn shirt over the wound on her neck to keep it covered and avoid infection. She then places the scalpel in her pocket and closes the case.

She steps outside and looks around the ship. There are pieces of metal from the ship on the ground, along with a large parachute. She cuts a long piece of paracord and the parachute itself and sets off in a random direction. She needs to find food and water, and while she has no idea where she's going, she does know one thing. She's come too far to die today.

TEN MINUTES LATER

After what feels like hours, Clarke has finally come across a water stream, but that's not the only thing she finds. She spots what appears to be a female deer drinking from the stream. Clarke can't help the smile that forms on her face, she takes a step forward and accidently steps on a branch. The deer looks up and Clarke is shocked by what she sees, the deer has two heads.

The deer takes off once it spots Clarke, she shakes herself out of her shock and approaches the stream.I really hope you don't give me two heads. She kneels down and gather's water in her hands and takes several sips. She then takes the piece of her torn shirt and dips it in the water, and gently wipes the back of her neck. As she dips the shirt in the stream again, Clarke notices some small fish swimming.Guess I'm eating fish tonight.

Clarke removes her socks and shoes and rolls up her pants to her knees. She steps inside the water, shivering slightly when she realizes the water is cold. Rolls up her sleeves and waits for a fish to come towards her. When one finally does, she makes a move to grab it, but it goes right through her fingers. She splashes around attempting to catch a fish, when finally, she manages to grab one. She places it in the makeshift satchel she made from the parachute and bends down to catch another fish. She continues having trouble, but manages to catch a second fish. Hopefully I can build a fire to actually cook these fish.

LATER THAT EVENING

After several failed attempts at building a fire, Clarke finally manages to get a decent size one going. She sticks both fish on two separate sticks and uses the scalpel to de-scale the small fish. She then removes the fins and moves on to cutting the fish open. She removes the guts and gills from the fish and tosses them into the fire. Clarke does the same with the second fish and puts them over the fire to cook. She's glad she didn't fall asleep during that Earth's Study Course.

While she waits for the fish to cook, she heads inside her drop ship and grabs the case to bring outside. She opens it up and takes out one of the journals. When she opens it, she sees it belonged to Bella. She reads the first three pages of the journal before moving the fish away from the fire. "Bon Appetit." Clarke says as she takes that first bite. Not too bad for my first time. She continues to read while eating. Half of the first journal takes place while Bella was here on Earth.

Like her older sister Becca, Bella she was a scientist and inventor, but while Becca's specialty was Neuroscience, Bella was a well-known surgeon and internal medicine physician. They had built up their company together and tried to help the world in their own way. They found themselves on the Polaris space station when Bella received a call from a friend, asking for assistance in a complicated surgery.

Bella asked her sister if she wanted to join her, and of course she agreed. Apparently, she needed a change in scenery. Shortly after that the nukes launched and Becca got to work on the Flame. From there on everything else she reads she's seen while passed out. When she's finished reading the first journal, she places it back in the case and closes it. She lays down on the ground and closes her eyes. Hopefully I can accomplish more tomorrow. Clarke thinks to herself as she falls asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING

Clarke wakes up the next morning sore. It probably would have been more comfortable to sleep inside the dropship, but she needed to keep warm last night. As she sits up, she looks over the fireplace and notices there are larger sticks in the fire pit. Were those the sticks I gathered last night? Deciding not to dwell on it, Clarke stands and heads straight towards the water stream.

After taking several sips of water, Clarke stands and walks off in search of more food and supplies. She needs to scavenge what she can to ensure her survival.

AN HOUR LATER

An hour later all Clarke has managed to find is some berries. Feeling tired she decides to take a short break, she sets down the makeshift satchel and lays down on the ground. But when her head hits something that doesn't feel like the ground, she immediately turns around and sweeps away the dirt, revealing an automobile. "It's a car." Clarke says with a smile.

She stands up and grabs hold of the door handle. It takes a couple of pulls, but eventually she gets the door opened. She gets inside the car and immediately looks around for anything she could use. She searches the back seats first but comes up empty. She then moves on to the center console, she sees a lighter that still seems to work so she puts it in the satchel. She then opens up the glove compartment and finds a bottle of alcohol. She twists the cap open and takes a sip of the liquor. Clarke coughs immediately afterwards, she twists the cap back on and takes it as well. Finding nothing else in the car, she lifts herself up and shuts the door behind her.

I wonder if I'll be able to find anything else from the old Earth before the bombs. Clarke thinks to herself. If she can find an old building, maybe even a house she may be able to find what she needs.

LATER THAT AFTEROON

Clarke didn't have much luck finding any more remains of the old Earth, she did however manage to find an apple tree and another source of water. She picks a couple of apples, dumps the liquor, rinses out the bottle, and fills it with water. She then removes her shoes and socks and soaks her sore feet in the cold water. She's pretty sure she has blisters, but she's currently too exhausted to look. She picks up an apple and takes a bite out of it, moaning at the taste.

After she's eaten both apples, she decides it's time to head back to the drop ship. While she didn't scavenge much, she definitely has more today than she did yesterday. Once she puts her shoes on and refills the bottle, she picks as many apples as her satchel can carry, and heads back to the drop ship.

It's nearly dark when she arrives, and when she does something seems off. She sets the satchel down and looks around. Her case has been moved, when she left it was closer to the fire pit, but now it's further away. Clarke scans the tree lines for anything suspicious but doesn't see anything that sticks out. It was probably just an animal. She concludes, and moves the case back to where it was and heads out to gather more sticks for the fire.

SUNSET

With a little less trouble and the help of the lighter she found; Clarke manages to start another fire. She thinks by the end of the week she'll have it down. She sits down and eats the apples and berries she managed to find. When she's finished, she removes her shoes and socks to inspect her feet. As she predicted earlier, blisters have formed. Clarke let's out a heavy sigh. This is going to slow me down. She stands and heads to the parachute, cutting up two long strips of it using the scalpel.

She then heads back towards the fire and uses the parachute strips to wrap up her feet. Hopefully when she goes out tomorrow, she can find something resembling a first aid kit, otherwise she'll have to recall her traditional medicine studies. When she's finished wrapping both her feet, Clarke puts her socks and shoes back on making sure to keep her shoe loose fitting to help the blisters heal.

Opening the case back up, Clarke takes out the second journal to read, noting that this second one also belonged to Bella. When she didn't hear from her sister Becca, she feared the worst had happened. She decided to pour all her focus into helping the people of the Ark. Two years later she met her husband, and not long after that her son Johnathan was born. Despite never reuniting with her sister on Earth, Bella lived a happy life on the Ark.

Clarke tosses the journal back into the case and shuts it closed. She lays on her back and looks up at the stars wondering what was happening on the Ark right now. Is the council still keeping the life support failure a secret? If so, what are their plans? And what about Wells? She knows they've arrested him for helping her escape, but would his father float his own son when he turns eighteen? And what of her mother? No doubt she's furious with Wells, but does she miss her? Or is she relieved at not having to deal with a daughter deemed a 'traitor', who got her own father floated for wanting to speak the truth?

Clarke shakes her head of those thoughts.Now'snot the time to be thinking dark thoughts. She needs to keep her focus on surviving. Tomorrow will be a new day. Hopefully she'll be able to find more food and actual medical supplies.

THE NEXT DAY

The next day after Clarke has filled the liquor bottle with water, she decides she's going to change things up today. For the past two days she's gone in the same direction, today she's going to walk in the opposite direction. Her pace is slower today due to the blisters, and her feet being sore, but she knows she has to persevere.

While searching for more supplies, Clarke comes across more of Earth's wildlife. She's spotted several squirrels, seen a few birds flow overhead, and saw a couple of bunnies running across the ground. Seeing the animals put a smile on her face, she never thought she'd ever get to see any of it, but at the same time it also makes her sad. If she's going to survive she's going to need to eat more than what she's eating now. She's going to have to learn to hunt. The thought sends a slight shiver down her spine, but she pushes on.

She walks for two straight hours before she stumbles across something, literally. She's was about to take a short break due to the fact she was dragging her feet, when the next thing Clarke knows she's tripping over something and falling flat on her face. She sits herself up and notices a metal circular handle sticking up from the ground. She grips it with both hands and attempts to open it. It takes several tries but eventually she gets what appears to be a hatch opened. She sticks her head inside and from what she can tell she's found a bunker.

Clarke quickly climbs down the ladder and looks for a light source. With limited lighting she manages to come across a flashlight, she turns it on and scans the bunker. The first thing she spots is some canned food, but she's pretty sure after a hundred years there no good. The next thing she spots is a medical kit, she grabs hold of it and looks for some place to sit, immediately spotting a bed.

As she approaches the bed, she continues to scan the bunker, she sees a small sink, a table with colored pencils and photographs. Lastly, she spots a trunk. She puts the medical kit on the bed and approaches the trunk. Inside its filled with clothes, she rummages through them and pulls out two pairs of socks, and a black case hidden at the very bottom. When she closes the trunk, she spots a backpack lying beside it, she picks it up and places it on the bed with the rest of the items Clarke's gathered.

The first thing Clarke does is opens the medical kit; it doesn't have much inside. Alcohol wipes, gauze, burn dressings, curved hemostat, trauma sheers, waterproof tape, quickclot, tweezers, penlight, and a surgical & suture kit. But it would do, she grabs the gauze and begins wrapping her feet. When she's done with that, she grabs the black box and opens it to look inside.

Inside the box is what appears to be a survival kit. There's a pocket bellow, flashlight, survival bracelet, water bottle clip, wire saw, fire starter, compass, screwdriver, carabiner, multifunctional card, emergency blanket, knife, multi-use spork, and tactile pen. Clarke can't help but smile to herself, today has been a very good day.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Despite wanting to stay in the bunker to rest, Clarke knows she can't leave her case behind. Ditching the makeshift satchel and filling the backpack with the supplies she found, Clarke climbs up the latter and secures the bunker hatch. Once she grabs her case, she'll come back here, and the bunker will be her new shelter.

Clarke was feeling pretty proud of herself. When she first landed here, she had no idea how she was going to survive. She had felt so helpless she was ready to give up. At that thought she stops in her tracks and places her hand over the incision. The only reason she didn't stay in the drop ship feeling helpless was because of that small bit of memory that came to her.

At that moment she decides she'll have to finish reading those journals when she gets back to the bunker. While she knows bits and pieces about the Flame, something tells her there's more to it than just mind storage and seeing memories of the Chancellor's past.

She's startled out of her thoughts at the sound of thunder. A moment later rain pours down around her. She looks up at the sky in awe.I'm standing out in the rain. Clarke raises her arms and twirls around in the rain. But her moment of fun is interrupted at the second clap of thunder, Clarke finds herself getting startled again. Ok, thunder is bad, it's very loud. I should probably take it as a sign to head back. Despite the blisters Clarke begins to jog back towards the ship, jumping occasionally at the sound of thunder. She manages to make it in half the time it took her to get to the bunker, but when she gets to the drop ship, she spots someone in a hazmat suit. Clarke stops dead in her tracks, shocked to see someone other than her standing in her camp site.

When the individual in the hazmat suit hears Clarke approach, he un-holsters his gun and points it at her. He sees the shock in her face, no doubt she thought she was alone. Completely unaware of the danger that lurks around them. No doubt the others saw her ship land, but it looks like he got to her before they did. "You're coming with me." He says to her, but she says nothing, she just stands there still in shock.

Not wanting to risk being out in the open longer than necessary he approaches her and says, "We need to go now. Move it kid." That seems to snap her out of her shock, however she still doesn't move an inch. She looks over at the fire pit noting that her case is no longer there. Clarke looks down at his hand, just now realizing he's holding her case. "That's not yours."

"We don't have time for this, we need to go before they..." Before he can finish his sentence, an arrow is shot through is neck. Clarke's eyes widen in shock as she watches him fall to the ground and die. She slowly turns her head to the side and sees two young individuals approaching her. Only they're not in hazmat suits, these people seem to be dressed in leathers and furs. Both of their faces are painted black which is now fading away due to the rain, and they're both armed. The young girl is carrying a bow and arrow, while the young boy is armed with a sword.

I should run. Clarke thinks, but her feet are frozen in place, she can't move. This whole time she thought she had been alone, but she wasn't. Was I being watched this entire time? The next thing Clarke knows, she's getting hit over the head with the hilt of a sword and everything goes dark.

Chapter 4: GROUNDERS

Chapter Text

In the Trikru village of what was once Washington D.C., the villagers are living their day to day lives as they always have. Warriors are training, farmers are tending to their crops, the cooks are preparing meals, blacksmiths are forging weapons, children are at play, etc. All is well and normal until they hear a sound they've never heard before coming from the sky.

They look up and see a metal object on fire, falling down to the ground. Among the observers is the village Chief Indra. They continue to look on until the metal object lands just a few miles from their village. The villagers begin to murmur among themselves, unsure of what is going on. "Scouts." Indra calls, four individuals step forward. "Find out what that was and report back to me." The scouts bow their head in acknowledgement then head out.

Later that evening the scouts return and immediately report to Indra. They tell her about the sky girl they've seen wondering the woods seeking food and water. How she seems to look at everything as if seeing it for the first time. She doesn't appear to be a threat, her only focus seems to be surviving. Indra nods her head in acknowledgement, then asks if they've discovered anything else. They look at each other as if deciding which one of them should tell her. A moment later one of them steps forward. "The object that brought her here, it has the sacred symbol on it." Surprise is evident in Indra's expression, how could something that fell from the sky carry the sacred symbol. "Chit does disha mean Indra? Chon ste disha skai gada?" Indra does not answer, she doesn't know how to because she herself doesn't know.

"Riders approaching!" A lookout shouts. The warriors of the village unsheathe their swords preparing themselves for a possible attack. "It's Onya!" The warriors relax and sheathe their swords.

As the riders enter the village they are greeted by family and friends. They dismount their horses and allow them to be taken to the stables. As they go their separate ways Anya and her second, Tris, approach Indra. Anya and Indra clasp forearms in greeting. "How was the trip from Polis?" Indra asks.

"Fine, until I saw something fall from the sky." Anya replies.

"Teik osir discuss disha inside." Indra says and walks towards her home.

Anya makes a motion for Tris to stay put then follows behind Indra. When she steps inside Indra's home, she finds Indra sitting down, pouring a jug of water into two cups. Anya sits across from her and takes the second cup of water offered to her. "Ai don no idea chit bilaik was. Hogeda ai know gon sure ste a skai gada come out gon em, en em has the sacred symbol." Anya tilts her head at this but doesn't dwell on it long, if Indra knew anymore about it, she would tell her.

"So, it isn't invaders then?" Anya questions.

"It doesn't appear that way, but that doesn't mean she isn't a scout. We need to keep an eye on her. I was about to send my scouts back up before our look out spotted you" Indra says.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to send my second. She's proving to be a good gona, but she still needs to learn patience. This will be perfect for her." Anya requests.

"Artigas is the same. He can join her." Indra agrees.

CLARKE'S CAMPSITE

"She doesn't look like a scout." Artigas comments

Artigas and Tris are hidden within the trees observing Clarke. They arrived shortly after she built her fire. "She doesn't look like much of anything. I don't think Indra has anything to worry about." Tris adds. Artigas and Tris track Clarke's movements when she stands and enters the drop ship. She comes out a moment later carrying her case, when she opens it up, they strain their eyes to see what's inside. "It's just a book." Tris observes. They watch as Clarke eats and continues to read her book till the end. She then puts it back in her case, closes it, and lays down. Artigas and Tris wait a few minutes more before stepping out of the trees and slowly approaching Clarke. They look her over and verify she's asleep.

"I'm going to look inside there." Artigas gestures towards the ship. "Yu look raun hir." Tris nods her head at this.

They both light a torch they brought and start looking around. The first thing Tris notices is the case, she attempts to open it to see what else is inside, but it's locked shut. She leaves it alone and continues looking around, that's when she notices Clarke's torn shirt. She picks it up to get a closer look at it, that's when she notices the Nightblood. She heads over to the drop ship to show Artigas.

"There's nothing in here." Artigas says when he sees Tris. "Did you find anything?"

"Just the metal box that won't open, and this." Tris says as she hands the torn shirt over. Artigas takes hold of it and brings it closer to his face. When he sees the Nightblood his eyes widen in surprise. "How can this skai gada be a Natblida?"

"I don't know, but we need to tell Indra." Tris says.

"I'll go, you keep watch over her." Artigas volunteers.

Artigas exits the drop ship and disappears into the woods. Tris looks over at the fire Clarke built and sees that it is dying. She knows Anya and Indra will want the girl alive, so she goes in search of larger sticks and uses them to fuel Clarke's fire. Once the fire has come back to life, she turns and looks over at Clarke. "Chon yu bilaik?" Tris asks even though she knows Clarke can't hear her. She stands there a moment longer before disappearing into the woods and continuing her watch.

THE NEXT DAY

Artigas returns the next morning and finds that Tris is still awake. He looks over at Clarke's sleeping form then turns to Tris. "Did you get any rest?" He asks, she shakes her head no. He's about to tell her to rest when they hear Clarke waking up. They note her obvious discomfort and watch as she grabs her makeshift satchel and leave the campsite. "I'll follow, you should rest." Artigas tells her.

"I'll rest after I try opening the metal box again. I want to see what else she has inside." Tris says, he nods his head and takes off to follow behind Clarke.

Tris heads straight for the case and picks it up to inspect it. She notices the cap this time and lifts it up. She rubs her thumb over the needle and accidently pricks herself. The case falls on the ground, and she hears a beeping sound come from it. A moment later it makes an even louder sound, and she notices a red light. She realizes she won't be able to open it and heads back to the trees to get some much-needed sleep.

A few hours later she feels someone gently shaking her awake. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and sits up. Artigas offers her an apple to eat, and she gladly takes it. She turns her head and sees Clarke looking around the tree line suspiciously. She turns to Artigas who has taken notice of it too. While Artigas wraps his hand around his sword hilt, Tris readies an arrow, both ready to strike if need be. They relax a moment later when they see Clarke turn away. "Were you able to get that box opened?" Artigas asks, Tris shakes her head no.

"Ai think em ste the only won chon can open em." Tris says. "What did she do today?" She asks.

"Scavenge mostly. She also came across something from the old world." Artigas replies

"Yu beda rest. It's your turn now." Tris says. Artigas nods his head and lays down.

Tris turns to the sky girl and sees her cut up two pieces of the parachute and use them to wrap her feet up. Artigas didn't say anything about her getting hurt. Once she finishes wrapping her feet, she repeats what she did night before. She opens the case and takes out the book. A part of Tris wishes she could just walk up to the girl and question her herself, ever since she discovered the girl was a Nightblood she's grown curious about her. But she knows if she reveals herself to the sky girl Anya will be disappointed in her. So, she sits and watches as she reads the book from start to finish, puts it back in the box, and falls asleep.

THE NEXT DAY

Artigas wakes as the sun begins to rise. As he sits up Tris offers him a piece of meat. He raises his brow at this wondering when she left to go hunting. "Don't worry I didn't leave to hunt. I spotted it in the tree and took advantage. I cooked it in the fire the skai gada already built while she was sleeping." Artigas takes the meat and gives her an appreciative nod. Tris waits until he is done eating before asking, "What did Anya and Indra say about the girl being a Natblida?" She was unable to ask him this the day before. Before answering he takes a sip of water from his pouch.

"They didn't believe me at first, but I assured them of what we both saw. They sent a rider out to Polis to inform the Commander."

"Do you think she will come?" Tris questions.

"She might, or she may just send theFleimkepa." Artigas replies. Tris is quiet for a moment.

"I think she may be a fisa." Artigas gives her a curious look. "I saw her wrapping her feet last night. Did she get hurt?"

"No, her feet must be sore from all the walking. She may have blisters as well. I don't think she's use to walking for long periods of time." Artigas deduces.

They both turn when they hear Clarke waking up. She gathers up her things and sets out. "Sleep." Tris nods her head and gets comfortable, while Artigas trails after Clarke.

The sky girl had been walking for two hours before she tripped and fell over something. Artigas has to hold in his laugh to keep her from discovering him. A moment later he looks at her curiously as she tries to open the thing she tripped over. When she finally gets it to open, she peaks her head inside before going in herself. She stays in there for quite some time, Artigas is about to check to see if something happened to her, when he sees her step back out. He notices she has a new bag,guess she found supplies down there. He sees her close the hatch and head back to her campsite.

While on the way back to camp he hears the sound of thunder and sees the sky girl get startled by it. He finds himself once again attempting to hold in a laugh. Then he sees her look up at the sky with a smile on her face. She then twirls around without a care in the world. He realizes then that this is her first-time seeing rain.I guess they don't have rain where she comes from. He sees her get startled by the thunder again and starts running to camp. Tris is probably awake now. Artigas thinks as he runs after her. Hopefully she's building a shelter.

When Artigas arrives back, he notices Tris has her bow at the ready, a look of fear clearly written on her face. He's about to ask what has her so frightened, when he sees the mountain man. "He arrived not long ago. It seems the maunare interested in the sky girl too." They watch as the mountain man pulls his weapon out and tells Clarke that she needs to go with him. Tris seems to pull tighter at her bow string, Artigas can see that she's getting ready to fire.

"If you release your arrow, she will know we're here." He says calmly.

"If I don't, he will take her to the mountain, and we'll never see her again." Tris responds just as calmly. After a moment of contemplation, Artigas gives the go ahead.

"We don't have time for this, we need to go before they..." Tris releases her arrow, they watch as it goes through his throat, killing him immediately. They look at each other knowing what they must do now. Artigas unsheathes his sword and they both step out of the tree line and approach the sky girl. She doesn't move, it seems fear has its grip on her. Artigas uses the hilt of his sword to knock her out. While Tris grabs the metal box, Artigas sheathes his sword and lifts Clarke up off the ground.

"Osir need kom go fou mo come." Tris nods her head in agreement and they both take off in a sprint.

TRIKRU VILLAGE

TONDC

When Artigas and Tris arrive at the village with Clarke, Anya and Indra are already outside waiting for them. Neither of them looks happy. "Seya..." Artigas attempts to explain but is interrupted by Indra.

"Chit don yu odon?" Indra demands. Artigas and Tris look at each other knowing their both in big trouble.

Chapter 5: MEET THE GROUNDERS

Chapter Text

TONDC

INDRA'S HOME

Anya and Indra are sitting by the fire discussing Anya's recent visit to Polis, their capital. Anya had visited the capital to represent Trikru, and offer their alliance to the Commander. For the past two years the Commander had been trying to unite the once warring clans into one Coalition. After years of disagreements, disputes, and fighting the twelve clans finally agreed to become a part of the Commander's Coalition. Including Trikru's long time enemy the Azgeda clan. "How ste em?" Indra asks.

"Good, thekongeda was a success. All twelve clans are now under the rule of Lexa." Anya answers proudly.

"That's not what I meant." Anya shifts in her seat, knowing what Indra is referring to. "It couldn't have been easy sitting in the same room as the Az Kwin, especially after what she did to Costia." Indra says angrily.

Anya is silent for a moment, wondering how to answer that question. She hadn't seen her former second since the death of her lover Costia. She had been missing for several days, Lexa had search parties looking everywhere for her. A week later Costia's head had been delivered to Lexa's bed. Anya had spent the entire day comforting her former student, she knew Lexa would never be the same after that. But when she saw her a few days ago the change was evident. It was obvious Lexa was taking Titus' teaching to heart. The entire time Anya had been around Lexa, she had shown no emotion. 'Love is weakness. To be Commander is to be alone.' Is what Titus use to say, but the young Commander never took those words to heart until Costia. "Em ste different nau. When I look into her eyes all I see isheda, I see no traces of Leksa." Anya finally answers.

"Losing someone you love takes a toll on your heart." Indra speaks from experience. "Give her some time." Anya nods her head.

"Seya, Seya!" Someone calls out. Both Anya and Indra stand and exit the house. "Artigas and Tris were spotted. Their headed back here with the skai gada.

"Chit laik emo thinking?" Anya asks.

Anya and Indra wait outside for Artigas and Tris to arrive. After waiting a few minutes both women spot the young warriors approaching. Artigas is carrying Clarke, while Tris is carrying her case. "Seya..." Artigas attempts to explain but is interrupted by Indra.

"Chit don yu odon?" Indra demands. Artigas and Tris look at each other knowing their both in big trouble.

"Forgive us, we had no choice." Tris answers.

"Explain." Anya demands.

"A mountain man discovered her campsite. When she returned from scavenging, he raised his weapon at her. He intended to take her back to the mountain." Tris begins to explain.

"We knew if he did, we'd never see her again, we'd never discover how she came to be a Natblida." Artigas finishes.

Anya and Indra turn to each other and have a silent conversation. While the young warriors acted rashly, they did have a point. If the mountain man had taken the sky girl, they'd never see her again, and all their questions would go unanswered. They both turn their gaze to the sky girl and take notice of the cut on her head from Artigas' sword hilt. They inspect the wound and see that she is indeed a Nightblood. "Take her to the cells and leave that with us." Indra points to the case. "And get Nyko, have him treat her wound." Artigas walks off with Clarke towards the cells, while Tris hands over the case and runs off to get Nyko, the village healer.

FLASHBACK

Johnathan finds himself in his mother's lab, looking out the window towards Earth. Bella has just passed, and it's been announced that he will be the next Chancellor. In his mother's final hours, it took everything he had to be strong, to not let her see his pain, but now that she's gone the realization of it all hits him and he finds himself shedding tears. It's only when he hears footsteps approaching that he forces himself to stop crying and wipes his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "I said I wanted to be alone." Johnathan says angrily but calms down when he turns around and sees his father, Jacob.

"I thought maybe I'd be the exception." His father, Jacob says.

"They want me to become the next Chancellor, the next host to the Flame." Jacob nods his head, indicating he knows. "How am I supposed to fill her shoes? How am I supposed tolead our people without her?" Johnathan asks with tears in his eyes. Jacob approaches his son and places his hands on Johnathan's shoulders.

"You won't be without her. She'll be here." Jacob points towards Johnathan's heart. "And once you take the Flame, she'll be here." He points towards Johnathan's head. He then pulls his son into a tight embrace. "You don't worry about filling her shoes, she wouldn't want that. She'd want you to be yourself."

FLASH FORWARD

Johnathan was given a week to mourn Bella's death before he was sworn in as Chancellor and given the Flame. His inauguration was then followed by a celebration. Though he was still in mourning, he put on a smile for everyone and enjoyed the food and drinks that were passed around. When the celebration was over, he and his father went into their quarters and passed out. It was while Johnathan was sleeping that he discovered the power of the Flame.

Instead of dreaming, he saw a piece of his mother's memory. It was the first Unity Day, the day she convinced the other twelve nations to become one, the day she inspired everyone not to give up, to keep on living...to keep their hope alive. It was on that day that she became the first elected Chancellor of all the space stations.

He wakes up from the memory and rushes over to his mother's lab. He opens her case and pulls out both her journals. As he's finishing Bella's first journal his father enters the lab wondering why his son is awake. "What are you doing here Johnathan? I woke up, the door to your room was open and you weren't there. What's going on?" Jacob asks in a worried tone.

"I saw her dad, I saw mom." Jacob looks at his son confused. "Do you remember what mom use to say about the Flame? How it would store the minds of the previous host that way the current host would be able to communicate with the previous ones?" Jacob nods his head yes. "I always thought when that happened it would be like a sudden thought that would appear in the forefront of the mind, but it's so much more than that." Jacob tilts his head in curiosity. "I saw mom the day she united the twelve nations. She was so amazing dad." Jacob can't help the smile that forms on his face thinking about that day.

"Yeah, she was." He agrees.

"I thought if I read her journals,I would get a better understanding of what was going on, but I don't think she was even aware of the extent of the Flames capabilities." Johnathan observes.

"She was the first." Jacob comments. He considers something for a moment. "Wait here." Jacob turns and heads to his room, a minute later he returns with a journal similar to Bella's and hands it to him. "Your mother wanted you to have this."

"A journal?" Johnathan asks.

"She knew you would be Chancellor, she wanted you to have one of your own. Maybe you can write down the things you see, the things you experience so that one day when the Flame gets passed on, the next host will have a better understanding of what's going on." Jacob suggests.

"That's not a bad idea." Johnathan concurs with a smile.

PRESENT TIME

GROUNDER PRISON

Clarke wakes from Johnathan's memory and sits up, only to lay back down when she feels a sudden pain coming from her temple. She brings her hand over to her left temple and finds her head has been wrapped in cloth. It's then that flashes of the man in the hazmat suit, and the two kids only a year or two younger than herself enter her mind. She sits up again, slowly this time, and takes a look at her surroundings. She's inside an old structure that seems to have survived the bombs. The ground is covered in leaves, the walls are a mix of tile and rock, and in front of her is a gate. She stands and approaches the gate, only to get startled back by a largely built man with a sword in hand. What the hell is going on? Where am I? Why was I brought here? Am I a prisoner?Clarke asks herself. She slides down the wall, leans her head back, shuts her eyes, and takes a few calming breathes to calm her beating heart.

DREAM SPACE

When Clarke opens her eyes, she's no longer inside the old Earth structure, instead she finds herself inside the lab of her family's space station. "Hello Chancellor." A female voice greets. Clarke turns and does a double take. Standing before her are Bella and Johnathan, only this doesn't feel like a memory. She opens and closes her mouth, but no words come out. She's...speechless.

"I take it you haven't gotten around to reading my journals yet?" Johnathan questions. Clarke shakes her head no.

"I uh, I just finished reading hers. I was going to start yours, but I got knocked out and taken away from my drop ship." Johnathan nods his head at this. "What's going on? Up until now I've just been experiencing both your memories."

"Well as you know, when a host dies their mind gets uploaded into the Flame." Bella starts.

"What you don't know is that because of this it allows the minds of the previous hosts to communicate with the current host. Now it usually happens through dreams, but it could also happen when unconscious, or in deep meditation." Johnathan continues.

"Basically, when your mind is still enough you see our memories, or in some cases like this one, you can summon a previous host or hosts."

Clarke takes a moment to process everything she's just heard. Growing up she heard rumors of what the Flame could do, but that's all they were, just rumors. Johnathan had been the last Nightblood to be born until fifty years later when she had been brought into the world. But because of her age she was not allowed anywhere near the Flame. When she was younger her and Wells snuck into the lab to get a peek at it, but they had been caught and her mom grounded her for a month. "The knowledge must have been lost throughout the years." Johnathan surmises, Clarke nods her head yes.

"I didn't even mean to do this, I was just trying to calm myself down, keep myself from freaking out." Clarke tells them. She closes her eyes and takes another calming breath. "Do you guys have any idea what's going on? My whole life I was told there was no life on Earth, and now I'm in a prison cell, again."

"I think before passing, Becca managed to get the Nightblood serum to the survivors of the Second Dawn Bunker. The people you saw, could be their descendants." Bella explains, shaking her head in confusion Clarke is about to ask for clarification, but her vision becomes hazy.

"What's going on?" Clarke asks.

"You're waking up. Listen to me, if my mother is right, these people have survived a rather harsh environment. You need to be strong Clarke, don't show any weakness. You understand?" Johnathan asks, Clarke nods her head yes.

"Remember Clarke, you're not alone. You have us." Bella says before Clarke wakes up from the dream space.

PRISON CELL

The moment Anya and Indra hear the girl had woken up; they immediately head down to the prison cell to question Clarke. When the gates to her prison are opened, they find the sky girl sitting against the wall with her eyes closed. They both turn to the guard, "I thought you said she was awake." Indra speaks.

"She was." The guard says.

Anya approaches Clarke and kneels down in front of her. She sees her brows crinkled in a frown, and her eyes moving under her closed eyelids. Anya rises from her kneeled position and kicks Clarke's feet. She doesn't open her eyes, so Anya kicks her feet again and Clarke's eyes snap open. The first person she sees is Indra. She notices the scares and tattoos that surround her face. She then turns to Anya, she doesn't see any noticeable scars or tattoos, but she does have black paint surrounding her eyes. Both of them have a hardened look in their eyes. Johnathan was right, no one who's had an easy life looks like that. She then notices that both women are armed with swords.I'm going to have to be careful around these people.

"Who are you?" Anya questions.

"Clarke, my name is Clarke Griffin." She answers.

"What are you doing on Trikru lands Clarke Griffin?" Indra questions next.

"I wasn't aware these lands were occupied by anyone. If I had I would have high tailed it out of here, believe me." Clarke answers honestly.

"That's not what she asked you." Anya points out.

"I was sent here for my own safety." Clarke replies.

"You were in danger?" Indra asks, Clarke nods her head yes. "What kind of danger?" Indra questions.

"Let's just say I knew too much." Clarke answers. She knows she's being vague, and that these people have an advantage over her, but she needs answers as well. "Now if you don't mind, I have questions of my own."

"You're not in charge here." Indra is quick to say. "You're our prisoner, we'll be the ones to ask the questions."

"And that is one of many questions I have. Why am I a prisoner? Is it because I trespassed on your lands? If so, as I said earlier, I didn't know these lands were occupied by anyone. Until recently I thought I was alone. Which leads me to my second question, how are any of you here right now? No one should have survived the bombs. How long do you intend on keeping me a prisoner here?" Before Clarke can continue on with her questions, she's interrupted by Anya.

"Stop!" Clarke shuts her mouth. "As Indra said, you are our prisoner, as such, we will be the ones to ask the questions."

"Look, you have questions, so do I. So far, I've answered yours, all I'm asking is that you answer some of mine." Clarke reasons. Indra unsheathes her sword and holds it to Clarke's neck.

"That is not how this works." Indra states firmly.

"Then we're at an impasse. I won't be answering anymore of your questions until you answer some of mine." Clarke states, hoping to keep the fear from her voice.

Indra applies some pressure to Clarke's neck, giving her a small cut in the process. She does this as a sign of force, that if Clarke does not answer their questions, she will harm her. Anya puts a calming hand over Indra's, causing Indra to look up at her with confusion in her eyes. Anya gestures over to the gate, and both women exit without answering Clarke's questions. "Why did you stop me? I could have gotten her to talk." Indra asks.

"Untilheda says otherwise, we cannot harm her. Besides, she hasn't done anything that warrants her blood being spilt. She may not have answered all our questions, but I believe what she says to be true. Until we revealed ourselves to her, she had no idea anyone was here." Anya replies.

"Chit do suggest osir do?" Indra asks.

"Osir hod op gon heda. She's a Natblida kom the skai. Something tells me shewill want to question her herself. Perhaps she can get Clarke to talk."

A WEEK LATER

It's been a week since Indra sent a messenger to Polis. Clarke has remained in the underground prison. Besides bringing her food and water, she's been left alone until the Commander arrives to question her herself. Indra's currently in a meeting with her generals when she hears shouts coming from outside. "It's the Commander! Heda ste hir!" The lookout shouts, they leave their seats and head outside to greet their Commander. The generals stand side by side at attention, with Anya and Indra up front.

A few moments later riders arrive inside the village, led by Commander Lexa, her Flamekeeper Titus, and her personal bodyguard Gustus. The moment Lexa steps down from her horse, everyone in the village takes a knee. She approaches Anya and Indra with Gustus and Titus right behind her. She gestures for the both of them to stand, and heads inside to speak with them privately. "Where ste em?" Lexa asks.

"Imprisoned in the dungeon." Indra answers.

"What have you found out?" Lexa continues to question.

"Her name is Clarke Griffin. She was sent here because she was in danger. She was led to believe no one survived praimfaya."

"What kind of danger?" Lexa asks.

"She simply said she knew too much. She stopped answering our questions after that." Indra replies

"Why haven't you forced answers out of her." Gustus asks.

"She hasn't done anything that would warrant that." Anya answers, then she turns to Lexa. "I didn't think you'd want her to be harmed. But if I am wrong, I will rectify this mistake."

"Yu laik no wrong seda." Lexa says, and Anya bows her head. "I want to speak with her."

"I don't think that's wise." Titus speaks.

"I agree." Gustus concurs.

"Noted." Lexa acknowledges, then she turns to Anya and Indra. "Get me some clothes." Anya and Indra bow and leave to find clothes for the Commander.

"You were right." Indra acknowledges.

"She may be different, but not everything has changed." Anya simply says.

PRISON CELL

It had been a week since those two women visited Clarke. Ever since then, unless someone is bringing her food and water, she's been left alone. Clarke wonders if this is some form of mental torture. Leave her isolated until she drives herself crazy, and then maybe she'll talk.If that's the case they'll be waiting a while. I survived three months in a cell much smaller than this one. Though I did have a piece of charcoal to help with the boredom. Suddenly Clarke hears shouts in a language she can't decipher, the sound of hooves...maybe. Up until now the village has been quiet, someone important must have arrived.

TEN MINUTES LATER

Clarke's been straining her ears trying to figure out what's going on. But the villagers are speaking in their own language, so Clarke still has no idea what's going on above ground. She's distracted by her thoughts when she hears the gate open and sees a young girl not much older than her, thrown inside. She seems to be wearing rags for clothes, and her face is covered in dirt. Shortly after the guards leave the girl stands, and limps over to the wall. Clarke can't help but narrow her eyes at the girl's limp. Since she was five, she's studied under her mother's wing, learning everything there is to know about medicine. So, she knows without a doubt that the girl is faking her injury. The only question is why?

Clarke waits until the girl sits down to question her, she has a feeling she may be in here because of her. "What are you in for?" Clarke asks, but the girl does not answer her.Maybe she can't understand me. I have heard them speak in a different language. If that's so maybe she's not in here for me. Before Clarke continues to doubt herself, the girl finally speaks up.

"I got caught stealing." Clarke turns towards the girl when she hears her speak.

"I was worried there for a second. I didn't think you understood me." Clarke admits.

Lexa leans forward a bit to try to get a better look at Clarke. Her clothing is tattered and torn, there's dirt on her face, her head injury is still healing, and despite her current predicament she stands tall and confident. While changing her clothes, Anya had given her an account of Tris' time watching the girl. Despite not knowing the first thing about survival, the sky girl did all she could in an attempt to survive. She's strong. Lexa thinks to herself. "I'm Clarke by the way." Clarke introduces herself, pulling Lexa from her thoughts. "What's yours?"

"Lexa."

"You wouldn't happen to know what's going on up there, would you? I heard some commotion earlier." Clarke asks.

"The Commander arrived." Lexa answers.

"The Commander? Is that person like your leader or something?" Clarke questions, Lexa nods her head yes.

This definitely isn't a coincidence, since being brought here Clarke's been alone. The only time she's seen another human being, is when one of the guards brings her food. And when they do, they never speak a word to her, despite her efforts to get them to talk. And now with the arrival of their leader, she suddenly gets a cell mate? Clarke knows for sure now, this girl was sent here to try to get answers from Clarke. "You're that sky girl, aren't you?" Lexa questions.

"Is that what your people call me?" Clarke asks with a smile.

"Well, you did fall from the sky." Lexa reasons, and Clarke can't help but nod her head in agreement. "Why are you here instead of up there?"

"I got caught stealing." Clarke mimics Lexa's lie, and Lexa is fully aware of this.

"Mockery is not the product of a strong mind, Clarke." Lexa states.

"Neither is lying." Clarke retorts. Lexa looks up at her, surprise evident on her face but only for a moment.

Lexa schools her features into a neutral expression, and she wraps her hand around the handle of her knife she has hidden under her shirt. She isn't sure how, but Clarke caught on to her lie, and she's sure she saw her surprised expression. She doubts Clarke will attack her, but she readies herself non the less. "When did you figure it out?" Lexa asks. There's no point in keeping up with the lie anymore. Now that the truth is out there, maybe she can get some real answers from the sky girl. Clarke approaches her, Lexa's grip on her knife handle tightens. Clarke bends down to eye level with Lexa.

"The moment you walked in." Lexa gives Clarke a confused look. "I haven't finished my medical training, but I've completed enough of it to know when someone's faking an injury." Clarke explains.

Lexa can't help the small smile that forms on her face. Strong, despite the odds being against her. Confident, despite being imprisoned, and clever. Lexa's interest in this sky girl is definitely peaked. She's different from anyone else she's ever known, and she has eyes that resemble the color of the sky. "Shall we move past the small talk and lies, and move on to the truth?" Lexa questions.

"Only if you plan on sharing some truths with me first." Clarke compromises, Lexa nods her head in agreement, and Clarke sits down in front of her. "My whole life I was told that there was no life on Earth. That the planet itself wasn't survivable, so how are any of you here right now? How did your people survive the radiation?"

"Much of my people's history has been lost, I'm not entirely sure how we survived the first death wave when others didn't. I only know the reason we didn't die out was because of the first Commander, Becca Pramheda." At the mention of Becca's name, Lexa notices a spark of recognition in Clarke's eyes. Does she know about Becca? If so, how? "She ensured our survival, and we've continued to survive since." Lexa finishes.

"There's a lot more to that story, but we'll get back to that." Clarke says. Definitely clever. Lexa thinks to herself. "It's your turn, ask me anything."

Lexa is slightly taken back by this. She expected Clarke to ask more questions before getting to her own, but it seems she has a sense of fairness. Which explains why she stopped answering Anya and Indra's questions, her questions weren't being answered, so she stopped answering theirs. Lexa was the first to tell a lie, so Clarke lied as well. And now that Lexa has answered her question, she is allowed to ask one of her own. "When my people questioned you, you told them you were sent here for your own safety. Explain?"

Clarke shifts uncomfortably and Lexa notices, but despite her obvious discomfort Clarke answers her question. "Three months ago, it was discovered that the Ark, my home, was dying. The life support system that had kept us alive for the past one-hundred years was showing signs of failure. According to my father we had about two maybe three years before it would fail completely. I felt that our people had the right to know, the council on the other hand felt differently. They wanted to keep it hidden from our people to avoid panic. I didn't agree so I defied them and recorded a message, but before I could get that message out, the council had me arrested for treason and imprisoned. Three months later my best friend discovered my life was in danger. One of the council members saw me as a threat and made plans to kill me." Clarke looks Lexa in the eye. "If my friend hadn't sent me here, I'd probably be dead right now." Clarke finishes.

"There's a lot more to that story, but we'll get back to that." Lexa mimics Clarke's earlier statement. Clarke chuckles slightly at this. "You're turn."

"Your healer has a staring problem." Lexa tilts her head at this statement. "My first two days here, he would come down to check on my wound. I started noticing he would stare at it longer than necessary. At first, I thought he was new or something, but then I realized it wasn't my wound he was staring at, but my blood." Lexa sits up straighter at this. "That's how Becca helped you, how you survived this entire time. She altered your blood, and I'm betting some if not all of you, still have that altered blood." Clarke theorizes.

Shortly after her first interrogation, Clarke thought back on her conversation with Bella. How she mentioned these people were descendants of survivors of the Second Dawn Bunker. It took her a few hours to realize what she meant. When the people of the space stations refused to alter their blood, Bella told Becca that there may be survivors on Earth. If she could save the people on the ground and find a way to communicate with her, then the Commanders of the space stations would have to agree to the Nightblood serum. Unfortunately, Bella never heard from her sister, so she along with the first crew members remained on the Ark.

But based on what Lexa told her, it would seem Bella was right. Becca did manage to save the people on the ground, and the people of this village are their descendants. The only question was, what happened to Becca? Why didn't she communicate her success? "Yes." Lexa answers. "Which leads me to my next question, how is it that you are a Nightblood?"

"I was born like this." Clarke answers.

"That's not what I meant. Becca created the first Nightbloods here on the ground. So how is it you are one too?"

"Becca isn't responsible for the creation of Nightbloods." Lexa tenses at this statement. "I mean sure she may have injected your ancestors with the Nightblood serum, but it was her sister who created it in the first place."

Lexa knew Clarke recognized Becca's name, but the way she speaks about her, she realizes Clarke's more familiar with Becca than she expected. "What are you saying?" Lexa asks tensely.

"The first Nightbloods were created in space, not here on the ground. Becca came from sky Lexa, just like me." Clarke relays.

Lexa lunges at Clarke, she pins her to the ground and holds a knife to her neck. "Lies." Lexa spits.

"You said it yourself, much of your people's history has been lost. " Lexa pushes down on the knife. "She would have come down on a ship similar to mine, from the Polaris Station." Lexa grip on her knife loosens. Though not the same, the name Polaris shares a similar name to her people's capital Polis. "Come on, there has to be someone who knows this. Did Becca's Flame get lost in history too?" At Clarke's question, Lexa's eyes widen in surprise.

"How do you know about the Flame?" Lexa questions.

"She's family." Lexa's surprise turns into shock. "Her sister is my great grandmother, she was a Nightblood too, the first among my people." Clarke answers.

While Lexa doesn't want to believe a word Clarke says, she knows she speaks true. She's a Nightblood, she knows about Becca, the name of this space station she spoke of, is similar to the name of their capital, and most importantly she knows about the Flame. There's no way an outsider would know about that unless they were related to Becca in some way. Lexa is about to open her mouth to speak when she hears a noise down the hall. She notices Clarke seems to hear it too. She tilts her head and listens carefully. That's when she hears it, the familiar sound of feral screams...Reapers.

"What is it?" Clarke asks.

Before Lexa can answer, she sees her guards fighting off with the reaper. She pulls Clarke up and places herself in front of her. "Stay behind me." Lexa instructs. She sees as her guards try to hold the reaper off, only to fall one by one. Among her guards is her personal bodyguard Gustus. He's lasted longer the rest but still, he falls to the reaper as well. The reaper then turns to Clarke and Lexa and attempts to break through the gate. Lexa raises her knife and gets into a fighting stance.

"What the hell is going on? Why did he attack the guards?" Clarke asks as the reaper continues to break through the gate.

"It's a reaper. They come from the mountain and kidnap the people of the villages." Lexa answers.

"You said 'they', does that mean there's more than one?" Clarke asks.

The reaper breaks through the gate before Lexa can answer. He looks between the two of them and snarls at them both. Clarke can't help but cling to Lexa. At Clarke's touch Lexa feels something, but she's too focused on the reaper in front of her to figure it out. "Don't be afraid Clarke, death is not the end." She says in an attempt to comfort. "It is where I come from." Clarke retorts. The reaper charges at them, Lexa meets him halfway and begins to fight the reaper. She swings her knife at him, but he dodges every swing. After a minute he manages to grab hold of her hand and maneuvers it, so she stabs herself in the leg.

Lexa cries out in pain, and all Clarke can do is stand frozen in fear. Even if she wasn't so afraid, she isn't sure what she's supposed to do. This reaper took out armed guards all by himself, and now he's overpowered Lexa. Her internal thoughts are interrupted the moment the reaper pulls out Lexa's knife and holds it over his head. Shaking herself of the fear she feels, she charges at the reaper and jumps on his back before he can finish the job. Clarke hangs on to him for dear life while he swings her around in an attempt to get her off of him. He finally reaches behind him and throws Clarke over his shoulder. As Clarke's body is slammed on the ground, she feels as if the air is being sucked from her lungs.

She sees the reaper hover over her with Lexa's knife in hand. In that moment she thinks her life is over, that her next breath is going to be her last. That is, until she looks into the reaper's eyes. Their bloodshot and dilated, indicating he's on some sort of drug. Someone made him this way. Clarke then notices bruises and injection marks on his neck. "Who did this to you?" She asks. The reaper does not answer, instead he raises the knife over his head, but just as he's about to bring the knife down on her. His body begins to convulse, he drops the knife and falls on the ground next to Clarke. "What did you do to him?" Lexa asks, surprise evident in her voice.

"I didn't do anything. His body is reacting to the drug." Clarke answers as she sits up and turns the reaper on his side. As she does so, she notices foam coming out of his mouth. Overdose.

"Drug?" Lexa questions confused.

"Someone made him like this." Clarke clarifies.

"Heda." Both Clarke and Lexa turn at the sound of Gustus' voice.

He somehow managed to survive the reaper attack, but it's obvious he's been injured. He tries to crawl over to Lexa but is too badly injured to do so. Lexa tries to walk over to Gustus, but the moment she stands, her injured leg gives out. It's in that moment Clarke notices Lexa's blood, it's just like her own. Realization dawns on her, Lexa is the Commander, the leader of these people. Clarke's about to check on her, but she notices the reaper has not only stopped convulsing but has stopped breathing entirely. She flips him on his back and starts doing compressions, while doing so she turns to Lexa. "You need to treat your wound before trying to help your friend." She looks around for something Lexa can use to wrap her leg. She notices Lexa wearing some sort of head scarf and decides that will have to do. "Take that head scarf and wrap it above the wound. Wrap it tightly, but not tight enough to cut off the circulation." Clarke instructs.

Despite wondering what Clarke is doing to the reaper, she does as she's told remembering Clarke mention having medical training. She removes the head scarf from her head and wraps it around her leg. Once she is done Clarke instructs her to go to Gustus and describe his injury. Favoring her uninjured leg, she limps towards Gustus and kneels by his side. She flips him onto his back and sees that he has lost a great deal of blood. "I think the reaper got him in the stomach. He's losing a lot of blood." Lexa tells her, worry evident in her voice.

"Is he still breathing?" Clarke asks.

"Barely." Lexa answers.

"Then he still has a chance. Use your hands to apply pressure over his wound." Clarke instructs.

Lexa places her hands over his wound and presses down, in response he lets out a painful groan, she quickly removes her hands. "I'm hurting him." She speaks. "That means you're doing it right, keep applying pressure." Clarke repeats. Lexa does so and calls for a healer. Two minutes pass before she hears the sound of someone approaching them. "Heda." Anya calls out, she then notices Lexa's injury. "You're hurt."

"Get Nyko." Lexa commands, Anya is about to do so when she notices Clarke with a reaper.

She's about to ask what she's doing, when the reaper finally begins to breath. Anya and Lexa look on in shock. Not only has the reaper calmed, but Clarke managed to bring him back from the dead. "I don't understand, what just happened?" Anya asks awestruck.

"Get Nyko Anya." Lexa repeats. Anya shakes herself from her shock and does as commanded.

While still applying pressure to Gustus' wound she looks over at Clarke and sees her looking over the reaper. "He was dead, how did you do that?" She asks. Clarke turns in her direction.

"You've tried bringing reapers back before?" Clarke asks, Lexa nods her head yes. "And they died like this?" Lexa continues to nod her head. "Well, he's not out of the woods. Whatever the mountain gave him to make him this way, it's still in his system. We need to flush it out, otherwise he could die again, and I may not be able to bring him back a second time."

"Tell me what you need."

FIVE MINUTES LATER

HEALER'S TENT

Clarke, Gustus, Lexa and the reaper are brought to the healer's tent. Nyko is about to treat Lexa's leg injury, but she insists he treat her bodyguard first. As he's looking over Gustus' wound, Clarke is monitoring the reaper's breathing and pulse. His breathing is shallow, and his pulse is slow. Unless she can flush whatever drug is in his system, he won't live long. She suddenly feels eyes on her, she looks up and sees Lexa staring at her. "Do you really think you can turn this reaper back into a man?" Lexa asks, at her question Nyko looks up and turns towards Clarke.

"I don't know. I have no idea what these mountain people put into his system to make him like this. We just have to hope this works." Clarke answers honestly.

Anya and Indra enter the tent with supplies Clarke requested, but Indra stops when she sees the reaper, recognition evident in her features. "Lincoln." She approaches his side and drops the supplies on the bed. "The maunon will kof gon disha." Indra swears, then she turns to Clarke. "I got what you asked for, though I don't see how this will help him." Indra hands her a bowl along with some coal, while Anya hands her a pouch filled with water. As Clarke is turning the coal to powder, Nyko finishes with Gustus and approaches.

"How can I help?" He asks. Clarke looks up at him.

"I got this; you should probably tend to your Commander." Everyone looks at Clarke with a shocked expression, she simply smiles and gestures over to Gustus. "He kind of gave it away."

"Clever." Lexa says with a smile.

Anya notices this and looks between the two girls, wondering what happened in that prison cell. Lexa hasn't smiled since Costia. As Clarke sprinkles some water over the coal, Nyko approaches Lexa and begins treating her leg. Once the coal is made into a sort of paste, Clarke tilts Lincoln's head up and places the bowl over his mouth. "You want him to drink that?" Indra asks, unsure of Clarke's intentions.

"I know this seems strange to you but believe it or not coal use to be used to help treat a drug overdose or poisoning." Indra seems unsure about this. "Can I continue, or should I just stop now?" Clarke asks.

Indra turns to Lexa wondering if Clarke can really be trusted to do this. Lexa gives a nod of approval, and Indra steps aside to let Clarke work. She tilts the bowl into Lincoln's mouth allowing the coal to enter his system. Once Lincoln has swallowed it all down everyone waits in anticipation to see if it'll work. A full minute passes before he starts to make a gagging sound, Clarke quickly turns Lincoln on his side just in time for him for him to spill his stomach contents. Once he is finished, he lays back down and looks over at Indra. "Indra?"

Indra approaches Lincoln and gathers his face in her hands. She stares at him in disbelief then turns to Clarke. "You did it."

LATER THAT EVENING

Once she had her leg treated by Nyko, Lexa left the healer's tent and headed straight for hers. A lot had happened today, and she needed a moment to herself to process it all. She wasn't sure what she expected when she went to talk to Clarke, but she certainly didn't expect the answers she discovered. Becca coming from the sky, Clarke being a descendant of hers, and now witnessing Clarke turn a reaper back into a man. Lexa has no idea what she's supposed to do with the knowledge she learned. She decides she needs the advice of the previous Commanders; she sits cross legged in the middle of her tent, closes her eyes and begins to meditate.

DREAM SPACE

Lexa looks around the dream space and finds herself somewhere unfamiliar to her. Normally when she calls upon the previous Commanders, they are seated at a table inside the council room in Polis. But this place, this place is different. The room isn't lit by candles, and there are things around her that she doesn't recognize. Lexa finally spots a window and approaches it, when she looks outside, she sees the stars, and in front of her is the Earth. She stares at it wide eyed knowing it's her home. "Hello Commander." Lexa swerves around and sees Becca in front of her.

"Becca Pramheda." Lexa says in shock, then she kneels before her.

Becca approaches her and extends her hand out. "Becca is just fine." Lexa takes her hand and stands on her feet.

"I don't understand, you've never come to me before." Lexa says.

"You've never needed me before." Becca gestures towards a nearby chair. Both her and Lexa sit on opposite ends. "You want to know what you should do next, especially when it comes to Clarke." Becca surmises, and Lexa nods her head yes.

"What she did today for Lincoln, my people will view her as less of a threat. But if they were to find out about the things she told me, they'd never accept that. I'm not even sure I accept it even though I know she speaks true." Lexa explains.

Becca considers Lexa's words. Though she's been dead for the past hundred years, she's fully aware of the mindsets of the current Commander's people. When a consciousness is uploaded into the Flame, she sees all the memories. She knows the Flame is central to their faith, that they are loyal to whoever possess it, bestowing them the title of Commander. Which makes what she's about to tell Lexa that much harder. "I'm afraid what I have to tell you won't help with your current dilemma." Lexa tilts her head at this. "Everything she told you is true. I know you've come to think of me as the first Commander and Nightblood, and while I did create the Flame and was its first host. It was my sister who created and was the first Nightblood."

Becca turns her head to the side and Lexa follows her gaze. Before her is a memory of Becca's, she is with her sister in the lab. Becca has just pricked Bella's finger; Lexa sees a drop of Nightblood fall on the floor. "It's day two and the Nightblood serum is still in your system." Becca says with a smile.

"So far so good." Bella comments.

"Now it's my turn." Becca says as she lowers her sweatpants, she lays down on the table and waits for Bella to inject her with the serum.

"You sure you don't want to wait?" Becca gives her sister a look that says no. Bella raises her hands in surrender and grabs the Nightblood serum. "This might sting." Becca warns before injecting her sister. Becca groans in pain but manages to remain still. "All done, it should be fully in your system in an hour."

The memory ends, Becca and Lexa turn to face each other. Becca gives her a moment to process everything she's just witnessed. She knows discovering the truth behind one's belief isn't always easy. After a few moments have passed, Lexa seems to be done processing. "Now that I've seen the truth with my own eyes, I suppose I have no other choice but to accept it." Lexa resigns herself.

"I'm afraid there's more, and this truth will be a little bit harder to accept." When Lexa turns her head to see what memory Becca wishes her to see, she sees her sister implanting the Flame into Becca, and then a minute later she sees Becca implanting a second Flame into her sister. She turns and looks at her completely in shock. "Whenever my sister and I worked on a project together, she would always say two minds were better than one. So, when I created the Flame, I decided to create a second. I thought it would be better to have two rather than one."

"Does that mean Clarke has the second Flame?" Lexa asks.

"There's a very good chance she does." Becca answers.

Lexa doesn't say anything for a while. She came here looking for answers, but just like with Clarke, she got more than she bargained for. It's one thing for Clarke to be a Nightblood, it's another thing for her to be a Commander who holds a second Flame. That is something her people will definitely not accept, especially Titus. "What do I do? If my people found out who Clarke really is, if they found out she carries a second Flame inside her, they could view her as a threat." Becca stands and places a hand on Lexa's hand.

"They will only see her as a threat if you make her out to be one." Becca replies.

"What does that mean?" Lexa asks confused.

"I'm afraid our time is up Commander." Becca simply says.

LEXA'S TENT

Lexa wakes from her dream scape and finds Titus standing by the entrance of her tent. "Forgive the intrusion. I came to speak with you, but saw you were meditating. I didn't want to disturb you." Lexa nods her head in understanding. "People are talking about what the skai gada did for Lincoln. Most are impressed, others are still unsure about her."

They will only see her as a threat if you make her out to be one. Becca's words ring loudly in Lexa's head, it's then that she understands there meaning. She wouldn't have to worry about her people seeing Clarke as a threat, if they saw her as an ally instead. She would have to keep her true identity a secret for it to work, but she would be protected. Strange, why am I suddenly worried about the life of someone I barely know? She could very well be a threat. But deep down, she knows this isn't true. When the reaper attacked her, Clarke had an opportunity to run. She wouldn't have gotten far, but she had that opportunity. Instead, she stuck around and saved her. She helped save Gustus and brought Lincoln back. Whatever the reason, she would protect the girl, and she knew just how to do it. "I want Clarke brought to me." Lexa says as she stands. Titus bows and exits the tent.

A few minutes later Clarke enters her tent, Lexa can see the exhaustion in her eyes. Though this could probably wait until morning, she feels it's best they get this out of the way. "We need to talk." She states.

"I figured." Clarke acknowledges. "Before we do though, there's something I need to ask you." Lexa gestures Clarke to continue. "Are you the current host for Becca's Flame?" Lexa nods her head yes.

"Are you the host to Bella's?" Lexa asks in return.

"You've spoken to her, haven't you? Becca?" Clarke asks knowingly. Lexa was unaware of the origin of Nightbloods, so there's no way she would have known about the second Flame unless she spoke to Becca herself. Which Clarke has recently figured out is possible. Lexa nods her head yes to her question. "The answers yes. I got it implanted just recently."

"We have much to discuss in regard to that, but it'll have to wait. There is something I want to ask you, it's a lot, but if you agree it could be beneficial to you."

"In regard to my fate here?" Clarke questions. Lexa nods her head yes. "Then ask."

"The people who did that to Lincoln. I need your help taking them down."

Chapter 6: SECRETS OF THE MOUNTAIN

Chapter Text

Clarke listens as Lexa tells her the history of the mountain men. Her people came across them a few decades ago, nothing came of it at first, until their people started going missing. Only a few had gone missing at first, but as the years passed more and more of their people were taken. They tried numerous times to get inside the mountain, but found it was an impenetrable fortress. Eventually the people of the mountain created a green fog and used it against them when they got too close to the mountain. It would cause paralyses, and eventually would burn and kill those caught in it. Not long after that the reapers appeared in place of the mountain men to capture their people.

Clarke sits there in shock at what Lexa has just told her. She's shocked to find out there are more survivors on Earth, even more so to discover what they're doing to Lexa's people. "Do you have any idea why they've captured so many of your people?" Clarke asks, and Lexa shakes her head no. Clarke leans back into the chair she's sitting in racking her brain, when a thought suddenly comes to mind. "I think I might have come across one of these mountain men." Lexa sits up straighter at this information. "It was the day your people brought me here. I found him in my campsite, he had my case in his hand. He wanted me to go with him."

"They hardly come out of the mountain anymore, they must have some interest in you." Lexa surmises.

"He was wearing a hazmat suit; do you have any idea why that is?" Lexa shakes her head no. "Where is this mountain you keep talking about?" Lexa stands and grabs a nearby map, she places it on the table and points to the location of the mountain. "That's Mount Weather."

"You know it?" Lexa asks.

"I know of it. It's where my people were meant to go once it was safe to come back to the ground. It's an underground bunker that has everything needed to survive. Hospital, crematorium, dining and recreation areas, sleeping quarters, reservoirs of drinking and cooling water, an emergency power plant, and an emergency broadcasting system. Originally, it was meant to be used as a major relocation site for the highest level of civilian and military officials in the event of a national disaster, playing a major role in the continuity of government." Clarke explains.

"I can see why they wouldn't want to leave their fortress, but why take my people?" Lexa questions.

At Lexa's question a realization hits Clarke. Why would these people remain inside the bunker if the Earth were survivable? Even with the means to survive, no one would choose to remain isolated from the outside world unless...unless the air outside wasn't breathable. It would explain the man in the hazmat suit. A dark thought suddenly enters Clarke's mind. What if their taking Lexa's people to figure some sort of cure for radiation poisoning? Clarke looks up at Lexa. "You need to question Lincoln, find out what he knows." Lexa looks closely at Clarke; she has a haunted look on her face.

"What is it?" Lexa questions.

"I think I figured out why your people are being taken, but I won't know for sure until you question Lincoln."

HEALER'S TENT

When Clarke and Lexa arrive at the healer's tent, Gustus is resting and Nyko is gone, but Anya and Indra remain by Lincoln's side. Lexa informs him that Clarke has questions for him. Everyone looks at Lexa, surprised she wants Clarke to question him, but Lexa simply nods h gestures Clarke to begin her questioning. "What I'm about to ask you won't be easy, but if you can, I need you to walk me through everything that happened the day you got captured." Lincoln seems hesitant at first, but it doesn't take him long to come around.

"I was by myself when I got captured, but when I was brought to the mountain there were others. The mountain men removed our clothing, blasted us with warm water, and doused us with something that burns even worst." Anya and Indra both have disgusted expressions on their faces. "Afterwards we were sorted, the others were tagged harvest while I was tagged Cerberus and turned into a reaper."

Clarke has a worried look on her face. What exactly are they harvesting from these people? And Cerberus, she recognizes the name from Greek mythology. The three-headed dog who guards the underworld. She starts to wonder if the reapers were used for more than just capturing the villagers. "Clarke?" Lexa calls out, Clarke looks around and sees everyone is staring at her, waiting for her to say something. "Sorry, I was just in my head." Clarke apologizes then continues. "Do you remember how they turned you into a reaper?" She asks.

"I remember every second of it. Once I was tagged for Cerberus, they had me tied down to a chair. Shortly after this man came carrying a vial of red liquid. He injected it into me, when he did, I remember a burning sensation. He told me the first dose was always the worst. Sometime later that same man came back with the red liquid in hand. The moment I saw it I wanted it, he told me that my body was already craving it and injected me with it again. He then used some sort of device to emit this high-pitched noise, and then something was done to my body, it just suddenly seized up. Afterwards he said something about upping my dosage and doing shock treatments every two hours until I feared the tone. Once I came to fear the tone, they would move on to phase two. I'm not sure how much time passed after that, all I know is he brought in another reaper, and we were forced to fight for another taste of that red liquid. I won the fight and injected the red liquid into myself. After that, whenever they needed more of our people, I would be sent out to capture them. When the reapers and I came back with more people, they would give us a dose of the red as a reward." Lincoln looks to the Commander, then to Indra. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault." Indra says reassuringly, then she turns to Clarke. "What does any of this mean?" Indra asks, Anya and Lexa turn to Clarke for answers.

"One last question. Do you know how they pick who becomes reapers and who doesn't?"

"I think they pick who they believe is the strongest among those captured." Lincoln answers, Clarke nods her head at this.

"Well Clarke, what does it all mean?" Lexa asks.

"The mountain is using your own people to capture their own. They take the strongest of the group, restrain them, and then get them addicted to this red drug. Afterwards, through sensor and electroshock therapy, they learn to associate a high-pitch noise with pain in order to control them." Clarke explains. Everyone looks at Clarke confused by her words. "They basically used very cruel methods to not only get him addicted to this drug, but to also get him to fear a certain high-pitched noise so that they can control the reapers they create."

"And those that are chosen for harvest? What are they doing with them?" Anya asks.

"I don't know, all I do know is they must be using them to find a cure for radiation poisoning." Clarke answers, and they once again seem confused by her words. "When the bombs went off a hundred years ago, it caused the air to become poisoned, unbreathable. Until..."

"Becca." Lexa realizes.

"When she gave your ancestors the Nightblood serum, she not only gave you a cure for radiation poisoning, but she gave future generations a chance to adapt to the air around them. It's why you're not dead right now." Clarke explains.

"What do you mean Nightblood serum?" Indra asks.

"And while we're on the subject, how is it you are a Nightblood yourself?" Anya questions as well.

"None of that is important right now." Lexa states effectively quieting Anya and Indra. "How sure are you that they cannot breathe our air?" Lexa asks Clarke.

She doesn't answer right away, noticing how quick Lexa was to dismiss Anya and Indra's questions, she wants to ask what that was about, but has a feeling she'll have to wait until they are alone. "Pretty sure. As I said before you all had Becca, they didn't. They remained in the bunker, so their bodies didn't adjust to radiation like yours did. You said so yourself they hardly come out, especially now that they have reapers to do their bidding. Plus, it would explain why the mountain man I saw was wearing a hazmat suit. He wouldn't wear that unless he needed it for protection."

"Gather the generals Indra, we have much to discuss. Anya, please escort Clarke to my tent. Make sure she is given food and water and that she is undisturbed." Both Anya and Indra bow their heads and move to execute their commands. Before Clarke turns to leave, she is stopped by Lincoln who grabs hold of her wrist.

"Wait, Nyko told me you were the one who brought me back. Thank you." Lincoln says gratefully.

"You're welcome." Clarke says, then follows Anya to Lexa's tent.

TWO HOURS LATER

Since leaving the healer's tent, Lexa has spent the last two hours with her generals, discussing the new information they discovered about the mountain. While there are some in her ranks that are still skeptical of Clarke, for the most part they cannot deny what was done to Lincoln, or the fact that she was the first and only person to bring back a reaper. And though they know more about the mountain than they have before, the new information still does not get them any closer to rescuing her people. That was the top priority now, it made Lexa's blood boil thinking about what was being done to her people, simply because the mountain men could not breathe the same air they could.

She finally calls the meeting, deciding they're not getting anywhere, and informs them they will continue later on in the afternoon. As she leaves the meeting room she's pulled aside by Titus, asking about Clarke. He had shown an interest in the girl since Lincoln, but she cannot reveal the truth about Clarke to him. As Flamekeeper he has devoted his life to safeguarding the Flame. He is also the spiritual leader of their faith. If he were to discover the true origins of the Flame, that there is not one, but two. It could shake the foundation of their faith, and he may kill her in an attempt to preserve it.

So, she tells him what Clarke told her in the dungeon, she was simply born a Nightblood. Titus looks her over, wondering if there is something the Commander isn't telling him. He then shakes his head of these thoughts, bows his head, and dismisses himself from her presence. If there were more to Clarke Lexa would tell him, she would not keep secrets from him.

Once Titus leaves her be, she makes her way over to her tent, she nods at the guard Anya placed in front her of tent as she enters. She spots Clarke right away sleeping on the chair, only she doesn't seem to be sleeping soundly. She's turning in place, and it looks like she's crying in her sleep. Lexa isn't sure if she's having a nightmare, or if it's the Flame. She approaches Clarke and shakes her lightly. "Clarke." She calls softly, Clarke slowly opens her eyes and seems surprised to see Lexa. She sits up and blinks a few times, confused by the tears in her eyes Clarke wipes her face with her sleeve. "Were you having a nightmare?" Lexa asks.

"No, it was Bella. After Becca left for Earth, she waited for days hoping to hear from her. Then one day she had this gut feeling she was never going to see her sister again, she cried herself to sleep that day." Clarke gets quiet for a moment. "Am I going to experience their memories for the rest of my life?"

"No, the memories should fade soon. They are most prominent when you first take the Flame." Lexa explains.

"I take it you've had Becca's Flame for a while now?" Clarke questions, and Lexa nods her head yes. She then makes her way to the chair opposite of Clarke, as she's walking Clarke sees her leg bleeding and knows right away that Lexa's stitches have torn. "You tore your stitches." Clarke comments, as soon as she sits down Lexa looks down at her leg and sees Clarke is right. "Do you have a sewing kit, and something to clean the wound?"

"There's a bag by my bed bring that to me." Clarke spots the bag easily and brings it to Lexa. "There's a jug of water over at that table there." Lexa gestures towards another table. "You can use that to clean the wound."

Clarke walks over to the table and picks up the jug of water. She notices a bowl next to it along with a piece of cloth. She pours the water into the bowl, then brings that along with the cloth to the other table. As Clarke approaches, Lexa pulls out her sewing kit and places it on the table. Clark pulls her chair closer to Lexa, then takes the cloth and dips it into the water. She's careful when cleaning out Lexa's wound and spots the area where the stitches have torn.Once she's cleaned off the area, she opens up Lexa's sewing kit and takes out a needle. She looks around until she finds what she's looking for and walks over to a lit candle, using its flame to sterilize the needle. "What are you doing?" Lexa asks curiously.

"Sterilizing the needle. I don't know how many times it's been used, or who it's been used on." Clarke replies.

Clarke sits back down on the chair and removes the old stitches from Lexa's leg. She picks up some new thread and runs it through the needle, once she has enough, she bites off the end of the thread, and starts stitching up Lexa's leg. As she's closing up Lexa's wound, she starts to think about how dismissive Lexa was towards Anya and Indra when they asked about her. Clarke figures now would be the best time to ask what that was about. "Lexa?" Clarke calls, Lexa hums in response. "Why did you dismiss Anya and Indra's questions about the whole Nightblood situation?"

"Ever since Becca, the Flame has become central to our faith. My people are loyal to whoever possess it. If they were to find out that an outsider possessed a second Flame, that you are a descendant of Becca Pramheda, there could be chaos and imbalance among my people. They might even try to kill you, especially the Keepers of the Flame, who have devoted their lives to safeguarding and ensuring its succession." Lexa explains.

"So, keep my mouth shut and my hair down?" Lexa nods her head yes, and Clarke finishes stitching her wound back up. "Try to put your weight into the uninjured leg. You'll feel less pain, and you'll be less likely to tear the stitches."

"Thank you." Clarke nods her head and starts packing up the sewing kit. Just has she finishes up, Gustus stumbles in.

"Heda, are you alright?" Gustus asks in a worried tone.

Clarke notices he's holding his hand over his injury, and there's blood seeping out of it. What is up with these people tearing their stitches? She gestures towards Gustus' wound and Lexa takes notice.

"I'm fine Gustus, but it seems you have reopened your wound. Please sit, allow Clarke to look you over." Gustus gives her a confused look. "Don't worry she's an excellent healer. Besides, it'll give me time to catch you up on all you've missed." Clarke stands and gestures Gustus to sit down. He hesitates for a moment before sitting down across Lexa.

A few minutes later Clarke has finished patching up Gustus, while Lexa has relayed all the information they discovered while Gustus was recovering. Anger is clearly written on his face at what the mountain men are doing to their people. "When do we attack. Osir cannot teik disha continue." (We cannot let this continue). Gustus speaks.

"We won't, but we cannot march on them until we can successfully breach their defenses." Lexa reminds him.

Clarke looks over the map again from where she stands. As she's looking it over, she remembers what Lincoln said about his arrival. How he was tagged for Cerberus. She thinks back on the legend of Cerberus, and a thought enters her mind. "Is this the only map you have of Mount Weather?" Clarke asks. Both Gustus and Lexa look up at her curiously before Lexa answers.

"Yes." Lexa answers wondering where Clarke is going with this.

"Lincoln said those that were chosen to be reapers were tagged Cerberus. In Greek mythology Cerberus was a three-headed watchdog of the underworld. He devoured anyone who tried to escape the kingdom of Hades, lord of the underworld, and he refused entrance to living humans." Clarke begins to explain.

"What does that have to do with the mountain?" Gustus asks.

"What if there was an underground entrance to Mount Weather?" Clarke questions. Gustus and Lexa seem taken back by this question.

"It could be possible, but if that's true..." Lexa starts out.

"It'll be crawling with reapers." Gustus finishes.

"Probably, but it's your best shot at getting inside the bunker undetected." Clarke turns to Lexa. "You wouldn't have to worry about your people getting caught up in that green fog you told me about." Gustus can see Lexa considering her words.

He's not sure to what extent they can trust Clarke, what she's suggesting could put their people, their Commander in danger. He stands and asks to speak with Lexa privately, she obliges him, and once outside her tent. He turns to her and shares his concerns. "Heda, I don't know about this. I heard what she did for Lincoln, but is she someone we can trust?"

"You don't think it's a good idea?" Lexa questions.

"We're not even sure if these tunnels exist, and if they do we have no idea how many reapers are within those tunnels.En even taim osir were kom ge past the reapers den chit heda? (And even if we were to get past the reapers then what Commander?)Osir don no idea where our kru laik being held, o how many maun laik inside." (We have no idea where our people are being held, or how many mountain men are inside.)

"You didn't seem concerned with this earlier when you asked when we would attack." Gustus grows quiet remembering his earlier statement. "Any attack against the mountain will be a risk. We cannot let our people suffer at their hands any longer." Gustus lets out a defeated sigh, knowing once Lexa makes up her mind, nothing he says will change that. "Don't worry Gustus, I'm no novice. I'm not going to have our people charge in there. We will talk to Lincoln, see if Clarke's right about the underground entrance, if so hopefully he remembers and he can draw us a map." Lexa says reassuringly.

THE NEXT DAY

After speaking with Lincoln and confirming Clarke's theory about an underground entrance. Lexa had Lincoln draw out a map and discovered there were multiple tunnels leading into Mount Weather. She immediately called a second meeting and presented the map Lincoln drew. With a way inside the mountain, it was decided that a representative from each clan, along with their army would march to TonDC and prepare for war. Lexa currently watches as eleven messengers ride out to each of the other clans. She turns her head slightly when she hears someone approach and relaxes when she sees it's her former mentor Anya. "The time of the mountain is almost at an end." Lexa nods in agreement. "Ba bilaik end will nowe come taim osir don't don a strat." (But that end will never come if we don't have a plan.)

"I am aware of thisseda, I'll come up with something before the representatives arrive." Lexa reassures Anya.

"I already have." Lexa turns to Anya. "But you won't like it."

Anya then turns towards Clarke, who is sitting on a nearby table reading the journals from her case. She had asked Lexa the night before if she could have it back, she even let her read one of Bella's journals. Seeing Anya's gaze, Lexa suddenly has a bad feeling about what her plan could be. "You want to involve Clarke?" She questions, despite knowing the answer.

"Even if we were to infiltrate the mountain from the inside, we wouldn't know where to go. We need to know where our people are, how many mountain men we'll come across, and what sort of defenses they have on the inside. I believe she may be our best chance at getting this information." Anya answers.

Lexa looks at Clarke, who is currently in her own world, ignoring everything around her. She knows Anya is right, but she's not sure sending Clarke in is the best idea. What if the mountain tags her for harvest? And even if they were to let her in, she knows nothing about gathering information. Lexa may not know much about the girl, but she can tell Clarke knows nothing about military tactics or strategy. It's pretty obvious she's never seen war. "She's no soldier Anya, even if she were let into the mountain, she would have no idea what to do. What information she would need to gather." Lexa points out.

"I've thought of all that, I just need you to listen before dismissing it completely. I know sending her in will be a risk, but with the proper planning it could work." Anya says in an attempt to convince Lexa. The Commander nods her head for Anya to continue.

MEANWHILE WITH CLARKE

Unaware of Anya and Lexa's conversation, Clarke managed to get her case back last night, and is currently reading Johnathan's journal. The first few pages are filled with memories of his mother. Every night he'd see a different memory, and then after a week the memories would fade until he stopped seeing them completely. But when he found himself in a tight spot a memory would come to him in his dreams, and on few occasions, he'd speak to his mother directly.

Nearing the end of Jonathan's first journal Clarke hears footsteps approaching her. She looks up from the journal wondering if one of the villagers is bringing her food, only to find the two kids responsible for bringing her here in front of her. She tilts her head curiously at them, she hasn't seen them since the drop ship, and now as they stand before her, they both seem nervous. She closes the journal and puts it back in the case before acknowledging them. "You two are the ones who brought me here." They both nod their head yes, and then Clarke turns to Artigas. "You're the one who gave me this." She points to the cut on her temple.

"Forgive me, I was doing what I believed to be right at the time. We both were." Artigas says nervously.

"I understand, we're good." Clarke says genuinely. Both of them smile at this and sit down across from Clarke.

"I'm Tris and this is Artigas." Tris introduces herself and her companion.

"Clarke."

"We heard that you are helping us defeat the mountain, is that true?" Tris asks.

"I just passed on knowledge based on the information I given. I haven't actually done anything." Clarke says.

"Word around the village is you helped discover a way inside the mountain. I'd say you helped out quite a bit." Artigas comments, Clarke can't help but smile at this. She then notices Tris rubbing her left shoulder.

"Are you ok Tris?" Clarke asks concerned.

"Yes, it's just my latest kill mark." Clarke tilts her head in confusion, Tris notices and begins to explain. "We believe you gain power from the soul that you take away. After a kill is made, we are honored by receiving a mark on our shoulder or chest. Every mark signifies how many we have killed." Tris pulls down her shirt to show Clarke her kill marks. She leans in closer and sees a freshly burnt skin mark, along with two welts.

Three kills. Clarke thinks to herself. "You seem kinda young to already receive three kill marks." Clarke comments.

"We're trained as warriors at a young age. At what age do your people train their warriors?" Artigas asks, but his question goes unanswered at Titus' presence.

"That's enough, get back to your training." Titus commands.

"YesFleimkepa." Artigas and Tris bow their heads and head to the training grounds.

The moment Titus sits down across from Clarke, she immediately has a bad feeling about him. While she doesn't understand their language, she has a feeling Fleimkepa is associated with the Keepers of the Flame Lexa told her about yesterday. The ones responsible for safeguarding and ensuring succession of the Flame. On the Ark they had a group similar to the Keepers, they were known as the Order.

They were formed when Johnathan became Chancellor. When it was discovered that the Flame was more than just an AI. They were meant to guide and oversee the transition between Chancellor's. That of course all changed when Johnathan's child was born without the Nightblood serum. The Order had nearly died out until Clarke was born. Before her birth there had only been five members of the Order, the number grew slightly after her birth.

Clarke briefly wonders how they would react if they discovered Becca's Flame had not been lost. That it had been passed on from one leader to the next. She quickly pulls herself from these thoughts when Titus starts talking to her. "I did not believe the messenger when he reported a Nightblood had fallen from the sky. How is it you share the same blood as the Commander?" He asks.

Clarke finds herself sitting up straighter, her bad feeling only intensified after his question. She could see the suspicion in his eyes. Lexa was right, if anyone discovered who she really is they may try to kill her, and this guy would probably be the first in line to do so. "I don't know, it was a shock to everyone. They all thought I had some sort of blood disease. I spent most of my childhood being closely watched, I think they were expecting me to get sick, even die, but neither happened." Clarke lies, well half lies. It was a shock to everyone when they discovered she was a Nightblood, and she was closely watched as a child, but it was mainly out of concern for her safety. She had thought about what she was going to say when Lexa stepped out of the tent to speak Gustus. Later on, that night when they were alone, she ran the lie by Lexa, and she gave a nod of approval.

"So, you are the only Nightblood?" Titus continues, while searching her face for a lie.

"Yes." Clarke answers, she isn't sure if she should have lied about that as well, but it's too late to take it back now.

Titus is about to ask another question but stops when he turns and sees Anya and Lexa approaching. He stands and bows his head to Lexa, but instead of acknowledging him she turns to Clarke and looks her over. Her shoulders are tense, but she gives the same aura of confidence she did in the dungeon. "Is every alright here?" She asks Clarke.

"Yes, we were just talking." Clarke answers.

"Would you mind heading back into my tent? There is something Anya and I would like to discuss with you." Lexa asks. Clarke nods her head yes. She closes her case and follows Anya to Lexa's tent.

Once they are out of earshot, Lexa turns to Titus. While her face doesn't show it, she's annoyed with him. She thought after their talk yesterday he would stop poking around, but she should have known better. Though a part of her knows she can't blame him entirely, she hopes after his talk with Clarke he will let his suspicions go. "What did you learn?" Lexa asks, masking her annoyance towards him, and her protectiveness towards Clarke.

"She is the only Natblida among her people. Because of this they thought she was diseased." Titus answers.

"Do you believe her?" Lexa questions.

"I'm not sure, perhaps with time we'll come to find out if she speaks true. Until then, I should head back to the capital. I hear you are preparing for war." Lexa nods her head at this. "Make the maunonpay for their crimes but be careful Heda.You are the coalition; it does not exist without you." Lexa nods her head again and watches as Titus heads for the stables.

LEXA'S TENT

Once she saw Titus leave the village, Lexa headed to her tent. Clarke is sitting down, while Anya is standing, it doesn't seem like either has spoken to each other, but at the same time the silence doesn't appear to be awkward. She turns to Clarke first to ensure she's ok. "Are you alright?" Anya finds herself looking between the two of them for a second time. To those who do not know Lexa well, looking at her now all they would see is a stoic expression. But Anya knows Lexa, she can see past the mask, Lexa is concerned for the girl. But why? Titus made no move to harm her; they were simply talking.

"I'm good, but that guy I was talking to was kinda creepy." Clarke comments, and Anya can't help the amused smile that forms on her face. It seems she and the sky girl share something in common, neither of them don't have a fondness towards Titus.

"That was Titus, my Flamekeeper. He's been curious about you since you arrived, but I think his curiosity has been sated for now." Clarke nods in understanding.

"So, what did the two of you want to talk about?" Clarke questions.

"Now that we have a way into Mount Weather, I have sent word to the other clans, asking for their armies. The moment they arrive to TonDC we will march on the mountain, rescue our people, and put an end to the mountain men once and for all."

Clarke leans back in her chair and let's what Lexa said sink in. When she had asks for Clarke's help in taking down the mountain, she knew what it meant, but she agreed to help at the time because what was happening to Lexa's people was wrong, and by helping to right this wrong it would ensure Clarke's own survival. Now that everything is coming to fruition, Clarke is beginning to have doubts. She still wants to help Lexa rescue her people, but she doesn't want to have to kill anyone in order to accomplish that. "So, what's the plan?"

"Before we step foot on the mountain, we need to figure out exactly where the reapers are, where our people are being held, how many mountain men, and what sort of defenses they have on the inside." Lexa begins.

"Sounds like you need a spy on the inside." Clarke comments, both Anya and Lexa look at each other before turning back to Clarke. "And based on that look, it would seem you want me to be that spy." Clarke observes.

"This is Anya, she was my mentor before I was called to lead. She will explain everything." Anya steps forward, while Lexa steps back.

"Before you were brought here my second, Tris, observed a mountain man enter your camp. As you know, they don't normally leave their fortress. I believe he was sent to your camp to retrieve you. If anyone has a chance at getting inside that mountain without being chosen for harvest, or becoming a reaper, it is you." Anya begins to explain.

"Just because one of their people was sent to my campsite doesn't mean I wouldn't have met the same fate as your people." Clarke points out.

"You are not like my people, you're more like the mountain men than us." Anya retorts.

"That's a bit offensive." Clarke states.

"I do not mean to offend you. I simply mean because you are different from us, they may not treat you like us." Anya explains.

Clarke contemplates Anya's words, and she sees her point. The people of Mount Weather are most likely descendants of the United States Government, while her people were descendants of the original crew members of the space stations. She probably has a lot more in common with them than she does with the people of the ground. "Ok, let's say they welcome me with open arms, then what? How am I supposed to relay information to you?"

"I would come with you." Clarke's taken by surprise by Anya's response.

"If you do that, they'll tag you for harvest. We still have no idea what they are harvesting from your people. You could die you're first night there." Clarke says.

"I'm willing to risk my life for my people." Anya states.

"I know we're asking much of you. If you do not wish to go through with this, you will not be forced, but...as far as options go, this is probably the best one." Lexa speaks honestly.

Clarke let's out a heavy sigh and looks between Anya and Lexa. Anya is ready to go through with this plan despite the risks, and there are a lot of risks. As for Lexa, she can see she is genuine, if Clarke decides not to agree to this Lexa will not force her. She begins to contemplate wither or not these grounders are worth her risking her life. They watched her for three days before killing a man in front of her, knocked her out, and threw her in an underground prison cell. On the other hand, despite all that they left her relatively unharmed. When she realized she had been captured she expected she would be treated harshly, given their tough exterior. Instead, they kept her feed and hydrated.

And of course, when she met Lexa, that was an entire game changer. Despite some differences, the people of the Ark and the people of the ground actually shared a lot more in common than either realize. She may not still know what happened to Becca, but one thing she does know is that her Flame, her legacy has been passed on. That's when she realizes she has to do this, it's in her blood. Despite being separated from her sister; Becca came to the ground to help these people. And in spite of her sister's death, Bella managed to pick up enough of the pieces to unite the space stations and reignite hope to those who had given up on it. Regardless of the risks, Clarke decides to go through with it. "Let's come up with a game plan." Anya and Lexa both offer small smiles of appreciation.

Chapter 7: MOUNT WEATHER

Chapter Text

Clarke is running through the forest, her hands are bound, torso and ribs are bruised, she's tripped over rocks and branches at least a handful of times, and the icing on the cake...arrows are whizzing by her head. She's pretty sure she's been nicked by a couple of them, but that doesn't matter. She has a goal to reach and she's nearly there. Clarke wills her legs to move faster and pushes on despite the bruises and sudden cramps.

She finds herself at the end of the tree line and in an open space of grass. Just a little bit longer and hopefully she can stop running. Her body clearly wasn't built for it. Clarke's not sure how long she's been on the run for, but she feels it come to an end when a body slams into hers. She turns over and looks up only to see Anya straddling her. She suddenly places her hands around Clarke's neck and begins to choke her. Clarke does her best to try to remove Anya's hands, but she has a pretty firm grip. She then tries hitting her, hoping she can injure her enough to get her off, but Anya seems unaffected by every hit Clarke throws at her.

It isn't until she's hit with a dart that Anya's grip loosens. She pulls the dart from her neck and looks at it before passing out on top of Clarke. Clarke shoves Anya off and sits up, she briefly looks down at her unconscious form before turning her head and spotting three-armed mountain men standing outside an armored vehicle. She's immediately shot with a dart as well, and within a few seconds her vision blurs and she passes out as well.

TWO DAYS PRIOR

"Oomph!" Clarke cries out in pain.

She's spent the last five minutes or so getting punched repeatedly in the torso and rib area. It was all part of the plan to infiltrate Mount Weather. The villagers would make a show of Clarke escaping. She would then head straight towards Mount Weather, while being chased by Anya. If Clarke could make them believe she was a prisoner of the grounders, it may just be her ticket to not only successfully infiltrate, but possibly even gain the trust of the mountain men. If of course she didn't get tagged for harvest along with Anya. "Tell me again why all this is necessary?" Clarke asks Anya.

"To make your imprisonment believable." Anya answers.

"But I was a prisoner." Clarke points out.

"They may not believe you were if you show up unscathed. The mountain thinks less of us, it is why they take us, turn us into reapers and use our bodies for harvest." Anya explains.

"I guess you're right. How many more times do I have to get hit though?" Clarke questions.

"One more should do the trick. Are you ready?" Anya asks.

"No." Anya makes a 'too bad' look and punches Clarke across the face. Clarke begins to see spots and feels herself lose balance. "I think I need to lie down." She leans against a nearby wall and slides down, Anya rolls her eyes and shakes her head at Clarke.

PRESENT

Clarke slowly begins to stir from her sleep. The first thing she notices once she's fully awake is everything is white. The second thing she notices is she's lying down on an actual bed. As she slowly sits up, she feels something tugging at her. She looks down at her right arm and notices she's been given an IV. She looks over at the IV bag and sees she's been given Normal Saline.

She looks over the rest of her body and notices all the dirt and grime have been washed off, and she's no longer wearing the clothes she came to Earth in. Instead, she's wearing all white. She feels both grateful and creeped out that they took the time to clean her up and change her clothes. When she's done inspecting herself, she pulls the IV needle out of her arm, and slides off the bed. She's taken back when her bare feet hit the cold floor, but she quickly recovers.

Clarke scans the rest of the room and sees a camera on the ceiling. Their watching me. She thinks to herself. The next thing she notices are the two couches, a toilet and sink, and a painting mounted on the wall. She approaches the painting to get a better look at it and sees it's Van Gogh's Starry Night painting. She raises her hand to touch it but decides against it. Clarke continues to scan the room and sees a door, she walks up to it and attempts to open it, but it's locked. She then looks through the small circular window out into the hall.

The first thing she sees when she looks through the glass is another white room across from her that appears to be empty. She then looks to her right and sees writing on the wall. It reads, Mount Weather Quarantine. "Great." Clarke says out loud. The mountain men were probably being cautious since she came from the outside, but because of that she could be stuck in here for a while. Letting out a heavy sigh, Clarke heads back over to the bed and sits down. With the mountain men watching her, attempting to escape would be futile, especially since she needed to gain their trust. She looks down at her left forearm and sees the Coalition brand Lexa branded her with.

TWO DAYS PRIOR

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Clarke questions as she stares at the red-hot iron.

"In the event Anya loses her life, you will need to pass on the information you've gathered to someone else. But to do that my people need to be able to trust you, if they see the symbol of the Coalition, they will know you can be trusted and deliver your message to me." Lexa explains.

Clarke was really starting to regret agreeing to this, but it was too late to back out now. She already got her ass handed to her, so why not get branded as well? Anya pulls the iron out of the fire and approaches Clarke; she's stopped halfway by Lexa who takes the iron from her. She walks up to Clarke and makes a gesture for her to stick her arm out. "Just breath through the pain." Lexa advises. Clarke grunts in response and readies herself for the branding.

The moment the iron meets flesh Clarke feels a searing hot pain, but she manages not to scream. She breathes through the pain as Lexa suggested, and a moment later the iron is removed from her skin. Clarke asks for cold water, and Anya is quick to get it for her. Once she has the pouch of cold water in her hands, Clarke pours it over the brand mark in order to cool it down. She brings her forearm to her face to get a closer look at the symbol. It's circle, with two smaller circles inside overlapping each other, with a dot in the middle. "Are you alright?" Lexa asks.

"Yeah, you wouldn't happen to know if Nyko has any ointment for burns, would you?" Clarke questions.

"I'm sure he'll have something for that." Lexa answers.

PRESENT

Clarke is snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the door unlocking. She looks up to see three individuals wearing quarantine suites. Here we go. She thinks to herself. Two of the suited individuals approach her, while the third stays by the doorway. "We need you to come with us." One of them speaks up, it's a male voice. Clarke doesn't move though, unsure of where exactly they want to take her.

"Don't worry, we're not here to harm you. We're just going to take you to our Chief Medical Officer to be examined." The other male individual speaks.

Clarke slowly stands from her bed and follows the two men out of the white room. She looks back and sees the third individual has stayed behind, it looks like they are spraying down the room she was occupying. She continues on until she is lead out of the quarantine area, that's when the other two she was following remove their suits. One of them looks to be in his early twenties, while the other looks to be in his thirties. The older gentlemen approaches Clarke and extends his hand towards her. "Lt. Carl Emerson." She hesitates at first, but then quickly shakes his hand. "This is Private Michael Alexander." Michael nods his head in greeting. "Welcome to Mount Weather."

Emerson uses a badge to unlock the door to exit out of the changing room, he gestures her to go on ahead. She hesitates again before exiting and waits in the hallway for Emerson and Michael to lead the way. As she's walking down the hallway, she hears a loud noise all around her. "Sorry about the noise, hydroelectric power from the Philpott Dam. Once we get to the infirmary it'll be quieter." Emerson explains.So that's how their able to power this place, even after all these years.

"What happened to the woman who was chasing me?" Clarke asks. Since leaving the quarantine ward she's yet to see Anya anywhere.

"Don't worry we took care of her. She won't be bothering you anymore." Michael answers.

Clarke nearly stops in her tracks.Anya. If these men killed her, Lexa and Tris would be devastated.

TWO DAYS PRIOR

Lexa watches as Anya and Tris get into a heated argument. As Anya's second, Tris wishes to go with her on this mission to infiltrate Mount Weather, but Anya refuses to let her go. While she understands why her former mentor refuses to allow her current second to follow her, she also understands why Tris wishes to go. When Lexa was Anya's second, she followed her everywhere. She wanted to be where she was, learn everything she had to teach. It saddened her when she was called to lead her people. As Commander, she could be no longer be a second to anyone. "What's going on with them?" She hears Clarke ask.

"Tris wishes to go with Anya, but she won't let her go." Lexa answers.

"She mentioned Tris is her second, is that like an apprentice?" Clarke questions, Lexa nods her head yes. "So, before you became Commander, you were Anya's apprentice?" Lexa nods her head yes again. "Have you had a chance to say your goodbyes? We're leaving tomorrow."

"No." Lexa answers.

"You don't like to show your emotions, do you?" Lexa turns to face Clarke. "I've noticed you wear this sort of broody stoic look most of the time. Why is that?"

"To show emotion is weakness, especially during times of war. And make no mistake Clarke, we are at war." Lexa replies.

Clarke looks over at Anya and Tris, she sees them sharing an embrace. She then turns back to Lexa. "You and I, we come from two completely different worlds. But believe me when I tell you it's better to have a moment of weakness, than a lifetime of regrets." Lexa opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. "You know what the mountain is doing to your people, there's a chance Anya might not survive this. You should say your goodbyes while you have the chance. Trust me." Clarke pats Lexa's shoulder and walks away, leaving Lexa to consider her words.

PRESENT

Clarke is once again pulled from her thoughts once they arrive at the medical wing. Emerson places his card over the card reader and opens the large metal door for Clarke. She steps inside what appears to be a narrow half oval shaped space. To her left are five beds with some sort of machine mounted along the wall, to her right is an occupied stainless-steel desk. "Dr. Tsing, we've brought in your newest patient." Emerson turns to Clarke at a loss for words. "I'm sorry I never did catch your name."

"Clarke, my name's Clarke."

Dr. Tsing stands from the desk and approaches Clarke with her hand extended. "My name is Dr. Lorelei Tsing. I'm a medical doctor and Chief Medical Officer here in Mount Weather." Clarke shakes her hand, she's about to pull it back when the doctor turns her arm over and notices the dried blood from when she pulled out her IV. "How unusual, was this a result of solar radiation?" Dr. Tsing makes a move to touch Clarke's arm, but she takes her arm back. "Apologies, I've just never seen blood like that before."

"You're going to have to take it easy with her Doc, she spent nearly two weeks with those savages." Emerson speaks.

"I can see that. Bruising on the neck, black eye, I was also told she had bruising along her ribs and torso?" Dr. Tsing questions.

"Yes ma'am." Michael answers.

"I'll take it from here, thank you both very much." Dr. Tsing thanks them both.

"You're in very good hands Clarke. Dr. Tsing is the best of the best, she'll take care of you." Emerson says before leaving with Michael.

"If you would please follow me Clarke, I'd like to start out by doing a few x-rays to check for any broken bones." Clarke nods her head and follows Dr. Tsing.

THRITY MINUTES LATER

Clarke is sitting on the edge of the bed getting her vitals checked by Dr. Tsing. She's just finished checking her heartbeat and lungs and is currently taking note of her pulse rate and blood pressure. "Besides the bruising and high blood pressure you're in pretty good health. I'm sure once you've settled here, your blood pressure will go down." Dr. Tsing places Clarke's medical chart on the side table next to the bed. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to draw some blood and try to figure out what's going on there."

"I'd rather you didn't." Clarke says harshly, taking the doctor by surprise. But before she can say anything else the door to the infirmary opens. She turns around and sees the President and his son, followed by their guard detail enter the infirmary.

"Mr. President." Dr. Tsing greets. "May I introduce Clarke."

"Dante Wallace, and this is my son, Cage Wallace." He introduces, then extends his hand to Clarke. Shegoes to shake his hand, but notices oil paint covering it. She runs her hand over his, recalling an old childhood memory.

"Oil paint?" Clarke questions.

"That's right. Are you a painter yourself?" Dante asks.

"Sketches mostly. Oil paint was rare on the Ark. My parents, they managed to get a hold of some for my tenth birthday, I used every bit of it. When it ran out I cried." Clarke recalls, letting go of his hand.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. An artist should never be without their tools. I'm also sorry to hear everything you've been through with the outsiders, but rest assure you are safe now." Dante assures Clarke.

"How did you escape their village? We've been watching those savages for years; no one has ever escaped imprisonment." Cage asks.

"You'll have to forgive me my son he can be quite forward."

"It's alright." Clarke turns to Cage. "He just wants to know what kind of stranger you've welcomed into your home." Cage smiles at Clarke's understanding. "The day started out like every other. They came into my cell and questioned me. I answered them honestly, but I don't know if they understood what I was telling them, or if they thought I was lying, but the next thing I know I'm getting a beat down...I honestly thought they were about to beat me to death. And then I heard this sort of feral yell, stopped them right in their tracks. They almost seemed afraid, the next thing I know this crazed man kills the guards outside my prison cell, then he breaks in and starts killing the guards that had been beating me. So, I took advantage of the situation and ran like hell. But I guess one of them spotted me, because the next thing I know arrows are flying passed my head. I think you know what happened after that, I'm assuming it was your people in the hazmat suits that shot me and my pursuer with those darts." Dante turns to his son for a moment before turning back to Clarke.

"Yes, we have surveillance cameras outside the bunker. Our guards saw you getting chased, they got to you as fast as they could. I'm only sorry we couldn't get to you sooner. We actually sent someone to get you some time ago, but the outsiders killed him."

"I think I saw him, I'm sorry." Clarke apologizes.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, it wasn't your fault. Now, let's get you into something more comfortable." Dante gestures one of the guards over, he wheels in a trunk and opens it for her. It's filled with clothing, jewelry, and shoes. "Change and meet me in the hall." He then turns to address everyone else. "Come on. Let's go. Let's give her some privacy."

Clarke watches as Dr. Tsing follows alongside Cage, she seems to be whispering something to him. They both turn their heads towards her before exiting. That can't be a good. Once Clarke is alone, she stands and looks over the clothes Dante brought for her. Most of the clothing consists of dresses and skirts, things Clarke's not used to seeing or wearing for that matter. So, she picks out a simple pair of sweats and tennis shoes. When she's finished changing, she folds the old clothes and places them neatly on the bed, and heads out to join Dante in the hallway. She notices Cage and Dr. Tsing aren't present, it's just the president and his guards. "You'll have to forgive the noise it's..."

"Hydroelectric power from the Philpott Dam. Emerson told me on the way here." Clarke finishes.

"Yes, fresh water from our own underground reservoir. Fresh food from our hydroponic farm." Dante continues as they head for the elevator.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, ask me anything Clarke." Dante replies.

"Is the Earth survivable or not? I came from space and have yet to die from any radiation, the outsiders, as you call them, seem to be able to breath the air. So, why do your people need to wear hazmat suits to go outside?" Clarke asks despite knowing the answer.

"Natural selection. Believe me, in the beginning not all the outsiders survived the radiation. Those that did passed on their DNA. For better or worse, we never went through that process." Dante explains.

"Dr. Tsing mentioned something about solar radiation, is that how I'm able to survive the outside?" Clarke continues to question.

"Your DNA ran through the same gauntlet as the grounders. Only because radiation levels in space are even higher, your ability to metabolize that radiation is even stronger." Dante finishes.

That means it's safe for the people of the Ark. They don't need the Nightblood serum to survive the ground. "Arrived. Level 5." A female voice says over the intercom. The elevator door opens and they both exit. Shortly after they step off the elevator a young man approaches Clarke with a packet in hand. "Hello, I'm Keenan Mykulak. Your packet contains everything you need to know about Mount Weather, which I promise is not as confusing as the map on page one makes it look. You came from level three, which houses our medical facility. If you have any questions, I'm Keenan." Dante thanks him and Keenan goes on his way.

"This is our mess hall, please help yourself to some food, when you've finished, I'll have someone escort you to your room. I'm sure you could use the rest." Dante gestures to a table full of food.

"Thank you." Dante leaves Clarke to her own devices.

Clarke is about to wait in line to get food, when she notices the people around the mess hall staring at her. Having all eyes on her starts to make her feel uncomfortable, she gets in line to avoid everyone's gazes but unfortunately, she starts hearing everyone whisper around her. "Is that the girl who fell from space?" "She's already out of quarantine?" "I heard she can breathethe outside air." "One of the guards told me she was with the outsiders before she was brought here." Getting fed up with the staring and the whispering, Clarke turns around and leaves the mess hall. She decides she'll just wait for her escort out in the hallway. She sits down on the floor and opens up the packet she was given. The first thing she sees is a map, she studies it closely and discovers there are no exits.That's not suspicious at all. Clarke thinks to herself.

"Hi." Clarke looks up from the map and sees a girl about her age standing over her. "I'm sorry if everyone in there made you feel uncomfortable, their just curious about you that's all. I'm Maya by the way."

"Clarke."

"Let get you some food Clarke." Maya extends her hand to Clarke to help her up.

Clarke takes the offered hand and follows Maya back into the mess hall. People continue to stare, but they're no longer whispering about her. She grabs some food and utensils and joins Maya at one of the smaller tables away from everyone else. Clarke was grateful for that; she thanks Maya who simply smiles at her and they both eat their meals in silence. It isn't until Clarke finishes her food that she decides to speak up."Can I ask you something Maya?" Maya simply nods her head yes. "The map I was given, it has no exits. Do you know why that is?"

"Exits are kinda pointless when you can't leave here. Between the radiation and the outsiders, it's just safer to be indoors. There are exits, but only the guards have access." Maya answers.

"Why just the guards?" Clarke questions.

"They do outside patrols. It's kinda pointless, it's not like anyone can get it, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry." Maya answers.

I suppose that makes sense. If Clarke didn't know what was going on in this place, she'd probably be at home here. She needed to figure out how she was going to go about gathering intel without seeming suspicious. And then she needs to figure out what exactly their doing to the villagers, and how to get that information back to Lexa.This is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. "Hey Clarke." Clarke looks up and sees Michael. "I see you made a friend already. That's good. How are you, Maya?" Maya and Michael exchange a few words before they head to where Clarke's supposed to be staying.

The room they've given Clarke isn't too far from the mess hall. Michael unlocks it with a key card and gestures Clarke inside. The room is small, but it looks like she has it all to herself. There's a bed in the middle of the room, with a night stand next to it. She also spots a decent sized closet, a dresser, and a bathroom. "There's some clothes in the closet for you, if you need anymore, or if they don't fit just let me know and I'll bring what you need." Clarke smiles at this and Michael exits the room.

She approaches the bed and notices a rectangular case with a folded piece of paper addressed to her. She lifts the flap up and sees it's from President Wallace. 'An artist should never be without their tools. In case you get inspired.' She unlocks the case and sees Dante has gifted her an art kit. She can't help the smile that forms on her face. She takes out the sketch book and pencil and starts drawing the map she was given.

DREAM/MEMORY

"You sound like Kane."

"Because he's right."

"No. We can't avoid the truth. We have to let everyone on the Ark put their minds to a solution."

"What, and risk anarchy?" No. It's too dangerous. Promise me that you'll obey the council's orders, that you'll keep it quiet. Promise me."

"I can't."

"For Clarke. Do it for Clarke."

"Don't put that on him." Clarke states as she comes out of hiding.

She had been in her room studying for a test for over an hour, she had decided to walk around the ship to give her mind a rest, but when she left her room,she heard her father talk about the life support system beginning to fail. Her father being the honorable man he was felt the people of the Ark had a right to know, while her mother being...well her mother, felt otherwise.

"Clarke go back to your room, this doesn't concern you." Abby tells her daughter.

"Considering I'll be Chancellor by the time life support is expected to fail, I feel that this does in fact concern me. Dad's right, the people deserve to know." Clarke retorts.

"You're just a child Clarke, you don't understand the severity of what you're suggesting." Abby states.

"I know secrets never stay secret for long. I know if our people find out about this on their own, anarchy will be the least of your worries. What do you think happens when people can't trust their own leader'smom?" Clarke questions.

"That's enough Clarke, go to your room." Abby says firmly. Clarke shakes her head at her mother.

"No wonder the people are so anxious for a change of leadership. The current one sucks." Abby looks away from her daughter. "Tell the people truth, or I will."

FLASH FORWARD

"People of the Ark. In this time of uncertainty, I ask that you all come together as a people. Our home is dying, in two to three years the life support system will fail completely. I know this news must scare you, but you have nothing to fear because we have a solution. We've actually had the solution for a long time, we've just been too fearful to go through with it. But no more, we are the last of the human race, it is time to stop being afraid and look to the future, and that future is Earth. I know change can be scary, but I believe in all of you, I just hope you can find it within yourselves to believe in me." Clarke says into the camera, she then ends the recording and sits back into her chair.

"You know, I believe that speech almost rivals Bella's." Clarke jumps in her chair andturns around to see her father at the entrance of her door.

"Are you going to stop me from doing this?" Clarke asks.

"I probably should, scratch that I most definitely should. You can get floated for this kiddo." Jake says concerned.

"You know what's funny, Becca and Bella knew this would happen someday. They knew the space stations would never last two-hundred years, its why they came up with the solution they did. And if people had listened to them sooner, we'd already be on Earth, and we would have never had this problem. I know I'm just a kid, and I don't always understand what's happening around me, but I know this is the right thing to do. And even though you should probably stop me, you know I'm right." Clarke says, and Jake can't help the tears in his eyes.

"Come here kiddo." Clarke stands from her chair and walks into her father's arms. "You're pretty grown up for a kid. I have no doubt in my mind that when the time comes, you're going to make one hell of a Chancellor."

Suddenly the door to their home opens, and they both look up from their hug. Both of them wearing looks of confusion, it's too early in the day for Abby to be home from the medical wing. When the guards burst into Clarke's room, everything becomes clear. "Clarke and Jake Griffin, you're under arrest for treason." One of the guard's statesas Clarke and her father are pulled apart from each other.

"Dad." Clarke calls out frightened.

"Get your hands off her, she hasn't done anything wrong." Jake says as he attempts to break free.

FLASH FORWARD

Jake is getting ready to be floated, he's just said his goodbyes to his wife, when he sees Clarke being escorted by two guards in handcuffs. "Why is she here? She shouldn't have to see this. And why do you have her in cuffs?" It's then that Kane appears from around the corner. A look of understanding crosses both Abby and Jake's faces. Kane has always been against Clarke becoming the next Chancellor. Mainly because he is against the old ways of a Nightblood taking up the Chancellor mantle.

Once the guards come to a stop, Kane unlocks Clarke's handcuffs, allowing her to run up to her father. She hugs him tightly and cries into his shoulder. "I'm sorry dad. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault." Clarke sobs. Jake places a kiss on top of her head.

"Listen to me kiddo, this isn't your fault. You were right about everything." Jake pulls slightly away from Clarke so that he can look her in the eyes. "Never doubt yourself." He places one last kiss on her forehead before walking into the airlock. He smiles lovingly at both Abby and Clarke before Jaha presses the red button to release the airlock, causing Jake to be floated into space.

PRESENT

Clarke wakes from her dream, her heart is racing, there is a bead of sweat running down her brow, and she's breathing heavily. She's hasn't dreamt of her father's death since she left the Ark. Mostly likely because her dreams were replaced with memories that weren't her own, but now that the memories are fading, she fears her nightmares may return. She never stopped blaming herself for her father's death, and she never stopped blaming her mother either. Shortly after her arrest, she learned it was her mother that reported her. Though she didn't want to believe it at first, she knew it to be true. Abby was the only one besides her father who had known of Clarke's intentions.

Deciding not to dwell on the past too much, Clarke stands from the bed and heads into the bathroom. One of the things Clarke missed about the Ark was having running water. She takes a quick shower, brushes her teeth and hair, then changes into a new set of clothes. Today was a new day, and she had work to do.Never doubt yourself. Those were her father's last words to her before he was floated. If Clarke was going to succeed, she needed to stop doubting herself.

The first thing Clarke had to do was establish trust. She thought she'd start with Maya first. She's lived here her entire life, so she knows how everything works, plus she's less likely to be suspicious of Clarke than anyone else. "Time to make friends." Clarke says to herself before opening the door and heading to the mess hall. She can still feel the people staring at her, but it isn't as bad as yesterday. Once she grabs some food, she spots Maya who waves her over to the table they sat at yesterday. Clarke plasters a smile on her face and joins Maya.

Conversation between the two of them flows easily. Maya asks Clarke about her time in space. She was fascinated by the fact that she was having a conversation with someone who actually lived in space, but also horrified by some of the stories Clarke told her. Population on the Ark had reached two thousand, with the growth of population resources became limited and capital punishment was put in affect for those over the age of eighteen. "I don't think I've ever been so happy to have been born here. There's only three hundred and eighty-two of us here. Besides not being able to go outside, life's pretty great here." Maya comments.

"That's not very many people. How many guards do you have to protect everyone here?" Clarke asks casually.

"I wanna say a hundred, maybe less. It's not much, but we're pretty secure here in the bunker. Plus, we have plenty of weapons." Maya answers.

"What sort of weapons? We just had guns and electrified batons on the Ark, nothing fancy." Clarke throws in.

"The guards here mainly carry batons and side arms, but the armory has M-4's, M-9's, caviler helmets and vests, batons, smoke grenades and stun grenades. My dad showed it to me once. He was part of the decontamination unit, he let me follow him around all day. I even got to see the Oval Office." Maya says proudly.

"That's cool."

Their conversation is soon interrupted by Dr. Tsing. Someone else Clarke needed to establish trust with. If the villagers are being harvested, they must be in the medical facility somewhere. As Chief Medical Officer for Mount Weather, she's the one who's bound to know where their being kept. "Hello Clarke, how are you feeling today?"

"Still sore, but slightly better." Clarke answers.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday, clearly I was out of line..."

"I'm the one that needs to apologize." Clarke interrupts. "I was rude when you were only trying to help."

"You went through quite the ordeal; I shouldn't have been so forward."

"If you're free there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Sure thing. Why don't you follow me, I'll give you something to help with the soreness while we talk." Clarke smiles at this and says her goodbyes to Maya.

INFIRMARY

Clarke is sitting by Dr. Tsing's desk while she is searching for medication to give Clarke. While she's waiting for the doctor Clarke takes a second look around. She notices a side door she had not seen before and not too far from it there's a circular vent. At the sound of footsteps approaching Clarke turns back and offers a smile to Dr. Tsing. "Here's some Ibuprofen." She hands Clarke a small paper cup with two pills inside, and a plastic cup of water. Clarke thanks her and swallows the pills down with water. "So, what did you wish to discuss?"

"On the Ark I was training to be a doctor; I was hoping I might continue that training here. You all have been so kind to me, bringing me into your home. I thought I could repay that kindness by helping out around here." Clarke replies. Dr. Tsing is both disappointed and surprised by Clarke's statement.

"I have to admit I thought you wanted to have a discussion about your blood. As I said before I've never seen blood like that." Dr. Tsing says.

"Oh, it's not really a big deal. It's a result of a serum my mother created based off of Bella Franco's work." Clarke notices a spark of recognition in the doctor's eyes. "There was a sickness that passed through the Ark one year, it was really bad. And because of the population growth the medicine we had was scarce. Luckily my mother found some of Bella's old notes, she and her sister were working on a way to cure cancer before the nukes. I guess she ended up finding something because it worked, but the black blood ended up being a after effect." Clarke partly lies.

Both Becca and Bella had been working on a cure for cancer before the nukes. And medicine had been become scarce due to the high population on the Ark. You either had to know the right people or meet certain qualifications to receive medicine. Because of this Clarke's mother had to come up with alternate ways to treat patients without depleting what was left of the medicine. Luckily for the Griffins they were descendants of one of the greatest doctors the Earth had ever known. And Dr. Abby Griffin had taken full advantage of that, combing through Bella's notes, discovering different ways to treat various sicknesses. She had the respect of mostly everyone on the Ark, and that respect earned her a seat on the council.

"How did your mother come across Bella Franco's work?" Dr. Tsing asks.

"We lived on Polaris station, she's like my great, great grandmother." Clarke replies, leaving Dr. Tsing speechless. "Being a doctor is practically in my blood."

"Well, our young people don't usually start working until their eighteen." Dr. Tsing points out.

"Same on the Ark, but we start training for whatever jobs we are assigned at a pretty young age." Clarke briefly explains, but Dr. Tsing remains quiet. "I just want to help. I don't want all this training I have to go to waste." Clarke continues.

Dr. Tsing considers everything Clarke has said. She feels as if there is something Clarke isn't telling her, and she has no idea why. She then looks at the bruises left behind by the outsider.Perhaps she doesn't fully trust us yet. Dr. Tsing thinks. After a few moments of contemplation, she decides to take Clarke under her wing. Clearly, she's use to a routine. If she were to feel more at home, maybe she'd be more open to her. Just then an alarm sounds tearing the doctor from her thoughts. "What is that?" Clarke asks.

"That alarm is a signal; it means the surface patrol is back and someone needs medical attention." She stands from her chair gather's some medical supplies along with several blood bags. "Let's see what sort of training you've had." Dr. Tsing says as she heads out of the medical ward with Clarke following behind her. They walk down the hallway to the quarantine changing area where there are three other people already changing into suits. The moment Dr. Tsing arrives she's informed that the patrols were attacked. One is suffering from extreme radiation exposure, while the other was shot with two arrows. "Which of the two should we treat first Clarke?" Dr. Tsing asks.

"Radiation guy." Clarke answers right away.

"Good. Since it's safer for you than it is for me, you don't have to wear a suit, but you'll still have to wear gloves. There's some in the bag I brought." Dr. Tsing turns to one of the medical personnel. "Where is he?" She asks while Clarke puts on latex gloves.

"Room one, the other guard is being placed in room two." He answers.

Once Dr. Tsing is fully dressed, she opens the quarantine door and enters through with Clarke following behind her. They both enter room one, where Clarke sees a man with radiation burns covering the top half of his body. It's obvious he's in a lot of pain, but he's trying his best not to show it. "Sergeant Langston, this is Clarke, she's going to be assisting me today." He doesn't speak, he just nods his understanding. "Let's get your treatment started." She walks over to a machine and pulls it closer to the bed Sergeant Langston is sitting on. "Hand me one of the blood bags Clarke." Clarke does so, when she hands the blood bag over, she notices it's not labeled with a blood type. "Watch carefully Clarke, you'll be doing this for our next patient."

Clarke watches as Dr. Tsing hooks up the blood to the machine, from what Clarke can tell it's some sort of blood transfusion machine. Once the blood bag is secure, Dr. Tsing attaches the tubing into a device that is attached to Sergeant Langston's chest, right above his heart. As soon as that is done, Dr. Tsing activates the machine and watches as the blood is transferred from the bag to himself. "What is that?" Clarke asks as she points towards the device.

"It's a dialysis shunt. We all have them in case of exposure." Dr. Tsing answers.

Clarke looks over Langston's body and sees a cut on his arm. She inspects the rest of his body for any other injuries but finds none. "I think this was the point of exposure." Clarke points towards the cut, Dr. Tsing looks over his body and nods in agreement.

"The arrow must have torn through his suit. He'll be requiring more than one treatment, but for now we should check on our other patient." Dr. Tsing turns to Langston. "Will you be alright on your own?" He nods his head yes. "As soon as your treatment kicks in we'll take a look at that cut."

They both exit out of the room and enter the second. Clarke is introduced to Private Morgan. He has radiation burns as well, but they are minimal and are only centered around his injuries. Because of this he is informed he will only be needing one treatment. "But first, let's get these arrows out." The doctor turns to Clarke. "Do you think you can manage?" Instead of answering, Clarke approaches Private Morgan and places one hand over the arrow, and another over his shoulder. She looks up at Morgan, asking a silent question, 'are you ready?' He nods his head yes and Clarke pushes the first arrow all the way through. He shouts in pain as she breaks the arrowhead off and pulls out the other half of it. She repeats this process with the second arrow. Afterwards, Dr. Tsing has her cover the wounds until Morgan's treatment is complete. "Let me know if you need any help." Clarke nods her head and takes the blood bag from her, noticing it also has no blood type labeled on it. She does exactly what Dr. Tsing did before and watches the blood flow into the dialysis shunt.

Once that is finished, they both exit quarantine and Dr. Tsing removes the suit. As they head back to the medical ward, she informs Clarke that once Morgan's treatment is finished, he will be brought to the medical ward for his injuries. As for Langston, he will be remaining in quarantine overnight, and continue receiving treatments from the onsite personnel. When they arrive back, she puts up the medical supplies and blood bags, and asks Clarke to take a seat. She's about to compliment Clarke on a job well done when Clarke asks an unexpected question. "Why aren't the blood bags labeled with blood types?" The question seems to catch Dr. Tsing off guard momentarily, but she quickly regains her composure.

"We only use the blood of universal donors." Tsing answers.

Clarke has a sinking feeling these 'universal donors' are Lexa's people, but she does her best not to let her discomfort show. "So, how did I do?" She asks.

"Not bad. You didn't freeze when you saw Sergeant's Langston's burns, and you didn't hesitate to pull those arrows out of Private Morgan. Once Morgan is finished with his treatment and cleared to leave quarantine, I'd like you to finish treating him." She says with a smile.

"Can't wait."

TWO HOURS LATER

Private Morgan is brought into the medical ward two hours later. The radiation burns around his wounds have cleared up, which leads Clarke to confirm that it is the blood of the villagers they are using. She's determined more than ever to find where they are being held. So far, her plan to get inside the medical facility had work, she just needs to continue to make a good impression on the doctor. So, when the tools Clarke will need to treat Morgan are laid out, she gets to work. She makes sure to clean both wounds before stitching them.

Dr. Tsing watches closely as Clarke starts her stitch work. She has to admit, Clarke had impressed her. She wasn't fazed by any of the wounds, and she didn't hesitate to treat Morgan when asked. Clarke wasn't kidding when she told her that being a doctor was in her blood, she's a natural. If she continues training under Dr. Tsing, Clarke could be an amazing doctor someday. Maybe even the Chief Medical Officer if she works hard. She decides then that she'll take the girl under her wing.

Once Clarke is finished, Dr. Tsing looks over her work and gives a nod of approval. "We're finished here for the day. Come back tomorrow, Sergeant Langston will be released from quarantine by then. You can give him his last treatment." Dr. Tsing says nonchalantly.

"Does that mean I get to start working here?" Clarke asks with a smile on her face.

"I'll have to talk with the President, and you'll still have to enroll in our school program, but yes you can work here. You're young, but well trained. I wouldn't want all that talent to go to waste." Dr. Tsing explains.

"Awesome, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll try to get you level three access." Clark nods her head at this and exits the medical ward.

THE NEXT DAY

Shortly after eating breakfast with Maya, Michael had once again approached Clarke. He was sent on behalf of the President to escort her to the Oval Office. They talk briefly on the elevator until they reach level seven. As they walk down the hallway Clarke notices the Armory door on her right, a little further down she notices another door on her left that reads Command Center. "Command Center?" Clarke, questions.

"Yeah, it's where we control everything." Michael answers as they approach what Clarke assumes to be the Oval Office.

As they both step inside they see President Wallace painting on a canvas. Clarke spots a small table filled with painting material and tools; she can't help but feel a bit envious. Wallace turns away from his canvas when he hears them enter his office a smile already forming on his face. He thanks Michael for escorting Clarke and tells him he'll call when they've finished. "There's a blank canvas if you'd like." Wallace uses the paint brush to point to the canvas on his left.

Clarke looks over at the blank canvas briefly before looking at the one Wallace is working on. She squints her eyes to get a closer look and sees he's painting the ground. "I used to paint the ground too." Clarke comments.

"It's not just the ground. It's a memory." Wallace says, and Clarke can't help but feel confused.

"You've been outside?" Clarke asks.

"Yes. Fifty-six years ago. For five minutes. I was seven when the first of what we call the outsiders appeared. Before that, we thought we were all there was. Imagine our surprise." Wallace begins to explain.

"I don't have to imagine." Clarke says, recalling the time she first realized she wasn't alone.

"My father, this was his office at the time, believed it meant that the Earth was survivable again, and so, he opened the doors. Within a week, fifty-four people were dead from the exposure. My mother and sister among them." Wallace says sadly, Clarke can't help but sympathize. "But that's not what we're here to talk about." Wallace suddenly changes the subject. "Won't you please join me; we can talk while we paint."

Clarke all too eagerly approaches the table to gather any paints and brushes she may need. It had been too long since she last painted something. Painting and sketching have always been more than just a hobby for her. It's what kept her centered, especially now. So far everything had gone well, but that could all change in a single moment.

Once she gathers everything she heads over to the blank canvas and starts her painting. There is a comfortable silence between Clarke and Wallace for about five minutes until the President breaks it. While continuing to paint, he mentions her time spent with Dr. Tsing yesterday. "Lorelei told me you helped her yesterday. She was quite impressed by you. You must have had very good teacher."

"My mother, she's the Chief Medical Officer for the Ark, she started teaching me at a young age." Clarke says.

"Lorelei also mentioned you're related to Becca and Bella Franco." Clarke nods her head. "You know they came here once. They updated and replaced all the outdated equipment." Dante mentions.

"I didn't know that." Clarke says surprised.

There's a moment of silence between them before Wallace once again breaks it. "I think it's a good idea. You training under Lorelei. I believe it's just what you need to forget about your time with the outsiders." Clarke nods in appreciation. "Speaking of which, we've noticed more of them gathering in the village they call TonDC. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"No, the only time they spoke to me was when they were questioning me. And when I heard them speak to each other, they always spoke in a different language I didn't understand." Clarke answers.

"Yes, I heard they have some sort of made-up language. Only few of them actually speak English. Just thought I would ask."

Clarke and President Wallace stop talking after that and continue to paint in silence.

THE NEXT DAY

After her morning routine Maya stopped by Clarke's room and surprised her. Since they were becoming fast friends, President Wallace had tasked her with taking Clarke to the school to be tested to determine where she was at academically. Afterwards, Clarke was to receive the official tourn of the bunker. They ate their breakfast quickly and met up with one of the teachers. Clarke had to admit she was surprised to see children running about. Between Lexa's story of Mount Weather and figuring out what they are harvesting from the villagers. She didn't consider them to be human, but seeing them live their daily lives, seeing these kids going to school. Clarke couldn't help but have second thoughts about letting Lexa's people in.

Clarke spent about three hours inside a classroom taking various tests. Afterwards Maya linked her arm through Clarke's and lead her to the elevator to start the tour. They started in the first level of Mount Weather. She saw where they grew some of their food and herbs, and a warehouse filled with old paintings. The second floor housed the science labs and warehouses. The third floor of course was the medical facility. Fourth floor is where their life support is located. Fifth floor held the mess hall, kitchen, library, and school. The sixth floor had two common areas, a gym, and housed most of the Mount Weather residents. And of course, the seventh floor was where the Command Center and Oval Office was located.

By the time the tour was finished, Maya and Clarke made their way back to the mess hall for lunch. This time around they were joined by some of Maya's friends. They had asked her about her time on the ground, but Clarke couldn't tell them much. She was alone for three days before she was taken by Artigas and Tris. Maya's friends were considerate and quickly moved on to her time in space. She told them the same thing she had told Maya, and like Maya they had been both fascinated and horrified. Shortly after lunch she was called into the infirmary by a loud speaker.

Maya insisted on walking with Clarke, but she convinced her she could make it there on her own. When Clarke arrived, she scanned the room looking for Dr. Tsing. She didn't see her in sight. Looking towards the door she had spotted yesterday; Clarke figures the doctor might be through there. She scans her key card on the badge reader only to find she does not have access. Just has Clarke is pulling her card away from the reader, the door opens, revealing Dr. Tsing. She seems surprised at first, then her surprise turns to suspicion. "Did you just try to access this room?"

"Sorry, I didn't see you when I walked in. I saw this door and thought maybe you were in there. I didn't know I wouldn't have access." Clarke answers.

That seems to alleviate Dr. Tsing's suspicions. She puts an arm around Clarke's shoulder and walks with her to her desk. She explains that Sergeant Langston will be coming in for his final treatment. While they wait Dr. Tsing catches up on some paperwork, while Clarke has been given the task of taking inventory. A few minutes later Sergeant Langston is brought in for his final treatment. Instead of wearing white, he's now wearing a yellow hospital gown. And while he still has signs of radiation burns, they are less severe than they were the day before. As he sits down and readies himself for his final treatment, one of the guards places some clothes and gear on the bed next to him.

When the guards leave the room, Langston lays down on the bed and makes himself comfortable. Dr. Tsing pulls out plastic tubing from behind the bed and has Clarke attach them to the dialysis shunt. Once the tubes are attached Clarke watches as Dr. Tsing turns on the machine. She notices the blood seems to be flowing in from above, she follows the tubing and sees it leads to the door Dr. Tsing came out of.That has to be where their keeping the villagers, but how do I get in if I don't have access?

Another pair of guards enter the infirmary. Apparently, something urgent has come up and they need Dr. Tsing's assistance. She looks between the guards and Clarke, and Clarke assures her she'll be fine on her own. If something happens, she'll have someone fetch the doctor for her. Dr. Tsing has an internal debate for a minute before agreeing to let Clarke handle the rest of the treatment on her own.

As soon as Dr. Tsing leaves the infirmary, Clarke quickly looks over Sergeant Langston making sure he's ok. He had passed out shortly after his treatment started, which Clarke is grateful for. She starts looking through his things and finds his key card. Clarke figures as a guard he probably has access to everything. She pockets the key card and notices a strange looking device inside one of the pouches of his vest. She pulls the device out and inspects it, while turning it over in her hand she accidently activates it, and nearly drops it at the high pitch sound it makes. Clarke quickly shuts it off and turns over to Langston, he's still fast asleep. She lets out a sigh of relief and takes a second look at the device. This must be the tone the reapers are conditioned to fear. Clarke decides to pocket that as well.

She then walks over to the door and pulls out Langston's key card out. She's about badge through when she remembers the vent. If they monitor who badges where, they might become suspicious. Especially since Langston is supposed tobe receiving treatments. Deciding to hold off on using the badge, Clarke decides to go through the vent instead. She crawls a short distance but stops the moment she hears voices. "We're running out of room. We figured you would have a better eye for whose still useful and who's not Doc." Clarke hears a guard speak. Making sure to keep quiet, Clarke crawls a few more inches to get a better look at the room.

Before she sees anything, Clarke hears the painful groans of what she assumes are Lexa's people. When she looks out past the vent, she sees cages stacked from the ground to the ceiling filled with villagers. She then sees Dr. Tsing walk past each of the cages, the villagers reach out to her, but she ignores them. As she's doing a walkthrough she points to certain cages, the guards, already dressed in hazmat suits, unlock them and pull them out. Their so weak from the loss of blood they can barely stand. She watches as the guards drag them by their feet and lead them somewhere she can't see. But she can hear an alarm blaring, and the scream of the villager. Six more of them are forced from their cages, four are taken away, while the other two are drugged and forced to hang upside down as tubes are inserted into them. I was right, the villagers are being harvested for their blood. Clarke felt a deep level of disgust towards the people of Mount Weather. They've been taking these people from their homes, putting them in cages, and draining them of their blood for years. Any second thoughts Clarke had is immediately thrown out the window.

The moment everyone leaves the room, Clarke exits the vent. The moment she approaches the cages the villagers reach out to her. She can't understand what their saying, but she figures they are asking for help. She walks up to the two individuals being hung upside down and gasps in surprise when she recognizes one of them. "Anya." Clarke calls, but gets no response.

Chapter 8: WANHEDA

Chapter Text

"Anya." Clarke calls but gets no response.

She removes the tubes from Anya and unbuckles the cuffs that are secure around her ankles. Clarke then tries to shake Anya awake, but the drug they gave her is keeping her unconscious. She looks around the room for something she can use to wake Anya up. She spots a tray nearby with adrenaline and scalpels on it. She picks up the adrenaline pin and sticks it through Anya's thigh. Due to the blood loss, and aftereffects of the drug she was given. When she spots Clarke, she believes her to be one of the mountain men. Anya charges her and starts attacking her. Luckily for Clarke, Anya is weakened due to the blood loss, so she easily pushes her away from her. "Anya, stop." Anya stops herself from attacking Clarke a second time. "It's me, Clarke, remember?

"You came for me." Anya says relieved.

"It was part of the plan, wasn't it?" Clarke says with a smile. "Come on, let's get you back to Lexa." She takes hold of Anya's arms to help her up but notices a small bump on her left arm. "Was this bump there before?" She asks. Anya looks down at it and shakes her head no. "I think they may have put some sort of tracker in you, I'm going to have to cut it out."

As Clarke stands to grab a scalpel from the tray, Anya thinks back to her capture. When the mountain men had taken Anya, it was just as Lincoln described it. And as she had predicted she was chosen for harvest. She wasn't sure what to expect when they brought her inside the harvest chamber, but she certainly hadn't expected to see her people in cages, begging for death. She had let her anger get the best of her and attempted to fight off the guards, but they overpowered her and strung her up for harvest. When she woke, she found herself in a cage of her own with the rest of her people. A sharp pain interrupts her thoughts. Clarke has just cut her skin open and is currently pushing her fingers through the cut. A moment later she pulls out a small device, which Anya assumes is the tracker she spoke of.

It's then she notices the bruising around her neck. She reaches out and runs her hand across Clarke's neck. "I know you only did it for show but was it really necessary?" Clarke says in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Next time run faster." Anya retorts and Clarke can't help but chuckle.

"Alright, we need to get you out of here." Clarke helps Anya on her feet.

"What are they doing this to us Clarke?" Anya asks.

"When they are exposed to the outside air, they use your blood as medicine. I saw it for myself yesterday." Clarke answers.

Clarke walks them towards a door that says 'Caution, containment breach beyond this point.' That must be where they get rid of the bodies. She continues to scan around the room but sees no other door they can safely exit out of. So, opens it and they both step through. Inside is an empty space with a trap metal door in the middle. She looks up and sees a sign that reads 'Containment Chute', she then looks over to her right and sees a green button. She sits Anya down and presses the button, as soon as the metal door opens, she looks through it and sees a mining cart at the bottom.The tunnels, perfect. Clarke heads back towards Anya and kneels down in front of her.

She reaches into her back pocket and pulls out several pages of folded paper. Clarke had been writing down, and sketching the places she'd been, the people she's met, and all the information she had gathered so far. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing them, so she made sure to carry them on her at all times. "Here's everything I've learned so far, hopefully it's enough." Anya takes it and unfolds the paper while Clarke takes out Langston's key card from her jacket pocket. "This is what they use to open the doors. This one will probably be useless by the time you get here, but if you see any guards, make sure to take these from them." Anya nods her head in understanding while taking the key card. Clarke then removes the tone emitter from her jacket pocket next. "This emits the sound the reapers are conditioned to fear." Clarke turns it over to show Anya the button. "Press this to turn it on and off."

"The Commander wasn't sure you'd be able to pull this off." Anya tells Clarke.

"There were times I wasn't even sure I'd pull this off." Clarke admits. She then leads Anya to the trap door. "This will lead you straight into the tunnels, so be careful."

"Meet me back here in two days' time. Knowing the Commander, she'll divert a small group of people here to release everyone and get them to safety." Anya assures her.

"Where will the rest of her army be?" Clarke asks.

"They will most likely enter through the quarantine ward. Judging by your sketches, it's our best way in."

Clarke nods her head in understanding and heads over to the green button. "May we meet again." Clarke says before pushing the button. An alarm sounds, a yellow light flashes, and then the metal door opens dropping Anya. Clarke rushes over and looks down to ensure Anya's safety. She doesn't leave until she sees Anya has jumped out of the mining cart.

TONDC

It had been two days since Anya and Clarke left the village. Since then, three clans of warriors had arrived in TonDC. Trishanakru, the Glowing Forest Clan. Yujleda, the Broadleaf Clan. And Ingranronakru, the Plain Riders clan. Azgeda, Sangedakru, Boudalan, Podakru, Ouskejon Kru, Delfkru, Louwoda Kliron, and Floukru had yet to arrive. Though Lexa knew better than to count on Floukru. The Boat People may be aligned with Trikru, but they do not involve themselves in war or violence.

Lexa had been in her tent looking down at the map. She already had half a plan in mind, but the other half of it wouldn't come until Anya and Clarke came through. Lexa lets out a heavy sigh and begins to pace up and down her tent. She can't move forward and it's giving her too much time to think. What if Clarke is discovered? What if Anya is dead? What if Clarke can't get the information, they need to successfully infiltrate the mountain?

Her thoughts are interrupted when Gustus enters her tent. "Louwoda Kliron Kruhas just arrived." (The Shallow Valley Clan). Lexa nods at this and dismisses Gustus. She needs to clear her head. She can't afford to feel anxious, especially with the arrival of the other clans. She decides to train with Gustus to get her mind off Mount Weather. Maybe then her mind would calm itself.

AN HOUR LATER

Gustus and Lexa are on the training grounds sparing against each other when they are interrupted by the shouts of the gate guard. "Someone approaches!" Everyone stops what they are doing, waiting for the guard to identify whoever approaches the village. "It'sOnya! She escaped the mountain!" Lexa immediately runs to the gate to greet Anya, with Gustus right behind her. Lexa can't help the small smile that forms on her face, the plan was working Anya made it back to the village alive.

But her smile quickly fades when the gate is opened, and Lexa sees the state Anya is in. She can barely move one foot in front of the other, it's quite obvious she is weak, and worse of all she has this haunted look in her eyes.What did she see in the mountain to cause such a hauntedlook? Lexa thinks before calling for a healer. She rushes towards Anya barely managing to reach her just as her legs give out. She lays her former mentor gently on the ground and whispers reassuring words.

"Heda." Anya calls, then she pushes the items Clarke had given her to Lexa. She had been so focused on Anya's weakened state, she had not realized she had been carrying something in her hands. "From Clarke." Anya says before passing out. Lexa looks up and scans the crowd for a healer but sees none in sight. "Ai need a fisa nau!" (I need a healer now.) Lexa commands. Nyko appears at her side and lifts Anya in his arms, once he has her secure, he rushes her to the medical tent. Lexa looks down at the items Anya handed to her. Two of the items are a mystery to her, so she moves on to the folded pieces of paper. The first page she sees is the Mount Weather map.

"Did the sky girl give her anything useful?" Indra asks.

Instead of answering, Lexa hands Indra the map. She looks over the second page and sees Clarke has drawn and described the types of weapons the mountain men carry. She hands that paper off to Gustus. The next few pages are sketches of people and rooms she's been to. "There are no exits on this map, and she did not mark where our people are being held." Indra says frustrated.

"She probably didn't know where they were until she found Anya. And now that she's back she can lead us to our people." Lexa says in defense of Clarke.

"The sky girl came through. Looks like you were right to place your trust in her. I am sorry for my doubts." Gustus apologizes.

"The moment the rest of the army arrives I want all generals to report to the war tent. The sooner we make a plan, the sooner we attack the mountain and get our people back." Lexa commands ignoring Gustus' apology, both Gustus and Indra bow their heads in acknowledgment.

MOUNT WEATHER

Shortly after returning to the infirmary things started to get tense. Since the moment she came back, Dr. Tsing seemed on edge. When Clarke asked what was wrong, the doctor simply brushed off the question, claiming she had a headache. But Clarke knew the truth. They discovered Anya was missing and based on Dr. Tsing's behavior they hadn't found her. Good. Clarke thought.

At dinner everyone seemed ill at ease. The guards were on higher alert than normal. They started carrying their M-4's along with M-9's. Shortly after dinner Dante Wallace's son made an announcement. Something about the guards conducting drills, Clarke started tuning Cage out the moment he opened his mouth. "I don't think the guards are doing drills." Maya admits and Clarke turns and looks at her curiously. "I think something happened." Maya whispers. She looks around to see if anyone is listening in before she continues. "There's been talk about the guards doing more outside patrols than normal."

"Whatever it is I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Clarke whispers back.

LATER THAT EVENING

Clarke is sketching in the sketch book President Wallace gifted her, when she hears a knock at her door. She stands from her bed and opens the door to find the Cage Wallace, along with Sergeant Langston on the other side of it. "Mr. Wallace, Sergeant Langston." Clarke greets, while trying to keep her breathing under control.Did they figure me out already?

"Please call me Cage Clarke. I'm sorry to disturb you, but we've had a serious breach of security." Clarke acts surprised by this information.

"So, the guards aren't performing drills?" Clarke asks.

"I'm afraid not. We're trying to find the root of the problem, and unfortunately we have to cover all our basis." Cage says in an attempt to sound regretful, but Clarke can detect the slight accusatory tone in his voice.

"Did I do something? Is that why you're here?" Clarke asks, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

"My key card is missing along with a device I carry. The guards informed me those items were accounted for when I was brought into the medical ward. Dr. Tsing told me she got called out and that you were left on your own." Sergeant Langston explains.

"You want to search my room?" Clarke surmises.

"I'm sure it's all one big misunderstanding, but as I said before we have to cover all our basis." Cage says.

"I get it." Clarke simply says, and then moves away from the door to let them in.

Sergeant Langston is the first to enter, he immediately starts searching around Clarke's room. He begins by opening the drawers of her dresser. She doesn't have much, so he moves on to her bed. As he's checking the bottom of the bed Cage picks up her sketch book and asks if he can take a look. Clarke of course agrees, and he flips through the pages while Langston continues searching her room. "I've seen this before in the oval office." Cage shows her the sketch of the view of Earth from space she drew.

"It's funny, while I was in space, I drew the ground. Now that I'm on the ground I'm drawing space." Cage smiles at this.

"My father has taken a liking to you. I think in a way you remind him of the sister he loss. They use to paint together as well." Cage says as he closes the sketch book and tosses it on the bed. "I of course was never interested in art."

"The room's clear sir." Langston interjects.

"You may go. I'd like to talk to Clarke a bit longer." Langston nods his head and exits Clarke's room. "You know, up until you got here, we never had a breach of security before." Cage points out.

"Coincidence, I'm sure. There's always a first time for everything." Clarke remarks.

"I don't believe in them. If I find out you had anything to do with any of this, I will personally hold you responsible." Cage says seriously.

Clarke doesn't say anything, fearful she may say something that may implicate her. She just stares down Cage until he turns around and exits her room. Once he does she lets out breath she didn't realize she was holding.

TWO DAYS LATER

TONDC

Lexa is meeting with the generals of the twelve clans in the war tent. Anya is to her right, Indra her left, and Gustus stands behind her keeping an eye on everyone else. They are gathered around a table with several maps, and Clarke's sketches. Lexa has just gone over the weapons and armor the mountain men have, she's about to move on to her plan when she's interrupted by the Ice Nation General. "Do you honestly expect us to trust this information. This intel you have given us has come from an outsider. For all we know we could be marching right into a trap."

While Lexa hides her annoyance at being interrupted, her mentor and village chief do not. Before the Coalition, Azgeda had a reputation for ruthlessness. They maintained hostile relationships with other clans, especially Trikru. Their territory stretched for thousands of miles, bordering on Trikru territory. Before Lexa became Commander, the two clans were at constant war with each other. And when Lexa formed the Coalition, they were the last to join, but not before their queen kidnapped, tortured, and killed Costia.

So, it does not surprise the Commander when it is the Ice Nation that speaks out. Instead of explaining her actions, she decides to let Anya and Lincoln speak. "Anya, Lincoln tell everyone what you experienced inside the mountain." The generals begin to murmur amongst themselves. Anyone who has ever been captured by the mountain has never escaped. Lincoln is the first to speak.

"I was turned into a reaper by the mountain. They injected me with something that burned my insides and twisted my mind. It's how they control the reapers. If it weren't for Clarke, I would still be a reaper now." The Ice Nation general is about to speak out against Lincoln, but Lincoln interrupts him. "And before you call me a liar, there were witnesses, one of which was the Commander." The general keeps his mouth shut.

"When I infiltrated the mountain, I was chosen for harvest. I was brought into a room where I discovered our people locked away in cages like animals. If we weren't caged, we were hung from our feet and drained of our blood until there was nothing left." Any looks the general in his eyes. "I saw some of your own clan members inside those cages." She then turns to everyone else. "I would be dead now if it weren't for Clarke, so I suggest you stop questioning your Commander and let her speak."

Lexa turns to Anya and gives her a nod of appreciation. She then gives the generals a moment to process what they've just heard. They talk among themselves until she raises her hand to silence them. "We can either debate about wither or not to trust the information given to us, or we can plan our assault, and march on the mountain at nightfall and make them pay for the atrocities they have committed against our people." Lexa looks at the Ice Nation general when she says this. Neither he, nor any other general speaks, so Lexa continues.

MOUNT WEATHER

Clarkes in the shower letting the water fall on her face. Today is the day Lexa's army infiltrates Mount Weather. She was going to have to figure out a way to get into the medical facility without getting caught. It was the only way she knew of to get to the harvest chamber. Despite the warm water Clarke finds herself shivering as she recalls the harvest chamber. What was being done to them wasn't right, and it needed to be stopped.

As Clarke begins to wash her face, her fingers slide across her old head wound. It was mostly healed now, but it gave her an idea. She wouldn't have to sneak into the infirmary if she was admitted overnight. She looks at the tiled wall in front of her and runs her hand across it. "This is gonna hurt."

INFIRMARY

Dr. Tsing shines a light in Clarke's eyes and she's quick to turn away from it. "It's definitely a concussion. How did you say it happened again?" Dr. Tsing asks as she turns to get the items, she needs to treat Clarke's head wound.

"I slipped and fell headfirst into the bathtub." Clarke replies as Dr. Tsing applies pressure to her wound, she hisses in pain. "Looks like you'll have plenty of my blood to test out now." She jokes.

"I wouldn't do that without your permission Clarke." Dr. Tsing says seriously. Though she believes her to be the key to their predicament, she can't deny there's something special about her. She doesn't deserve to be treated the same way as the outsiders.

"What do you think is so special about my blood?" Clarke asks, despite knowing the answer.

"I think your blood could tell us a lot. It could be our first step out of here." Dr. Tsing replies.

"Even if that were true, there's only one of me and over three hundred of you. There's isn't enough of me to go around." Clarke points out. Dr. Tsing puts the clothe down and takes hold of Clarke's hands.

"Listen to me. I won't let any harm come to you; I promise." Dr. Tsing swears. Clarke simply nods her head at this and lets her treat her wound. She almost believes her. She sounds sincere enough, but after seeing how she treats Lexa's people. She just can't find it within herself to believe a word she says.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

BELLA'S MEMORIES

Becca and Bella have just arrived in Mount Weather. They had been granted access to the military bunker by President Wallace himself to upgrade their systems. He claimed this update was long overdue, but the sisters knew the real reason behind it. The world was in total chaos. Earth had run out of oil, which led to the Eligius Corporation to find new resources off planet. The Russian Ankovirus was spreading at a rapid rate, there was the armed conflict in San Francisco, terrorist attacks lead by the United Liberation Army, global warming, and finally humanity's overpopulation.

While the bunker was in need of a serious update, both Becca and Bella knew that the President was going to making use of it soon. It had taken over a month to upgrade everything. Bella was in charge of replacing all the medical equipment, while Becca was in charge of everything else.

Bella had finished setting up the new medical equipment and decided to help her sister with her work. She finds Becca in the Command Center updating the computer system. The moment Becca notices her sister, she pulls up a chair for her and shows her what she is working on. Everything is now connected to the Command Center computer, badge readers, power, security cameras, and the ventilation system.

PRESENT

Clarke wakes up surprised by the memory she just witnessed. She remembers Dante mentioning Bella visiting the bunker but was surprised to see if for herself none the less. Lexa had told her the memories would fade, and for a while they had. So why was she seeing this memory now? "Hey Clarke." Clarke jumps in surprise, not realizing she wasn't alone. "Sorry to startle you. I heard what happened and thought I'd check in on you. I brought food." Maya says. Clarke smiles at this, of all the people here in Mount Weather, Maya was probably the only person worth saving. She'd have to talk to Lexa about sparing her.

Clarke sits up, and Maya places the tray on the table and moves it closer to her. "Thanks Maya. You didn't have to do this."

"It's not a big deal." Maya shrugs off. Clarke just smiles and digs into her food. Once she's done Maya moves the table to the side. "So, there's another reason for my visit." Clarke looks up at Maya giving her, her full attention. "Some of my friends are throwing a party tomorrow night, if Dr. Tsing gives the ok, I was wondering if you'd want to go?"

Clarke feels her stomach drop. There wouldn't be a party tomorrow night. Lexa's army would be here tonight. A part of Clarke wants to warn Maya of what's to come, she even opens her mouth to do so, but nothing comes out.Mistaking Clarke's silence for nerves, Maya speaks up. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. I just thought you might want to have some fun. Plus, it'll give you a chance to meet everyone you'll be attending class with."Clarke doesn't say anything, she simply smiles and nods her head yes.

LATER THAT NIGHT

After receiving a second dose of medication, Clarke lays back and pretends to fall asleep. She waits until Dr. Tsing leaves the infirmary to go through the vent into the harvest chamber. She checks to make sure no one is in there before kicking the vent down. The moment she's inside the chamber the villager's hands stick out of the cages, they speak to her in their native tongue. She reassures them that help is on the way and heads to the door that leads to the containment chute.

She paces back and forth nervously waiting for Anya's to come. Every once in a while, she'll look out the door to see if anyone else enters the chamber. Eventually her nervousness turns to worry. What if they weren't able to sneak in through the tunnels? What if the tone emitter ran out of juice and now their fighting for their lives against reapers? What if someone catches her here before Anya arrives. Before she can continue listing all the possible things that can go wrong, she hears a loud bang.

Figuring it must be Anya, Clarke pounds the metal door as hard as she can so that Anya knows she's there, then she rushes over to the green button and presses it to open the door. She then rushes back over to help Anya out of the chute. The moment Clarke pulls her up, the door closes. "Is there any way to keep it open?" Anya asks.

"Maybe if I hold the button down." Clarke suggests.

"You do that." Anya grabs a piece of rope that's wrapped around her body and pulls it over her head. "I'm going to find someplace to tie this."

Clarke does what Anya instructed, once the door is opened Anya tosses the secure rope down the chute. Clarke can hear the sound of multiple footsteps climbing up. The first person she sees is Lexa, who approaches her right away. She notices Clarke's head wound and can't help the concern that crosses her face. "I did it to myself. It was the only way for me to get into the medical facility without getting caught. The guards have been on high alert since Anya's escape." Clarke explains.

"Thank you, for ensuring her escape, and getting us the information, we needed." Lexa says.

"I just hope it'll be enough." Clarke comments. Lexa turns towards the door. Despite facing away from her, Clarke can see the hesitation in Lexa. "Your people are just beyond that door." Lexa turns towards Clarke. "Will you accompany me?" She asks, Clarke nods her head yes.

Lexa turns to one of her warriors and instructs him to keep the trap door open for everyone else. Clarke joins Lexa and opens the door for her. She knows what to expect, Anya told her everything, but the moment she walks past the threshold and sees the harvest chamber for herself. She is both angry and horrified to see what has been done to her people. But she is pulled from her thoughts when she hears her people call out to her. She immediately goes to them and takes hold of their hands. She reassures them they are safe now, that they'll be able to go home soon.

She turns her head at the sound of a lock breaking. Clarke seems to have found some sort of metal bar and is using it to break the locks to the cages. She can't help the smile that forms on her face, if it hadn't been for this sky girl, none of this would have been possible. At the sound of footsteps, she looks up and sees the rest of her warriors have entered the chamber. Like their Commander, they are horrified by the state of their people. "Free our people. Anya, Clarke on me." Clarke looks up from what she's doing, wondering if she heard Lexa right. Her question is answered when Anya pulls her to the harvest chamber's entrance. She quickly hands the metal bar off to one of the warriors before exiting. "We need meet up with Lincoln, he led the rest of the army through the quarantine ward entrance." Lexa states.

Just as Lexa says that the sound of gunshots can be heard. "The mountain knows we are here." Anya comments. "Let us end this." Lexa states. Anya nods her head in agreement and they both unsheathe their swords. Lexa turns to Clarke. "Stay behind us." Clarke nods her head in understanding and follows them towards the sound of gun fire.

Anya uses a key card she took from one of the outside patrols to open the door. She is the first to enter the quarantine ward followed by Clarke and Lexa. By the time they enter the hallway four guards have already been put down. Upon seeing their Commander, Indra approaches. "Our kru Heda?" (Our people Commander.) Indra asks.

"They are being released as we speak." Lexa replies.

Clarke hears a static noise coming from the guards, when she turns her head, she realizes it's coming from their radios. She tells everyone to quiet down as she picks up the handheld radio and holds it up to her ear. "Sergeant Coleman, status update...Sergeant Coleman this is Lieutenant Emerson, what is your status...Command Center get me eyes on Sergeant Coleman." Clarke immediately points to the surveillance cameras and tells Lexa they need to take them out. Lincoln takes out a bow and arrow and shatters every camera he sees. "This is the Command Center, we've lost visual, repeating we've lost visual."

An alarm begins to sound throughout the bunker, the grounders get startled by the sudden noise and look around them trying to determine where the noise is coming from. A moment later an automated announcement comes through the speakers. "Attention all residents DEFCON 1 is now in effect. Repeating, DEFCON 1 is now in effect. Initiating lock down procedures." An audible lock is heard from the badge readers.

"Clarke what's going on?" Lexa asks.

"They know your here. They've already started lock down procedures which means no one can get in our out of the bunker." Clarke answers.

"Does that mean these no longer work?" Gustus asks as he holds up the key card.

"The guards key cards should still work" Clarke replies.

"Command Center this is Lieutenant Emerson, we have Inferno One and Two, headed to you now."

"Inferno One and Two?" Lincoln questions.

"It's the call signs for the President and his son. Their being taken to the Command Center for their safety." Clarke informs them.

"If we take out their leadership, we end this war." Anya tells the Commander; she nods her head in agreement, then turns to Clarke.

"What's the best way to get to the Command Center from here?" She asks.

Clarke looks around briefly before spotting the door to the stairwells. "Stairwells, it'll be a tight fit, but there aren't any cameras." Lexa nods at this and directs her people towards the door. Gustus unlocks it with a key card he took from the one of the guards and holds it open for the army to walk through. Once half the army has gone through Anya, Clarke, Gustus, Indra, and Lexa go through as well. As they are walking up the stairs, Clarke is listening to the radio chatter. The guards have just arrived at the quarantine ward and discovered the dead bodies. A minute later the guards inform the Command Center that the harvest chamber is empty. Once the chamber and quarantine have been swept, Clarke hears the guards say they will be checking the stairwells. "We're about to have company soon." Clarke tells the Commander. Lexa halts her army and turns around and address the back half of her army. "Maunon laik coming. Nou teik em pass." (Mountain men are coming. Do not let them pass.)

As the army reaches the sixth level, Clarke does her best to tune out the sound of gun fire and cries of pain. She can feel her stomach churning. All she wanted when she landed on Earth was the chance to start over. She never wanted to be caught in the middle of a war. What would her father think of her if he could see her now? When they finally reach level seven Clarke is breathing heavily, partly because she just walked three flights of stairs, and because she was nervous. This was it, there was no turning back after this. Clarke suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder, she turns her head and sees it's Lexa's hand. "This will be over before you know it, I promise." Lexa promises. Clarke nods her head and takes a few deep breaths. The army then turns to Lexa waiting for her command.

"Remember, they not only have guns, but they also have grenades that they will use to distract us." The warriors nod their heads in understanding. "Jus drein jus daun." (Blood must have blood.)

"Jus drein jus daun." The warriors repeat.

Lexa nods her head towards the warriors up front signaling them to open the door. The moment it is open, her warriors file out. "Outsiders!" One of the guard's yells out. Not even all of Lexa's army has entered level seven and already Clarke starts to see smoke coming from the hallway. The guards have already started using smoke grenades and most likely the stun grenades as well. But this does not deter them, they continue on without a hitch. "Which way to the Command Center?" Lexa asks.

"We're going to turn right, then it'll be the first door on the left." Clarke replies.

"Stick close to us sky girl." Anya instructs.

Clarke readies herself by breathing in and out. "Get ready." Lexa says. Once the last of the warriors is through, Anya, Clarke, Gustus, Indra, and Lexa make an immediate right. They attempt to make it to the Command Center, but there is smoke all around them clouding their vision, and they find themselves weaving through the grounder warriors and guards.

Anya, Gustus, Indra, and Lexa end up fighting off a few of the mountain men guards, but eventually they all make it to the Command Center door. As Anya is pulling out the key card, Clarke feels something touch her foot, she looks down and finds a stun grenade at her feet. She sees it hasn't been used yet, she picks it up and stops Anya from placing the key card over the badge reader. "As soon as they realize we're not guards they'll start shooting." Clarke removes the pin from the stun grenade and gets down on one knee. "As soon as I toss this in there cover your eyes. Don't open them until after you hear the loud bang." They all nod in understanding. Clarke gives the signal for Anya to unlock the door.

The moment the door is opened Clarke throws the stun grenade inside all five of them shield their eyes. The mountain men are taken by surprise as their senses are disoriented by the loud bang and blinding flash of light. Anya, Gustus, Indra, and Lexa rush inside and quickly disarm the guards while Clarke secures the door. "Clarke?" At the sound of Dante's voice, Clarke mentally prepares herself for what's about to happen next. She slowly turns around to face Dante and his son Cage, who both have swords pointed at their necks. "You're the one who let them in?" She nods her head yes. "How could you? They held you prisoner."

"She was never really their prisoner. Were you Clarke?" Cage questions knowingly.

"Traitor." Emerson says. He makes a move for Clarke but is quickly pinned by Gustus to the wall.

"I was held prisoner, and that mad man I told you about did break through the prison I was held at. What I didn't mention was how I brought him back." Both Cage and Dante have surprised expressions on their faces. "Once the drug you gave him was out of his system, he told us everything." Both Cage and Dante remain quiet. "How can you stand there and call them savages, when you're the ones putting them in cages, and turning them into monsters?"

"You just landed here, you have no idea what they are like. All they have done for the past fifty-six years is fight amongst each other. They don't deserve to walk on the ground." Cage states, and Anya applies some pressure to his neck.

"Clarke, hand me that communication device." Lexa asks. Clarke unclips the radio and hands it to Lexa, who then holds it out for Dante. "Tell your people to stand down." Lexa commands.

"And then what Commander? What happens to my people?" Dante asks.

"Justice will happen." Lexa replies.

"I've seen your people's justice Commander. I will not let my people suffer that fate." Dante states.

"Besides, it looks like your side is losing." Cage gestures over to the camera monitors. What's left of Lexa's army is getting gunned down. "You may have the greater numbers Commander, but we have the technology. And technology always wins." Cage says smugly.

At his statement, Clarke sees flashes of Bella's recent memory. All the technology in Mount Weather was placed here by Becca and Bella. Clarke walks over to the computer trying to recall how Becca set up the system. "Clarke, what are you doing?" Lexa asks confused. But Clarke does not answer, she replays Bella's memory in her head, and slowly begins to type away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get away from there?" Emerson asks as he attempts to push past Gustus, but he manages to keep him in place.

Once Clarke is finished, she looks down at a lever to her left. Cage follows her gaze and suddenly realizes what she's done. He pushes Anya away from him in order to get to Clarke, but she's right back on him. She slashes his chest with her sword, and he cries out in pain, but it isn't enough to stop him from getting to Clarke. He ends up grabbing her and throwing her to the floor, causing her to lose grip of her weapon. He only manages to make it two steps before he is stabbed through the chest by Indra. "No!" Dante yells. He rushes to his son's side as he falls on the ground. Clarke looks in horror at Cage's lifeless body. "Why are you doing this Clarke?" Dante asks with tears in his eyes. "We took you in, we gave you a home. You're nothing like them."

"I'm nothing like you Mr. President. I saw what you're doing to them. I know why you turn them into reapers, why you harvest their blood. It's wrong." Clarke states.

"It's survival!" Dante shouts. "If you pull that lever Clarke it'll mean the end of my people."

Clarke looks over at the camera monitors, the guards have Lexa's army on their knees now, and their shooting them down one by one. Lexa sees this too and she turns to Clarke. "Whatever it is you're about to do, do it now." Lexa states.

"You'll never be able to live with yourself." Dante says.

"I'm sorry." Clarke apologizes before slowly pulling down the lever. Dante closes his eyes, a moment later the alarms that signal a contamination breach begin sounding. The outside air starts filtering in, Emerson and Dante along with every guard in the hallway breaks out into blistering wounds, coughing, choking, and dying. Anya, Gustus, Indra, and Lexa look between the dead bodies in front of them, to the dead bodies on the camera monitor.

"I don't understand. What is happening?" Gustus asks.

Lexa turns to Clarke; she notices a haunted look on her face. She commands Anya, Gustus and Indra to go outside and check on the army. Once they leave the Command Center, she approaches Clarke. "What did I do?" She asks in a shaky voice.

"What you had to." Lexa answers. She removes Clarke's hand from the lever. "They wouldn't have stopped."

"There weren't just soldiers living here Lexa, there were innocents, children." Clarke says with tears falling from her eyes.

"No one here is innocent Clarke. As for the children... they would have eventually grown up and continued what their predecessors started." Lexa reasons.

"Dante was right." Clarke backs up into the wall. "I'll never be able to live with myself." Clarke breaks down as she slides against the wall.

Lexa looks at her unsure of what she should do. It's been a while since she's comforted someone. She takes a deep breath and sits down to join Clarke. She thinks about what she can say that will give Clarke some sort of comfort. She then hears the cheers of victory outside the door, and it gives her the inspiration she needs to console Clarke. "I'm sorry you had to do that. But you will live through it." Clarke turns to Lexa. "Yes, you took many lives today, but you saved many more. My people will no longer have to live in fear of the mountain. We can finally live in peace because of you." Lexa stands and extends her hand to Clarke. "Don't waste your tears on people who don't deserve them." Clarke takes her hand and Lexa helps pull her up. "Now let us go. We may have won the war, but there's still much work to be done."

Clarke follows Lexa out of the Command Center, when they get out into the hallway everyone cheers for them. A moment later they start chanting Wanheda. Clarke turns to the Commander confused. "What are they saying?"

"Wanheda. It means Commander of Death." Lexa replies, but Clarke still doesn't understand. "They are referring to you Clarke. My people believe when you kill someone you get their power. And because you ended the mountain, they believe you now command death."

Clarke turns back towards the army. They continue to chantWanheda over and over. This is not what she wanted.

Chapter 9: THREE YEARS LATER

Chapter Text

Clarke is outside the Mount Weather bunker, watching as Lexa's army is carrying the dead residents who once lived there. After the dead and injured were sorted, preparations for the dead began. Both grounders and mountain men would be burned together. Lexa called it restitution, the bodies of the murderers and murdered joined by fire. Only then would her people know peace. Clarke had managed to remain strong up until now. She distracted herself by helping the critically injured, and those locked away in cages, but now as she sees the former residents her strength is wanning. It isn't until she sees Maya's body being carried, that her strength leaves her completely. "Maya."

PRESENT

POLIS

Clarke wakes with a jerk. She's breathing heavily and her heart is racing. She looks around at the familiar surroundings and lets out a sigh of relief. She lays back down and places her forearm over her eyes. It's been three years since Lexa's army defeated the mountain. And though her nightmares have lessened, their deaths still haunt her to this day. She looks over to her left and sees a still sleeping Lexa. Since her arrival she had grown close with the Commander, eventually resulting in a relationship.

Unfortunately, they had to keep it a secret. No one other than their personal guards knew of their relationship. Lexa feared what happened to Costia may happen to Clarke as well. So, their relationship consisted of stolen moments and sneaking in and out of each other's rooms. Clarke then turns over to her right and looks out the window, it's still dark out, so she has some time before she has to leave Lexa's room. She slowly rises out of bed, careful not to wake Lexa, and using the light offered by the dimly lit candles she searches for her clothes.

Once she's fully dressed, she takes two candles from a nearby table and places them on Lexa's desk. She slides into the chair and takes a parchment paper and coal and begins sketching her dream. It had been something Lincoln had suggested when she had her first nightmare.

FLASHBACK

TONDC

Shortly after laying the dead to rest, the army had marched back to TonDC. Too many bad things had happened inside the mountain. With it finally defeated, it was time to move passed it. Once they arrived back to the village, the healers resumed their work in treating the wounded and those locked in cages. Most of the army had sustained bullet wounds, while the prisoners of the mountain had been starved and drained of blood until they had nothing more to give. It took some time, but eventually things calmed down, which is how Lincoln finds himself in the healer'stent in search of Clarke.

Shortly after the battle had ended, he spoke with Indra. Since Clarke had saved his life and returned him to his normal self, he owed her a debt. Since slaying the mountain she not only earned the respect of the people, but she also became a symbol. He knew she would now have to learn their ways andwould probably need protection. He wanted to be the one tasked with that duty.

Soon after speaking with Indra, he was summoned by the Commander. She seemed to approve of the arrangement but warned him Clarke would not be staying in TonDC for long. "She will be leaving to Polis with me once the sick and wounded are well enough. Will you be alright leaving your home behind?" She had asked him.

"As I told Indra I owe her a debt. If she goes to Polis, then I will follow." Satisfied with his answer she gave a nod of approval.

That had been a few days ago. He had wanted to speak with Clarke then, but she was busy assisting the healers. Between being shorthanded, and everyone hearing what she did for him, it was agreed that her medical knowledge could be useful. They had finally treated the sick and wounded, so he figured now was as good as time as any to let her know the news. Lincoln had insisted that he wanted to be the one to tell her. He scans the tent for her but does not spot her right away. He's about to leave, thinking she may have stepped out, when he hears the sound of someone whimper. Thinking it may be an injured warrior in need of assistance, he follows the sound until he comes across Clarke's sleeping form. She's sitting on the ground in a corner of the tent, head leaning against a table. Her brows are furrowed and it's obvious she's having a nightmare. He calls to her and gently shakes her, but it's to no avail. She's deep into her nightmare, so he shakes her harder until finally she opens her eyes. She looks around frantic at first, until she locks eyes with him. She then breaks down into tears and leans her head onto his chest. He wraps his arms around him and rubs her back. He doesn't say anything, he just let's her be.

A few minutes later she manages to calm down a little and pulls away from his embrace, apologizing for invading his space. Lincoln brushes it off and waits for her to compose herself. "I had only meant to rest my eyes for a moment, but I guess the lack of sleep finally got to me." She says while wiping the tears from her face using her sleeve. "The next thing I know I'm seeing the dead bodies of the mountain men haunting my dreams." She explains.

"I'm haunted too." Lincoln confesses. "When I was a reaper, I thought some of the things I saw, some of the things I did, were a hallucination caused by the drug. But when we went into the tunnels to search for the dead, I realized they weren't hallucinations." Lincoln continues.

"I heard about what they found in the tunnels. I'm sorry." Clarke sympathizes.

"When I wake from my dreams, I swear I can taste the flesh of my people in my mouth. I can't believe I did that to my own people." Lincoln looks down in shame.

"So, what do you do?" Clarke asks.

Lincoln reaches inside the satchel he carries and pulls out a leather journal along with a piece of coal. He flips the pages of the journal until he finds a blank page and hands both items to Clarke. "When I was a young warrior, I was haunted by my first battle, so my mother would have me draw my dreams, then she would have me burn the sketch in the fire. She told me this was a way for me to not only remember my actions in battle, but to also not let what I had done affect me in the future." Clarke looks up from the blank page. "Life is short here Clarke, don't let your past actions affect your future." He taps on the blank page, silently telling her to draw, so she does. After some time has passed, she tears out the page and shows it to him. He sees the bodies of the dead leader with his son, and the camera screen revealing more of the dead. He helps Clarke to her feet and walks with her outside the tent to a nearby fire. He hands her back the drawing and gestures over to the fire. She drops the sketch into the fire and watches as it quickly burns. "I came to the healer's tent to let you know I have been assigned to be your teacher and protector." Lincoln informs her, and Clarke turns to him surprised. "You saved my life Clarke; I owe you for that. I figured this would be the best way for me to repay that debt." Before Clarke can protest, she's called by Nyko to assist with one of the warriors.

PRESENT

As Clarke is finishing up her sketch, she feels a pair of arms wrap around her. She drops the piece of coal in her hand and leans against the chair, placing a hand over Lexa's and looking up at her. "A nightmare?" Lexa questions knowingly, and Clarke nods her head yes. "It's been a while since you had one." She looks over at the table to get a glimpse of Clarke's drawing, she sees Clarke has drawn Maya being carried by one of her warriors. "Finish your sketch and then come back to bed." Lexa tells her, Clarke looks over at the window and sees the first signs of light peaking over the horizon.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." Clarke says, and Lexa turns towards the window. "It's almost time for me to go." Lexa lets out a heavy sigh and places a kiss on the top of Clarke's head.

Clarke picks up the drawing and places the edge of the paper over the lit candle. As the paper begins to burn, she puts it on a nearby tray and watches it burn until it is nothing but ash. She then takes one of Lexa's hands and places a kiss over it before standing from her embrace. "I've been thinking." Lexa voices as Clarke pushes the chair she had been sitting at in. "I think it's time we told everyone about you. About whom you really are."

"You do?" Clarke questions and Lexa nods her head yes.

"It's been three years. It's time Clarke." Clarke gives a nod of approval. "Once that is done." Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke and pulls her in to her naked form. "We can discuss telling everyone about us."

"I like the sound of that. I hate all the sneaking around." Clarke comments.

"I know. Just bear with me a little longer?" Lexa asks. Clarke answers with a kiss, it was meant to be chaste, but Lexa deepens it. Clarke goes along with it for a moment before pulling away.

"I should go before we continue what we started last night." Clarke says, and Lexa reluctantly lets her go.

Clarke exits Lexa's room and leans against her door. She takes a moment to compose herself and takes a step forward before stopping, sensing someone nearby. "I hope you weren't here all night." Lincoln steps out of the shadows and reveals himself to Clarke.

"I got a couple of hours of sleep." They start heading towards Clarke's room. "Someone has to make sure you make it back to your room on time." Clarke chuckles at that. "Though I see my services weren't needed today." Clarke doesn't say anything. "Mount Weather?"

"Specifically Maya. Her death was my biggest regret that day." Clarke confesses.

Since that day in TonDC he has remained by her side. Despite her initial protests. She never felt he owed her a debt; she simply did what was right. But she was grateful to him non the less. Though he was only meant to be her teacher and protector, they became close friends. He knows everything about her, and she knows everything about him. He taught her everything she needed to know about her new home and the people occupying it. Which consisted of learning Trigedasleng, the grounder language, their history and traditions, the people of the twelve clans themselves, and how to fight.

"She's at peace now, and you need to be too." Lincoln advises.

"I'm getting there. It's been a slow process I know, but I'm getting there." Clarke and Lincoln stop in front of Clarke's door.

"I know you are, and I'm proud of you for it. I'll see you in a bit." He turns around to leave her be, but she stops him.

"Before you go, there's something you need to know." Lincoln turns back around to face Clarke. "Lexa thinks it's time everyone knew about me. I don't know when it'll happen, but when it does, she'll probably hold a meeting with the twelve Ambassadors and have them spread the word to their clans."

"In that case I think we should up your security." Lincoln suggests.

"You think they'll turn against me?" Clarke asks.

"I think we should prepare for it. While I believe there will be those that still accept you, I also believe there will be those that don't. Either because they view you as a threat, or because you and the Commander kept your true identity a secret. It could also be both." Lincoln explains.

"Let's wait and see how the Ambassadors take the news first, then we'll plan accordingly." Lincoln nods his head in agreement, then leaves her to bath and change.

SOME TIME LATER

Clarke and Lincoln head over to the training grounds, the moment they arrive Clarke looks around in search of Lexa, but she doesn't spot her. All she sees is Gustus observing the Nightbloods train, while occasionally correcting them with his loud voice. One of the younger Nightbloods spots her and waves at her in greeting. "Amaya, do not allow yourself to be distracted from training!" Gustus yells. Clarke shakes her head at Gustus and waves back at Amaya who smiles at her with a toothy grin.

"What do you suppose they'll think of me when they find out?" Clarke asks.

"They will still love you. Children are not as quick to judge, plus it'll be another story for you to tell." Clarke can't help but smile at this.

When she first arrived in Polis, the Coalition capital, everyone had been fascinated by her. But not as much as the children. They would ask her about her life in the sky, and the metal ship she lived on. They especially loved it when she would show them her sketches of her home, and her family and friends. The kids never seemed to grow bored with her stories, even when she told the same ones. "Clarke, come spare with us!" The young Nightblood Aden shouts.

"I'm afraidWanheda cannot spare today, she and the Commander have a meeting with the Ambassadors." Clarke has to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the sound of Titus' voice.

In the three years she's lived in Polis, she had never grown to like Titus, nor had he grown to like her. While they have always been civil with each other, especially around Lexa, Titus has always seen Clarke as an outsider. Someone not worthy to be a Nightblood. As for Clarke, since the moment she met the Flamekeeper she's had a bad feeling about him. And that feeling has never gone away. "Do you know why the Commander has called this meeting?" Titus asks as they head to the throne room.

"I'm sure we'll find out once we get there." Clarke answers, then she walks ahead of him to avoid any further conversation.

When they arrive at the throne room, the Ambassadors are already seated. Both Clarke and Titus acknowledge each of them before stepping up to the throne and standing on either side of it, while Lincoln stands in the corner keeping a watchful eye. A moment later Lexa enters, with Gustus right behind her. All twelve Ambassadors stand from their seats and bow their heads to the Commander as she passes. As she reaches her throne, Gustus joins Lincoln, and a pair of large double doors is closed shut. Lexa turns around to address the Ambassadors. "Hail Ambassadors of the twelve clans."

"Hail Commander of the blood." Everyone repeats. Once Lexa is seated, the Ambassadors follow.

"I'm sure you all must be wondering why I called this meeting, so I'll get straight to the point." Lexa turns to Clarke, silently asking if she's ready. Clarke nods her head yes. Lexa stands and they both step down from the throne. "Three years ago, Wanhedafell from the sky. Much wasn't known about her at the time and many of those questions went unanswered due to war with the mountain. And when Clarke slayed the mountain, we accepted her as our own without question." Lexa pauses for a moment before continuing. "I believe it is time now that you all received those answers." The Ambassadors begin to murmur among themselves. Lexa takes a step back from Clarke, letting her know the floor is hers.

"I believe the most asked question at the time was how I came to be a Nightblood. The answer is both simple and complicated. I was born a Nightblood, the first in fifty years. The very first Nightbloods were two of my relatives, I believe you all are familiar with one of them." Clarke begins.

"And which of your relatives would that be?" The Rock Line Ambassador asks.

"Becca Pramheda." Clarke answers. The Ambassadors are taken back by this information, they begin talking among themselves until a booming voice quiets them.

"Lies!" Titus yells. "Becca had no children which means she had no descendants!" Clarke turns to address Titus.

"I never said she did Titus. But just because she didn't have children of her own doesn't mean she didn't have relatives. Tell me something Flamekeeper, did you ever see the object I came in when I arrived here?" Titus does not speak, and that's enough of an answer for Clarke. "Because if you had you would see it is very similar to the object stored in the temple." Clarke turns back around to address the Ambassadors. "Becca had a sister and together they not only created Nightblood, but two Flames." The Ambassadors gasp at this information. "The first Flame went to Becca, the second to her sister Bella."

"So, your saying Becca was from the sky, like you?" The Rock Line Ambassador questions. Clarke nods her head yes. "Then why is there no mention of her sister in our history?"

"Because back then things weren't just hard on the ground, they were hard up there to." Clarke gestures towards the sky. "The plan was Becca would come on the ground and help the people here, while Bella helped the people of the sky. They were meant to reunite once Becca created the first Nightbloods, but she died shortly after so that reunion never came to pass, and Bella remained in the sky and continued to lead her people." Clarke answers.

"If there are two Flames, does that mean you have the second?" The Ice Nation Ambassador asks, Clarke nods her head yes.

"This is sacrilege!" Titus yells then turns to Lexa. "You can't possible believe thisHeda."

"I admit, I didn't at first, but then BeccaPramheda'sspirit came to me and told me the exact same thing." Titus has a surprised expression on his face. Lexa then addresses the Ambassadors. "What Clarke speaks is true. She is the descendant of Becca, she is the current holder of the second Flame, and she is Commander to the sky people."

"This cannot be. You must kill this false CommanderHeda. Take her power and be done with this outsider." Titus practically begs.

Lexa turns to Titus, a snarl on her lips, but before she can say anything a guard enters the throne room out of breath. "Forgive the intrusionHeda." He says as he kneels before Lexa. "But there is something outside you should see." She turns to Gustus and Lincoln and gestures over to the balcony.

They both run out to the balcony to see what is happening outside. The moment they reach the balcony they see a drop ship falling from the sky. It's descending quickly and is surrounded by flames. And then a parachute releases slowing down its descent, the flames begin to disappear and a minute later it lands. Gustus looks on in shock, while Lincoln returns to the throne room to inform the Commander. "It's a sky ship. It looks like it landed on Trikru territory." He reports.

Clarke's eyes widen in surprise. Of course, she knew they would eventually come, but their arrival now feels too soon. Lexa calls out to her, but she doesn't hear her call. A moment later she stands in front of Clarke, she tries to hide her concern because there are people around her, but Clarke can see it. She snaps herself out of it and turns to Titus. "You may want to hold off on killing me Titus, with the arrival of the sky people you're going to need me." Titus has a look of anger on his face. Lexa steps around Clarke and addresses the Ambassadors.

"Let us end this meeting for now. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow." Lexa states.

"What of the sky people?" The Boat Clan Ambassador asks.

"Until we know more information it is pointless to discuss them at this time. So, we will wait until Indra sends over a report." The Ambassadors bow and leave the throne room one by one, with Azgeda being the last to leave the room.

"Heda." Titus calls.

"The meeting is over Titus, save your words for tomorrow." Lexa commands sharply. He bows his head and exits the throne room.

"What do we do about the sky people? Since they landed in Trikruterritory Indra will not attack them knowing they are Clarke's people, but if they stumble upon a village, she will have no choice. They will be considered trespassers." Gustus asks as he joins Clarke, Lexa, and Lincoln.

"I would go to them myself before that could happen, but I need to stay here until this situation is resolved." Clarke says slightly stressed.

"Then perhaps we send someone in your place." Lexa suggests, and Clarke immediately knows who to send. She turns over to Lincoln.

"I need you to go to them on my behalf." Lincoln is about to open his mouth to protest, but Clarke continues on. "You have knowledge of my people, you've heard all my stories, seen my sketches, you have spent the most time with me. I need you to keep whoever landed safe and out of trouble." Clarke explains.

"You need me here. You heard Titus, he wants you dead, and he might not be the only one." Lincoln retorts.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Clarke on this one. In order to ensure peace, we must make sure the sky people do not cause trouble. You are the only other person besides Clarke that can ensure that." Lexa agrees with Clarke.

"Commander..."

"I will protect Clarke." Gustus volunteers. "No harm will come to her under my watch I promise you."

"Take my sketch book with you, who knows maybe you'll run into an old friend." Lincoln doesn't say anything, still not happy about being sent away. Clarke takes a step towards him and hugs him. "Once this is done, I will join you. But until then I need you to do this for me. Please." Clarke pleads.

Instead of saying anything, Lincoln returns the hug. They stay wrapped in each other's arms for a moment before Lincoln pulls away to prepare for his journey.

MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF POLIS

The door to the drop ship that has just landed hisses open. On the other side of it is a large group of teenagers. They look around at their surroundings, jaws dropped in awe. One of the teens, a young girl, slowly makes her way off the drop ship. Once her feet touch the ground, she raises her head enjoying the feel of the sun on her face. She then breaks into a wide smile and raises her hands over her head. "We're back bitches!" She yells, and all the teens behind her cheer and rush out of the drop ship.

Chapter 10: RADIOACTIVE

Chapter Text

THREE YEARS AGO

THE ARK

“Dad it's been three months, why can't I see Clarke?” Wells asks his father, Chancellor Jaha, for the hundredth time.

“You know why Wells. She's in solitary, that means no visitors.” Jaha replies.

“I'm pretty sure her mother's been visiting her.” Jaha gives his son a pointed look. "Can you at least tell me what's going on with her? Please, she's my best friend." Wells pleads with his father.

“I know son, I know.” Jaha says more calmly. "Look, the truth is nothing's been decided yet. She committed a very serious crime, but she's also a very important figure on the Ark.

“I can't discuss council business with you son you know that. The only thing you need to know is she's healthy and she's safe. Now I have to go, I'm late for a council meeting. I'll see you at dinner.

Jaha exits their quarters, Wells let’s out a heavy sigh and plumps himself on the couch, running his hands over his face. It had been three months since Clarke had been arrested, the council had managed to keep her arrest a secret, but people are starting to ask questions. Especially the former Chancellor, Diana Sydney, who was Clarke's mentor. He needed to figure out what was going on, he just didn't know how. If only he could listen in on a council meeting, maybe then he would get the answers he needed.

That’s when Wells gets an idea. When they were kids, he and Clarke would sneak into the ventilation system and listen in on the council meetings. They got caught of course, so they hadn’t done it since, but now…Clarke needed him. He was going to do whatever it takes to figure out the truth and help his friend.

The council room wasn’t too far from the quarter’s he shared with his dad. He opened up the vent in his living room and inspected it. He wasn’t a kid anymore, so it would be a tight fit, but he would manage. He crawls through the tight space and keeps crawling until he reaches the ventilation system that leds into the council room. They had already started their meeting, but from the sounds of it, he hadn’t missed much. “You can’t just float Clarke Kane.” He hears one of the council members say. “First off she isn’t eighteen yet, and even if she was, she’s not like the other criminals we have locked away.”

“I agree. She’s the future Chancellor. If you float her the people will rise against us.” Another council member speaks.

“She committed treason! If we let her go she'll just find a way to tell everyone on the Ark about the life support failure! We need to silence her, and the only way to do that is to float her!” Kane yells.

“That's my daughter you're talking about!” Abby yells back. “You already took my husband from me; I will not allow you to take Clarke as well.” Wells hears Abby speak. He then hears her take a deep breath before speaking again. “Sinclair confirmed my husband’s suspicions, life support on the Ark is failing, and there is nothing we can do to fix it. Now I will admit my daughter acted rashly, but she was only doing what she believed was right for our people.” Kane scuffs at this. “So, we can either waste our time discussing my daughter’s fate, or we can put our time into finding a solution to this problem.” There is a moment of silence before Abby speaks again. “The Earth isn’t going to be survivable for another hundred years, we need to come up with a solution and we need to do so now before the air runs out.”

"Abby's right, let's take a fifteen-minute break, allow ourselves to cool off and then we'll resume the meeting. Wells watches as all the council members, except Kane, exit the council room. He slams his fist down on the table in anger. A moment later Kane is joined by Commander Shumway. "Report?"

"Same as the last few times you asked sir. Besides drawing on the walls of her cell, she's been an ideal prisoner." Kane scuffs at this. "Have you decided what to do about her. People are starting to get anxious and ask questions. I don't think we'll be able to keep this a secret much longer." Shumway reports.

"The council is still undecided, and Griffin just distracted them from focusing on her daughter completely by bringing up the life support system. If I wasn't so furious, I'd be impressed." Kane says angrily.

"Perhaps the time for talk is over? Maybe it's time for action instead?" Shumway suggests.

"Perhaps." Kane paces back and forth in thought for a moment before coming up with a solution. "Losing her father must have been painful for Clarke, maybe too painful." Commander Shumway nods in understanding, he turns to exit the council room. "Make sure no one sees you go in or out of her cell." Shumway continues on.

Wells feels panic begin to take over him, but he shakes it off. He needed to get to Clarke, now. As quietly as he can he crawls away from the council ventilation and makes his way over to the prison station. He thinks for a very brief momen that he should have just snuck in to see Clarke. It takes him longer to get there, but when he does, he arrives just in time. From what he can see he's in the break room. Commander Shumay has just entered and told the guards present there's rumors of a possible riot happening in general population.

He sees the guards shuffle around for a moment before exiting the break room. The first thing he notices is one of the guards has forgotten their baton. He grabs it and leaves the break room in search of Shumay. He spots him right away and follows him, ensuring to keep a good distance between them so he doesn't get caught. A few moments later Commander Shumay enters what Wells believes is Clarke's cell. "Has the council already come up with a sentence?" He hears Clarke asks. His steps nearly falter at the sound of her voice.

Wells finally enters Clarke's cell just when Commander Shumay raises his baton. Using the one he took from the break room;he hits him over the head. Wells sees Clarke crawl away from Shumay, confusion and shock clearly written over her face. She then looks up at Wells and locks eyes with him. He walks around Shumay's unconscious form and approaches Clarke with his hand extended. "We need to gonow." Clarke takes his and allows him to help her up.

They then exit the cell and quickly make their way out of the prison sector. Luckily for them all the guards are over at gen pop. But Clarke doesn't know that and she's looking to Wells for answers, and though he can feel her gaze on him he ignores it. He needs to figure out what he's going to do next. He hadn't thought past saving Clarke's life and getting her out of the prison station. He needed to get her someplace safe, somewhere no one could get to her. And that's when he thinks of Polaris Station, the Griffin's family-owned space station. They had their own lab, family quarters, and drop ship. A plan was beginning to form in his mind, and when they finally arrived, he knew exactly what he was going to do. "Wells what the hell is going on? Why are we here? Why was that guard trying to kill me, and where were the rest of the guards for that matter?" Clarke fires off.

"I'll explain everything I promise, but we need to get inside." Wells says anxiously.

Despite the numerous questions, Clarke does what Wells says. He's internally grateful she still trusts him. Once Clarke gets the sliding doors open, he practically pushes her inside and locks the door behind them. He then starts to look around Becca's old lab. What he was looking for was somewhere in here, and if Clarke was going to survive, she was going to need it. "WELLS!" Clarke yells at him. He guesses she might have been calling his name for a while now. "Please tell me what's going on." Clarke begs.

Wells quickly explains how he had been trying desperately to get his father to tell him what was going on. He then tells her how crawled through the ventilation system to listen in on the council meeting. He told her how they were still debating her fate, and then moved on to the life support system failure. "After a while they finally ended the meeting, but Marcus Kane stayed behind. He sent that guard to kill you." He goes on to tell her why the guards weren't present, and then she asks him the million-dollar question.

"So, what's the plan?"

"This space station has its own drop ship." Clarke looks at Wells with shock written on her face. "I'm gonna send you to Earth, you'll be safe there." Wells says, then he continues to look around the lab. It takes him a little bit, but eventually he finds the stainless-steel case he's been looking for. Inside this case was the Flame, it was said that the host could speak with previous Chancellor's, and when that host died, their consciousness would get uploaded into the Flame. If that were true, maybe Clarke's family could help her survive Earth. "Wells, you need to put that back where you found it and rethink this plan of yours. How the hell am I supposed to survive on Earth on my own?" Clarke asks.

"You're a Nightblood, just like Becca, Bella, and Johnathan. You'll be able to survive the Earth's radiation, if there's any left." Wells answers nonchalantly.

"First of all, we don't know for sure if my blood will allow me to survive the radiation. Second, even if it did, that's not what I meant." Clarke states.

It's then he notices the fear and worry in her eyes. She's not sure she'll be able to survive on the ground on her own. If he had more time, he would pack up some supplies to help her out. But he knows their running out of time, it won't be long now before the alarms are sounded. "That's why you'll need this." Wells gestures towards the case. "Your family can help you."

"I don't know Wells; it's been fifty years; the Flame may not even work anymore." Clarke says, then suddenly an alarm blares throughout the ship.

"They know you've escaped, Clarke you have to do this. It's the only way to ensure your survival." Wells says desperately.

As the alarm continues to sound, he sees the moment Clarke realizes he's right. She approaches the case and lifts up a cap that's attached to it. Inside is a small needle, she places her thumb over it and presses down. Above the cap there is a reader, it makes a beeping noise then turns green, causing the case to unlock itself. Inside there are five leather journals, and a rectangular tin box. Wells opens the box to reveal a scalpel and an AI chip, he takes out the scalpel and looks up at Clarke. "You ready?" Instead of answering, Clarke turns around and lifts her hair above her head. Wells makes an incision down her neck and puts the scalpel down. He then picks up the chip and holds it over the incision, he's confused when nothing happens, but then Clarke speaks up."Venerunt superterram." (Come over the horizon.) Suddenly the chip begins to glow, and small tentacles come out of the bottom of the chip. Then, as if sensing Clarke it attaches itself to her.

Clarke yells out in pain as the Flame implants itself in her. "What's wrong? What's happening?" Wells questions. No one had ever mentioned anything about this being a painful process. Clarke falls on her knees and Wells kneels beside her. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her towards his chest in an attempt to comfort her. Once inside Clarke, she stops screaming and goes limp in his arms. "Clarke?" Wells calls, but she does not respond. He then hears the sound of the guards approaching and realizes he's out of time. He places Clarke over his shoulders and lifts her up. He closes the case and heads towards the drop ship. Once inside he sets it down and straps Clarke into the seat. Once she is secure, he exits the ship, closes the door, then launches it into space. "May we meet again." He says, then he feels hands on him and realizes the guards managed to get unlock the door. He then sees Clarke's mother, Abby, approaching him. She looks out where the drop ship use to be, then turns back to Wells, looking at him with an angry expression.

"What did you do?"

THREE YEARS LATER

PRISON STATION

Wells is laying down in his prison cell reading a book. He flips the page of his book to continue reading, when the door to his cell is unlocked and a guard enters. "Prisoner three-one-nine, face the wall. He looks up at the male guard confused but complies non the less. He bookmarks his page and stands from his bed to face the wall. "Hands behind your back." He looks over his shoulder, still confused, but does what the guard says. He feels a pair of handcuffs placed around his wrist. Afterwards he hears the guard take a few steps back.What the hell is going on?

"Give us a moment." At the sound of Abby's voice, Wells turns around. The guard has just left the room, leaving him alone with Clarke's mother.

"Are you here to escort me to my death?" Wells asks.

"You're not being executed. You're being sent to the ground, all one hundred of you." Abby answers.

"Is it survivable now?" Wells questions.

"That's what you're all about to find out." Abby approaches Wells with a metal cuff in hand. "These wristbands will monitor your vitals." Wells turns around so that Abby can place the band on his wrist, he feels a stinging pain at first, but it quickly passes. "Your father is in the docking area, he's probably going to tell you that the drop ship is going to land near Mount Weather, but I've changed the coordinates." Abby pulls out a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. "Instead, it's going to take you near the area Clarke's drop ship landed." Wells looks at Abby surprised. "You sent my daughter to Earth, now it's your responsibility to find her." Abby places the folded map inside Well' jacket pocket. "Guard." Abby calls.

The guard comes back in and takes Wells. Once outside his cell he sees that all the other juvenile offenders are being taken out of their cells as well, and having wristbands attached to them. They get escorted to B Dock, where he not only sees a large drop ship, but his father overseeing everything. Before entering the drop ship, himself Jaha speaks to him. He tells Wells they have yet to fix the life support system, which is why the delinquents are being sent to Earth, to determine whether or not its survivable for everyone else. And just like Abby said, he tells Wells that they will land near Mount Weather, where they can find supplies. Jaha then motions the guard to remove the handcuffs and he hugs his son goodbye. "May we meet again." He tells Wells before he is escorted on to the drop ship.

Once all the delinquents are secured on the drop ship the door begins to close, but before the door shuts completely a gunshot is heard, which is then followed by a loud thud. Shortly after he feels the drop ship launch, afterward a video message appears on the monitors surrounding them. "Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now." Audible boos are heard throughout the drop ship. "You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable.

"Your dad is a dick, Wells." A male delinquent says, but Wells ignores it.

"Those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean. The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years." Suddenly one of the male delinquents is seen floating around the drop ship.

"Finn get your ass back here!" One of the female delinquents shouts.

"Aw, come on Raven, you know you want in on this too." Finn retorts.

"Go Finn."

Wells view is suddenly obstructed by Finn, who is floating right in front of him. "Check it out. Your dad floated me after all." Finn says jokingly.

"You should strap in before the parachutes deploy." Wells retorts. He then turns and sees two other delinquents unstrapping themselves from their seats. "Stay in your seats you two!"

"I'd listen to him guys. It's not gonna be much fun when we enter the atmosphere, now get your asses back in your seats before..." Before Raven can finish, the drop ship enters Earth's atmosphere, and Finn along with the two others that got out of their seats are flown across the ship. It begins to descend at a rapid rate. The ship begins to shake violently, causing the teens to panic. A few moments later the retrorockets fire up, and the parachutes deploy. The drop ship's descent begins to slow down before it lands with a hard thud.

"Listen." One of the teens speaks up. "No machine hum."

"Whoa. That's a first." The teen next to him comments.

The teens begin to unbuckle their straps. The moment Wells is out of his chair he goes over to where Finn fell, he sees him crouched over one of the boys that was floating along with him. The moment he hears Wells approach him he looks up at him with a sad expression on his face. "He's not breathing." His girlfriend, Raven kneels beside him and pulls him into a comforting embrace, whispering reassurances to him. Wells looks over at the other teen and notices he's not breathing either.

"Octavia!" Someone on the lower level calls.

"Bellamy?" Octavia asks confused. She quickly descends to the lower level of the drop ship along with everyone else. "Bellamy!"

"Octavia." Bellamy calls out, sounding relieved at the sound of his sister's voice.

Octavia spots Bellamy by the drop ship door, she shoves the other teens out of her way and rushes into his arms. A moment later he pulls away from the hug to get a better look at his sister. "My God, look how big you are." Bellamy comments. Octavia is about to respond back with a sarcastic remark when she notices the guard uniform he's wearing.

"What the hell are you wearing, a guard's uniform?" She asks angrily.

"I borrowed it to get to on the drop ship. Someone has to keep on eye on you." He says as he puts a hand on her shoulder.

Wells notices Bellamy has no wristband and tilts his head in confusion. "Where's your wristband?" He asks. Octavia turns around, giving him an annoyed look.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." She states.

"No one has a brother."

"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden in the floor."

Letting her anger get the best of her, she attempts to charge after the teens. Ever since her arrest a year ago, Octavia has been known as the 'girl under the floor' and she hates it. However, her brother holds her back from the teens to prevent her from getting into a fight and getting hurt. "Octavia, Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by." Bellamy suggests.

"Yeah? Like What?" Octavia questions.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years." This seems to calm his sister down and he walks over to the lever.

"Stop. The air could be toxic." Wells states.

"If the air is toxic we're all dead anyway." Bellamy retorts back.

He turns to his sister to see if she's ready. She nods her head yes and he pulls the lever down. The door hisses open. Everyone looks around at their surroundings, jaws dropped in awe. Octavia slowly makes her way off the drop ship. Once her feet touch the ground, she raises her head enjoying the feel of the sun on her face. She then breaks into a wide smile and raises her hands over her head. "We're back bitches!" She yells, and all the teens behind her cheer and rush out of the drop ship.

Wells is one of the last to step off the ship. He takes the map Abby gave him out of his jacket pocket and unfolds it. The first thing he sees is a large red circle. He figures that must be the general area Clarke's drop ship landed. He looks around at his surroundings and then looks back down on the map to get a sense of where he's at before taking off. As he walks away from the group, he doesn't notice Finn and Raven eyeing him suspiciously. They both silently agree to follow him to see what he's up to. Octavia notices the three of them taking off, figuring their going out to explore, she decides to join them when her brother holds her back. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Bellamy asks.

"Going for a walk." Octavia replies.

"Look, O. I came down here to protect you." Bellamy tells his sister.

"I don't need protecting. I have been locked up one way or another all my life. I am done following orders. I need to have fun, Bell. I need to just do something crazy just because I can." Octavia states.

"I can't stay with them, O." Bellamy says.

"Now what are you talking about?" Octavia asks.

"I did something ok, to get on the drop ship, something they will kill me for when they come down..." Bellamy begins to explain.

"That's all the more reason to go exploring with them." Octavia interrupts Bellamy. "Look, I don't think the Ark is coming down anytime soon, but when it does we'll see it coming. I can look for a place to hide out when that time comes." Octavia says in an attempt to convince her brother to let her go.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you. We don't know if we can trust these people, and besides of the two of us I'm the only one who actually read survival books." Bellamy compromises.

"Good, then you finally put that knowledge to good use." Octavia points to his head, then turns around to catch up with the three that just left. Bellamy can't help the smile that forms on his face as he follows after his sister.

Meanwhile, Wells continues to follow the map towards Clarke's drop ship. But he finds himself having to stop every few steps because what is shown on the map isn't always what he sees when he looks up. He's so focused on what's in front of him, he doesn't hear Finn sneak up from behind and snatch the map from his hands. "Where ya headed Chancellor?" Wells is momentarily taken by surprise, before he shakes it off and attempts to get the map back from Finn.

"He's probably on his way to Mount Weather to get first dibs on all the good supplies." Raven says while shaking her head.

"How typical of the privileged." Bellamy adds.

"Did you all follow me?" Wells questions.

"We followed you, I'm not sure about those two." Finn gestures over to the Blake siblings.

"I thought you all left the group to explore, I didn't know you were doing the Chancellor's bidding, otherwise we wouldn't have come." Octavia says as she crosses her arms over her chest, a look of disappointment on her face.

"I'm not going to Mount Weather." Raven quirks her eyebrow at him in disbelief. "Look, there are things on that map that are missing, but I'm pretty sure that peak over there." Wells points at the mountain peak behind Finn and Raven. "Is Mount Weather." Bellamy, Finn, Raven, and Octavia look where Wells is pointing at.

Raven takes the map and studies it closely. She looks at where they are on the map, and then where Mount Weather is suppose to me. When she realizes Wells is telling the truth she starts shaking her head in frustration. "What is it Raven?" Finn asks concerned.

"They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain." Raven answers angrily.

"So what?" Octavia questions.

"We need to get to Mount Weather, not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? All we've ever known is the Ark, the only thing we know about Earth is what we read in books. Just because there doesn't seem to be any radiation in the air doesn't mean there's isn't any in the water or anywhere else." Raven answers in a frustrated tone.

"You guys can do whatever you want, just give me the map back." Wells states.

"Wait a minute. If you weren't headed to Mount Weather, then where you going?" Bellamy asks suspiciously, and Wells gets quiet. Raven looks down at the map again and sees a red circle drawn on the other side of Mount Weather.

"What's here?" Raven points at the red circle, but Wells doesn't answer. "Tell me what's here or I rip this map to shreds and let the wind scatter the pieces of the map everywhere." She threatens.

"Another drop ship." Wells finally answers. The four teens look at each other briefly wondering how that can be possible, when Finn's face lights up in realization.

"The traitor's drop ship!" Finn says excited, but no one seems to know what he's talking about. "That's why Chancellor over there got arrested. He helped a convicted traitor escape to Earth." Bellamy and Octavia turn to each other, wondering if the other knows what he's talking about.

"Clarke wasn't a traitor. She was arrested for trying to do the right thing, and then nearly got killed because of it." Wells says in defense of his friend, and the teens grow quiet for a moment before Raven has a realization of her own.

"Clarke, as in Clarke Griffin? The princess?" Raven asks.

"She doesn't like it when people call her that, but yeah she's the one." Wells replies honestly.

"What did she do that got her arrested and nearly killed?" Octavia asks.

Wells lets out a heavy sigh before explaining the life support failure on the Ark, how Clarke found out and wanted to get a message out to the people of the Ark, but was arrested alongside her father before she could get her message out. He then goes on to tell them about the plot to kill Clarke, how he rushed to rescue her from her would be assassin, and then putting her in a drop ship and sending her to Earth so that she could live. "Shortly after I launched the drop ship I was arrested and taken in for questioning. I kept my mouth shut because I knew it would be my word against Kane's. They charged me with aiding a criminal escape and locked me up in solitary for the next three years. When the guards released us from our cells to take us to the drop ship, Clarke's mom gave me the map. She told me she changed the coordinates on the drop ship, instead of landing on Mount Weather, we would be landing near her daughter's drop ship." Wells explains.

"Well that was selfish of her. I mean I totally get it, she wants to know if her daughter is still alive after your dumbass sent her here, but she kinda screwed the rest of us over in the process." Raven states.

She's right. Wells thinks to himself. If the hundred are to survive long enough for the Ark to arrive, they were going to need the supplies from the bunker Well's father told them about. "You're right. Keep the map, you all need it more than I do. But you should probably leave for Mount Weather now, it'll take you at least a day to get there." Wells says as he walks away.

"But don't you need it to find your friend?" Finn asks.

"I have an idea of where I'm going." Wells answers back.

As he watches Wells walk away, Finn can't help but feel bad. When he and Raven noticed Wells was the only one with a map. They figured his father had given it to him so he could horde all the good supplies for himself, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. Even though they needed the supplies to survive, all he seemed to care about was finding his friend, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Finn kinda admired that about him. If the roles had been reversed, his focus would definitely be on saving Raven too. "Come on Finn let's go." He hears his girlfriend call, he turns around and sees Raven getting ready to head to the bunker with the other two delinquents.

"I'm gonna go with Wells." Raven looks at her boyfriend with a shocked expression.

"Are you serious? Why?" Raven questions.

"To help him find his friend." Finn answers, and Raven scoffs at him. "I kinda feel bad about misjudging him, besides none of us should be wondering around here alone." Raven crosses her arms over her chest and gives him a look of disbelief. "It could be fun." Finn tries to reason, but all he gets is a pointed stare from his girlfriend. "Look, this is our first day on the ground, do you really want to spend it doing what the Chancellor told us to do?" At his statement Raven seems to consider Finn's words.

"Fine, but we're going to Mount Weather first thing tomorrow morning." Raven reasons.

"Deal." Finn agrees.

Raven hands over the map to the Blake siblings. "Here in case you still want to go. I'm going to follow my idiot boyfriend to help the other idiot find his friend. You're more than welcome to tag along if you want." Bellamy takes the map and nods in thanks. He turns to his sister and notices a pleading look in her eyes. She gestures over to the others and he lets out an annoyed sigh. He wants to find this bunker, get as much supplies as they can carry, and find someplace the council wouldn't be able to find them. But clearly his sister has other plans. He's about to tell her no, when her words from earlier echo in his head. 'I have been locked up one way or another all my life. I am done following orders. I need to have fun, Bell. I need to just do something crazy just because I can.'

"Alright we'll go with them, just promise me we'll go find the bunker tomorrow. If we're going to go off on our own we're going to need supplies to hold us over until we get the hang of this place." Bellamy compromises.

"I promise, now let's go." Octavia grabs his hand and drags him towards the others.

Shortly after leaving the others behind, Wells stops and turns at the sound of footsteps behind him. He's surprised to find the other are still following him. At his surprised expression, Finn merely shrugs repeating his earlier statement to Raven about not wondering alone. Wells nods in thanks and continues on. While in search of Clarke's drop ship, the small group of teens talk and get to know each other.

They start by telling each other how they ended up in lockup, or as the juveniles like to call it, the sky box. A few days after her eighteenth birthday, Finn had found a way for Raven to have a spacewalk. She wanted to be a Zero-G Mechanic since she was a kid. Even managed to get a perfect score on the written exam, unfortunately she failed the physical due to a heart murmur. She had been incredibly sad, especially since it was her birthday. Wanting his girlfriend to spacewalk at least once, he 'borrowed' a spacesuit from the Maintenance Bay, and Raven had her spacewalk. However, they hadn't followed proper procedure, resulting in the Ark losing three months worth of oxygen. They were both caught and charged for the illegal spacewalk. Because Raven was eighteen she had nearly been floated, but her sentence had been put on hold presumably due to the fact that the council was about to send the teens down to Earth.

As for Octavia, she was an illegal second child. Due to the increasing population on the Ark couples were limited to only one child. Aurora managed to keep Octavia hidden for sixteen years. Octavia had to be kept hidden in their quarters, never venturing out. Aurora had also been sleeping with an Ark Guard to find out about surprise inspections. During these inspections, Octavia was forced to hide under the floorboards and wait quietly until they were done. A year before being sent to the ground, Bellamy had become an Ark Guard Cadet and was able to get guard duty during a Unity Day masquerade party. He snuck Octavia out of their room for the first time in her life so she could attend, but the party was disrupted by a solar flare alert, requiring everyone to show ID. With no ID, and no idea how to get back to their quarters she had been caught. She was immediately arrested, their mother floated, and Bellamy had become a janitor. "Damn that sucks. You manage to get out of your quarters for the first time, only to get caught not long after." Raven comments.

"It was both the best and worst day of my life." Octavia says.

"How did you find out about us coming to Earth if you got demoted to a janitor?" Finn asks Bellamy.

"I still had some friends that were in the guard. They knew my sister was in lock up, so they gave me the heads up. Took a guard uniform as soon as I got the chance and snuck on to the drop ship." Bellamy lies, but everyone seems to believe him. Everyone but his sister, she can see he's not being completely honest, but she doesn't question it. Bellamy's her older brother after all and she trusts him.

"Hey guys check it out." Wells calls over his shoulder.

The others stop talking and join Wells. They look ahead and see a water source, the same water source Clarke discovered three years back. "Water." Raven says in amazement.

"You think it's safe to drink? Cause I'm starting to get thirsty just looking at it." Octavia comments.

"Only one way to find out." Bellamy says before walking forward. He takes a knee and takes a closer look at the water. "It's clear...and I think I see some fish swimming around." Bellamy gathers some water in his hands and takes a sip.

"Well?" Octavia questions.

"Way better than recycled water." Bellamy says with a smile.

He removes his jacket and shoes, and strips down to his boxers. Raven openly checks him out, Finn notices and elbows her ribs. She simply shrugs at him and continues to check out Bellamy. He jumps in the water but doesn't come up right away. Octavia calls out to her brother, worry in her voice. She's about to call him a second time when he rises up from the water with a fish in hand. "None of the fish look mutated or anything. I think the water's safe." Bellamy drops the fish back into the water and waves everyone over. "Come on in guys." Not needing to be told twice, Octavia strips down leaving her tank top and underwear on. She jumps in the water and when she comes back up, she has a wide smile on her face.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Octavia questions.

Finn and Raven begin to strip down while Wells remains still, looking at the path ahead of him. Finn notices this and approaches him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look man, I know you want to find your friend, but I don't think she'd want you to dehydrate yourself looking for her."

"Wells, take off your damn clothes and get in the water with us!" Raven shouts.

"You heard the lady." Finn says as he turns around and jumps in the water.

Deciding Finn has a point, Wells folds the map and places it back in his jacket pocket. He strips down to his boxers and joins the others in the water. They all cheer for him once he's in the water. Bellamy and Octavia lay on their backs and begin to float, while Finn and Raven splash each. Wells takes a deep breath in and submerges himself in the water. He sees the fish at the bottom and can't help the smile that forms on his face. When he resurfaces, he sees Bellamy standing in front of him. "You really think your friend is still alive? It's been three years. That's a long time to be on your own." Bellamy comments.

"You don't know Clarke the way I do. She's a fighter, if anyone can survive on their own it's her." Wells answers.

"I gotta be honest with you. I don't like any of you privileged, but I have to admit." Bellamy turns to face his sister, who's still floating on her back. "What you did for her, it was pretty gutsy."

"Can I ask you something?" Bellamy simply nods his head yes. "Before the drop ship launched, I heard a gunshot." Bellamy physically tenses at this. "Did you happen to see anything before you snuck on to the ship."

"Nope." Bellamy answers before walking towards his sister.

Wells watches as Bellamy walks away. He has a feeling Bellamy is keeping something from all of them, and he plans to figure out what that is. But first, he needs to find out what happened to Clarke. The group spends another fifteen minutes in the water before getting out and continuing on. They walk another a mile or two when they come across Clarke's drop ship. Wells stops dead in his tracks. The ship is covered in moss and vines, he rushes towards it and enters inside. "Of course, the princess gets the nicer looking drop ship." Octavia comments.

"Oh, it doesn't end there. Her great grandmother, the first Chancellor, had bought and owned her own space station before the world ended. To this day, princess and her family still have that space station all to themselves." Raven explains.

"Must be nice." Bellamy says sarcastically.

"You guys find anything?" Wells asks as he steps out of the ship.

"Your friend was definitely here." Finn answers. He's kneeled over her old campsite, and he has the backpack she found in his hands. "But it doesn't look like she's been here in a while." Wells rushes over to Finn's side and he takes the bag. He unzips it and pours out the contents of it. Bellamy, Octavia, and Raven join them, and each pick up an item from the bag.

"Flashlight, medical supplies, a survival kit. Why would she leave this stuff behind?" Bellamy asks.

"I'm gonna keep looking around, see if I can find anything else." Finn says.

"I wonder where she found all this." Octavia comments.

Where are you Clarke? Wells asks himself. Clarke was definitely here, so where was she now? He hadn't found anything in her drop ship, not even the case he left for her. He had spotted dry blood on the floor of the ship, but it was only small droplets, most likely from the incision he made on her neck. He goes over in his head all the things that could have happened to Clarke, but none of them are good. "I just did a sweep of the area; I didn't find anything else." Finn says out of breath.

"That's a good thing, right?" Raven questions.

"I'm honestly not sure. She had a firepit, shelter, and supplies. Assuming she's still alive I have no idea why she would leave any of this behind." Finn answers.

Wells can feel himself start to panic. If something happened to his best friend, he'd never forgive himself. He thought sending her to Earth was the best way to keep her safe, but as he looks down at her abandoned campsite, he begins to doubt his decision. Maybe I should have just taken her to my father. He might have still gotten in trouble, but between the two of them maybe it would have been enough to arrest Kane and float him. Perhaps then Clarke would have been pardoned and safe on the ship. Kane had been the only keeping Clarke from being pardoned.

"We should take this stuff back with us. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Might come in handy in the future." Raven suggests.

She opens the bag up wider, and the Blake siblings place the items back in the backpack. The moment Raven zips the bag up the teens hear a low growl. "What was that?" Octavia asks. The teens slowly turn their heads and spot a panther staring right at them. It lets out a roar and they jump at the sound. "That's not good." Octavia comments, then looks over at her brother. "What do we do Bellamy?" She asks with fear in her voice.

"Don't run. If you run it'll charge after us." Bellamy answers.

"Are we just supposed to stand here and hope it goes away?" Raven questions.

"Take slow steady steps back." Bellamy instructs.

Bellamy, Finn, Raven, and Octavia take one step back and stop. While the panther is still staring at them with a predatory glance, it makes no move towards them, so they take another step back. Finn notices that Wells hasn't moved a muscle, he's just standing there. He calls to him quietly, but Wells doesn't respond. He calls him again, a little bit louder this time, but still gets no response. He then makes a move to grab him, but the moment he steps forward the panther charges towards them. It's mere inches from them when an arrow pierces through its skull, this seems to snap Wells back to reality. They look down at the dead panther, then look up to scan the woods. It's then a male figure steps out with a bow in hand. The teens look at him in shock, they can tell right away that he isn't a part of the hundred that was sent down to the ground, which leaves only one option. They were not alone. "Wells?" The male figure speaks, and Wells looks at the stranger with confusion in his eyes. "Wells Jaha?"

"How do you know my name?" Wells finally speaks up. The grounder simply smiles at him.

"You're Clarke's best friend." The grounder states with a smile. Wells' eyes widen in surprise at the mention of his friend. The grounder relaxes his bow arm and approaches him. "My name is Artigas, I'm also a friend of Clarke's." Artigas introduces himself.

"Clarke's alive?" Wells questions, relief evident in his voice. "Is she here? Can you take me to her?"

"She is alive, but she's not here. Clarke lives in Polis now, our capital. But I'm sure she'll be here soon, there's no way she didn't see your ship land." Artigas answers.

"How long until she gets here?" Wells asks.

"It depends. If she comes with a large party it could take up to a week to get here, but if she doesn't she could be here in three to four days." Artigas answers.

"Then maybe you could help us in the meantime?" Raven reaches into Wells' jacket pocket and unfolds the map. "We have to go to Mount Weather for supplies, apparently it'll take an entire day to get there. Would you happen to know a faster route?" Raven asks while holding out the map for Artigas to see. But Artigas' good mood is soured by the mention of Mount Weather.

"I do know of Mount Weather, but I cannot take you, and it would be best if you did not go." Artigas states seriously.

"Why?" Finn asks.

"There are twelve clans here, each one occupies a territory. Mount Weather is in Azgeda territory. Of the twelve clans they are the most ruthless, if you go there they will kill you in the most brutal way possible." Artigas explains.

"I suddenly feel better about Councilor Griffin's selfishness." Raven comments.

"So, why haven't your people attacked us? I'm assuming the land we're in is your territory." Bellamy questions.

"Clarke told us one day her people would arrive. We've been expecting you for quite some time now." Artigas answers.

"If we can't get to Mount Weather, what will we do for supplies?" Octavia asks worried.

Octavia looks over at her brother. She knows he read books about survival, but clearly there were things about the ground that those books did not cover. Sensing her turmoil, Bellamy places his arm over her shoulder and pulls her to him. "My friend and I will help as much as we can, but we'll have to do so from the shadows. We were ordered not to reveal ourselves to you until Clarke arrived, but then I saw you were in trouble, and I heard him call out to you." Artigas gestures over to Finn and Wells. "If Clarke found out I let anything happen to you she'd have my head." Wells can't help but to chuckle at this.

"Sounds like Clarke. So, where's your friend?" Wells asks.

"At your campsite. We were sent to keep an eye on you and make sure you stayed away from our villages." Artigas answers.

"Would we not be welcomed?" Finn questions.

"Not without invitation. You may be Clarke's people, but you are still strangers. If you step foot into one of the villages, they will view you as invaders and attack you. As much as Clarke is respected around here, not even she can stop that from happening." Artigas replies.

"Ok, well stick close to the campsite until Clarke arrives." Wells says.

"Tomorrow, I will show you where you can get some food and water that's close to your camp. For now you should take that." Artigas points to the panther. "Back to your camp. Do you need me to show you how to properly prepare it?"

"I know how." Bellamy speaks up.

"Good, I will walk you back to your camp, but we must move quickly. It'll be dark soon and I don't think you'll fair well after dark." Artigas offers.

"Thank you." Raven says.

"You do not need to thank me. As I said, Clarke is a friend." Artigas says.

"Still, we appreciate it." Finn adds. Artigas nods in acknowledgment. He then turns around and starts to walk off. Bellamy heads over to the panther and places it over his shoulders.

DELINQUENT'S CAMPSITE

As the small group gets closer to the drop ship, Artigas informs them he must go back to his friend. He shows them a spot where they can meet him tomorrow morning and asks them not to tell anyone else about him or his people. The teens agree and bid him farewell. When they finally arrive at the campsite it's total chaos. Some of the teens are on the ground making out, others are running around without shirts on, and some are fighting over items that once belonged to the two dead boys. "I don't think we'll have to worry about keeping everyone close to the campsite." Octavia observes.

"That's because their too busy enjoying their freedom, the last thing on their mind right now is survival." Bellamy comments.

"Then we have to make sure no one starves. If we can ensure our own survival, then there won't be any reason for anyone to go to Mount Weather." Wells states.

"Agreed, good thing Artigas showed up when he did, otherwise this could have turned out differently." Finn comments, and they all nod in agreement.

Octavia notices some of the delinquents no longer have their wristbands, she scans the camp and sees a line of teens waiting to have their wristbands removed by one of the male delinquents. "Hey guys, it looks like their having their wristbands removed." Wells looks around and sees what Octavia is talking about.

"No, these wristbands monitor our vitals. If everyone starts taking them off the Ark will think the Earth's not survivable, they won't come down here." Wells says panicked.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." Bellamy says, and Wells turns to him, anger evident in his eyes.

"It is a bad thing. The Ark is dying, what do you think the council will do to conserve air if they think the ground isn't survivable?" Wells questions, a dark thought suddenly occurs to Raven, and she shakes her head in doubt.

"No, no way. There's no way they would do that." Raven comments.

"They already sent us down here because we were expendable. With us gone they bought themselves another month, but that isn't going to be enough." Wells explains.

"What are you guys talking about?" Finn asks.

"If the council deems the Earth as uninhabitable they may have to resort to killing several hundred people to conserve more air." Raven answers, and Finn's eyes widen in shock.

"I know you all have been wronged by the council, but that doesn't mean everyone on the Ark deserves to die. We have to convince everyone to leave their wristbands on." Wells pleads.

"Screw that." They look around to see who said that. They then see John Murphy approaching them with a group of his own behind him.

John had been arrested after setting fire to his father's arresting officer's quarters. Apparently, his father had been floated when he was a kid for stealing medicine. "What, you think you're in charge here? The Chancellor of Earth?" Murphy shakes his head at this. "We're not on the Ark anymore. We do what we want, when we want!" Murphy says loud enough for everyone to hear. The other delinquents cheer in agreement. "And we're not gonna let your father ruin that for us by coming down here. So, I suggest you get in line, otherwise you might find yourself floated." Murphy threatens. He then looks over at Bellamy and Raven noticing the bag and panther they have carried on their shoulders. "What's all this?" Murphy approaches Raven, but Finn steps in front of her and pushes him back.

"I found that bag, it's ours. As for the panther that's for everyone, if that's ok with you?" Finn states sternly.

"Fair enough." Murphy says before turning around and walking away from them.

"I'm gonna need to skin and gut this thing. Does that survival kit have a knife I can use?" Bellamy asks Raven.

"I'll check." Raven says as she unzips the bag.

"I'll gather some wood." Wells offers.

"I'll help." Finn offers as well, then turns to Raven. "Will you be, ok?"

"Yeah, you know I can take care of myself." Raven answers with a smile. Finn merely smiles back in response and pecks her lips before taking off with Wells to gather firewood.

"Stick close to me O, I don't trust that guy." Bellamy gestures over to Murphy, who's staring at them with a wicked grin.

"I was gonna help with the panther anyway. What about you Raven?" Octavia asks as she takes the knife from Raven.

"I'm going to take a look at the drop ship, see if there's a radio or something there. We can't let the council think Earth isn't habitable, if they do it'll be people like us they sacrifice." Raven answers, Octavia nods at this.

Raven then closes up the bag and heads to the drop ship. Octavia turns to her brother, who has a nervous look on his face. She places a hand on his arm causing him to look at her. "I know you don't like the idea of the Ark coming down here, but Raven's right. It'll be people like us, people like mom that they'll kill. We can't let them do that."

"Yeah, I know. When we meet up with Artigas tomorrow, I'm gonna ask him if there's someplace safe we can go when the Ark comes." Octavia nods in agreement. "And O, once Raven makes contact with the Ark you need to take that wristband off. I don't want them to use you as leverage when they get down here."

"I will, I promise. Now let's skin us a panther, I'm starving." Octavia says to lighten up the mood. Bellamy smiles at this and they head to the center of the camp.

Meanwhile inside the drop ship, the moment Raven walks in she sees two male delinquents messing with the radio. She charges towards them and pulls them by their collar away from the radio console, effectively scaring the living daylights out of them. They raise their hands in surrender and immediately start explaining themselves. "I wasn't trying to fix it I swear."

"Yeah, we were just messing it up that's all. Totally not fixing it."

Raven looks at them with raised eyebrow, clearly not believing their lie. Seeing they've been caught they drop their hands and sag their shoulders. "Ok, we were trying to fix. Just because Murphy doesn't have any family on the Ark doesn't mean the rest of us don't. Besides, something's clearly happening to the Ark. The ground wasn't supposed to be survivable for another hundred years, so why would they send us down here a century before it's supposed to be safe?"

"Preach. I'm Jasper by the way, this is my best friend, Monty." Jasper introduces. Raven looks over at Monty.

"Raven Reyes." Raven introduces herself, then she looks over the radio panel. "Well, the communication system is definitely dead. We're probably going to have to reconfigure it a bit and give it some juice, but we're going to have to work on this in secret. Murphy and his goon squad don't want the Ark coming down, there's no telling what length they'll go to, to make sure that happens."

"Wait, you want to help us?" Monty questions.

"I'm a mechanic I fix things, so yeah I'm gonna help." Raven answers as if it's obvious.

"We can use the upper level, no one's been up there since we landed. But it's pretty dark." Jasper suggests.

"Not a problem, I got a flashlight. Now let's get moving, we got a radio to work on, and I have story for you both." Raven instructs.

LATER THAT EVENING

With Jasper holding the flashlight for them, Monty and Raven have been working on getting the radio functional for some time now. Raven had decided right away that she liked the two boys. She had learned that they had grown up on Argo Station together, and even got arrested together. They had got caught stealing herbs when Monty forgot to replace them. Despite growing up on Argo station Jasper had exceeded in chemistry class, while Monty had been recruited for engineering. Raven has always preferred working by herself, but she had to admit her, and Monty made a pretty good team.

Their work gets interrupted when Finn finds them and tells them the food is ready. Having not eaten since they landed, they decided to stop working on the radio for now and continue tomorrow. By the time they reach the camp everyone is gathered by a large fire pit, each getting a piece of meat. Everyone but Wells, he's standing further away from everyone else looking out into the woods. When Finn approaches her with food in hand, she takes both their portions and approaches Wells. Finn's surprised by this at first, then smiles. He gets back in line to get another piece of meat for himself.

Once Raven is beside Wells, she hands him what was supposed to be Finn's food. "Here you need to eat." Wells takes it and offers a smile in thanks. "So, there are some things I need to tell you." Wells gives her his undivided attention and she continues. "I told Jasper and Monty about the Ark. They had already suspected something was going on I just filled in the missing pieces."

"I've been debating wither or not we should tell everyone. Twenty-four people have taken off their wristbands so far. I'm sure more, if not all of them will off them off by tomorrow. Maybe this way they'll stop listening to Murphy and finally listen to reason." Wells tells her.

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Right after I told them about the Ark, they mentioned Murphy had found a gun and pretty much deemed himself the leader. It's why everyone is listening to him. Well, that and everyone shares his hatred for your father and the council." Wells' eyes widen at this, he looks over at Murphy for a brief moment, then looks back at Raven.

"How the hell did he get a gun?" Wells questions.

"Best guess." Raven gestures over to Bellamy, who's sitting on a log with his sister. "He's the only one of us that wasn't supposed to be here. Not to mention he stole a guard's uniform to sneak on to the ship, who's to say he didn't steal a gun as well?"

"I heard a gunshot right before we launched. I think he may have shot someone before getting on the ship." Wells says, Raven is stunned silent. Deciding it's time to get some answers, Wells is about to approach Bellamy when Raven stops him. "What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from doing something stupid. Look, I get you want answers, but we need to be united right now. The safety of our people depends on it. You heard Artigas, one wrong step and we can all be killed, and then the Ark definitely won't come to the ground. Just hold off at least until your friend gets here. Hopefully by then Monty and I will have the radio fixed and we can let the Ark know it's safe to come down." Raven reasons. Wells takes a moment to compose himself and nods in agreement. "Good, now stop being antisocial and come join us." She takes Wells by the shoulder and drags him to the campfire; Wells can't help the small smile that forms on his face.

THREE DAYS LATER

It's been three days since the sky people landed, and Artigas isn't impressed by them. Wells and his friends being the exception of course. They are loud, disorganized, lazy, and they would not listen when Wells or any of the others spoke. The day after they landed Artigas showed the small group where they could find fresh water, which plants and fruits were safe to eat, and how to hunt for food. They had tried to pass on all they had learned to the others, but they were simply ignored. Which unfortunately lead to three more deaths. Three of the sky people ate something they shouldn't have and died shortly after. But the worst part of all was their chosen leader, Murphy. He did nothing to lead his people, and when he did, he would lead with an iron fist.

He seemed to despise Wells and taunted him every chance he could. There were times Artigas could see Murphy wanted to kill him but restrained himself from doing so. Wells was part of the reason the camp stayed fed and had plenty of water to drink. The only good thing about these sky people was they stayed within the camp. He often found it hard to believe these were Clarke's people. She never acted anything like them, even when she first landed here. Despite not knowing anything about surviving she did her best. Though she was a stranger to him at the time, he did respect her.

At the thought of Clarke, he begins to wonder when she'll arrive. When talking with Wells and the others, he discovered there were more sky people living among the stars, and they would be arriving soon. The one they call Raven, had been working on some sort of communication device to let the rest of their people know it was safe to come to the ground. If Clarke's people had any chance of surviving, of living peacefully alongside his people, they would need her. Artigas prayed that she would arrive soon. Their false leader needed to be dethroned, and the people of this camp needed order.

Artigas is soon shaken from his thoughts when he senses an unknown presence nearby. He and Tris and taken turns teaching Wells and his group. They had left not too long ago to hunt for more food, so they would be gone for quite some time. As for the people of the camp, they had no idea how to walk in the woods. They had heavy footfalls and would often step on branches. No, whoever this was knew what they were doing. He quickly unsheathes his sword and swings it, stopping it when he realizes the presence, he sensed was Lincoln. He removes his sword from Lincoln's neck and sheathes it. "Lincoln, you're here. Where's Clarke?" Artigas looks behind him for Clarke but does not see her.

"Polis, she sent me here to watch over her people and keep them out of trouble, but I see you've already done that. Is Tris with your, or are you alone?" Lincoln asks.

"Tris is with is with me, but she's out hunting with Wells and his friends." Artigas answers.

"So, Wells is here?" Lincoln questions. Artigas nods his head yes.

"We were only meant to observe from the shadows, but I saw Wells was in danger and stepped in. He was with four others; I couldn't let anything happen to him, so I revealed myself. They are the only ones that know Tris and I are here observing them." Artigas explains. "Why are you here without Clarke, you never leave her side." He questions Lincoln.

"I will explain everything once Tris arrives and it's just the three of us. Until then I need to know everything you've observed so far." Lincoln replies.

Artigas nods his head and starts explaining from the beginning. The moment they saw a ship fall from the sky, Indra had dispatched himself and Tris. They saw that the ship had landed not too far from Clarke's, so they decided to split up. Artigas would head to Clarke's ship, while Tris headed towards the new one. He had first come across Wells and his friend's while they were at the lake. He followed them to Clarke's ship and stuck to the trees until a panther appeared. When he heard one of the boys call out to Wells, he knew he couldn't stay hidden much longer. He walked them back to their campsite and offered his help.

When he caught up with Tris, he discovered there were more of them. The next day, when Wells met up with him, he found out they were all criminals, sent here because they were expendable to determine wither or not it was possible for them to survive here. Between him and Tris they helped the sky people as best as they could, but they were being led by a false leader who would not listen to reason. Five of their people were already dead, and more would soon follow if Clarke didn't arrive. "I commend you for the work you've done, and I know Clarke will be grateful to you both when she arrives." Lincoln praises.

"When will she be arriving?" Artigas asks.

Before Lincoln can answer, Tris arrives with everyone else. She seems happy by Lincoln's presence, but her happiness doesn't last long when she notices Clarke is nowhere to be seen. While Lincoln does not recognize the others, his eyes immediately zero in on Wells. "Another friend of yours?" Finn questions Tris. Lincoln ignores him and approaches Wells. Instantly recognizing him from Clarke's sketches.

"Hello Wells, I am Lincoln. Clarke sent me here to watch over you until she arrives." Lincoln reaches into his satchel and pulls out Clarke's sketch book. "She asked me to take this with me in case I saw any familiar faces." He hands Wells the sketch book.

Wells takes it and starts flipping through the pages, immediately recognizing Clarke's work. The others look over his shoulder, and Finn whistles at the artwork. "Your friend has skills." Finn comments.

"Where is she?" Wells asks as he looks up from the pages of Clarke's work.

"Still in Polis I'm afraid, but don't worry she'll be here soon." Wells closes up the sketch book and is about to hand it back to Lincoln, but he refuses it. "She'd want you to have it. You can give it back to her when she arrives."

"And when exactly will she arrive?" Wells asks.

"She'll be here I promise. She's speaking with the Ambassadors on your behalf, ensuring your safety. Please be patient, she'll get here as soon as she can." Lincoln explains.

Wells nods in understanding but is still saddened that his friend is still not here. Octavia bumps his shoulder and offers him a comforting smile. "Cheer up. She's alive and she's looking out for us."

"Just don't think about it too much and before you know it, she'll be here." Bellamy adds.

Wells has to stop himself from snapping at Bellamy. He knows Bellamy is keeping something from them, but he can't confront him about it yet. He takes a calming breath before speaking. "Let's take this food back to the camp and check on Raven. Her and Monty should be finished with the radio by now." He then turns to address Lincoln. "Thank you for this, I'll be sure to keep it safe for Clarke." Lincoln nods at this and watches as they leave, all but one. The young girl looks at him with a smile, he smiles back at her. He sees her checks heat up and she quickly turns around to catch up with the others, he can't help but to smile wider at this.

"What's really going on with Clarke?" Artigas questions.

"You would never leave her side unless something happened." Tris adds.

Lincoln's smile fades and he turns to Artigas and Tris, who both have their arms crossed over their chest. "Clarke is fine, but you are right Tris something did happen." Artigas and Tris look at each other, both with worried glances on their faces. Lincoln tells them what happened in Polis with the Ambassadors. How Lexa had revealed Clarke to be the sky people's leader, how she was a descendant of Becca, and host to a second Flame. "She wanted to tell you, but the Commander wouldn't let her." Lincoln finishes.

"Are they going to kill Clarke?" Tris asks worried.

"The Commander won't let anything happen to Clarke I promise you that." Lincoln assures them, but Artigas and Tris are still worried. "You should head back to the village get some proper rest, you've earned it. Be sure to report to Indra let her know I'm here." While not wanting to leave, they both know Indra needs to know about Lincoln's presence here.

"What do we tell her about Clarke? She'll want to know why she isn't here with you." Artigas asks

"Tell her the truth. The village will find about Clarke eventually." Lincoln answers.

DROP SHIP

SECOND LEVEL

While Bellamy and Wells are cooking some of the food they brought over, Finn and Octavia are with Raven, Jasper, and Monty on the second level of the drop ship. Raven and Monty had been fixing the radio for three days now. Before leaving for food and water, they had mentioned finishing up the radio today. And when they arrived back Raven had told them she was just putting in the final details. "Ok, all we need now is a power source and we should be able to contact the Ark. Who wants to give up their wrist band."

Remembering her promise to her brother, Octavia volunteers her wristband. Using the tools they made from parts of the ship, Raven removes Octavia's wristband as gently as possible. "Still operational, so far so good. Octavia you good?" Raven checks in with the young girl.

"Yeah I'm good." Octavia replies.

"Will we be able to talk to them?" Jasper asks.

"No. More like mores code." Monty replies.

Finn, Jasper, and Octavia watch as Monty and Raven put the finishing touches to the radio. Five minutes later the moment of truth has arrived. "Here we go." Raven takes a deep breath in before attaching the tool to the port. The radio begins to flicker on and off before it completely shuts down. Raven lets out a frustrated groan and steps away from the radio console and starts kicking the side of the ship repeatedly. Finn immediately stands to calm Raven. Not wanting to intrude, everyone else opens up the hatch and drops down to the lower level.

As Jasper, Monty, and Octavia walk outside they hear Wells yelling at Murphy for removing more of the wristbands off the delinquents. Since landing Murphy had been removing more and more wristbands each day, and now the only ones left with them on were Finn, Jasper, Monty, Raven, and Wells. "You idiots! Life support on the Ark is failing. That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again. If you take off your wristbands, you'll be killing them!" The teens are shocked by Wells' revelation, they begin talking among themselves wondering if they did the right thing. Sensing he's losing the delinquents to Wells, Murphy steps up with a speech of his own.

"Don't listen to him. He's one of the privileged. If they come down, he'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? That wristband that was on your arm? Made you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore! They say they'll forgive your crimes! I say you're not criminals!" Murphy counters.

"Yeah! Yeah!"

As the delinquents continue to cheer, Murphy smirks at Wells, who simply shakes his head and walks away. A moment later his right hand, Mbege stands beside him. "Hey, he wasn't serious about the life support on the Ark right? Cause I still have friends up there, and some of the other guys have family." Mbege questions. Murphy's smirk is replaced by annoyance.

"Of course, he wasn't serious. He's the Chancellor's son, he was just saying all that so that the Ark can come down." Mbege smiles in relief. "Even if it were true I'm sure they'll have it fixed in no time. The Ark's lasted this long hasn't it?"

"Yeah your right. So, what are we going to do about him and his friends? They still have their wristbands on." Mbege questions. Murphy contemplates this for a moment.

"True, but the only one that matters is his." Murphy turns to Mbege with a wicked smile on his face. "If they think the prince is dead, they'll never come down. Gather the boys, we're gonna throw Wells a little surprise party tonight." Mbege smiles at this and heads off to get everyone else.

LATER THAT EVENING

After dinner Wells was pulled away from camp by Mbege, who said he needed to talk, but only felt safe doing so away from camp. Wells was suspicious at first, until Mbege mentioned he wanted to help get word out to the Ark. Apparently he still had friends up there that he wanted to see again. So despite every instinct telling him no, he follows Mbege away from camp. They walk until the sounds of chatter and laughter die down. "I think this is far enough Mbege. Do you have an idea on how to contact the Ark or not?" Wells questions. Mbege turns around and looks at Wells with an almost sympathetic look.

"Sorry about this dude, but you brought this on yourself." Mbege shrugs.

Wells looks at him confused when suddenly he's tackled on the ground by two people. He tries to fight against them, but they just hold him down. "You should have taken off that wristband when you had the chance." Wells turns at the sound of Murphy's voice. "Now I gotta do it myself." Murphy looks over at Mbege. "Bring the torch over." Mbege does as ordered while Murphy kneels beside a helpless Wells. "This may sting a bit." Murphy raises a large rock and slams it down on Wells' wristband. He cries out in pain, Murphy hits it again and gets ready to hit it a third time, when suddenly someone grabs hold of Mbege, causing him to drop the torch.

"What was that?"

Murphy takes out his gun and looks around. "Who's there?!" He shouts. "Come out where I can see you?!" Suddenly one of the other boys is taken. Not wanting to stick around, the other three boys who came with Murphy run off towards camp. "You cowards! Get back here!" Murphy shouts. He continues to scan the woods around him until he's hit over the head with the same rock used to hit Wells. Murphy falls on the ground unconscious, Wells sits up and grabs the torch. He relaxes once he sees it was Lincoln who stopped the boys. "Are you ok?" He asks.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Wells answers. He then looks down at his wristband and sees it's suffered some damage. "Can't say the same about my wristband though. Pretty sure the Ark thinks I'm dead now."

"Is that how you've been communicating with your ship?" Lincoln questions.

"Something like that. Everyone's been taking theirs off though. Monty and Raven have been trying to fix our radio so we can actually communicate with the Ark, but so far that hasn't been working out either. I wish now more than ever Clarke was here. She'd know what to do." Wells says sadly.

"Would you like to hear some stories about Clarke? About her time here?" Lincoln asks in an attempt to cheer him up, Wells nods all too eagerly at this.

AFTERTNOON

THE NEXT DAY

"Ai laik Okteivia kom Skaikru." Lincoln speaks slowly. (I am Octavia of the sky people.)

"Ai laik Okteivia kom Skaikru." Octavia repeats.

"Very good." Lincoln compliments.

Octavia smiles at the compliment. Life on the ground had been pretty good so far. It wasn't entirely easy, but it was good. She was making friends, something she never thought she would be able to do. And she was learning new things. She had learned how to hunt for food and water, make a fire, even build shelter. And now she was learning another language from Lincoln, another one of Clarke's friends sent here to help them. At first, Octavia had been nervous to ask him. She had noticed early on that the grounders had their own language, and she wasn't sure how much of themselves they would be willing to share. Plus, she found Lincoln to be incredibly hot, and maybe a bit intimating. "You need to work on your accent, but overall, your picking up on our language rather well." Lincoln continues. Octavia has to turn away to hide her blush.

"Thanks." It grows quiet between them for a moment, but once Octavia feels her cheeks return to their normal color, she turns back to face Lincoln. "So, what do you do when you're not babysitting a bunch of criminals? Are you a warrior like Artigas and Tris?"

"Most of my people are warriors, including me. But since the last war I've been teaching Clarke our ways and protecting her." Lincoln answers.

"How'd you get stuck being the permanent babysitter for the princess?" Octavia asks, with a slight judgmental tone.

"I volunteered." Octavia seems taken back by his answer. "She saved my life and I've been by her side ever since." Lincoln answers before standing up and heading towards Tris and Wells.

While Octavia was learning the grounder language, Tris was treating Wells' wrist. When he came back to the drop ship last night, he told everyone what Murphy and his friends had done. Luckily Lincoln stopped them before they could take it too far, but it was imperative now more than ever to contact the Ark. If they think the Chancellor's son is dead, they may start killing off their own people soon to conserve air. At the moment though none of that mattered. As Lincoln walked off, Octavia couldn't help but chastise herself for saying something so stupid. She didn't know much about Clarke but clearly, she was respected by the grounders. It had been their only reason for helping them out in the first place, otherwise they would be on their own. "You alright O?" Bellamy asks. Octavia looks up and sees her brother, he had a concerned look on is face.

"I think I just offended Lincoln. I'm so stupid." Octavia shakes her head at herself.

"Hey." Bellamy sets the fish he caught on the side and sits beside his sister. "You're not stupid ok. You made a mistake and that's ok. You spent your whole life locked away; you're not use to talking to anyone else but me." Bellamy pulls his sister into a side hug. "What's important is you learn from your mistake."

"Thanks, big brother." Octavia says as she leans into her brother.

Meanwhile with Wells, Tris is applying a salve to Wells' wrist when Lincoln approaches them. "How is he?" Lincoln asks. Before Tris can answer, Raven comes stomping towards them with Finn right behind her. He's trying to calm her down, but it's to no avail. She removes the backpack from her shoulders and smacks it down on the ground repeatedly. She then unzips the bag and drops the contents of the drop ship radio on the ground. "Raven what did you do?" Wells questions.

"There's no fixing it Wells. Monty and I tried, but it took too much damage." Raven says frustrated.

Wells buries his head in his hands at the news. That radio had been their last hope to contact the Ark. Tris looks between the two teens confused by their frustration. "Why not use Clarke's?" She questions, they both snap their head at her. "I know her ship is different from yours, but does it not have this radio you speak of as well?" Tris questions. Raven and Wells look at each other wondering why neither of them thought of this before.

"Tris you're a genius. I'm gonna go get my tools I'll meet you guys back here." As Raven runs off back towards the campsite, Artigas arrives.

"I spotted a scout near the camp, he got away before I could see who he was, or what clan he comes from." Artigas tells them.

"What does that mean?" Bellamy asks.

"It may not be safe for you all to leave camp anymore." Lincoln answers, he turns to Artigas. "Inform Indra, she'll send out scouts and patrols to sweep the area." He then turns to Tris. "Help them gather more food and water, once you've done so keep an eye on the camp. Be alert for anymore scouts." Tris nods at this, and Lincoln turns to Wells. "I'll take you and Raven back to Clarke's ship. Once you make contact with your people return to camp and do not leave."

"Is this really a big deal. I mean what if it's just some curious bystander?" Winn asks.

"It's not. If another clan is observing your campsite, it means their getting ready for an attack. An attack which could lead to war." Expressions of fear appear on the teens faces. "Stock up on supplies and don't leave camp." Lincoln repeats.

A few minutes later Lincoln, Raven, and Wells are heading towards Clarke's drop ship with Monty in tow. When Raven mentioned there could be another radio, he had insisted on coming to help. When they met up with Wells, he was surprised to see Lincoln. The entire trip to the drop ship, Monty had been openly staring at Lincoln, Raven had to elbow him in the ribs to get him to stop. "What? Look at him, he's a big dude." Monty reasons. Not too long after they make it to Clarke's ship. Monty and Raven head inside while Lincoln and Wells stand guard outside the ship. A minute later Raven exits the ship and approaches Wells. "So, there was some damage, coupled with the fact that this ship has just been sitting out here during god knows what weather, but overall it's fixable. We should be able to contact the Ark today." Raven informs Wells.

"That's the first good news I heard today. Thanks Raven." She nods her head and gets back inside.

Monty and Raven work nonstop without any breaks until they finally fix the radio. Night has fallen, and by the time they fix the radio, it's too late. Raven steps out of the ship to give Wells the news, she notices he's looking up at what appears to be a meteor shower with a grim expression on his face. "It's too late." He speaks.

"Falling stars tell you that?" Lincoln questions.

"They're not falling stars, it's a funeral. Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from the Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side." Raven explains.

Lincoln has a look of realization on his face. He had always thought the sight of a falling star was beautiful, he had even shown it to Clarke once, but she didn't seem to feel the same way about it as he did, and now he knows why. It was a sign that another one of her people had died. "I'm afraid the news only gets worse." Lincoln and Wells turn their gaze to Raven. "It's about your father Wells."

Monty and Raven had spoken with Chief Engineer, Jacapo Sinclair, he not only informed them that the people of section seventeen Factory Station had been suffocated in their sleep an hour ago, but he also told them that Bellamy had shot Chancellor Jaha before sneaking onto the drop ship. Luckily Councilor Griffin managed to save him. Anger overcomes Wells, he knew Bellamy had done something before getting on the ship, he just didn't imagine it was shooting his father.

Letting his anger get the better of him, he takes off towards the campsite. Wells can hear Lincoln and Raven calling out to him, but he ignores their call. Bellamy Blake nearly killed his father, and he was going to make him pay for that. As he arrives at the campsite, he stops dead in his tracks. It seems as though the rest of the camp figured out the meteor shower was in fact a funeral, because now they were ganging up on Murphy with only Bellamy, Finn, and Octavia being the only ones holding them back. "This is all because of you!" Mbege shouts as he breaks through their hold. He punches Murphy hard enough that he falls on the ground. "You told me Wells was lying!" Mbege straddles Murphy and punches him again. Bellamy and Finn try to stop him, but their held back by everyone else. "You said even if he was telling the truth they would fix it." He punches him again and then points to the meteors. "Does it look like they fixed it to you?!" Mbege questions before punching Murphy again. All the other teens encourage him on, shouting their approval.

"What the hell is going on?" At Raven's question, Wells snaps himself out of it. "Wells do something, he'll kill him."

Wells rushes towards Mbege and pushes him off Murphy. "That's enough!" The camp gets quiet, and they look to Wells. "Murphy may have been the instigator, but you all went along with it. Those deaths." Wells points to the sky. "Aren't just on him, they're on you too." Everyone looks down in shame, despite his harsh words, everyone knows Wells is right. He looks down at Murphy and addresses him. "Leave camp, and don't ever come back Murphy." Murphy stands up and looks at each of the teens.

"Screw you guys." Murphy states before walking off.

Wells then turns back to the teens to address them. "Monty and Raven managed to make contact with the Ark. They know we're alive and that the Earth is survivable, so there should be no more deaths on the Ark."

"Who did they kill to conserve air?" Jasper asks.

"Section seventeen, Factory Station." Wells answers sadly.

One of the girls cries out, while others fall on their knees in disbelief. The other teens come together the comfort those who lost loved ones, for a moment he fells pride in his fellow delinquents, but then his eyes fall on Bellamy who's looking straight at him. Feeling his anger return he marches over to Bellamy, who readies himself for a possible fight, but Wells stops inches away from him. Their immediately surrounded by their friends, who sense tension coming between them. "They told me what you did. You should probably go too." Wells suggest.

"What are you talking about?" Octavia questions Wells.

"Tell her." Wells demands Bellamy. "Tell your sister what you did to get on the drop ship."

"Bellamy?" Octavia questions her brother.

"I shot him. I shot Jaha." Octavia is taken back by her brother's confession. "I found out they were sending you to Earth. I couldn't let you go alone. Someone came to me with a deal. Do this, kill him, and they'd get me on the drop ship. And I did it."

"You killed the Chancellor?" Octavia questions.

"No, luckily for your brother he's a terrible shot, but that still won't be enough to save him when the Ark comes down." Wells answers.

"Let's go Octavia, it isn't safe here anymore." Bellamy grabs hold of Octavia's hand, he's about to turn around and leave when Finn stops them.

"Now hold on." Finn turns to Wells. "I get that your mad and you have every right to be. But unlike Murphy, Bellamy's been a big help around here." Wells shakes his head at Finn. "Besides, it kinda sounds like he was being used." This seems to give Wells a moment's pause. "Clearly someone on the Ark is after your father, surely a word from his son would be enough to get him pardoned in exchange for a name." Finn suggest, and Wells contemplates this.

"Please Wells." Octavia pleads. "I know my brother screwed up, but he only screwed up because of me." Wells lets out a heavy sigh.

"If I can convince my father to pardon you, will you give him the name of the man who told you to kill him?" Well asks. Bellamy looks down at his sister, who encourages him to say yes. He looks up at Wells and agrees. "I'll contact him tomorrow. We should get some rest now; it's been a long day.

THE NEXT MORNING

Everyone on the drop ship is sleeping peacefully when the sounds of hooves and metal clashing with metal can be heard. Bellamy and Wells are the first on the second level to wake up, Wells opens the hatch and slides down to the lower level, followed by Bellamy. Everyone else is already awake, their scanning the woods trying to figure out what's out there. Suddenly Tris appears with a panicked expression, surprising everyone else. Wells is about to go to her when she raises her hand to stop him. "Shut the door, stay inside Wells." Tris instructs before she's shot in the shoulder by an arrow. Wells is about to run to her side when he's pulled backed by Bellamy. He instructs one of the teens to shut the door, Wells tries to fight against him, but Bellamy has a tight grip on him. He doesn't let go of Wells until the drop ship door closes. "Why did you do that, they need our help!" Wells shouts.

"Because she told us to!" Bellamy shouts back. Wells shakes his head in disbelief. "We don't know how many of them are out there Wells, and we have no weapons to defend ourselves."

"What about Murphy's gun?" One of the delinquents asks.

"In the woods somewhere." Wells answers. He begins pacing back and forth nervously. "We can't stay in here forever; we have to come up with a plan. Is there any other way out of here?"

"There should be a floor hatch somewhere. If we find it, we can crawl out and get the hell out of here." Raven suggests.

"Alright everyone look around for that hatch." Wells instructs.

The teens get down on the floor to look for the hatch, a moment later Octavia is the one to find it. She's about to let everyone know when she realizes it's gotten quiet outside. "Quiet, everyone quiet. Listen." The teens stop what they're doing and listen, but there is no sound to be heard. "The fighting stopped." Octavia comments.

"What does that mean?" Monty asks.

Suddenly, a female voice can be heard outside. Wells stands and presses his ear to the door. He immediately recognizes the voice and heads over to the lever, but Bellamy beats him to it. "It's Clarke, she's here." Wells says, but Bellamy doesn't move. "Please Bellamy. Just like you can't lose Octavia, I can't lose Clarke." Wells pleads. Nodding his head in agreement he turns to address the rest of the teens.

"I'm going to open the door, everyone press yourselves up against the side of the ship." They do as he says and once Bellamy sees their out of harms way he pulls down the lever. The door hisses open and Wells rushes outside, but whatever fight had been going on before has suddenly ended. He sees grounders collecting their dead and putting them on horses, he looks up and sees his childhood friend sitting on a horse, with two other grounders beside her. Her cheek is bruised and her lip is cut, but overall she looks perfectly fine. "Clarke." Wells calls out in disbelief.

Chapter 11: WATCH THE THRONES

Chapter Text

After spending a month in TonDC Clarke has finally arrived in Polis alongside Lexa. They arrive at the capital on horseback after a week of travel. As they pass through the gates and enter the city, Clarke's eyes widen in wonder. Polis is vastly different from the village. There are more buildings that survived the nukes still standing, the streets are littered with people and market stands. The moment the people of Polis see Lexa they make way towards her and begin to cheer as she leads the army of Polis through the streets. Children shove their way in front of the crowd to catch a glimpse of their Commander, Clarke even notices a few people pointing in her direction.

They continue through the streets of Polis until they arrive at the horse stables. Clarke all too eagerly steps down from hers and lets out a sigh of relieve. When she first laid eyes on a horse, she was filled with excitement. But that excitement quickly turned to dread the moment she started riding one. She had trouble getting onto a horse. She's pretty sure she heard Lexa laughing at her attempts to mount one on her very first try. She denied it of course, but Clarke still has her suspicions. Then when she started riding the horse, her butt and thighs would always be sore afterwards. "You'll get used to it." Lexa tells her.

"That's what you said about training, but I'm still in pain." Clarke retorts.

"Come." Lexa simply says.

Clarke follows Lexa to the tallest tower in the city. Lexa had explained it was where all Commanders and Nightbloods resided. Clarke had been surprised when Lexa told her she would be going back to the capital with her. She had figured with her medical training she would remain in TonDC and become a healer, but it seems the Commander had other plans for Clarke, plans she had yet to reveal despite Clarke's attempts.

When they arrived inside the tower they headed straight into an elevator. While Clarke was relieved, they wouldn't be taking the stairs, she was curious as to how it would work without power. As if sensing her thoughts, Lexa informed her the elevator was operated manually. Clarke couldn't help but feel bad for whoever had to man the elevator, especially when she found out they were going to the top floor. Once they arrive, she follows Lexa past a rather large room towards the balcony, which overlooks all of Polis. "This is a great view." Clarke comments, and Lexa nods in agreement. "It would be even better if I knew why I was here." Clarke adds.

"Like me you are a born leader, I believe between the two of us we can learn from each other." Lexa answers.

"What could you possibly learn from me? You've been leading your people since you were twelve, I got sent to Earth before I could come into my leadership role." Clarke questions.

"Just because you don't have the experience doesn't mean you don't have the qualities of a good leader. The three pillars of being Commander are compassion, strength, and wisdom. You have all three and more." Clarke remains quiet, waiting for Lexa to continue. "I want you to be my advisor."

"Advisor? Clarke asks surprised.

"You have insight no one else has, I'm going to need that in the coming days." Clarke looks at Lexa confused. "Before I formed the Coalition the twelve clans were at a constant war with each other. The only reason they united was because of the threat the mountain posed, and now that the mountain has been defeated..."

"You fear they may go to war again." Clarke finishes.

"Exactly. All my people have ever known is war, I want them to finally know peace. And I believe between the two of us we can accomplish that." Clarke seems unsure of this and Lexa notices. "This is why Becca created the second Flame. We were meant to work together. Circ*mstance may have brought you here, but our meeting was fate."

Clarke closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in. "Where do we start?"

PRESENT

THRONE ROOM

It has been two days since Lexa revealed who Clarke really is, and two days since the drop ship landed. Lexa, Titus, and herself were in the throne room listening to a report. A messenger from TonDC arrived a short time ago, and Clarke is not happy. Lexa is keeping a cool composure as always. Titus on the other hand is shaking his head in disapproval. The Ark sent a hundred criminals to the ground to determine wither or not it's safe, and the only thing they've done so far is fool around. Clarke wishes now more than ever that she had just gone with Lincoln.

The situation here in Polis was no better. The Ambassadors had been outraged that Lexa kept important information about Clarke from them. While no one was calling for her death yet, besides Titus of course, they didn't know how to proceed with the news they had been given. Clarke was not only a descendant of the first Commander, but she was also host to a second Flame. Half the council felt that the second Flame should be destroyed, that there could only be one Flame and one Commander. The other half felt it would be a dishonor to Becca to destroy the second Flame. "Is that all?" Lexa questions, effectively snapping Clarke out of her thoughts.

"Just one other thing." The messenger, Troy, turns to Clarke. "I was told to inform you that Wells is among the hundred."

"Thank you, Troy." Clarke says appreciatively.

"You may rest here, and in the morning when you ride back to TonDC be sure to give Indra this message. The sky people are to remain unharmed unless it is in defense of the village." Lexa relays. Troy bows his head in acknowledgment and exits the throne room.

Titus steps down with a scowl on his face. "Is this a wise decision Heda? You heard him; Clarke's people sent criminals. They must be dealt with now before they cause harm to any of the villagers."

"They may be criminals, but their hardly dangerous. Most if not all of them were locked away for petty crimes." Clarke counters.

"Heda, please." Titus pleads, ignoring Clarke.

"It will beWanheda'sresponsibility to deal with them once everything is resolved here. When will the Ambassadors be arriving?" Lexa asks.

"Soon." Titus answers.

"Then I will see you then." Titus bows his head and exits the throne room.

As soon as Titus leaves the room Clarke lets out a heavy sigh. She needed to get to the drop ship now more than ever, but she couldn't leave until a decision was made. "I thought you would be happy that your friend arrived." Lexa says. Whenever Clarke talked about her time on the Ark, she would always mention Wells. They grew up and did everything together. He was the reason she was still alive today. But she was too overwhelmed by everything else going on to be happy.

"I'll be happier once all this is over. There has to be something we can do to speed things along. I can't stay here much longer Lexa." Clarke admits. Lexa stands from her throne and approaches Clarke.

"We cannot act rashly Clarke. Lincoln will keep them in line. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement." Lexa warns.

"Those kids were locked up for months maybe even years. And now their free, the last thing they want right now is to be told what to do." Clarke snaps. She then takes a calming breath before continuing. "I need to be there; I can't keep standing here listening while the Ambassadors continue to argue."

"You have to. Just be patient, everything will work out, I promise. We must get ready for the arrival of the Ambassadors now." Lexa says. As she exits the throne room, Clarke shakes her head in disappointment.

AN HOUR LATER

"Are we just supposed forget that we were lied to for three years and accept the fact that another Commander has been living among us!"

"We're ignoring the real issue here! Our people have always followed one Commander, but now there are two! Are we be led by two Commanders now?! And if so, how do we determine who gets the second Flame?! Are we to hold two conclaves instead of one?!"

"No!" Clarke shouts, and all the Ambassadors turn to her. "You're all making this harder than it needs to be." Clarke says more calmly. "You will still continue follow your Commander, and the next one after her. Nothing has to change."

"I'm afraid that is where you are wrongWanheda. Everything will change, the Flame is sacred to us, and now that there are two, the people will see you as a Commander." The FloukruAmbassador responds.

The rest of the other Ambassadors nod their heads in agreement, it's the only thing they've managed to agree on for the past two days. A moment later the arguments pick back up and Clarke can feel a headache come on. She's starting to think they should have kept quiet about everything. Just then the doors to the throne room open and the Ice Queen, Nia, enters with her guard by her side. Surprise fills the room at her unexpected arrival.

"What are you doing here Queen Nia?" Titus questions.

"I received news ofWanheda's true identity, and the unrest it's caused, I thought I would come by and offer a solution." Nia answers innocently.

"What kind of solution?" Lexa asks.

Nia smirks at her before turning around and addressing the Ambassadors. "Like it or not a second Flame exists and with it a second Commander. I know some of you believe it should be destroyed, but is that wise?" Nia questions. None of the Ambassadors answer, instead they wait for Nia to continue. "Before passing she gifted our people with the Flame. A sacred object with the ability to pass on the experience and wisdom of the previous Commanders, including herself. Imagine for a moment the experience and knowledge a second Flame could offer us." The twelve Ambassadors begin to consider Nia's words, which causes both Clarke and Lexa to worry. They can see she's up to something, they're just not quite sure what it is yet. "I believe the only real issue here is wither Wanheda is worthy to carry the second Flame." The Ambassadors seem intrigued so far. They wait for Nia to continue. "Like our current Commander and the ones that came before her. They had to prove themselves worthy of the title. I say if we are to acceptWanhedaas Commander, she should prove herself as such." Lexa sits up straighter at the Ice Queen's words, a bad feeling creeping it's way to her spine. "Solo gonplei.(Single combat duel.) Warrior against warrior to the death. IfWanhedawins we can consider this matter resolved, if not, then the Flame will be passed on to someone who is worthy of it." Nia finishes.

"But will our people accept a second Commander?" TheSangedakruAmbassador asks.

"Our people have always respected strength. It will be an adjustment, but our people will adapt as they always have." Nia answers.

The Ambassadors talk among themselves for a moment. Clarke looks over at Lexa to gauge her reaction, her face is stoic as ever, but her hands are closed in tight fists.She's mad. Clarke observes. "What say you Wanheda?" The Delfikru Ambassador asks. Clarke turns her attention back to the Ambassadors. She then looks over at Nia who is now smirking at her. Clarke knows the Ice Queen has something up her sleeve, but what she suggested might just work in her favor. She just has to make sure she wins. "If the Ambassadors vote in favor of this, and we do this today. Then I will agree to the solo gonplei." Clarke answers. Lexa turns to Clarke, a mixture of anger and worry on her face.

"Well Commander?" Nia asks smugly.

Lexa doesn't say anything, she just continues to stare at Clarke, who gives her a pleading look. A moment later Lexa turns to address the Ambassadors. "Ambassadors of the Coalition, how do you vote?" Each of the Ambassadors vote yes to single combat, much to Lexa's despair. "The vote is unanimous. Who will fight against Wanheda?" Titus asks.

"My personal guard, Ontari. She will not only be a fitting second Commander, but..." Nia unsheathes her knife and grabs hold of Ontari's hand. She slices it with her knife and raises it for everyone to see. "She is a Natblida, so she will be able to receive the second Flame."

Everyone gasps at Nia's revelation. Normally when a Nightblood child is found they are brought to Polis to be trained. At least that's how it is supposed to be. Nightblood children are sometimes hidden from Flamekeeper scouts in fear of the conclave. A grounder tradition held upon the death of the Commander. Nightbloods fight to the death until only one is left standing. The last remaining survivor ascends as the next Commander. "This is an outrage! You know the law! If a Nightblood is discovered, they are to be brought here to Polis!"

"Enough, I'm sure Queen Nia is fully aware of the law. You can deal with her after the duel." Clarke states.

Titus scoffs at this, but he does not argue. "The duel will take place in two hours time inside the arena. Do not be late." Titus instructs. Nia smiles in victory and exits the throne room with the Ambassadors and her guard. Titus approaches Lexa, but she dismisses him before he can say a word. He bows his head and exits the throne room as well. Gustus appears from out of the shadows and approaches them. Lexa stands from her throne and faces Clarke, anger evident in her expression.

"You realize by doing this you're giving her exactly what she wants." Lexa states.

"Only if I lose." Clarke retorts, and Lexa scoffs at her.

"Ontari is a seasoned warrior Clarke, you don't stand a chance." Lexa tells Clarke.

"Thank you for the burst of confidence, it's just the thing I needed before a fight." Clarke says sarcastically before exiting the throne room.

Lexa sits back down on her throne and shakes her head at what has just transpired. "She did exactly what I told her not to do, act rashly."

"Can you blame her?" Gustus questions, and Lexa turns to him with a confused expression. "You kept this secret in the hope's that the people would accept Clarke, but once that secret was revealed half of the Ambassadors wanted to tear her Flame out and destroy it." Lexa considers Gustus' words. "It may have been a rash decision, but if she wins this no one will question her, nor will they question you."

"She's only doing this so that she can get to her people." Lexa states.

"True, but would you not do the same if you were in Clarke's position?" Lexa doesn't answer, but Gustus knows that she would. "Clarke will win this, she has to."

CLARKE'S ROOM

Clarke slams her door shut and heads straight towards her window. She knows Lexa is upset with her for acting rashly, but she hadn't expected her to doubt her ability to fight. Clarke may not be a seasoned warrior, but she can still hold her own. She looks out her window and sees two warriors training. She starts to think back on her first lessons. They were brutal, and she hadn't caught on as fast as she did everything else, but eventually she managed.

FLASHBACK

TONDC

Outside the village of TonDC, Lincoln is training Clarke with a sword, but she's doing rather poorly. It's heavy in her hands so she keeps dropping it. Each time she drops it she leaves herself open, which leads her to be knocked down to the ground. Every time that happens it gets harder and harder for her to pick herself up. Eventually, Lincoln allows for a short break. He brings over a pouch filled with water, and Clarke chugs it down. "When do your people normally start training?" Clarke asks breathless.

"The moment we start to walk." Lincoln answers.

"I'm pretty behind then, aren't I?" Clarke questions, but Lincoln does not answer.

He lets her rest a moment longer before extending his hand and helping her up.

He corrects her mistakes, and they continue on. She does a little bit better, but for the rest of the day she ends up on the ground. At the end of their training session, she's bruised and sore all over. The next day is no different. She's knocked down over and over again until she simply can't get up anymore. By then she's given up, and she tells Lincoln so. Before he can say anything, Indra appears and starts yelling at her in Trigedasleng. She doesn't understand half of what she says, but she gets the gest of it. Once Indra's done yelling at Clarke she storms off. Lincoln starts translating what she said, but Clarke stops him. "I may not have understood everything, but I get the general idea. She thinks I'm weak for giving up so easily." Clarke looks to him for confirmation and he nods his head yes. "I'm not trying to be weak; I'm just not use to any of this. You've all trained your entire lives, I haven't. What works for you, clearly doesn't work for me."

"You're right." Lincoln agrees, and Clarke looks up at him surprised. "If I'm to train your properly we're going to have to do things differently. It may take longer, but if you're willing to see it through I know we can pull it off."

Clarke smiles at this and wills herself to stand. "I'm all ears."

PRESENT

Clarke's interrupted from her thoughts at the sound of a knock at her door. She grants permission to enter and knows it's time for her to leave when she sees Gustus peak his head through the door. They take the elevator down to the bottom floor and start to head towards the arena, but Clarke suddenly becomes distracted when she hears the shouts of a child nearby. She turns her head and sees one of the Flamekeeper scouts, Gaia, dragging a child by the hand towards the tower.

She had met Gaia two years ago when she brought in a Nightblood child. She had been surprised to learn Gaia was Indra's daughter, the two of were nothing alike. And now here she was two years later with another Nightblood, only this one seemed feistier than the previous one. Clarke excuses herself from Gustus and approaches the Flamekeeper to check in. "Hey Gaia, what's going on?" Clarke asks trying to keep the amusem*nt out of her voice. This latest Nightblood was giving Gaia a run for her money.

"She has been fighting me since I found her in Shallow Valley, her parents tried to hide her from me but failed." Gaia answers.

"Ai want kom go houm!" The young girl shouts. (I want to go home.)

"Polis ste your houm nau." Gaia says sternly. (Polis is your home now.)

"You shouldn't be so harsh. You'd be just as upset if you were dragged from your home." Clarke interjects. She then kneels down in front of the girl and offers her a smile. ""Chit ste your name?" (What is your name.)

"Madi." They young girl answers. She eyes Clarke suspiciously.

"I'm Clarke." Clarke introduces herself. Madia eyes her suspiciously.

"Wanheda we must go. The duel will start soon." Gustus warns.

"Duel, what duel?" Gaia asks.

"I'm sure someone in the tower will tell you everything that's been going on." Clarke says as she stands from her kneeling position.

ARENA

When Clarke and Gustus arrive at the arena, a crowd has already gathered. Shouting and music can be heard. Ontari is already in the middle of the arena facing a stage where the Ambassadors, Lexa, Nia, and Titus are sitting. "Osir laik late." Gustus comments. (We are late.) Clarke doesn't respond, instead she looks over at Lexa who has yet to notice her presence. "Nou ge distracted Klark. Yu souda focus ona the gonplei gon hand." (Do not get distracted Clarke. You must focus on the fight at hand.) Gustus says. Titus stands from his chair and approaches center stage.

"In solo gonplei der ste ba won rule. (In single combat there is but one rule) Someone must die today. You may begin."

Ontari approaches a guard for a weapon, while Gustus hands over Clarke's sword. He squeezes her shoulder and steps out of the arena. As Clarke is unsheathing her sword, she feels a pair of eyes on her. She turns towards the crowd and sees Madi looking straight at her. "Madi?" She scans the rest of the crowd but does not see Gaia with her. Guess she gave her the slip. Clarke thinks to herself. She's pulled from her thoughts though when she sees Madi's expression. She turns around just in time to catch Ontari's sword with her own. "Pas today yu will command wamplei no mo." Ontari says with a smirk. (After today you will command death no more.)

Instead of answering, Clarke headbutts Ontari smacking her right on the nose. Ontari cries out in pain, grabs her nose, and takes a few steps back. Clarke then charges after her and swings her sword. Ontari catches it with her own and they parry back and forth until Ontari manages to smack Clarke's sword out of her hand.

On the stage, Lexa is on the edge of her seat watching the fight. Clarke's sword has just been knocked out of her hands and now she is on the offensive. "It's too bad the sky girl chose to align herself with you. If she had chosen more wisely, she'd not only be strong, but she'd have the power of a true Commander by now." Lexa turns slightly towards Nia, not bothering to hide her anger. "Ontari will not make the same mistake." Nia says as she turns to Lexa. "Your time as Commander is over."

As Ontari continues to swing her sword at Clarke, she manages to catch her arm and twist it, causing Ontari to drop her weapon. Clarke then manages to land two gut punches before Ontari gets herself out of Clarke's grip. With the both of them weaponless they continue to fight hand to hand. Each of them landing a blow to the other. Clarke manages to land a particularly hard blow, causing Ontari to fall on the ground.

Ontari is angry at first until she realizes she's fallen near her sword. She grabs a handful of dirt and throws it at Clarke, blinding her. She then takes her weapon and swings it in Clarke's direction, slicing her left arm and right leg. She swings again, but Clarke grabs hold of the blade. Preventing Ontari from swinging it further, blood spills from her hand to the sword. Ontari punches Clarke in the ribs causing her to let go. Clarke charges after Ontari and tackles her to the ground. Ontari drops her sword again, and Clarke punches her face over and over until she manages to roll Clarke over. She grabs hold of Clarke's neck and begins to choke her; Clarke tries to loosen Ontari's grip but is unable. She then grabs hold of Ontari's face and pushes her thumbs through her eyes. As blood begins to drip down, Ontari screams out in pain, loosening her grip on Clarke's neck.

Taking advantage of this, Clarke pushes Ontari off of her and stands. She grabs Ontari's sword and slices her neck open. "No!" Nia shouts. Ontari grabs hold of her neck, trying to stop the blood loss to no avail. "Looks like I'll continue to command death after all." Clarke states before Ontari falls on the ground, dead in a pool of her own blood. As Clarke turns to the stage, the crowd cheers. "Wanheda! Wanheda! Wanheda! Wanheda!" Everyone on stage is standing from their chairs. The Ambassadors give Clarke a nod of approval, Nia is in shock, Titus is disappointed, and Lexa looks relieved. Clarke then feels a gentle touch on her shoulder, she turns around and sees Gustus. "You won." He says with a smile.

"Be that as it may, there is no time to celebrate. I need to get to my people. I have a bag packed, get it for me and meet me in the stables." Clarke instructs.

"You're hurt Clarke, you need to see a healer first." Gustus points out.

"I'll take her." Gaia offers. "Get her whatever she needs, she'll be with the healer waiting for you." Gustus nods in agreement and takes off. Gaia and Madi wrap their arms around Clarke and help her to a healer.

It had taken them some time to get to the healers, they had to push themselves through the crowd of people, and every so often someone would stop Clarke to congratulate her. When they finally arrived in the small building that was the healer's clinic, no one was in sight. The healer had probably left to see the fight and was probably still at the arena. Gaia instructed Clarke to sit down while she looked for supplies. As soon as Clarke sits down on the small bed, Madi sits beside her. She looked over Clarke's wounds briefly before commenting on them. "Natblida." Madi looks up from her wounds up at Clarke, who nods her head yes.

"Theskai Natblida." Gia comments with a shake of her head. She then turns to Madi. "When I first heard of a Nightblood falling from the skies I did not believe it." Clarke chuckles while Gaia wraps her arm in cloth. "I shouldn't be surprised that you are a Commander, all the signs were there." Clarke shakes her head at this.

"I may have been called to lead my people once, but I'm no Commander." Clarke retorts.

"Much of our history has been lost over the years, but one thing that has always been clear is if it wasn't for the first Commander we would not be here today. She saved our people and created the first Nightbloods so that her spirit would be able to live on in one of them. Years later you fell from the sky, saved our people from the mountain men, and cured our people of sickness and disease that normally took their lives." Clarke is rendered silent. "You can continue to deny it all you want, but the blood of Becca flows through you. I only wish I had seen it before." Gaia shakes her head at herself as she moves on to treat Clarke's leg. "The signs were all there."

"You're handling this better than Titus did. When he found out he advised Lexa to kill me." Madi frowns at Clarke's comment.

"Change is harder on the old than it is the young." Gaia says as she ties off the cloth wrapped around Clarke's leg and moves on to her hand. Clarke hums in agreement.

At the sound of footsteps Clarke looks up expecting to see the healer, instead she sees Titus. His body is tense, and his face shows no emotion, Gaia turns around and greets her former teacher, but he does not respond. Wither it's because he doesn't hear her, or because he's simply ignoring her. Clarke's not sure but she does not like the way he's looking at her. "Gaia, take Madi to the other Nightbloods. I'm sure their back in the tower by now." Clarke instructs. Madi immediately takes hold of her hand, causing her to look down at the young child. When she does so, Clarke sees Madi staring at Clarke with an untrusting expression. Smart kid. Clarke squeezes her hand to get her attention. She instructs her to go and meet the other children. Clarke helps her off the bed and slightly pushes them both towards the exit. Before leaving Gaia looks back with a worried expression. Clarke smiles at her reassuringly, once they are both out of sight her smile disappears, and she turns to Titus. "You know, since the day I met you, I've had this bad feeling. But as I stand before you now, that feeling has only intensified." Clarke confesses.

A dagger slides out from underneath Titus' robe sleeve and into his hand. "You weren't supposed to win the duel." Titus says as he takes a step closer to her. While keeping her eye on Titus, Clarke searches behind her for her sword, but she soon realizes she left it in the arena. She mentally chastises herself for being forgetful. Thankfully Indra isn't around to hit her upside the head, though considering her current predicament she'd much rather deal with Indra than Titus right now.

"Titus think about what you are doing. If you strike me down Lexa will know it, was you." Clarke calmly says in an attempt to avoid confrontation.

"Since the day she met you, she hasn't been the same. For three years I stood by and watched as you influenced her, changed her. She may kill me, but at least with you gone things will return to what they once were." Titus says.

"Change is inevitable Titus. You either adapt to it or get left behind." Clarke responds back, but Titus does not respond back. "You can still walk away. No one has to know about this." Clarke says in a last-ditch effort to avoid confrontation.

"I cannot." Titus says before charging at her with a raised dagger. Clarke manages to block the attack and kick him square in the chest. He stumbles back, and she cries out in pain from kicking him with her injured leg. But it is not enough to deter him, Titus charges after her again, but before he can reach her. A knife is thrown right through his forearm, causing him to drop the dagger. He falls to his knees and turns to face his attacker. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees it is Lexa who threw the knife at him. She has Clarke's sword in hand, she unsheathes it and approaches Titus, placing the sword over his neck. "This is what needs to be done Heda. She cannot be allowed to live. Clarke is..."

"Mine." Lexa interrupts, rendering Titus speechless. "Clarke is mine. An attack on her is an attack on me." Lexa states firmly.

Gustus suddenly appears by the doorway with Clarke's bag. He stops in his tracks when he sees Titus on his knees, and Lexa holding Clarke's sword to his throat. "What did I miss?" He questions, but neither Clarke nor Lexa answer. Clarke approaches Gustus and takes her bag from him, she then instructs him to take Titus to the dungeons until Lexa figures out what she's going to do with him. He nods his head in understanding and does what he's told. Once they are alone, Lexa sheaths Clarke's sword and hands it to her. "You're lucky Indra isn't here; she would have hit you upside the hid for leaving your weapon." Clarke doesn't say anything, she limps towards Lexa and takes her sword back. Lexa looks over Clarke's injuries and cups her face in her hands. "Will you be able to travel with your injuries?" Lexa questions.

"I'll manage." Clarke answers.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, and for not considering your feelings. You were trying to ensure the safety of your people and I completely disregarded that. I should have been more sympathetic towards you." Lexa apologizes.

"I'm sorry I acted rashly. I knew the Ice Queen was up to something, but I was too impatient to get to my people. I nearly gave her what she wanted." Clarke apologizes as well.

"You won, that's all that matters. I will handle things from here. If you are sure you can travel, you will need guards to accompany you." Lexa says.

"I know. Could we keep it small though? I don't want to be slowed down, and I definitely don't want to intimidate my people." Clarke asks.

"I will send Joroum and Ryder to meet you in the stables. Do not leave without them. " Clarke nods in agreement. "Send a messenger the moment you arrive. I need to know you got to your people safely." Clarke agrees and leans in to kiss Lexa.

As they kiss, they cling to each other, neither wishing to be parted from the other. Lexa is the first to pull away, she leans her forehead against Clarke for a moment before she departs. As Clarke is exiting the clinic, the healer finally arrives. He smiles at her in greeting, but Clarke shakes her head at him. She's slightly upset at he hadn't shown up earlier. When she leaves, he turns to Lexa to greet her, but she leaves as well.

When Clarke arrives at the stables, she asks for her horse to be ready. The stable boy rushes off to get her horse. As Clarke turns around, she sees Madi staring up at her. She offers her an amused smile before kneeling down in front of her. "I see you gave Gaia the slip again. Yu need kom nou doing biulaik." (You need to stop doing that.)

"Teik me kom yu. Ai want kom go houm." (Take me with you. I want to go home) Madi pleads with Clarke.

"Madi..."

"I know what happens to Natblida's when Heda dies. I don't want to fight or die. I don't even want to be Commander. Ai just want kom go houm." Madi says with tears in her eyes. (I just want to go home.)

"I know that feeling all too well." Clarke admits, and Madi looks up at her confused.

"How? You just fought in a duel to prove you have the strength to be a Commander." Madi questions.

"Back home I was the only Natblida. From the moment I was born my fate was already decided for me." Clarke stands and sits against the nearest wall, a moment later she is joined by Madi. "When I was five the Chancellor at the time, our Commander, told me I would lead our people someday. That I would fix everything that was wrong and make things better. Though I accepted my fate, I never wanted to be a leader either." Madi looks up at Clarke with a surprised expression. "When I got sent here, I thought this is was my chance to be who I wanted to be. Then the mountain happened, and shortly afterwards I came here. And now everyone knows who I really am, and with the arrival of my people I find myself being called to lead again. Only this time there's no getting away from it." Clarke gets quiet for a moment before continuing. "I understand why you wouldn't want to participate in the conclave, it's a horrible way to choose a leader. And I know you want to go home, but if you try to leave here the Flamekeepers will only bring you back." A sadden expression forms on Madi's face.

"Wanheda." Clarke turns away from Madi and sees Joroum and Ryder at the stable entrance. She instructs them to get their horses ready and turns back to the young girl.

"Laik your nomon en nontu ste alive?" (Are your mother and father still alive) Madi nods her head yes. "Some of the Nightbloods write to their parents, you should do the same. Let them know you've arrived safely to Polis." Joroum and Ryder arrive back with their horses, including Clarke's. "I have to go now. I'll see you when I return. Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim." Clarke says as she stands and approaches her horse. (May we meet again.) As soon as she gets on her horse, Joroum and Ryder get on theirs as well. They trot out of the stables followed by Madi. She stops by the doorway and stares at them as they go.

"Leidon Klark." (Goodbye Clarke) Madi says before leaving the stables herself.

Clarke, Joroum, and Ryder ride nonstop until dark when they make camp. Joroum is tending to the horses, while Ryder is cooking some rabbits Clarke managed to kill. As Ryder cooks Clarke can't help but to look up at the night sky. She would be reunited with her people soon, at least a portion of them. She begins to wonder if Wells would still recognize her. She doesn't think she's changed much, but at the same time she isn't the same girl that left the Ark three years ago. "Thinking gon houm?" Ryder asks. (Thinking of home.)

"It's just been so long. I'm wondering if my friend will recognize me." Clarke admits.

"You're stronger now than you were before, but you've remained the same person. I'm sure your friend will see that, if not, then he is no friend to you." Ryder says as he hands Clarke a cooked rabbit. Clarke smiles at his statement and thanks him for the food.

THE NEXT DAY

At dawn the small group wakes. They eat a quick breakfast and continue on towards the delinquent's camp. Only stopping a few times to give their horses rest, they manage to cover a lot of ground before stopping completely when night falls. As they are setting up camp, Joroum looks up and sees hundreds of falling stars. He gets Clarke and Ryder to look up, the moment Clarke realizes what it actually is, she drops her water filled pouch. "Are you alright Wanheda?" Joroum asks concerned.

"Those aren't falling stars; it's hundreds of bodies being returned to Earth from my home. They only look like stars because they are falling from so high up." Clarke explains sadly.

"Why are so many dead?" Ryder asks.

"To conserve air, they must believe the people they sent down did not survive." Clarke closes her eyes and bows her head. "In peace may you leave the shore. In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. Until our final journey to the ground. May we meet again." Clarke recites the traveler's blessing.

"Is that a prayer?" Joroum asks.

"Something like that. Down here, your faith, your religion revolves around the Flame. Up there our faith and religion revolved around Earth. We believed the Ark was the human races salvation, a test. That a better life would be found here on the ground. It was viewed as Heaven, and after we died, we would return to the Earth." Clarke explains.

"We're nearly to there. The camp isn't too far from here. If we skip breakfast, we can arrive by late morning." Ryder suggests.

"I'm fine with that if you both are. We'll still need to feed and water the horses though. At the rate we've been travelling I've no doubt we've put a bit of strain on them." Both Joroum and Ryder nod in agreement.

THE NEXT MORNING

After taking care of the horses Clarke, Joroum, and Ryder continue on their journey. They ride for three hours, taking only two breaks in between, before stopping completely. They're not too far from the camp now, but Clarke hears something in the distance that causes her to stop. "We're nearly there." Joroum comments, but Clarke raises her hand to silence him. She closes her eyes and focuses on the sound she heard. It takes her a moment to realize it's the sound of swords clashing with each other. Besides the campsite there are no other villages nearby. "Something's wrong." Clarke says, she turns around and gathers her bow and quiver, Joroum and Ryder do the same.

They continue on, scanning their surrounding for any threats. Ryder notices a trail of tracks leading to the camp, he believes they could beTrikruwarriors, but Clarke shakes her head at this. She's about to speak up when she hears Tris' shout. "Shut the door, stay inside Wells!" Clarke urges her horse forward, they run at full speed until they arrive at the campsite. When they get there, they see Artigas, Lincoln, and Tris fighting off an entire group of exiled clan members. Clarke raises her bow and readies an arrow, Joroum and Ryder do the same. They fire arrow after arrow until they are noticed. One of the exiled warriors is about to approach them but is stopped by another. "Yu know chon bilaik ste?" (You know who that is)

The warrior scoffs and tries to get out of his grip, but the other warrior holds on to him tightly. "Bilaik ste Wanheda, maun slayer." (That is the Commander of Death, mountain slayer)

The other warriors whisper among themselves, some even appear to be frightened. "Clearly you know who I am." Clarke speaks. "And if you know who I am, then you know where you stand." The exiled warriors do not speak. "If you don't want to end up like the mountain, I suggest you take your dead and leave this place." The warriors sheath their weapons and begin to gather their dead. As they are placing the bodies on horses the drop ship door hisses open. Clarke mentally prepares herself for what's to come. She sees Wells step out of the drop ship; he doesn't notice her at first. But when he finally sees her, they lock eyes. "Clarke." Wells calls out in disbelief."

"Wells."

Chapter 12: UNITY DAY

Chapter Text

A smile forms on Clarke's face the moment she lays eyes on Wells. She dismounts her horse and takes two steps towards him before she is pulled into a tight embrace by him. He had rushed from the drop ship to her the moment she got off her horse. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." Wells admits. Clarke burrows her face in his neck to hide the tears that are threatening to fall.

"Nothing would have stopped me from getting to you. I only wish I had gotten here sooner." Clarke says honestly.

"Does someone want to tell us what the hell is going on? Who were those people? Who are you?" Mbege questions.

Clarke and Wells pull away from each other. Clarke looks Mbege over, not impressed by what she sees. She has a feeling of everyone present, he'll be the one that gives her the most trouble. "If I had to guess this is his best friend Clarke Griffin." Raven answers for the both of them. The delinquents whisper among themselves for a moment before voicing their thoughts out loud.

"The princess?"

"Isn't she dead?"

"I heard she killed herself."

"Princess? Seriously? It's been three years." Clarke says annoyed.

"Why don't the two of you talk in the drop ship, we'll explain everything as best we can." Finn suggests.

Wells nods in thanks, he takes Clarke's hand and leads her to the drop ship. Joroum and Ryder follow behind her, they stop right outside the ship and stand guard. Lincoln looks on confused. The guards with Clarke are no ordinary guards. He's glad she didn't travel alone and arrived here safely; it means things in Polis have settled down, but it's obvious from her wounds she's been in a fight, and that has him worried. "I thought you'd be happier to see her." Octavia says.

"I am, but she's hurt, and she came with two members to the royal guard. Something happened in Polis I'm just not sure what it is." Lincoln says with worry in her voice.

"Should we stay or leave to report to Indra? She'll want to know about Clarke's arrival, and the attack." Artigas questions.

"Stay a little while longer, Clarke will want to thank you for all you've done for her friends. Then you can report to Indra." Artigas and Tris nod their heads in understanding.

In the drop ship, Wells is about to make is way to the second level when he notices Clarke's leg injury. Not wanting to put her through any more pain, he walks her to one of the chairs and helps her sit down. "You don't have to help me Wells. I did manage to get here on horseback in one piece." Clarke says in a joking manner. But Wells isn't laughing. Now that he's calmed down a bit, he gets a good look at Clarke. Besides her bruised cheek and cut lip, Clarke also has an injured left arm, along with an injured right hand and leg.

"What happened?" Wells asks concerned.

"It doesn't matter." Clarke says while placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what you've been up to, what's been going on here. I saw the funeral last night, that can't be a good sign."

Wells takes a deep breath in before telling her everything, starting with what happened after he launched her drop ship. Clarke listens intently as Wells tells her about him getting arrested and charged with aiding a traitor escape. He then tells her how the council covered up her departure. "Kane told everyone you killed yourself shortly after your father was floated. He said you took your father's death hard and took matters into your own hands." Clarke doesn't respond, she just nods her head in understanding. She had been expecting worse, she gestures him to continue and he does.

He goes on telling her about his imprisonment, he's father would visit him almost every day, and her mother would visit when she wasn't busy with the council or patients. Each time she visited she would question Wells, ask him why he broke her out of her cell, why he sent her to Earth, but he never gave an answer. He knew if he told Abby she would confront Kane and it would be his word against him, so he remained silent. Wells then tells her about her mother's last visit, how she told him they were sending the prisoners to the ground, that she changed the drop ship's coordinates so that it would land closer to hers. "She wanted me to find you, so as soon as we landed, I went in search of your drop ship. A small group followed me and helped out. It didn't take us long to find it, but when we did it had been abandoned. I started to worry; I began doubting myself. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even hear the panther; it wasn't until Artigas shot an arrow through its head that I noticed it. Turns out he knew you and in a way he knew me too." Clarke can't help but to smile at this. During her time in TonDC, she made fast friends with Artigas and Tris, they were the first to hear her stories about the Ark, about Wells.

"I talk about you all the time." Clarke admits.

"I figured. Artigas said if he let anything happen to me, you'd have his head." Wells says as he laughs.

"He's not wrong." Clarke says with a smile, but it disappears just as quickly as it appeared. "What happened afterward?"

Wells tells Clarke about John Murphy, how he acquired a gun and took charge of the camp. He then tells her how the gun got to the drop ship in the first place. Clarke pulls Wells into a comforting hug; he allows it for a moment before continuing on. "Artigas warned us about Mount Weather, so he taught us how to acquire the things we needed to survive so we wouldn't have to go. While Bellamy, Finn, Octavia, and I hunted for food Raven stayed behind with Monty and Jasper to fix the radio. The landing damaged it too much though, we were ready to give up until Tris mentioned your drop ship. Lincoln, Monty, Raven, and I headed back, but by the time they fixed it and made contact with the Ark, it was too late." Clarke leans back in her seat and shakes her head at this.

"How many?" Clarke asks.

"It was Factory Station, so at least three hundred maybe more." Wells answers.

Clarke makes a motion for him to continue. He tells her about the fight that broke out when they arrived back. How everyone else figured out what happened and blamed Murphy for it. He then tells her that they banished Murphy and went into the drop ship to get some rest, only to wake up a few hours later after hearing the sound of hooves and metal clashing against metal. "By the time I came out here to check it out Artigas, Lincoln, and Tris were being attacked. She told us to close the door, so that's what Bellamy did. We were about to escape through a floor hatch when I heard your voice. You know what happened from there." Wells finishes. Clarke doesn't say anything she just soaks his words in. "Who were those people?"

"Exiled clan members. You can usually tell them apart from the rest by their scars. When they get exiled their clan tattoos are either cut off or burnt off. They must have seen the ship land and thought you would be easy pickings. I guess they didn't think I would be here." Clarke answers.

"Artigas mentioned you were pretty well respected. How'd you pull that off?" Wells questioned.

"I helped them out." Clarke answers vaguely and Wells notices. "My story is a lot longer than yours, I'll tell you about it another time, but for now we need to get organized."

"How? I've tried to get them to listen since we got here, but they refused because I'm the Chancellor's son. I highly doubt they'd listen to someone who was meant to be Chancellor." Wells points out.

Clarke doesn't respond, she merely smiles and gives him a pat on the back before standing and exiting the drop ship. As she enters the campsite, Finn and Raven have just explained everything to the other delinquents. Clarke takes a moment to scan her surroundings. Their completely out in the open with no type of defense set up, and the campsite is a mess. There are animal bones, clothes, and shoes all over the place. The only things the teens managed to get right is having a large firepit, a makeshift storeroom for the meat, and a large tin can filled with water. When she's done she notices the delinquents are staring at her. "Is this how you all have been living?" Clarke questions, and the teens look around. "Not even animals live this way. Clean this place up." She instructs, but no one listens. "Now!" Clarke shouts, everyone scrambles for a bit, but they get to work. Everyone but Mbege and three others.

"Why the hell should we listen to you?" Mbege questions, causing the other delinquents to stop in their tracks. He begins to approach her, but the moment he takes a step towards her the grounders take a step towards him. Clarke raises her hand to stop them from moving any further. Mbege hesitates for a moment, but continues, stopping only a few inches away from her. "You think because you're a privileged princess you can just tell us what to do?"

"No." Clarke answers, she then makes her way towards Mbege and stops right in front of him. "I'm telling you what to do because I've lived here for three years. I know the lands and I know the people. I know where to find water, and how to hunt for food. I know which plants are poisonous, which ones are safe to eat, and which ones can be used as medicine. Do you?" Mbege doesn't respond, she then turns to address everyone else. "The only reason more of you aren't dead right now is because a handful of you actually made an effort to gather food and water while the rest of you fooled around, including your former leader and his friends." She then turns her gaze back to Mbege. "If you want to survive here long enough for the Ark to arrive, you'll do the smart thing and listen to every word I say."

"And if we don't?" Mbege questions with his arms crossed.

"You're not prisoners anymore. If you won't listen, then you can go. You're of no use to me or anyone else in this camp if you aren't going to pull your weight." Mbege scoffs at this. "I warn you though, if you go, you are on your own. You'll have no help from me or anyone else." Mbege looks at her as if he doesn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but when he sees her serious expression, he knows she means every word.

"Come on boys, we can survive on our own." Mbege heads towards the woods, but stops when he realizes his friends aren't following. "What are you guys doing?"

"She's right." Mbege has a betrayed expression on his face. "She's the only one of us who actually knows what they're doing. We were nearly attacked, but they went away the moment they saw her. I don't want to die out there."

Mbege looks to his other two friends, they turn their gazes away from him. Mbege shakes his head and leaves the campsite. Lincoln approaches Clarke and looks over her wounds. "When was the last time you changed those cloths?"

"I think it's pretty obvious I haven't." Clarke answers.

"Go inside, I think Raven has some bandages I can use." Lincoln instructs.

Clarke limps back inside the drop ship and sits down. Wells arrives shortly after with an upset expression. "How could you just let him leave like that. What if he's attacked by that same group, or a wild animal or something?" Wells questions.

"You didn't seem concerned with all of that when you let Murphy go." Clarke points out.

"That was different, it was for his own safety. If he had stuck around one of them might have killed him." Wells retorts.

"Well, if he had stuck around, he would have caused trouble. He would have tried to get the others to side with him and I can't have that." Wells shakes his head, still not happy about Mbege leaving. "It's not like I banished him. The moment he realizes he can't survive on his own he'll come running back."

"I still don't like it." Wells states.

Clarke is about to respond when Artigas, Lincoln, and Tris enter the drop ship. Lincoln has Raven's bag in hand, Clarke immediately recognizes it but does not say anything. She stands from her seat and approaches Artigas and Tris, pulling them into a tight hug. "Thank you for helping them out and saving Wells." They both smile and hug her back.

"It was the least we could do after all you've done for our people." Tris says nonchalantly.

"That's enough now, we need to change those dressings." Lincoln says.

Clarke pulls away from them and sits back on the chair. "Would you mind giving us a minute Wells?" Clarke asks. He nods his head yes and turns to leave. Artigas and Tris sit by Clarke while Lincoln takes out the medical supplies. She notices he's looking at them like their foreign to him. She points out what he'll need and he grabs it. Clarke's about to untie the cloth's, but Tris stops her and does it for her. She smiles at her in thanks. "So what happened in Polis? I'm no healer, but even I know these wounds are recent." Tris says. Lincoln looks up at her expectantly wanting to know as well.

"Single dual combat." Clarke answers.

"I thought that was reserved for the Commander, in the event she proved unworthy to lead." Artigas says confused.

"Clarke is a Commander though." Tris points out.

"The Ambassadors were arguing for two days when the Ice Queen arrived. The single dual combat was her idea so that I could prove I was worthy to call myself that. The Ambassadors agreed and I fought shortly after." Clarke explains.

"Who did you fight against?" Lincoln asks as he cleans out Clarke's wounds. The alcohol wipes stings, but Clarke doesn't flinch.

"AnAzgeda Natblida." Clarke answers. Artigas, Lincoln, and Tris are surprised by this.

"I didn't thinkAzgedahad one." Tris comments.

"They did. The queen kept her hidden, no doubt waiting until the conclave to reveal her. But when she heard the news about me, she must have seen it as an opportunity and revealed her hand." Clarke relays.

"She must have thought you were going to lose." Lincoln says.

"I can't believe you fought against anAzgeda warrior and won." Artigas says.

"Yeah, you weren't the only one." Clarke says mostly to herself. Artigas stands.

"We have to tell Indra." Artigas says excited.

"Don't forget everything you have to tell her. The exiled may be gone for now, but they may try to come back." Clarke states.

"I'll make sure he remembers." Tris says as she stands.

"Tell her I'll visit when I can as well." Clarke adds.

Artigas and Tris nod their heads in understanding and turn to leave. Clarke turns to Lincoln; he's currently busying himself wrapping up her wounds. He doesn't say anything and eventually the silence gets to Clarke. "Lincoln."

"I should have been there." Lincoln states.

"I needed you here." Clarke retorts.

"You shouldn't have had to prove yourself. You did that when you defeated Mount Weather, and again when you cured the sick during your first winter." Lincoln says as he tosses the medical supplies back in the bag.

"I know."

Lincoln lets out a sigh. "I'm glad all that training paid off." Clarke can't help but to laugh at Lincoln's statement. Lincoln joins in, but their laughter is interrupted by the sound of footsteps. They turn towards the entrance and see Octavia enter with two makeshift plates in hand. "I thought you might be hungry." Octavia says shyly. Lincoln stands and takes the two plates from her, smiling at her in thanks. She smiles back at him, and Clarke can't help but think there might be something more to those smiles.

"This is Clarke." Lincoln introduces Clarke. She stands and limps over to Octavia with her hand extended to her.

"Octavia." Octavia introduces herself to Clarke while shaking her hand.

"Sounds like a Roman name." Clarke comments.

"It is. My mother use to read us books about the Roman empire. My brother named me after the Roman Emperor Augustus' sister." Octavia responds.

"How long did she keep you hidden?" Clarke asks curiously.

"Sixteen years." Octavia answers.

"She must have been a clever woman to pull that off." Clarke comments.

"She was." Octavia says before turning around and leaving. She looks at Lincoln one last time before exiting the drop ship.

"I think she likes you." Clarke points out. Lincoln just shoves the plate of food in her hands and tells her to eat.

Clarke chuckles at Lincoln's obvious embarrassment and sits down to eat her meal. She holds off on any further teasing in favor of eating her meal. Since she had skipped breakfast, she was starving. Shortly after finishing their meal, Bellamy and Wells enter the drop ship. "We need to go to your drop ship and radio the Ark. I made a promise to Bellamy that I would talk to my father about pardoning him if he gave him the name of the guard who wanted him shot." Wells explains. Clarke turns her gaze at Bellamy.

"You're the one who shot his father?" She questions.

"Yeah, you gotta problem with that?" Bellamy questions.

"I don't if he doesn't." Clarke answers.

"I'll be fine, so long as Bellamy keeps his word." Wells says while looking at Bellamy. Clarke gestures Lincoln to go with them.

"Clarke." Lincoln says ready to object.

"I'm not going anywhere. Joroum and Ryder are here are here to protect me if the need arises." Clarke reasons.

Lincoln shakes his head at this but agrees non the less. "Let's make this quick."

Once they have left the ship Clarke exits as well. She scans the camp and sees that the teens have cleaned up. She suddenly hears a whimpering sound; she follows it and comes across a young girl. She's sitting by herself holding her left hand to her chest. Clarke slowly approaches her and kneels down in front of her. The young girl looks up at her and has a look of fear. Clarke raises her hands to show she has no intentions of hurting the girl. "Are you hurt? I can help you if you are." Clarke asks. The young girl hesitates for a moment before showing Clarke her hand. She has a small cut, but because it has not been treated it's become infected. "Come with me." Clarke stands and extends her hand. The girl takes it, and they walk back to the drop ship where Clarke cleans the infected area and bandages her hand. The young girl offers a small smile in thanks and runs off. A few moments later two teens enter with untreated injuries of their own.

Shortly after treating the two teens more begin to come to Clarke. Several of the teens had acquired some form of injury during their time on the ground, but nothing could be done about it because the Ark did not give them supplies. They had been expected to gather what they needed when they arrived at Mount Weather, of course that never happened.

A few minutes later Octavia and Raven enter the ship out of curiosity, when they see what Clarke is doing, they decided to help out. When some of the teens come to Clarke with a similar rash, she sends Joroum out to gather the necessary herbs. As soon as he gets back, she begins mixing and crushing the herbs in a makeshift bowl, unaware she's being watched by everyone else. As she starts applying the herbs to the teens Bellamy, Lincoln, and Wells arrive. "I see you've been keeping yourself busy while we were gone." Wells comments.

"One of the girls had a cut on her hand, it had become infected. I treated it and I guess she told somebody because the next thing I know there's a line of teens with some form of injury or rash." Clarke explains.

"You're the first and only person here with any medical training. Doesn't surprise me no one said anything until you showed up." Raven comments.

"Well, I hope no one else gets hurt, we're low on medical supplies." Clarke hands the bag over to Raven. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize, I'm just glad you were able to make use out of them." Raven says.

"Did you radio the Ark?" Clarke asks Wells.

"Yeah, we detached it from your drop ship and brought it back here. Thought maybe Raven could fit it in to ours." Wells answers.

"Between Monty and I, I think we could do better than that." Raven says as she approaches Wells. "We might be able to get at least one of those monitors working so we can see the Ark while we talk with them. We should have it up and running by Unity Day tomorrow." Raven takes the radio and calls out for Monty.

Clarke's eyes widen in surprise at the mention of Unity Day. It was a holiday the people of the Ark celebrated in which they gave thanks to the people of the thirteen stations that were still active during and after the nuclear apocalypse. The children would do a reenactment of the first Unity Day and afterwards there would be a party. It was the one day of the year everyone came together, even the prisoners were allowed to celebrate. And since it was a day of unity no one was ever floated. She excuses herself and heads into the woods, followed closely by Lincoln. Joroum and Ryder attempt to follow her as well, but Lincoln tells them to stay and guard the camp.

She doesn't travel too far from camp, she's close enough to hear the delinquents, but far enough away to have a moment to herself, sort of anyway. "What's wrong?" Lincoln asks concerned.

"Unity Day is tomorrow. I haven't celebrated that since I landed here, I had completely forgotten about it." Clarke replies.

"What is it?" Lincoln asks.

"A hundred years ago my great grandmother convinced all the other stations to unit as one. She felt life would be better together than apart. That day thirteen stations became one, marking the first Unity Day." Clarke explains.

"A Coalition." Lincoln says in realization, Clarke nods her head yes. "Your people aren't that different from ours." Clarke smiles at this.

She hoped the rest of the grounders came to the same realization Lincoln did. There was a sort of balance here on the ground, and that balance would soon be tested the moment the rest of her people landed.

THE NEXT DAY

UNITY DAY

As promised, both Monty and Raven managed to have communication up and running on the drop ship. The teens are all lined up to speak with their parents before the Unity Day pageant begins, while Clarke is in her tent checking over the wounds, she treated the day before. For the most part their wounds are doing better, but she's run out of medical supplies. All she's able to do is clean the wounds and instruct the teens to keep their injuries covered as best as they can. As she's treating the last of the teens, the young girl she came across the day before, whose name she discovered is Charlotte. Finn walks into her tent carrying an armful of herbs. "Lincoln and I gathered these for you." Finn places them down on the ground next to her. "He's also boiling the clothes we collected from our dead, said we could use them as cloth to help with the injuries." Clarke nods her head in approval and turns her focus back on Charlotte.

"Alright, that cut is looking better but I need you to keep it covered until those clothes dry." Clarke instructs. Charlotte nods her head in understanding and leaves her tent.

"Wells said you had medical training, I guess it's a good thing you got here when you did princess." Clarke gives him an annoyed look. "You don't like being called princess, do you princess?" Finn asks with a smirk on his face.

"When I was five my mentor, Diana Sydney, paraded me around the Ark. It was a title the people gave me, it was fine at the time, but I quickly outgrew it. Unfortunately, though the title stuck." Finn chuckles at this.

"Whoo! Yeah! Monty strikes again!" They hear Jasper shout outside the tent. Both Clarke and Finn step out and see Jasper carrying a large tin container. "Call this batch Unity Juice! Who's thirsty?" Some of the teens gather around him with makeshift cups and he pours liquid into them. When he finishes pouring the first cup he looks up and sees Clarke looking at him curiously. "Hey princess want in on this?"

"What is it?" Clarke asks as she approaches Jasper.

"Unity Juice, or as it's commonly called on the Ark, Moonshine." Jasper answers with a smile.

"Sure, why not. It is Unity Day after all." Clarke says.

Jasper takes one of the cups from the teens and pours Moonshine, he fills it up then hands it to her. The moment she brings the cup closer to her lips her face turns at the strong smell of alcohol protruding from it. "Monty makes it really strong." Jasper comments. Clarke holds her breath and takes a quick sip; she soon learns Jasper wasn't kidding about it being strong. She coughs at the strong taste and has to stop her guards from approaching Jasper. "It's fine, I'm fine. This is just an acquired taste." They nod their heads and back away.

"They're a bit uptight, maybe I should offer them some?" Jasper questions and Clarke shakes her head no.

"They won't drink it not while their charged with protecting me." Jasper nods in understanding while Clarke takes another sip, she comes to a realization. "You know, this could be used as a disinfectant, do you think Monty would be willing to make more?"

"If you say so. You are the closest thing we have to a doctor here." Jasper answers. He leaves the tin container with Finn and heads towards Monty.

As a crowd of teens surround Finn, Clarke notices Bellamy standing by himself, she leaves the crowd and approaches Bellamy. The moment he hears her coming he turns towards her. "Wells tells me you got that pardon." Clarke starts, but he says nothing. Instead, he nods his head yes. "That must make you happy, you won't have to worry about being arrested when the Ark arrives." Clarke continues in an attempt to make conversation, but Bellamy merely hums in response. Seeing that Bellamy isn't in a talking mood, Clarke decides to cut her loses. "I'll leave you be, clearly you want to be alone." As she begins to walk off Bellamy speaks up.

"I had a plan." Clarke stops and turns around. "I was going to find my sister, we were going to find someplace safe, somewhere the council wouldn't find us, and just live out the rest of our lives. Just the two of us. Now that I'm pardoned, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Especially now that it seems my sister has developed a crush on Lincoln." Bellamy gestures his head and Clarke turns around. She sees Lincoln and Octavia talking and smiling at each other. She cracks a smile of her own, approaches Bellamy and offers him her drink.

"Here, there's no way I'm going to be able to finish this on my own." Bellamy smiles at this and takes the offered drink. "As for Lincoln, he's a good man. He was one of few that accepted me when I first arrived." Clarke mentions.

"Can I ask how exactly you earned their respect? Artigas and Tris always spoke highly of you, and your guards keep a close watch on you at all times. Not to mention those other guys who tried to attack us, they seemed to run away the moment you arrived." Bellamy asks.

"It's a long story. Short version, they weren't the only survivors." Bellamy's eyes widen in surprise. "There were others, at first glance they seemed like good people. Some of them actually were, but the others..." Flashes of Lincoln as a reaper, and the grounders in cages appear in Clarke's mind. "They would take them from their homes and use them."

"Use them how?" Bellamy questions.

"Let's just say the things I saw still haunt me to this day." Bellamy nods in understanding and does not question Clarke further on the subject. "I helped defeat them and rescue their people. I treated their sick and wounded and afterwards they accepted me as one of their own. A few months later winter came, and with winter came sickness, and with sickness came death. They don't have the same medicine available to them that we do, and their healers don't have the same medical training our doctors have. So, I stepped in and helped cure their sick, trained their healers, and that kinda solidified my place among them."

"You kinda set the bar high there princess." Bellamy jokes as he takes a sip of the Moonshine. "How are the rest of us suppose to beat that?" He questions as he hands back the cup to her.

"Easy, don't do anything stupid." Clarke answers with a smile, causing Bellamy to laugh. Clarke takes a sip of her drink when she hears Wells call them over.

The Unity Day Pageant was about to begin. They walk towards the drop ship together but split up shortly after. Octavia wanted Bellamy to join her and Lincoln at the front of the crowd to watch the pageant since it was her first one. Clarke remained at the back of the crowd that way she remained unseen. Despite Wells making contact with the Ark, he had not informed the council yet that she was still alive, and she was grateful. She didn't want them to know she was alive just yet, especially since Jaha hadn't made a move against Kane. Turns out, the man who gave the gun to Bellamy was Commander Shumway himself, the very same man who tried to kill Clarke in her cell.

She's soon joined by Wells, who bumps her shoulder and offers her a smile in greeting. She returns it and focuses on the speech his father is about to give. There was always a speech given before the pageant begun. "My friends, this is a historic Unity Day. Every year, we mark the moment our ancestors of the thirteen stations joined to form the Ark, but this is the last time we do so while aboard her. Next year, on the ground."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to keep the fact you're alive and well from the council? From your mother?" Wells questions.

"So long as Kane is still free yes." Clarke answers.

"He won't be for long. My father will arrest him." Wells states.

"Not anytime soon." Wells looks at Clarke confused. "Your father may be the Chancellor Wells, but Kane has the guard at his back. They respect him and your father knows it, it's why he hasn't arrested him already." Clarke explains.

"For a hundred years, we have lived out an existence, hoping that someday our descendants would return to Earth. To our sons and daughters on Earth listening to this message, we will see you soon. The first Exodus ship will launch in under sixty hours. But enough from me. You are all here for the pageant anyway, right?"

"Whoo!" Octavia shouts in excitement, earning a laugh from some of the other teens. "Hey, it's my first Unity Day, I'm allowed to be excited." Octavia says in defense of herself.

On the screen they see children with flags of different countries walking in a circle while one girl stands in the middle of the circle, the adults look on with smiles on their faces. Clarke can't help the smile that forms on her own face, watching the pageant reminds her of when she was a participate. "Long ago, when the Earth was on fire, thirteen space stations floated through space all alone. Then one day Bella Franco realized life would be better together. The other stations saw this, and they wanted to be together too. When all the stations were formed, they called themselves..." The pageant is interrupted by the sound of static.

"What's going on?"

"Is the radio messed up?"

Raven rushes to the radio console and inspects it. She doesn't see anything wrong with it and looks up at the teens with a confused expression on her face. "It's not us. Whatever is going on it's coming from the Ark." Just then Clarke's old video message can be heard throughout the Ark and the drop ship.

"People of the Ark." The delinquents all turn their heads towards Clarke, who is just as confused by what's going on as they are. "In this time of uncertainty, I ask that you all come together as a people. Our home is dying, in two to three years the life support system will fail completely." At the mention of the life support system the teens turn back to face the monitor. "I know this news must scare you, but you have nothing to fear because we have a solution. We've actually had the solution for a long time, we've just been too fearful to go through with it. But no more, we are the last of the human race, it is time to stop being afraid and look to the future, and that future is Earth. I know change can be scary, but I believe in all of you, I just hope you can find it within yourselves to believein me."

"I thought the council destroyed that video." Clarke comments. Suddenly an image of Diana Sydney appears on the screen.

"People of the Ark, this is Diana Sydney, the message you just heard was from Clarke Griffin. It was recorded three years ago when the council first discovered the Ark would no longer be survivable."

"This is not good." Wells says with dread in his voice.

"As the next Chancellor, she felt it was her duty to let you know this information, but before she could get that message out, she was arrested by the council and charged with treason, three months later she died of an apparent suicide. Three years later the life support is still failing and instead of informing us, the council chose to send our children to the ground without our consent. And just days ago three hundred and twenty people died from a malfunction of the fire containment system, but that is simply not true. I believe they died in an attempt to preserve more air on the Ark, and I believe more would have died if our children hadn't made contact when they did." A loud banging can be heard in the background. "The council will probably consider me a criminal for speaking the truth, but I believe they are the criminals. They murdered Clarke Griffin and they murdered section seventeen." Diana's door is forced open, and the guards enter her room and drag her away from the screen. "They must answer for all the death they caused! They must not be allowed to..." The video message is cut off.

The feed cuts back to the pageant, but instead of looking at the children, the crowd of people seem to focus their gaze on the council. Angry shouts can be heard, and the people of the Ark start moving towards the council, they are being held back by the guards while the council is being escorted out. A moment later a fight breaks out between the people and the guards and communication is cut off. "Best Unity Day ever." Finn says sarcastically.

The sound footsteps can be heard from behind the campsite. The teens turn around to see about ten or, so Trikru members arrive at their camp, at the front of the group is Indra. "Friends of yours?" Wells asks and Clarke nods her head yes. Indra turns to her right, and one of the warrior's steps forward with a bleeding Mbege in his arms. "Mbege." Wells says surprised.

Chapter 13: STORY UPDATE NOT A NEW CHAPTER

Chapter Text

Hey readers,

Sorry for the long hiatus, after the last chapter I got a bad case of writers block. Every time I worked on the new chapter, I found myself deleting the work and starting over. I just couldn't get it right, so I decided to give myself a break until inspiration struck. I want to take a moment and thank all of you who have read the fic and left comments/kudos. It means a lot to me that people are still reading this, and I'm proud to report the hiatus is over. Inspiration has hit, however; it means deleting this work. I haven't given up on this fic, I'm just rewriting it. I've already completed the first two chapters and I am currently working on the third. I won't be taking down this fic until the third chapter has been completed, and all three chapters have been have been proofread. Once all three chapters have been proofread, I will post my new work and you will have three chapters to read until I've completed more. Thank you for your understanding and I hope you like the new work.