"Attack! Now!" I yelled as the door finally opened. Roars of the warriors approval were yelled behind me, their weapons waving in the air.

"Chil yo daun!" The grounders behind me silenced as the recognized the voice. My head whipped to the side to see Lexa walking in my direction with her guards around her. Emerson was by her side, walking as if he was her equal. I only froze for a few seconds.

"What is this?" My confusion was unmistakable. Voices were yelling all around us. Then the door to the mountain opened even further without anyone from the outside touching it. More shouts. Then a grounder man and woman covered with a blanket stepped out. Another man followed. My confusion grew as more and more grounders emerged from the mountain. Many were dirty and bruised. They looked so weak, unkempt, and malnourished. My eyes continued to look for my friends before I looked back at Lexa. "They're surrendering?"

"Not quite." Emerson finally spoke. He looked very smug. I glanced at him for a few moments before turning my attention to the young woman beside him. Lexa's face was impassive, not revealing anything.

"What did you do?" My voice was only a broken whisper as dread began to fill my body. Out of the countless scenarios I had thought about, this was not one of them.

"What you would have done... Save my people." Lexa was still void of emotions.

"Where are my people?" My voice gave a slight warning. Not that I could do anything without her killing me. What she said did not sound promising to my people.

"I'm sorry Clarke. They were not part of the deal." I looked at both Emerson and Lexa before looking at the ground trying to make sense of what was happening. Lexa cut Emerson's ties.

"You made the right choice Commander." Emerson's voice was pleased. Victorious. That bastard! The urge to smack the smirk off his face was overwhelming. He walked past the grounders coming out and waited by the door. The smirk never left his face. Lexa's eyes followed him vigilantly. Lincoln walked up from where he was standing.

"What is this?" He was just as confused as I was. Suddenly, it became difficult to breathe as I realized that this was really happening. My god this was actually happening. I felt like I would start hyperventilating due to the panic that had now taken place in me.

"Your Commander has made a deal." With your enemy I silently finished in my head. Lincoln seemed to understand what I said after a moment.

"What about the prisoners from the Ark?" I was still looking at Lexa. Her eyes seemed to be trying to say something but she didn't react. The blood on her face made her seem so different from the young woman who had kissed me in the tent.

"They'll all be killed... but you don't care about that do you?" I said almost accusingly. I didn't expect her to answer so fast.

"I do care Clarke." Her voice was softer than before. It didn't sound like she was talking about my people. She has never regarded my people with such gentleness. I thought about the moment she kissed me in the tent. When I felt something I hadn't felt since I had first met Finn. I liked Lexa. A lot. "But I made this decision with my head, not my heart." Her eyes searched my face for any sign of understanding. "The duty to protect my people comes first."

"Please don't do this!" Though my voice was a whisper, I know she heard me. For a moment, I saw a flicker of emotion in the commander's eyes.

"Please Commander! Let us fight!" Lincoln was pleading as well, no doubt for Octavia.

"No!" Lexa's voice was firm. "The deal is done." The doors to the mountain closed, leaving us outside with no way to get in. The disbelief of the situation morphed into a seed of anger that lodged itself in me.

"Teik oso rowenes laud." Immediately, a grounder horn sounded. The entire army started to turn around and walk back into the woods. It was the retreat horn.

"You too," Lexa ordered Lincoln. Lincoln's jaw flexed as he glanced between his commander and the retreating army. "All of our people withdraw. Those were the terms."

"They'll slaughter them! Let me help them!" To the Arkers this would look like defiance, which it was, but it was so much more than simple defiance. This was Lincoln begging. Not once had I heard or seen a grounder beg like this, but Lincoln wasn't just a grounder. He was Octavia's love. That made him one of mine.

"Sis em op." Lincoln began to back up looking almost defeated before a look of determination took over as surrounding grounders closed around him. He punched the first that grabbed him and the fight to take him began. I knew what the outcome would be. Though Lincoln was a good fighter, he was no warrior. Finally, he had been knocked out from behind. They started to drag him away and I just stood there watching, knowing I couldn't do anything to stop them.

"May we meet again." I gaped at Lexa's retreating figure in disbelief as she said my people's goodbye. I was left alone staring at the mountain.

~~In the tunnels~~

Octavia was in a defensive stance when I approached her.

"Octavia. You stayed." My voice was mixed with relief and disbelief. Octavia had turned back to the door as soon as she realized it was me, but at my tone and words she whipped around to face me.

"Screw you!" She was angry. "Of course I stayed! I know where my loyalties lie." I pushed past her trying to ignore the hurt feelings her words gave me.

"We need to get inside." I knew I sounded stupid and probably a bit pathetic, but I needed to get my friends out.

"If that's possible do you think I would still be out here?" Octavia grabbed my arm and yanked my body around. I saw Fox's limp body lying in a cart similar to the one Anya and I had hidden in. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her broken body. Not even O's demanding voice broke my gaze. "Why did Lexa sound the retreat?"

I hesitated before answering. Octavia was going to figure it out eventually. She was already angry at me and was also going to yell at me whether I told her or not.

"She made a deal with the Mount Weather. Freed the grounders. Now we're on our own." I finally broke my gaze as I became determined to get passed the locked door. I slammed my hand against the door.

"Stop!" Octavia cried, her voice now shrill. "They'll know we're here." I turned around panting. "What about Lincoln? There's no way he would have gone along with a plan like this."

"He didn't. They took him." I aimed my gun at the lock.

"What is wrong with you!" Octavia demanded.

"I am getting through that door!"

"And that's your plan! Bellamy's counting on you. Everyone's always counting in you!"

"Well what do you want from me!"

"You trusted Lexa. You let a bomb drop on Ton DC. You let all those people-"

I cut her off, "I am doing the best I can!" My voice cracked.

"Well it's not good enough." Her face reminded me of Lexa while her words and voice reminded me of my mother. I could feel the crack on my heart become bigger at this. A beeping sound came from the door and it opened. Octavia and I immediately had our weapons aimed at the door. It was Bellamy.

"Bellamy!" The relief in his sister's voice was apparent. They hugged each other with a fierce grip. Bellamy looked at me. "I knew it!" Octavia said as she let him go. She went behind him to where Monty and Jasper had revealed themselves. "You two were to scrawny to drill.

I saw a radiation suit behind the two boys. I could easily make out Maya's face. Octavia had looked at her warily with her hand on her sword.

"It's all right. She's with us." Jasper's voice was slightly hoarse.

Bellamy looked at me. "Where's your army?"

"Gone. Just like yours." He looked to the side of me, avoiding my face. Something happened while he was in here. I'll talk to him when we get out of here."Please say you have a plan." I implored.

"Not really. You need to talk to Dante. Maya says he's in quarantine."

"Clarke!" Monty and Jasper both ran to hug me. I closed my eyes for a moment and relished the moment I got some of my family back. When I opened them I saw Maya looking at us.

"Thank you." I mouth to her. She nodded to me. Her suit started beeping frantically. Jasper was at her side checking her oxygen.

"Thirty minutes!" He exclaimed. "That can't be right. We just changed it. Aww shii...Ummm... It's her last tank." I step forward, taking charge.

"Okay. We'll find you another tank." Maya shook her head.

"All the supplies of oxygen are on level 5." She informed us.

"Then we'll take you to level 5." Jasper responded. He was breathing heavily and had a worried look.

"5 isn't safe." She insisted.

"Then we'll take the trash chute again. It'll work."

"To get in maybe." Bellamy's voice had its slightly resolved tone. "But Maya is right. Every soldier in the mountain is there. We'll never make it out."

"We can do this." Jasper's whispered. I looked at Bellamy, not really believing Jasper. "We'll split up."

"Okay," Octavia started. "You guys go for Dante. We'll help Maya." She took her sword out and walked past us determinedly. We briefly glanced around at each other before following.

~~small time skip~~

We walked into a white room. Well, all the rooms were white. Dante was looking at us with a blank face.

"Hello Clarke," he said with disdain clearly in his voice.

"Sir, we need your help again." Dante's eyes never left me as Bellamy spoke.

"It's okay," Monty said quickly. "I took out the camera from the junction box in the hall. We can talk freely."

"No one is watching anyway. Thanks to you, they're all on level 5." There was also a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"You're not," I rebutted.

"No. I'm not."

"Please," Bellamy begged, "we don't have much time. We need a way to get our people out without killing everyone." Dante didn't react, reminding me of Lexa. The only difference between the two faces was that his eyes showed defiance. It was then that it hit me.

Cage never would have thought about making peace with the grounders. He chose to drop a missile on a village to try and take out the enemy. It's not something that is easily forgettable or forgivable. Dante told him to make the offer knowing that Lexa would choose saving her own people.

"He's not going to help us." I stated. Coming to the conclusion was so easy. He wouldn't help us with his people on the line.

"You cut the power, risking the lives of everyone in this mountain. My people! Even the ones who helped you!"

I stepped forward, getting into his face. "We knew they'd be safe on level 5. We made sure not to destroy the turbine to make sure you guys could repair them. We're the good guys here! Not you!"

"Tell me. If we had released your people and theirs. What would happen to mine?" I turned. I didn't have an answer. The grounders would probably still attack for blood and mine would probably do the same in fear of being taken.

"Can you get us into the command center?" I asked Monty. "We need to see what's happening."

"No problem," he replied.

"Let's go," Bellamy stated. He grabbed Dante and pushed him towards the door. "You're gonna help us whether you like it or not."

~~Time Skip~~

I saw Raven on the operating table and my mother and friends hung around the room. I looked at the screens that showed level 5.

"Emerson." I breathed out. I grabbed the radio from Bellamy. I took a breath before speaking. "Carl Emerson. Mount Weather Security Detail come in."

"Who is this?"

"You know who this is. Get this radio to the President." We saw him move. He pulled Cage out of the earshot of the other mountain people.

"This is President Wallace."

"I have your father. If you don't let my people go... I'll kill him." It took a moment for him to register what I said.

"How do I know you have him?"

I shoved the walkie in Date's face. He said, "Stay the course Cage."

"You won't do it," Cage responded as he realized it was really his father.

"You don't know me very well." There was a long pause as Cage tried to figure out if I was bluffing. I thought about Raven on the table being drilled into. "This ends now! Release my people."

"I can't do that," he said regretfully. There was a very long pause as no one spoke.

"It would mean the end of our people Clarke." Dante said. I frustratingly aimed my gun at him. I ignored Bellamy's protests.

"Don't make me do this." I practically pleaded Cage. He seemed to consider it for a few moments.

"Dad," he started. "I'll take care of our people." Bell and Monty looked at me. I couldn't place the look on their faces.

"None of us have a choice here Clarke." Dante's voice filled my ears.

"I didn't want this," I whispered and focused my arm. I ignored his voice and pulled the trigger. His choked cries died down, but I knew I would never forget them. I looked back at my friends and finally I could place the look on their faces. Disbelief. Horror. It was the same look I received from my people after I killed Finn.

"Listen to me carefully. I will not stop until my people are free. If you don't let them go... I will irradiate level 5." I tried not to think about what I had just said as Cage hunched over. I continued to speak as he stood up straight. Emerson walked over to him and they spoke. We followed Cage as they walked away from each other.

"Can you do it Monty? Can you irradiate the level?"

"I can do it." he answered both determinedly and a little hesitant.

"Clarke we need to talk about this!" Bellamy semi-yelled "There are kids in there!"

"I know!" As if I could forget.

"People who helped us!"

"Then please give me a better idea." Bellamy looked away. We looked back at the screens to see that Cage had them take Raven off the table. Horror and fear filled me as I saw my mother being placed on it.

Octavia fighting filled the screen. Then guards bringing Jasper into the room they were drilling in. We continued to watch as Maya and Octavia ran into level 5. They were surrounded by guards.

Monty stopped what he was doing. "Why did you stop!" I demanded.

"Because I did it. All we have to do is pull this," pointing to the lever in front of me, "and the vents will open and scrubbers will reverse. Pulling in outside air." I hesitated.

Bellamy yelled. "He's going to blow the door!" Emerson was outside. Bellamy aimed his gun at the door and I grabbed the lever while looking at the screen.

"My sister my responsibility." I heard Bellamy murmur.

"I have to save them." I whispered. I saw Bellamy's hand go for the lever. No! This is my idea. My fault they're here. I had more death on me than him. He didn't need to carry this. These were my people. This was my responsibility. I pulled it.