the taste of freedom (part one)
A young doe eyed girl was centered in the middle of the cell watching as three guards maneuvered themselves in through the doorway, each of them containing an electrical baton. Matthew, one of the most respected men on the Ark who stood with a goofy grin on his face. The other two guards were his loyal friends; Bernard, who slowly closed the door grinning as she stared at the young girl in the middle of the room. There was Reece who shared the same goofy smile as Matthew. The girl with the doe eyes was only fourteen years of age but since she had such a youthful face, Robin looked younger.
"I want to see blood," Matthew piped up, mostly to Robin whose lip curled in a smirk which did not go unnoticed by the three guards. She never spoke, but with one nod and Robin was ready.
Bernard broke out into a sprint, charging at the young girl and whipping out the electrical baton, hitting Robin's upper thigh. With no reaction, this angered the guard who then pushed Robin to the floor with a thud. Matthew was upset that his soldier was taken down but he was proud to see doe spring back up with a twisted grin. That's my girl. He thought. Robin left-hooked Bernard sending her back, in no time she had a baton in her hands and used it to throw it at Reece. It successfully hit him square in the chest, leaving him breathless and he prepared himself for the girl's next few moves.
Robin threw left-hooks, right-hooks, all successful and the final had hit the guard in the temple which temporally knocked him out. There was no blood. "For the love –"Robin was cut off by Matthew who used this as an advantage. A pair of hands gripped her shoulders and sent her flying to the wall. Robin was used to the pain. There was nothing left for them to do, all expect floating her but she'll welcome death with open arms.
I refuse to lose. In a mantra, Robin got up and cracking her neck as the three guards now up and ready for a fight. Robin charged but her mission had failed when the female guard flew her fist with brute strength sending the doe eyed warrior down. The feeling of little liquid dripping from her nose had caught her attention and Matthew's attention. Once there is blood. Our fight is done. It was the one rule. It was on repeat in her mind and it made her blood boil. The three guards had left without sparing her a look.
"I had it." A visibly defeated Robin stood in the middle of her cell as silence fell over the room and outside in the hallway. Her blood boiled as she obsessed over these fights. Robin needed these fights. It was her life and all she had, with the exception of her sister but that was all. Her sister was only allowed to visit once a month. As much as she hated being away from her sister but it reminded her that there was someone on the Ark; who she didn't want dead.
Robin's crime was pathetic – she was simply born, her father was floated while her mother lived and breathed the same air as Robin. The woman literally handed her over to Kane and Jaha. Cecelia Horton, also known as Robin's first kill and the young girl could not wait. Her sister came in last month, claiming that Cecelia was saying that the child was not hers and she could care less if Robin died. The feeling was mutual. Robin looked up at the skylight where the planet earth orbited. A faint smile slowly crept on her face, but it was gone with a blink of an eye.
Three Years Later
Robin was lying on the cold cement floor in her cell – in boredom the criminal twirled her insanely long brown locks of hair. It reached inches above the deep in the back of her legs. Where were they? Robin thought, frustrated that they haven't stepped inside her cell yet. Matthew was supposed to be here with Bernard and Reece. They would usually be there in the morning when there were fewer guards on watch and the fact that they weren't there bothered her. They were supposed to be there helping her toughen up because they always said that one day she'll need it. It was a routine for Robin and she wasn't the one for change.
She asked questions as she burned holes into the planet. Where were they? Or were they caught? Were they dead? If that was the case then it ticked her off wanting to kill them herself. Robin did not care for the guards, all they were good for was helping her and that was it.
The door had opened causing Robin's heart to do a flip. Finally, she thought. Her eyes moved to the door and she furrowed a brow. There was something wrong with their entrance. Only Matthew and his loyal 'girlfriend' Bernard walked in with stern looks on their faces. Who walked inside genuinely surprised her. It was Markus Kane with an unhappy look on his face – as usual – in his hand was a silver box. It quirked her eyebrow and she froze.
"Prisoner 2-2-3, stand up and face the wall." Matthew's voice boomed inside the cell. Robin huffed out in response but obeyed the guard's orders. She did not ask questions. They were probably getting rid of her once for all. Maybe they wanted Cecelia to shut those lips of hers. Matthew was upset on how his soldier was so reluctant to their orders. Where was the fire? Kane opened the box to reveal a bracelet and handing it to Matthew who softly pushed her to the wall.
"You are being sent down to Earth with ninety-nine other delinquents. I tried to convince the Chancellor to pardon you, to allow you to become a guard as my apprentice but he wasn't convinced." He fondled with her wrist, keeping his words simple for the girl. Her brows perked up at this new information. A smirk morphed on her lips. She remembered Matthew telling her that the Ark's life source was failing and something like this would happen. Matthew always would say that he'd make sure she wouldn't be one of those people who'd be floated to help save air. He wanted her on the guard because of her strength.
Robin remembers the first time she had met Matthew, who was only a recruit at the time and she was thirteen and him being seventeen. His father was the first to teach her to fight – the man was floated for stealing – Matthew took over. Apparently the man's last words were to take care of Robin. He obeyed. Robin was now facing the door where Bernard stood with unreadable expression. It softened. "No. Do not pity me. If it's my time, it's my time." Robin said, with a wink. Bernard was glaring at the delinquent almost as if she was saying choke and die. It was obvious to everyone Bernard wanted Robin dead.
As Matthew softly pushed her forward out of the cell, the other guard and Bernard followed. Kane had reached another doorway that led to another part of the Ark. Robin was farther away from the other delinquents – for unknown reasons – as they made their way towards the door that led to the skybox, which held all of the criminals. Robin let out a huff as they got closer to the door. She could hear their protests and it was getting on her nerves. Robin was glad she wasn't in the skybox because she would hear their cries. It was pathetic. They were all going to die. The door had opened revealing the other delinquents thrashing in the guards holds. A lot of them did put up fights but were defeated by the sedation they were given. They all headed to the same direction. In the distance Robin could see the drop box.
"It's been ninety-seven years, why send us now?" Robin asked, very quietly so only Matthew and Bernard could hear. The man's grip tightened. It meant keep your mouth shut but Robin doesn't like to be told what to do. Before the delinquent could say anything else, Bernard had cut in, "They are sending you down to Earth to see if it survivable. So if you die. We die. So don't screw up." That was inspiring. Robin loved the words Bernard had chosen. 'So if you die. We die.' It was perfect. Robin turned to a defeated Bernard. A shake of Robin's head and chuckled softly.
"It looks like a coffin to me," Robin says, earning grins from both Bernard and Matthew as they stared at the pod. It did have a nice ring to it. Robin let out a dark chuckle as more and more teens were being sedated. Bernard chuckled. "Do not screw this up for us Robin. I'm actually putting my money on you." The guard was suggesting that Robin could kill them all. Robin winked. She was spun around to face Matthew who looked eerie.
The next words that came out of his mouth caused the girl's lips to curl into a sadistic smile. "Do whatever you have to do to survive. By all means, kill them all if you have to." Robin felt a sting in her neck and was not all surprised to see Matthew pull out a syringe from her neck. Screw you, bastard. Robin thought as she fell to the ground.
Robin had jolted awake and looked around frantically to find herself surrounded by all ninety-nine delinquents. The pain that coursed through her body was enough to make her wince. The numb feeling she got from the side of her neck was irritating. It was from the amount of times they put syringes in her neck to come her down or for the sake of sedating her because she almost groan immune to the drug – only in small dosages but the amount Matthew gave her was enough to make it feel she had a bad hangover.
She shuffled inside her seat, not liking the feeling of being restrained and huffing in annoyance. Robin drank in all the faces of the delinquents surrounding her. The fact she was placed in confinement and was banned from meeting other delinquents. It was nice for a change of scenery. A smirk formed on her lips as not one but two delinquents seated across from her, looked familiar although she couldn't put names to their youthful faces. It looked like the blonde beauty and the male resembled the man who appeared on the screen.
"Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now. 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."
The African American man's face made Robin's blood boil. Her fists tightened around the straps holding her in place. It was a good thing that these were restraining her because she would have killed Wells, who was seating beside the blonde beauty who was seemingly shocked when her eyes landed on a familiar face. Robin. This did not go unnoticed by the doe eyed girl who met the Clarke's gaze.
Clarke remembers seeing Robin once or twice when her mother treated her one week because of how badly beaten she was. She helped the girl get better. Clarke considered her as a friend but Robin declined her offer. Robin sent a wink Clarke's way. "Your dad's a dick Wells!" A boy who was seated behind Robin shouted, causing the girl to smile viciously towards the son of the Chancellor. Clarke knew the boy beside her made a mistake coming onto the dropship.
"Those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean." Jaha went on as Robin burnt holes into the screen. She knew that there was some truth to what he had said. It wasn't directed to everyone, Wells and Clarke maybe, and maybe even Robin. It depends on how good of a mood Jaha is in. Robin doubts that she would be pardoned. Her crime was stupid to begin with. "The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base camp built within the mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishable foods to sustain three hundred people for two years."
Robin's attention perked up when the Chancellor mentioned food, but how many it could feed and for how long and if she was going to survive on Earth. She'll need the food, shelter and the weapons. "The guard was sweet on you," Robin was caught off guard by a girl beside her who spoke up. The girl was tall, with an average build – on the attractive side – her long dark hair which matched her eyes. Robin nodded, not knowing who she was talking about and really she didn't care. "Matthew, I remember him walking around; you know I thought he was nice but that's when he arrested me. So I must know what's your secret? What makes you so special that he says may we meet again?" It seems that Robin was surprised by this but hid it well.
Robin was surprised that the guard had some affection for her but it did not change the fact she wanted him dead. Robin is unable to feel. They made sure of that. She was taught not to get close because in the end she may have to put an end to them. Matthew's father had said that to her. Robin looked up to David, almost like a father, she was heartbroken when he was floated. It taught her not to be afraid of what's to come. "He means nothing to me." Robin whispered, surprised to see the girl's hand in front of her. The girl smiled.
"Roma," She spoke up, "He said your name was Robin." The doe eye girl nodded carefully, placing her hand inside Roma's gently shaking it. Robin thought Roma was an alright delinquent. Although she didn't want to get to close, Robin had a feeling that they would become good friends, allies and if it ever came down to it – she couldn't be afraid to kill her. She does not want anyone tying her down.
"Mount Weather is life. You must locate those supplies immediately. Your one responsibility is to stay alive."
Robin was equally surprised as they began to free fall from the sky to the ground. Where were the parachutes? She went to ask but Robin was cut off by the screams and the desperate cries of the hundred. Robin held onto the straps and closed her eyes tightly. She was prepared to die, her whole life to be exact and Robin was not afraid. I'm not afraid. She repeated. She welcomed death.
Death did not welcome her.
How are we still alive? Robin asked, drinking in the damage and resting her eyes on Clarke. "Listen. No machine hum. " Her head moved to the two kids in a standing position against the wall. One was oriental and the other was tan with goggles on his head. "Whoa. That's a first." The boy with goggles replied. The duo turned to each other with dorky smiles on their faces. It was that silent conversation as 'we made it and were alive, let's do something stupid' look. Hell, Robin knew she had that look lingering on her face. Everyone started to undo their belts, whereas Robin had problems, and Roma; the new ally started to laugh at Robin who thrashed in her seat.
Roma helped the criminal and leant her hand pulling up Robin, who gave the girl a quick nod before heading down to the main floor. Her feet hit the metal flooring with a thud and she pushed through the crowd of petty teenagers with force. As Robin made it to the front she spotted a man – good looking man – dressed in a guard's uniform. Matthew said nothing about a guard coming with them. Robin furrowed her eyebrow as he pushed the delinquents back from the door. "No. We can't just open the doors." Clarke, the blonde beauty had ruined the moment. Robin who somewhat agreed with the princess but did not care really, what happens next and as much as she hated to admit to that confession Robin chose to disagree.
"I don't know about you princess, but the longer we stay in here the faster this thing becomes a graveyard," Robin called out to Clarke, grinning as she spoke. "So why not?" Robin shot a wink her way and turned to the guard, who pushed more kids back and went to open to but was stopped by Clarke again. "Stop. The air could be toxic." Robin rolled her eyes, eagerly waited for the guard to open the door. The guard's attention now on Clarke and he spoke up catching Robin's attention.
"If the air is toxic, were all dead, anyway." Robin smirked, knowing the truth in that. They were all dead. As long as Robin was alive – no one was really safe – she felt powerful knowing that she could kill everyone in this drop ship. Clarke was not pleased of his reply, but it shut her up and Robin was happy.
"Bellamy." The other delinquent who was seated next Robin, and the one who was knocked out when the drop ship thus knocking her out. She descended from the ladder, pushing through the crowd and moving around Robin to the guard. Robin watched in curiosity as the two interacted. "My god, look how big you are." Were they related? Their features were uncanny. The girl hugged the guard and hopped off, her eyes lingering on the clothes he wore.
"What the hell are you wearing a guard's uniform?" So he wasn't a guard. Robin's interest perked up as they continued whatever this thing was. "I borrowed it to get on the drop ship. Someone has to keep an eye out for you." He replied, earning a look of confusion from Doe, who stood there biting the inside of her cheek and arms tightly crossed against her chest. If he wasn't a guard then who was he? Bellamy. Who was that?
"Where's your wristband?" Clarke moved forward to Bellamy, obviously noticing he lacked the latest accessory. She may be annoying but she had a point. Robin kept her mouth shut, since she refused to back up on princess of the Ark and ruining her reputation. Instead she let out a chuckle. "You think that matters. Hurry up! By the time we get out there we'll be dead." Robin shouted, earning everyone's attention. Some nodded while others looked at her with confusion. Robin was never in the skybox and never got to interact with other delinquents. They didn't recognize her.
"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." Octavia sassed both Clarke and Robin. Clarke was unaffected by it whereas Robin was on the verge of laughing. Robin was trying to hide it but it came out of a harsh chuckle that lingered in the dropship. Octavia turned to the girl who wore a vicious smirk and eyes that could burn through steel. Bellamy watched the interaction. The whispers got louder in the drop ship. That's Octavia Blake. Robin was curious. The girl they found hidden in the floor. The brunette was ready to pounce but was held back by her brother.
Impressive title, Robin thought. It was nothing compared to Robin's nickname; the black sheep or her favorite the bastard child. It was cruel but Robin wouldn't allow those names affect her. Those names gave her the strength to be stronger. Cecelia Horton gave her those names. The woman was the whore of the Ark. Robin's mother was a prostitute. She was not at all proud of it either. Robin doesn't consider her as her mother. She was the first person she'd kill. It still stands.
"Let's give them something else." Bellamy was smiling down on his sister. Robin was ripped from her thoughts as the duo made plans from Octavia to be the first person on Earth in ninety-seven or so years. She deserves it. Her title 'the girl found hidden in the floors' was boring and wasn't as exciting. Robin being labeled the bastard was exciting. Bellamy pulled the lever and the door opened – Robin was in awe – the gust of wind blew inside hitting her face and the area covered by trees. It was beautiful. Octavia breathed in the air and hopped down onto the earth's ground. Robin wanted Octavia to drop dead – in some sick way – but she didn't. Robin wanted Octavia to live and as much as she wanted the people on the Ark dead. She wanted Cecelia dead.
"We're back bitches!" Octavia cried out whilst throwing her arms out. Everyone ran out, letting out their war cries and jumped around loving the feeling of freedom. Robin watched unamused as they acted like a bunch of animals. She was one of the last off of the drop ship. As she made her way out of the drop ship. A toothy grin morphed on her face.
The taste of freedom.
It won't last.