Disclaimer: I do not own The 100

Author's Note: To all who reviewed, thank you again! It makes my day getting those emails :) I feel like I should apologize in advance for how long this chapter is, but I don't think you guys will be complaining. I just couldn't find a good way to break it up. Anyway, hope you like it! Review, por favor!

Chapter 2: Spiraling into Darkness

For a brief moment Kat sat there, letting the dirt slide through her fingers and fall back to the floor. Filled with a sudden restless energy, Kat lurched to her feet and took off at a run. Eyes wide, she took in everything she could as she raced across the ground, leaping over logs and boulders. For the first time in almost 18 years she could actually run. She wasn't cramped in a metal cell anymore – there was so much space here. Her breathing quickly grew labored and there was a painful stitch in her side but she pushed herself a little bit farther before she stopped. Throwing herself to the ground, Kat lay there with her arms spread wide, panting, the smile still on her face as she looked up into the clear blue sky. She felt dizzy, though she didn't know if it was because her body was in shock from breathing in real air or because she was experiencing so many emotions that her body didn't know how to handle it.

I can't believe I'm here, she thought, eyes slowly filling with tears. She snorted at herself, shaking her head and blinking rapidly. If there was one thing that Katerina Hale did not do it was cry. She didn't cry when her parents died or when she got arrested. There was no way that she was going to start now.

With a happy sigh, Kat sat up and scooted back so she was resting against a tree. She reached into her combat boot and pulled out the switchblade. Turning it over in her hands she looked down at it with mixed feelings. She flicked it open and held it in front of her face, looking at her distorted reflection for the first time in a long time.

She barely recognized herself. Her face was older and more mature; she definitely didn't look like a 13-year-old girl anymore. The first thing she noticed, the one major difference, was the three inch white scar on her face. She turned her head to the right, lightly running a finger on it. It went from the corner of her left eyebrow, around her actual eye and ended about an inch or so below it. There was also the cut from the split lip that Officer Asston had given her.

The corner of her mouth twitched. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Actually, with her grey eyes and pitch-black hair it made her look kind of badass. In her opinion anyway. Her good mood still intact, Kat looked back down at the knife. It's been four years since she held it. What were the chances that she still knew how to wield it?

She stood up, carefully keeping an eye on the blade while she gave it a few experimental tosses. Shifting her feet, Kat held the blade tightly in one hand while running through a few different thrusts and parries. The movements felt awkward and unfamiliar – not only was she rusty, but she was never a professional knife fighter. Her father taught her how to use one, but she never had a real person to fight against. Still, it made her feel better knowing she had it with her.

Kat held the tip of the blade carefully between three fingers, eyeing the tree in front of her. She shifted her stance so her left leg was leading and brought her right arm back directly behind her, never moving her eyes from the tree. With a deep breath in and a steady exhale, Kat brought her arm straight down with a snap and watched as the knife flew through the air and… missed the tree completely. Kat winced in embarrassment. She could almost see her father standing there, arms crossed and a disgusted sneer on his face. With a sigh, she went looking for her knife. She really needed to practice.

Bellamy's POV

Bellamy crossed his arms, watching what was going on in front of him with narrowed eyes. They had just landed on Earth and already a few of the "privileged" were trying to convince half the group that they needed to go to Mount Weather in order to find food. There was no way he was going to let Clarke Griffin and the Chancellor's son take control of the group – then there would be no sure way to protect Octavia and ensure his survival. With a few well-placed arrogant comments, he felt the tension within the group increase exponentially.

One of the delinquents grew angry at something the Chancellor's son said and he charged forward, giving him a shove.

"Look at this everybody. The Chancellor of Earth," he said in a sarcastic drawl. Bellamy grinned appreciatively at the nickname.

"You think that's funny?" Wells asked.

Moving quickly, the guy with the brown hair hooked an ankle around Well's foot and gave him another shove, causing him to fall back on his ass.

"Wells!" Clarke called, trying to move forward. She was quickly held back by one of the other guys' friends.

"Well that was," the guy muttered as he stood over Wells, looking smug. People in the crowd were cheering as they watched what might very well turn into a fight.

Wells struggled to his feet, a pained yet angry expression on his face as he hobbled slightly. He must have twisted an ankle or something when he fell.

"Alright," the guy grinned as Wells finally stood with both fists raised.

"Wow," came a voice to Bellamy's right. He turned to see a girl push her way through the crowd, crossing her arms when she saw what was going on in front of her. She was fairly tall, coming up to his chin with smooth white skin and black hair that was thrown up in a high ponytail. He couldn't see her face from where he was standing.

"Really?" She asked, in a voice full of sarcasm and disbelief. "We haven't even been here an hour yet and you're already trying to start a fight?" She cocked her head to the side and the corner of her mouth turned up as her voice turned sympathetic. Her eyes flicked to the boy trying to fight Wells. "Are you really that aggressive or are you trying to over compensate for something?"

Bellamy let out a surprised laugh as she raised her left pinky and moved it up and down.

The guy's face flushed angrily as laughter echoed around him. "Who the fuck are you?" He spat, glaring at her.

"That's Katerina Hale," Bellamy heard someone say behind him. "The girl who murdered the Commander before Shumway."

The effect of that statement was immediate and unsettling. The crowd was shocked into silence for a full three seconds before the muttering broke out. People shifted uneasily and Bellamy even thought he saw a few of those closest to her take a step back.

Katerina turned her head to look for the speaker and their eyes met. Bellamy felt shock run through him though he didn't know why. It could have been any number of things: the white scar that was visible on the left side of her face paired with a split lower lip, her piercing silver-gray eyes or the fact that she was really quite pretty. Although she definitely didn't look capable of throwing a punch let alone murdering a fully-grown man. Never mind the fact that the man was trained in combat.

The corner of her mouth lifted as she broke eye contact and looked at the people behind him. "Thanks for the introduction," she bowed her head slightly. "But I think the whole title is a little excessive. I really would just prefer Kat." She turned back to the two boys who were still staring at her in shock. "Now, this isn't about me. I believe we were waiting for you guys to finish proving that you are big, strong, capable men," she challenged, crossing her arms. "Proceed."

They seemed confused by the fact that she wasn't going to try and stop the fight. Wells shifted slightly and both of them tensed again turning towards each other. The guy with brown hair faked a punch with a grin, waving Wells forward. Just as people started cheering again and egging them on, the Spacewalker jumped off from the side of the ship and landed between the two boys. The crowd fell silent again.

"Kid's got one leg," the Spacewalker told the guy with brown hair. "How about you wait until it's a fair fight." Although it sounded like a question, the Spacewalkers face and stance suggested otherwise.

Bellamy eyed him with speculation – he was going to have to keep an eye on that one.

"Hey Spacewalker!" Octavia called, striding forward. Bellamy fought the urge to groan by clenching his teeth. "Rescue me next," she suggested her voice dropping down an octave. The Spacewalker chuckled and just like that the tension seemed to dissipate.

The guy with the brown hair turned to Kat and he shoved a finger in her face. "I'll deal with you later," he snarled. "This isn't over!"

Kat's eyebrows went up as she looked at him. "I can hardly wait," she said drily. "Bye!" she called, waving her pinky finger again as the guy turned his back on them and walked away with the rest of his gang.

The crowd was rapidly dispersing. Spacewalker strolled away, Clarke went to help Wells with his ankle and Bellamy slowly walked up to his sister, an exasperated look on his face.

"What? He's cute," she shrugged as if that explained everything.

"He's a criminal."

"They're all criminals," Octavia said slowly as if he were an idiot. "Speaking of…" She said, looking around. "Hey! Kat!" Octavia waved, making the girl turn around in surprise.

"Octavia!" Bellamy hissed as she walked towards her. She sent him a pointed look but otherwise totally ignored him.

He wasn't part of the conversation but he could still hear what they were saying. He didn't think this Kat person was capable of doing any real damage, but he still kept a close eye on them.

"Hello," Kat said, looking at Octavia curiously.

"Hey," Octavia greeted, walking up to her with that reckless grin. "I'm Octavia Blake."

"Kat Hale," She answered, shaking Octavia's offered hand. "Aren't you supposed to be afraid of me? They say I killed the Commander, you know."

Octavia shrugged. "I don't know if you did or didn't. Just figured I'd introduced myself to the only other person here who everybody already knows. Plus, you know, if you are a murderer it would probably be smart of me to get on your good side."

Kat shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, returning Octavia's grin. "So who do you think is more famous; you or me?"

"Hard to say," Octavia said thoughtfully. "We both broke some pretty big laws up on the Ark."

"True." Kat's eyes flickered over Octavia's shouldered and met his. "Listen I better go. Between the holes your brother is boring into my head with his glare and the constipated look on his face, I'd say he either doesn't want you talking to me or he wants to talk to you himself."

Octavia rolled her eyes, shooting him a glare over her shoulder. "Don't pay any attention to him."

"It's alright. I've got lots of things I gotta do like-"

"Kat!"

He watched Kat look over to see Clarke calling her from where she was standing with Finn and Wells. A flicker of annoyance passed over her face before to a blank expression replaced it. "What?" Kat asked sounding bored.

"Are you coming with us? We could use some extra hands."

"I'll pass," Kat said flatly.

Clarke faltered, frowning in confusion at either her tone or response, clearly unsure why Kat was being so hostile toward her.

Octavia looked back and forth between the two of them. "Did you know her, up on the Ark?" She asked curiously.

Kat was silent for a moment before meeting Bellamy's eyes over Octavia's shoulder. "Knew her," she finally said. "I'm gunna go before she corners me and tries to give me a lecture about teamwork or something. I'll catch you later."

Bellamy felt his eyebrows raise, feeling intrigued. Clarke, Princess of the Ark and Kat, the number one teenage criminal of the decade had some sort of relationship back on the Ark. It was an unlikely pairing and he couldn't help but wonder what sort of history they had between them.

"Later," Octavia waved as Kat strolled away before turning around and walking back to her brother. "You know, you don't have to be such an overprotective moron, Bellamy."

He shook his head, any thoughts of Kat and Clarke evaporating from his mind as he refocused on the most important thing – Octavia. He grabbed Octavia's arm to pull her away from anyone who could possible overhear them. "Look O, the whole reason I came down here was to protect you."

"I don't need protecting," she emphasized, yanking her arm out of his grip angrily. "I have been locked up, one way or another, all my life! I am done following orders." Bellamy looked down, feeling that familiar guilt creep over him. "I need to have fun, Bell," she said in a softer voice, trying to get him to see her side. "I need to just… do something crazy just because I can and no one, including you, is going to stop me."

She didn't seem to understand the risk he had taken to come down here for her. "I can't stay with them all."

"Now what are you talking about?" She asked in an exasperated voice.

Bellamy glanced at the group of people laughing behind him and guided her to a more secluded area. "I did something, okay? To get on the drop ship, something that they will kill me for when they come down." Octavia's eyes immediately filled with confusion and concern. "I can't say what it is just yet but you have to trust me. You do still trust me, don't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She glanced towards the front of the ship, and back at him. "But you need to trust me too, Bellamy. If you keep trying to tell me what to do I think I'm going to go crazy." She waited until he gave her a reluctant nod before walking away.

"Sounds like a party," He heard Octavia say when she walked up to the Spacewalker, Clarke, Wells and two dorky looking dudes. Grumbling under his breath, Bellamy hurried after her. "Make it five!"

"Hey," Bellamy touched her shoulder. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Going for a walk," she answered in a tight voice, moving out of his grip once again.

"Hey!" Clarke said suddenly, striding forward and grabbing the Spacewalkers wrist to look at the wristband. "Did you try and take this off?"

"Yeah? So?"

"So this wristband transmits your vital signs to the Ark. Take it off and they'll think you're dead."

"Should I care?"

"I don't know, do you want the people you love to think you're dead? Do you want them to follow you down here in two months because they won't if they think we're dying!" When he didn't say anything she continued. "Okay. Now let's go."

They started to walk away and Octavia turned to look at him, an expectant expression on her face. "Go on," he gestured with his head. A grin spread across her face and she gave him a hurried kiss on the cheek before running off after the others. He stared after her, thinking back to what the loud blonde had been saying. A plan was already beginning to form in his mind…

Kat's POV

Kat sat on a log, elbows resting on her knees as she watched people continue to celebrate. They were singing, laughing and dancing but she couldn't bring herself to join them. Partly because she sounded like a dying animal when she sang and partly because she wasn't in the mood for dancing.

She sighed. Already she had to deal with the sidelong glances and the whispered conversations as people passed her. One girl even looked up as Kat was walking towards her, stopped with wide eyes and turned to basically run in the other direction. It almost felt like she was toxic instead of the air.

She started as someone sat down on the log next to her. She turned her head and saw that it was the Blake boy. What was his name again? Something with a B…

"So. Did you really kill the Commander?" He asked out of nowhere.

Kat grinned at his audacity, so different from the way everyone else was tiptoeing around her. "Oh you're just gunna jump right in there, aren't you? Okay. If we're asking personal things about each other then I've got one for you. How did you steal that guard's uniform and sneak on to the drop ship?" She challenged.

They stared at each other for a moment. "Touché," he said quietly, his smile fading slightly.

She gave him a questioning look. "I mean seriously. I don't even know you, why would I tell you anything?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Hi, I'm Bellamy Blake," he greeted. Kat looked from his outstretched hand and up to his twinkling brown eyes.

"Bellamy," Kat said softly, shaking his hand. "That's an oddly beautiful name for a boy."

"Beautiful?" He repeated, throwing her a mock offended look. "Beautiful? Come on, have you seen me? If there are any words that are associated with my name and me it'll be more along the lines of," he paused for dramatic effect. "Handsome. Manly. Ruggedly good-looking."

Kat raised the corner of her mouth into a smirk, feeling entertained despite herself. "No, I'm pretty sure I meant beautiful. Bellamy," She said again slowly. "It really just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? What do people call you for short? Bells? Bella?"

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

Kat shrugged. "Maybe a little."

"Well what about your name?" Bellamy asked, cocking his head to the side.

"What about it?"

"Your name is Kat," he said as if that should explain everything. "Like the animal."

"So?" She frowned.

"So… you don't look anything like a cat." His eyes ran over her face. "With your small button nose, wide eyes and thin frame you look more like a kitten."

"Do not even think about calling me kitten," she warned, grey eyes flashing as entertainment was quickly replaced with irritation.

His grin widened at her reaction. "Sure thing… Kitten." With an angry huff, Kat made to get up and walk away, not seeming to realize that her hand was still in his. He gave it a gentle tug, making her sit back down. She looked down at their hands, noticing the difference in skin color. His large, somehow golden tan hand completely enveloped her small pale one.

Kat looked back up at his amused face. "Are you going to let go or are we going to sit here and hold hands all day?" She felt annoyed. She literally did the same immature trick with Officer Ashton and his nickname this morning, except this time she was the one who showed the predictable reaction.

Bellamy let go, raising his hands in the air in a defensive gesture. "Look I didn't come over here to annoy you-"

"You didn't."

He smiled knowingly but continued on anyway. "-I just wanted to warn you. You made a real enemy today." He nodded to the guy who shoved Wells earlier and they both turned to watch him stomp through the forest with the rest of his gang trailing behind him. "I mean, questioning the guys manhood and implying that he has a small dick is bad enough, but to do it in front of the entire group? Not the smartest thing you could have done."

Kat rested her chin on her hand, still watching the other guy. "Do you think he looks more like a rat or a frog?" She asked in a wondering voice.

"What?" He asked, sounding bewildered.

"You're right, I was thinking more like a frog too. It's something about his eyes…"

"I- did you listen to anything I just said?" He asked, exasperated.

Kat sighed, dropping her arm and turning to face him. "Yes, I heard what you said. It's very… thoughtful of you to try and warn me, but I don't need nor want your help. I can take care of myself."

"Right," Bellamy nodded slowly. "Because you murdered the Commander and all that."

Kat paused, frowning at the tone of his voice. She looked up into his face, searching and suddenly she knew. Bellamy didn't believe that she had murdered the Commander, didn't believe that she was capable of it. She didn't know how that made her feel. Ever since that day, everyone who had heard what had happened had always believed she was guilty. After a moment, she decided it didn't matter either way.

It was good to be underestimated. Let people pretend that they have some idea of who she was. This way, there were no expectations for her. This way, if need be, she could shut them all up and prove them wrong.

With a sigh, Kat rolled her eyes and stood up. "Hey Blake?" She waited with a polite smile until he looked up at her, then bent down until she was level with him and said in a soft whisper. "Try and keep in mind that you know nothing about me or my life, before you go making snap judgments, okay?"

"Sure thing, Kitten," he nodded, a patronizing smile on his face and Kat felt irritation run through her again. With one hand she shoved hard on his chest, watching with a satisfied grin as his arms pin wheeled before he fell backwards off the log, landing on his back with his legs dangling slightly in the air. "What the fuck was that?" He snapped angrily, coming up to rest on one elbow.

"Sorry," She grinned down at him, widening her eyes innocently. "Your neck was looking a little tired, you know, from holding up that giant, over-inflated ego you call a head. I felt bad for it." She shrugged. "Anyway, see you around Bells!" She waved before turning around and walking away.

There was a paused and then… "Seriously?" She heard him yell from behind her. Her grin widened. Juvenile and immature, true, but oh so satisfying.

Kat slowly walked through the forest, looking around. She was still feeling restless; maybe she should have agreed to go with Clarke and the others on their trek to Mount Weather. A moment later she snorted. She had just realized the she would be spending an indeterminable about of time with a girl she had hated for four years – she didn't trust that she'd be able to handle her emotions quite yet.

It was kind of ironic. When she was stuck in her cell she had nothing but time with nothing to do – until her execution date of course. Now she was free and she really did have nothing but time – her whole life, really – and still, she had nothing to do.

Her eyes fell on Wells, who was walking through the forest toward the ship carrying a bunch of small logs and sticks in his arms. Eyebrows furrowed, Kat abruptly changed directions and headed towards him.

"Hey," She greeted as she cautiously approached him. She didn't know how he would react after her part in the almost-fight this morning.

Wells head raised and he just looked at her for a long moment. Kat couldn't read the expression on his face. "Hey," he finally said.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously, watching as he dumped the branches in a pile in front of the drop ship.

"Collecting some wood for a fire. It's going to get dark in a couple hours."

"Can I help?"

Wells jerked a shoulder up. "Sure. I guess."

He turned and walked away, back towards the forest and Kat trudged along behind him. Even through his jacket she could tell that his shoulders were tense and hunched. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was not a happy person.

If she had considered Clarke a friend back in the day (which she didn't), then Wells was more of an acquaintance. They had a bunch of the same classes when they were growing up, but Kat tended to keep to herself – by choice of course. It wasn't her fault that Clarke was a persistent son of a bitch that couldn't take a hint.

The sounds of the other delinquents eventually faded as they walked.

"You need to look for small sticks and things as well as slightly bigger logs, maybe as big as your arm," he muttered shortly.

She frowned. What would a normal person with friends do in this situation? Change the topic? Tell a funny story? She inwardly grinned at that one. Kat didn't know any funny stories. Ask him how he's feeling? Guys don't normally like to talk about their feelings though. Then again neither do I. Ah, what the hell. It was worth a shot. "Are you alright?" She asked tentatively.

Normally Kat could give two shits about how someone was feeling. But Wells had always been kind to her back on the Ark and she felt bad with how he was being treated down here on the ground.

Wrong move, she thought with wide eyes as Wells suddenly dropped everything that he was carrying and spun on his heel to get right in her face. "Am I alright?" He repeated in a disbelieving snarl. "I was just launched thousands of miles in space in a drop ship with almost one hundred criminals, crash landed in a radiation soaked forest, my best friend hates me, and to top it all off, everyone else does too because my father either had them locked up or gave the order to have one of their family members floated! Does it sound like I'm alright?" He shouted angrily.

Kat blinked, but didn't move a muscle. Wells was breathing heavily, fists clenched tightly at his side as he stared at her. A couple of seconds later he took a deep breath and stumbled back a few steps. "I'm sorry," he said, wiping a hand wearily over his face. "I didn't mean to-"

"Yes you did," Kat interrupted. "But that's okay. If you need to scream and shout a bit more, maybe throw a few things, I don't mind. I can take it."

"You mean that, don't you?" Wells asked curiously. Kat nodded. "Thanks, but I think I'm alright for now."

Kat accepted that in silence as she followed his lead and helped him pick up the sticks that he had dropped. Now what? Feeling incredibly awkward and out of her depth, Kat said, "I wouldn't take what the others say personally. They're looking for someone to blame and since it was your father who has the unfortunate task of giving the orders, you're an easy target. As for your Clarke issue, I'm the wrong person to give advice seeing as I'm not her biggest fan but I guess just be there for her." She debated asking why Clarke was mad at him but didn't think it appropriate. "Right. And as for the whole crash landing on Earth thing – you really need to stop and take a breath of the radiation soaked air," she said with a grin.

"Do you realize that we are the first people in almost 100 years to be here?" She asked, eyes lighting up as she shoved her bundle of sticks under one arm and gestured with another. "We're breathing real air, not that stale shit that they had to make on the Ark. These trees, they're real! This giant tree started out as something tiny, and then with a little water and sunlight it grew into this! There's something amazing about that isn't there?"

Wells looked from her to the trees with a reluctantly amused expression. "You really feel passionate about this don't you?"

"Of course," Kat said, feeling like this should be obvious. "The earth is this beautiful, fascinating, mysterious place. It's almost definitely dangerous, cause you know, every breath we breathe could be bringing us closer to death. Never mind the fact that we still don't know what's out there." Kat paused to pick up another stick. She pointed it at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It could also be because I was supposed to be floated next week and all of the sudden I'm looking at the rest of my life. Barring any unforeseen complications, obviously."

Wells picked up a few more sticks before looking at her from the corner of his eye. "And you don't… blame me for any of that? Like the others?"

"No," Kat answered honestly. "Your dad never floated any of my family and I don't blame him for locking me up."

Wells stared at her incredulously. "You know, everyone thought you were a little… odd back in school."

She snorted. "I'm well aware of what everyone thought."

"Yeah well, I'm starting to think it's true."

She opened her mouth to respond hotly, but snapped it back shut again at the teasing glint in his eye. He turned to continue walking and she followed willingly, a small smile playing around the edges of her mouth.

They continued walking for a while in silence until their arms were full. "We should turn back," he said.

Kat nodded before falling back into step with him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"If they really wanted to see if the Earth was inhabitable, why did they send a bunch of juvenile delinquents? We don't know anything about finding food, which plants or fruit are edible or not. We don't have engineers who can figure out how to fix the communication system on the ship. What if someone gets really hurt or sick? Are they going to die because we don't know how to save them? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Didn't you hear my father?" Wells said bitterly. "They don't know if the Earth is safe and we're expendable."

"But still," Kat insisted. "We're not their best chance of determining if Earth is inhabitable. They sent a bunch of teenagers - "

"I don't know. My father didn't exactly explain his decision to me." Wells snapped over his shoulder.

Okay, Kat thought. Touchy subject. She fell silent again as they made their way back to the drop ship. She added her sticks to Wells growing pile and straightened up, staring down at it with her hands on her hips.

"Did you find any water yet?" Kat looked to her left and almost groaned out loud when she saw who was standing there. It was frog boy and his silent friend with short-cropped black hair and dark skin.

"No, not yet," Wells said straightening, trailing off when he also saw who it was. "I'm going back out if you want to come." Kat raised her eyebrows at the offer then turned to look at what was carved into the side of the ship. It read "First son, First to dye."

Frog boy gave a dark chuckle, and for the first time Kat noticed that he had a knife in his hand, obviously one that he made. Where the hell did he learn to do that? "You know, my father, he begged for mercy in the airlock chamber when your father floated him." Understanding dawned on Kat's face. At least now they knew why he had such a giant stick up his ass.

Kat's eyes flickered back to Wells, who had a hardened look on his face. He walked past Frog boy and his friend, making sure to brush shoulders. "You spelled die wrong, geniuses."

They watched him walk away for a moment. "He's right, you know," Kat said, speaking up for the first time. "If you meant die like a person's life is ending it's d-i-e. This dye means to color something, like clothes for instance. So unless you meant that the first son's are the first to dye clothes, then you've spelt it correctly." She gave them both an innocent smile before heading off in the opposite direction from Wells. She figured she'd give him some time alone since he probably wasn't in the best mood and went off to do some more exploring.

A few hours later, Kat found herself sitting on yet another log, this time around a huge bonfire that someone had set up when the sun had gone down. She stared into it, mesmerized by the colors of the fire, how high the flames reached and the tiny sparks that jumped up from the ground before dying out. It was constantly moving, constantly writhing in the air – a beautiful and dangerous thing. The noise from the crowd around her grew louder. They sounded wild and slightly insane. She stared harder into the flames, trying to ignore them, but it was almost impossible.

Unwillingly, her eyes moved to the right where frog-boy, whose real name was actually Murphy. He was bending over another person who was holding their arm on a log to get their bracelets taken off. John, the dark silent boy, was standing with Murphy and holding the guys arm still while Murphy would pry off the bracelet with a long piece of metal from the ship The crowd was chanting "take it off" and when it was off the boy raised both hands over his head triumphantly, making the crowd cheer louder still.

Kat sat there, watching with mixed feelings. Bellamy had riled them all up with talk of how the people on the Ark would never forgive them for their crimes when they came down to Earth. He told them that they would still be executed for breaking the law. Her eyes flickered to where he was standing a little off to the side, arms crossed and a smug smile on his face as he watched.

He knew exactly what to say to make them afraid. These kids didn't want to be executed or locked up again. They were down here and they were free. They wanted to live! So what should they do? Bellamy had an answer for that one too. If they didn't want everyone on the Ark coming to earth, then they needed to make them believe that it wasn't safe. That people down here were dying. When the bracelets were taken off, it appeared as though it's wearer was dead. So if everyone took their bracelets off, the people on the ark would think that it wasn't safe and they would stay right where they were.

It was a smart plan. A clever plan. Hell, when Bellamy spoke she wanted to shout and yell with the rest of them. She didn't want to finally be free just to have them come down here and either kill her or lock her up again. So she could understand where they were coming from.

But something about it just felt wrong. When she thought about the four thousand people stuck on that Ark, her stomach twisted unpleasantly. Shouldn't they get the chance to come down here and be free too? Should she sacrifice her happiness and her freedom for the rest of the people up there or should she say screw you and think only about her survival?

As if feeling her gaze, Bellamy turned his head and their eyes met. With his smug smile still in place, he walked towards her, a definite swagger in his step. Kat stood, feeling like she needed to be on an even field with him.

"Hey, Kitten," he greeted, stopping in front of her. Kat fought the urge to take a step back, instead tilting her head up so she could see his face. He was too close to her, in her personal space and she knew he did it on purpose. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her take a step back.

"Blake," she nodded back, ignoring the stupid nickname. "Not even here for a full day and already making moves to become leader of juvenile delinquents? How ambitious of you. Should I start calling you 'King of the Forest' now?"

"That's not necessary. Although…" Bellamy cocked his head to the side, his eyes flickering down to her lips briefly. "Coming from you, Kitten, I really wouldn't mind."

"Don't call me that," she snapped automatically, flushing without knowing why.

A particularly loud cheer broke the moment and they both looked over as yet another person had successfully taken off their bracelets. Bellamy's grin widened as he turned back to her. "What about you, Kat?"

"What about me?"

"Are you going to let Murphy take your bracelet off? Send your very own fuck you to the people who locked you away?"

"Why?"

His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. "What do you mean, why? Do you really want them to come down here and kill you?"

Kat shook her head. "No, I mean why are you doing all this?" She asked, gesturing to the cheering crowd around them.

He still looked confused. "Do you really think they'll forgive you and everyone else here? If they think we're all dead-"

"So you're telling me you're going through all this trouble to help us?" She interrupted him, watching him carefully.

"Of course," Bellamy said shortly. "Why else would I be doing it?" He shifted and looked away, but not before she saw a glimpse of something in his eyes. Fear. She knew it well and she knew what it looked like. Bellamy was afraid of something. But what? Kat never got the chance to ask.

"Who's next?" Bellamy shouted, turning from her and looking out into the crowd.

Kat looked past Bellamy and cursed under her breath. Wells had just walked into the firelight, looking around with wide eyes, his face a mixture of disbelief and anger. This was not going to end well.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, eyes narrowed.

Bellamy held out a hand as that John kid made to move toward Wells, a dark look on his face. "We're liberating ourselves," Bellamy explained, making sure that his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're trying to get us all killed." Bellamy looked away, annoyed as Wells continued. He turned to face the crowd, trying to talk some sense into them. "The communications system is dead. These wristbands are all we've got! Take them off and they'll think we're dying! That it's not safe for them to follow!"

"That's the point… Chancellor. We can take care of ourselves. Can't we?" He called back to the crowd. He smirked at Wells as the crowd chorused a cheer of 'Yeah!' behind him.

"You think this is a game? Those aren't just our friends and our parents up there." Wells looked at her briefly. "They're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers!" Kat's eyes flickered to Bellamy. He shifted, looking at the crowd uneasy. "I don't care what he tells you! We won't survive here on our own!" Wells turned back to Bellamy. "And besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?"

Bellamy's face hardened. "My people, already are down. Those people," He stressed, pointing to the sky. "Locked my people up. Those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child. Your father did that."

"My father didn't write the laws."

"No. He enforced them. But not anymore. Not here. Here, there are no laws," Bellamy's voice grew progressively louder. "Here, we do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want! You don't have to like it Wells, you can even try to stop it – change it – kill me. You know why? Whatever the hell we want!"

Kat watched him, unable to name the feeling inside her. The crowd was captivated by him, hanging on his every word. The firelight danced across his face accentuating his jaw line and making him look older. Stronger. And even though Kat didn't agree with what he was saying, she wanted to. Damn, she wanted to.

A drop landed on her face, startling her out of her ridiculous thoughts. She looked around, confused, and then it was if someone had turned on the faucet. Water suddenly started pouring down on their heads. She slowly walked away from the fire, tuning out her once again cheering fellow delinquents.

Rain. She couldn't believe it. It was raining. She had heard stories, but they didn't do it justice. Kat stared up in wonder at the water falling from the angry, slate gray clouds in the sky. It was a heavy, steady rain that had soaked her within seconds, making her hair and clothes stick close to her body. She watched in wonder as the rain hit the tops of the trees, dripping onto the leaves before finally falling to the ground where it gathered in puddles, making the grass soft and soggy. The sound of the rain hitting the leaves and the ground calmed her body as she listened and the smell. It was peculiar but if Kat had to put a name to it she would have to say it was full of promise.

Kat tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes as the rain hit her face. Grinning widely, she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, gathering a mouthful of water and swallowing it. Eyes still closed, she flung her arms out to the side and spun in a circle. Her hair, which she had taken down when it started to rain, clung to her face and neck. With a happy sigh, Kat flopped down on a soft patch of grass that was partially protected by the trees and watched the rainfall.

Wells found her there hours later, eyes closed and dozing slightly. A twig snapped under his foot and her eyes flew open.

"Sorry," he winced apologetically. She waved it away, resting her head back against the tree and looking up at him. He glanced down at her uncertainly. "May I?" He asked, gesturing to the tree across from her. She nodded and he sat down.

They looked at each other for a few moments. "I feel like I should ask you if you're alright, but the last time I did that it didn't go so well," She said with a grin.

"Yeah I'm sorry about that," He said again, looking slightly ashamed.

"No big deal," Kat shrugged. "You have a lot going on right now."

"Yeah. Can you believe that everyone bought what Bellamy was saying earlier?" Wells asked, the disgust clear in his voice.

"Yes," Kat said truthfully. She looked back at him to see the incredulous look on his face. She shrugged again. "He's strong, persuasive and outspoken. And it helps that he's saying exactly what everyone wants to hear."

Wells rolled his eyes. "You're only saying that because you think he's attractive."

Kat's eyes widened and she felt her face flush. Thank god it was dark. "I- what- He… I do not!" She sputtered, automatically denying what he was saying.

"It's okay, Kat, you're not the only one. All the girls here are already watching him with those googly eyes. I swear one of them almost fainted when he walked by-"

"Wells," she interrupted, looking him in the eye. "I am not attracted to Bellamy Blake."

"Alright, alright," Wells chuckled raising his hands. "Whatever you say. Listen, is it alright if I sleep here? Everywhere else is still pretty soaked from the rain. Plus, everyone else here annoys me," he added.

"And I don't?" Kat asked with a knowing smirk.

He gave her a grudging smile. "You less so then others."

She thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "I'll take it. The tree's all yours."

"Thanks," he said, settling down. "Night."

"Night," she murmured as he closed his eyes.

Kat, however, was wide-awake, still in shock about his previous comment. She was not attracted to Bellamy Blake. So what if he was tall and had deep brown eyes and a rough, husky voice? So what if he had high cheekbones and a strong jaw line? If she felt any sort of emotion for Blake it would have to be irritation and a mild curiosity for what is driving him to go through all of this. Yeah, she nodded to herself resolutely. That was definitely it.

Besides, Kat had never been attracted to another person before. She was sure that she would know what it would feel like when it actually happened. She briefly contemplated her non-existent love life. Being locked up for most of her teen years has seriously screwed her over on that point. She's never been attracted to a boy, never had sex, hell, she's never even had her first kiss. Anything beyond that was just pointless. In her opinion, true love didn't exist. And if what she witness during her life was love…then she didn't want any part of it.

With a derisive snort at the absurdity of her thoughts, Kat shook her head and stood up to relieve herself before trying to get some sleep. Lost in her thoughts, she wandered a little farther out from where they had made their temporary camp and took care of her business. On the way back, she was so preoccupied that she almost ran into a short boy with light brown hair.

"Oh shit, sorry-"

"Have you seen Bellamy or Murphy?" The boy snapped angrily. "These two douche bags stole my jacket."

"No, sorry," Kat shrugged. "Haven't seen them." With an angry curse the boy stalked off. Kat shook her head and yawned, thoughts of the soft patch of grass calling to her. Man, what a day. She really hoped that she would be able to get some sleep. Maybe when she woke up in the morning Blondie and the others would be back with food.

With a happy sigh at the thought, Kat snuggled into the soft grass at the foot of her tree and closed her eyes. A second later, she frowned and sat up, looking across to where Wells had been sleeping not 5 minutes ago. It was empty.

Kat got up again, squinting into the darkness. "Wells?" She called softly. She waited for an answer but none came. "Wells? If you're out there, answer me. This isn't funny!" Still no answer.

Unease settled over her like a blanket. Bellamy and Murphy weren't at the camp…and now Wells was missing. Her mind flashed back to the scene by the fireplace a couple of hours ago and all of the sudden Kat wasn't tired anymore. There was no such thing as coincidences. She had a very bad feeling about this.

Spinning around in a circle, Kat looked for clues about where Wells could have gone but found nothing. Muttering under her breath, Kat picked a random direction and set off at a jog. It was completely possible that she was over reacting. But the tight knot at the pit of her stomach was saying otherwise and she usually trusted her gut.

Her eyes darted through the dark forest, looking for signs of life while her imagination ran on overdrive. Were they beating Wells up? Stabbing him with those stupid homemade knives? Was he conscious? Her speed picked up at the thought. She zigzagged through the trees, trying to cover as much ground as possible.

Kat's head whipped to the right as she dimly heard someone yelling, "No! No, please don't do this!" She abruptly changed directions, breaking into a run. After stumbling on a large root, Kat ran harder and within seconds she found the source of the yelling. She took .5 seconds to take in the scene in front of her. Murphy, John and some other kid she didn't recognize was holding Wells down to the ground as they tried to pry off his wristband with a long piece of metal from the drop ship.

Wells was clearly struggling and shouting "No!" over and over again, and still these idiots weren't listening. Heart pounding hard in her chest, Kat skidded down the rocky hill. "Hey!" She shouted angrily, running towards Wells. "Stop! What the fuck are you doing?!"

The boys briefly looked up as she approached but didn't stop. "Get it off!" Murphy shouted frantically.

Kat finally reached them and without stopping to think, took both hands and shoved John off Wells. He sprawled on his side and Kat moved onto the other boy, kicking him in his side with all her might as Murphy managed to take of Wells' wristband. John came up behind her wrapping his arms around her and lifting her bodily off her feet and she kicked and struggled.

"Kat!" Wells shouted, trying to get up and help her. With a vicious snarl, Murphy punched Wells in the temple and Wells collapsed back on the ground unconscious.

"Hold her!" Murphy ordered as the unnamed boy helped John hold onto her, each of them grabbing one of her arms. She struggled to break free but they just tightened their grip. "You," he said shortly as she shook her hair out of her face. Murphy slowly walked towards her, twirling the metal piece in his hand. A pleased expression crossed his face. "I said I'd deal with you later, didn't I? Maybe now you'll learn to mind your own fucking business."

Kat's jaw clenched as her eyes flickered to Wells' prone body. She really hoped he wasn't hurt too bad. "You did say that," She responded, feigning calmness. Her arms were going numb – she seriously didn't like these assholes touching her. "So what's it going to be? A stern lecture? A-"

Murphy's hand whipped out and Kat's head snapped to the side as she was suddenly backhanded across the face. She froze, staring down at the ground with her hair covering her face. Through the shock running through her, Kat dimly realized that blood was trickling through her hair and down the right side of her face. The bastard had hit her with the hand that was holding the metal piece.

Her jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists, but it wasn't because she was in pain. In fact, she barely felt anything. She was battling to rein in that familiar icy rage and hatred, to shove it back inside the box that she usually keeps locked and hidden deep inside her. Her eyes squeezed shut and in her mind's eye, a face burned clear, a face with receding black hair and cold blue eyes. A face that was sneering at her.

All of this is your fault, Katerina, the face murmured in a soft whisper. You are nothing. Insignificant. Worthless. This will help you to remember that - forever.

With a gasp, Kat lost control and that cold hatred and rage spread through her body with every beat of her pounding heart. She welcomed it, encouraged it even.

Time seemed to slow down and she felt herself go on autopilot.

With a cold smile, Kat straightened, tossing back the hair that wasn't stuck in the blood on her face. "Do you feel better now?" She asked, watching his eyes narrow in anger. "Tough? Powerful? More like a man?"

"Shut up!" Murphy snarled, though he looked slightly disconcerted that Kat didn't seem to be afraid. He looked at the two holding her. "I'm in charge, you're the one that is being restrained!"

Just a little bit closer…

"Is that all you've got, Murphy?" She shouted, goading him. "You hit like my grandmother-"

"Shut up you stupid bitch!" He roared, stepping forward to yell in her face.

Kat's grin widened, satisfaction running through her. "I told myself a long time ago that I would never, ever let another man put his hands on me like that again," she shared with him softly. "Let alone a spineless piece of shit like you."

"You-!" Murphy's breath rushed out of him in a pained grunt as Kat quickly kneed him in the groin. He immediately sank to the ground, cradling himself as he wheezed in pain. Without missing a beat Kat used their momentary distraction to yank her right arm free and punched the unnamed boy in the jaw, causing him to let go of her left. She didn't feel her knuckles split – the mixture of adrenaline and rage seemed to numb her from the pain.

Insignificant, the voice whispered, fueling her anger.

The boy reeled back as she advanced, kicking him in the stomach. All of the sudden she was tackled from behind by John and she hit the ground hard. She scrambled to free herself, hands desperately trying to find purchase among the rocks. She winced as John punched her in the side, and with an angry grimace Kat grabbed a fist sized rock and turning around, brought it down on his head.

She shoved the unconscious boy off her and staggered upright. Worthless.

The unnamed boy came up to her again and this time punched her in the stomach. Wrapping an arm around her stomach, she stumbled back, trying to give herself a moment to catch her breath.

If you ever need to incapacitate someone, go for the kidney, the voice whispered menacingly. Hurts like a bitch, usually for a couple days.

Taking a breath, Kat straightened, knees bent and fists raised. The boy swung for her head but she was ready this time. She ducked, all her practice paying off as she pivoted sideways and landed two hard punches to his side. With a choked groan, the boy fell to the ground, a surprised/pained expression on his face.

Kat spun around just in time to see Murphy lurching to his feet. He had tossed the metal piece to the side and instead was holding his homemade knife. He looked between his two buddies lying on the ground and bared his teeth at her. "Bring it on then, bitch," he spat.

Murphy slashed at her with the knife forcing her to quickly jump back. He pressed the advantage until there was nowhere for her to go. He stabbed downward again and this time Kat threw up her left arm knocking his wrist to the side as she brought her right arm back and punched him in the face.

He staggered back and Kat stepped forward to hit him again but he had already righted himself and caught her fist in his hand. With a gleam of triumph in his eyes, he pulled her forward and spun her around so that her back was pressed up against him, his knife to her throat. Kat stopped struggling as she felt the cold metal against her neck.

"I've got to hand it to you Hale," Murphy said, panting in her ear. "I definitely wasn't expecting any of this from you. Three against one and you still almost managed to beat us."

Murphy pressed the knife into her neck and once again Kat felt the warm trickle of blood running down her body. Her hands automatically came up to hold onto his arm in order to prevent him from slitting her throat. "As my father always said, 'It's not over until I win'," Kat quoted, gritting her teeth.

"Murphy!" They heard someone shouting through the darkness of the forest. "What the hell is taking so long?"

Seeing her chance, Kat used this distraction and slammed her elbow back into Murphy's gut, twisting his wrist until he dropped the knife with a yelp. She gave him a two handed shove, making him stumble back a few steps.

"I learned how to use a knife when I was 8 years old," she informed him in a loud voice, her silver-gray eyes cold and unyielding. She shoved him after every sentence. "I learned how to fight…how to defend myself…how to kill! Did you really think you could beat me?" Murphy tripped and fell, scrambling away from her awkwardly.

It's your fault your mother's dead, the voice whispered in her ear, as she stalked forward. Her face contorting into a grimace, she viciously kicked Murphy in the side.

"If you ever touch me again," Kat shouted, giving him another kick. "I'll kill you! Kill you!"

Kat gave a shriek of outrage as a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her away from Murphy's body. "Let go of me! Let go, I'm not finished with him! He needs to be taught a lesson!"

Kat kicked and struggled against the person holding her, but they were too strong. "Damn it!" A male voice swore in her ear. "Would you-? … Calm down!" Some part of her brain that wasn't completely irrational realized that the rough voice belonged to Bellamy Blake.

"No! I won't calm down!" She yelled, still trying to get free. "He needs to be punished!"

"And he has been!" Bellamy roared back. "You've made your point, they're done!" He shook her slightly, grabbing her chin and forcing her head to look straight. "Stop fighting for one second and look at them! They're finished. You've won, Kitten," he said in a softer voice.

For some reason, his voice broke through the rage filled fog that had taken over her brain. Bellamy cautiously set her down when he realized that she wasn't fighting him anymore. With a slight shake of her head, Kat blinked a couple of times before she noticed the four bodies lying on the floor. Wells and the John were lying very still with their eyes closed. Murphy and the unnamed boy were groaning, but at least they were moving.

Kat's eyes flickered between the four of them, her breathing becoming shallow and slightly blurry as her world titled. That's my girl, the voice praised her smugly. Like father like daughter, eh sweetheart?

The hatred left her body so fast she felt weak and disoriented. She broke out into a cold sweat, shaking slightly as her stomach twisted unpleasantly. I did this, she thought in horror. I hurt these people. Oh god… I'm just like him!

Feeling like she was going to either faint, vomit or do a combination of both, Kat stumbled away from the scene.

"Hey," Bellamy called after her, frowning. "Where are you going?"

"Just – just leave me alone!" Kat called back in a choked voice. She broke out into a run.

That's my girl, the voice echoed through the trees. Eyes wide and heart pounding through her chest, Kat imagined she saw his blue eyes staring at her from the darkness; she let out a small whimper and abruptly changed directions. She heard footsteps coming up from behind her and picked up her speed. "I'm not like you!" She shouted to him. "I didn't want to hurt them, but they – they hurt me first! I didn't want to…. I swear!"

She let out a scream as he tackled her from behind and she automatically flailed, hitting him with her fists. "Ow, fucking hell-" he growled. "Would you stop hitting me, Kitten?"

Kitten? Kat opened her eyes to see Bellamy staring down at her, an angry, exasperated look on his face. He had straddled her hips and grabbed her arms, pinning her to the floor. Her eyes clenched shut again, feeling lightheaded. "Blake –" She choked out. "Get off my chest – I can't breathe!" Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her whole body pounding in time with her heartbeat. "Oh god," she gasped, frantically shaking her head. "I – I can't-"

Bellamy frowned down at her. "What? I'm not on your chest-" Realization dawned in his eyes. "You're having a panic attack, Kat! You need to relax, okay, take deep breaths!"

She shook her head frantically. "I'm not like him. I didn't want to hurt them!"

"I know you're not," Bellamy assured her in a calming voice, though he had no idea what she was talking about. "Think of something else, Katerina, you need to snap out of this!"

With her eyes shut, she didn't see Bellamy frantically looking around as if hoping someone would step out between the trees and help them. She didn't see him looking down at her with a worried expression on his face as her own grew alarmingly pale. And she sure as hell didn't see him mutter, "Fuck it," and with a determined expression on his face, crash his lips to hers.

Kat's eyes flew open again and for three whole seconds she lay there in shock before it sunk in. With a noise of shock and outrage she wrenched her head to the side, breaking their connection. "What the hell are you doing?" She glared up at him, her eyes almost crossing because of how close his face was.

Bellamy's brown eyes blinked down at her before he sat back on her hips. A wide grin crossed his face as he looked down at her. "Ending your panic attack."

Kat belatedly realized that although her heart was still pounding, her breathing came easier. "I was not having a panic attack," she denied immediately.

"Yes you were. My sister used to get them when she was younger, I know all the signs."

"Yeah? So did you end up molesting her too?"

"Ugh, no," he said with a disgusted look on his face. "Don't be gross. In order to stop a panic attack, you have to think of something else. When I kissed you, you forgot about your panic," he shrugged.

The queasy feeling returned to her stomach as he reminded her of what had happened. "Can you get off me now?" She asked, looking anywhere but at him.

"What, I don't get a thank you for helping you out?" The cocky grin returned. "Girls don't usually react this way when I kiss them."

"I don't usually thank people who assault me with their face. If I ever want you to kiss me, I'll be sure to let you know," she snapped sarcastically. "Now let me up Blake. I just – I want to be alone."

Bellamy stared down at her for another second before getting up and allowing her to stand up again. She started to walk away but stopped, looking back at him with a hesitant expression on her face. "Can… Can you make sure they're okay?" She waited until he nodded before walking away again. Once she was out of his line of sight she broke into a run.

She fled from what had just happened. Fled from her past. But most importantly, she fled from herself.

Author's Note: So there it is! Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? As always, review please :)