A/N: as promised here is part 2 of friends or foes. Thanks for the reviews and all the faves/follows on the last chapter. Your support and opinions on this really do make it worth all the stress my beta jellymankelly has to put up with. This is a big chapter with small things that will turn into bigger things. Keep your eyes peeled. Also there is a fight scene mid chapter so TW for violence
Anya isn't happy with the situation she finds herself in - being lead by Bellamy to where the attack had taken place. The other sky children were stumbling along in the darkness; at least the ones Clarke had trained were making an effort to be silent. She can't believe she let Clarke talk her into this ridiculous plan, but better to go with her and the sky children than have them run off into battle unprotected. Death by a thousand cuts would be easier to handle than the look on her friend's face if something were to happen to Clarke.
"Don't be so surly," Clarke whispers from her spot next to Anya. "It's a good plan Anya, and at the end of the day a chance to get them useful weapons."
"Lexa would be impressed," Anya mutters in short, clipped 'Sleng. "It is a good strategy, but as you know in war things can change quickly. Are they prepared for that? Are you prepared for that?"
"Victory stands on the back of sacrifice," Clarke answers in kind. "Obviously I want to make it out of this with everyone, but if they die in battle they will be honored as warriors and earn the rest of the Skaikru the acceptance of the Coalition. Which we need in order to be able to create an alliance with them that the Coalition will actually recognize."
Clarke knows her plan could totally fall apart but she hopes that the attack on Wells and the risk to themselves will ensure their win in their first battle on Earth. She wants the 100 to look like the strong allies she knows they could be in the upcoming war with the Mountain Men. She understands Anya's reluctance but they need the Sky People almost as much as the Sky People need them.
"But did you really have to bring the loudest ones?" As the words leave her lips she casts her gaze to Raven, who's walking ahead of them with Octavia at her side.
"Raven will grow on you," Clarke responds knowingly. She has to hold in a laugh at the disgusted face Anya makes at the thought.
Before the two warriors can say anything else, Finn falls into step with them. It was becoming clearer to him that these people had some type of hold over Clarke and he needed to save her from them before they could brainwash her any more. She'd done all she needed to do to survive here on Earth without him there to protect her, but now that he's here, she doesn't need to be with these savages any longer.
"How do we know we can even trust any of these people?" Finn speaks up casting a glare at Anya. "This isn't our fight, Clarke. We just need to go back to the drop ship, get Wells and go to the mountain. We'll be safe there."
"These creatures were once warriors before the mountain you are so compelled to go to turned them into the monsters they are now, and they will do the same to you once you are no longer of use to them. I suggest you hold your tongue on matters you do not understand before I remove it, boy." Anya sneers at him, she doesn't like the way this sky boy's attentions are directed towards Clarke and was just looking for a reason to strike out at him.
"Okay, we don't have time for this. We need to work together here to get rid of those Reapers before they get into the tunnels," Clarke intervenes, knowing Anya would make good on her threats to Finn if he kept it up.
Bellamy's head is reeling at everything that's happened in the last few hours. It's almost like an information overload. The attack on Wells, finding out they aren't really alone on Earth and now they're about to go into battle with some unknown threat - it's completely overwhelming him. He's keeping his cool as best he can though. He can't appear to look weak or scared in front of these seasoned warriors; he just hopes his guard training on the Ark will be enough in this fight.
Up ahead he spots the area near the trees where Wells was speared come into view and he signals for everyone to stop. "That clearing up ahead is where Wells was attacked."
The big silent warrior who'd been trailing the group since they left comes up to the front, moving past Bellamy and the rest of the group. He bends down, looking over the trail, picking up some of the disturbed foliage and smelling it before letting it drop from his hands. He gets up and moves towards the trees and runs his hands over the bark of one of them. A grunt is the only signal he needs to let them know he's found something.
"Ryder's found their trail and he's going to lead us to them. Remember, aim for the head, neck or limbs and don't put yourselves in any unnecessary harm," Clarke says to the anxious group of teenagers before pulling her mask over her face. The other three warriors follow suit and the group starts moving again.
"This should be fun, going into a potential war zone against genetically modified creatures," Raven mutters to Octavia.
"Better to die trying to save ourselves on Earth than locked up in a cage in space," the younger girl answers, the dagger Clarke had given her at the ready just in case.
"We aren't dying today, we've been through too much crap on the Ark to go out like this," Fox chimes in, spear in hand, determination lacing her voice as Roma, Monroe and Harper flank them with their own weapons drawn.
Clarke smiles from behind her mask at hearing them encourage each other. She's proud of her team and she knows they'll do everything they can to make it out on top. Anya nudges her shoulder and gives a barely perceptible nod of approval, her eyes still trained forward, sword at the ready.
A short while later Ryder stops and looks over to Anya then points just beyond the trees. Anya and Lincoln climb the trees swiftly to start surveilling the area, much to the amazement of the onlookers. The odds seem to be in their favor with only eight Reapers and thirteen of them. Unfortunately it's some of the biggest ones they've ever encountered before.
The two descend from the trees just as gracefully as they had ascended. "There's eight of them," Anya reports and notes the hopeful looks on the faces of the young people.
"They're the biggest I've ever seen in our lands," Lincoln supplies and notices the group deflate a bit. "You Sky People are fast and they will not be as agile, there is still hope."
"Circle the trees, get into position. Raven and Finn will signal the start of the attack with the grenades, draw them to the trees. Remember your training."
The group nods before splitting off into their assignments. The four warriors take up their positions in the trees surrounding the reapers and watch the sky children as they move into formation.
As soon as Raven and Finn are behind the Reapers, Raven grabs two of the explosives from her belt and, handing one off to her companion, they pull the pins and throw them as close as possible to the Reapers before falling back behind the trees and covering their ears. The others quickly follow suit to protect their hearing.
Within seconds both explosives go off, wounding the Reapers closest to the blast and alerting the others, who pull their weapons. Before the smoke has time to clear properly, Bellamy takes aim and takes out one of the injured creatures, drawing the others to the gun fire. Octavia waits like Clarke had instructed her until they get closer then gives the signal to throw the spears.
They each hit their targets, but are shocked at the sheer power of these monsters that keep coming as if nothing had happened. A loud war cry is heard before arrows are flying from the trees, providing cover for Clarke, Lincoln, and Ryder who each jump out from their spots, weapons already aimed for attack.
Finn watches on from his spot covered by the trees as the three warriors move as one, quickly cutting down the first attacker as Anya joins in the fray with her sword drawn. Clarke narrowly ducks out the way of a well thrown dagger and releases her own hitting her assailant in the windpipe. He drops as she pulls her sword, ready for the next attack.
"Bell, cover us!" Octavia runs out leading the others, pulling the dagger Clarke had thrown from the now lifeless body. The others grab their spears just in time to defend themselves from two of the creatures. Monroe and Fox run one through with their spears, but are thrown from their opponent's body by its unexpected strength. Both girls hit the ground hard. Octavia jumps on the back of the reaper, jamming her knife into the base of its neck before she's thrown off too. Bellamy shoots the heavily injured reaper in the knees cutting him down to receive a death blow from Lincoln's axe.
Harper grabs her spear and cuts across the calf of her opponent the same time that Roma plunges her spear into his exposed neck. The act seems to enrage the large warrior more than actually wound him. He runs at Roma, who is in his direct line of sight and nearly catches up to her.
"Roma get down!" Clarke calls and the girl does as told, hitting the ground immediately. Clarke throws her knife, hitting the attacking Reaper right between the eyes. He drops to the ground and she finishes him off by driving her sword through his chest.
Raven spots one of the creatures running up on Anya. She dashes full sprint out from her cover, grenade drawn and primed. "Hey studly, heads up!" she calls out, drawing his attention before throwing the explosive at him. To her surprise, he actually catches it, his hands blowing clean off as it explodes. Octavia finishes him off by slamming her dagger between his shoulder blades, watching as he slides off her blade and to the ground.
Ryder snaps the neck of the Reaper he is engaged with, the body dropping to the ground next to the one Anya puts down.
Everyone looks around weapons at the ready. Clarke does a quick count and notices they downed all of the assailants with minimal injury to themselves. She knew they had to get out of there before they could do any celebrating though. "Grab any weapons you can and get ready to head out once we're done here." She orders putting her sword back into its sheath. She knows they were lucky this time, but she doesn't want to push it.
Finn and Bellamy help up Monroe and Fox, each boy steadying one of the women and helping them move along. Clarke looks the two girls over and decides their injuries aren't serious enough to require immediate attention. "Just take it easy on our way back, help them stay on their feet and I'll look you both over when we get back to camp." She tells the foursome.
Once the bodies have been stripped of their weapons, Ryder and Lincoln start piling them on top of each other while Clarke gathers some wood and deadfall, putting it around the corpses. Anya quickly lights a fire, thankful for her years of practice of doing this, and sets the wood and deadfall alight, watching as the flames engulf the bodies. "Yu gonplei ste odon," she speaks in her native tongue, before throwing the stick into the fire.
The silence of their journey back to camp is broken by Harper, who can't hold in her curiosity any longer and steps up to Clarke near the front of the group. "Hey Clarke, you were a beast out there. You took out those Reapers like it was nothing!" Her words draw the attention of the other warriors. "Did the grounders teach you how to do all that knife work? Can we learn?" she continues on, trying to keep her voice level despite her excitement.
"Clarke possesses an unusual talent with the blade. The accuracy with which she delivers her death strikes is something that cannot be taught. During her training she learned only how to refine the skills she already has," Anya answers remembering Clarke's first days of skills training and how terrible she was at most everything until she held a knife in her hands. The comfort with which she handled the training knives and daggers was something that took most warriors years of intensive training. Her accuracy was unmatched even by Lexa.
"Guess all those years working in the clinic and using scalpels on the Ark paid off," Raven comments. She watches on as Clarke falters for a moment and smirks in satisfaction.
"Yeah I guess so," the blonde responds distractedly, which only serves to confirm to Raven that Clarke did in fact have some sort of flashback.
"Awesome, I wonder if any of our skills on the Ark will pay off down here," Roma adds, joining in the conversation.
"Obviously mine already have," Raven gloats, patting her utility belt of explosives for emphasis.
"How is throwing a small bomb considered a skill to your people?" Anya asks the mechanic, voice laden with contempt for her methods. "It's those types of weapons that destroyed the Earth in the first place."
"My ability to make those bombs is what saved your bacon," Raven retaliates, which causes the warriors to stop in their tracks and look at her quizzically. Raven backs up a step, thinking she may have insulted them in some way.
Head tilting slightly, Anya looks at her with a raised brow and serious expression on her face. "What is a bacon?"
The others in the group stifle their laughter at the confused looks of these supposedly savage warriors and turn to Raven, waiting to hear her answer. "Seriously? It's a type of meat that comes from pigs. You guys should be familiar with it since you have pigs down here."
"What does pig meat have to do with explosives?" Lincoln asks looking even more confused after the explanation.
Raven sighs, not believing they're having this conversation in the middle of the woods after a battle. "Nothing, it's just an expression we used back on the Ark. It means I saved your life. As in, if I hadn't have blown up that Reaper before he attacked you, you'd probably be sporting a pretty intense haircut right now." She hopes her blunt answer will get her point across.
"You Sky People are odd," is the only thing Anya says before turning back around and continuing to lead the way back towards the dropship camp.
The sun coming up in the horizon signals the beginning of a new day. The celebration of their victory would happen after they've had time to rest. Clarke is anxious to get back and check on Wells. She'd left him in the care of Monty and Jasper with instructions on what they should do throughout the night. Upon their arrival, the gates are opened without hesitation despite the new additions to the group that had gone out. Those who are awake welcome them back heartily.
All of them wave off the offers of food, but take the water to quench their thirst. Clarke and Lincoln go into the dropship to check on Wells. They find Monty and Jasper sitting with him and helping him eat small bites of food.
"It worked," Clarke enthuses towards Lincoln. Her words draw the attention of the others in the room who hadn't heard them approach.
"Did you guys just get back?" Monty asks,choosing to ignore the smudged war paint and blood staining their faces and clothes.
"Yeah. How was he during the night? Did the fever break?" Clarke inquires.
"The fever broke a few hours ago and he's been in and out of consciousness for a while now." Jasper answers, putting a cup to the boy's mouth for him to drink.
"It will take a few days for the toxins to clear out of his system completely, but he should make a full recovery," Lincoln supplies, looking over the boy he'd helped save. He is glad that he was able to help the sky boy. All he's known his whole life is war and battles. The world has been trying to turn him into a monster but he won't let it. He sees the potential of these Sky People and hopes they can help in the war against the Mountain Men and finally allow them to live in peace one day.
"I guess then we'll just have to wait," Clarke answers. "You guys okay with him for a bit longer? I want to get cleaned up."
Both boys nod and encourage her to take all the time she needs, so she and Lincoln leave them to it.
Stepping outside they see Anya and Ryder waiting at the entrance for them as the others pretend to mill around.
"Your Sky People did well today Clarke," Anya compliments. Clarke's happy that Anya is finally referring to them as Sky People instead of sky children like Clarke had become accustomed to hearing over the last few weeks.
"Clarke, we need to talk," Finn demands, interrupting the conversation Clarke and her mentor are having. He reaches for her wrist and the next thing he's aware of he's laid out on his back with a sword to his chest.
"I warned you to watch your tone, boy!" Anya pushes the blade down just enough to cause a small puncture. The boy beneath her winces in pain and she hopes the mark will teach him his place.
"Hod op Onya, beja," Clarke pleads, pulling her mentor's arm. Anya pulls back and re-sheaths her sword, her glare never leaving the boy still laid out on the ground.
"The boy is a coward. I would be doing him a favor by releasing his spirit." She spits at the boy, remembering how he'd hidden behind the trees during the fight. She's seen the destruction cowards like him can cause.
"What the hell are you even talking about!" Finn challenges, getting to his feet, running his hand through his mop of hair.
"Finn stop it! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Clarke steps in between them hoping that as long as she's between him and Anya, the general won't try to kill him.
"Clarke, look, I'm glad you had these people to help you out while you were here and I'm so grateful that you're still alive, but you don't need them anymore. I'm here now and I can take care of you." He pleads, ignoring the glare he's getting from Anya.
"How would you protect her?" Anya asks amusedly. "You spent the entire battle hiding behind a tree like a frightened child."
"We aren't like you people and neither is Clarke," he counters angrily before softening his gaze and looking Clarke in the eyes. "We don't need to be here Clarke, we can leave and we'll survive on our own without them. We'll find a way."
"Finn, don't you get it? Anywhere you go there's going to be danger and you're going to have to fight for survival," Clarke reasons, hiding her exasperation. "The person you're expecting me to be doesn't exist anymore and you need to let her go. You need to open your eyes and see the bigger picture of what's going on here Finn."
"And what exactly is going on here Princess, why don't you enlighten us?" Bellamy interrupts, noting the tension. "I think it's time we all learned the truth."
Clarke sighs, she can't keep them in the dark anymore, they've already seen the grounders and fought reapers now she needs to tell them the truth about the mountain. It may be the only way to ensure they stay away from Mount Weather and align themselves with the Twelve Clans. Clarke's relieved that she has Anya, Ryder and Lincoln there to help her out with this task.
"You're right, but first let's get cleaned up and then we'll get everyone together and I'll tell you everything you need to know," she concedes. Bellamy is quick to agree, wanting to wash the remnants of the night off himself as well.
"You've got one hour, then we all meet in the dropship," he orders and she nods to him.
An hour later the 100 are all gathered in the ship, looking to Clarke and the other warriors with her. The blonde looks around the room at the faces of the people she's gotten to know over the last few weeks, pondering what her first move should be. She takes another moment to think and recall all the information she's learned during her time with the 100. She needs to tread lightly here and be as honest as she can afford to be with them.
"I've been lying to you all," she starts off, her eyes scanning the crowd, gauging their reactions. "When I regained consciousness after my fall, I thought I was going to die out here alone because of everything we were taught back on the Ark about this place and how it wouldn't be habitable, at least not for another generation." She speaks evenly, keeping herself steady.
"I was saved by Anya and the 'grounders', as you call them, but in reality they're called the Trikru. So you can imagine my own surprise to find out that not only was the air down here not radioactive, but that people had somehow managed to survive on the ground."
She takes a pause to allow her words to sink in for a moment. Anya nods her encouragement to let Clarke know she's doing well. "How'd they even survive though?" Miller asks. He's a quiet but brave kid, and Clarke likes him. From what she's seen, he's a hard worker and helps out a lot around the camp.
"It's not really rocket science. Their ancestors would have had a rare DNA mutation that made them more resistant to the radioactivity, which would allow them to thrive and live to reproductive age when everyone else died out," Raven explains. "Basically they got good genes and their ancestors humped like bunnies and now here they are."
"Okay, alright, that explains the grounders, but what about the Reapers? Where'd they come from?" Bellamy questions, looking directly at Clarke.
"Like Raven said, the ancestors of the grounders had robust DNA which allowed them to survive and thrive, but there was another group that also survived the nuclear apocalypse," she answers, noting the looks of curiosity on the faces of many in the room. "We call them the Mountain Men. They live inside of Mount Weather and can only leave if they're wearing special suits and have breathing equipment."
"The Mountain Men have been at war with our people for generations," Anya supplies. "They take our strongest warriors and turn them into monsters and steal our women and children. Those who go into the mountain never come back out, unless it's as Reapers."
"They're used as hunters for the Mountain Men. We have been fighting for the survival of our people but the Mountain Men have advanced technology and weaponry," Lincoln takes over. "They have scorched the Earth with their missiles and destroyed our villages."
"They created civil unrest amongst the clans, keeping them too busy fighting and killing each other to worry about them up there in their mountain fortress." Clarke continues. "It's why when we heard that you guys had landed and were talking about going to the mountain, I knew I had to do something to stop you before you met the same fate as all those we've already lost to them."
"Okay so what you're saying is that there is a race of humans that have technology and weapons at Mount Weather?" Murphy questions from his spot next to Bellamy, "but because you've been living with the savages you decided to keep us in the dark? What exactly was the motive for that? They've probably brainwashed you into being on their side Princess. Besides, so what if they have weapons? We have weapons too. Obviously the only ones with anything to lose here are your precious grounders."
The crowd starts murmuring as they mull over Murphy's words. "The people in the mountain would probably die within seconds of exposure to these conditions." Raven ponders and draws the attention of the crowd. "There's gotta be more to it than just abductions, otherwise they wouldn't take the women and children, just the warriors to make more of their attack dogs."
"No one has ever made it out of there alive, so we have no way of knowing what they've done to them," Anya says, looking at the mechanic.
"There's going to be a meeting of the Twelve Clans in a few days time to discuss what they're going to do about you guys." Clarke reveals, regaining everyone's attention. "It's why I've been pushing you all so hard the last few weeks, because you need to prove yourself worthy of becoming a part of the alliance. If not then they plan to wipe you all out before you can get to the mountain."
"So all this time you've been training us on how to hunt and fight, pushing us to get the wall up, and the smoke house, all so we can impress these clans so they decide not to kill us?" Octavia inquires.
"Yes! I knew you guys could be more than just a bunch of useless children if put to the task. You've already surpassed my expectations with what you've accomplished so far and today with the fight, it will give the other tribes pause to reconsider their positions on not working with you. I'm sorry I lied, but I had your best interest at heart and telling you would have only created mass hysteria," Clarke continues.
"Again though, Mount Weather has all that stuff and a ton of technology, there's no need for us to be out here living like animals." Murphy counters.
"Don't you get it Murphy?" Bellamy speaks up from where he'd been listening to the whole conversation and weighing the words that have been spoken. Personal feelings aside he understands what Clarke and the others are trying to say. He looks at his little sister and knows for sure that going to the mountain is not an option for her, which means it's not an option for him either. "Their fortress is also their prison. Their ancestors didn't have the right genes and never reproduced with anyone who did to introduce it into the population like these guys or us, so they're trapped down there and we would be too. It'd be like being on the Ark all over again, except this time we'd be stuck underground."
"Bellamy's right, the fact alone that we can walk freely puts a huge target on our back from both sides, but at least with the grounders we'd have the option to fight with them and live above ground." Raven pushes, seeing the resolve of some of the opposition crumbling as they weigh their options.
"The Ark sent us down here to die and we have an opportunity to live and thrive down here using our own skills and knowledge. I'm sorry but I've spent my life locked away in that ship either under the floorboards or in a prison cell, and this is my shot to write my own destiny. I'm not going to be locked away in some mountain for the rest of my life." Octavia argues, not wanting to lose her first taste of freedom and independence.
"We're with you and the grounders Clarke," Fox speaks for the group that had been training with her. Slowly others in the group also call out their own support.
"So what's it going to be Murphy? Are you with us or against us?" Clarke asks, looking at him directly. The room goes silent and all eyes are on him.
"Looks like I don't have much of a choice Princess, but don't say I didn't warn you when this blows up in our faces," he sneers, crossing his arms indignantly.
"Hang on though, what are we signing up for here? It can't just be as simple as that now can it?" Finn voices his suspicions.
"You're right, it isn't that easy. We're going to have to go to TonDC and meet with the Commander and the Coalition," Clarke explains.
"Every leader or steward of a clan will be permitted an opinion on the matter of you joining the alliance, but the Commander has final say on what will become of you," Anya picks up where Clarke leaves off, as she knows how these meetings usually go. "Your leader will have an audience with the Commander, at which time they will have to convince Heda of your value. If convinced, you will join the ranks of the allied forces and be permitted to stay in our lands. If your leader fails, you will suffer the consequences."
"This is ridiculous!" Finn declares. "If Bellamy fails to impress your Commander, we're going to be killed off? What kind of stupid deal is that? Clarke you have to see reason here and this isn't it."
Clarke put her hand on Anya's shoulder effectively holding her back from attacking Finn for his insolence. "The Commander is a reasonable person and will see that it's in the best interest of the Coalition to join forces with us."
"We have a few days before they get there, right?" Bellamy asks, trying to push down his nerves. All of this is getting way beyond his control now. It was hard enough keeping everyone in line before Clarke came along and now he has to go represent them and hope that he doesn't end up getting them killed instead. He can feel his anxiety rising but keeps up the façade.
"Yes, at least five more days before the first delegation arrives." Clarke can only hope that Lexa, Luna and Caris are that first contingent, otherwise things could take a dangerous turn for herself and the 100. "It'll give Wells a few more days to recover before we make the short journey to the city."
"Well then it looks like we're going to TonDC," Bellamy announces to the group. "Everyone start preparing for the trip, those of you who went out with us last night, get some rest, you all deserve it." At his words everyone starts making their way out of the drop ship to get the day started. Anya, Ryder, and Lincoln follow close behind them, in need of some fresh air after being cooped up in the ship for over an hour.
Clarke places her hand on Bellamy's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. "It's going to be okay Bellamy, trust me. I know you can do this."
The boy turns to her and sighs out a long breath. "No Clarke, I can't do this, I can't do any of this. If it weren't for you we'd probably all be dead by now. I can't do this alone Clarke, much as I hate to admit it, I need you to be there with me when we go."
Clarke nods solemnly. "We're in this together Bellamy." As the words leave her lips, Bellamy visibly relaxes and Clarke has to hold in a chuckle at how the tides have turned over the last few weeks. As nervous as she was about the upcoming events, she was also happy to soon be reunited with her wife in TonDC.
The first time Wells wakes up he's in pain and unable to catch his breath, shivering despite the fact that his body is sweating profusely. He hears Clarke talking to Octavia, the words sounding muffled like his ears are plugged with cotton. He's surprised by the care he's receiving from his former best friend after how things ended between them on the Ark.
The two had grown up together and been inseparable for most of their lives. Both outcasted by their peers due to their positions in the Ark hierarchy, his father the Chancellor and both her parents members of the council. Their friendship left broken by his perceived betrayal.
The second time he wakes up, the sight of the unfamiliar savage man before him makes him think he's in a dream, but then he hears Clarke's voice. She's speaking another language and he knows it's reality. Clarke sits him up as the man puts a vial to his lips for him to drink. The pain in his side has lessened, but his body still feels heavy. He fights off the drowsiness as he's laid back down, struggling to stay awake and hear what's going on, but he can't hold on and sleep overtakes him once again.
Clarke is gone the next time he regains consciousness, but Jasper and Monty are there with him. He opens his eyes with a groan that alerts the two and they immediately scramble over to him. "Hey buddy, are you alright?" Monty asks, running a damp cloth over his head. "Is there anything you need? Jasper, get him some water."
The lanky boy quickly grabs a canteen filled with water and brings it over. He puts it to Wells' lips, who greedily drinks from it. Thirst quenched, he takes a minute to gather his thoughts. "What happened? Where's Clarke?" His voice weak and raspy.
"You were attacked. Clarke and this grounder saved you," Monty answers, "then Clarke, the grounder, and some of the others left to go find whoever or whatever attacked you."
Wells pales at the information of his attack and grounders,which only serves to strengthen his resolve of getting to the mountain and alerting the Ark. Using the advice his father always used to give him back on the Ark, "use what they see as your weakness to your advantage."
He'd gained an unlikely ally in Finn Collins and his now girlfriend Raven Reyes, along with Monty and Jasper, the five of them had been working together on plans to get to the mountain or a means of contacting the Ark without Bellamy and his goons finding out.
His plan had been working until Clarke's arrival. Even though they had their issues in the past he was hopeful that she would be reasonable and help him convince the others to go to Mount Weather. He'd been disappointed when she took Bellamy's side on the issue. Now he was on his own in his quest to save them all.
Wells hopes he can use this attack to his advantage and get more people on board with his plans. He pushes up a bit more and fights off the nauseous feeling as his stomach churns. Monty and Jasper help him into a sitting position and give him a bit more water. "How long have they been gone for?"
"It's been a couple of hours already, it's coming up on dusk now." Jasper answers with a hint of worry in his voice as he looks around nervously.
"Who all went with her and the grounder? Is it just him or were there more?" He continues, seeking to garner more information.
"The girls she's been hunting with, Raven, Finn and Bellamy all left with her. He can't be the only grounder in these parts, but we won't know for sure till they get back probably. Bellamy was pretty pissed when they left," Monty says.
"Obviously she's not telling us the truth. She knew about the grounders and kept it to herself. She's become one of them. I mean, it makes sense why she doesn't want us to go to the mountain," Wells tells the pair, putting the pieces together in his quickly fatiguing mind. He lays back down, feeling the exhaustion deep in his bones.
"Dude are you alright? You don't look too good," Jasper observes.
"Yeah, just tired I guess," Wells responds through a yawn.
"Get some rest man, we'll get you some food a bit later," Monty commands gently, watching the boy's eyes close.
In the days since Clarke brought back the other grounders, Wells has managed to listen into the important conversations being had while they thought he was out of it. He's been feeling better and benefitting from the care he's been receiving from Clarke and the male grounder that helped him out the first night. He's biding his time and gathering all the information he will need. He knows what he needs to do now. He's going to save them all.
Fun Fact: Heda is back next chapter!
