MPOV

"Echo's gone," I mumbled.

"I don't understand," Bellamy said. "The guards outside…"

Kane stepped forward and took the gun from Bellamy's hand. "Stand down."

"Maia, come in," Raven said. It took me a moment to remember the radio strapped to my hip.

"Raven, this isn't really the best time-"

"The grounders attacked Mount Weather," she said, cutting me off.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's all gone. Sinclair and I are the only ones left." I looked up at Kane and Bellamy. "Shauna tried, I thought…" I could tell she was crying, and then the radio went quiet.

"This was a distraction," I realized.

The head of the Ice Nation delegation stepped forward. "Skaikru should never have moved back into the mountain. Azgeda did what the Commander was too weak to do."

"This is an act of war," the Commander said. "Arrest the Azgeda delegation." Her men moved quickly, taking the scar faced grounders from the room.

"We need to get back to camp," Abby said. "If they attacked Mount Weather, Arkadia could be next."

"Go," the Commander told us. "We will avenge this attack together."

"Clarke, we've got to go," Bellamy said to her.

I could already tell she wasn't going anywhere before she spoke. "They need an ambassador for the thirteenth clan."

"It isn't safe here," Bellamy protested.

"She'll be safe here under my protection," the Commander told us.

Clarke hugged her mother. Abby and Kane led the rest of our people out of the room. I stepped forward. "I can't do this alone," I told her.

She reached out and took my hands. "You aren't alone."

"Shauna-"

She cut me off. "Shauna would want you to be there for our people. Believe in yourself, and they will too."

I hugged her. "Be safe. Our people need your influence here."

"Always."

OoOoO

I was sitting down outside, when Octavia's shadow blocked my sun. "How are you holding up?" She asked.

"I'm fine," I told her. I held up my hand and made a motion for her to move. She rolled her eyes, but sat down next to me.

"Don't you need to be at work?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I'm a field agent and camp is on lockdown."

"You know what happened yesterday wasn't your fault, right?"

"I knew something was wrong, but I ignored it." I pulled grass out of the ground, and didn't look up.

"Bellamy thought we could trust Echo, no one had a reason to think we couldn't," she reminded me. "None of us caused this."

"I left Shauna behind, and now she's dead." I looked at her. "That's on me."

"Shauna was doing her job," Octavia said firmly. "And so were you."

Yelling caught our attention. I turned to see Jasper and Monty arguing. Octavia jumped up. Reluctantly, I followed behind. "What's going on?" Octavia asked.

"Jasper won't go to the memorial service," Monty said.

"It's a little late for a Mount Weather memorial, don't you think?" Jasper mumbled before turning away.

Sirens went off, a voice told all security details to report to their posts. I groaned. Octavia headed toward the opening gates. Monty grabbed my arm. "How can he do this to Shauna?"

I shook my head. "If he doesn't want to pay his respects to his friend, I can't make him. He isn't my problem anymore." Monty nodded and started to follow after him. I reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm so sorry about Shauna."

He looked at me for a moment. "Me too."

We went in opposite directions. I joined Octavia at the gate, where Nyko was leading in sick grounders. One of the other guards pushed a stumbling woman away from him. I grabbed her. "You don't have to like this, but this was Abby's decision. Respect your Chancellor."

"She won't be Chancellor for much longer," the guard said. I turned away, taking the woman into the Ark. He was right, after tomorrow's election Abby would no longer be Chancellor. But I knew that Kane would have made the same decision.

OoOoO

I met Bellamy in the hallway. "Where's your jacket?" I asked.

"I quit," he told me.

"This wasn't your fault." Before he could say anything, I laced my fingers through his and pulled him through the door. The memorial service was already filling up. We took seats near the back. I glanced around the room, but there weren't many faces I recognized. I saw Miller sitting next to Bryan and held up my hand in a small wave, he nodded back.

Pike walked up to the front of the room, and gave his opening address. He read down the list of the deceased. For each name, someone stood up and told a story about their loved one. "Who will speak for Shauna Bishop?" Pike asked finally. I glanced around, looking for Monty. I noticed Hannah doing the same.

There was an awkward pause. Finally I stood up and walked to the front of the room. I looked at everyone, trying to collect myself. Speaking in front of a crowd wasn't exactly my forte. I took a deep breath. "Shauna Bishop was one of the bravest people I ever met. She was probably the smartest too, but I never would've admitted that to her." Harper and Miller laughed quietly.

"Without her, we never would have escaped that mountain the first time around." I felt my eyes brimming with tears, and tried to smile and push them away. "She survived so much, only to have her life cut short anyway. They told me she died trying to save our people, she died a hero." I glanced at the table of mementos, wishing I had something to leave for her. "May we meet again."

The door opened, breaking the silence. A few guards walked in, followed by Lincoln. Everyone began whispering amongst themselves. Pike walked past me, to where Kane and Abby were sitting at the front. They were closer enough I could overhear.

"Grounders outside of camp, an army of them," Pike said.

"We know," Kane told him. "Indra radioed."

"You gave a grounder a radio?" Pike asked, raising his voice. The clamor grew louder.

"Are we under attack?" Someone shouted out.

"We're not under attack," Kane assured everyone. "The Commander sent a peace-keeping force to protect us from further attacks."

"Peace-keeping?" Pike repeated. "Even you can't be that naïve."

"This has been hard on us all," Abby said. "We are all grieving for those we have lost. But we cannot let anger drive our policy."

"Anger is our policy," Pike told her.

"No, it isn't," I said, stepping toward them. "Maybe it was up there, but not anymore. I'm sorry for what you've all endured since reaching the ground," I said, addressing Farm Station. "But Arkadia is not the Ark you remember."

Pike looked at me, and then back to Kane. "If they are here to protect us, as you say, then tell them to go home. We can protect ourselves." There was a general sound of agreement from the people.

"You!" A Farm Station guard shouted, pointing out Lincoln. "You don't belong here." He threw a large rock, hitting Lincoln in the head. Several other members of Farm Station lunged for Lincoln, but Ark guards held them back. Pike whistled, catching everyone's attention, but not before a few punches had been thrown at guards.

"Enough, we do not attack our own," Pike told his people. "The enemy is not in this camp, the enemy is out there."

I saw Lincoln go outside, and I hurried after him, pushing through the other mourners. He was leaning against the wall. He didn't look all that great. "Hey, Lincoln, you okay?" I asked.

He turned, just enough that I could see the blood. I walked over and turned his head. "You're bleeding pretty bad, you should go to medical." He didn't say anything, or make any move to follow my instructions. I sighed. "Things are getting out of hand, Pike is getting out of hand." I shook my head. "He doesn't understand the way things work here. He hasn't seen that we can work together."

"He will only lead to destruction, for both our people."

I nodded. "After what happened in Mount Weather, everyone is on edge. People might listen to Pike, forget the peace that we've built here."

"We can't let that happen."

"We won't," I assured him. "But first, please let Abby look at your head. You're going to need stitches."

OoOoO

That evening I walked back to my room. After taking Lincoln to Abby, I was right he needed stitches, I'd stayed to help with the sick grounders. I'd been there for hours. I hadn't had dinner, but I needed a shower before I could go to the cantina.

When I opened the door, I found Bellamy loading a pack. "Going somewhere?" I asked.

"Quick reconnaissance mission, I'll be back in the morning."

"I thought camp was on lockdown? Why didn't Kane ask me to go?" He shrugged, turning away. I reached for his bag, he tried to stop me, but I pulled it back.

"You're a terrible packer, let me help." I pushed aside the jacket on top, and found several guns. "Reconnaissance, huh?"

"Maia, I have to go. Give me my bag." For a moment we stood there, almost playing tug of war with his backpack. "You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

I let the bag go. "Fine. Whatever." I watched him walk out, and as soon as I was sure he was gone, I headed to Abby's room.

The guard outside let me pass. Abby and Kane were both inside. "Good, you're both here."

"Maia, what's going on?" Abby asked.

"I think Pike is planning something," I said. "I just caught Bellamy with a backpack full of guns. He lied to me about where he was going."

"We can arrest Bellamy for stealing the guns," Kane said. "But without proof Pike had anything to do with it-"

I cut him off. "Let me worry about that. You just have guards waiting at the gate to back me up, okay?" Kane and Abby shared a look, and then nodded.

I headed immediately to the cantina and grabbed Harper. "I wasn't done eating," Harper protested.

"Dinner can wait," I told her. I led her down the hall, and found Lincoln in medical with Nyko. He glanced up when I came in. I nodded for him to follow me outside.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"Yeah," I told him. "My boyfriend picked the wrong side."

OoOoO

Lincoln, Harper, and I didn't have to wait long at the gates. Bellamy and Pike led a group of Farm Station guards toward us. I stepped forward to meet them. "Step aside," Pike said.

I shook my head. "No, I'd rather not. Where are you going with those guns?"

"There's an army outside," Bellamy said "We need to hit them before they hit us."

"That army was sent to protect you," Lincoln told him.

"Bell, those people are innocent."

"Maybe of the attack on the mountain," he told me.

I shook my head. "Don't open old wounds. We've worked hard with Trikru to create this peace."

Pike looked at Lincoln. "You want to prove you're one of us, let us pass."

"I'm not moving," Lincoln told him.

"There is no us and them," I told Pike. "We are all grounders now."

"Step aside, grounder!" A man said, pointing his gun at Lincoln. It was the same man who'd thrown the rock. Lincoln grabbed the gun, and threw it to the ground. He held the man in a chokehold, with his knife in the other hand.

"I can't let you start a war," Lincoln said.

"We're already at war," Pike told him. The alarm went off, calling security to the main gate. Guards broke up the crowd, Kane leading them. "It's okay, Farm Station. Guns on the ground."

"We're good, Lincoln," Kane called. "Let him go." Lincoln let go of the man, who stumbled forward.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Abby asked Pike.

"What you didn't have the guts to," he told her.

She looked at him for a moment before turning back to the guards. "Take them to lock up, now!"

"This isn't over," Pike said, as he was pulled away. "We are surrounded by people who want us dead." He stopped in front of Kane. "Why don't you show us what you let the grounders do to you yesterday? The people deserve to know."

Kane pushed up his sleeve and held up his arm, so everyone could see the mark. "It is the mark of the Commander's coalition. We are the thirteenth clan. It means we're in this together."

"No, it's what farmers used to do to their cattle."

"Pike for Chancellor!" Someone shouted.

The man who through the rock stepped forward, "Sir, you should be on that ballot tomorrow."

"That's enough, take them away!" Abby told the guards.

"Pike!" Bellamy shouted. I turned to face him. He shouted again, others began to join in. As they were all led into the Ark, they all chanted his name.

I turned to Lincoln. "If he wins tomorrow, we're all doomed."

OoOoO

I sat with Miller, Harper, Raven, and Monty in the cantina. The election votes were being tallied. I had breakfast on my plate, but I'd barely touched it. "This is taking forever," Raven mumbled.

"What do we do if Pike wins?" Harper asked.

"I guess we prepare for war." I shook my head. "No matter what happens, we stick together, okay? If Pike wins we're going to need each other." I looked between each of them. Harper and Raven nodded.

"You saved our asses once already," Miller reminded me. "I trust you to do it again, Robin Hood."

"My mom is with Pike," Monty murmured. "But war isn't the answer. It's not what Shauna would've wanted."

I gave him a sad smile. "No, it isn't."

Kane stepped up to the front of the room. His face betrayed no emotion. "The votes have been counted. Charles Pike is your new Chancellor."

My friends looked at me. I took a deep breath. "Together."