Chapter 9 - You Think That I Don't Notice, But I Do
Over the next couple hours Clarke and Anya made their way through the woods trying to dodge their tail from the mountain. Covered in mud and bruises, Clarke finally realized they were being tracked and not just followed. When she told Anya to check herself for a lump, the ground had bitten the device out of her arm before Clarke could even process what had happened. Anya's only explanation was that she wouldn't go back there.
They continued to move through the woods for a short time before Clarke was able to get Anya to agree to stop and let her bandage the wound on her arm. Wasting no time, Clarke jabbed one of the tranquilizer darts she had pulled out of a tree earlier, into Anya's neck. She worked quickly to put together a makeshift sled to pull the now unconscious grounder on behind her.
Clarke dragged the sled behind her all the way back to the dropship and set it down as gently as she could when she arrived. The faint lines of her name in white caught her eye, though she couldn't make out the rest.
The sound of movement behind her snapped her head back around in time to see the still drowsy Anya stumble away from the sled. Clarke back away slightly, telling Anya just to wait a moment.
Anya's right arm swung out as she tried to clock Clarke on the head again. Ducking, she moved off to the side to try to avoid the still flailing arm. When she got around to the side of Anya, she attempted to grab her shoulder, only to get a left hook to the head which knocked her off her feet.
Clarke crawled as quickly as she could over to the pile of tree branches, barely getting one in her hands, as Anya stumbled after her. Clarke tripped up to her feet as she danced away from Anya. Turning back to the grounder Clarke swung her makeshift weapon at Anya only to miss several times before they became locked in a power struggle over it. Anya pulled her forward, kneeing her in the stomach. Pushing Clarke back before she could settle her feet under her, Anya punched her square in the face before pulling the weapon away from Clarke's confused fingers.
When Clarke's body finally stopped moving, she looked over, realizing that there was a knife just in reach of her hand. Her fingers closed over the hilt just in time for Anya to stumble forward again. Tossing some of the ash that rested below her at Anya's face, Clarke scrambled to her feet.
"I don't want to kill you Anya," Clarke pleaded with her.
"Then you're the one that's going to die." Anya taunted.
Clarke lunged forward with the knife outstretched only to have Anya use her momentum against her, kneeing her in the stomach again before pushing her back off her feet. Clarke scrambled away and back to her feet only to have Anya reach out for her again, yanking the knife from her hand. Anya pulled the knife across her arm and then her ribs, drawing cries of pain from Clarke's mouth as she begged her own body not to cloud her vision with tears.
Anya's headbutt sent her head over heels back into the ground. The grounder climbed over Clarke's prone form as she pressed the knife into the soft exposed skin of Clarke's throat. Anya nicked her skin as she drew the knife back to plunge it into Clarke's jugular. Seeing Anya's intent, Clarke grabbed the still fresh wound on Anya's arm and dug her nails into it. The moment of hesitation was enough for Clarke to buck her hips up and unseat Anya.
Rolling them both over Clarke sat upon Anya and began to rain down punches, getting in several good ones before the grounder beneath her stopped fighting. The sight of a silver balloon in the air caught Clarke's eyes as she reached for the knife that had fallen out of Anya's hand in the struggle. Clarke climbed off the panting and bleeding woman as quickly as her battered body could; as if the balloon had pulled her up.
"You fought well, Clarke of the sky people." Anya gasped out, blood pouring from the wounds Clarke's hands had inflicted.
"Do you see that?" Clarke pointed at the sky. "I knew he lied. My people are out there."
Clarke dragged Anya back to her feet after tying her hands together. "Come on, let's go."
When they arrived at what was a camp full of her people, Clarke gave in to the shivers of relief. The sound of Anya's voice asking how many people there were drew Clarke's attention back to the body beside her.
"I don't know. A lot, I hope." Clarke shrugged before moving to take the binding off. "I'm letting you go. I'm not weak, but I'm not like you. Our only chance against Mount Weather is if we fight together. To beat them, we'll need our technology and your knowledge of this world. I know my people will help. The question is, will yours?"
Anya nodded. "The commander is from my Kru. I can get an audience."
Clarke reached her arm out to grasp Anya's. "Please hurry."
The loud pop of a gunshot echoes around Clarke's skull as she watches Anya fall to the ground in horror. Rushing over Clarke pushes heavily on the hole in Anya's gut. "Hey, it's okay. You're going to be okay." Clarke promises her even as she begs her to stay with her.
Anya's bloody hand comes to rest on Clarke's shoulder before it drops back beside her limp body. "Ai gonplei ste odon"
The panic rises in Clarke's chest at her words. "No. No, no, no. Anya, you're ok. You're ok. Please."
She knows the muffled sound of someone approaching should mean something to her; should illicit a response but she doesn't have anything left in her. Her hope for getting the rest of the grounders to help has just been taken from her. The thump of a gun hitting the base of her head rattles her as her arms go lax underneath her.
Her head lolls to the side as her vision flickers, dimly she wonders how many more hits to the head she can take before her brain gives up on her. The pain from all the fighting has caught up with her as the adrenaline from their flight to freedom has waned.
The strong arms of two men carry her forward as her feet drag beneath her. She tries to find it in herself to be worried about where they are taking her. Hoping they will take a moment to realize she is one of them before they hurt her any further. She is in so much pain, she can't imagine more.
The next thing she notices is two soft hands cupping her face drawing her face up to look at the hazel eyes of her mother. Clarke's heart stutters in disbelief when she hears the familiar voice calls her name.
"Mom?" Her voice comes out wrecked. Tears pool in her eyes and her heart races, not believing her eyes. "You're alive?"
Clarke barely sees her mother nodding before her vision is cloaked in darkness.
When her eyes flutter open, she is prone on a soft cot and her mother's voice is loud over her. "I need saline and a pressure dressing."
She almost cries as she hears Jackson's soft voice telling her mother that he was on it. She feels her mom's warm hands brushing her crusty hair out of her face. "It's ok, honey. I'm right here."
Clarke hums as she presses her lips together, trying not to cry and wreck the wonderful dream of her mother's face in front of her. Her hand raised up to lightly land on the clean cheek before her. "I saw your ship crash."
The tears in her mother's eyes catch Clarke's eyes as her mother's strained smile tilts in her direction. "I wasn't on it. I'm right here."
Finally, Clarke is forced to realize this isn't a dream when the pressure from Jackson's hands on the knife wound on her stomach draws a groan out of her mouth and pulls the breath from her lungs.
She hears the voice of Major Byrne and her mother as she tries to fill her lungs back up again. When the major asks her where she's been, she responds breathlessly "Mount Weather."
The confused tone is not lost on her as the major asks, "The Grounders took you to Mount Weather?"
Struggling to sit up and move away from the torturous hands applying pressure to her aching body. "No. The mountain men. We have to get them out."
Abby's tone brooks no arguments as she says, "we're not doing this right now." while pressing Clarke back into the cot below her. The major concedes with a nod before exiting the tent.
"Mom." Clarke draws Abby's eyes back to hers. "Did anyone else make it here?"
Abby's smile is genuine, "Yes. 6 of you did."
"Finn, Wells and Murphy?" Her tone is nervous as her heart clenches in time with the gentle pull of stitches through her skin.
Her mother's nod pulls the air she'd just barely gathered in her lungs back out and the tears that'd been threatening finally fall. "I thought they were dead. I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead."
Abby shushes her as she strokes her hair back again. "Not me. I'm right here." She said before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Clarke's head. Abby's eyes meet Jackson's before Clarke feels the poke of a needle on her arm and darkness pulling her anxious mind under.
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Bellamy stalks towards the doors where both sky people are being held. His shoulders hunched as he avoids eye contact with the others. He feels a strong hand fall on his shoulder as Gustus stops him.
"You cannot go in there, Heda." The gentle fall of his voice which used to be soothing, reminds him too much of his lost friend and crying sister. "The sky people are dangerous."
"I am your commander," Bellamy huffed. "You can't stop me."
"Yes, Heda." He nodded. "But if you will not think about your safety then I will."
"I need to speak with them, I don't need them knowing who I am by having all of you following me in there."
"Okay, what if we send you in there as a servant and someone else pretends to be commander." The strong man in front of him bowing before the heavy thoughts. "It should draw their suspicions. They would have no reason to think you were anything but expendable and might talk more freely. Otherwise any other person who went in there would have to have some sort of authority just to talk to them. I don't want to risk you that way."
Bellamy nodded as he puzzled out how this could work in his favor. "Gustus, you might be onto something. Let's discuss this in my cabin, bring Roma and the others. I don't need anyone to mess up if we do it that way."
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"I thought you got thrown off the council." Clarke said as she watched her mother who was busily running her eyes over all her injuries.
"Oh." The small jolt that ran through Abby, confirmed that she hadn't noticed that Clarke was awake. "It's the Chancellor's pin."
Clarke's eyebrow rose in surprise. "You?"
"Yeah," Abby nodded. "Thelonious didn't make it, and Kane left two days ago to try to make peace with the Grounders to get you and the others back."
"I told you. The Grounders don't have us." At the mention of her missing friends, the anxiety flooded back into her. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About 10 hours." At that news Clarke, tried to sit up too quickly, pulling a heavy groan from her lips. Abby's hands fluttered uselessly as she tried to stop Clarke. "Hey, Clarke, slow down. Hey. It's too soon."
"Mom, we need to move against Mount Weather. How many guards are here?" Clarke rolled off the cot, noticing for the first time that she was hardly dressed but clean. "Where are Finn and Wells? Murphy?"
"Clarke, please. You need to rest." Abby grabbed for the clothes that Clarke was reaching for.
"I don't need to rest. I'm fine." Clarke pulled the clothes from her mother with a grunt of pain. Her look fierce as she remembers her mother plunging a tranquilizer into her before she woke up on the drop ship. "And I don't need you to protect me. What I need is to save my friends."
Major Byrne's appearance was enough of a distraction to keep her mother from stopping her from dressing again. "Ma'am. Movement in the north woods."
"Grounders?" Abby asks, turning away from her daughter and heading out the tent.
"I don't think so." Major Byrne replies following Abby.
Clarke follows them slowly as her aching body won't allow for quicker movements. When the flap of the tent swishes closed behind her, she hears a quick "Hi" from beside her. Her eyes land on Raven only moments before they are a tangle of arms. The tight squeeze of Raven's hug draws a gasp from her as the pinch a bruise somewhere on her body. Raven's arms slacken at the sound, but Clarke just holds her tighter for a moment longer before drawing away from her.
"I've been waiting out here all night. Abby said you needed sleep." Raven says as she slides her hands down Clarke's arms.
Watch Raven's hands trail down her arms draws Clarke's eyes down to the brace that's hold Raven's leg steady. The apology written heavily on Clarke's face. "Raven, I -"
"Sucks," Raven cuts her off before she can make a real attempt at an apology. "but I'm dealing with it.
The girls turn to the gate as it opens and they see the Wells, Monroe and a new face she hadn't seen around camp. Wells name comes unbidden to her lips. Raven nods for Clarke to go on with only a brief "I'll catch up." thrown at her. Clarke turns towards the gate and sprints, as quickly as her torn up legs will allow, into Wells arms.
He hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around her. Her grunt of pain, has him pulling back to look into her battered face. "How many are with you?"
She shakes her head, pulling the rest of the way out of his arms. "None. Where's Finn? Murphy?"
"Looking for you." He says, but his face is grim.
Later in the evening at the council meeting, Abby says, "Ok. We gather intel on Mount Weather, and we send a team after Kane. He needs to know that the Grounders don't have those kids."
Major Byrne turns to Abby, arms clasped behind her back. "What about Finn Collins and John Murphy?"
Abby refuses to meet Clarke's eyes and Clarke knows that she isn't going to go after them. "What? No. You can't just cut them loose."
Abby turns back to them, her eyes softening. "Sweetheart, we don't have the manpower to send out two separate rescue missions and protect our camp."
"Mom. They're in trouble." Clarke hobbles forward into the center of the room. Anger clear on her face. "They're either gonna get themselves killed or they're gonna make things worse with the Grounders, who we need to get our people out of Mount Weather."
"I know you feel this is unfair. But our priority has to be with Chancellor Kane if there is any hope for peace." The tone of voice is placating which only fuels Clarke's anger further.
"If you wanted peace," Clarke sneers. "You shouldn't have killed the only Grounder who was gonna help us."
"I'm sorry. The decisions been made." Abby's tone is final, and Clarke knows that she will not change her mind.
And even though Wells knows that tone of voice well he still steps forward to say. "You're sorry? Finn and Murphy are out there looking for your daughter with guns you gave us, and now she's home, you're just going to abandon them? If you can't spare the guards, we know the terrain, we have a map. We can do it ourselves." Clarke nods, dropping her arms away from where they had been clutching her side.
"Absolutely not." Abby turns away from her.
Clarke's voice is indigent as she calls to her mom. Abby's only response is to tell Clarke she just got her back as she shakes her head in her direction. Jackson's voice calls out to Abby telling her she's need in medical, pulling Abby away from the conversation that still feels unfinished but not before she tells Major Byrne that no one leaves the camp. The broad blonde only nods in Abby's direction.
Clarke and Wells leave the meeting room and make their way over to Raven who looks at Clarke with a question clearly written across her face. The shake of Clarke's head, heats Raven's face. As they close in on Raven, she can see Raven start to open her mouth to argue but before she can get a word out Clarke says, "We're gonna need guns."
Wells looks at her in confusion. "We are going after them, Wells. We can't leave them out there."
"How are we going to get out of here, the fence is live and Major Byrne is sure to have told everyone that we are not supposed to leave." Wells says as he helps Clarke sit down when he sees her wince.
Raven clears her throat, looking away from the pair of them. "I can do it. I can do both of those things. If you give me about 30 minutes."
"Perfect," Clarke says, ignoring the concern on Wells face. "That will give me enough time to get myself wrapped up for walking through the woods and make sure my mom won't catch us before we leave. Where do you want us to meet you, Raven?"
"There is a section off to the north side of camp where you'll be able to be hidden as you head out towards the woods."
They nod in agreeance. "Okay, we will meet you there in 30 minutes."
Midday found Clarke and Wells moving as quickly through the woods as Clarke can get her body to go. The tension wraps she placed over her injuries helped to stabilize her broken body and minimize the pain enough that she isn't limping.
Clarke turns to Wells as he says, "Last time I saw you, you were closing the dropship door." At the look of regret on her pale face he winces. "It had to be done."
Shaking her head, Clarke changes the topic. "Did you get any sleep?"
"It's ok. I'll sleep when we find Finn." the long lines of weariness pull at Wells' face. "You haven't seen him, Clarke. Losing you, the others, the war, it changed him. He executed the Grounder that drew us the map. Pulled the trigger without even blinking and walked away."
"That doesn't sound like Finn." She says in surprise.
"No, it doesn't." Wells agrees, running his hand over his face. "I saw what he was capable of, and still I let him go with Murphy and 2 automatic rifles."
"I'm sure that had to be done, too." She stops to place her hand on his shoulder, pulling him around to look at her.
"When we got back to the dropship and no one was there, we assumed it was the Grounders." Wells sounds wrecked as his sad eyes turn to trace her face.
"Of course, you did, Wells." She pulls him into a hug. "You couldn't have known it was the mountain men. No one could have."
"How long until chocolate cake turns into being hung upside down and drained for their blood?" He finally hugged her back.
"I don't know, but we don't have much time." She pulls away from him and starts walking again. "But first, we find Finn, then our people in Mount Weather."
As Wells nods, they suddenly hear the loud pop of a gun going off. Then it begins again in earnest. They look at each other quickly before they take off in a sprint towards the sound. Clarke's heart is racing in her ears as the adrenaline spikes to mask her pain.
As they tear around a corner into the little village. She stops, horror filling her body as she sees Finn mowing down, elderly people and children alike. Not a warrior among the people huddled. She can see Murphy screaming at him to stop. She must have made a sound because suddenly, Finn is turning to look at her. As he approaches with his hand outstretched towards her, she backs away.
The reverence in his voice when he says, "I found you" tears a hole in her heart as she shakes her head at him. She pulls further away as he continues forward towards her. Only the sound of Murphy and Wells' voices get her moving as she remembers that they are squarely in enemy territory and they just violated any attempt they may have had at peace with the grounders. They turn and flee the area, Murphy pulling Finn along as Clarke rushes ahead of the whole group, trying to keep tears from her eyes.
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"Heda," a voice he knows calls out to him. One he hadn't heard in the months since his sister and Lincoln had left on their original mission.
"Yes, Indra?" He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. Nothing is working the way he wants and Gustus is still unwilling to let him in to see the prisoners with nothing concrete set in place.
"Heda," She starts again.
When her voice stalls out Bellamy finally looks over to her. "Indra?"
"The Sky Rats sent an assassin into my village." She pauses to collect herself. Bellamy allows her to have a moment without pressuring her. He knows she will talk when she is ready. "He killed 18 of my people. He killed my second."
Though he knows Octavia is no longer a second but a full-fledged warrior with her own second if she wants to take one, that still takes his breath away. "You know for certain it was them and not the Mountain Men?"
She nods. "Yes, Heda. Our healer Nyko knows his face, He was at the bridge with Anya when they tried to talk of peace."
Nodding to her Bellamy turns to the guard at the entryway. "Tell Gustus, to come here immediately and tell him that his Heda will hear nothing except for a solid plan to see to this infestation when he arrives."
XXXXXXXXXX
When they got back to the camp Finn was whisked away to the council room to talk to them about what happened. Wells was trying to get her mind off of it as he peppered her with questions about mount weather. Begging her to repeat things repeatedly.
"It's a Labyrinth, we got to the dam through this tunnel." She points to the map that she has drawn to recreate the one she'd been working on in the mountain. "It's all connected to the mine system, that's our way in."
"Are you sure we can get past the Reapers and the Mountain Men? I swear to god if your mom doesn't sanction the mission soon, I'm going by myself." Wells sounds more passionate than she ever remembers him sounding.
"You won't be by yourself." Her eyes tilt up to his before they fall away to look back at the opening to the council room.
The sight of Finn exiting the Ark and heading in her direction, sends her heart rate up. Wells voice draws her back down to the here and now. "How's Finn doing?"
"I haven't talked to him since we got back." She can't meet Wells' soft eyes. "I don't know what to say, he just kept shooting."
"We're at war, Clarke, we've all done things." is the only thing he says before he excuses himself just as Finn sits down at their table.
"Mount Weather, what's the plan?" Finn asks. She can see his eyes trying to catch hers, but she can't bring herself to meet his.
"Still working on it." is all she says when they are thankfully interrupted by Murphy dropping down on the bench next to her. His voice just as cocky as its always been. "Check it out, salvaged Monty's still from the dropship. I guess you know if we could salvage Monty, huh." Finn gets up and leaves as Murphy spits out towards him, "Easy just a joke".
Murphy's eyes grab hers and she can see the tears that don't quite fall but still shimmer in the glow for the fires that surround the camp. Her hand reaches out to grasp his, her own eyes welling up. She nods at him as she squeezes his hand. Before they get a chance to put words to the feelings Raven takes the seat that Finn had just vacated.
"Beat it Murphy." She says, the malice towards him thick in her voice.
"Well then, I'm gone." Before lifting himself up and out of the seat.
Clarke raises her eyebrow at Raven, silently telling Raven to go ahead. "I know why we haven't heard from any other Ark stations, Mount Weather's jamming us."
Raven pulls Clarke out of her seat and towards the engineering bay. "I tweaked the resonator and got this. It's on every frequency. Long range communication is totally screwed. It's the same reason the range for our walkies sucks. It's the same signal Monty heard in the black box of the Exodus ship."
"Mount Weather crashed the Exodus ship." Clarke's eyes shot up to meet Raven's; her thoughts flying around her brain. "Can you get around the signal?"
"Around it no. But if I can get to the tower that broadcasts it, I can make it go boom." Her hands mimicking an explosion.
Before they can get any further into discussions Abby's voice cuts in. "No one is going anywhere."
Clarke's attempts at stopping her mom from steam rolling the conversation fall on deaf ears. "What do I have to get through to you? You and your friends are not soldiers and continuing to act like you are, puts lives at risk." Abby's face is furious.
"You don't understand," Clarke's hands fly up in frustration. "Raven found something. Mount Weather is jamming our communications."
"It's true." Raven nods at Abby. "There could be other Ark stations on the ground."
"And more guards. You said we don't have enough people to fight a two-front war, Mom, we're already fighting one." Clarke knows she has her mom's attention now. If she can just press a little further, she can get what she wants. Her mom has always been the one to play it safe and the idea of more guards is like the sweetest honey to her mother.
Major Byrne is the one to put the brakes on this time. "The grounder retaliation for the massacre could happen at any time and when it does, we need every soldier at this camp."
Clarke's eyes are full of fire as she glared at Major Byrne. "So, let us go!"
"You're not gonna stop, are you?" Abby's voice is wistful as she looks at Clarke in a way she'd never seen before.
"Not until my friends are safe." Clarke says, her tone hopeful. She knows she will go either way, but it would be easier if her mom could just get on board. She is still surprised when Abby says that she will go with them.
Major Byrne's concerns are cut off before she can even voice them. Abby points out that it's been quiet for two days, maybe there would be no retaliation if Kane is making any headway with the commander.
The major's tone is petulant as she says, "Or maybe he's dead. And they're massing against us as we speak."
Abby nods with an uncomfortable smile. "Maybe, which is why we need more guards."
Not letting her mom have a moment to change her mind Clarke, smiles and says. "Then it's settled, we're going back to the Mount Weather."
Raven grabs Clarke's hand and she can feel the excitement radiating off the brunette next to her, while her gut is filled with dread.
XXXXXXXXXX
Bellamy follows Gustus into the prison cell where the two sky people are being held, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. He thinks, sending his sister might have played off better, she's smaller and cuts a less intimidating presence when she wants to. The taller of the two men, the one who had come to return his people, stood as they entered the building.
As the guards fanned out around Gustus he can see the other man who remained seated is analyzing what his people are doing. He can't help but think that Gustus was right to have been cautious with this one. His guards move to stand him up only to be met with resistance. As they land a few blows the other man turns frantic eyes towards Gustus.
"Stop! We came in peace! We came in peace, please!" His deep voice is filled with weakness as he pleads for his friend.
"You speak of peace when you send an assassin into one of my villages." Gustus' voice is angry with the news we had just learned. The loss of those lives could not be forgiven.
"What are you talking about?" The sky people might be good liars, but this man is clearly confused as he argues back.
"Blood must have blood." Gustus says, a soft chant of the guards follows his words. Pulling a knife from his belt he tosses it at their feet. "One of you will die here, today by the other's hand. We will hear the terms of your surrender from the man who lives. Fetch us when it's done." Gustus meets his eye as he turns to leave. The hint of hesitation is there before he moves out the door.
Bellamy scoots around the other men, he can see them tense as he skirts over to the wall as if he is frightened of their command. Lifting the pot that's on the ground near his feet he sits down where it had been. Making a show of cleaning it with the rag in his hand.
The black man with fire in his eyes turned to the other man and says, "They want us to turn on each other."
Bellamy can't help but speak up to that. "They want justice." Though he tries to keep his voice meek there is still the steel of freshly dug graves of his innocent people.
The taller man pulls his jacket from his arms roughly throwing it against ground. His voice cracking as he shouts at the empty space where his guards had just stood. "Lives have been lost on both sides. That's why we need to end this war!"
"What's your name?" The man with curious eyes says to him as he studies him.
Bellamy tries to hunch down further answering in as mild a voice as possible. The curious man looks at him harder as he introduces himself as Thelonious and the tall desperate man as Marcus. He looks back at Marcus before asking about the assassin that Gustus had mentioned.
He doesn't have to pretend to tense as he feels the guilt roll through his stomach. "Yes, eighteen of our people were murdered. Elders, children."
Marcus turns to Bellamy as he tells him that they had nothing to do with that.
"It doesn't matter, the commander thinks you did." He knows that the sky people committed the atrocities, Nyko was familiar with the face of the murder. "One of you must pick up the knife that is our way."
When Thelonious asks what will happen if they refuse to take the other's life, a small thrill of satisfaction that might not be his own, runs through him. His voice sounds too pleased when he tells them that the commander will use it to slit both of their throats.
