On the Ground
We all stood around the small scree, as Chancellor Jaha spoke, I had to take a big drink of moonshine, what he was about to say, he would likely take all the credit for everything down here going right. When we did all the hard work.
"My friends, this is a historic Unity Day." His voice echoed, "Every year, we mark the moment our ancestors of the twelve stations joined to form the Ark" I rolled my eyes, the truth was, it was either join together or they would get shot down, out of space, "but this is the last time we do so while aboard her. Next year, we will be on the ground."
"Right." Miller mumbled next to me, "After we did all the work. Someone shut him up!"
"You shut up, Miller!" Raven retorted, "No one's forcing you to watch." I took the option and walked away from the crowd, still able to hear Jaha's voice, I walked towards Octavia, holding out my cup, offering her some of my drink, she declined my shaking her head.
"I'm going to go out and see him again" she whispered to me, I nodded at her, "I wish I had a hot Grounder to go see, rather then being here listening to the squabble Jaha is spreading" I then looked around the camp.
"The knight of the Ark isn't a fan of Unity Day?" She joked.
"It's all lies, the few stations that were together at the time basically threatened the others to join them, going as far as to blow the thirteenth station out of the sky." I looked at her, "him, and our past Chancellors, our teachers and parents, basically don't acknowledged this day for what is was, we killed people that didn't want to join us."
"Well the lie is more hopeful then the truth" She retorted.
"For ninety - seven years, we have eked out an existence, hoping that someday our descendant would return to Earth."
That's when Jasper came running in with a new batch of moonshine, "Whooo! Yeah! Monty strikes again!" He ran down to the ground, to the middle of the group, "Call this batch unity juice!" He then proceeded to pour some of his high-proof distilled spirit, into cups, "Who's thirsty?" singing softly to everyone as he did.
"Go now" I whispered to her, elbowing her side to take the chance, while everyone else surrounded Jasper. She didn't hesitate, she made her way out of the crack in the wall. I noticed Finn was the only one to noticed, we stared at each other, acknowledging what just happened, with out a word. I held my empty cup up, cheering in his direction, taking the last gulp of what was in my cup.
"Hey Jasper" I called walking towards the boy, "Fill me up!"
On the Ark
"Vera, I told you, ask your son, He will be on the first Exodus ship to the ground" I informed the mother of my husband, "He's overseeing security on the ground"
"Will you make it to the departure ceremony?" she asked, changing the topic from the little tree of hers.
I smiled softly, nodding, "I wouldn't miss it Vera." I assured her, then she walked away I presume to pester Marcus about taking her tree down with him when he left. I walked over to Abby standing next to her, noticing Diana on the other side of Abby. I narrowed my eyes at the blond, as she gave me a bony smile. I didn't trust her, she was a text book control freak, that craved power. She wasn't a good person.
"...But enough about me. You are all here for the pageant anyway, right?" Jaha stated jokingly.
"He's curring his remarks short." Diana mumbled, a bit louder then she meant to.
As when Abby asked her a question, "What was that?"
Diana went quickly to an excuse, "Oh, nothing. I helped him with his speech, he's leaving the best part out."
"Without further ado, I present the story of us" Jaha then moved, allowing a little girl to walk out, into the middle of the room, surrounded by twelve other children, each with a flag, for each nation that joined the Ark on that day, I smiled softly at the flag for the French, the flag that my own daughter walked around in the circle, when she was younger. She basically begged to carry around the flag that was of the home, the nation of Joan of Arc, The Maid of Orléans, whom our own Jonah was named after, with a different spelling. She wanted to feel closer to the woman of stories, the knight from once upon a time.
" Long ago when the Earth was on fire, through space all alone. Then one day, Mir floated by Shenzhen, and they realized life would be better together. The other stations saw this, and they wanted to be together, too. When all the stations were formed, they called themselves-" Within that moment there was an explosion sending us all flying. Myself being shoved to the side by the blast, landing harshly on the ground, letting out a sound of pain. There was a high piched ring in my ears, as I tried to get up, everything was buzzing, putting my hand on my ear, I looked at my hand to see blood, my ears must've popped.
I then saw her, Vera, my mother in law. Crawling over to her, unaable to stand up and walk to her, I'm sure I had some injury in my left leg, it was in so much pain. Vera, she had debree, a sharp chunk of metal going through her, her face was bloodied up and badly bruised, was she alive? I placed a hand on her neck, there was a weak pulse, she was alive still, I forced myself into a sitting position, looking her over, what could I do? the spike in her abdomen, it didn't go through her nicely.
She could easily die from whatever damage her brain sustained from the force of the explosion, or she could die from the spike, that peirced her liver and gallbladder easily going through them and into her, her appendix, her digestive track and her colon, or she could die, from the acid in her stomach eats at her. She wasn't going to make it. I softly set her head on my lap. Humming slowly, her eyes, were cloudy, could she make out that I was here? That I was stroking her hair softly, humming to her, that I was crying for her. For Marcus, for Jonah, for myself. That our family of four, was now down to three. Jonah wouldn't see her grandmother, nor would Vera see her granddaughter. Marcus and I would be here as she died before us.
" Selene!" I heard his voice, through the ringing in my ears, he then realized whom I was with, "Mom, Mom, Mom!" He sobbed rushing over to hold his mothers hand, Abby joining us as she looked at the damage, I didn't need to look up to know she came to the same conclusion that I had. Vera Kane, a mother, a grandmother, couldn't be saved.
Once Abby had left, giving the three of us a moment with each other. Kane took my hand, leaning in close to his mother so she could hear him as he said a prayer, "In peace, may you leave the shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels until our final journey to the ground."
He sniffled lightly as we both said in unison the last part, "May we meet again." In that moment, is when she died, her hand in Macrus's going limp, her head being turned over in my lap. I closed her eyes with my hand crying softly.
"Marcus, Selene." Jaha whispered, once he found us, "I'm so sorry" He keeled down, resting a hand on Veras head, softly stroking the hair of the woman.
I looked at him, as Marcus spoke, "We need to get you out of here."
I nodded in agreement, whiping my face of tears, blood, dirt and whatever else was on my face, we needed to get the living to a safe place, "It was a coup, the blast came from behind the right side of the ship, where the majority of the council members were standing"
"Concilors, Col, Kaplan, Muir and Fuji are dead." Marcus informed, Jaha.
I realized, "Diana made a remark about you cutting your speech short, did you?"
Jaha, then got up with Marcus, looking around the room, "Where's Councilor Sydney?" He demanded,.
Abby then spoke up, "She left before the blast."
It was her, I knew she wasn't a good person. She's gone and killed so many innocent people, for the dropship I assume, I struggled to get up, putting more pressure on my left leg.
"I'll find her" Marcus declared, I'm sure he'd go kill her.
"Take someone with you" I ordered, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go with him, "there is no way she planned this on her own."
Jaha added on to my statement, "You do that, and double the guard at the dropship, I'm putting the Ark on lockdown!" There were some sparks, causing some people to scream, "We are not missing that launch window!"
Marcus nodded, pointing to a few guards, and raced out of the room, to the dropship, and wherever Diana was currently.
On the Ground
The comms had gone out during the pageant, interference is what everyone had assumed, I sat by a fire, listening to everyone party, having fun, before the first Exodus ship came down. That's when Finn joined me.
"Where'd Octavia sneak off to?" He asked me casually.
I shrugged, "No, clue what you're talking about." I lied at him knowing he knew exactly where she was.
"Come on I want to stop any future fighting." He stated, "I want to not repeat history. Your father is coming down with the guard, and will start a war, I don't want that." He looked at me, "I don't think you do either, you helped get the Grounder escape. I don't want anymore people to die." He then spoke in a more determined tone, "The Grounder blew this when we were out looking for Octavia, and we were being hunted. He saved our lives, there have to be more like him, right?"
I looked at him, with a sigh, "What makes you think he'll listen to you? He might think it a trick. You know you being the one he stabbed and all."
"He choked you, yet you let him leave, why?" He asked sharply, reminding me, I put a hand on my neck, I knew the marks weren't there anymore, but I could still feel them there, where that Grounder had a hand around my neck.
"We couldn't kill him, that would make things worse, with his people" I then sighed, looking at him, "Fine, she went to go see the Grounder, what are you suggesting we do?"
"We?" He questioned the wording.
I rolled my green eyes, "Well, I'm not stupid enough to let you go there alone, you'll need protection pretty boy."
He smiled and then answered my previous question, "Lets go talk to him" He suggested, getting up, "see you at the gate in ten minutes"
Leading Finn through the woods, with only a handgun in the back of my pants, a container of water and a knife.
"Thank you" Finn muttered from behind me.
"For what?" I didn't look back at him, "I agree with you, we can be better than we were."
We soon reached where Lincolns home was, making it to where he was pulling Octavia up out of his hole. I put my hand in my pocket, holding my knife. I hadn't seen the man since I helped him escape. I never thought about seeing him again, he was bigger, intimidating, and tried to kill me. I held my throat softly stroking my neck. I was all right, I was alive.
Finn stepped on some leaves, making the man and Octavia break their kiss to look at us.
"Jonah? Finn?" Octavia exclaimed, Lincoln spun to us so quickly, pulling our a knife and hiding Octavia behind him, protecting her, in the same intense I pulled out my own knife, standing in front of Finn.
"Lincoln, wait, wait!" Octavia called, pulling the Grounders arm, to keep him from lunging at Finn and I, "She helped you escape, and he's our friend" She snapped, getting in front of Lincoln.
Finn then held out a familiar knife, that, he turned it to show the hilt of the knife towards the couple, their eyes widening, they knew what knife it was, "I think you lost this" Finn told the Grounder.
We were then led into the cave, where we all could've died that night. I held my neck once more, stroking it softly, comforting myself. The cave this time was dimly lit by a fire in the far corner.
"So, what the hell are you doing here?" Octavia demanded.
Finn walked to the center of the cave, "I could as you the same thing, I could've also ask how long you've known he spoke English, or why Jonah has been covering for you, but I won't" He then walked towards the small shelf or table, where there was an open bag with a horn in it, hepicked it up, holding it so we could all see it in his hand, "You blew this when your people were hunting us down?" He asked Lincoln, whom nodded in reply, "You saved our lives. I have nto believe there's more like you." He then set the horn back down where he found it.
"I stabbed you" Lincoln stated, walking closer, looking at me, "She rubs her neck to where my hand was when I choked her."
"We tortured you." Finn stated, looking at me, "and she helped get you out, if she can save you, and I can get along with you, then maybe there's hope." Finn retorted.
"Learn from history rather then repeating it" I added in, looking at the two obvious lovers.
"How's that going to happen?" Octavia asked, skeptically.
"For starters, no more killing." Finn said, locking eyes with Lincoln.
"I don't have the power to call a truce." The Grounder retorted, scoffing at the idea.
I rolled my eyes, "Then bring someone who does have the power!"
Lincoln looked to Octavia with an annoyed groan, and look.
"Hey, when the rest of our people come down, and they are coming, soon" I stated stepping up, I knew they were going to send down the guard, "after everything your people have done to us, I can promise you they won't be sending down civilians, no they'll be bringing down soldiers, that will kill you and your people."
"It's true" Octavia confirmed.
Finn nodded adding on, "Our people, are about survival at any cost, they'll kill people who fall out of line. When those people get down here, they will start a war, and I - neither of us want that" This caught Lincoln's attention making him turn to face Finn and I, "Neither do you, and I think that's why you blew that horn."
Licoln looked at the ground in deep though as I spoke more, "they would listen to if we made a treaty, made peace with each other, then we'd have a chance to avoid a war, if we could become graceful towards each other, while we are still in charge, then we will be able to stop them from doing anything rash."
"Once they get here, the soldiers, it will be too late and we'll have no power to stop them" Finn added to my statement.
Lincoln finally spoke, "All right, you be at the bridge by sun up, and I'll bring my leader."
"What - are we bringing Bellamy as well? He'll never go for this." Octavia pointed out.
"No." Lincoln retorted, shaking his head "Not your brother."
"Clarke?" Finn asked, I nodded at him.
Only to be shocked as Lincoln shook his head once more, "No not her either, just her" He looked at me.
"Me?" I questioned, shocked, "Why me, I'm just a wanna-be knight" I stated, not understanding why me, Clarke seemed like the wise choice.
"You're not like the others, you helped save me, even against the will of the other two that lead with you." He paused looking at Octavia, "Your brother wants a war, while Clarke" He looked to Finn, "She only wants to keep your people safe." He looked at me, "with your people, Bellamy is the king, wanting to fight wanting to end a problem before it starts, Clarke is a princess, to blinded by her emotions to see anything other than your people. You're a knight - as you've said - you fight for the welfare of all, and as a warrior, down here warriors, are respected, they are true leaders for my people. You'll have some respect from my leaders, even if you are young."
Walking to where Lincoln instructed with Finn and Octavia, I felt shy, skittish almost, I wasn't the only leader. I was just a normal teenager... At least I thought so, we couldn't go just the three of us. We needed to seem like a people with no secrets, with a chain of command. Lincoln was right, I stopped walking looking ahead as I stopped, perhaps he was right, Clarke was the princess to Bellamy's king and my knightly-ness. We needed to seem like a working group. Bellamy would obviously not be ideal to bring with, but Clarke, might be useful, she's not stupid - for the most part - when it came to appearing like a working group.
"Jonah?" Octavia questioned, looking back at me.
"I can't go alone, we need to seem like we have some sort of command system, we need the princess" I whispered, looking at Finn, "Go get her, we'll seem like we have some command system, where if they were to kill me, we'd have someone else, we'd be more intimidating that way"
"We can't do that, Lincoln said only you" Finn objected.
I rolled my eyes, "Think about it, would a leader really show up to a planned meeting without back up? Any good leader knows to have a back up in place. Clarke, if she were to see these people as that - people - she might be more open to the idea of peace with them, and if I happen to die, today at least she'll be able to use her emotion to influence the others to be ready to run or fight, you know?"
On the Ark
I was with Abby, in the Exodus ship, while Marcus and some of the other guards were looking through the ship for Sydney. She and I were getting first - aid supplies packaged. She after helping set my hip joint back together declared I wasn't to run, or chase after Sydney. She was getting frustrated being here and not in medical to help others that were hurt in the blast. I'll admit I was frustrated as well, but I couldn't do much till the swelling in my leg went down, I was even told to sit on the on boxes behind us while we worked. The less I used my leg the quicker it'd heal.
"I should be in medical, not packing first - aid supplies!" Abby cursed, in frustration.
I didn't look up as I filled a first aid pack that was to be filled with trauma supplies, celox, to help wounds clot, an assortment of dressings, and bandages, "The injured are being taken care of, and we can do nothing for the dead." I stated, "We need to focus on getting that woman, and getting to our kids."
I felt her place a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly, "I'm sorry, Vera was an amazing spirit"
"Yeah, she was." I agreed with her.
"This launch should be delayed at least until you've questioned the terroist that set that bomb!" The familiar, manipulative voice of Sydney stated, running into the drop ship, if looks could kill, I'm sure my glare, my hatred for her would be melting her now. With the help of Abby, I got up and limped over to the woman Marcus meeting us on the ground level where the woman was, "I put word our to my people and just heard back." He handed her tablet over with picture of a man I knew.
"Cuyler Ridley, a mecanic, shared that his wife was lost in the culling" I muttered.
Marcus nodded, he remembered the man, from the day after the culling who demanded that Marcus leave, "I recognize him."
"So, what makes you think he did it?" Abby asked, skeptical of the woman, every right to be. She was lying, we all knew full well she had likely influenced the man to make the bomb, to further her own agenda.
"He turned himself in" She assured Abby.
I glared at her, exchanging a glance with my husband who looked between Abby and I. I assume Abby has a suspicious look as well.
"Where have you been, Diana?" Marcus asked the blond woman, "Why did you leave the pageant early?"
"Well, thank God I did, or I'd be dead right now" She was careful with her words, not answering the questions, "I guess we're both lucky."
"Stay where we can find you" Marcus ordered, motioning me to speak with him outside.
"Where am I going to go, Kane?" Sydney asked, "Becareful, Ridley's dangerous."
Marcus nodded, and stood outside with me, letting me lean against a wall, "Thoughts?"
I raised an eyebrow, "aren't I going to interrogate him?"
"No, I want you here with Abby, to protect the ship" he answered, looking at my leg, "besides, with your limp, you'll be having a hard time intimidating him, so what are your thoughts?"
I rolled my green eyes, brushing a strand of scarlet hair behind my ear, "He might've done it with her influence. Did you notice how she didn't directly answer your question, nor did she give any evidence to answer Abbys. She's involved, lying through her plastic lips" I paused, "I was standing next to Abby when Diana, made a remark about Thalonious cutting the speech short, it was her way to make sure everyone was there - in range of the bomb. A control freak like her, helping Jaha with that speech was a way for her, and whomever else involved to time when to leave the area, before the bomb went off."
"You think others left when she did?" He asked, taking in my information.
I nodded, "yes, it'd be smart, to have a statement Jaha says to be the time for them to leave." I paused going on, "I think she's had this planned since the culling."
"Good to know, anything to make him slip up?" He questioned, wanting my advice.
"Go on about me, that you're glad I lived. I assume he'll be sensitive about it, and admit to building the bomb. Then ask him for whom" I answered him, "Now go, I'll keep an eye on the worm" I kissed his warm lips, and limped back into the dropship, back to the boxes I was sitting on with Abby.
Nearly half an hour later, Abby and I in the back of the ship, finishing up the first aid kits. As there were the sound of guard boots, followed by a deep male voice, "Chancellor on deck!"
I grabbed Abby stopping her from running out and doing something stupid, as I could see from behind the large containers in front of us. Diana was here with a handful of other guards, each scurrying around preparing to launch the ship.
"How many of our people are on board?" Sydney asked one of the guards.
"Less than fifty percent, ma'am. They're all upstairs on the passenger deck." The guard answered.
"Tell me about the cargo" The plastic faced woman ordered, "search all the decks. Throw anyone not loyal to us out of the out of the service hatches and back into the Ark. Lieutenant , you may give the order."
That's when someone ran off the ship, just before the door shut. "Let him go! He's made his choice!"
Then I saw him, Cuyler Ridley, was Marcus all right?, "He'll warn Jaha."
"That Hardly maters now. This Exodus ship belongs to all of you, you're the future of the human race, and today, I'm going to lead you home!" Sydney declared, I rolled my eyes, the size of her ego was astonishing.
I put a finger to my mouth looking at Abby, we were out numbered, we needed to lay low till there was an opening for us to run, attack, to do something. To make sure that this woman and her little squad of traitors didn't get to the ground before us.
On the Ground
Octavia and I sat on the bridge the cold night air brushed against my cheeks as I took a deep breath. Praying that this would go right, that I'd say the right thing to the Grounder's leader, that I wouldn't come off as disrespectful to whomever it was.
I sighed once more, "Why me?" I whispered softly, leaning against the railing of the bridge looking down at the river that flowed below.
"Because you're the most open to peace, Jonah" Octavia reminded me, joining against the railing, "Besides, Clarke and Bellamy aren't our only leaders, you are. We look up to you as much as we look up to my brother.
"So, that's how you set this up?" Clarkes voice rang from outside of the bridge. I turned to look at her, with Finn, she then looked at me, "Jonah you're actually considering this plan?"
I nodded at her, "I am, it's a long shot but this is our world now, too, and we can't just keep killing each other. We need to be better than the people that walked this planet before the bombs went off" I stated, walking towards her, "You know the plan?" I asked her.
She nodded, "I was filled in on your plan, I don't think it's a good one." She then looked to Octavia, "You helped him, the Grounder that stabbed Finn and oh yeah choked you " She looked at me with a dark gaze then back at Octavia, "You helped him escape?"
"You let him get tortured." Octavia rebutted, "I helped him escape with Jonah's help. I trust him."
Clarke scoffed looking at Finn, "There's a lot of that going around. I just hope your trust doesn't get our people killed."
I rolled my eyes, turning away as I heard the sound of someone coming. Through the trees came Lincoln, jogging across the bridge, Octavia took off to meet him in the middle, he then lifted her up into the air, holding her tightly. I wanted to gag at the romance, but at the same time my chest ached for my friend. She was in love with him, and he seemed very in love with her as well.
Once they pulled apart, they walked closer, Lincoln glaring at Clarke, "What's she doing here?"
"I asked for her to be here, she is one of the leaders of our group as well, she'll be observing, nothing more" I stated simply, "Your leader won't be alone wither, I can guarantee that, with weapons as well."
That moment is when something approcing from behind the handsome Grounder caught my attention, diverting my eyes from him to the other side of the bridge to see horses, I felt my eyes widen in shock, I managed to hide it well enough, this moment I needed to look serious, I needed to be like my mother and father, nearly emotionless.
"Oh, my god horses!" Clarke said in a completely bewildered tone, as she saw the stunning creatures.
My eyes went from the horses straight to the three people atop of them, two of them flanking the woman in the middle were wearing masks, that were creepy. The woman, had braided dark blond hair with dark roots. She had war paing on her face, and had on a lot of black leather clothes, it was easy to tell, she was a serious one, likely a fearsome adversary to fight. Hopefully, it wouldn't come down to that.
"We said no weapons!" Finn hissed to Lincoln.
I smirked, "Are you really shocked, she's not gullible to think we wouldn't have any."
Starting to walk, I heard Lincoln tell someone "She goes alone." I looked back to see it was Clarke, I gave her a reassuring smile. Turing back to the woman, I put on my serious face.
The woman dismounted her horse and started to walk towards me, meeting in the middle. She walked with such confidence, I hoped I matched, I was confidently intimidated by the woman. Meeting each other in the middle I looked at her closely, seeing her hazel eyes, and her body, she was taller than I was, likely a few years older as well. She was doing the same, looking at my dark ginger hair and my green orbs of eyes. She was ready to jump at me, she was tense her posture, was the only gave that and her confidence away.
"You're name Is Jonah?" the woman asked, breaking the silence, her voice was monotone, serious and not reveling anything
I nodded, "That I am"
"I am Anya" She introduced herself.
I gave her a small nod indicating that I understood her, when she didn't raise her hand I figured it was all right that I didn't.
"We got off on the wrong foot" I stated simply going on, "I think we can find a way to live together in peace, I don't want to fight you, nor do I want our people to fight each other."
"I understand." She growled, obviously not a fan about my suggestion, "You started a war that you don't know how to end."
I raised an eyebrow at her, "We didn't start anything, you attacked one of ours when he crossed a river, strung him up as live bait. You're people have killed more of ours than we have killed yours. As far as we can tell you've attacked us for no reason, what have we done to aggravate your people, aside from Lincoln?"
She glared, "The missles you launched burned a village to the ground!" She snapped at me.
This was news, "Missiles?" I then recalled to the flares, "No, those weren't missles they were flares, that was meant for our families. We didn't think that-"
She cut me off, "You're invaders. Your ship landed in our territory" She was straight to the point, and she was right."
"You can't blame us for that, we were told there was no one down here, we were told the ground was uninhabited" I paused, "I'm sure we were expected to die, upon stepping out of our ship. We didn't know anyone was down here prior to landing."
"You knew we were here when you sent an armed raiding party to capture one of us and torture him" She growled, "These are all acts of war." She was right once again, if I could've stopped Bellamy, would we even be standing here? If we had just grabbed Octavia and left, would be be standing right here?
"You're right, I should've stopped that, but at the time, I and another were struggling to save another life, that was poisoned by yours." I paused, "And we let him go, I let him go, and the man he nearly killed and yours are standing next to each other, hoping we can make peace, to make sure no one else ends up like them. That's why we need to put an end to all of this"
"Lincoln said there are more of you coming down, warriors?" She questioned, crossing her arms.
I nodded, "Yes, but also farmers, doctors, engineers. We can help each other" I encouraged her, going on, "Your people know this world and everything dangerous about it, together we can make both of our people safe from whatever illnesses or monsters there are out there, or other groups of people that wish to cause our people harm." I paused adding on, "But, we can't do that if we're at war" I frowned at the thought, "I want our people to be able to grow for generations, without needing to start a war that could kill the innocent people on both sides."
She took a moment to think, to digest what I've said, "Can you promise that these new arrivals won't attack us, that they'll respect the terms you and I agree on?"
"I promise, I will do everything in my power to make them listen," I promised her, knowing I couldn't make the people of the Ark listen, "I know the leaders will honor the terms we set here, or we set at a later date if we need to talk in more depth in the future."
She narrowed her eyes at my choice of a promise, physically unreleased with it, my promise, "Why would we agree to an alliance that you people can break the moment they get down here?"
I looked at her, "I don't know. How do I agree to one, knowing your people could break it the moment mine come down?" I retorted, she raised an eyebrow at my question, as I added on, "I do know for a fact, that if you fire the first shot, those people coming down won't bother negotiating. Our technology, even with your vast knowledge of the ground, they will wipe you out."
The next thing she said caught my attention, "They wouldn't be the first to try" she growled at me.
I raised an eyebrow at the comment, did that mean there are people on the ground that weren't like her? I then spoke in a calm tone, "I will do everything in I can to keep them from even trying, even if I need to kill the few that want to try something. I know that when they come down here, and see that we're decent towards each other, at peace, they won't want to start a war." I assured her.
She look at me through narrowed eyes, as if questioning everything I was saying, "I do wish, things could've been different, but they can't" She stated, causing confusion within me, what did she mean?
"Jonah, get down?" I heard someone yell, I look to the side seeing something coming straight at me, an arrow! I jumped backwards, the arrow just missing me. I then heard the sound of gun fire, then I saw a Grounder fall out of the tree, where the arrow came from.
I looked at Anya, with a sad expression, while hers was with anger as if pissed I was still alive, "I wish things would've gone differently" I whispered, a hand on the handle of the the knife in my pocket. Anya, had wiped out a knife of her own, on instinct I dashed at her, pulling my knife out, stabbing her shoulder, I then kicked her backwards, also pushing myself backwards as another arrow came from the trees. I then pulled out my hand gun, my knife in Anyas shoulder. I could see more arrows being shot at me, without much thought, I ran to the railing of the bridge and jumped down, figuring the fall wouldn't kill me, as I fell down I splashed into the shallow water, I could feel the bottom with my toes.
"Go, go!" I heard the voice of Raven, I looked over seeing her, Bellamy and Jasper. I swam up to the edge of the river walking out, managing to maneuver myself in the water to not get hit by the arrows being shot at me. Once I was able to I ran out of the water into the woods, then to the end of the bridge I came from.
"Oh, my God! Lincoln! you've been hit!" I hear Octavia cry fearfully, I made it back to the bridge, Finn grabbing Clarke and Octavia, Lincoln had an arrow in his shoulder, I saw Anya wasn't on the bridge anymore either.
"Let's go now!" I ordered, the three of them running past me, I met eyes with Lincoln, who just nodded and ran off.
I followed behind the others, meeting up with Bellamy, Raven and Jasper. Most of them abopting the posture of breathing hard bent over with their hands on their knees.
"You got something to say? Bellamy snapped, noticing Finn was glaring at him.
"I told you we couldn't trust the Grounders." Clarke stated, looking at Finn, "I was right"
"Don't yell at him, this is your guys' fault!" Octavia declared.
"Why didn't you tell me what you were up too?" Raven shouted at her boyfriend.
"I tried but you were to busy making bullets for your guns!" Finn snapped at her.
Bellamy then barked, "You're lucky she brought that! They came there to kill you Finn!"
"You don't know that. Jasper fired the first shot!" Octavia objected, looking at him, "You ruined everything" she then walked away into the camp.
"I saved you!" Jasper called after her, "You're welcome." he added to himself, in a hurt voice.
"We do know" I snapped, looking at Finn, "Anya was buying time for the archer to aim at me and fire, they used the chance to kill me, I guess to ruin want peace, not at the moment" I stated simply.
Clarke looked at me, "What did the Grounder say?"
I looked at her answering, "she said, 'I do wish, things could've been different, but they can't' as if she couldn't undo a plan, the plan to kill me it'd seem." I looked at Finn, "we can try again" I promised him.
"Well, if we weren't at war, we sure are now." He growled glaring at Bellamy then headed into the camp. Raven gave a sigh and followed him.
"Jonah, you could've been killed" Clarke stressed, looking at me, "Now they think you're our one leader"
I looked at her, "I would've died if it meant peace were to follow. I am aren't I? The one that doesn't want to fight, nor just watch out for one group, the reasonable one between the three of us." I retorted simply, walking into the camp, I needed to think, I needed to drink.
Grabbing a new container - cup - thing of moonshine I took my seat next to the distill. She was going to kill me no matter what I said. Was there ever going to be peace. There was no sense of mercy from Anya, other than a wish too. Was she even capable to? Where weer the morals of not to kill? I took another drink, I needed to come to terms with the ground, there was no mercy. The Grounders don't seem to show it, neither did my own people. Mercy, the thing that could create a sense of peace and community. I looked at the people around me. They were no better, they wanted to kill Clarke, Wells and I the moment they could. They don't know what mercy was.
With another drink I looked up into the sky, would they, the most merciless people I knew show it down here? I already knew the answer. I needed to change, my mother was right. I couldn't live up to my code, my life code down here. My moral and social code, my chivalry was weakness down here. I only hoped my mother and father would come down here, with the adults, taking the pressure off my shoulders, with this leader-y bull shit and let me stay the way I am, just a wannabe knight of the Ark, with a small drinking problem.
Looking up I along with the rest of the camp heard the sound of something exploding in the air, we all looked up to watch what had to be the Exodus ship. Dad was early.
I didn't even notice there wan't a deployed parachute. The onlything I noticed, was it impacted the ground, hard enough to create a mushroom cloud. I gasped in shock, no, no, no dad!
On the Ark
I'll admit, I doubted we could've stayed hidden forever. Being found was an ego killer, as Ridley had my arm behind my back tightly, almost trying to pop my shoulder off. Another guard had Abby, we were lead out into the front of the room, to the main doors to the Exodus ship.
"Selene!" Marcus yelled, "Let her go!" He ordered, showing his rage.
"Let's give him his wife in pieces, shall we?" Ridley suggested, pulling my arm more, I could hear the click and feel the pain that fallowed as my shoulder popped out out of its socket, I let out a small scream, stopping myself, I couldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Abby, you owe Jaha no loyalty. He's killed your husband, betrayed you, sent both of your daughters to the ground to die. You should join us," Diana tried to persuade us, mostly Abby, "Think of your daughters, Selene, Abby. You could see Jonah and Clarke again today."
"I'm nothing like you" She then wiggled free, making Ridley loosing his grip on me to try and get a hold of her, I took the chance, with my good arm to grabbed his electric baton, hitting another guard, who ended up taking it away from me, I let him take it as I walked up towards Sydney, with my good hand, I balled it up and punched her as hard as I could,I was pleased to see her nose bleeding, even if I were shocked by an electric baton, that sent me to the ground.
I was picked up off the ground roughly, wincing in pain as my shoulder was yanked. On I was glad to see the door had a jack in it.
"Send Abby and Selene through!" Jaha ordered.
"I will if you let the doors close" Diana stated, Jaha, Marcus and Sinclair talked quietly to each other.
"Diana, please! You don't want to be remembered like this!" Jaha pleaded, this hinted that something would go wrong if Sydney tried to deploy the Exodus ship.
"I won't be because you brought this on yourself, Jaha!" Diana yelled, "You promised the people truth, and you gave them more lies!" She was being manipulative again, turning this against Jaha, if only I could get free, to beat her!
"You had me shot!" Jaha barked, "You detonated a bomb in a public meeting, killing six innocent people, and now you want to kill everyone on this space station to satisfy your ego?"
"He is still lying to your face!" she seemed to be speaking only to the man working the jack in the door, "There aren't enough fropships to get everyone to the ground!"
This stopped Red, the man with the jack from getting the doors open, "What is she talking about?"
"Trust me, we will figure this out" Jaha promised the man, glaring at Diana, "We will survive, we always do! Go Come on!"
"You can't trust him, more than one thousand people, most of them workers like you, are gonna be left behind to die." She knew her words were working, as the man looked at her, "You can still save yourself."
The next thing that happened broke my heart. The man, Red forced his way inside and knocks the Jack loose, sealing the door so the drop ship can launch. being let go, I crawled over to Abby who was in rougher shape than I was. I could feel the dropship shaking as it was pulling away. I grabbed her, helping her up.
"We need to get to the service bay!" I yelled at her, knowing that was the only place we would be able to out live the Exodus's launching.