Summary: Non-canon, Drama/Romance, hopefully with some Action/Adventure thrown in. Bellarke, Linctavia and probably more once I get going. :D
Rated M – for adult themes.
Disclaimer: Just borrowing The 100, not for profit!
A/N: So this chapter also turned out to be heavier and longer than my usual. But I decided not to split it into two. Warning – torture scenes and character death! On a side note… I'm in Australia and have only seen up to 3x08. It was such a great Bellamy episode! It's astounding how good Bob Morley is in this role. He just gets it! I'm so scared for what's next though – but please, no spoilers. I've already got the end of this fic mapped out so I'm hoping what's happening in canon doesn't affect me too much so I can get it finished. Thanks for reading/reviewing/following/bookmarking etc. It keeps me going.
The Homestead
Chapter 15 – Marcus.
"Well that went well!" Marcus clapped his hands together triumphantly and smiled at Clarke across from him.
Despite the painstaking pace of progress, he thoroughly enjoyed the journey. There was something about a group of representatives coming together and amicably agreeing to an act of living that just… excited him!
He was pretty certain Clarke didn't feel the same way. She looked like she was someplace else, her eyes glazed over – staring out the balcony at the overcast sky surrounding the tower.
"Clarke?" he queried. "Roan just agreed to relax the hunting ban in sector 8 in exchange for preserved meat for his people."
She pressed her lips together and smiled a thin, slip of a smile – her eyes still distant.
Nash entered and walked directly towards her with a calm confidence. He seemed pleased with himself.
"Commander," The big man spoke strong and clear. "Indra has returned." Clarke's eyes snapped up to his. "She seeks your counsel."
Clarke was abruptly attentive.
She stood, excused herself from the small remaining group of delegates and exited the room.
Marcus observed her quizzically. What could be so important? And where had Indra been? Now that he thought of it he hadn't seen her at their delegations since shortly after the summer solstice festival.
Later, the group were taking a tour through one of the capital's ghettos – talking to the residents and leaders – assessing housing and resources for the coming winter.
Clarke seemed more focused – but this was the kind of work that suited her. She was a people person not a policy maker.
"The community respects you Clarke," Marcus said from her side as they walked causally through the laneways.
"No," she replied. "They respect The Commander." She sighed, hiding herself behind the mask she wore on a daily basis. "They don't know Clarke."
Marcus couldn't tell if she was resentful or relieved by this realisation.
"I don't even know Clarke anymore." She added, quietly, but with conviction.
"Don't say that…" he implored, gently curling a hand around her upper arm and turning to look her in the eye.
"It's okay Marcus," she said with resolve. And for the first time in a long time he saw in her eyes the raw certitude and determination she exuded whenever she had a plan and had set a course of action.
"All of that is going to change soon," she finished and turned back to her tour.
Alone in his chamber that night Marcus thought about what she had said, about the importance of Clarke's role in the scheme of things and how it had all come about.
He knew there were a number of large and inextricable events that had led to her appointment as Commander of the clans, but he couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for putting her in that position - for inciting support and belief in her and using her reputation amongst the grounders as a way in for their people.
He also knew that if it hadn't been for Clarke and Bellamy, things could have been very different for everybody, especially the Skaikru.
There was nothing he could have done to prevent them from falling into Pike's trap.
The chancellor was onto him shortly after he sent Octavia on her way. He barely had enough time to get word to Abby about what was about to go down, before Hannah and Gillmer were beside him – wrestling him to the ground.
Pike knew more than Kane realised. He knew that Bellamy had left for Polis to warn Clarke and Lexa. He knew about the meeting place.
"Bellamy was the key to everything." Pike sneered at Marcus as he dragged him into the cold metal hull of the dropship. "You turned him against me."
"You did that yourself," Marcus glared at the traitor, his hands clenched behind his back where they were tied.
"That boy had great potential Kane, but I knew he couldn't be trusted. Not until he trusted himself."
Pike had it all backwards, Marcus smirked. Bellamy was at times, an unpredictable hothead – that was undeniable. But he knew the only way to make Bellamy believe in himself and bring out the best in him, was to believe in him first. He had seen how it worked early on, with Clarke, and he had tried to follow her lead.
Before Mt Weather, the coup and everything else that had happened in between, Clarke and Bellamy had possessed a profound bond that only came from experiencing the atrocities they had, together, and sharing common values – like the survival of their people.
Which was why, when the two of them sauntered through the parachute curtain and walked straight into Pike's ambush – Marcus looked from one to the other, and once again placed the entire onus of the Sky People on them.
He wished he didn't have to, but the fact remained – if they wanted to save their people - if they wanted any chance at peace – the two of them would have to put aside the differences that had forced them apart over the past few months and work together again. They would have to somehow rekindle that unspoken understanding.
He hoped, for all of their sake, that they could read that in his eyes.
As soon as Bellamy saw Marcus, he rushed forward towards him.
He was halted by Pike as he stepped from the shadows and stood between them with his semi-automatic trained at Bellamy's chest.
"Remove your weapon and put it on the ground." Pike commanded.
Hannah emerged beside the chancellor and picked up Bellamy's pistol - her own weapon aimed at Clarke.
"It's over Pike," Clarke declared trying to diffuse the situation. "Ontari's dead."
"It's not over until I decide it's over."
He gestured for Hannah to handcuff them both.
Afterwards, she shoved Clarke down beside Kane while Pike drew Bellamy to a stool in the corner.
"It didn't have to come to this, son."
"Don't call me that."
"It's not too late to do what's best for your people."
Bellamy clenched his jaw and glared at Pike before shifting his gaze to Clarke and holding it there.
"I have always done what is best for us."
"Good." Pike almost seemed relieved, like the boy was finally seeing the light. "Then you'll tell us where The Commander is."
Bellamy continued to hold Clarke's gaze. They were both silent, searching each other's eyes for a solution.
Marcus didn't know what had transpired between them in Polis, after Bellamy had absconded to save Clarke and the night bloods. He had to trust that what they were telling Pike was the truth. That Ontari was dead and Lexa was safe.
"What does it matter?" Marcus used what little information he had to try and buy them some time. "Your plan has failed Pike. Your ally has been defeated."
"You know nothing, of my plan." He stood up, producing a shock baton by his side.
On the floor, Clarke's eyes enlarged.
"I know the other night bloods are dead Bellamy." Pike turned to the boy.
Marcus dropped his head. If it were true, Lexa was their only hope.
"Tell me where The Commander is and we can end this," the chancellor drew the baton around and angled it in Bellamy's direction, flicking the charge to ensure it was ready.
"She's safe." Bellamy's eyes drifted to the baton, but his voice was unwavering.
"I need for you tell me her location."
Bellamy said nothing. He raked his eyes upwards and glowered at the man in front of him beneath dark brows and low hanging curls.
"Suit yourself." Pike growled and thrust the stun baton into the side of Bellamy's neck – the force of the charge throwing the boy off the stool as he convulsed into a brief unconsciousness.
Marcus turned his head, just in time to see Clarke scrunch her brow, purse her lips and close her eyes in anguish.
"If he gives her position away…" Marcus whispered hurriedly, desperately.
Clarke's eyelids opened immediately and she glared sideways at him before shooting her gaze back to Bellamy.
"He won't." When she said the words, her eyes locked steadfastly with Bellamy's, as he slowly opened them in a haze of pain.
Marcus watched in awe as she sent her friend a silent message of solidarity.
Pike wrenched the boy back to the stool and began again.
"Where is she?" he asked.
Bellamy refused to answer.
This time he was ready for the shock and tried to brace himself before hitting the ground again.
Clarke clenched her jaw tight and exhaled through her nose.
Marcus felt powerless.
They had to protect Lexa at all costs. Even with Ontari and all the other night bloods gone, the Skai Kru's place on the coalition and peace amongst the clans would be lost without Lexa.
Based on the expression on Clarke's face – he knew she felt the same. And despite everything that Bellamy had done in the past few months, she trusted that he did too.
The question was – how far would Pike go?
"Stop this!" Marcus insisted after the eighth or ninth shock.
He almost said it more for Clarke than Bellamy. She had taken to lowering her head and whimpering every time he fell to the ground in a fit, and then lifting it again, her face a mask of fortitude when he came to and his eyes sought hers out.
It was as if she was the only thing bringing him back.
"I'll stop when he tells me what I need to know."
Marcus didn't know how much longer Clarke would last.
On the tenth shock she sobbed audibly.
He tried shuffling closer but Hannah prodded him with the tip of her firearm and motioned for him to move away.
In front of them Bellamy was flagging. His face had fallen and it was taking him longer and longer to emerge from unconsciousness.
"Please," Clarke rasped. "Isn't it obvious… he's not going to tell you anything."
To their surprise, Hannah stepped up to Pike and muttered something in his ear. She had been watching Clarke and Marcus the entire time, her eyes shifting between them and the dropship door as she kept watch.
Bellamy sat up groggily, resting his body weight on one arm, his eyelids heavy with fatigue. He did what he did every time and found Clarke's piercing blue gaze in the dinginess of the dropship hull. But she wasn't looking at him this time, she was looking at Pike – and Pike was saying something.
"Oh, he'll tell me," Pike said with a smirk and nodded at Hannah who had gone back to her place across the room.
There was a rush of movement and Bellamy tracked his bleary eyes back to Clarke, trying to blink out the blurry vision.
Hannah had lifted Clarke to her feet.
Marcus heard the cock of a gun and realised Hannah had Bellamy's pistol and was pointing it at…
"Clarke…" Bellamy breathed. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and opened again in seconds – his vision clear.
"It's okay Bellamy," Clarke implored him with her eyes not to give in, no to give up.
Hannah pressed the gun against her head.
"No!" Bellamy swallowed and Marcus knew it was over. "I'll tell you… whatever… you want," the boy slumped in exhaustion and defeat. "Just don't…don't hurt her… please."
Hannah grinned in satisfaction and shoved Clarke back down to the ground.
She landed with a helpless thud.
With one hand still on the baton, Pike heaved Bellamy up to the stool again and patted his shoulder patronisingly.
"You're doing the right thing, son," he said.
"He's not… your son," a strange voice seethed from the dropship door.
Marcus flicked his head in that direction just in time to see Octavia hurl her sword at Pike and race towards Hannah simultaneously, her teeth gritted in an enraged roar as she slid along the floor, kicking Hannah's legs from out underneath her, and rising to her own feet just as quickly.
It all happened in a blur.
Marcus looked from Octavia to Hannah and then to the others – Lincoln and Monty as they rushed through the flap to help.
He was on his feet with Lincoln cutting his ropes before he realised that Clarke was not beside him, and Octavia was sobbing. He shuffled over to the two of them, taking in the scene before him.
Pike was lying on the ground with Octavia's sword impaled in his chest and blood gurgling out of his mouth. The stun gun was live in his hands.
Marcus reached down and disengaged the weapon.
"Why isn't he responding?" Octavia wept over her brother's lifeless body.
Clarke put her arm around the younger girl and squeezed her tight.
"Octavia, it's okay." Her voice was shaky but she seemed in control of her thoughts. "Right now - he's breathing. That's good. Okay?"
Octavia nodded.
"What happened?" Marcus managed.
"Pike flicked the stun gun right as Octavia's sword hit." Clarke stood up. "I think…" she shook her head. "I think … the force of the shock hit him near the temple and he…" she chewed her lip "…he hit the ground pretty hard after."
Marcus looked from Bellamy's immobile body back to Clarke.
"We need to get him to medical," she finished. "If he stops breathing…" her voice hitched and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Marcus nodded and signalled for Lincoln's help.
Bellamy had just saved them all and there was no way he was going to let him die today.