Here we are again … I'm embarking on a new journey of a fanfiction story. This time, we're going with a post-apocalyptic vibe. I recently watched The 100 on Netflix. I'd been intrigued to write a story based off that show/series of novels. I decided to write it for NaNoWriMo. I'd starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going. My goal is to finish the story for NaNoWriMo July Camp …

Chapter Twenty-One

Bella

I was dragging. Every bone in my body hurt. I'd been physically tortured by Jacob whenever Aro drifted off. His favorite way to make me pay for my lack of progress is his oversized shoe, kicking directly into my ribs. I also hadn't eaten since I arrived at the Drop Ship. Sleep only came when I was beaten up to the point of unconsciousness.

On top of that, it was getting colder and Aro was becoming septic. When I first arrived, he was aware of who he was, what happened to him and the probability of his survival. Now? He was running a high fever, despite giving him antibiotics and pain killers. He couldn't hold a conversation and he was talking apparitions. The putrid smells coming from the man also indicated his insides were rotting.

Aro was going to die.

And, there was nothing I could do about it.

Because of that fact, I was being tortured and physically abused by a madman.

I stumbled over my own feet, falling to my knees. Jacob looked at me with a snarl on his face. "You're worthless, Swan."

"I'm exhausted," I said. "And, freezing."

"Jacob, it's been four days and she's been working nonstop," said a man. "Give her a few hours to get some rest. Aro's asleep and you look like you're about to crash yourself."

With another disdainful look to me, Jacob nodded curtly and stomped up to the upper level of the Drop Ship. I felt my body sag with relief. The man crouched in front of me, giving me a smile. He had black eyes, but didn't hold the hatred and lethal nature that Jacob's did. "I'm Seth," he said. He held out his hand with tentative smile. "I promise to not hurt you."

"You work for him," I hissed, looking up to where Jacob had disappeared.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but I don't agree with Jacob is proposing or how he's pulling the wool over the Grounders' eyes. Please, come with me. I have some food and our tent is warm," Seth murmured.

I scowled at him, but put my hand into his. He helped me to my feet and guided me out of the drop ship. He wrapped his arm around my body, leading me to a tent that was off to the side of the encampment, closer to the larger teepees of the Grounder army. Seth opened up his tent and helped me inside. A girl was with him, wrapped in blankets and furs. "Leah, can you share with Bella? She's just has on is this short-sleeved shirt," Seth asked. "Bella, this is my cousin, Leah."

"Cousin?" I asked, my voice slurring.

"It was another situation like Alice Brandon, but no one knew. It happened years ago," Seth said. "Your grandmother?"

"Great grandmother," Leah answered, peeling off a blanket. "Our neighbors, Kebi and Senna, gave us some of their blankets. The weather is starting to turn." She wrapped it around my body, frowning deeply. "What the fuck did they do to her?"

"What haven't they done?" Seth spat. "This has to stop! Surely our new friends have heard her screaming …"

"Kebi mentioned something when she was showing me how to skin a rabbit," Leah whispered. "They don't like how violent Jacob is. First Alice … I think Senna helped her leave."

"I was wondering how she got away," Seth frowned. "Sam, Paul and Quil really tore into her. If Jacob hadn't stopped them, they would have …"

"She told me," I whispered.

"She made it to the mountain?" Seth asked.

"She made it and was healing in medical," I answered, moving closer to the fire, and holding my hands out despite the pain in my body. "Tell me more about these Grounders."

"They live around the mountain, mainly near Alexandria, Virginia," Seth said, handing me a bowl of food. "The only reason I know that was I was on a scouting mission with a couple of guys looking for food when we came upon them. They were afraid of us because we'd appeared from the sky."

"They call us sky people, which is accurate," Leah deadpanned. "But, Senna and Kebi are the daughters of the leaders, Amun and Indra. They are leery of Jacob, but when they heard Jacob could get us in the mountain, they were willing to work with us."

"But, they're still leery," I surmised.

"I wonder if Amun and Indra would speak to Bella," Seth suggested. "Something needs to change. This reign of fear that Jacob has going on is too fucking much."

"They can speak English?" I asked.

"Most of them were from the mountain or other government installations. They ventured out because their supplies ran out. Some of them died right away, but the ones that survived have a genetic mutation in their blood that allows them to process the radiation like we do," Seth explained. "An elder told us about the science … he was a baby when the bombs went off, and his parents were doctors working on a serum to save people from the irradiated atmosphere."

"Amun is a healer … he can help with your injuries," Leah said, moving closer to me. "Let him help you."

Seth nodded and ducked out of the tent. I finished my meal and lay down on the hard ground, staring at the flames. Seth came back with a tall man with dark skin and tattoos along his scalp. I stiffened, but he held up his hands in peace. "I will not harm you. I am a healer."

"So am I," I whispered, my voice cracking as I curled up into a ball. "But, I cannot help Aro."

"Nor could I," Amun frowned, sitting down in front of me. "He will die soon."

"Very soon," I sniffled. "I gave him medication to help with the pain, but he's going to die."

"Jacob is not a wise leader," Amun snarled. "It is time for this alliance to end … if he treats his people like he treats his healer, he will not survive the winter." He brushed my hair back and his frown deepened. "When was the last time you slept, healer?"

"I'm Bella," I chattered.

"Bella," Amun smiled. "I am Amun. I'm the healer of my people and I speak for my tribe. Jacob said he is a leader, but he is no leader."

"He wanted freedom from our people, and he remained here at this camp," I said as Amun began working on my injuries, namely cleaning my cuts and wounds. "I'm the leader of my people."

"You live in the mountain?" Amun asked.

"With eighty people and an additional five hundred in a separate compound," I murmured. "We don't want to fight. We want to peacefully coexist with the people on the ground."

Amun's smile softened as he cupped my cheek. "You are a wise leader, young Bella," he said softly. "I would like to work with you. You are unlike …"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT WHORE?! I NEED HER TO SHUT UP ARO!" Jacob screamed. "ALL HE DOES IS MOAN!"

"All Jacob does is scream," Seth muttered under his breath.

I shot Seth a wry look before turning back to Amun. "If I had to hazard a guess, my people are coming here," I said, sitting up with great difficulty. Amun tried to keep me laying down. "When they come, they'll need your support. I'm willing to work with you and collaborate with you … They will have another person in charge. His name is Edward Cullen. He's tall, like you, but with pale skin and with reddish hair." My voice cracked on Edward's name and tears welled in my eyes.

"I will watch for Edward. Is he your mate?" Amun asked.

"For all intents and purposes, yes," I nodded, standing up and looking to Seth. "Find Edward and let's put an end to this mess, once and for all."

Amun stood up, holding out his hand. He gripped my forearm, staring at me intently before he pulled me into his arms. "We have an accord, Bella, leader of the sky people."

"I look forward to working with you, Amun," I said into his shoulder. He squeezed me gently and helped me back to Seth. We left his tent, and I administered medication to Aro, easing his pain. Jacob scowled at me, backhanding me, and sending me flying. My head clipped the bulkhead of the Drop Ship and I fell to the ground in a heap.

xx MWMA xx

Edward

I was driving one of the Rovers. Inside the vehicle, I had Charlie, Emmett, and my father. We were leading the three hundred able-bodied people to the Drop Ship. However, before we approached the Drop Ship, the four of us would try to scope out the terrain.

"We should probably hide the Rover in that cave," Emmett said, pointing off to the left.

I navigated to the cave, pulling it inside. Charlie radioed the rest of our group, telling them to set up camp for the night. We got out of the Rover, leaving it well-camouflaged under some brush. Slipping on our backpacks and grabbing our weapons, we left the cave.

We could smell fires and food. In the twilight, I could see tents in the distance. They spanned for as far as I could see, making me nervous about the numbers of Grounders. Could there be more than Emmett counted?

"I think we should separate to cover the most ground," Emmett said. "I'll go with your dad, Edward, and we'll go north."

I looked at Charlie. He was shifted next to me, clearly uncomfortable with all the gear we loaded up for him. "Come on, Charlie, we'll go south." Blinking to Emmett, I said, "Radio silence and meet back at the cave by midnight."

"If we see Bella, should we attempt to get her?" Dad asked.

"Only if you can do it without rousing suspicion," I answered, turning off my radio. "Midnight …"

We split off, heading in different directions. I moved slowly so we didn't cause a lot of noise while we explored the forest. Charlie followed closely, but very awkward as he moved around. "Are you okay?" I asked Charlie.

"I was on the Ark with minimal gravity and I'm having a difficult time adjusting to being on the ground," he said, leaning against a large tree. "I've been on the ground for a couple of days and I'm still struggling." He yawned, looking out into the dimness of the forest. "I'm enraged that Jacob took her. I want to be there to save her, but I'm terrified that I'm going to be a hinderance."

"No one will fault you if you want to go back to the Rover and get some sleep," I suggested. "I won't. I've been surviving on coffee and air. I'm paranoid that I'm going to make a mistake, but I have to be there for her."

"You blame yourself for her abduction, don't you?" Charlie whispered.

"I blame myself for a lot of things," I said. "First for arresting Bella in the first place, then not protecting my sister from Jacob and now? Bella's in Jacob's clutches and fuck knows what he's doing to her. I'm terrified that he'll succeed in breaking her spirit."

"I broke her spirit," Charlie whispered. "She hates me."

"She doesn't like you, but she still loves you, Charlie," I said. "But, why were you so hell bent on floating your daughter? It was a nonviolent crime, Charlie. And, don't tell me it was all about optics. That's bullshit."

Charlie arched a brow at me, clearly shocked that I was speaking my mind. "It wasn't about optics. It was about not playing favorites. I couldn't be seen as showing favoritism toward Bella and Rosalie. My numbers were already slipping among the people on the Ark."

"So, killing your child … you hoped that would make you more relatable?" I hissed, narrowing my gaze at him. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I stalked toward him, clenching my fists, and trying not to pummel my girlfriend's father. "It's no wonder Bella was a fucking mess while she was in the sky box."

"I need to make things right with my daughter, Edward. I know that," Charlie argued weakly. "When hearing my reasons, they sound like crap. I know that."

"You know that now," I countered. "Being a leader is not about trying to appease everyone and meeting some arbitrary approval rating. It's about doing what's right. Floating your child? That was not right. You should have seen that before Renee, and I came up with the idea of sending the prisoners down to the ground." I looked at him. "Bella is a leader that you should have been. She's kind, and compassionate. She's also not afraid to make the hard decisions, but she's fair."

Charlie had the wherewithal to look ashamed. He spun his watch around his wrist and shifted on his feet. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not the person you need to apologize to," I said. I continued to move through the brush, taking note of the campsite in the distance. "And, you have to realize that she might not forgive you, Charlie. I was prepared for her to hate me, but by the grace of whatever higher power, she turned to me for comfort. She's the one who loves me. I love her more than words can describe. She's … she's my world."

"I'm glad she has you," Charlie murmured. "She's going to need you and with your devotion to her, you won't betray her like I did."

"I'm going to save her and love her, always. That will never change, regardless of the optics and if that means I'm no longer the leader of our people, then I'll accept it, as would she," I said. "Now, we need to do recon and not alert them to our presence. We have to figure out who the leader is."

"Who the idiot is who aligned themselves with Jacob," Charlie huffed.

"Jacob deceived them. Their leader does not know the entire truth, all the facts," I said. "Radio silence and if you need to go back to the Rover, I won't stop you."

We spent the next several hours moving through the trees and observing the Grounder army. We heard some conversations, expressing concerns that they were walking into a trap. They did not trust the leader in the sky ship. He seemed unhinged. We also got the name of the leader of the Grounder army … Amun. He had a mate named Indra and two daughters, Senna and Kebi.

Close to midnight, we caught a glimpse of Amun and Indra. Amun was a tall man with an imposing sneer, but the love he had for his mate was palpable. Despite his cold stare, his gaze warmed when it came to his wife. I felt my heart lurch when I saw him kiss with such care, whispering words of love and comfort.

Seeing that, it gave me hope that he wasn't a monster like Jacob and Aro.

We walked back to the cave in silence and met up with my father and Emmett. We got back into the Rover, settling into the seats. My father gave us a snack and bottles of water. "What did you guys find?" he asked.

I took a sip of water. "We heard whispers that they do not trust Jacob and Aro," answered. "Or, as we heard, the leader of the sky ship."

"We heard the same thing. Some of the women also felt uncomfortable with the men who walked around the camp from the Drop Ship. They are leering at them and making lewd gestures," Dad described. "We saw Paul Lahote and Sam Uley corner some younger women, rubbing against them. Their families pulled them away and threatened Paul and Sam. They just laughed, walking back to the Drop Ship."

"We think we saw Bella," Emmett said. "I'm not sure, but she was being escorted back to the Drop Ship on the arm of Seth Clearwater. She was clearly in pain and leaning on him for support. We also heard moaning from the Drop Ship, which stopped shortly after Bella went inside. Jacob started screaming …"

"Then, we heard the sound of fists connecting with a body," Dad whispered. "Then, a female yelp followed by an evil laugh."

"I'm going to murder him," I growled.

"Get in line," Charlie muttered under his breath.

"What did you see?" Emmett asked.

"I think we found the leader. His name is Amun, and he has a mate named Indra," I relayed. "We also heard a lot of the same things when it comes the leadership of the Drop Ship. We also heard fears of them being walked into a trap. I don't want to fight them."

"It sounds like the only person who wants to fight is Jacob," Dad said. "Our best bet is to try to meet with the leader of the Grounders. His name is Amun, right?"

"I think we need to send a couple of people to negotiate a treaty, but be prepared with our security team," I suggested. "Just in case they're more like-minded with Jacob than we can ascertain from observing from a distance." I looked at Emmett. "I think you should come with me."

"Awesome! Are we going now?"

"It's midnight, Emmett. Most of the camp is asleep," I deadpanned. "I don't know about you, but we should go in the morning." I slid out of the Rover. "I'll take first watch."

"I'll join you," Emmett said. "That way we can get some sleep before we meet with Amun. We can also brainstorm how to get Bella out of Jacob's clutches." We walked to the mouth of the cave, lighting a fire, and sitting on a felled tree. "From what I saw, I think Seth might be on our side. He was very kind with Bella. He wasn't rough with her."

"Were you able to see if she was injured?" I asked.

"She was moving gingerly, and she had bruises on her face," Emmett explained. "But, she's strong, Edward."

"You don't hold her while she's having nightmares or while she fights me, screaming at her father for abandoning her," I snarled. "He was going to let her die because he was more concerned about his dipping approval rates." I glared back at the Rover. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll ever respect Charlie Swan ever again. And, he knows it. His daughter was a far better leader than he ever was."

"That's something he'll have to live with for the rest of his life," Emmett said quietly. "He might not ever repair his relationship with his daughter and that's due to his choices. You'll be there to pick her up when she falls apart. You love her."

"I do love her," I said, leaning back and closing my eyes, imagining my beautiful girl. "I love her more than anything." A lone tear fell down my cheek, looking at my friend. "I miss her, Em. What if …"

"We'll get her back, Edward," he vowed, holding out his hand. "We'll get her back."

We sat outside for a couple hours, talking about everything and nothing to keep our minds occupied. At three, we woke up my dad and Charlie. Both of them grumbled as they walked out to our spot and took their place in the Rover. Emmett fell asleep right away, snoring loudly. I tried to sleep, but each time I closed my eyes, my subconscious went to a dark place where Jacob succeeded in breaking my Bella.

I must have dozed off because my father was shaking me awake. "Son, there's someone here to speak to you," he said with wide eyes.

I rubbed my face and got out of the Rover. I took the proffered water, swishing it in my mouth and spitting it out. I walked out of the cave. Standing near our dying fire was a tall man with rich, dark skin. I recognized the sneer immediately and I stood taller.

"Amun?" I asked.

"Edward," he returned. "We have much to discuss."

A/N: I totally changed the ending of this chapter, but I like this better. Pictures from this chapter (Amun and Indra) are on my blog. There's a link for that in my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.

Leave me your thoughts and thank you for reading!