Disclaimer: Do not own Marvel or The 100
Warnings for murder, genocide, arranged marriage when one of the people int he marriage is just a child, and most likely dubious consent and even sexual assault.
I honestly don't know how I'm going to write out the "consent" or lack thereof in this fic, so, I'm going to be playing it by chapter. When I write the second or third chapter, the warnings may vary.
And yes, had more people be Clarke's soulmates than usual. Deal with it. Puts on sunglasses and drives away on a motorcycle.
The price of salvation
Chapter one: A deal is a deal
What was the price of salvation? If you asked different people in this world, you'd get varying answers.
For some, it was a chest full of gold. For some, it was caught and killed deer for dinner. For some, it was safety. For others? It was much more than that.
This was something that one Abby Griffin learned, soon after she and the rest of the Ark people had landed on the ground.
Abby had sold out her own husband, Jake Griffin to Thelonius Jaha, the chancellor of the Ark. And because of this? Jake Griffin was executed. Jake had found a flaw in the Ark's system, and had been about to report it, but he was sold out to Thelonius Jaha by his own wife.
This was before the Ark arrived down on the ground.
Now that the Ark people were on the ground? A step had to be made, to make sure that they could survive here, when apparently, there were other people on the ground.
Tribes. Tribes that didn't use weapons like the Ark did.
But dangerous people, nonetheless.
From what Abby and the Ark people had learned? There were twelve tribes on the ground, plus one group in a mountain, referred to as "The Mountain Men," and several other civilizations that were closer to the Ark people in culture than to the twelve tribes that didn't use firearms.
These other civilizations, were represented by a group that decided to speak for those civilizations.
And they made a deal with Abby Griffin and the rest of the Ark people. They would give Abby and the rest of the Ark people safety from the Mountain Men and from the rest of the tribes, if Abby and the Ark people gave them something in return.
Or rather, someone.
At first, Abby hadn't understood, but all one of these figures had to do, one of the women, was raise her right hand and show Abby her palm. As soon as the woman had, Abby understood, with a shock.
She had seen that soulmate mark on the other woman's hand. She had seen it on her and her husband's daughter's chest.
Jake and Abby's daughter, Clarke Griffin, had only been seven when Jake had been executed.
Now, Clarke was behind Abby, far back, waiting at one of the shacks that the rest of the Ark people had built, the small, blonde girl waiting with her best friend, Wells and with another adult, Callie, unaware of the transaction that was being made.
Abby stared at the mark on the woman's palm. The mark was of a red hourglass.
Several of the other messengers raised their own hands and Abby gasped, seeing these marks.
"Do you understand?" The first woman who had raised her hand, Natasha, asked, "We felt her presence as soon as your Ark landed. I know that she feels us. She just doesn't understand what she feels right now. Our price, is that when the time comes? You will let us take her and let us marry her."
"W-when the time comes?" Abby asked, feeling numb, looking at the messengers in confusion.
"Yes," one of the men answered, stepping forward, "When Clarke is twenty-two years old, we'll come back for her, alright? She's a child. We're not going anywhere near her. When she is twenty-two, fifteen years from now? We're going to come back for her, and make her ours."
"You won't have to worry," another woman added, her voice possessing a Russian accent, "We'll give her everything. She'll be very well taken care of. And in return, your people will be protected by our people. You'll have protection both from the twelve tribes, and from the Mountain Men. From now on, you will have that protection. In return, in fifteen years, you won't interfere when we come here to take Clarke with us."
Abby's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
Now, she understood why these people had demanded to speak specifically to her only, and not to Thelonius Jaha or to Kane or to Callie.
It wasn't that Thelonius Jaha or Kane would have refused-they wouldn't have. If it meant the safety of their people? They would have sacrificed ten children, if that was what was needed.
Callie probably wouldn't have agreed to it.
But Abby was Clarke's mother. This concerned her a great deal. That was why these people had asked to speak with her, specifically.
Abby looked over these people, noticing that at least three of Clarke's soulmates appeared to be young teenagers, barely more than fourteen or so.
Abby half thought of protecting Clarke from these people, because she knew that that was what Jake would have wanted.
But she instantly decided against that.
Jake was dead. And the best way to protect their people from threats now? Was to get protection.
And if these people offered salvation, then if she had to? The only right thing would be to pay any price that they demanded of her. And of her daughter.
Besides, Abby had never cared all that much about Clarke anyway.
She couldn't help it, but she often hadn't been able to see Clarke as anything else except for a burden.
Well, all Abby would have to do was wait fifteen more years.
She almost thought of asking of the group wanted to take Clarke with them now, but stopped herself.
If these people were really Clarke's soulmates? Then she should at least give off the impression that she was a somewhat decent mother to Clarke.
Clarke nodded to the men and women in this group. "Alright," she said, "As long as you provide Clarke with everything she needs for the rest of her life, and that she's comfortable and happy and loved, then that's all I care about."
"Of course, Mrs. Griffin," one of the men said, smiling respectfully, but Abby detected deception behind that smile, "We will give Clarke everything she could ever want and more. Thank you for understanding. I know this is a lot to ask of a mother."
Abby nodded, pretending that she cared about Clarke.
She suspected the deceptive smile of the man, meant that Clarke wouldn't actually be treated well. But Abby didn't care.
Clarke and Jake had always felt like a unit, like Clarke adored her father and Abby was in second place.
That would teach Clarke not to favor someone over the woman that gave birth to her.
After the agreement was made, and the Ark peoples' salvation had been found, for the price of Clarke Griffin being married off to these people, the group of messengers and Clarke's soulmates, left.
Little did Abby know, that the deceit that the group were keeping from Abby, was all about their disrespect for her.
They had meant what they said, that they would give Clarke literally everything the girl wanted and more.
Their deceit was meant for Abby.
They didn't respect Abby. Not in the least.
Any good, loving parent? Would never sell their child into marriage.
It was why, after the group had left, absolutely meaning to protect the Ark people from the Mountain Men and the twelve tribes, and from any rebellion within the Ark people themselves-this last part had been particularly requested on Abby's part, they agreed amongst themselves, that when the time came to take Clarke with them to their homes? They would kill Abby themselves.
Kill the odious woman who had sold out her own daughter.
Over the years, the messengers, who Abby had learned the names of, to be Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Thor Odinson, Hela Odinsdotter, Loki Laufeyson, Sylvie Laufeysdotter, Pepper Potts, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, Frank Castle, Carol Danvers, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff-twins, who were the barely fourteen-year-old individuals that had been in the group, Clint Barton, Laura Barton, James Rhodes, who the others called "Rhodey," Charles Barton, who everyone called "Barney," Simone Barton, Yelena Belova-who had only been fifteen at the time when the deal had been made, Melina Vostokoff, Elektra Natchios, Brunnhilde, Maria Hill, Stephen Strange, Christine Palmer and Peggy Carter, would inquire about Clarke.
And she learned that they were deeply curious about Clarke, no matter what age the girl was.
That was why there continued to be letters from Clarke's soulmates, would ask about Clarke's interests and what Clarke did as throughout the years, and how she was holding up after her father's death.
These people in the letters, wanted to know literally everything. What foods Clarke liked, what her interests were, everything.
A few years went by and Abby got used to the letters asking things like, "Does Clarke still love dinosaurs?" or "Does Clarke still like to draw and paint?" or "Did Clarke get that teddy bear we sent her?"
All the while, Clarke grew up unaware of the deal which had been made, which involved her so intimately.
four years after the deal had first been made, bombs hit Mount Weather. Bombs, obviously, coming from the more "civilized societies."
Those that Abby had made the deal with, apparently, took their arrangement very seriously.
So, they got rid of all of the Mountain Men, before the Mountain Men could become a large threat to the Ark people.
They bombed Mount Weather and killed all of the Mountain Men inside, including all of the children.
It had been a shock for everyone who wasn't the Mountain Men. When the mountain was dust and everyone inside dead? The tribes no longer lived in fear, but knew to stay away from the Ark people, realizing that these ground societies were providing protection for the Ark people.
It had made Abby relieved, but also aware of what might happen, should she cheat those who she had made the deal with, of their prize.
But at least the Mountain Men were no longer a threat.
And technically speaking, the savage tribes were no longer a threat either, because they feared the other ground societies and their weapons too much to move in on the Ark people.
When at last, fifteen years had gone by, and Clarke was twenty-two? Abby knew it was time.
And knew that the least she could do, was tell Clarke what was going to happen.
So, she seated the young woman down in front of her and explained as best as she could, the deal she had made.
When Clarke learned of what her mother had done, she stared at her mother as if the woman were a stranger.
"You….you made that deal about me, without my consent?!" Clarke demanded, disbelief in her voice, "You traded me off like I was cattle?!"
Abby sighed, "Don't be so dramatic. You'll be treated very well. They're your soulmates. It's not like I had the chance to marry my soulmate."
This earned a blue-eyed glare from Clarke to Abby. "Is that why you had dad executed? Because he wasn't your soulmate?"
Abby gasped, staring at Clarke in shock at this accusation.
Clarke had found out? Abby had thought that everyone else had kept it quiet. But had Kane or Thelonius told Clarke? Or Callie?
Or someone else?
"Clarke," Abby stared, trying to keep her voice reasonable, "I didn't know that was going to happen. I thought Jake would be imprisoned. I didn't know he'd be executed. That was Thelonius Jaha's decision."
She wasn't lying when she said that. But she wasn't all that choked up that Jake was dead.
"Yeah," Clarke nodded, her blue eyes hard, "And you were the one that gave him to Jaha. You chose to sell him out. Just like you chose to sell me out. Fucking piece of shit."
Abby stared at Clarke like she had been hit.
She had never heard this language from her daughter before.
Clarke snorted, something close to hate in her voice when she spoke, "Fine, if this keeps the rest of our people safe? I'll go along with it. But let's be honest about whose fault this is. It's not mine. And you know, I'm not even sure I can say it's the faults of my mates. It was your responsibility to keep me safe. And you fucked that up. I'll marry them to keep my people safe. But do you think if I told my mates that I wanted you dead, that you'll have long to live?"
A chill went down Abby's spine.
Clarke wanted her dead?
Clarke got up from her chair and stormed out of the room.
Clarke fought the tears that she could feel coming on their own accord.
Her mother had given her away. Like she was nothing. Her mother had traded her off like she was a piece of meat.
Clarke ran out of the room, fighting tears and wanting to scream, wanting to throw something.
How could she, her mother? Do this to her own child?
A thought hit Clarke then. Abby had sold out her husband to Thelonius Jaha. And now, she was giving Clarke to a group of people that intended for Clarke to live with them.
Had this been Abby's plan all along? To get rid of her family? But why? If Abby had never wanted Jake or Clarke in the first place, then why marry Jake and have a child with him?
Clarke shook her head. Even if she was an adult herself? She suspected she would never ever truly understand adults.
Why did they do what they did? Hurt the people that they hurt?
She didn't understand them.
Of course, now she was going to be living, against her will with up to thirty of them, whether she liked it or not.
Clarke shuddered as she thought about what that meant, pushing back the strands of pale blonde hair from her face.
Did that mean that she was going to be forced to have sex with her mates? Clarke hated to say it, but she was positive that that was what it meant.
She was going to be forced to marry her mates, and afterwards, she would be forced to have sex with all of them. All thirty of them.
Clarke swallowed hard.
She didn't want this.
She might be grateful to her mates for getting rid of the Mountain Men, and for keeping her people safe from the twelve tribes in the coalition, but she didn't want this.
She wanted to live here with her friends; with Wells and Callie and the others. Even knowing what Abby did, she still wanted to live here.
But it looked like she wouldn't have that choice available to her.
She clenched her teeth, feeling herself getting angry at her mother again.
How dare she?!
How dare that woman get Clarke's father killed, then sell Clarke out to the highest bidder that came forward? And how dare she pretend that she was doing it for the right reasons?
Abby did everything for one reason. For herself.
When Clarke had said that she thought about getting her mother killed by requesting that of her mates? She hadn't meant it. It had entirely been a bluff. She had been angry at her mother and had wanted to hurt her mother's feelings. But that wasn't the same thing as wanting her mother's death.
But the things that Abby had done? It might just get Clarke to want to kill Abby at some point.
Still, Clarke was left to suffer, knowing what her mother had done.
Until Clarke's mates arrived at their camp two weeks later.
There were thirty of them, just like Abby had said.
They stood there, having gotten out of vehicles to greet Clarke.
They used vehicles, like the Ark people did. Unlike the people from the tribes, who used horses.
The thirty people that came forward to greet Clarke, Clarke could feel them, as soon as they approached and she shivered at feeling their connection.
She remembered feeling something powerful getting closer to her when she had been younger. She hadn't understood what it had been then, but she knew what it had to have been, now.
It had been the feeling of her mates getting close, when they had first arranged the deal with Abby.
Clarke faced her thirty mates and felt the connection hit, feeling like multiple bolts of lightning struck her.
These were her mates, alright. She could feel it.
Clarke fought another shiver when she saw each of them stare at her, wanting, with sly emerald, brown, hazel and blue eyes, many of them smirking.
"Hello, Clarke," one of the women said, stepping forward, "It's good to see you again. I'm sure Abby has explained who we are to you. Now, I know this is a lot to expect of you, on such short notice. But we need you to come with us, alright, sweetie? I promise it will all make sense later."
Clarke tried not to snort at the statement she just heard.
She would go with her mates to wherever they were going to take her. But she seriously doubted that any of this would make sense to her. Ever.