Flashback:
Year: 2142.
Valerie Johnson: 11 years old.
Location: unknown abandoned training hall. Empty with some chairs and tables tucked away to the side.
"Again." A male voice echoed inside the empty room. Valerie's breath was heavy, heaving from the strain. Blood ran from her cheek, a small cut barely visible. She strained to push herself to her feet, exhausted from the long training session.
"I said again, now move!" The man shouted. Valerie looked up at the man. His hair was black and slicked back neatly. He had thick eyebrows and a well-defined nose. His eyes were hooded and black. His mouth downturned in a stern expression. She pushed back her tears and got back up on her feet. She raised her hands above her face with one pocketknife in her right hand.
"Now, Johnson, try to kill me. And try this time, it's getting boring..." The man said with a taunting smile, making Valerie's blood boil.
She lunged at the man with her pocketknife, reaching for his throat and hesitating slightly. The man blocked Valerie quickly and kicked her in the gut, sending her stumbling backwards.
"Don't fight clean." The man reminded her and rushed forward. The man punched Valerie in the face, sending her to the ground. She spat out blood, gathered her feet, and rushed at the man, reaching for his groin with her knife. The man jumped over her and kicked her feet, sending her face flat on the floor. Valerie was about to stand up when she felt a cold sensation at the back of her neck.
"Game over." The man said, withdrew his knife, and sat on the floor beside her.
"You're too slow, Johnson." The man said. Valerie sat on the floor and rubbed her cheek, bruised from the fight.
"Sorry. Shumway" She looked down, tears threatening to form in her eyes. Shumway looked at her indifferently.
"You won't be sorry when you're dead; practice your agility and speed. You won't never gain an advantage with brute force, so use everything else against your opponent. Don't make Sydney regret her bringing you in." Shumway finished with a strict expression. Valerie's eyes snapped to the man, and her back straightened.
"I won't make her regret!"
…
"I'll bet she regrets it now..." Valerie talked to herself bitterly. Her eyes looked for something on the shuttle to use as a tent. The other delinquents had already grabbed the best ones, but there still were some she could use.
"Who regrets it, red?" A male voice came from the entrance. She turned around to see Bellamy standing in the doorway with a smirk.
"No one, Blake. Now go and do your dictator thing. Bye now." Valerie returned to the materials at hand, trying to find the best tent material. This was serious business indeed.
"So, I heard earlier you were one of Sydney's people," Bellamy began. Valerie stopped and turned to face him, her annoyance evident.
"No..." She said in a low voice. Bellamy arched his right eyebrow, clearly not bothered.
"You're not one of her, then. Do you know Shumway by any chance?" Bellamy said, fiddling with a leaf in his hand, not looking directly at her. Valerie looked at Bellamy with a questioning stare.
"Did know him, don't care for him. Frankly, he needs to get his stick out of his ass. Why do you care?" she said, bad memories resurfacing. Bellamy looked at her with an unreadable expression and seemed to push it away before his face turned into a smirk.
"Well, we can share a tent if you want red. My bed is warm and the biggest in camp. It wouldn't be bad having your body next to mine…" Bellamy whispered the last part, edging closer to her before their faces were barely a few centimetres apart. Valerie looked up at him and then at his lips, deciding to play along.
"Well, you know a girl has needs; it would be lovely to share the same bed with you. Blake." she began, her face smirking. Bellamy's eyes widened slightly in surprise before Valerie continued changing to a smile.
"Ah, well, alas, it's sad we won't be able to share it as I have other plans. You know, making my tent. Alone. Bye, Blake." Valerie said in a cheerful voice and smiled before deciding on a perfect colourful section of the parachute. She headed out, leaving Bellamy dumbfounded.
Valerie stepped out of the shuttle, amused. She couldn't understand Bellamy; he had been so considerate at the shuttle, but now he acted like this narcissist. Putting the matter to rest, her attention soon landed on Wells, Murphy and another one called Mbege. Mbege was a tall guy with a lean build, his skin tan, and his hair in a short buzzcut with a deep black colour. His eyes were dark green, and he had no remarkable attributes.
"You know my father begged for mercy in the airlock chamber when your father floated him." Murphy began. Valerie noticed the situation was about to escalate and decided to step in. She stepped forward to the three guys and pointed at the writing on the shuttle, making all eyes turn on her.
"First son first to dye." Dye what? His hair? Oh, someone didn't learn how to write," She said, smiling as she observed the knife carving on the ark wall. Valerie turned to the guys with a light smile before she noticed the knife in Murphy's hand. And a fury on Murphy's face. It didn't help that Mbege snickered behind him. Wells had his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face.
"Ouch, sorry, Murphy. I didn't know it was you." She smiled and walked past him, with Wells joining her. Murphy's jaw clenched in anger, but he stopped himself when he noticed Bellamy joining them.
"You know, if you're going to kill someone, it's probably best not to announce it," Bellamy said confidently. Murphy snorted.
"Are you insane, Johnson? Don't go taunting those idiots." Wells said with a concerned voice. Valerie turned her head slightly to Wells and shook it.
"I can't help it; I hate bullies. Besides, I can handle myself." She said with a confident smile. Wells looked at her with doubt but let the matter rest.
"What are you carrying?" Wells asked her. Valerie looked at the colourful material in her arms.
"Material for making a tent, I got enough for you to make another one. We can have the tents near each other. she smiled.
Valerie and Wells got the tents up on the side of the shuttle, not far away from the other tents. The tent, shaped like a triangle, looked odd compared to the rest. But it had one primary function: a small closeable hole at the top and a bonfire at the bottom. The space around it would serve as a resting/bed area. Valerie looked around the forest, finding more giant sticks and wooden pieces for the bed frame. Several of the delinquents looked at her, struggling, confused.
"Just making a bed, guys; calm your tits," Valerie said to the delinquents, who soon scrambled away after being caught. 'I never thought my education would actually be of use.' Valerie thought while she worked on her bed.
Some girls came over when Valerie had all the wood pieces in front of her tent. One especially stood out from the others. She had blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She was of an average build and height. A piece of fabric was tied on her forehead.
"Hey, I'm Harper, and this is Trina and Jessica. You're Johnson, right?" Harper began crossing her arms confidently. Valerie smiled back at them, putting her right arm on her hip. She nodded her head and smiled.
"Yeah, what's up?" She began. Harper looked back at the girls, and they all stepped towards Valerie, with their next words a whisper.
"So, the bitches hogged all the beds and blankets available. We heard you're making a bed. Is there room for us?" Harper finished.
"And it was badass how you put Murphy in his place." One of the other girls exclaimed.
Valerie looked at the tent and the girls. With four people, it would be a tight squeeze, but it would be easier to keep the warmth.
"Sure, but it won't have the best space for big beds; maybe everyone gets a small one. And if you don't mind being a neighbour to Wells." Valerie said with her eyebrow raised, waiting for a complaint. She was proved wrong when the girls practically ran into the tent, marvelling at the craftsmanship.
"Where did you learn this?" Harper asked her in amazement. Valerie's eyes widened, and before she managed to respond, Harper continued.
"Whatever, this is perfect. Now, how did we make the beds again?" Harper said with confidence. Valerie started by picking up the sticks and motioning the girls to do the same.
"Now it's simple. You get two logs in two ends and place sticks tolerating your body weight. After that, we need to find some dry moss to use as a mattress and, hopefully, some parachutes to act as a barrier. Remember to tie the sticks to the logs so you don't roll off during the night. "Valerie said with a commanding voice, guiding the girls in how to make it. And soon, all four girls had their tiny beds.
"Hey, Johnson, you in there?" A voice came from outside the tent.
"Yeah, I'm in here. You can come in," she stated. Wells came inside the tent and looked around.
"It looks good. I found a net, thinking we should fish before it gets dark. You in?" Wells asked. Valerie nodded and left with Wells, saying goodbye to the girls.
The pair made their way to the river, not far from the camp; considering Wells's leg, it took time. The pair was engulfed in a comfortable silence before Wells got curious.
"Can I ask how you got arrested?" Wells asked casually, looking ahead to the stream. She looked at him, not sure if she wanted to answer.
"I got caught in a restricted area; they sent me to the skybox in isolation after I attacked the guards, who were capturing me," Valerie stated, making Wells do a doubletake.
"Wells, can I ask you something?" Valerie asked before Wells could respond.
"It's fair, considering I asked you first..." Wells nodded to himself.
"What's up with you and Clarke?" She asked, making Wells stop for a minute before limping on.
"What of it...?" Wells tried deflecting.
"I can't figure it out. You two obviously know each other, but I can't figure out why she seems so mad at you for the life of me. "Valerie said, looking between the trees and thinking. Wells hesitated momentarily.
"Well, her father found something out and was about to tell everyone about it. Clarke told me, and I told my father. I'm the reason her father died." Wells said mournfully.
"That's bullshit," Valerie stated. Wells almost tripped over a branch at that moment.
"What bullshit, it's the truth!" Wells seemed angry as he stopped and turned to her.
"Nah, you didn't do it. You wouldn't hurt the woman you love, and it's the opposite. Then it must be someone you're protecting Clarke from hating on. The only person other than you close to her was her father, and… Oh, I get it." She concluded. She started walking again, leaving Wells dumbstruck. He limped to Valerie, catching up with her, and grabbed her arm from behind, his face almost desperate.
"I don't know how you know, but please don't tell her. It will destroy her." Wells pleaded to her.
"Look, from my point of view, it's better to tell the whole truth. I won't tell her, but you will regret not telling her before it's too late. Even though I don't know the reason, it's best to be honest, and she's stronger than you think. And by the way, don't tell me the rest. I don't want to know." She said, ending the conversation.
The pair arrived at the river and caught a decent number of fish, nowhere near enough for all the delinquents. When the sun began to set, the pair returned to camp, exchanging stories from the ark, the mood better.
As they neared the camp, they noticed a massive bonfire, with screams and excited shouting. Wells and Valerie looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Looks like someone's having a party," Valerie commented sarcastically, walking up to the crowd. Wells followed close behind. A large crowd surrounded the campfire; the heat from the bonfire was comforting. But the screams around it killed any possible relief. She could make out a girl sitting by the bonfire with her right arm when she was close enough. Murphy and Mbege seemed to fiddle with the girl's arm; the girl winced momentarily, and the arm bracelet came off. Murphy held it up like a trophy and tossed it into the fire. Valerie shook her head, dropping the sack of fish on the ground before making her way to the culprits. 'This must be Bellamy's doing.'
"Who's next!" Shouted a voice she knew all too well. She narrowed her eyes briefly, looking at Bellamy when he caught her eyes, a large smirk growing.
"Johnson, everybody. Even you got locked up there. Do one for the team." Bellamy said, smiling, knowing she would refuse.
"I would, Blake, but I don't follow your orders." Valerie started. Feeling nervous, she stepped forward and hesitated briefly before summoning the courage to speak up before the large audience. She felt her throat drying up as she spoke.
"Look, I get you removing the wristbands. Hell, I would do it, too. Cause' this thing itches like crazy." Valerie joked, and turned around to Wells giving her a pointed stare. She turned back to the crowd, suddenly silent. Even Bellamy had a daring look on his face.
"You know the ark was a shitshow, but imagine this. What would the ark do if they thought that Earth wasn't survivable? You know, the society that casually sends breathing people into space. One word: mass deaths. I'm talking about our people dying up there." Valerie tried to make an argument, making everybody talk amongst themselves. Bellamy noticed this and stepped forward, turning to everyone and making the delinquents forget her statement.
"We are down on this earth together. It makes us one people." Bellamy shouted. Everybody shouted back in agreement, although there were a few whispers. Bellamy pointed up the sky.
"Those people killed my mother for having a second child; we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves! What did they do for us?" Bellamy roared louder, making the teens go wild. Bellamy, however, wasn't satisfied and needed his last words to win them over.
"Down here, we get to make our own rules. Here, there are no laws. Here, we do whatever we want, whenever the hell we want. Now you and Wells can even try to stop it or change it, kill me. You know why?" Bellamy asked, knowing his last statement would put a nail in his argument. Wells came behind her, looking at Bellamy, frustrated.
"Whatever the hell we want." Bellamy finished.
"Whatever the hell we want!" Murphy repeated after Bellamy, making the kids chant. Valerie and Wells looked at each other in disbelief before looking at Bellamy. Suddenly, the sky roared, and rain started pouring down. The delinquents shouted collectively and cheered. Valerie turned back to the fish before realising the bag was gone. She could barely make out Murphy and his gang running away with it before anyone noticed. Damn, what a day, she cursed.
"We need to collect the water." She heard Wells saying to Bellamy.
"Whatever the hell you want," Bellamy said with a satisfied smile. His eyes briefly turned to Valerie and her wristband, and he gave her a last smirk before disappearing into the crowd.
Her mind drifted away after she said her goodnights and went to bed. Her memories from her past life had started to fade, leaving only a few in the clouds of her mind. As she thought about the new people she had met in her new life, her mind wandered to her birth mother and the adoptive parents from the ark. Despite the late hour, she emerged from her tent to search for Wells. To her surprise, he was nowhere to be found. Valerie searched the camp but couldn't find him. Eventually, she decided to walk around the camp's outskirts and unwind, thinking he was elsewhere.
The trees and the surrounding bushes were glowing. She looked all around her with amazement. The trees surrounding her were heavy and tall from years of uninterrupted growth, nothing like what she had experienced. Her world could barely let the trees grow without chopping it all down. The ground was soft from layers of moss and pinecones. Big hollow trees dispersed at the ground, dead or from past storms. Valerie thought this couldn't be the same earth she left, bending down to look better at the flowers by a bush. This was the first time in a long time that she finally felt relaxed.
"Now that's a view I can appreciate…" a male voice said, almost smugly. Valerie didn't need to turn around to see who was behind her.
"I'm getting tired of your antics, Blake," she said in a tired voice before facing Bellamy. Bellamy started walking towards her.
"I realised I knew you from somewhere. We've met each other before," Bellamy said, his voice calm. Valerie raised one eyebrow.
"I doubt that" " she answered with a frown.
"We ran into each other in the hallway the day Sydney came to greet us." Bellamy finished waiting for her reaction. Valerie's eyes widened for a moment before she shrugged it off momentarily.
"Whatever that was ages ago, I'll return to camp now." Valerie was about to step around Bellamy before she was stopped.
"No, I don't think so. We need to talk about the wristband," Bellamy said, looking at her arm. Valerie prepared to run before she was intercepted by Bellamy, who held her still.
"I don't think so, red. Wells needed this, and it's your turn now." Bellamy stated. Valerie got loose from his grip, turned around and grabbed a branch behind her, eyes widening in anger.
"Don't you even dare assface. Why do you care anyway? Nobody up there even cares if I die or live." Valerie cursed at Bellamy. Bellamy didn't look faced as he grabbed a combat knife from his pocket and showed it to her.
"I only need to get it off you; no one has to get hurt tonight. And after that stunt, you pulled earlier, there have been questions from the others that need to be corrected. If you take that off, it will send a message to the others." Bellamy tried to reason with her. Valery's stubbornness only increased as he got closer to her.
"Now red, let's do this the eas- "Bellamy began before he got a mouth full of leaves from a branch.
"Stop red-"Bellamy spat out before she slapped him with the branch. Bellamy's eyes darkened in anger.
"Johnson, I dare you to do that one more – "Bellamy said before a branch slapped him on his head this time. Bellamy grabbed the branch in her hands and threw it away in composed anger. Even though she was angry, seeing Bellamy's head covered in old leaves was funny. She started to snicker.
"You're impossible. I guess we'll do this the hard way," Bellamy said before raising his hand. Murphy, Mbege and another guy stepped forward. Murphy smirked, playing with his knife.
"Now, little bitch, time to get what you deserve." Murphy spat out angrily. The four of the guys surrounded her, all of them carrying switch knives.
"There's nowhere to run now, red", Bellamy said seriously before attempting to grab her arm. Valerie kicked Bellamy in the gut, gaining a groan. Murphy rushed at her from behind, trying to strike her. She dodged and grabbed Murphy and shoved him into Mbege, sending them both to the ground.
"I'll fucking destroy you bitch", Came a raged shout from Murphy as he swung at Valerie's face making contact. A small cut appeared on her cheek. Valerie gave Murphy a high kick, sending him into the other guy standing there unsure. Bellamy went forward, grabbing her and holding her tight.
Murphy came forward with the knife, ready to take her wristband off before she used Bellamy's weight to give several kicks to Murphy's chest. Pushing Bellamy back, Valerie gained momentum and threw him over her shoulder. She grabbed a stick and swung it, hitting the boys in the head. Her movements flowed as she swirled around them. The men lay there groaning. Bellamy looked up at her, winching from moving his head.
"Next time you threaten a girl, try to follow through. It gets boring," she said, annoyed, her hands resting on her hips.
"Seems like I'm not needed here after all," Said a male voice. Valerie looked up, noticing Wells standing there with a smile. She looked to the wrist, seeing the wristband gone, her eyes narrowing. Murphy, Mbege, and the other guy snarled at her as they walked away. Bellamy stood up on the ground, panting.
"Now I know you fight. It's not bad, red. I'll let you go this time." Bellamy said, leaving the area. Valerie huffed, walking over to Wells. Wells smiled and put his arm over her jokingly.
"Remind me never to piss you off." Wells joked, gaining a laugh from Valerie. They walked towards the camp together.