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justinewt · 2 months

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The Two-Horned Beast - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty-Five

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (03/01/2024)

Summary: Raven was saved but the group wasn't out of the woods just yet. They still had to find a way to really put an end to Alie. Thanks to a book written by the hand of the woman that made the AI, they found a new lead, a Grounder named Luna, who might be the key to all this.

Words: 4.8k

Warnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (episode 12 "Demons"), fluff, some romance, guns, knives, blood, stabbing, attempted & actual murder

The sun had risen in the sky as they drove full speed across a field. They drove all night really, with Bellamy at the wheels. Clarke was at the front with him, and Michelle was sitting at the back with the others as they all began to plan out their next moves to stop Alie and her army of zombies. They had saved Raven from her grip, but the latter was far from being the only one that was being mind controlled. Michelle looked through the windshield, listening to the conversation with one ear, leaning forward on her lap. She was wondering about the situation in Polis. Her father was there, and she hoped he was safe. For the time being, they were headed for Arkadia. It was probably fine to return since Alie and her minions were trying to find them and they were far from the trading post already.

“Becca’s journal is amazing.” Raven exclaimed, carefully flipping the pages of the old notebook. “At 26, she found a pathway to access a human mind. That same year, she had to lock up Alie, because her answer for what was wrong with the world was “too many people”. She was 27 when it launched the bombs.”

“What did she write about the Flame?” Clarke twisted on her seat, turning towards them.

“Alie 2.0. She saw it as a way to atone for her sins. She designed it to not just access a human mind, but to merge with one. It could never wipe us out, because it would be one of us. She put it in herself first. Altered her genes so her body wouldn’t reject the implant.”

“Bekka Pramheda, the first Commander.” Michelle glanced at Clarke. She nodded to herself before looking at the others, crossing the gaze of her best friend before she focused back on Raven. “The gene therapy made her blood black, didn’t it?”

“Yeah.” She said quietly, surprised that she knew this detail without having read the diary. She wasn’t the only one that was surprised.

“How did you know that?” Octavia enquired.

“Nightblood. That’s where it came from. Somehow it became hereditary. Luna has it. That’s why we have to find her. If she can access Alie-2…”

“She can tell us how to stop Alie-1.” Octavia said, concluding Clarke’s statement.

“Get back to the mind pathway.” Monty spoke, taking a closer look at the Flame. “If Alie uses it to upload our minds to the City of Light, then there’s a chance my mo’s still alive.”

“That depends on your definition of “alive”.” Raven’s words must have shattered his hopes, but he shot his mother. The woman’s body wasn’t alive anymore and whatever was left of her in the City of Light, wasn’t her. Seeing him like this made Michelle quite sad and it made her think how if her father happened to take the chip, she wasn’t sure she would have the guts to shoot if he put someone in danger. She hoped she would never have to kill him to save someone else because if her father, her only remaining parent, died by her own hand, she would never survivre it. Losing her mother broke her and she didn’t even see her pass away, so it would be the last straw. She would never recover from it.

“Eyes sharp. Weapons hot. We’re almost home.” Bellamy spoke up as they approached Arkadia’s grounds. He called for Harper and Miller over the radio, telling them they were a couple minutes away from camp, but no one replied. It wasn’t a good sign. Michelle straightened up, stretching her, craning forward to look through the windshield. She couldn’t see Arkadia just yet. They were still too far but once they saw it in the distance, and noticed the gates were wide open and there was no one in sight, they stopped the vehicle. Some of them got out with their weapons, walking alongside the car, Jasper standing up at the back, sticking out through the roof opening and Bellamy had left the wheel to Michelle. She wouldn't have minded coming outside with him, Clarke, Octavia, and Sinclair; she was a pretty good shot, but he had insisted that she stay inside the Rover. Her assumption turned out to be correct though, Alie and her minions had deserted the place, probably since last night. From inside the car, she couldn’t really hear what the others were saying but she heard Jasper note that no one was there to fix the gate. It was like a ghost town as they slowly progressed inside the camp.

“Maybe they saw the open gate and went in for Lincoln’s book.” Jasper added, talking about Miller and Harper. Bellamy was still trying to get a hold of them, but no one was responding. When she looked in the mirrors and saw her peers stopping in their tracks, she slowed the car and turned her head to Raven, sitting in the front seat next to her. She met her gaze and she understood they had stopped by the pool of blood that must have soaked the grounds ever since Lincoln was shot by Pike. She gulped and they continued on their way to get the grounder’s book. It was supposed to guide them to other Grounders that could help them to stop Alie, with all that nightblood stuff. As they approached the hangar, the doors opened and she drove in, opening the window and popping her head through, to hear what Bellamy was saying. He looked at her after telling Jasper to close the roof.

“Turn the Rover around. We may need to get outta here quickly.” She nodded and sat back into the driver’s seat, waiting for the others to get out from around the vehicle to turn the car around. The doors of the hangar closed shut behind them with a thud. As the group looked around the large room, she did as Bellamy asked and then jumped out of the car. Climbing up the small flight of stairs, she, Raven, and Monty joined the others around the table where a bunch of stuff was scattered, decks of cards, half-empty plates and drinks, as if people just got up and walked away, leaving everything behind to rot, without a second thought. “We’re in and out. Pack as much gear as you can into the Rover.”

“I’ll get the map.” Octavia left almost as quickly as she spoke. Jasper went along with her. As she watched them walk away, Michelle was reminded of the fact that her precious jacket was still lying somewhere in Bellamy’s room, and she wanted to get it back before they left camp again. She was about to mention it to Bellamy, parting her lips, turned towards him, when Raven came from behind her and spoke up.

“What’s the rush? They won’t be coming back.”

“How do you know?” Clarke asked.

“Alie’s mission is to chip everyone. It wouldn’t make sense to return to a place she already took.”

“It might make sense if there was someone in that place, you, who could tell us stuff like that.” Raven agreed with Sinclair’s point, and they all went in different directions. Only Michelle went after Bellamy and he looked over his shoulder, hearing her footsteps. She still wanted her jacket, even if she was wearing her father’s ever since the group parted ways with him, Pike, and the Grounders. He nodded at her request, and they walked through the door towards the inside of the Ring, heading for Bellamy’s room. The two of them walked inside the room and Michelle kind of looked around while Bellamy opened a wardrobe next to his bed. He let his gun hang to his side as he took the jacket from a hanger. She took off the large, black guards’ jacket that her father gave her so she wouldn’t be cold and put it down on the desk while he handed her vest to her.

“Thank you.” She said as she took and put it on, one sleeve after the other. Then, she picked up her father’s and put it back on. She noticed Bellamy watching her as she got dressed and she looked at him with a chuckle, the corner of her lip stretching into a smirk. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, looking away, and she took a step towards him, taking his hand, intertwining their fingers as they locked eyes. His eyes went down to her mouth for half a second and he cupped her face in his free hand, pressing his lips against hers. Their kiss grew more passionate as time went on and he let go of her hand to slip his fingers in her hair, at the back of her head. Her whole body felt like it was lit on fire when they broke their embrace, resting his forehead against her cheekbone. She was catching her breath, as if she had forgotten how to breathe properly and she heard Bellamy chuckle. She smiled, telling him not to laugh, playfully pushing him away, shaking her head and he caught her arms, pulling her back towards him into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him, warm under his jacket. She could feel him breathing in her hair while she rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes. It was the first, real intimate moment that they had shared in many months and damn, how she had missed it. The words I love you, would take a little longer to be spoken out loud though.

“All right let’s go look around. We don’t know know how much time we have right now.” She broke the embrace and he nodded. They left together, exiting the Ring through the front door. She didn’t have a gun, so she remained behind Bellamy as he kicked open the door to the armory, holding his gun up in case he came face-to-face with someone. It was empty. She stepped in after him as he opened a mesh cupboard inside which they could see a bunch of automatic shotguns lined up. He checked the content of the boxes stored underneath. They were filled to the brim with bullets. He grabbed the radio at his belt and contacted the rest of the group still inside the hangar.

“Everyone finish what you’re doing and meet us at the armory.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Clarke was the one to respond.

“You’ll see when you get there. We just got lucky.” While she told them they were on their way, Bellamy picked up a gun, filled a charger with bullets and gave it to Michelle. The latter started walking back and forth outside the door, looking around the camp, alert, and turned to Bellamy while they waited for the others to join them. Her mind was really making her do comparisons between what she now had with Bellamy and what she once had with Murphy. She didn’t want to keep thinking about both the relationships she had ever had but her conclusion was that the two were diametrically opposed. Maybe it was because she had grown since they first landed on the ground, and because Bellamy was a few years older, but their relationship had a much more mature feeling to it. The nature of their feelings for each other was very different from when she was with Murphy. When he left, she realized, even if he did love and care for her, she most likely loved him more than he did. She mentally shrugged, thinking it would have ended at some point but the fact that he just got up and left, with Jaha, it still bothered her. She shook the thought away when Clarke’s voice reached their ears. She was calling out their names weakly, panting and Bellamy caught her before she fell, giving her support so she could stand. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Emerson.” It was just one word, well a name really, but the three of them were very much aware of what it meant. The guy from Mount Weather, who they thought they had gotten rid of already, was back, harder to kill than a cockroach. The trio then walked into the ring, with Bellamy and Michelle walking in front of Clarke, their heads tilted, eyes glued to the viewfinder lens, guns up, flashlights on.

“Where’s Monty?” Bellamy enquired.

“Emerson took him. Why?” She frowned, trying to understand what Emerson’s motivation was. He grabbed his radio and tried to make contact with his sister, stopping in their tracks.

“Octavia, can you hear me? Come in.”

“Jasper was with her.”

“Jasper, are you there? Say something.” The only answer they got was a static sound crackling on the other end.

“Maybe Emerson got them too.” Michelle said quietly. Clarke looked down, frowning, shaking her head.

“Miller, Harper, Bryan… This is all my fault. I let Emerson live.”

“What are you talking about?” Bellamy looked at Clarke, blinking in confusion before exchanging a glance with Michelle. She had no idea what she was talking about either, but their friend seemed preoccupied. Her eyes went from one to the other.

“In Polis. I had a chance to kill him, but I let him go.”

“Bellamy, what’s wrong?” Raven’s voice came over the radio, interrupting their conversation.

“Raven, are you okay? Where are you?” He immidietaly asked.

“Still in engineering. We’re fine.”

“Raven, listen to me. Emerson is here. Are the others with you?” Clarke spoke up, taking the radio after Bellamy handed it to her. Raven replied in the negative. She was alone with Sinclair. Clarke then gave them instructions to lock down the hangar bay and to not let anybody in but the three of them. They had yet to find their other friends, who were probably held somewhere by Emerson. They ran there but when they came at the door, shouting out the mechanic’s name, banging on the door, no one answered, and the hangar was plunged in the dark. They left, running around the ring to get to the other door. When they reached the large door from the outside, it was just opened slightly, leaving a thin thread of light penetrate inside. Slipping through the opening one after the other, the two childhoos best friends kneeled next to the lifeless body of Sinclair, lying on the ground, a large stain of blood on his t-shirt, and blood running down his mouth. His dead eyes stared right back at them, frozen, and empty. Clarke still went to check his pulse, but it was obviously too late. He was already gone. She closed his eyes. Michelle sighed and got up, her hands on the gun hanging across her shoulders, glancing around the hangar. Raven was nowhere to be seen.

“He took Raven.”

“We’re too late.” Bellamy added, but Clarke somehow disagreed. She turned her head to them.

“He didn’t kill Monty or Raven. He would’ve left their bodies. Michelle is right, he took them somewhere.”

“If you’re right, Octavia and the others are there, too. Where would he be taking them? They could be anywhere. How does he even know his way around?”

“He was here. You were in Mount Weather.” As she talked, Clarke was already thinking, and she came to the conclusion that the man that had them running around the compound looking for their friends, had taken them to the very airlock in which he had been detained before. It only made sense that he would lock them up in there. She snatched the radio from Bellamy’s belt. “Emerson. I know you’re listening. We need to talk.”

“I don’t need to do anything.” They heard grunts in the background, confirming that he did have their friends with him. Clarke had their back to them, facing the hangar’s door and Michelle and Bellamy looked at each other. “You should have killed me when you had the chance.”

“And now you’re here to kill me, is that it?”

“Something like that.”

“Then let my friends go.” She tried to bargain with him, offering to give herself over if he did what she asked. Of course, neither Michelle nor Bellamy wanted this to happen. She turned to them. “I know what I’m doing.” Michelle gave her a firm nod, trusting her, though this whole ordeal worried her.

“Come to the airlock. No weapons. Right now.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Bellamy stopped her as she walked away with a determined step. She was set on saving their friends and they didn’t disagree with this but neither of them wanted her to sacrifice herself.

“Look, when it’s over, take this to Luna. Promise me.” She took the Flame out of her pocket and handed it over to him. Her eyes went to Michelle who didn’t like the way she was talking about all this, as if she was going to die going to the airlock and there was nothing to do about it. She didn’t the decisiveness of this moment. Bellamy slightly squinted his eyes, shaking his head.

“No. You’re outta your mind your mind if you think we’re letting you do this alone.” Though she stayed quiet, used to go along with the flow of whatever Clarke wanted to do, Bellamy didn’t even think about it and included her in his statement, knowing that she was as much against this as he was. And in other circumstances, she would have sketched a smile, because he was right. Clarke glanced at Michelle before putting her gaze back on him.

“This is my fault. I’m not letting anyone else die for my mistake, okay? So take it!” She didn’t raise her voice, but her tone and gesture were strong and direct, urging him to take the flame from her hand.

“Are you through? I don’t know what happened between you and Emerson in Polis. But I do know that letting him kill you here today is a stupid plan.”

“You got a better one?” He pinched his lips and shrugged; his smirk tinged with sadness.

“You distract him, we shoot him.” Clarke let go of her original plan to just surrender herself to the mountain man and nodded to Bellamy’s proposition. She looked down at the flame while Bellamy stepped away. Now, they had to put the plan into motion, and hope it would go smoothly but what Emerson would do, and his reactions were out of their control. Clarke walked a few feet ahead of them, with Bellamy and Michelle with their guns right behind. They stood behind the corner, hidden in the shadows while she held up her hands and approached the airlock.

“I held up my part of the deal. Your turn. Let my friends go.”

“Tell Bellamy to show themselves first.” He must have seen Bellamy’s shadow, or he simply knew the girl would never actually come alone but they were both reminded that even though Michelle knew the man’s name and who he was, he probably didn’t even remember her, other than being that one Asian girl who was Clarke’s friend. She wasn’t even sure he remembered that she was one of those who basically got her thigh drilled into and almost died, if it weren’t for Clarke opened all exits of Mount Weather. The two gunsmen glanced at each other.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...” She tried to lie, and he knew it. He grunted and Octavia let out a scream, prompting Bellamy to come out of hiding, telling Michelle to stay back with his eyes. She gave him a nod, standing her back to the wall to conceal herself better. He kept his gun ready to fire as he stepped into the hallway.

“Good. Now, take out the clip, throw it down the hall, put the gun down and get inside.”

“Please, you wanted me.” She tried to talk with him, but he wasn’t here to listen to her pleading. Surrending herself in exchange for her friends’ lives being spared, but something was off. He really wanted Bellamy to come into the airlock. The latter gave in, telling him to stop. Michelle didn’t know what Emerson was doing but she guessed that he must have been holding Octavia at gunpoint or something like that, for the young man to be this nervous. He did as order, took out the clip and kneeled, putting down his gun, along with the rest of his weapons, which included the two knives he had. He threw them away, making them slide down the hall and their course stopped right in front of Michelle. If it came down to it and using her gun was too dangerous, she would pick up one of the blades and use it against Emerson. It was clear that Bellamy took advantage of the fact the man was clueless about a third person being there. He then put his hands up in the air and walked towards the airlock, disappearing from Michelle's sight. She heard Emerson’s voice addressing Bellamy followed by Octavia grunting. Michelle was practically glued to the wall, taking deep, quiet breath, ready to step in. She clenched her jaw, hating the fact that she was blind to what was now happening, right around the corner. She listened to Emerson giving orders to Clarke, telling her to get down on her knees and put her hand behind her head. There were footsteps, certainly Emerson, followed by a beeping sound and the airlock door closing.

“No- You can do anything you want with me. Okay? Just let them go.” Hearing him grunt, Michelle peeked. Emerson was his back to her, holding Clarke the collar of her coat and pushing her towards the closed space. He put his arm around her neck, his handgun against her head, pressing her against the glass. Michelle then thought, using her gun would put Clarke’s life at risk, while using a much sneakier weapon such as Bellamy’s knives, would give her a bigger chance of neutralizing Emerson. She let go of her shotgun, letting it hang to her side and picked up both blades to her feet, holding the handles tightly. And she waited for the right opportunity to come out. Not knowing if he had his finger on the trigger didn’t help her determine when to act either and she couldn’t risk Emerson seeing her, it would fuck the whole plan up as well.

“You murdered 381 people. You took the lives of my children, my brother, my friends. Did you really think that I would be happy with just one life in return?” When she heard him step back, dragging Clarke with him, she took another look. The gun was now aimed towards the ceiling. He put his arm back around Clarke, right across her chest and used his free hand to uncover a glowing red button. She came out of hiding as he pressed it. A voice over PA announced that the airlock was being emptied of its oxygen. He looked to asphyxiate their friends. She took advantage of the loud, dull noise covering her steps and she rushed towards him, driving the blades of the daggers right into his skull with a grunt. A gunshot went off as he collapsed, dragging Clarke with him. She broke free from his grip and rushed to the airlock control panel to open the door. Michelle just then processed what she did and though she didn’t feel bad about it, she couldn’t help but stare at Emerson’s face, his empty eyes staring back at her. She realized her fingers were trembling, so she closed her hands into fists. The two knives looking like horns that had grown on the sides of his head. Clarke got up, stretching out her arms to reopen the airlock. Their friends inside weren’t exactly passed out but a little lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, breathing heavily, while the two were getting rid of Emerson. Michelle stepped over the man’s body, helped Clarke up. As she freed one of them, they helped free each other. Michelle went to untie Bellamy from the wall and frowned in frustration since her hands were still a bit shaky. She felt his gaze upon her.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly.

“You’re the one that’s restrained. I’m fine.” He grabbed her hand and glanced over his shoulder at Emerson. She huffed, following his eyes, and stared at the dead body. The knives sticking out of his heads, a pool of blood all over the floor and trickles having flowed across his face. His eyeballs were hidden, covered with a red layer. It wasn’t the first she had had a deadly weapon in her hands, but it was the very first time that she stabbed someone this violently, in the head, and not just with one knife, but two at that. She didn’t have such a hard time shooting at people with a gun but using bladed weapons did shake her up a little. She didn’t even think, she just did it to save Clarke. Seeing that she was staring at Emerson, he stepped aside, blocking her view, making her look at him.

“You did it to save Clarke.”

��Yes, I know why I did it.” She pinched her lips, not reacting the way she would have wanted to. She answered abruptly when he was only trying to help her. But he understood and only looked at her with concern for her on his face. She locked eyes with Clarke and Octavia, who noticed them holding hands and the latter were surprised to say the least. They obviously didn’t expect to see their siblings together. The group then eventually walked outside, dragging Emerson’s body away. At nightfall, while they were putting things away, they saw Bellamy walk through the gate, carrying a large body wrapped in a body bag, in his arms. Because of the weight of the body, his gait was a bit slowed down, and his steps were heavy, sinking into the mud. He put it on the ground and took a step back while Octavia fell to her knees. She raised her hand to uncover the head and hesitated for a moment before finally doing so. It was Lincoln.

Octavia's sobbing turned into hearbreaking wailing. The rest of them were all silently standing there. Michelle felt her pain, though it was not over the death of the same type of love, she had cried just as hard over her mother. It made her want to cry and she felt a tear had run down her cheek. She swiftly wiped it away. They built a pyre and put both Sinclair and Lincoln’s bodies on it. Raven went forth, saying her goodbyes to her former mentor and stepped back while Octavia lit the pyre, pronouncing words in trigedasleng. Your fight is over. They all repeated those words in unison. While Michelle said it for their two peers, her eyes rose to the starry night sky and her thoughts went to her mother and she stared at the fire, losing her gaze in the dance of flames until Octavia's voice rises above the loud crackling.

“It’s time to go. I’ll get the map.” Bellamy watched her walk away, swallowing harshly. As he turned back towards the fire, he felt a hand hold his and his eyes went down to his hand and then up to Michelle’s face before they both observed the fire for a moment. After a while, they all went to the hangar to put their things into the rover and get ready to leave. Clarke was putting the flame back in its box and Bellamy was carrying boxes of weapons into the back of the car. Michelle was next to her childhood friend. The three exchanged a nod as he walked past them.

“Hey, we’re leaving. Why aren’t you ready?” Bellamy asked Raven and Monty as the two approached.

“We’re not going with you.” She then said, being helped down by Monty. “I can barely walk, and my shoulder is killing me. But my brain’s all kinds of awesome.”

“She remembered that Alie downloaded herself into the Ark mainframe. If the code is still there, we might be able to find a back door.” Monty added.

“I’m guessing once you connect Alie-2 to Luna, we’ll need to access Alie-1 to take her down.”

“Miller.” Bellamy called to the young man in the background, with his boyfriend and Harper. He motioned towards the other two.

“I’ll keep ‘em safe.”

“I’ll keep them safe.” Harper said, repeating his words with a smile.

“How about you? It’s gonna be dangerous.” Bellamy turned his head to Jasper.

“You know me well. I’m in.” On his words, Bellamy walked off while Clarke and Michelle said goodbye to their friends. Octavia went directly inside the car. Clarke went to the front with Bellamy and Michelle joined Octavia, followed by Jasper. The humming noise of the engine starting sounded in the hangar as Raven shut the backdoor and they drove away. Next step was finding this Luna and find a way to get rid of Alie once and for all.

[To be continued…]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (03/01/2024)

Published (02/24/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64 @mirellef2001

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justinewt · 3 months

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We Survive Together - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty-Four

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: After Jasper and Clarke showed up at the cave with an unconscious Raven, literally possessed by Alie. They desperately attempt to save their friend as she cruelly taunts them, manipulated by the AI. Bellamy is the target of one of her mockings and the name of Michelle is mentionned, of course, as well as the complicated status of their relationship.

Words: 7k

Warnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (episode 11 "Nevermore"), title from a quote from Monty to Octavia in Nevermore, mention of su1c1de attempt, blood, dislocated bone, some fluff

Now that Pike had been turned in, the blockade around Arkadia could be lifted and the group returned to the cave where Sinclair and the rest of them was still waiting. As they walked back Monty had received a call from Jasper who had to flee the after Jaha took control of the camp with the keys, he was giving out to everyone and the promise of a life without pain and a ticket straight to the City of Light. The people there had turned into mindless zombies and that made Michelle lose all desire to accept the damn key. She would rather live with both mental and physical pain than lose her free will. At the cave, they tried to understand what it was all about.

“I don’t understand it, either. Something about those chips.” Monty was as puzzled as them regarding was happening in Arkadia. If it was really that unsafe, retrieving her jacket from Bellamy’s room would have to wait. She was still wearing her father’s and it wasn’t exactly her priority anyway. Arms crossed, she stood next to her peer and Sinclair.

“We’ll know soon enough. Be ready.” The latter concluded. Indeed, they had to wait for Jasper to get to them before deciding what they were going to do next. Near the fire, Octavia sprang up and started packing up her things in her little bag. Bellamy walked up to her, trying to make her slow down. He was understandably worried about her going out right now.

“You can’t just leave.”

“Watch me.”

“You heard what Jasper said on the radio.”

“What Jasper said sounds insane.” She argued, getting impatient and annoyed with all this discussion. “Pike’s gone. I can handle myself. Grounders burn their dead.”

“I know that. And then what? Where are you gonna go?”

“You don’t get to ask me that.”

“What more do I have to do to prove that I am on your side?”

“Bring Lincoln back.” He went silent and stared into the void as she walked past him. She turned around before exiting the cave. Michelle avoided looking directly at him, not wanting Octavia to drag her into their argument if she thought she was feeling bad for her brother, but Michelle saw from the corner of her eyes that he was hurting over this feud with his sister. “Turning Pike in does not make you one of the good guys, Bellamy. You did that to save me. Not because what you thought Pike was doing to the Grounders was wrong.”

“The Grounders were starving us out.” He frowned, turning around to face her. Michelle closed her eyes, sighing quietly. There was still some work to be done to get him to see Pike was never doing the right thing.

“Because you massacred an army that was sent to protect us.”

“That army could have attacked us at any time, and you know it.”

“But they didn’t attack. You did that. You were hurting, and you lashed out, because that’s what you do. There are consequences, Bel. People get hurt. People die. Your people. Monroe’s dead. Lincoln is dead.” She spoke in a calmer manner but any less strong and accusatory, looking her brother straight in the eyes. On those words, she left. Seeing Bellamy go after her, Michelle pondered whether to follow him out there, but she figured Octavia wouldn’t stop to have another conversation with him. Her step was determined, and she was set on leaving on her own. At the entrance to the cave, Nate, Bryan and Harper stood guard. Bellamy and Michelle barely took a few steps when the headlights of a car dazzled them. Jasper and Clarke had reached them. Even Octavia stopped in her tracks upon hearing the engine. When Clarke got off the vehicle and walked down the path to the cave, she stopped to stare at Bellamy and Michelle. She probably wondered why he looked so beat up. Jasper then came out shouting, asking for help. He was carrying an unconscious Raven in his arms.

“We have to get her inside before she wakes up!” Bellamy rushed to them, asking if they were followed but Jasper glanced around, having no idea. The latter gave him Raven while Nate sent his boyfriend to the ridge to tell them if he spotted anyone in the area. They all walked back inside the cave and as Octavia was about to go back on her way, Clarke called her to join them, and she came.

“Clear some space.” At Clarke’s request, Sinclair put some things away near the fire and Bellamy put her down.

“I told you on the radio, Raven is not Raven anymore.” Jasper repeated. “None of them are. Jaha’s been chipping everyone.”

“Jasper’s right. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” Clarke added, confirming his statements.

“I don’t need your help, all right?” He suddenly got all worked up when Clarke spoke up, supporting his statements, pointing his finger at her. Michelle frowned in confusion before remembering that she was the one that caused Maya’s death at Mount Weather after she pulled that lever, letting all the air from the outside get in, with all the radiation that it involved.

“Just take it easy and explain.” Bellamy grabbed his shoulder, making Jasper look at him.

“Jaha is using the chips to control everyone. You swallow it and it changes you. You forget who you are, and then you see this thing, Alie. Only, she’s not really there. She made Raven slit her own wrists.” Michelle closed her eyes for a second, looking away upon hearing this, letting out a heavy but silent breath. She didn't want everyone to look at her because she got triggered. Instinctively, she brought her arms closer to her body, holding her hand. She herself had attempted to take her own life back when she was in solitary confinement. She literally had no memory of how it happened; she just had this scar for the rest of her life. Her brain had somehow blacked out the whole thing. Realizing Bellamy was looking at her, she let her arms fall to her sides and resumed her composure. She had never really told him about this and when they got intimate a few months ago, he never asked about it. “She was trying to get out of her head. I was trying to help her but—”

“Okay, so let’s help her now.” Sinclair stood up. “Did she say how?”

“She was working on building something. She needed one of her old wristbands, but Jaha destroyed all of them.”

“Wait a second.” Clarke chimed in, pulling out something from her pocket. She had a little rectangle in between her fingers, and it shared an odd resemblance to Jaha’s key. “Does it look like this?”

“Not exactly.” While he answered, Michelle noticed Raven roll her head and open her eyes, staring at the chip.

“Guys, she’s awake.” Right as Michelle warned them, Raven jumped on her feet with a grunt and tried to make a run for it, punching Michelle in the face when she got in her way, trying to stop her. She fell to the ground, bringing a hand to her face, wincing while the others ran after her. Sinclair helped her up and they joined the others outside. All holding Raven in place while she struggled like an enraged beast.

“If Raven finds out where we are, so will Allie.” Jasper said.

As she approached, Michelle wiped some blood from the corner of her lips. Raven let out a shout when Bellamy injected her in the neck with a leftover reaper stick. This was the last dose they had but it sent her back to sleep, giving them more time to figure something out.

“We have to go.”

“Why? Alie doesn’t know where we are.” Bellamy asked, turning his head to Clarke.

“Because I know where we can get a wristband.” All eyes were on her. They quickly got into the car, with an unconscious Raven in the back with the others, and Sinclair and Monty in the front, and drove to the little trading post in the middle of the woods where Michelle, Bellamy, and Kane had encountered this Grounder when they were looking for Clarke a few weeks ago. The very woman they had met was standing in front of the post, a machete in her hand. In the dark of the car, with only the headlights at the front shining brightly ahead of them, Michelle, Clarke, and Bellamy looked out the windshield. “I’ll talk to her.”

“We’ll go with you.” Bellamy then said and the blonde nodded at them while they followed suit. Octavia kicked the backdoor open and let them hop out of the vehicle.

“I thought you said she was a friend.”

“We’ll handle it. Just stay here.” While she went back in the car, the trio walked down the path to the trading post and the woman recognized her, warning her that Skaikru wasn’t welcomed. Michelle wondered if she knew Clarke’s name as she referred to her as Wanheda still. Her behavior seemed to confuse Clarke just as much. “Niylah, what’s wrong?”

“She’s waking up. Hurry! Let’s get her inside.” They looked back as they heard Sinclair’s voice raise in urgency. They didn’t have much time to waste if they wanted to stay away from ALIE. If Raven saw her surroundings, she would find them and they would be in great danger, with not many other places to go hide. And they couldn’t hide forever either. Their only option was for this Niylah to let them in her home for the time being and they were off a bad start. They were playing big here. Sinclair was already carrying Raven outside. Clarke turned back to the grounder.

“Is your father here?” She enquired.

“My father’s dead.” Her face tensed up and she frowned. “Part of an army killed by your people while trying to protect you.”

“Niylah, please.” While she tried to beg her, Michelle glanced at Bellamy from the corner of her eyes. The flames of the torches outside the post reflecting in his eyes as he looked down in shame or guilt, or maybe both, over what he and Pike had done. She was happy to see him question and doubt his previous actions. If he could open his eyes to his mistakes, he could move forward and do better next time. Her thoughts were quickly pushed in a corner of her mind when after Niylah said no to Clarke’s request, he raised his gun towards her.

“We haven’t got time for this. Move.” He made her step aside and at first, Michelle wanted to step in and make him lower his weapon but seeing Clarke do nothing, she followed her example and stayed quiet while he urged Sinclair to get Raven inside. They put her in the backroom and Clarke got something to tie her up with. They walked through the trading post to the living space. It was dark and dimly lit, with only a few rays of moonlight peeking through the blinds.

“Tie her to the bed.” Clarke said as Sinclair lied her down. Raven had now woken up and she grunted, struggling against him. She wiggled, throwing her legs around, trying to kick them and free herself. She took off her blindfold and stopped moving, looking around her but unless she walked outside, she would never be able to tell ALIE where she was. And this was for the better.

“Where the hell am I?” She shouted, getting aggressive again so they hurried to tie her up. They were the 7 of them trying to hold her down and even then, they were somehow struggling because she was so fierce. Michelle was really disturbed by the rawness of her screams which turned into deep growls really, and it made her uneasy, but she tightens her grasp on her leg while they eventually managed to tie her up, but she still wasn’t calming down. She was dead set on getting out of there and telling their location to ALIE. She sounded and looked like she was possessed, and, in a way, she was. Once they were done, they left the room. Bellamy had stayed with Niylah near the entrance, holding her at gunpoint. Raven was being so loud, shouting at the top of her lungs, they could hear her as if they were in the bedroom with the rest of them. Even without being close to Raven, Michelle could hear her peer’s pain in the depths of her voice, behind all the mind control thing.

“How the hell do we get that thing out of her head?” Clarke wondered, frowning in concern.

“Working on it.” She nodded at Monty and stepped away along with Michelle, while they still heard Raven shouting, ordering them to untie her. The two best friends walked up to Niylah and Bellamy.

“I got this.” Letting go of his gun, the handle hanging across his shoulders, he awkwardly went from crossing his arms to putting a hand in Michelle’s back to invite her to step away with him, back to crossing his arms, as if he wasn’t sure whether he should be tactile with her. She had made it clear that even though she still cared for him, she didn’t know how to feel about him. She hated being torn over him. Her feelings for him were very much real and strong, and she wanted to forgive him, but after seeing how mad and upset Octavia was, she didn’t feel like she could forgive him just yet. She stared at him from the corner of her eyes as they walked away, closer to Sinclair and Monty but without actually joining the two of them, and they stood in silence, listening to bribes of Clarke’s conversation with Niylah, glancing at the two women every now and then. When Clarke came closer to the grounder, Michelle watched Bellamy approach a piece of furniture to hear them better.

“Trust you. After what Skaikru did?” She gritted her teeth.

“That wasn’t us.” This sparked confusion in Niylah’s eyes. “I’m sorry about your father. We all are.” As she spoke, she looked over her shoulder, peeking at Bellamy who looked away, uncomfortable. As time went on, he was becoming more aware of his mistakes, or so Michelle hoped.

“What do you want from me, Clarke?” Her tone was much more poised and less aggressive.

“Last time I was here, you had one of our wristbands. We need it now to save out friend.”

“And why should I help you?”

“Because I know you won’t let an innocent girl suffer.” And she had right here and there. Niylah glanced at Bellamy and Michelle, looking at her from behind Clarke. She told her to stay here and left through the front door to go get the wristband. Clarke turned around. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Bellamy was staring at the door as he nodded, unwilling to open about what he might be feeling at the moment. Clarke had noticed her best friend’s uneasiness since she stepped out of the bedroom. She was now arms crossed over her chest; she just gave her a nod in turn. These were some complicated times. A moment later, Niylah returned with the wristband they wanted. The group went to another room and Clarke put the object down on the table in front of them.

“Niylah said we can work in here. So how do we do this?” Monty picked it up to look at it from up closewhile Sinclair spoke. Bellamy and Michelle were both standing by Clarke, arms still crossed, quiet.

“We think Raven wanted to use this wristband to generate an EMP. Which is freakishly brilliant.” He scoffed, blown away by the young woman’s smartness.

“Meaning what?” At Bellamy’s enquiry, Clarke and Michelle looked over their shoulders for a second.

“A targeted electromagnetic pulse could destroy the chip’s circuitry. We could use this to send an EMP along Raven’s own nervous system. Just need to reverse the polarity, wire for external input, and attach a battery.”

“But what would that do to her?” Clarke asked.

“EMPs don’t affect our bodies. But I don’t know the mechanics of how this chip integrates with her brain.”

“This was Raven’s plan. She wouldn’t do it if it was gonna destroy her brain.” Bellamy noted, exchanging a glance with the two young women again. Octavia came into the room.

“Depends how bad she wanted it out.”

“Regardless, without an electromagnet, this is just talk.” Sinclair pursued.

“Where do we get one?” Michelle wondered.

“The Ark.” That was a bummer. From what Clarke and Jasper had told them at the cave, it was hell back there. “Every station had a pulsed inductive thruste for maneuvering.”

“Arkadia’s out of the question.” Bellamy stepped forward, voicing Michelle’s thoughts. “It’s too dangerous, you heard them.”

“We use the dropship.” Their eyes shifted to Monty. “It has PI thrusters like the Ark.”

“That’s good. Okay, I’ll go salvage the magnet.” Monty stopped him, urging Raven’s mentor to remain with the girl and try to figure how out how they were going to make this thing work. Octavia stepped in, offering to go with him and he agreed. Bellamy looked over at his sister but pursed his lips. When he parted them, about to say something, Octavia warned him not to and she departed from the trading post with their peer.

“Guys!” When they heard Jasper call out to them from the bedroom, all three of them came running. Raven was trying to reach for the knots of her restraint to undo them and the first thing Michelle saw was her dislocated shoulder but what made her take a step back while the others rushed to her side to stop her from hurting herself any further, was the blood dripping from her wrist, soaking her bandage. It immidietaly brought the girl back to the darkest moment of her life, back when she was still in solitary confinement, and she tried taking a deep breath. She had to look away and stumbled as her head started feeling light. She kept ignoring her friends when the urged her to stop fighting and in the midst of all her growling, still fiercely struggling against them, she glared at Michelle with a smirk, her jaw clenched and teeth showing, like an enraged animal. She didn’t have time to say anything to her, Michelle instantly walked out of the room, gathering all her strength to make it outside where she just leaned over a barrel, the flame of a torch crackling and twisting in the slight breeze. The forest around her was plunged in the dark. She couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of her, and she let her gaze wander into this immensity. The trees seemed to melt into one imposing mass, and it was frightening. Only then did she also realize that she had gone out unarmed, and if someone came now, she was screwed, but it didn't matter; she really needed some peace and fresh air. She turned back towards the building and dropped to the ground with a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. Her heart was racing, and her head had gone from being light to spinning but as she took control of her breathing, she managed to calm down.

She opened her eyes when she heard footsteps nearby. Bellamy was standing right there, concern on his face. She could tell he was hesitating to approach her.

“What? Are you gonna stand there forever?” She taunted, quietly. Her face was impassive as she stared at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers. He eventually sat down next to her, and they stayed there in silence for a hot minute. She wasn’t looking at him, but she felt his gaze on her, especially on the nervous movements of her hands. He lifted his hand and gently went to grab her wrist. Her hand froze, as right there under the sleeve of her jacket was her scar. There was doubt that made its way in her mind, unsure if she had already even just mentioned this episode to him. Clarke knew about all this, obviously, but with everything that had happened, she couldn't remember who else she had talked about it with. Very few people most likely.

“You okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She released her wrist from his grip and only realized afterwards that her gesture had been curt. She didn't want to make him feel like she was pushing him away when he made the first step towards her. Letting out a sigh as she rubbed her hand, she tried to move the conversation away from her moment of weakness. “Are Jasper and Clarke still with Raven?”

“We’re taking turns watching her. Clarke’s in there with her right now.”

“She stopped trying to hurt herself?” The image of the latter’s wrists bleeding through her bandages flashed before her eyes and her eyelids twitched and she looked away, trying to keep it cool. He then explained to her what Alie was after. The Commander's chip that Clarke had. But of course, if Raven died, Alie would never ever get it, so she stopped fighting them and let them help her. The whole situation was just so nerve-wracking and odd. Michelle would maybe take a turn watching her, if she didn’t try to open her wounds again because she wouldn’t be able to handle that sight again. She didn’t normally have a fear of blood, but it was because of the nature of the wounds from which the blood was dripping. It was the fact that it was bringing back this dark and painful memory. Eventually, Bellamy encouraged her to come back inside and, getting up, he gave her a hand, which she didn’t hold onto for very long once she was on her feet. She entered the trading post first. Inside, it was rather silent. It was a change from Raven's incessant screaming. Jasper was in a dark corner of the room, sulking. Michelle and Bellamy were leaning against a table when they heard Clarke shout in pain and the two bursted into the room. Raven had a trickle of blood running down her chin, staining her lips.

“You’re done, Alie, you hear me? We’re gonna fry you!” She yelled in her face, letting it all out and Bellamy wrapped his arm around her, dragging her out of there. This look in her eyes was haunting. She joined her friends in the main room and Michelle took it upon her to take care of Clarke’s bite wound. She didn’t have her medical knowledge, but it was basic care. She carefully wrapped a clean cloth around her forearm after cleaning it. Clarke’s voice was quiet but the shame that pierced through it was loud. “I let her get to me.”

“You don’t say. She got to me without even saying a word.” Clarke was looking at her, her eyebrows furrowed, perturbed, and worried, both for herself, and for Michelle as well. She had noticed that she seemed agitated earlier. The two of them could see through the other. It had always been like this between them. That was how close-knit they were since they were babies. Michelle was staring down at what she was doing, avoiding her friend’s gaze but she looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Bellamy’s.

“You two take a break. I’ll let her beat me up for a while.” Michelle let her eyes wander and cross his and he nodded to them before walking away. She stayed still, feeling Clarke staring at her.

“Please, don’t say anything.” She let out a chuckle, the corner of her lips rising despite herself. The blonde parted her lips, about to say something when Jasper’s bitterly interrupted her.

“Truth hurts, huh?” He was still mad, and understandably, over Maya’s death at Mount Weather and he blamed Clarke for it, because she triggered the opening of all doors to the facility, killing every mountain person inside. Michelle couldn’t say anything on this, she never knew his girlfriend beside talking to her over the radio when Bellamy was infiltrated in Mount Weather. And she couldn’t be mad at Clarke for causing the death of those people because, if she hadn’t done it, she would probably not have made it out of there, as the scientists were about to drill full force into her leg and other limbs until they had sucked all the marrowbone out of her.

“I’m sorry.” She sounded distressed. “I never wanted to hurt Maya… I had to save our people.”

“I was going to save everyone.” He cried out, his voice shaking from the anger and grief. Michelle stayed where she was and watched.

“I wish you could’ve.”

“Shove your regret up your ass.” He was pursing his lips, containing his tears, and walked away, nudging her with his shoulder. Once he was gone, Michelle came closer to her friend, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Maya didn’t deserve to die, but… if you hadn’t done at the right time, they would have killed me, and every one of us, one after the other.”

“I couldn’t let them kill any of you, especially you, Michelle. You’re my sister.” She gave her a sad smile and they embraced each other. There it was the actual reunion of the two childhood best friends after months of being apart. This was the moment they needed together. They had always been each other’s ride or die, and would be until the end of time, or until death did them apart. They then went to see Sinclair as he worked on the device to help Raven, trying to comfort him in his task. The poor man only had the young mechanic left, and he was afraid to ruin her bright mind, but they had to believe it would work. They had to have some hope. The quiet was disrupted by Jasper shouting at Raven not to speak about Maya and a second later, they saw him walk out of the room after Bellamy encouraged him to do so. As Raven, or Alie, said; yes, they had all lost someone, but Jasper had been shattered by Maya’s death and had lost all hope. He wasn’t dealing with it well, but it wasn’t something to blame him for. Everyone handled grief and trauma differently, for Michelle, she had realized that she kept to herself a lot and repeatedly pushed people away to avoid facing her feelings. She had done it with her dad and Bellamy, and at some point, she had even lost the complicity she had with Clarke. And she was barely patching things up with Bellamy. Silent, she was thinking, lending an ear to Alie talking in the room next door, trying to get to Octavia’s brother as well.

“We’ve had our fun together.” Her taunting and enticing tone bothered Michelle, or maybe was it that she insinuated that they had slept together in the past. She didn’t like feeling jealousy over something that wasn’t really meant by Raven. She would never bring it up. This only reinforced in her mind the fact that she genuinely wanted to get back what she once shared with Bellamy.

“We don’t have to talk about it. Usually not much to talk about, anyway. But I do have one question. Does it bother you that you don’t get any credit for the genocide at Mount Weather? Clarke gets to be the Commander of Death, but you murdered all these people, too, and you’re just forgotten. Then again… You didn’t get any credit for the culling on the Ark, either. How many people suffocated when you threw away my radio? You know, at least Clarke was saving her own people. You were just saving your own ass. Of course, that’s nothing… compared to killing your own mom. You just had to take little sister to her first dance. You might as well have just shoved Aurora out of the airlock yourself. Do you think she would be proud of you now? For the kind of leader, you’ve become? Or would she see the truth like the rest of us do? That you’re a follower. Clarke’s been back for one day and you’re already taking orders. A good, little knight by his queen’s side. Sure, it’s not just you… There’s Michelle, the good, little soldier. Clarke’s one true follower.” Clarke and Michelle exchanged a glance, listening in silence. She wasn’t bothered by the way she was being talked about. She had always been very much aware of her role by Clarke’s side, that she would follow her through hell and back. She was a thinker and in her mom’s fashion, a strategical one. She didn’t want a decision-making role to befall her. It was up to Clarke.

“Too bad you were never as devoted to Gina as you were to Clarke, or Michelle. Ah, the soldier… Does the little knight like the good soldier?? Too bad she was still not over Murphy. You were too late to the party. She didn’t want you anymore. The only man she needed was her dear daddy.” Michelle’s heart sank as she kept talking about her to Bellamy, calling both of them out for the way their relationship had turned out until now. But she wasn’t exactly right. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him anymore. What she got right was that at the time, her romance with Murphy was still too fresh and she wasn’t over him yet when she started something with Bellamy.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bellamy said in a whisper.

“Don’t worry about Gina, she was already dead when Mount Weather blew up.” She rose the tone of her voice, talking loudly through the small property. “And you avenged her, right? I mean, you picked up a gun and slaughtered an army that was sent to protect us. That had nothing to do with blowing sweet Gina to bits or getting rejected by dear Michelle.” As she kept rambling, Michelle, Clarke, and Jasper saw Niylah suddenly stand up and speewalk towards the bedroom. The three of them ran after her. They came in the moment Niylah slapped Bellamy across the face. Clarke called out to her.

“Niylah. You can’t be in here.”

“It’s too late.” Jasper chimed in. “Raven’s already seen her. Alie knows we’re here.”

Michelle watched Bellamy storm out. She didn’t go with him right away and let Niylah follow him outside. From behind the door, she heard him grunt and kick one of the barrels. When he apologised for what he had participated in doing, she wasn’t phased by his excuses, but she didn’t burst out in anger. Michelle was looking through the doorway, and a faint light shone on his face. In a way, even though Niylah didn't care about his excuses, she appreciated seeing the guilt in his eyes. It means Pike's influence was gone this time, and she could help him get back on the right path. Before he could say anything else to try and help his case, they heard engines in the background, and she saw the headlights from the rover as Monty and Octavia came back. Michelle walked out with Jasper while Niylah went back inside.

“What happened?” Bellamy enquired after Monty walked straight to the trading post without stopping or looking at either of them. He was preoccupied by something. In fact, Alie was now aware of where they were, but she somehow had learned about their night trip to the dropship and there, Monty had to kill his own mother to save Octavia’s life. They all rushed inside. It was time to free Raven from Alie. Gathered around the bed, Sinclair put down his machine, giving out the instructions. As they connected her to it, she began moving her arms around, grunting. They struggled to hold her still. Michelle jumped when Raven began to violently hit her head to the metal headboard. She turned her back to her. As Bellamy then stated, their friend was once again trying to kill herself.

“Stop it! Stop. And I’ll give you this.” Clarke pulled out the small box containing the Commander’s chip. It was just enough to get her to stop fighting and Bellamy snatched the box, and they resumed connecting her to the device made by Sinclair while Raven yelled at her for lying. She tried begging them not to do it, claiming the EMP would greatly damage her brain, but they had to do it. It was their last resort to free her from Alie, whether it worked or not. They didn’t have much of a choice. Michelle watched the scene, standing still next to Clarke. Monty then activated the machine, but nothing happened.

“What’s happening?” Jasper enquired.

“Nothing. We need more power.” Sinclair declared. “The battery’s not strong enough.”

“Well, then get one that is.” Clarke asked, pressed. Michelle was frowning, kind of looking away, thinking until she got an idea, and it seemed like Monty thought of the same thing. They spoke simultaneously.

“The Rover.” Raven grunted louder and Bellamy urged Sinclair to hold the young woman as she tried to hit her head against the headboard again. Monty and Bellamy ran outside to get the car’s battery. Everyone got startled when they heard a shot ring outside and they all looked towards the door, wondering what was going on.

“Guys, we have to move!” Bellamy pushed for them to be quicker, and Sinclair proceeded to connect the machines to Raven with a bunch of cables. He then pressed the button again and the young mechanic screamed at the top of her lungs before her body suddenly relaxed and she stopped moving. They looked at each other in worry and Clarke put two fingers up to a neck to check for her pulse.

“She’s breathing.” She concluded, relieved. They tried to call out to her and wake her up, but the girl remained unconscious, quickly replacing their relief with a new wave of worry. Michelle had her arms crossed, kind of wrapped around her torso as she watched, concerned. It didn't matter if she wasn't friends with Raven, she was still hoping the latter would turn out okay. They didn’t have much time to get out of there until Alie’s zombie army would get to them now that they knew where the group had found refuge but at least, Raven was out of the woods. It was a bummer that the only thing surrounding them right now were just that, woods. And they weren’t out of it just yet.

A few minutes later, Clarke and Octavia were leaning over Raven, desperately trying to wake her up, while Jasper nonchalantly paced back and forth around the room, and Michelle was leaning against the wall, right in front of Bellamy. He knew full well that she had heard what Alie had said to him a moment before; the latter had spoken loudly on purpose, and neither he nor the pseudo-soldier dared look each other straight in the eyes, glancing sideways when the other was looking elsewhere. Michelle sighed silently, tightening her grip on her arm, still with her arms crossed. She hoped the two of them would have a moment to talk about whatever was going on between them. Maybe she should have taken the lead and taken a step towards him too when he came to see her outside. Instead, she once again kept her feelings and thoughts to herself and changed the subject. She hated that she kept doing it. Her eyes wandered and followed Jasper as he walked around the bed. She frowned slightly, wondering what he was doing as he came behind Clarke and snatched the box with the chip, along with a metal bar. This made Michelle straighten up, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“What are you doing?” Clarke spun around. Jace put down the chip on a table, ready to smash it. She took a step towards him, distressed and she tried to take it away from him. ��No, you can’t. Give it back.”

“Alie did that to Raven. She’s never gonna get this!” He yelled, raising the bar above his head.

“Don’t! It’s Lexa.” She cried out, her face twisting with sadness. Everyone stood there, looking at her, not getting her meaning. “Part of her is still in there. I saw them cut it out of her head. I’m not…”

“What is it?” Bellamy queried after Clarke stopped talking.

“Both of the AIs were made by the same person. Both tap into human consciousness. They must work similarly, right?” She asked, turning to Sinclair.

“Well, there’s probably only one pathway to consciousness, so it’s possible, yeah.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Octavia shook her head, not understanding. Clarke walked back to Raven’s side.

“I’ve seen an AI removed before. Help me get her on her side.” Bellamy approached, helping them move Raven. Clarke asked for the medkit in her bag and Michelle went to get it for her while she pushed Raven’s hair away from her neck. She went through her medical tools and pulled out a small scalpel, making a small cut at the nape of her neck. The trickle of blood becoming thicker as blood dripped from the cut. She put a cloth underneath. A second later, something started flowing out and Michelle frowned.

“What is that?” She asked, taking the words out of Bellamy's mouth.

“It must be whatever’s left of the chip.” Sinclair said. Once it was out, Raven coughed, coming back to her senses. She winced at the pain caused by the open wound. They helped her up.

“I never thought I’d be so happy to see someone in pain.” Octavia laughed. All was well, for now. Michelle saw Jasper give back the chip to Clarke, mumbling something to her and stepping away.

“I could have saved my mother.” Michelle turned to Monty who was staring into the void. She was reminded how he had had to kill his own mother to save Octavia’s life and she felt for him. She didn’t kill her mother but someone else did and that thought that she could have saved her if she hadn’t been sent to the ground, it had been haunting her ever since that one Unity Day where she had refused to talk to her mother when she had the chance. It was already too late when she felt like it, her mother was already dead in the bombing on the Ark. But Michelle blamed herself for getting arrested. If only she had known, she would have stuck by her mom’s side and, even if she couldn’t save her, she would have been able to say goodbye and be by her side as she was dying. Instead, she only learned of her death when Kane and Abby landed in that lake. She remembered how she was so overwhelmed by anger and grief, she had lashed out on Kane, blaming him for what happened. But now she could admit to herself that it wasn’t anyone’s fault, though she still felt like she somehow caused it. She was taken out of her contemplation when Monty rose his voice at Jasper, telling him to get away from him before storming out of the room.

“Alie knows we’re here. We gotta move.” Bellamy spoke, with a serious tone, very fitting given the situation. While Sinclair took care of carrying Raven, they followed Bellamy outside the trading post. The others went straight to the car and Michelle and Bellamy stood in the open. None of them really knew what to say in the moment but Michelle eventually turned to him, and they looked at each other. The tension was palpable. They both wanted to take a step towards the other, but it was as if there was an invisible force that froze them in place. She was the first one to make a move, grabbing his bandaged hand after he got hurt. He watched her do so, wrapping his fingers around her hand, both strongly and gently. This gesture makes her step closer, but she didn’t look up at him. Clarke was still inside, and they would only set off in a couple of minutes, so she took the opportunity to open up a bit.

“She was right. I mean, when Alie said that I wasn’t over Murphy. But it’s… it’s not that I didn’t want you.” She said in a sigh, as it was somehow incredibly hard to say outloud. “I’m sorry. It’s gonna take a while to patch things up, but I want you to know I don’t hate you. I can’t.”

“I know. I’m sorry too.” He spoke in a soft voice as she proceeded to take off the bandage. It wasn’t as bad of a wound as when Michelle almost got her hand sliced in half. He would be fine. That was the moment Clarke decided to show up. Michelle took a step back, letting go of Bellamy’s hand when she heard their friend. The later glanced at the wound.

“You’ll recover.”

“Will I? What do you do when you realize… you might not be the good guy?” A silence fell upon them for a moment until Clarke spoke up.

“Maybe there are no good guys.” They looked at each other. Maybe she was right. Maybe there were no good guys. Maybe they were all the villain in someone else’s story. The world wasn’t all black and white. The grey areas were the toughest ones to navigate. Clarke gazed at her best friend and Bellamy, with a sparkle in her eyes. She knew something was up and seeing Michelle literally hold his hand was a dead give away.

The Rover was maneuvered back into the direction of departure on the path and Sinclair and Octavia helped Raven into the car. The trio approached them.

“Why did Alie want you to kill yourself?” Clarke enquired.

“Because I know why she wants a second AI.”

“Why?” Her eyes shifted to Bellamy.

“It’s the only thing that can stop her.”

“Then let’s stop her.” Octavia declared. “We survive together.”

[To be continued…]

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Published (02/02/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64 @mirellef2001

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justinewt · 3 months

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Our Souls Bleeding Tears of Anguish - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty-Three

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

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Summary: The days following her arrest and imprisonment had been a roller coaster of emotion for Michelle, with far more downs than ups. The mix of fear, frustration, anger and sadness that stirred her insides almost made her sink into despair, and not being sure as to where Bellamy stood in all this made it even harder. She wanted him to show her he was back on their side.

Words: 6.4k

arnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (episode 8 “Terms and Conditions”; episode 9 "Stealing Fire"; episode 10 "Fallen"), title adapted from quote from Katie MacAlister, execution, lots of blood

Pike suspended access to the prisoners, reinforcing security in front of and in the corridor leading to the cell where all the Grounders in the camp were still locked up, or interned as the new Chancellor preferred to put it, including Michelle herself. She woke up for the second time, curled up on the cold floor and sat up against the wall, crossing her legs. Her arms were bare since she had left her jacket in her room and although they were indoors, being dressed only in a tank top at the end of winter was rather unpleasant. She hadn’t been allowed to see or talk to her father in almost two days and she wondered what was going to happen to her. Pike said they weren’t on the Ark anymore, implying that back then, she would have been floated but not down here, but now she wasn’t so sure about the fact that she wouldn’t walk out of this cell only to be executed.

She was arrested by Bellamy before she could even tell her father that Pike knew there was a mole, and that his suspicions had befallen him. She only hoped it would be all right for him. She dreaded seeing the only parent she had left die before her eyes. Staring into the void, she kept rehashing the same thoughts until she heard movement in the hallway, and she turned her head. Sinclair, the chief engineer back on the Ark and here, was pushed into the cell, just like she was, except he didn’t collapse to the ground. He noticed Michelle and seemed chocked to see her there. This immidietaly told her that her father had no idea where she had gone and it pained her, knowing he was probably doing anything he could to find her and at the same time, find a way to stop Pike.

“This cell will soon be filled with both my people and yours.” Lincoln walked up to Sinclair and Michelle stood up, approaching them. “What’d you do to get here?”

“Whatever it took. I have a message for you from Kane. Get ready. You too, Michelle. Tonight’s a go.” He stepped away and the Grounder and the young woman exchanged a look before she went back to sitting against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her. Whatever this plan of theirs was, she might have a chance to get out of here that very night. A few hours later, Sinclair called for a guard, telling him he was ready to speak, and they sent for Bellamy who arrived shortly after. He came up to the fenced cell door, facing Sinclair. Michelle stayed put, a hand on the ground, on the go. Both her and Lincoln were watching.

“You have something to say?”

“What do you wanna know?”

“Everything.” Sinclair nodded.

“I want immunity. I’m the Chief Engineer and this camp needs me.”

“That’s up to Pike, but it shouldn’t be a problem. What have you got?”

“So…” As he was beginning to speak, or really pretend to give information, Lincoln walked towards them.

“The cowards make their deals to save their own skin.” Bellamy told him to be quiet, but the Grounder kept going at it, adding fuel to the fire. “Can’t defeat the army at the gate? So, you turn on your own? Make you feel strong?”

“I said, “be quiet”.” He repeated.

“I’m not the one who needs to be silenced. He’ll tell them nothing.” When Lincoln grabbed Sinclair by the shoulders and threw him on the ground and began to throw punches at him, Michelle stood up, a hand on the wall. Bellamy shouted and a guard unlocked the door so he could come in and put an end to the assault. Sinclair was groaning loudly at each blow, but what Bellamy wasn’t aware of was that they had been faking it all along. Sinclair was shielding himself with his arms. He realized the deception when it was already too late, Lincoln called all the other prisoners to attack, and they ran forward. Commotion ensued and Bellamy was slammed against the wall, falling to the ground with a thud. The guards outside the cell all cramed against the door to keep the prisoners inside while the Grounders pushed against them with their full strengths, eventually gaining the upper hand. Michelle was frozen in place, wanting to check on Bellamy but also wanting to just make a run for it and leave but when an alarm sounded in the building, calling for reinforcement, she chose her first option and knelt next to Bellamy who groaned in pain. When he came back to his senses, he looked at her as if she had betrayed him, when it was the other way around and he got up hastily. With all the fight going on, she stood back up and watched, almost catching a stray here and there. She then saw Bellamy run through the cell and she was tempted to follow him but knowing how much of a mess this whole operation was, she was going to get caught anyway because there wasn’t anywhere else for her to go.

The riot was quickly put down by the dozens of guards who stunned the prisoners with they weapon and put them back in the cell. The alarm eventually stopped as well, and a heavy atmosphere took over the place. This religious silence lasted all afternoon and as she watched night fall through the small portholes in the corridor, she was alerted by the sounds of footsteps approaching the cell. She got up and saw her father's silhouette through the door. He had a defeated look on his face as his glance went from Lincoln to Sinclair and stopped on his daughter. She stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. They tried to get back at Pike and Kane had been on the front line. Now he had been arrested, and Pike had probably passed sentence already. She couldn't bring herself to think that her father could be condemned to death. If he died, she would die as well. If that was what awaited him, Bellamy better be aware of this. He would lose someone he loved, again, and all because of his choices.

They sat down on one of the benches and Michelle rested her head on his shoulder, eventually falling asleep against him.

A while later, she was woken up from her nap by a loud clinging sound of metal against metal. She straightened up, squinting her eyes and put her hand in front of her mouth as she yawned. It was Pike who was hitting against the mesh wall, and she gave him a death stare. Her father stood up.

“I’m not here for you, Kane. Each of you is guilty of the same crimes and as such, you will suffer the same fate. Death.” Michelle's face fell as she heard the news, but she would rather die alongside her father than having to watch the latter get executed. A grounder woman stood up, speaking her native tongue to Lincoln who stretched his hand towards her before approaching Pike who was standing on the other side.

“My people are innocent. They know nothing.” He whispered.

“Sir, Lincoln’s right.” Michelle approached in turn, standing next to her father, who had thought it was his time. “All the others did was run through an open door. Same thing we would do if we were in there. And Michelle—”

“Michelle did protect a traitor, but…” He cut him off and his focus went back to Lincoln. Bellamy looked at her through the holes and she could see his loyalty to Pike was beginning to crumble but she was disappointed things had had to go this far for him to doubt Pike. It had to come to the point where she was sentenced to death. “I believe that’s true. Kane, Lincoln, Sinclair… as the leaders of this coup, you will pay for your crimes with your lives. Execution is set for dawn.”

Michelle’s face lost all its colors and she turned as white as a sheet, as if she had seen a ghost or was on the verge of death. She was exempted from being killed, but her father was not, and just thinking about having to watch him die made her feel sick to her stomach and drained her of all her life force. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Bellamy turn around and she almost threw herself against the grid, her fingers gripping through the mesh. She saw the young man stop in his tracks and look behind him.

“You can’t let him do this.” As she repeated herself two and then three times, she hit the grid each time, she gritted her teeth as she held back from crying, both out of frustration and sadness. His eyes showed that all this disturbed and upset him and he turned his back to her before walking away. She took a step back and her father gently took her shoulder and pulled her back against him. At some point in the night, he was quickly taken out of the cell, chained of course, to go see Abby but he was back barely a couple minutes later. Michelle had never been this clingy in her whole life but all she could do now was to sit next to her father, clinging to his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Michelle was unable to get any more sleep out of this night and awaiting her father’s death filled her heart with despair. He wasn't even on the scaffold yet and she was ready to give up on life. His sleeve was rolled up to the elbow and he detailed the coalition mark with his fingertip, thinking.

“It could’ve worked.” Lincoln said, sat on the bench a few feet away.

“Death can be an act of unity, too. We don’t break.” He turned his face to Sinclair, quickly glancing to Michelle after placing a kiss on her hair. “We don’t show fear. The people will remember.”

“Chancellor on deck.” A guard then announced. A second later it was Pike’s voice which came to irritate Michelle's ears, and which also made her heart drop. A few Grounders stood up, not knowing what this was about but Lincoln spoke to them. Michelle and Kane got up and he held her face, first looking into her eyes then he pressed his forehead against hers and placed a second kiss there.

“May we meet again.” Pike ordered for everyone to stand against the wall. She was pushed away from her father by a guard and had to watch them tie him, Sinclair, and Lincoln up. Also noticing the absence of Bellamy among the guards and wondered where he had gone now but she quickly put this question at the back of her head. She didn’t care where he was right now, she only cared that she was about to become an orphan. A guard came towards her, and she got her hands tied. Seeing this, Kane got alarmed. “What are you doing?”

“She will be released right after your execution.” The Chancellor then said to Kane. She was already upset over her father’s upcoming death, but she became even more terrified of having to watch. Maybe Pike would keep her somewhere else while it happened, or he would force her to witness it, to break her and ensure she wouldn’t try to fight him in the future. If it was the latter, he would succeed. She would be broken.

“Charles, she doesn’t need to see this.” His plead was ignored and the four of them were walked out of the cell.

“Make way.” Pike commanded as they crossed paths with Harper. She exchanged a prolonged glance with Kane. Once they were further away from her, Michelle saw her peer bring her radio up to her mouth, mumbling something. She figured the latter was in contact with Octavia and as usual, she would get them out of this situation. It somewhat relaxed her because if Octavia was coming, then none of them would be executed and she wouldn’t have to watch. A minute later, Hannah’s voice sounded from Pike’s radio.

“Sir, you were right. Octavia Blake is here, and she’s not alone.” He turned around, cocking his gun at them.

“On their knees!” They were pushed to the ground. He grabbed his walkie-talkie. “Can you confirm a location?”

“Negative, sir.”

“We can assume her friends have told her where we’re taking them. We shouldn’t go further till the route’s secure.” A young guard advised. Michelle recognized Nate’s boyfriend, though she had no idea what his name was.

“Put them in there. Let’s go, move!” They were pushed into an empty dormitory and the door was locked behind them, telling two of his men to stand stand watch. From inside the room, they heard him shouting orders before leaving. They all exchanged a look when, a moment later, the door burst open, revealing Octavia. Michelle glanced out the doorway, the two guards were lying on the floor. Knowing Pike would be back soon, she picked up one of the square floorboards and they slipped in the crawlspace underneath. They heard the guards and the Chancellor walk right above their heads.

“The guys are alive, sir. They must have drugged them.” One spoke.

“We did what they wanted us to do. That won’t happen again.” He declared as he walked out. The guards jogged after him. They waited a little longer and Octavia pushed the floorboard, taking a look.

“All clear.” She grabbed the guns and put them on the floor before jumping out of the crawlspace.

“A little tight in there.”

“Try doing it for 16 years.” Kane was second to climb out and she cut his restraints. She walked towards Lincoln after freeing Michelle while Sinclair pushed the floorboard back into place. Abby entered the room going straight to Kane and Michelle.

“I told you not to do this.”

“Why would I start listening to you now?” She undid their restraints and Michelle sketched an amused smile. That was something she could have said to her father. The radio at Octavia’s belt beeped and Kane looked up at her.

“What is it?”

“This wasn’t the plan. We used their frequencies so they could hear us.”

“Stay where you are.” Harper’s voice came through in a whisper. “Repeat. Stay where you are. The exit is not clear.”

“How many guards?”

“Too many. I said stay put.” Then, suddenly, someone made an announcement sounded throughout the ring, calling all the guards at the main gate claiming the prisoners were headed there. This was obviously a false report to cover for them and allow them to flee.

“That was Monty.”

“Guess he’s with us after all.” Nate said, looking at Octavia.

“Pike will find out.” Kane added.

“We don’t know that. What we do know is we have to move.” Abby quietly urged them. They slipped away into the corridor and headed towards the entrance to the crawlspace to allow them to exit the camp without being seen. A woman’s voice came over PA, warning the citizens of Arkadia that an emergency lockdown was going into effect. Michelle stood by with Abby while Kane had everyone get through the opening. He turned to the two women and motioned for Michelle to move forward. She stepped in and was about to go through the tunnel but when she didn’t hear Abby reply to Kane when he told her it was her turn, she wondered what was going on and looked back.

“I’m not going. They need someone to show them the way out of the dark.” Michelle's eyes widened in shock when she saw her father step forward and take Abby's face in his hands to kiss her passionately. She wasn't expecting it at all and was quite taken aback but she turned out to be pleasantly surprised. If she wanted to see her father with anyone, it would for sure be Abby. She was already like a second mother to her. A sweet smile sketched her lips and she let them have a moment before Abby walked away. Michelle stuck her head through the opening.

“I already saw Clarke as my sister so that's fine with me.” She giggled and her father glanced at her, letting out a quiet laugh until Pike’s voice came over Octavia’s radio and the situation took on a more serious tone again. They were hanging on his threatening words.

“I have a message for the traitors in this camp. There will be an execution today. Either turn yourselves in, or the other Grounder prisoners will die in your place.” Lincoln looked at Octavia, his face impassive and pushed her out of the way. She grabbed his arm to stop him. Kane turned to his daughter and motioned for her to go with the others, telling her he would join them shortly and she nodded before crouching her way to the exit, dropping her right outside the camp. She waited for her father alongside Nate and Bryan and he eventually arrived, carrying an unconscious Octavia in his arms. Lincoln was nowhere to be seen, and for a very simple reason. He stayed behind to turn himself in and save his people from getting killed because of them. He put Octavia on the back of a horse and gave Michelle his jacket when he realized that she was still in just a tank top. She tried to refuse, not wanting her father to be cold but he insisted and placed the garment on her shoulders. She slipped her arms in the sleeves and the group started walking. Octavia came to her senses as it started raining and she clumsily jumped off the horse, mumbling Lincoln’s name. From where they were, they could see the camp in the distance. She stumbled through the bushes to get closer. Her face twisted with anguish. Lincoln fell to his knees in the mud, Pike facing him. Michelle got startled when he shot the Grounder in the head, his body collapsing to the ground and disappearing from their field of vision. She looked at Octavia and the sorrow on her face was gone. She looked cold and emotionless, but hatred pierced through her eyes as she stared at Pike's silhouette.

At the speed they were walking, it took them a minute to get to the cave where Octavia had left Indra earlier in the day. Their walk was in the most heavy and morose silence. Michelle and Kane entered the place after Sinclair, Nate and Harper and the young woman was surprised to see Bellamy there, chained to a rock. This gave her an answer to the question of where he had gone. Octavia walked past them, looking down at her sword in its sheath. He looked nervously at the entrance to the cave.

“Where’s Lincoln?”

“Pike put a bullet in his brain.” She said, her back to him. He couldn’t hide his shock, and guilt, regarding the Grounder’s death.

“O… O, I’m so sorry.” She snapped, suddenly turning around and punched him in the face with all her force. He stood back up, looking at her without saying anything and she kept hitting him, blood staining his lips and cheek. Michelle gritted her teeth, wanting to say something but not daring. She understood how much anger and resentment Octavia must have felt towards her brother, blaming him for what happened.

“Octavia, that’s enough.”

“Kane, stay out of this.” His eyes were wide open. He obviously felt responsible and let his sister lash out at him. She started hitting him repeatedly and everyone without exception looked away. Michelle closed her eyes, wincing at the gruntings. Kane took her by the shoulders, and they moved away from the scene. Octavia was sobbing and pushed Nate away when he tried to stop her. Again, Bellamy said to stay out of this and back off. Michelle put her hands on her ears when Octavia screamed and finished her brother off, his body falling with a thud.

“You’re dead to me.” Michelle heard silence return as Octavia's footsteps walked away towards the back of the cave. She let her hands fall and dared to turn her head, breathing heavily. She tried not to let her jaw drop at the dreadful sight of Bellamy's face covered in blood. She finally got up and approached one of the big bags they had brought. It was mostly weapons, but she found a cloth and some water while the others began to set up a fire on the other side of the cave. Bellamy avoided her gaze and turned his face away when she knelt beside him and tried to bring the folded cloth closer. With a trembling hand, she took his face and proceeded to gently wipe away the blood. He winced from the pain, tightening his lips. His eyes were no longer so wide open but still shocked and flooded with shame as he stared into the void.

“I deserve this.”

“Never said you didn’t.” He rolled his head against the rock and looked at her. She crossed his gaze. His eyes were asking her why she was even tending to him since she agreed he deserved this punishment. “I just— I don’t like seeing you like this. But I'm still angry with you.”

“I’m so sorry.” His voice was soft, almost sounding like a silent request to forgive him and he plunged his eyes into hers. Her hand still against his face, he wrapped hs fingers around her wrist.

“I know. But I can't forgive you just yet, especially out of respect for Octavia.” He briefly looked away, nodding. She let her hand slide off his face and bringing it on her lap, she held his wrist. “I’m sorry too.”

“For what?” His gaze swiftly came back to hers. At first, he didn’t understand what she was even apologizing for.

“Pushing you away.” She said under her breath, glancing at the blood-soaked cloth in her other hand before and then over her shoulder. Behind her, the others had lit a fire and were all sitting around it, talking about their next move, Pike, and the ongoing blockade around Arkadia. That was the reason they couldn’t go very far and turned this cave into their hideout. She looked back at Bellamy’s scarred face. He was staring at her, knowing she was referencing the romance that had blossomed between them before she ended it without a word. She never explained herself to him and subsequently he got together with Gina and their relationship became even more distant and awkward.

“You don’t need to apologize for that.”

“Yes, I do. We hurt each other because I didn’t handle things very well. Had too much on my plate…” Looking away, she parted her lips, wanting to tell him she liked him, but the words wouldn’t come out. Thinking about saying it out loud to him awakened the resentment that was sleeping deep inside her and she concluded briefly, shrugging. She let go of her hand and sat on the wet rocky ground of the cavern. She sighed, raising her head towards skylight above the cave. The thick foliage of the trees let in an openwork light inside. “By the way, did you leave my jacket in my room?”

“I took it after I arrested you. It's in my room.”

“I want it back when we return to Arkadia.” After a look from her father, as he sat down at the fire, she stood up and went next to him. She didn't want to give all her empathy and kindness to Bellamy for the simple reason that she had seen him get beaten up by Octavia. She knew he was sorry for what happened but there was a part of her that wanted to wait and see if he had truly joined their side for good, or if Pike's influence had still a hold of his mind. Giving out everything without knowing if she would get anything, other than a betrayal, from him wasn’t something she was ready to do. From where she was, she had Octavia facing her, sitting with her back to her brother and the latter a few dozen feet away. They stared at each other from the corner of their eyes.

“I say, we run two-man patrols, round the clock, starting now.” Bryan said.

“We’ll do that, but we should be safe here. The Grounder’s blockade is too close for Pike to risk looking for us.” Kane spoke.

“Yeah, but are we safe from the blockade?”

“As long as we stay this side of the line, we should be.”

“They’re Grounders, you really think they’re gonna play by the rules.” Octavia glared at him, and his remark made Michelle roll her eyes, breaking eye contact with Bellamy for a moment.

“Hey, Pike will want you dead now, too. We take him him out, we can go home.”

“We take him out, then the Grounders lift the blockade.” Harper chimed in, adding to Nate’s statement to his boyfriend.

“That’s right. We become the 13th clan, again.” Michelle glanced back at Bellamy, seeing him quietly disagree with what her father was saying. He rose his eyebrows and shook his head in disbelief. Feeling her eyes on him, he peeked at her before looking away. “Those were the terms.”

“Lexa’s terms.” Sinclair corrected. “If what Bellamy says is true and she’s dead, how do we know the next commander will honor them?”

“One problem at a time.”

“What about Clarke?” Michelle turned her head to Nate at the mention of her friend. “With Lexa gone, she’s not safe at Polis."

“Clarke made her choice.” Octavia thrusted the tip of her blade into the ground. “The only thing that matters now is killing Pike.”

“Octavia’s right.” While her father agreed, Michelle saw Bellamy looking up at them and gulped. There was guilt all over his face. “Once we resume our place in the Commander’s coalition, Clarke will be safe. So, how do we do it?”

“Bellamy, come in.” Monty’s voice rising from the radio interrupted their conversation, catching their attention. “It’s Monty, I’m in trouble. Please say you still have your radio.”

“If we respond and Pike’s listening—” Sinclair picked up the radio, hesitant.

“We go to Channel 7.” Bellamy stated. “Please say you still have your radio. That’s seven words after the word “trouble”. It’s code, go to seven.”

After a few seconds of silence, Sinclair and Kane looking at each other, the Chief engineer switched the channels on the radio and hande it to the former councilman. Monty’s voice came up again, asking for Bellamy again. “Monty, it’s Kane. What’s wrong?”

“Pike knows that I helped you get out.”

“Can you get to the dropship?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Go there, I’ll bring you in.” He looked at Bellamy and ended the communication with Monty.

“Hold on, what if it’s a trap and Pike’s waiting?” Harper wondered.

“That’s why I’m going alone.” Kane declared as he stood up. Obviously, Octavia imitated him, who was quickly joined by Nate.

“Monty saved our lives. I’m going too.”

“No, you’re not.” He disapproved. Everyone got up on their feet, including Michelle. “If it is a trap, I’m not marching our entire insurgency into it.”

“To stop me, you’re gonna have to kill me.” Octavia said, coldly.

“She hopes it’s a trap.” She turned her head, looking over her shoulder.

“He’s coming too. We’ll need a hostage to trade for Monty.” Michelle’s gaze went from Octavia to Bellamy in the background. Kane admitted this was a good plan and the so-called hostage was gagged on top of remaining chained. When Nate tried to plead for him, he cut him off, reminding them that he was the enemy and repeated his order.

Advancing cautiously, with Octavia and Kane at the head of the line, the latter pushing a chained and gagged Bellamy in front of him, the group walked on the dropship ground. Fearing that Octavia was right and that it turned out to be a trap, Michelle had insisted to tag along, promising to her father that she would listen to him if something happened. Much like Octavia, but for different reasons, he was quick to realize it would be better for him to accept to let her come rather than argue with her over this. If it was a trap and they got caught, she wanted to be with her father. She refused to be pacing around a humid cave wondering if she was going to hear that her father was dead or see him come back to them. Nate had given her a gun and off she went. They stopped in their tracks. Kane called for Monty, breaking the suspicious calm and silence hanging over the place. He assumed they had gotten there first when after a few seconds there was still no answer and they took a step forward, staring at the curtain that obscured the interior of the ship. Octavia suddenly pulled out her sword, grabbing her brother’s shoulder and putting her blade up to his throat.

“Get outside! Now!” She yelled. Monty appeared and there was a moment where they thought he was alone but when they saw his hands brought together in front of him, tied up, it was clear something was wrong. And behind him, a gun appeared, held up to the young man’s head and the person who held the weapon was no other than Pike himself. The number one target on Octavia’s kill list. Monty apologized for getting them into a trap but none of them were mad at him. The fault lied with Pike, as usual.

“Let him go, Pike.” Kane’s request was obviously denied while he and Michelle aimed their guns at him. They got startled when a shot was fired at their foot and Michelle closed one of her eyes, looking through the sight on top of her gun. She noticed that in his other hand, there was a radio. She frowned, thinking she should have been more observant, at least now they knew he wasn't alone.

“It’s over. Put down your weapons.”

“Shoot him.” Octavia urged, glancing at Kane and Michelle. The latter looked at her father. If he wasn’t going to do anything, she would stand by. He couldn’t shoot though; Monty’s was in his way.

“If he keeps Monty there, I got a clear shot.” While Pike urged the former councilmate to do something, the latter told his daughter to hold her fire. If she missed and hit his gun, Monty would most definitely get a bullet in his head. Another shot was fired at their feet, unsettling them.

“I promised Monty’s mother that I’d bring him home alive. Don’t make me a liar.”

“He’s already a liar.” Michelle uttered, tighetening her grip of her automatic rifle. She was surprised when she saw her father lower his, much to Octavia’s disappointment. He took the strap of the weapon off around his chest and raised his hands in the air, sending a look prompting his daughter to do the same. She gritted her teeth and reluctantly did so, hands in the air, showing the large scar that ran across the palm of her empty hand. She watched her father throw the gun away and rolling her eyes, she imitated him.

“Now, you.” He addressed Octavia, who was still holding her blade to the side of Bellamy’s neck. Her only reaction was to pull her brother closer and put the edge of the sword at the front of his throat. Before another shot could be fired at them, Bellamy suddenly grabbed her arm, twisting it around. She fell to her knees with a grunt. As Michelle thought, not just one man came out of hiding, about half a dozen people appeared. The three of them were held at gun point while Pike picked up Octavia’s sword. Michelle was staring at Bellamy. She couldn’t tell if their conversation at the cave had had any effect or had been pointless and she fooled herself thinking he had switched sides. There was a part of her that was afraid he would just go back with Pike. That part of her believed he would.

“Now, you don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine.”

“You got about five seconds to make me believe you’re still with me.”

“All the others are in a cave not far from here.” Michelle’s face fell from the disappointment that overwhelmed her. Octavia jumped at him, swearing and she was struck with an electric baton, collapsing to the ground with a grunt.

“Give me the coordinates.”

“I don’t have the coordinates. But I can take you there.” Pike had their new prisoners gagged and tied up while he freed Bellamy from his restraints and they pushed the three of them, along with Monty, in the forest. Walking beside her father, with Octavia in front of her and Pike and Bellamy at the lead, Michelle glared at the later, looking around as they advanced, she wondered where he was taking them. This wasn't exactly the route they took to get to the dropship site in the first place. She was on guard and didn't want to get her hopes up if he turned out to be betraying them again. She would be less disappointed if she expected the worst.

“Sure about the route?” Pike eventually asked. “We’re getting close to the blockade line.”

“That’s why Kane set up out here. He didn’t think we’d risk it.”

“Well, he was wrong.”

“What’s gonna happen to my sister?” I know she has to answer for her crimes, but—”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll make you the same promise I made to Monty’s mother. Immunity from all past actions, but if she screws up again—”

“Oh, she won’t. I’ll make sure of it. My sister, my responsibility.” Michelle glanced at the girl. She couldn't see her face, but she knew that hearing him talk like this made her terribly angry. After what she had said and done to him in the cave, if she ever managed to forgive him, it wasn't going to be any time soon. A moment later, Pike had them come to a halt. Bellamy ensured the cave was right on the other side and they resumed. A horn echoed through the forest. Pike's soldiers raised their weapons, aiming at the treetops but no one could see anything. He urged them to go back to higher grounds and the moment he turned his back to Bellamy, the latter snatched the gun at his belt and held him at gunpoint, yelling at him to drop his weapon. One of the Ark’s guards took a step forward and Octavia hit him in the abdomen with her tied hands and the man fell to the ground.

“We bring you Chancellor Pike of the Sky People. O, translate. Take him. Lift this blockade.” She pulled down her gag and spoke to the Grounders. Michelle jumped, taking a step back as arrows flew from the trees, taking down each of the guards. The Grounders then appeared, running towards them, and circling them, shouting. Crouched down after being startled, Octavia took a knife from one of the bodies and tried to attack Pike but Kane blocked her to stop her. The Grounders wanted him alive, and they wouldn’t get away with it if something like what happened with Finn happened again. Clarke had taken from them their right to revenge after he had shot innocent people in a village. They couldn't take this one away from them.

“In that case…” Pike took a step towards Bellamy, and an arrow lodged itself in his left shoulder. Blood sprayed as he fell to the ground and a Grounder came to deliver another blow. He was knocked out after another kicked him in the face. They picked him up. Meanwhile, Michelle had lowered her gag and Bellamy came in front of her, cutting her bonds with his knife.

“Where are you taking him?” Kane enquired after getting his ties cut.

“To the new Commander.”

“May I join you?” He pulled up his sleeve, revealing the Coallition mark on his arm. “We’re the 13th clan.”

“Don’t slow us down.” The Grounder turned around.

“Are you sure?” Michelle asked, worried.

“We know nothing about the new commander.” Monty added.

“I’m sure. Go home. Tell our people what happened here.” Monty nodded, walking away, leaving Kane with Bellamy and Michelle. He placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder and stroked her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. “Tell Abby I’ll look out for Clarke.” She nodded. He looked at Bellamy. “Did you do this for your sister? Or because it was the right thing to do?”

“You’re welcome.” He tried to dodge the question and leave but Kane grabbed his arm.

“It matters. Until you see that, you’ll still be lost.” Michelle watched her father catch up with the Grounder further away. When she looked at Bellamy, he avoided her gaze at first.

“I still don't know what to think of you.” She was still angry at him, but she really wanted to give him a second chance. Turning Pike in was a first step in the right direction. He was lost after everything that happened. They both had their issues and broken trust was a big one between them. Perhaps he was still afraid that she would push him away again, but now knowing he wouldn't betray them again, Michelle was ready to make efforts this time and she would help him get back on the right path.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated quietly, nodding.

“I’m sorry too.” After looking at each other in silence for a moment, they finally approached Monty who was standing alone not far away.

“My mom turned me in.”

“You’re family. We’ll work it out.” Bellamy put a hand on Monty’s shoulder and taking a peep at Michelle, he did the same, slightly squeezing hers. When she met the enraged gaze of Octavia who was kneeling near one of the bodies, she looked away. One of the men on the ground lifted his head, showing he wasn’t dead, and she jumped, stabbing him in the chest before staring at her brother, speaking trigedasleng. This time, Michelle clearly understood what she said, though the underlying threat wasn’t directed at her.

“Blood must have blood.”

[To be continued…]

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Published (01/19/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64 @mirellef2001

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justinewt · 4 months

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Heavy Hearts - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty-Two

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: It took Pike less than 24 hours after being elected Chancellor for things to go downhill. And Michelle's relationship with Bellamy was one of those things that quickly withered, for the sole reason that he chose the wrong side, thinking Pike was giving him a purpose; to help protect their people. To them, that meant starting trouble, maybe even causing a war, with the Grounders...

Words: 7k

Warnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (episode 5 “Hakeldama”; episode 6 "Bitter Harvest"), blood, mention of mass killing, emotional distress, nervous breakdown, grief, betrayal

It had barely been a day since Pike took the lead at Arkadia and the group of nine of his minions, including Bellamy, were returning from their mission to exterminate the 300 Grounders who were stationed nearby to protect them. Michelle was outside of the Ark ring, drinking from a flask which concealed inside alcohol she had taken from the bar in the hangar last night. The last time she found herself drinking a whole bottle was when Murphy left with Jaha, a good three months ago. She was just so over it she didn’t know how to deal with the conflicting emotions within her. Her feelings for Bellamy, which she had tried to bury after it became too much for her, came into conflict with her frustration with the fact that he let Pike use him like this. Seeing the gate open and Pike’s group walk in, she stared at Bellamy who walked at the front. His bulletproof vest was covered in blood. She looked around, sliping her flask in her pocket and she moved closer to her father and Abby who were watching the comers with just as much shock on their faces. Everyone in the area had their eyes on them. It wasn’t just Bellamy who had blood everywhere, it was all of them. Octavia ran up to her brother, understandably worried but he seemed to kind of just brush her off, not even glancing at her, trying to be imperturbable. Or at least she hoped it was an act because it would mean he was beginning to understand and see what was wrong with all this.

“Lock it up.” Pike ordered the gate closed at he brought up the rear of the group. Bellamy had stopped in the middle of the ground, his head tilted forward, his gaze shifting around until he met Michelle’s. At the same time, Pike jumped on a stage, calling for everyone’s attention. Michelle crossed her arms, almost in sync with her father next to her. “Twenty-four hours ago, you elected me your Chancellor. Every action I’ve taken since, and every action I will take, will be to achieve one sacred goal. The creation of a self-sustaining, prosperous, and safe Arkadia.”

“Yeah.” The crowd agreed.

“This morning, on a muddy field, our people paid tribute to those who have been taken from us by sending a message to the Grounders. This land is ours now.” People cheered loudly, under the judgemental eye of Michelle as she frowned. Pike looked like a madman to her, speaking in such a fierce tone. “Resist, and you will be met by force. Fight and you will be greeted by death. Today is a new beginning. Mark it down, remember it just like the Grounders will remember it.”

As the cheering increased, Pike walked down and his group followed him, Bellamy at his heels as they walked past Michelle, Kane and Abby. This time no glances were exchanged between the two young people, and she just stared at them, gripping her arms tighter.

“No wounded.” Abby nodded quietly. “10 against 300 and there’s no wounded. How’s that possible?”

“10 with automatic rifles against 300 with swords, spears, and bows. Take down the archers and the rest of them will drop like flies.” Michelle said in a sigh. Her father and Abby looked at her. She was quick to understand how Pike, Bellamy and the others had gone about exterminating the Grounders. Get rid of the ones protecting the camp, the others with their blades won't stand a chance in front of bullets coming at them. While Abby headed to the infirmary, Kane and Michelle slipped away into a dimly lit corridor of the Ark ring with Octavia. With no one around, it was time to make a move. Kane informed the two girls that Indra had signaled and wanted to meet, meaning she had survived the massacre orchestrated earlier and he gave this mission to Octavia. He lifted a panel on the wall and gave her the direction to the crawlspace door, dropping her right outside the camp wall. She didn’t need much more convincing and slipped right in. An alarm went off as an announcement called for Kane to go to the Chancellor’s office. He closed the panel and turned to Michelle.

“I’ll go see Pike. Go to Abby and stay out of his sight. We don’t know what he will do next.”

“But—”

“Michelle, please. Listen to me.” She let out a sigh and nodded before heading to the infirmary outside, after asking her father to try and knock some sense into Bellamy if he came across the latter, and he left for Pike’s office. As she walked away, she realized how much their relationship had grown in less than a year. If he had asked her to listen to him back on the Ark, she would have spit in his face, which she did and there she was, barely rolling her eyes at the request and obliging. It may also have had to do with the fact that she was forced by circumstances to mature more quickly, even though she was only 18 years old. She was somewhat of a brat and very much insecure before she was put in solitary confinement but being thrown into the real world, having to take decisions for her survival as well as that of her friends, it really pushed her to being more of an adult when she had barely left adolescence. Now, she also had a parent to support and guide her through all of this when all of the young romances she got into ever only fucked her up even more. It didn’t mean she would always be so complient, otherwise she wouldn’t have sneaked out of that cave with Bellamy, ending up with a concussion and bedridden for days.

She casually exited the ring, tucking her hair behind her ears, and tying it as she headed towards the infirmary. She walked around the gigantic structure from the outside since she had thought, if Bellamy was somewhere, it was where Pike was, and that would be inside. She really didn’t want to see him right now. She walked across the camp and noticed that the gate was open. Curious, she turned away from her original path to go see what was going on. Though she knew her father had specifically asked her to go to Abby, it made her think of why he was so worried. It probably had to do with the fact that even if she could be mature at times, he was aware that she was still young and could be reckless and if she happened to behave in a reckless manner in front of Pike, it would be purely for provocation and that could get her in trouble. Pike wasn’t the annoying Earth skills teacher that he was on the ark, he was the new Chancellor, and he was aggressive. And because she wasn’t scared of him, it could enrage his followers and put her in danger, which Kane wouldn’t let happen. Maybe knowing that she was kind of protected, no matter what she would do, made her a little more confident and more daring when it came to Pike.

She slowed down, eventually coming to a halt and watched the Arkadia guards walk outside the campgrounds. She saw someone with their face covered up and only the eyes visible. Another man was standing there, his hands up. She squinted her eyes, moving to the side to get a better sight and she almost lost her balance, tripping on her foot when she recognized Jaha. It made her look for Murphy, thinking it might be there as well but there was only Jaha and the other veiled stranger. She watched the group of men talk, unable to hear anything they were saying because of the distance but she quickly felt the friendly reunion turned quite hostile when the guards’ interest fell on his companion and the weird bag he was carrying. One went to snatch it from the latter, and they fell to the ground, fighting. Jaha yelled his name as a gunshot went off. The man rolled off the guard onto the ground, his hand still stretched out to the bag before he rolled on his back. The former Chancellor, troubled by the sudden violence walked to the Farm Station guy that came up to him and retrieved his bag while they called out for a medic. Michelle tightened her lips, looking at the man lying on the ground. All she could think of was that since Pike had taken command, the guards were much more reactive, quick to shoot those whose faces they didn’t like. Those being exclusively Grounders, of course. Jaha kneeled next to his friend, telling him a few words, and hugging him as his body stopped twitching. She was taken out of her contemplation when Abby walked past her.

The man was carried away while Jaha and Abby entered Arkadia. Jaha saw Michelle standing there and for some reason, he seemed pleasantly surprised to see her. She just looked back at him; a little sad Murphy wasn’t with him. There was something about Jaha that bothered her, and it was the same than months before, when he left. He was acting too peaceful, smiling at her as if they were friends. Well, she did use to be very good friends with his late son, but she had never been as close to him as Clarke was. He faced her and patted her shoulders, being all too friendly for her taste. She wasn’t even sure a greeting made its way out of her mouth. This awkward reunion was quickly over, and she followed them to the infirmary.

“Where’s John? I thought you left together.” She asked him once Abby was done telling Jaha about all that had happened recently. Jaha chuckled at her eagerness to know the boy’s whereabouts. She glanced away, brushing her hand over her hair.

“Don’t worry about John, Michelle. That boy is a fighter. That might be one of the few things you two have in common.” His smile was meant to be warm and reassuring but she didn't like Jaha's new behavior since he became obsessed with this city of lights thing. Abby continued the conversation. Michelle began to walk back and forth next to them before seeing her father come in from the other side of the room. She instantly wondered what he and Pike had talked about. He looked at her and gave her a smile. Unsurprisingly, she received his smile much better than Jaha’s.

“And the others? You left with 12 people, Thelonious.” When Kane walked past his daughter, he saw Jaha and stopped in his tracks, shocked at the man sudden reappanrance in Arkadia, which was still named Camp Jaha, not too long ago. The two men shared a hug.

“Where’s your uniform?” Abby wondered, seeing he wasn’t wearing his black jacket anymore. Michelle hadn’t even noticed it.

“Pike just relieved me of my command. Stripped Lincoln of his commission.” He looked back at Jaha. “You always did have good timing.”

“Abby caught me up. I’m sorry about the election, Marcus.” It was a little weird for Michelle to hear her father’s name said outloud. Nowadays she called him dad but for 18 years of her life, she had called him by his last name, and it was the only other denomination that made sense in her head. She sometimes wondered about how Kane would have been her last name if her mother didn’t keep from him the fact, he was her child’s father.

“Forget the election.” He brushed it off. “The war you predicted the day you left is about to happen.”

“Ask him where he’s been.” Abby chimed in.

“I found the City of Light.” Michelle frowned at his claim. She just thought it was complete bullshit and her father was a little dumbfounded too.

“Well, that’s great. Isn’t it?” His slow and unsure delivery gave away his doubts regarding the topic.

“Ask his friend, Otan.” The Grounder that was shot outside the camp was wrapped up in a sheet, on a bed in front of them. The blood stain above the bullet wound had stopped spreading by now. “Apparently, he’s there right now.”

“I don’t blame you for doubting, Abby. I know how it sounds. But it is real, and it is incredible.”

“More like unbelievable.” Michelle let out, raising her eyebrows.

“One day you’ll be able to go there and see how wonderful it is.” He turned his head back to Kane, looking at the old Chancellor with doubt flooding his eyes. “Everything that you worry about now, war, power, none of it matters in the City of Light.”

“I heard you were here, Sir.” Hannah, Monty’s mother came up from behind Kane and went to shake hands with Jaha. Michelle began to wonder which sides he would take.

“And I heard you made it, Hannah. I’m so glad.”

“Chancellor Pike would like to speak with you.”

“We’ll finish this later.” His face looked much more serious as his gaze passed over Kane, Michelle, and Abby. The young woman watched him walk away from the corner of her eyes. A moment after Kane had left, Pike and a whole bunch of guards, with Bellamy among them, stormed in the infirmary. A soldier ripped the blanket off a woman lying on a bed. Michelle stood there, upset at what she was witnessing. She tried to lay low like her father asked. A guard pushed her out of the way, almost making her fall over. She stumbled, clinging to a bed’s iron frame next to her and holding herself against it so as not to be pushed again.

“Grounders, on your feet, line up now.”

“What are you doing? These are sick people.” Abby turned to Pike, outraged. “You can’t just throw them out into the cold.”

“We’re not. They’re being interned.” He explained to her as Michelle approached. Bellamy stared into the void and they both ignored each other.

“What?” Abby turned around when she heard someone hurriedly coming in. That’s when Bellamy decided to open his mouth.

“Lincoln, you don’t want to be here right now.”

“We asked them to come here.”

“We can’t spare the supplies.” Lincoln quickly looked away when a friend of his was being sat up on her bed, to be taken outside like the others. One of Pike’s dogs faced him, his hand on the gun at his belt. The woman grunted.

“She’s too sick to move.” He growled.

“Looks like she’s moving just fine to me.” Bellamy stepped in, telling him to back off and turned to Jackson, wanting to know why he even brought the Grounder here. At the same time, the sick woman they were forcing to stand up fell to the ground, groaning in pain as she was indeed too weak and sick to move. She needed more rest, but Pike and his minions wouldn’t let her. With a single punch, Lincoln put the man to the ground and Abby stretched her arm out in front of Michelle, moving her behind her. But the first hit wasn’t enough, and Lincoln bent over, grabbing him by his jacket and repeatedly punching his face. Blood spurted on the ground.

“Lincoln—” Bellamy tried to pull him off him, but he received a punch and fell backwards. Michelle let out a gasp and widened her eyes. She tried to take a step forward, but Abby held her behind her back.

“Lincoln.” The girl called out to him as Bellamy as he continued to walk towards Bellamy once the latter had gotten up. She might be on the same side as him, but she couldn’t deny she still had feelings for him. She was more frustrated rather than angry at him because she thought him siding with Pike made him look like a stupid sheep. Abby didn’t let go of her but she walked in front of the doctor and called out to him louder. They looked to the side and Pike had stepped forward, holding his gun low in front him, pointed at the girl at the feet of the bed.

“He goes with them.” Pike declared and motioned his head for his men to take him away as well. Michelle watched them handcuff him and swallowed bitterly. Her eyes shifted back to Bellamy, and they looked at each other, both a little unsettled.

“Sorry we had to do this the hard way.” Abby turned to Pike, anger in her eyes and she tightened her grasp on Michelle’s arm before leaving, dragging her out of the infirmary. She only broke the eye contact with Bellamy as they crossed the door’s threshold. As long as he was with Pike, he wasn’t the one she used to know. Michelle had no idea what Abby had in mind leading her down this maze of hallways until the two women found Kane. The doctor quickly explained the situation to him, and the small group no longer had many options available to them; They had to leave Arkadia before it was too late, and before Pike decided to get lock them up or get rid of them like he did the Grounders. News to Michelle, Clarke had been sneaked into camp by Octavia, who they sent for after she left her to talk to Bellamy alone. A few minutes later, while Kane, Abby and Michelle waited in front of the amovible panel to the crawlspace, Octavia and Clarke came running to them. The latter threw herself in her mother’s arms. Seeing her childhood friend after so long had Michelle a little taken aback until the blonde drew her into a hug.

“We know what happened. We know what Pike did. Is there anything we can do to prevent a retaliation?”

“Abby, hurry.” Kane urged her. He had their way out ready.

“We came here to give them Pike.” Octavia stated.

“He’s the duly elected Chancellor. Our people knew what they were voting for. Besides, he has the guards and all the guns. Can’t get close to him.”

“And that’s not the way we do things.” Abby added.

“Then maybe it’s time we changed the way we do things.” As Octavia spoke, a voice rang from the speakers in the camp, announcing a security breach. A lockdown was commencing and if they wanted to get out, their time was running out. “What about Lincoln?”

“You want to help him?” Kane pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was a radio. “The range isn’t great. Stay close and wait for me to contact you. Go.”

“You’re staying here?” Michelle took a step towards her father before following Clarke inside the opening. The latter was having a quick talk with her mother as well. Both wished their parents would come with them.

“Go with Octavia and Clarke, I’ll contact you.” He put his hand on her shoulder.

“I won’t be of any use to them. I’m staying here with you… it’s not safer outside.” She argued quietly and he sighed, feeling that he couldn’t really convince her to leave this time. He might be afraid about Pike, but she was really set on staying with her father inside the camp. And she felt like she would be a liability to Octavia out there. She was a survivor who knew the ways of the Grounders and Michelle was just a girl whose dad wanted far away from the unpredictable Chancellor. He looked at her with worry and drew her into a hug.

“Just stay away from Pike.” She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t promise not to talk to Bellamy if she crossed paths with him. Once Abby and Clarke said their goodbyes for now, they broke their embrace and Kane closed the panel. As her face disappeared in the dark crawlspace, Michelle and Clarke stared at each other. They would meet again once things settled down and it would be a real reunion this time around. Clarke had to go meet up with Lexa and it would probably take her until nightfall to reach the Commander. Michelle kept a low profile, staying in her room until the sun rose the next day and she thought, for just a second, that she had woken up in Bellamy’s room like that night when she kept him company after Gina's death. They had fallen asleep, sat on the floor and she woke up to the realization that he had carried her onto his bed.

She stood up and went straight to take a shower, letting the water run down her face as she stared into the void. It felt as if everything was hitting her at the same time after all those months, her mother’s death, her fling with Murphy and his departure, the complicated beginnings of her relationship with her newly found dad and the romance she could have had with Bellamy and which she threw away, and now, he was siding with one of the few people she despised. After a few seconds, she felt her face twist into a pout as she tried to fight her urge to cry, letting out a whimper. She crouched, wrapping her arm around her knees, and put a hand on her mouth and began to sob like a child, strands of her waterlogged hair sticking to her face. She was crying like a child who had just lost her mother and was left alone with her thoughts and feelings for too long. Having to survive, she was actively trying to suppress all of it, to stay focused but after keeping it all to herself and never talking about it, she couldn’t help but break down in tears where no one could see her.

Her head was hurting quite a bit after bawling her eyes out for almost ten minutes straight. She tried to put a wet cloth on her eyes for a moment, to lessen the redness and swelling but she eventually left and went to the infirmary to help Abby around. Her hair was still damp, and she slicked them back to have them out of her face. She walked out of her room, putting on her jacket, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Her mind was still clouded by the overflow of feelings of mourning and grief. Without Clarke, or even Murphy, she felt especially lonely and even though she wanted to go to her father right now and just cry in his arms, she thought they had more urgent things to do. She, once again, set aside her feelings and focus on everything else. Until the next breakdown.

Michelle wanted to go and stay in the hangar, to have a drink and be alone but still somewhat surrounded by a few people, but she took a detour through the infirmary. Her headache didn't seem to want to leave her and every step she took as well as the slightest attempt at looking around made her grind her teeth. She passed Raven as she entered while the latter was leaving the room. The mechanic gave her a smile that was strangely friendly, and she seemed at her best, despite her bad leg. Michelle stopped in her tracks and watched her walk away for a second. She would have thought that the injury completely prevented to walk without wincing but there she was, acting like all her pain was gone, as if by magic. She looked away, wondering what it was that helped her and whatever it was, it tempted her. She turned back to Abby, standing by the bed Raven had sat up from. The doctor was writing down a few things on a notepad and she raised her head when she noticed someone approaching.

“Are you okay?” She rushed to look at her face more closely, illuminating her pupils with a small flashlight, worried to see her so tired and had her sit down on the bed. “Your eyes are quite swollen, and your pupils are a little dilated.”

“I’m fine, I just—” She had no idea why this blatant lie even came out of her mouth, but Abby was no fool, and it was apparently obvious that she had been crying. Her attempt to subside the redness around her eyes had been in vain.

“Well, you’re not fine if you came to see me. Did you sleep last night?”

“Yeah, but not very well. I woke up with a migraine and my eyes hurt.” She said, glossing over the fact that her migraines and tension in her eyes was caused by her breakdown in the shower but she wouldn’t say it out loud and Abby guessed the cause of it anyway, though she didn’t have the reasons why she had cried. Or maybe she knew without the girl even saying a word, Abby had always been like a second mother to her, and she was her mother’s best friend. She brought her some eyedrops to try and help with the redness. Michelle leaned her head back, applying the product and closing her eyes before she was given a cold compress. She put it on her eyes. Since she was completely still, her migraine was more bearable and with her eyes blinded, she swallowed whatever medication Abby chose to give her. After a dozen minutes, she put it down and Abby checked her eyes again.

“You should be fine now.”

“The cold sure helped.” She stood up. “How’s Raven?”

“The pain in her leg is gone.”

“But you’re not convinced?”

“It’s not usual for pain to disappear so quickly.” Abby stated.

“Did she take something?” That was the question that burned her lips. She wanted to know what had relieved her so drastically. Michelle didn't have any physical pain comparable to hers, but it was mentally that she was hurting.

“She said Jaha gave her the key to the City of Light.” Michelle didn’t respond. She looked down, thinking. Despite doubting the existence of that utopic place that Jaha told them about, she wondered if taking the key could help her feel better. She might have felt tempted to take it but there was still some reluctance and wariness towards taking whatever that key was. The two women left for the hangar and walked up to Jasper who was observing Jaha in the distance. The latter stood tall, holding a tiny black pouch in his hands. A bunch of people were sitting in circle in front of him after queueing to receive what was probably the key Raven had told Abby about. The former Chancellor glanced at the trio but for some reason, Michelle felt he was looking at her specifically. Maybe he could see she was conflicted about the thing he promised.

“They seem pretty happy.” Jasper noted.

“Yeah. They sure do.” Abby nodded and crossed her arms, not convinced. Jaha eventually kneeled next to the others and closed his eyes. Michelle watched him, silent.

“A lot more of them today, too.”

“I know you’re tempted, but, let me figure out what it is, first. Okay?” Michelle’s gaze went straight to Abby, but the latter clearly didn’t think that she was tempted. Her question was directed to Jasper. After she left the room, she headed back towards the infirmary, but Michelle remained next to Jasper without moving, staring at the meditation that was taking place before their eyes. When Jasper turned his head towards her and asked if she was tempted too, she just shrugged and walked away towards the tables in the other corner of the hangar. She took a glass and rested her cheek on her fist, leaning on the table, looking in the direction of the large door. The truck sat there. She closed her eyes as she exhaled through her nose, resting a little until suddenly, the sounds of several people entering alerted her. Standing up, she saw Pike's group heading towards the vehicle, opening, and loudly moving around crates of weapons and ammo. Something was brewing. No doubt what had occupied her father all morning. She saw the latter walk up to them, trying to say a word to Bellamy before they left.

“That’s a lot of firepower.”

“Let’s hope we don’t need it.” The young man replied, to busy with said weapons to look at the former councilman. She didnd’t hear what her father asked but with Bellamy’s answer, she figured he enquired about what they were preparing for. She moved to a table closer, trying to ignore the stray noises of those who were busy around them. “Planning for our future.”

“You know that looks a lot like our past.” Her father’s voice was low and because of the distance between them she heard it as a whisper, but she managed to listen. She appreciated that he kept trying to talk to Bellamy, but it unsurprisingly fell on deaf ears. He always replied with a much louder and determined tone. It also seemed he didn’t even see the girl sitting in the background.

“We’re building a life here. Not trying to make peace with people who only understand war.”

“Damn right.” Monty’s mother agreed as she walked back and forth from the ammunitions’ crate to the car. Kane tried to talk to her as well, but she couldn’t care any less. She stood up as Bellamy called for the group to move out and she approached, descending the few steps that separated the garage area from the tables. Her father looked at her with disappointment on his face. She was just as bummed as him. Standing on the outside of the car, calling for the last of them to jump in as the latter said goodbye to Nate, he glanced at Kane and Michelle, his eyes lingering on her for a few more seconds before he moved on to their mission and got in. He slammed the rear door as the hangar slid open and she took a step forward, watching the car drive away. She didn’t even notice Nate leaving as her heart ached. She felt betrayed by Bellamy. Closing her eyes with a sigh, she turned around and the two of them left. He could tell that Michelle was particularly down today and as he walked with her down the hall, he placed a hand on her shoulder. They stopped in their tracks, and she just looked down at her hands. He didn’ need to ask her what was troubling her, it was easy to guess at least some of it had to do with Bellamy. She had never told her father that she liked the young man, the same way she didn’t tell him about Murphy, and he just saw the two of them together.

“Why does he side with Pike?” She mumbled.

“He’s convinced he’s doing the right thing.” She nodded and took a step forward, resting her head on her father's shoulder, who wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Her body shook with silent sobs as he stroked her back. She wished she had her mom to comfort her but at least she had him. While she found herself alone, without her friends, all busy here and there, she had her father. He knew that she wasn’t upset just because of her heartbreak over Bellamy’s actions. He had not forgotten the tragic death of her mother which had impacted them both so deeply. The day she died was the day he found out he was a dad in the first place. She raised her head a minute later, sniffling, and he cupped her face with one hand, wiping her tears with his thumb. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” She wiped her wet eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

“I let this happen. Pike’s influence has gotten too strong.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head and advised her to go and rest in her room, promising to find a solution to resolve the situation. She ended up leaving for her room and he went to see Abby in the infirmary. Closing the door behind her, she sighed. This little moment with his father had done him a lot of good. She took off her jacket and dropped it on the chair at her desk before plopping down on her bed.

She woke up a couple hours later to a loud knock at her door. Leaning on the mattress, she sat up. She thought at first it might be her father until she heard Bellamy's voice calling her name from the hallway.

“What do you want?”

“Open the door, please.” She rolled her eyes and grabbed the doorknob. All her sadness was overshadowed by her frustration with Bellamy.

“What?” She repeated her question after she opened the door ajar. They stared at each other, and he glanced into the room through the opening.

“Can I come in?” She wanted to try to talk to him and avoid talking to him at the same time, but she stepped aside to let him pass and crossed her arms. For a second, he had his back to her, and she could see his gaze scanning the place for some reason. He turned around and his gaze seemed much more serious.

“So, what do you want? You quit following Pike around?”

“We walked into an ambush. Octavia had warned the Grounders that we were coming.” He ignored her remark and took a few steps towards her.

“Okay, and? What’s that got to do with me?” She raised her eyebrows.

“We know it was your father who told her.”

“I don’t know, last I saw him was when you left earlier. I don't track my father.” Of course, she knew but she was well aware he came down to her room to question her regarding their suspicions about her father's actions. He and Pike understood that Kane was the mole giving out intel to the outside and from their point of view, he was trying to sabotage them when all he was doing was trying to prevent a war. But she could tell that despite everything, they had no proof against him and could not accuse him of anything.

“You know Clarke was there last night.” He wasn’t even asking; it was a statement. He knew she knew. That her very own best friend they were talking about. And her silence gave it away in any case. “That same night, both her and Octavia disappeared, and who were you with? Abby and Kane.”

“Doesn’t mean I know what you’re talking about right now. You walked into an ambush. Not my fault. What were you going to do to those Grounders anyway? Exterminate them like the ones sent to help us?”

“We have to take actions to protect our people.”

“You keep saying that.” She raised her voice, letting her hands fall along her body. “Is it you talking? Or Pike?”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Pike understands it, unlike your father.”

“You’re right. My father is thoughtful. He wouldn’t order the extermination of 300 innocents.” She had had enough. She sighed and grabbed him by the arm to push him out of her room, but he stood his grounds and slipped his hand in his pocket. In the blink of an eye, she found herself with her hands cuffed and he mumbled an apology before dragging her with him. She struggled but he closed the cell's door after removing the handcuffs and she found herself locked in with the Grounders already there. Looking around, she saw Lincoln, as surprised as she was to see her here with them.

Less than 30 minutes after Bellamy had forced her into the cell, he returned accompanied by Pike. She was pacing in the room, walking back and forth, dragging her feet on the floor, and stopped when she noticed them walking in their direction. Lincoln was sitting on a bench, watching the scene and they exchanged a glance, knowing the two men were coming for her. A guard unlocked the gate and pulled her out, tying her hands in her back.

“How long are you gonna detain me?”

“I might decide to release you if you tell us what we wanna know, Michelle.” Pike said before turning around, signaling the guards to take her with them, while a second closed the cell. The guard thrusted her cuffed hands into her back, and she groaned, taking a few stumbling steps forward. When they reached another room, she was abruptly pushed down onto a chair, her restraints were attached to the chair to prevent her from moving around. Pike and Bellamy, who were joined by Monty’s mother, Hannah, stood on the other side of the table at the center, with the Chancellor right in front of her. She stared at Pike with that arrogant look plastered on his face, in silence, and when she looked away at Bellamy, he spoke up and snapped her attention back to him. “Eyes on me, miss Kane. I'm the only one you'll be talking to right now.”

“My name is Cartwig. Michelle Cartwig.” She hissed. Even though she had grown to love her father, she would never change her last name for anything in the world. Bearing her mother's name allowed Michelle to maintain her connection to her and honor her as long as she lived. It seemed he was looking to get a reaction out of her because he nodded and briefly smirked, his hands on his hips.

“I know. Your mother’s last name. Callie Cartwig.” She gave him a death stare, grinding her teeth as he he stressed the name of the deceased. She clenched her fists, leaning forward, pulling tightly on the handcuffs, causing a burning sensation to rise around her wrists.

“Go float yourself, Pike.” She let herself fall heavily against the back of the chair. He chuckled at her insolence.

“I must say, I didn’t know Kane was your father. But I guess did you. Your mother never told either of you, right? Not until she was on the verge of death anyway.”

“What is this?” She frowned, shaking her head. “You don’t know shit about my family.”

“True. Then tell me about your father. What is he up to, Michelle?” He leaned over and put his hands on the table. Maybe was he trying to be intimidating but she didn’t react much, keeping her head held high.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, sketching a tight smile.

“Now, you see, I think that’s a lie. Someone's been giving intel to Octavia, from inside the camp. And I'm sure you know what it's all about.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She would keep on lying every time he asked her that king of question again. She didn’t know what her father had been doing and how the ambush came to be, but she knew he was plotting against Pike. She had seen Clarke being sneaked in and out of camp and Octavia leaving through the crawlspace as well. She would never tell him all this.

“You’re a traitor. On the Ark—"

“You’re late to the party, Hannah, I was already a traitor on the Ark.”

“And you were a month away from getting floated. You were given a second chance, and you wasted it by choosing the wrong side.” He paused, she looked back at him, wondering what his silence was about. “But we’re not on the Ark anymore.” Her eyebrows relaxed, understanding that they wouldn't execute her, at least not for the time being and she stared at Pike, tilting her head to the side in incomprehension.

“So, what are you gonna do to me?”

“Maybe if we keep you and your father separated, he will make a mistake and we can arrest him. All right, lock her up.” He motioned to the guards and was almost lifted from her chair by them when they made her get up, because she didn't have time to stand on her feet. They held her arms so tightly that she barely had time to take one step after another, her feet basically dragging on the ground. They passed Bellamy and she glanced at him, but her eyes went on Pike nearby and she called out to him. He turned his head towards her, and she spat at him. Years later, and she was still spitting in the face of a figure of authority. Then, it was Kane, now it was Pike. The second she did this insulting act, her face distorted in pain as a guard struck her with an electric baton. She fell to her knees and heard Bellamy yell at them to stop. With her eyes closed, her face leaning forward, she caught her breath, which had been cut off by the violence of the gesture. She opened her eyes when she felt two fingers gently lift her chin. Bellamy was kneeling in front of her. She shook her face, pulling away from his fingers and he let his hand fall.

“I didn’t pick the wrong side. You did.” she said, letting out a labored breath. He looked at her, quiet, as the guards picked her up and dragged her back to the cell, where they unceremoniously pushed her to the ground after freeing her from her handcuffs.

“Locking up their own now.” She grabbed the hand Lincoln gave her and he helped her up, noticing the burn mark across her top, where she was hit. She gave him a nod as a silent thank.

“Yeah, they were already locking up teenagers in the past. Executing the adults.” Her tone made it easy for him to understand she had been detained before her people ever came down to the ground. She sighed, looking towards the door. The blow had hurt her much more deeply. She continued to hope that Bellamy would wake up and join them, but she was angry with him for letting Pike lead him astray.

[To be continued…]

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Published (01/12/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64 @mirellef2001

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justinewt · 4 months

Text

Keep the Peace - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty-One

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: Michelle had to rest after the head trauma she suffered when she and Bellamy tried to rescue Clarke after risking both of their lives. She would be fine but there was something brewing ever since Pike joined the people of the Ark in Camp Jaha. And after an explotion occured at Mount Weather, to whom Bellamy’s loyalty belonged was put in question.

Words: 5.9k

Warnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (mention of events from episode 3 “Ye Who Enter Here”; episode 4 “Watch the Thrones”), mention of wounds/concussion, dried blood, guns, pike is racist

The whole trip back to Arkadia had been a pain for Michelle. The swirls of the car on the forest roads made her even sicker and sicker than she already was due to the acute vertigo and migraine from the head trauma. At one point they had to stop the car because she was moaning so much. She had gotten so nauseous that the moment Kane opened the door, and she stuck her head out, she threw up but again, it was only bile and it felt like fire went through her throat. He gave her several sips of water from a canteen as they continued the road and she lay down, resting her head on Kane's leg. Driving in Arkadia, He carefully hoped out the rover and was met by Abby on his way to the infirmary of the camp where he went straight to put his daughter on the nearest bed available. The car ride really took a toll on her, and she was unable to respond to Abby as she examined her but the state in which she was in gave the doctor and Chancellor enough information on how bad the injury might be, though she later determined it was only a mild concussion, which was already enough to make her sick for days. She told Kane to stand aside as Jackson joined to assist her. They slowly sit her up and Jackson placed his hand on both side of her temples to stabilize her head and keep it aligned with her spine and prevent movement while Abby firmly pressed a clean cloth on the wound. It had stopped bleeding by now, meaning it had already started to coagulate, which was good news but it still required to be cleaned and bandaged and so she did. She then covered the wound with a piece of gauze and wrapped her head before resting her on the pillow. Without even flinching, Michelle swallowed the medicine which was put on her tongue and eventually fell asleep, the last image before she closed her eyes was of her father sitting beside the bed, running his hand worriedly over his beard.

The next 48 hours, Abby came in to check on her every hour or so, but Jackson stayed in the infirmary to always have an eye on her, cleaning her head injury about three times a day and changing the bandage. The pain killers she got every now and then helped her not to be in so much pain and really calmed down the migraine. She didn’t have to stay in bed all day but because every time she tried to stand up and take a few steps, she was seized with dizziness which forced her to sit down again so it really narrowed down the options of what she was able to do. Like Abby told her, after a whole week most of the symptoms should have resolved on their own and it did, except for the migraine which came back every now and then especially when triggered by loud noises or vertigo if she moved her head too suddenly but thanks to supplies taken from Mount Weather, she was able to get pain killers when it was too much to bear.

“It’s been a week. How are you feeling today?” Abby came into the infirmary and walked up to her, pulling a chair next to Michelle’s bed. She got up to sit in her bed, placing her pillow behind her back for support. She didn’t have her head bandaged anymore since the wound had scabbed for a few days already.

“Just a headache when I woke up, but Jackson gave me painkillers. Now it’s fine.” The Chancellor turned her head towards her and held a small flashlight to her eyes to check her reaction and sensitivity to bright light. Michelle barely squinted her eyes. She then had her lean her head forward to clean the scab that formed over her head wound. It was mostly healed by now, but she still had to be careful so that it didn’t start bleeding again if she scratched it off. Abby got her to stand up and walk around a bit. No vertigo to report. This was a good sign that things were going the right way. She sat back down on her bed and Kane arrived at the same moment that she started asking about the Summit they were supposed to attend at Polis City with the 12 other clans and the Commander.

“You’re not coming.” He straight up said, his arms crossed.

“Didn’t expect you would let me anyway.”

“I sent Bellamy to Mount Weather, so he’s not coming either. But you, will stay in Arkadia, and you will not leave campgrounds. What you did the other week was stupid and reckless. I had asked you to be careful and you left with him without telling anyone. You both could have been killed.”

“I am sorry, okay?” She apologized, frowning. Now that she was better, his worry was overpowered by his need to scold her and act like the parent he should have been in her life and no matter how much she deserved it, she didn’t like to be addressed like a child. It was her decision to go with Bellamy and it was to look for Clarke, so she wasn’t actually that sorry, though she understood the stupidity of it. That was that kind of interaction that harmed her relationship with her mother, prior to her getting sent to solitary confinement for an entire year. Michelle stood up after taking an antibiotic and painkiller and Abby stopped her before she walked out. She still wasn’t allowed to take part in any activity that required effort and be careful not to touch her injury so it wouldn't bleed again. Even though in the past few days, she had had to stay within the walls of the infirmary for obvious reasons, she felt like she had been grounded ever since her return to Arkadia, a camp she still couldn't call home.

Michelle had taken care of doing what she could, chores here and there to help out among little trips to the infirmary when she got dizzy but knowing on the one hand her dad and Abby in Polis and her friends in Mount Weather were enough to keep her mind busy for the day. In the evening, she wandered around the camp, taking deep breaths of the fresh air. The weather was good, and the mood was calm and relaxing until the sound of an explosion in the distance disrupted everything. Given where the sound came from, it didn't take her more than a couple seconds to realize that it had occurred in Mount Weather, where she knew her, friends were, which immediately worried her. She watched the smoke rise above the treetops with wide eyes. Unable to go to bed, she stood pacing near the station entrance, watching for the camp gate until she saw a car drive in in the middle of the night and she ran to the hangar. Her father, Abby, Bellamy, and the others came out. She tried going up to Bellamy, but he walked past her and left. He seemed out of it.

“Dad, what-- what happened? What was the explosion earlier? Where are the others? Is Bellamy okay? What—" She was so confused and worried she couldn’t stop asking questions. He grabbed her shoulders.

“The Ice Nation blew up Mount Weather. Gina died in the attack.” It was the only piece of information she needed. She rushed to catch up with Bellamy who was walking down a hallway towards his bedroom. It was late and a lot had happened, so she understood he probably needed to be alone right now, but she had to check on him. He didn't even turn when he heard hurried footsteps coming from behind him, until she called his name. Then he stopped and looked at her before avoiding her gaze. She could see the neon light above them reflect the tears that made his eyes glisten.

“Bellamy, I’m sorry.” He knew what she was apologizing for and just looked down. She had never been close friends with Gina, because she was the girlfriend he got after they had gotten close and she pushed him away, but she would never have wished something like this to happen to her. She was a nice person who didn’t deserve to die. For some reason, Michelle drew Bellamy into a hug, and he wrapped his arms around her after a second. Acting tough wasn’t everything, he needed to be comforted too. They spent the night sitting on the floor next to each other in his room, not really talking or saying anything, just keeping each other company so neither of them would be alone. She saw him let his guards down and be vulnerable in front of her. The events at Mount Weather had really taken a toll on him and she had never seen him so bummed about something before, only when Clarke had left them. After a while, they fell asleep, their heads resting on the bed behind them, their foreheads pressing against each other. This was the kind of intimate moment that they hadn’t shared in forever and Michelle realized how much she had missed it. She was quite unsettled by the resurgence of her feelings for Bellamy, not knowing what to do about it since the death of his girlfriend had just happened and she would hate herself if she tried getting with him just yet. She would deal with all this later, right now she just wanted to be there.

Shortly after the sun finally rose outside, the rays entered the room and illuminated Michelle's face. She placed her hand over her eyes and rolled onto her back, when she realized that she was lying on the bed. At first without straightening up she raised her head and looked around in confusion and finally sat up seeing Bellamy standing near the table. He looked away, looking preoccupied. She was already over the fact that he woke up first and carried her on the bed, which somehow warmed her heart and wasn’t surprised by the expression on his face as he observed his Ark guard’s jacket hanging from the coat rack on the wall, near the door. He was as silent as last night, and it took her a minute to understand what was going on in his head. Because of what happened, he wanted to resign.

“Whatever happened… it wasn’t your fault, Bellamy.” She finally broke the silence. Hearing his name spoken outloud, he turned his head to her, looking back at her. It was clear that he disagreed with what she said, but it was true, what happened to Gina was beyond his control. She was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

“I could’ve done something. I should’ve stayed.”

“Stayed where? At Mount Weather? But weren’t you there when it blew up?” She tried to ask a couple questions, to get him to tell her what actually happened because all she knew was that Mount Weather blew up and Gina died, but she didn’t know the details. Her questions remained unanswered as he grabbed his jacket and walked out of the room. Michelle jumped out of bed and followed suit. He wasn’t any more talkative in the corridors. She kept asking him where he was going and suddenly step in front of him to stop him in his tracks, grabbing his arms. Quickly, he finally loosened his tongue and told her the whole story. How a Grounder he was locked up with came back and told them about a trap at the Summit and that he then decided to leave with the others, leaving Gina behind at Mount Weather, where she was murdered before the whole facility exploded. There was a second of silence and she let her hands slide off his arms, nodding. Repeating that he didn’t need to blame himself for this was pointless, as he truly believed it was his fault.

A man guarded the entrance. Inside, Kane and Abby were in a private meeting, probably assessing their next move regarding what happened. The door eventually opened, and the two young adults found themselves facing Pike who looked at them before leaving. They stepped in the room, watching Abby walk to the opposite side while Kane was leaning on the table, thinking.

“Sir?” Bellamy quietly called out to Kane. The latter straightened up on his stool and glanced at them, joining his hands in front of him. It took him a couple glances to notice his daughter standing next to him. She could tell he was wondering what they were doing together.

“Why aren’t you at your post?” He asked in a low voice, with a sigh. Bellamy put his jacket on the table and pushed it further away. “Don’t do this.”

“Forty-nine of the people I swore to protect died yesterday because I left them.”

“That’s not your fault, Bellamy.” Kane turned to face him. “Place the blame where it belongs. On the Ice Nation.”

“The Ice Nation didn’t tell Gina to stay there.” He paused, taking a shaky breath. “That was me.”

“Given the information you had at the time, you made a reasonable choice.” Kane stood up, placing a hand that was meant to be comforting on his shoulder. From the side, Michelle could see the pain and guilt that made his eyes shine in the faint glow of the light. “You were trying to save lives.”

“But I didn’t.” He looked away with a heavy sigh, his eyes getting watery as he tried to fight tears. He didn’t say anything else, maybe if he knew that if he did, he would have started crying, and instead just turned around and left. Michelle went to grab his arm as he walked past her, but she stopped herself and crossed her arms. She sighed, closing her eyes.

“All that’s certain is that we die. How we die is up to us.” Pike declared, standing before them as they all sat on chairs set in rows in the hangar. On Pike’s left side, Abby and Kane were sat together. They were all gathered here, attending a memorial for the ones that died in the explosition at Mount Weather. Michelle was next to Bellamy in the back row, sat straight back in her chair, fiddling with her fingers, eyes glued to her hands, her loose black hair falling in front of her face. She wasn’t good with feelings like sadness and grief and hated the heavy atmosphere that hung over them. It kept reminding her of the loss of her mother and she wanted to run away from it but there she was, stuck in this room and it would be disrespectful of her to just leave out of the blue. She wanted to be present, out of respect for the victims, but especially to show up for Bellamy, but she didn't feel able to look at the people around her. She didn't want to see the pain in their eyes. The former Earth skills teacher asked who wanted to speak for one of the girls that died in the attack and a man walked up to him after a moment of silence.

“Iris was strong. Good with a knife. She saved my life. I’m just sorry I couldn’t do the same for her.” He gave a sudden jerk with the knife in his hand to pull out the blade and put it down on a small piece of furniture nearby, before returning to his seat.

“We will miss Iris.” Pike resumed. “May we meet again.”

“May we meet again.” Everyone spoke in unison, with Michelle barely letting a whisper leave her lips. She hated that her grief made it all about her mother for her, and anything to do with loss and grief reminded her that she never had the chance to say goodbye to her mother and she never would. Neither would she ever see her again in this life. But it wasn’t what this memorial was about, and she refused to let herself cry over it while being surrounded by all those people. She never even told Bellamy about her feelings on this subject, despite pushing him to talk about what happened to his girlfriend.

“Who will speak for Gina Martin?” Michelle raised her head for the first time in the whole service and looked at Bellamy. He glanced at her and She risked giving him a small comforting smile and although he didn't return it before getting up, she knew he appreciated her support. Their relationship had been on and off those past few months, but they had never stopped being friends. He walked up to Pike, holding the book The Iliad in his hands. This time around, Michelle looked at him as he spoke, and he often met and held her gaze. Maybe he really felt her support, she didn’t know.

“Gina was real. She always saw the light, even here. She deserved better.” He went to put down the book when doors opened, and a bunch of Ark guards entered. Everyone straightened up in their chairs, looking at the soldiers and whispering to each other. Michelle noticed Pike talking to one of them, and she saw Lincoln alone. She followed Pike with her eyes as he walked to Kane and Abby. Seeing his lips moving as he leaned towards them slightly, she frowned. His voice began to rose.

“You gave a Grounder one of our radios?” Everyone in the audience stood up and the whispers became much louder.

“Sir, are we under attack?” Hannah enquired.

“No, we are not under attack.” Kane declared. “Their commander sent a peacekeeping force. To ensure that we can defend against any further attacks from the Ice Nation.”

“Peacekeeping force?” Pike was clearly not having it. “Even you can’t be that naïve, Marcus.”

“Watch your tone. You’re talking to the next Chancellor.” Abby chimed in, before addressing the crowd. “We’re all grieving. This has been hard on all of us. But we can’t let anger drive our policy.”

“Anger is our policy.” Michelle frowned even more at his aggressive response. His hatred for Grounders made him so biased and he really thought he was in the right. He rose his voice louder and talked to the people of the Ark present here. “If they’re here to defend us, as you say, then tell them to go home. We can defend ourselves!”

“Yeah!” Some of them began agreeing with Pike. Michelle looked around and exited the crowd through the left side to go to his father and Abby when a man dressed in the clothes of an Ark guard pointed at Lincoln in the back.

“You. You don’t belong here.”

“He’s one of them.” Said another man.

“My boy is dead!” A dude yelled and a stone was thrown at Lincoln, hitting him in the head with a thud. He groaned at the blow, and it quickly turned to chaos with some people trying to come at the grounder and others pushing them off. Bellamy ran through the mob to keep people from getting close to Lincoln. Kane ordered to arrest them and separated one of the many fights happenings when Pike let out a shrill whistle and things finally went to a halt.

“We do not attack our own!” He pressed each one of his words. “Fighting each other only makes us weak. The enemy is not in this camp. The enemy is out there.”

Michelle hated how everyone started listening to Pike suddenly, just because he was loud and strong with his words. She could tell he was going to cause troubles for all of them, especially those who weren’t pitting themselves up against the Grounders, like herself or her father. She looked at the people in the room and her eyes set on Bellamy and she wondered if that man would manage to get in his head, one way or another. It made her grind her teeth to think of Bellamy siding with Pike but when later that day, she saw the two men having a drink. She was sitting at a table in the corner of the room, having a drink on her own since without Clarke or even Murphy, well if she wasn’t hanging out with Bellamy, she really had no other friends. And Monty was nowhere to be seen anyway so she didn’t bother to look for him much. She couldn’t hear their conversation from where she was, but she watched them from the corner of her eyes. She noticed Monty’s mother at a table next to Pike and Bellamy’s and the woman was discreetly looking at them too, but Michelle wasn’t too sure if the latter wanted Pike to get the young man on their side. She didn’t know her too well, so she had no idea what was going on in her head. But to be safe, she preferred to assume the worst and to think that all the people from the Farm station were with Pike, and against her dad, and by association, against her.

When she saw Bellamy look around and the people from Farm Station that were there all gave him a glance, a glance full of the hatred for Grounders that they witnessed earlier, she understood that her assumption was in fact right. Sometimes being safe is being right and in that case she was. She didn’t like what was brewing. For some reason, and she wasn’t even a Grounder, so she wasn’t the group’s main target, but she started feeling unsafe and quite uncomfortable at that. She wished she could hear what they were saying so she could report it to Kane and Abby, but she at least knew that they were preparing something and trying to get Bellamy in on it with them, so that was already something, but she chose to wait a bit longer and see what more she could learn by just watching them from afar. The second she saw Bellamy give a nod to Pike, she knew whatever game they were all playing, it was over. For the Grounders at the very least, but also for anyone siding with them. She bitterly gulped down a last shot of alcohol and, grabbing her jacket lying on the seat next to her, she walked away as she put it back on. Not knowing where her dather would be as of now, her best guess was either the meeting room that she visited earlier with Bellamy or his own room, but she didn’t even remember where the latter was so she had to hope he and Abby would both be there. She had no idea where else they could be anyway.

After a dozen minutes just wandering around, she ran into Harper, and she grasped the chance. She wasn’t surprised at all to hear Michelle’s thoughts on the situation they had with Pike. It was already late, the sky was dark, and the two girls went to Lincoln and along with Zoe, they stood in the dark of the main gate, and it didn’t take very long for the group of wannabe vigilantes to come to them. When they noticed the four individuals, they stopped, and Bellamy walked up to them with a stern look on his face. He looked at all of them without moving his head, his eyes lingering for a little longer on Michelle. He was frowning.

“You need to step aside, right now.” He warned.

“What are the guns for?” Michelle asked after exchanging a glance with Harper. They knew very well what the guns were for, and Bellamy wasn’t so stupid either.

“There’s an army out there. And we need to hit them before they hit us.” As they spoke, Pike and the others slowly advanced towards them.

“That army was sent to protect us.” Lincoln said.

“Do we have a problem?” Pike asked this in such a way it sounded way more like a threat than a question.

“No.”

“I have always done what is best for us. I need you to trust that I am doing that now.” He glanced at Zoe in the back, and she subtly nodded before stepping away. Michelle frowned, taking a step towards him. Bellamy then looked at Harper and as if she understood his motivation, she nodded and apologized to Lincoln before leaving in turn. There was only Michelle left by his side, and she wasn’t about to walk away as well. She chewed nervously on the inside of her cheek, and she looked at Bellamy, trying to knock some sense into him before it was too late, even though she knew damn well that it was in fact too late. He would stand his grounds and side with Pike still, and he would realize only too late how far he went because he believed in the wrong person. Pike was loud and aggressive but that didn’t make him any less of a snake. Now she knew why she disliked him so much as a teacher on the Ark. He was never a good or a nice man.

“Bellamy.” Her tone of voice was soft. She was trying to do something pointless, but she still tried. And if she wasn’t on Pike’s bad side already, she would be now. “You’re not thinking this through. You can’t let Pike get in your head like this with all his Grounder hatred bullshit, come on. They’re not out there to kill us.”

“I am thinking this through, Michelle.” He came closer to her, and his brows relaxed but not hers. He spoke with determination to convince her this was the right thing to do. “I’m doing this for all of us. We have to hit before they hit us. Trust me on this.”

She looked away for a second. She wanted to believe him but with Pike in the mix, she just couldn’t, and it was tearing her heart apart to have to doubt Bellamy’s intentions but on this one, she couldn’t risk being on the wrong side. And she couldn’t be on the same side as Pike because it would always be the wrong one. She hated that Bellamy let himself be manipulated like this. She still believed there was a way to get him back on the right track, but she just couldn’t support him this time. She shook her head and looked back at him.

“You can’t just go out there to kill 300 people. They’re here to protect us.”

“They’re Grounders.”

“So were your fucking ancestors, Pike.” She spat vehemently, giving him a death stare.

“Watch your tone. You wouldn’t talk to your mother like this.”

“Don’t you talk about my mother.” She angrily rose her voice at Pike, suddenly walking towards him but she was stopped mid-way by Bellamy who grabbed her arms and moved her back in front of him. Pike obviously kept his composure and just looked at them. She hated how vicious he was, mentioning her mother like this, to try and get to her emotionally and he almost did get something out of her, but Bellamy prevented that. If she was alone, she would have bursted out in tears but her voice barely broke when she talked back to him.

“Let us pass.” Bellamy asked her, almost whispering. For a second, she got lost in his eyes, but this was nothing like the intimate and priviledged moments they had once shared. They were surrounded by Pike’s minions. She made a pout, shaking her head again as she pushed his hands away and stepped back next to Lincoln, staring at Bellamy. He seemed disappointed by her reaction, probably hoping she wouldn’t fight him, but he wasn’t Clarke, and the latter was the only one she would blindly follow.

“I can’t.” Bellamy let his arms hang at his sides and they held each other's gaze.

“Lincoln, you wanna prove you’re one of us, let us pass.” Pike spoke to the Grounder.

“I’m not moving.” One of Pike’s men suddenly aimed at him, urging him to get out of the way and Lincoln subtly pushed Michelle behind him as he grabbed the gun and made the man lose his balance, holding his knife up to the latter’s throat, backing away. Being behind him, Michelle was kind of stuck there, having to step back as well. The rest of Pike’s men brandished their guns. Bellamy told them to put the guns down and Pike encouraged them to listen to him.

“So much for the good Grounder.” Monty’s mother noted.

“Quiet, Hannah.” Michelle now stood aside, still not about to leave. “Whose people are you defending here, Lincoln?”

“Lincoln, put down the knife. No one has to get hurt here.” Bellamy added.

“I can’t let you start a war.”

“We’re already at war.”

“Not with the Grounders out there.” Michelle argued.

“They’re all Grounders.”

“This is so stupid… They’re not all Ice Nation. We’re not at war with them.”

“Neither of you can stop this.” She stared back at Bellamy, letting out a quiet but heavy sigh. Shaking her head in disbelief, not taking her eyes off him, she mouthed his name but not a sound came out of her lips, and she hated that she could see in his eyes that he wasn’t sorry for any of this. He truly thought he was doing the right thing here. The PA system in the camp went off and screeched for a second before a voice came on.

“All unstationed security personnel report at the main gate.” He repeated the message a couple of times as a buzzing sound sounded in the background. Octavia appeared in their sight and ran towards Lincoln.

“What’s wrong with you?” Bellamy closed his eyes and looked at his sister. A second later a bunch of Arkadia guards arrived with their guns. Michelle saw her father walking in their direction among the soldiers. She could’ve searched for him longer but when earlier she came across Harper, she didn’t waste any more time. They had gone straight to Lincoln. As Kane came closer, Pike asked his people to put their guns on the ground.

“Lincoln, it’s all right. Let him go.” At Kane’s words, he released the man who threatened him. The future chancellor and his daughter exchanged a quiet glance.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Abby enquired.

“What you didn’t have the guts to do.”

“Did you arm these people?” Kane headed towards Bellamy. He didn’t even answer but his silence alone was enough for him to understand.

“Guards take them to lock up now.” They were quickly all arrested as she told everyone else to go back to their quarters. It was late and there was nothing else to see here. “It’s over.”

“Nothing is over.” Pike exclaimed. “We are surrounded by warriors who want us dead.

“That’s enough!” Kane spoke up.

“No, it isn’t. Not even close. Why don’t you show us all what you let the Grounders do to you yesterday? Come on, Kane. I think that the people who are about to vote for you have a right to know.” Michelle frowned, having no idea what he was talking about. She got closer to Abby and her dad. He looked around him as people asked him to show them whatever it was. He lifted his sleeve and showed the crowd a red mark on his arm.

“It’s the mark of the Commander’s coalition. It means we are the 13th clan. It means we are in this fight together.”

“No. It’s what farmers used to do to their livestock.”

“Right before the slaughterhouse.” Hannah shouted, trying to entice the crowd into siding with them. And people started to be for Pike going as far as to tell him to be on the ballot for tomorrow’s election. Michelle turned around when she heard Bellamy chanting Pike’s name, followed by every single one of those who had been arrested, and a lot of people in the crowd. This felt like a nightmare. She stepped next to her father, and he put a hand on her shoulder out of habit. He, Abby, and Michelle looked at each other, worried and dumbfounded by the situation.

“I tried to talk him out of it.” She said quietly, looking at them walk away.

“You did what you could.” He gently squeezed her shoulder, unable to take his eyes off the people still chanting Pike’s name like a bunch of brainwashed people. Things were only about to get worse now that Pike convinced others to be with him. There was a risk he could be elected the next day and with him at the head of the whole group, it would be war against any Grounder in sight.

The next day, with barely a few hours of sleep as she was unable to get any rest, Michelle attended the election held outside in the camp and and Pike quickly received a majority of the votes. They couldn’t believe it. Once it was over, her father and two guards headed towards the prison wing of the ring. She followed them and hid behind the walls to let them pass without being seen and, to keep a certain distance. She followed them until they got to the portion of the corridor that went straight to the cell door. She stopped behind a corner and even though she wished she could be closer, it should be enough for her to hear them talk. If she tried to approach, it wouldn’t be the guards or Kane who would notice her, it would be the prisoners and she would be spotted by everyone anyway because if Pike saw her lurking around the corner, he would never keep his mouth shut. He knew she was out of reach for his manipulation tricks. She would never talk with him. He was only going there to tell Pike of his win at the election, but she still wasn’t supposed to be following him when he had asked her not to, though he knew she wasn’t always listening to him. She went ahead with following him because she was fully aware he wouldn’t get mad at her for something like this. He had other things to be uspet about anyway.

Kane pressed on the panel next to the door, unlocking the door before walking in. Everyone inside stood up. He walked up to Pike.

“Congratulations, Mr. Chancellor.”

“Where’s Abby?”

“Wishes she could be here.” He handed him the Chancellor pin. “The vote wasn’t close. Our people are now your responsibility, Charles. I hope you take that seriously.”

“Thank you, Marcus. I certainly intend to. For my first official action as Chancellor, I pardon myself and the others. For my second official action, I reject the brand that made us the 13th clan. For my third, let’s finish what we started.” Michelle felt a knot in her stomach just hearing this and she rested her head against the corner with a sigh, not caring if she was seen anymore. She crossed her arms and watched the people walk out of the cell, keeping her eyes on her father as he stopped Bellamy before he left. He spoke to him in a whisper so she couldn’t hear but the expression on Bellamy’s face as he walked past him. He noticed Michelle standing there and gave her a brief look but there was nothing there, no compassion, nothing. It was just the dark brown of his eyes looking at her like they were enemies.

[To be continued…]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Published (12/29/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64 @mirellef2001

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justinewt · 6 months

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Fear Begins Here - FEAR TWD Rewrite Chapter One

[FEAR THE WALKING DEAD-MASTERLIST]

Next Chapter (SOON)

Summary: Nikki, who has been working night shifts at a gas station, is awaken one monring after the Clarks receive a call that her brother Nick has been injured after being hit by a car. At the hospital, the doctor reveals that Nick was delusional and had run into traffic, allegedly with intent. Nick shares his hallucinations of a girl, his girlfriend Gloria, attacking him and eating people at the abandoned church where they used to go for drugs. Nikki and Travis visit the church later that night and find a pool of blood, partially confirming Nick's claims.

Words: 4.1k

Warnings: Fear TWD season 1 (1st half of episode 1 "Pilot"), blood, mention of cannibalism, hospital, strained relationships, mention of drugs and addiction, mention of violence

Still in bed, curled up with her face under the covers, Nikki tried to get some more sleep after having been on night shift at the gas station where she had worked for a few months now. For the past four days or so, she had been working 11-hours shift. Yesterday, she worked the whole night and came back home at 5AM after going into work in the evening. Working night shifts was awfully exhausting since everyone in their households was up and about at 7 in the morning, after she had barely slept for a couple hours. When everyone would leave, it would get quieter, and she would go back to sleep until probably noon. Her schedule had been moved up, now back to less lengthy shifts and she was working the afternoons for the rest of the week, which she preferred.

She hated working at night. After she would wake up at noon, she would literally have one hour to get ready, eat a snack and drive off to work in her old car. It was a 10-year-old car at the car dealership. She had gone with Madison who wanted to help her get a good car for cheap without the seller praying on the impressionable young woman. It ran well and allowed her to get around and go to work, to earn money that she put aside without really knowing what she was going to do with it, although she gave a part of it to Madison every month because she felt indebted to her, for getting her out of trouble all these years, even though she didn't want Nikki to give her money. She always ended up giving it to Travis to help with the shopping and she also gave some to Alicia, so she had a little spending money.

Nikki got startled when she heard Alicia slam the bathroom door after her mom chimed in to tell her she had five minutes left to get ready. The teenager had not gotten out of bed on time and was about to be late for school. She grumbled, burying her head in her pillow, and winced when light blinded her tired eyes when she stuck her head out of her bedcover. She opened her eyes again after realizing that the whole house had gotten quiet, and she heard the landline high-pitched beep sounding. She sat up almost immediately in bed. She knew very well what that unpleasant beep meant, and gulped as she climbed off the top bunk. She yawned until her jaw almost dropped and quickly left her room to join Madison, Travis and Alicia around the phone. Travis had already picked up the phone and everyone looked at each other in a heavy silence as he spoke.

It was about Nick, of course. He had been hit by a car while running down the street for whatever reason, but Nikki already knew where he had been coming from. He spent every single of his nights at the abandoned church which had become an infamous junkie den over time. That was the very place she used to go to herself, back when she was still using but she wasn't going anymore since she decided last summer was the last time she was ever going to rehab and that she was getting clean for real this time. Her addiction had gotten her expelled from nursing school less than a year ago after she took drugs from the infirmary to get high. She had no prospect of any king of a future, but she was trying to survive without heroin for a while and see where it would get her. She had been trying to survive all her life, so she was used to it, but it required some adaptation to live a life not ruled over by addiction. Alicia, who was literally still standing wrapped in her towel, and Nikki quickly put on some clothes, and they drove off to the hospital. Even though it wasn’t going to take much time to get there, Nikki took advantage of the 10-minute drive to sleep a little more. Alicia sighed, telling her she should have stayed in bed since nothing would come out of this trip to the hospital. Her brother’s addiction really strained their relationship.

“He has a bruised rib, contusions.” The doctor walked them through the hospital hall as he told Madison about Nick’s state. Nikki looked around, rubbing her eyes with a wince. “Physically, your son is lucky, but I’m worried about—”

“Toxicology?” She enquired.

“There’s that, yes, but…”

“Heroin’s his drug of choice. What did he take?”

“He’s over 18, ma’am. I can’t tell you more than I could tell the police.”

“They’re here?” Madison stopped in her tracks, turning to the man. He jerked his thumb behind him, and she resumed walking. Nikki sighed. They were probably asking him about where he got the drugs and stuff like that, but no one talks to the police. Even today, she still wouldn't say anything to them, out of habit of keepind her mouth shut. But she knew very well where they got their shit from.

“Nick presented as delusional, Mrs. Clark.” The doctor continued. “Witnesses said he rand into traffic with intent.”

“He was high.” She argued.

“He was ranting. We had to restrain him. I requested a psych consult.” He looked at Travis when he walked past him. “She’s not listening.”

“She heard you.” The doctor stood in the hallway as Alicia and Nikki looked at him sideways as they followed their stepfather into the room where Nick was. Madison was the first to walk in, instantly addressing the two police officers standing around his bed, questioning him while he was indeed restrained to his bed.

“Is my son under arrest?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Then get out. Thank you. Leave.” They threatened to charge him for the incident, and she dismissed what they were saying, telling them they could do that when he was healed and to go away for the time being. Nikki walked behind Travis and Alicia, who stayed behing ther cop and went to stand on the other side of the bed. She saw Nick roll his head on his cushion to look at her as she observed the two policemen.

“She do all the talking?” He asked Travis and the latter didn’t say anything. He just raised his eyebrows as Madison repeated herself.

“I’m not as eloquent.” He eventually said, grabbing the cop’s card that he handed to him on his way out. She then turned to her son. She called out to him for his attention.

“What happened?”

“L.A. is not a pedestrian-friendly city.”

“Why the restraints?” She asked softly and he shrugged. “Did you try to hurt yourself?”

“No, mom. Come on, it was an accident. It was just an accident.”

“All right, I’m gonna call for a bed.” She took her phone out of her pocket, ready to dial for the rehab facility to reserve a bed for him. He grabbed her hand.

“No, mom. I’m not going back.”

“It’s how we help you.”

“No, we can’t help me.” Travis chimed in, advising him to listen to his mother and the young man glanced at him. “You definitely can’t help me. You can’t do shit. You can’t— None of you can… can you just leave me alone? Can you just let me go?”

When Alicia mumbled something, Travis turned to her, pointing out that her intervention wasn't helping the situation at all. Obviously, that wasn't at all what she was trying to do right now. She was tired of her brother's behavior because of his addiction and how her whole life and her family’s revolved around it as if she was unimportant, and Nikki understood that because until recently, their own relationship wasn't all rosy either. Maybe giving her some of the money she was making was a way for Nikki to make up for the fact she felt like an additional burden in the family. Madison spun on her feet, asking what she said, and the tone rose in the room. As usual, Nikki made herself forgotten and remained silent next to Nick, observing the situation as if she were outside of it all even though she had shared the lives of these people for several years.

She was so used to stand in the shadows, like she wasn't there, especially when arguments broke out, and remaining completely quiet so much so it was as if her lips were sealed shut. When she was still in school, many people thought she was mute because she spoke so little. The first times she ever went to rehad, doctors and shrinks asked Madison if Nikki was mute or something since, she wouldn't speak to anyone. Drawling, Nick again asked to be left alone while Madison told Alicia to go back to the car while Travis broke up the fight. Alicia walked out and he motioned for Nikki to come along to leave Nick and Madison alone for a moment. Seeing her walk away, Nick turned his head towards her as his mother sat on the edge of the bed and began asking him what had happened and followed her with his gaze. He knew she was working and tired, and yet she was always there for him. They had been through so much together that she would have gotten up in the middle of the night if she had to.

“Glad you moved in?” Alicia asked Travis, standing against a wall with her phone in her hands. He went outside for a moment to make a phone call and the teenager shared a glance with Nikki. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just need a coffee right now.” Alicia leaned her head around the corner of the wall and pointed in a direction.

“Machine’s over there.” Nikki nodded, thanking her and she walked over to the machine, pressing the buttons until she began to wonder if she even had change to pay for it. She padded her jacket's pockets and pulled out a couple pennies that she inserted in the machine, and she stared into space as a buzzing sounded while the coffee poured into the paper cup. She grabbed it and took a sip as she walked back to Alicia and sat on a chair next to her, letting her head rest against the wall. Madison walked out of the room as a nurse came in to check on Nick and she spoke with Travis, who had returned from his call. Nikki stared at the lights on the ceiling. She hated hospitals. It brought back unpleasant memories that she wished she could forget. She wished she could erase everything that had happened prior to the last 5 years. She finished her coffee and crushed the cup in her hand before aiming at the trash can in front of her and throwing it. Alicia saw that the conversation between her mother and Travis and stood up, holding her bag in one hand, by the upper handle.

“Nikki, I’ll bring you back to the house after bringing Alicia to school.”

“No, Maddy, it’s all right. I’ll do it.”

“Okay.” She mouthed, patting Nikki's shoulder, giving her a smile before walking away with Alicia. They watched the two women leave the premises and Nikki followed Travis inside the room once the nurse was done with him. She had some time before having to go to work, early that afternoon so she appreciated that he let her stay with them at the hospital, even she just slept, curled up in a chair while Travis read. Her cheek resting on her clenched fist, leaning on the back of the chair, she awoke when her head tilted forward too much and she blinked, looking around. Nick had just woken up, panting. She shared a worried look with Travis and spurted on her feet, going to sit on the edge of the bed. Coming to his senses, confused by his sudden awakening, he breathed out heavily, catching his breath and grabbed Nikki's hand before calming down.

“It’s just a nightmare.” She spoke.

“No shit.” He closed his eyes for a second, tightening his grip on her hand.

“You think that’s what you saw? It was a nightmare?” Travis wondered. “Hallucinations?”

“I really want to write it off like that, I do, but that’s never happened to me before.” He shook his head and buried himself dipper into his pillow. “Nothing like that. Hey, maybe I’m losing my shit.”

“That psych eval will decide that.” He shrugged. “How crazy is Nick? Scale one to 10, huh?”

“Hey, can you untie me?” Travis denied and apologized as he stood up. Nick turned his head to Nikki, and she shrugged. She didn’t have the authority to do that, even though she really wanted to but she knew for a matter of fact that if he were to be untied, the minute he was left alone, he would run off God knows where.

“You think I’m dangerous?”

“Docs are worried?”

“Are you?” His eyes went from his stepfather to his best friend.

“You ran into traffic, man. You hurt yourself.”

“No, I was running from, not to. I was running away from what I was.”

“What did you see?” Nikki asked, frowning in concern.

“Uh, just a girl.”

“You weren’t with Gloria at the den?”

“Yes. Yeah, I was.” He glanced at Travis, explaingin further that she was his friend. Nikki knew the nature of their relationship, really, she was his girlfriend. They had met something like a year ago in rehab, maybe a year and a half. That was when his father fied in a head-on collition. This was a tough time. Before she decided to get cleaned and kept herself to it, she got to know Gloria a little and shot up with her and Nick at the abandoned church a few times. “She was… Jesus Christ.” He sighed. “Okay, you buy on the corner, and you can shoot at the church. It’s junkie communion. And… uh…”

“The church? Nikki, you knew about this?” Travis was a calm person and there was nothing inquisitive about his question, but Nikki looked away and lowered her head. Of course, she knew about this place, that's where she used to go but she never told anyone.

“Anyway, uh, she was with me when I— when I scored.” He spoke while looking up at the ceiling, recounting the events in his head. His eyes widened as he went on. “Yeah, and she was with me when I nodded. She was there. She was beside me. But then… then when I went down… everyone was dead. ‘Cause there was blood. Yeah, and it’s all over her mouth.” He held Nikki’s hand tighter, looking down. “You know? Then she came at me.”

“What did she do?” Nikki glanced at Travis.

“Shhhe… She was eating them. She was eating them.” There was a silence as both Travis and Nikki were dumbfounded. What he was saying was indeed not making much sense. Nikki was even more confused because she knew the girl he was talking about, and she couldn’t believe that she would have resorted to cannibalism. It was insane. But there was a part of her that wanted to trust his words. Unlike Travis who concluded that the drugs made him saw all these things, she couldn’t believe he would make all this up. Something bad went down at the den and it rose her curiosity. She was also worried for Gloria and would feel quite sad if something happened to her. “I don’t know if what I saw came from the powder. That’s the thing. I don’t…” He shook his head. “and if it didn’t come from the powder, then it came out of me. My mind. And if that came out of me, then I’m insane, Travis. Yeah, I’m insane.” He chuckled but his amused smile almost instantly faded. He pouted his mouth. “I really don’t want to be insane.”

After they ate sandwiches with Nick at the hospital, Travis ended up taking Nikki to her workplace, a gas station on Pico Boulevard, West Los Angeles. Small gas station, never too busy, Nikki liked that. She knew her coworkers well enough that there was a pretty good atmosphere at work, but she wouldn't call them her friends. When she thought about it, she had no friends, beside Nick. That was kind of sad, but she didn't care. She didn't even know what she wanted to do in her life, so she had no time bothering about making friends and she was known as the quiet loner, even at work so they exchanged pleasantries but never made long conversations with her and she didn’t take offense. She worked all afternoon thinking about what Nick had told them.

She couldn’t get it out of her headso half-way through her shift she texted Travis about it. She wanted to go and see for herself eyes if something had really happened there. In the evening, she waited at the front of the station while her coworker that did the night shift came in. When he asked her what she was doing walking back and forth outside, she simply told him her stepfather drove her to work that day and that she was waiting for him to come pick her up. He didn’t enquire further after that. No one at work really knew about her personal life, this was the most she had ever said about it. After a moment, she saw Travis’ truck arrive and she got in. They drove to the church, having no idea what they would find there. Hopefully nothing too traumatising so she could have a good night of sleep afterwards but given how Nick looked so troubled when he talked about it earlier, she wasn’t too convinced and felt nervous.

When they went to the church, it was dark outside. Travis held a flashlight above his head and Nikki followed him as they walked around the fences set up around the abandoned building. He told her to stay to stay close as if she hadn't been a regular visitor to this place. Nikki stepped forward and grabbed the fence mesh and started pulling herself up when Travis grabbed her jacket, making her put her feet down.

“It’s too dangerous.”

“I can climb it. It’s fine, Travis.” He let go and she resumed her action, tucking the tip of her converse into the mesh. She sat at the top and crossed her legs over the other side before jumping down below. You wouldn't have thought when you saw her like that that she had fractured her leg falling from a tree. After all, she was 6 at the time, now 19, there was a statute of limitations. It had taken a while, but her leg was now completely healed although she felt occasional pain in her shin. Once she landed, she turned around and told Travis to go look for a window on the other side. It overlooked a toilet, the grille behind the window should be open. When she was about to go inside and leave him to find hiw own way in, he called out to her from upstairs, worried because she didn’t have a light with her. She held up her phone and turned on the flashlight before walking away. She climbed through a window and aimed the beam in front of her. She quickly heard Travis call her name and she tried to find him when she felt her foot slip on something and she lost her balance, almost falling on the floor.

She looked down and her eyes widened as she realized she stepped on a pool of coagulating blood, with mashed bits of flesh, on the ground. She almost threw up as her shoe made squishy sounds when she lifted it. She had no idea if everything happened as Nick had said, whether Gloria had really eaten people or not but what was for sure was that people were hurt or maybe even killed. Never in her time here had she seen so much blood all over the floor. Someone had bled out right there. She was so appalled and shocked; she couldn’t even move, and she felt so sick it was as if her body was warm and cold at the same time; She could feel her limbs tremble and she was so shaken she couldn’t even hear Travis call out her name anymore. There was a buzzing sound in her ears. She jumped with a loud gasp when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turning around, she saw Travis standing beside her. He looked at her worried and confused because upon finding her after roaming around for a minute, he found her as pale as a sheet. He might have thought she was distressed because she was back at a place where she used to go back when she was in a dark place in her mind but when she looked behind her and the light from her phone shone on the floor, Travis saw the pool of blood in front of them.

“Oh, God. What the hell is going on?”

“Nick said the truth. He— Gloria… I don’t know… I don’t know what happened, but someone fucking died here.” She cried out as he led her away, pushing her to leave the premises with him urgently. He was taken aback by what he had seen but he still tried to calm her down until they got back in the car. Her hands were shaking so she closed them into fists and stared into the distance, trying to keep her breath steady.

The next morning, they went straight to the hospital with Alicia before she had to go to school. They quietly walked into the room and found Madison sleeping against Nick. Nikki was still shaken from her night trip to the church with Travis and had nightmares about the blood and flesh. She wanted to talk about it with Nick, tell him that he didn’t make all this up. Travis bent over Madison, whispering in her ear and she slowly awoke and stood up.

“I need coffee before anything.”

“I’ll get you one.” Nikki said as Travis gave her a bag with some spare clothes for her to change into. While Madison and Travis walked into the hallway, and she went to the coffee machine. She poured two coffees, one for Madison and one for Travis. She gave a couple dollars to Alicia when she walked out of the room so she could get herself something from the vending machine at school and the latter left with her mom and Travis, their coffees in hands. This time, Nikki came with her own car, so she decided to stay with Nick for the morning. She still had a few hours ahead of her. She got herself a cup of coffee and went back to the room. He looked up when he saw her enter and smiled.

“You can have my eggs if you want.” She sat at the edge of the bed, putting her coffee on the side of the tray and grabbed the fork, taking a bite of the scrambled eggs, taking a sip of coffee.

“Best breakfast.” He chuckled as she ate, asking him how he felt in between bites. He shrugged, pouting. This was the kind of answer that she expected so she finished the plate and pushed the tray away. A nurse eventually came to take it out. She scratched her ankle and her gaze fell on the sole of her shoe. She had cleaned it with bleach in the garden in the middle of the night yesterday and yet the sole, originally beige, was now soiled with a lingering tinge of red. She also noticed a red drop that had dried on the side and scratched it furiously with her fingernail, images of that nightmarish sight flashing before her eyes. Nick sat up slightly and grabbed her wrist. She didn’t know if what she was going to say would reassure him or make matters worse, but she would tell him about the blood in the church. This didn’t really confirm most of what he said but that did confirm that he didn’t dream all of it. Maybe he exaggerated a few details because he was high and was raving but the fact that there was no sign of Gloria anywhere and blood all over the place had to mean something. Nikki had a hard time believing she really ate or attacked people but something bad did happen. She trusted Nick with that.

[To be continued…]

Next Chapter (SOON)

Published (11/12/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 6 months

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Meet Nikki Clark - FTWD REWRITE OC

[FEAR THE WALKING DEAD-MASTERLIST]

Do not use my character without my consent thanks <3

warning: arts and pictures you’ll see are not mine (I found them on pinterest) and the actress used to portray Nicole is Linda Cardellini, from Freaks & Geeks 1999-2000, Nicole is a character 100% created by me, Andrea but the style of the bio has been inspired by a bio found on a TWD Amino and bios made by director Guillermo Del Toro. Also the quote is from the song Heathens by Twenty One Pilots <3

And PLEASE, you are all very beautiful as you are, DO NOT feel bad about my character’s body/weight/height/measurements or anything, keep in mind that she’s fictional and living in quite extreme condition (it’s a post-apocalyptic setting, most wouldn’t be in good healt condition regarding their weight etc)!! And you are all beautiful humans <3

AND Nikki has been through physical abuse so proceed with caution if this can trigger you, the abuse is not described in length but maybe some interactions or thoughts could trigger you, idk

Words: 3.3k (some flashbacks in the fic will refer to events mentioned in PERSONALITY and BACKGROUND but it's not big spoilers, unless you haven't seen the show)

NICOLE EMILY CLARK bio

INFORMATIONS

FULL NAME: Nicole Emily Clark (born Russel)

NICKAME: Nikki (she always wrote it this way everywhere, even when taking exams in school cause she liked it. She didn't like her name very much and with the outbreak, even less people actually called her Nicole. She liked to meet new people so she could tell them her name was Nikki.)

DATE OF BIRTH: 1991

AGE: 19 (Season 1-3//2010); 21 (Season 4//2012); 22 (Season 5//2013); 23 (Season 7//2014); 30 (Season 8//2021)

SEX: Female

ORIENTATION: Bi (but it's pretty irrelevant in the story)

NATIONALITY: American

ETHNICITY: Caucasian-American

ORIGINS: She’s of English, Scottish and Irish ancestry

OCCUPATION: Pre-Apocalypse: Former Student at Paul R. Williams High School; Volunteer Nurse; Former nursing school Alumni

Post-Apocalypse: Former Member of the Broke Jaw Ranch; //

FAMILY

PARENTS: Jean Russel and Harold Russel, deceased.

SIBLINGS: She has no biological sibling and was born an only child but she views Nick and Alicia as her siblings, tho she is closer to Nick.

RELATIVES: Unnamed relatives; Madison Clark (adoptive mother/legal guardian); The Clarks (adoptive family).

FRIENDS: Nick Clark, best friend (they knew each other since kindergarten and got into drugs together); Gloria (friends through Nick); Alicia Clark (good friends, not as close as she is with Nick tho)

PARTNERS: She never actually dated anyone before the outbreak (she was too busy dealing with her shit really)

PERSONALITY: In Nick's fashion, Nikki is a flawed teenager who suffered from heroin addiction. She suffered throughout her life and was made fearful, reserved and with an obsessive fear of abandonment by the two people who were supposed to care for her, until she was taken in by Madison. She and Nick were in their own bubble, one dealing with deep trauma and the other dealing with his father's distant anq rather neglectful behavior, which started to get worse after Nikki joined their family but Nick never blamed her. Their addiction often caused trouble for her newfound family, who suffered because of this, and their attempts to stop this further resulted in more failure and even though Nikki was the first to get cleaned, it bested her and she stole drugs before the outbreak, but this was the last time she ever took some, unlike Nick.

Unlike Nick, who can put his life on the line because of his addictive behavior, her more fearful persona led her to be more careful and quiet. She observes people and mentally assesses situation, making plans, or things like that, in her own head. She has trouble sharing her ideas with others, but she really doesn't speak much in general. She does things and moves around in silence, often taking people by surprise when they eventually notice her presence. She second guesses herself a lot and has very little trust in her own abilities which leads her to having a rather low self-esteem and confidence.

Like Nick, she is smart and the both of them are the first to understand that the infected aren't actually "infected" but rather dead. She is also, like him, quite selfless and always helps around. With her nurse training, she never thinks twice before offering medical help to people, no matter who they are; like at the military compound after Madison put a spoon in Troy's eye, leaving it bleeding and swollen. She treats him, though she, unsurprisingly, does so in silence, ignoring his stares and questions and barely talking to him. She wasn't afraid of him but rather felt somehow uncomfortable.

Something else she shares with Nick is that she can be impressionable and easily led by people with a stronger personality, such as Victor Strand, Celia Flores, Madison or even Nick himself, because if he led by someone else, she will most likely follow in his steps. As an example, after leaving Celia Flores' home, she is quite confused and lost and starts listening to Victor Strand. After they arrive at the Broke Jaw ranch, she starts disliking Jeremiah Otto because he reminds her of her father when he raises his voice. She gained a little in confidence at this time and since Madison wants to deal with Troy, she says he seems to like her and she will get close to him but really, though she didn't like him, she wasn't sure how to feel about him. With a dark charisma and a stronger and more unpredictable personality, Troy kept her on her toes. Maybe she, subconsciously, liked the instability of it all. She never knew if Troy was going to be normal or a total asshole.

After the dam incident, she almost drowned and it gave her PTSD. She became scared of having water up to her torso as well. The loss of Nick totally wrecked her and she felt as if she had lost her heart. She had a very hard time mourning the one she called her best friend and brother. She totally switched after that and became ruthless and cold towards most people and she would cry in private.

APPEARANCE: Nikki is a young woman of short height, standing at 5'3" (160 cm), an inch more with her shoes on, and has a quite petite figure, especially when she wears oversize clothes and her big khaki jacket that she's had since high school. Except in summer, she usually wears vintage looking sweaters with a t-shirt underneath and a pair of baggy jeans with black classic converse. In summer she switches her sweaters for a raglan shirt with black or red sleeves. She wears one as a pajama as well.

She experienced huge weight loss from her heroin addiction which landed her at the hospital as well as rehab, her face got sunken making her look a bit older than her age.

⚠WARNING - TONS OF SPOILERS AHEAD⚠

BACKGROUND: Nikki, of her full name Nicole Emily Russel was born in 1991, to Jean and Harold Russel in LA, California. Her family had been living in the States since the 60s and she was second generation to be born and raised there. She was born in a very pious and strict Christian household and had a complicated relationship with her parents growing up. Her father repeated learned behaviour from his own physically abusive father and would hit her quite often to “discipline” her, and her mother was very passive regarding those unjustified punishments, enabling him. In first year of primary school, Nikki met Nick Clark. The two got sat next to each other in class and almost immediately became friends. Because of that their mothers started talking as they would come to pick them up from school, joking about how similar their names were, Nicole and Nicholas, Nikki and Nick. Like they were two sides of the same coin. When her mother talked with Madison Clark, Nikki saw a completely different side of her, a façade really, that she put on to pretend that she was a nice, good person, and it gave her false hope that her mother was actually what she pretended but when they would get back home, the yelling and beatings would resume and her mother would sit by and do her thing, not caring about it.

For the longest time, Nikki thought she deserved all this and that it was a normal life. She had to keep it a secret because her father told her that if she told anyone, bad people would come and take her and lock her away forever. So, she spent years being terrified of being separated from her parents. It was her worst fear. She somehow managed to keep the various bruises on her body hidden because she would never go to the infirmary, and she would not take part in PE classes because her left leg had been fragilized after being broken. This time around, it had nothing to do with the abuse she was put through. There was a tree in the backyard of the house -which they had cut down after- and when she was around 6, the summer before she went back to school, she tried to climb it and fell. Because the year she met Nick, she had her leg in a cast, she needed assistance and the teacher had assigned him to help her around. That was the actual beginning of their friendship. He was the only one that she then allowed to get close to her because she was so shy and quiet around other people. She never spoke in class.

Her leg remained in a cast for two months and in October ’97, it was removed. During those past couple of months, her father barely laid a hand on her and she almost got used to it. She thought he had stopped being violent altogether because she was hurt and he cared for her but once it was taken off, he started hitting and spanking her again, only keeping himself from going too far because her mom told him they would have the social services on their ass if it got too obvious. At school, she was dispensed from physical activities as her leg was still healing but even 6 months later, in March ’98, she still had some troubles with her leg. Over time, the doctors saw that the leg remained fragilized though she was healing well and to prevent her bone from breaking again in the future, Nikki was told to avoid doing sports. Every time they did a sport that involved running, she couldn’t, the rest of the time, she carefully dressed to cover her body, even if she had no noticeable bruise. It became a reflex as she grew up. For the rest of their primary school years, no one never knew what she was going through. She only ever wore pants and long-sleeved t-shirt or jackets. Even Nick, for the longest time, never saw her arms or legs uncovered.

By the time they turned 14, Nick’s relationship got complicated with his father. That’s when Nikki started rebelling, when she was 13, and she ran away one night, she managed to make her way to Nick’s house and climbed to his window. She ran away that night specifically because in the evening prior, she got into a huge fight with her father, and he gave her a black eye and busted lip. At first, he didn’t realize she was hurt because she wasn’t saying anything and it was dark but when he turned on his light, he was appalled and shocked. She tried to play it off saying she was assaulted by some guy on the street and ran off, but he wouldn’t believe her. He kept trying to find out what happened and she wouldn't tell him, she would just ask him to help her, and he did, but she didn’t want his mom to know, saying that things would get more complicated. He tried to go get stuff to tend to her face, but he accidentally made some noise and Madison woke up. She saw her son with his hands full of compresses and other things and she came into his room but by then, Nikki had heard them talk and got scared. She climbed back out the window and ran off. She didn’t know where to go. She was completely lost and had no idea what to do. If she went back, Madison could help but she was terrified to be taken away from her parents, and if she went back to them instead, she was terrified of what might be done to her for running away and telling people about what was happening.

She was even more scared of staying on the streets and eventually went back to her parents, in hope that they didn’t realize she had run off in the first place. She found the window still up and when she got in, she saw the door was still locked. She couldn’t sleep that night, but she was so exhausted that she fell asleep without even realizing. She woke up when she heard a key turn inside her door’s lock and her mother came into the room, her phone in her hand. Nick and Madison had been trying to call her the whole night and asked her what this was about. Nikki pretended she had no idea and asked if she could get her phone back, but her mom refused, telling her that she was going away to Christian camp for the holidays, without her phone. That morning, Madison and Nick showed up at their house, asking about Nikki. Madison had understood something was off and she was careful with her tone and words but still, Jean didn't let them in, saying Nikki was still asleep, when in reality, she was simply locked up in her room. She eventually closed the door on them and they slowly walked back to their car when Nick casually went around the house and saw Nikki's silhouette behind a thin curtain at a window on the second floor. He could tell she saw him because she walked away to hide.

Nick went back to his mom and urged her to call the police. He told her what he saw and as he had already told her about the injuries she had last night, she dialed 911 and called for a wellness check on Nikki, saying they had suspicion of child abuse. She pressed them to come quickly and said she feared for the 13-year-old's life as she thought her parents might try to take her away today. She couldn't give them many information on the situation as she had no idea what really went down in that house but she knew for a fact it was bad. Nick was walking back and forth, worried sick for his best friend and he and his mom stayed in front of the house until the police came, in case the Russels tried to leave. After a few minutes, a car finally arrived and Nick instantly walked up to the two officers that got out. He was frantic and they told him to calm down as they walked up to the door and knocked. Jean opened. Her husband was actually not there because he was at work. They talked with her for a moment, asking about Nikki, telling her they needed to see her but Jean, with this warm smile assured everything was fine. They insisted but she argued back. At some point, Nick was so done waiting he abruptly slipped inside the house and ran up the stairs. Jean yelled at him but it gave the opportunity for the two officers to finally enter as Nick was upstairs, ramming Nikki's door after he found it locked.

He called for the officers who ran up to join him and they ordered Jean to unlock the door while Nick tried to talk to the girl inside but she was curled up in a corner of the room, frightened by all the noise and fearing her mother would get mad at her if she spoke. Jean eventually gave them the key, quite reluctant to do so and they opened. Nick went up to her and hugged her. She started crying and was then taken to the station where they called CPS on the Russels. Because of the black eye and busted lip, they radioed for a medic unit to come meet them at the station. They had to leave because Jean was being hysterical and demanding to take back her child, saying this was all nonsense. Madison and Nick insisted to come along to provide Nikki with support while things were being dealt with and the officers let them. They sat with her and Nick looked like he was glued to her, holding her against him the whole time. He felt as if he had failed her by letting this go on for so long. The medics arrived, took Nikki's vitals and tried to ask her a couple questions but her lips were sealed.

From Nick's statement, who was the first to see Nikki last night -Madison was told after, she didn't see her right away, it could only be considered hearsay-, she already had the injuries then but when Nikki was asked about it, she mumbled, bit her lips and didn't really say much. She was taken to the hospital to be checked by a doctor when she finally said her father had done this to her. Her claims were backed by the police report that the officers filed after conducting the wellness check and photographs were taken before treating her. When CPS finally responded to the report filed by the police, they spoke with them, as they were the ones who called and then interviewed everyone involved, starting with Nikki who they had to really put at ease for her to speak. Given the emergency of the situation, Nikki was not brought back to her house and as she had been already removed from her house, they sought a court order. With an emergency guardianship ruling, Madison was allowed to take Nikki with her while CPS conducted their investigations on the Russels. Madison almost immidietaly registered the Clarks as foster carers, to make sure she wouldn't be moved to another family. In the weeks and months that followed, there was a number of court audiences and Nikki's parents lost custody and their parental rights were terminated. Madison and her then husband were deemed the best to take care of her from now on and became her legal guardians, though Madison really embodied that role, her husband not so much.

There were regular visit from CPS workers assigned to the case to assess how the Clarks were adjusting to the changes and if Nikki was well. She was sharing Nick's room and his bed had been switched to a bunk one. They were long term best friends and had always been like siblings so they were really happy about the situation. Madison eventually started to think of adopting Nikki and she spoke to ther latter about becoming a Clark too. A court date was eventually set to finalize the adoption and within the year, Nicole Russel became Nicole Clark. By then, Nikki's parents had been sentenced to prison for child abuse. Her father, who struck her was sentenced to 6 years in prison and her mother, who let this happen and would lock her in her room, removing all means of communication with the outside world every night, was sentenced to 2 years in prison. They were also forbidden to go anywhere near their child.

After what happened, she had become even quieter. She was there for Nick as his relationship with his own father got difficult and they both eventually began hanging out at the abandoned church where they would shoot up, both falling into addiction, at just 13 years old. The next five years proved draining for everyone. When they were 14, Madison found out about Nick's addiction and he covered for Nikki and for a while, they only knew about his addiction but after he went to rehab for the first time, it became obvious that she suffered the same affliction and thought it best to send her to a different rehab facility than Nick. Nikki didn’t like it but unlike Nick, she didn’t complain about it. He was upset about it and criticized his mother for separating them, but she stood her grounds. To her, not being around each other for a time could only help them. Of course, when they would get out, they would genuinely try not to do drugs again, but the addiction would prove stronger than their willpower each time. From then on and for the rest of their high school years, they were in and out of rehab. They somehow managed to graduate despite everything, which led them to miss school quite often and she went to rehab for the umpteenth time. She was accepted to nursing school and by the time the first semester ended, she was expelled for stealing drugs from the infirmary. She had no prospect of any kind of a future so she found a job at a gas station and not long after, the outbreak happened. She was at work the day things went down.

[FEAR THE WALKING DEAD-MASTERLIST]

#oc #original character #ftwd #ftwd spoilers #ftwd oc #ftwdedit #fear the walking dead #fear the walking dead oc #fear the walking dead fanfic #oc bio #oc biography #ftwd fic #ftwd fanfic #ftwd fanfiction #fanfiction #series rewrite #ftwd rewrite #madison clark #nick clark

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justinewt · 6 months

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CHILDREN OF VIOLENCE - FEAR THE WALKING DEAD REWRITE (series Masterlist)

Meet Nikki Clark before reading <3

Summary: With a complicated past, Nikki tried to lead a normal life after getting out of rehab for the umpteenth time. She got to nursing school, she wanted to help people but... she got expelled for taking drugs from the infirmary and Madison managed to prevent the school from pressing charges if the young woman left. A normal life overall. It wasn't the worst thing had happened to her but at least, she had some medical training and she still could help. For a while, everything was normal for the Clarks. That is, until an unknown illness started affecting the citizens of Los Angeles, turning them into undead beings relentlessly seeking human flesh. This incited a catastrophic chain reaction that will bring down civilization as they knew it.

[Status: OFF&ON]

New chapter on Sunday 6pm CET

Words: 4.1k

Chapters' list:

SEASON 1 (2015)

Chapter 1 - Fear Begins Here

Chapter 2 - Canary in The Coal Mine (12/24/2023)

Chapter 3 - The Body Keeps Scores (TBA)

...

SEASON 2 (2016)

...

SEASON 3 (2017)

...

SEASON // (////)

...

!! My fanfiction follows the events/timeline of the TV series!! (lots of seasons 1,2,3 etc spoilers to expect)!!

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justinewt · 9 months

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Nostalgia For Innocence - THE WITCHER Fanfiction Chapter Four

[THE WITCHER FANFICTION-MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (12/19/2023)

Summary: After ending her year-long imprisonment in a dungeon in Cintra, Revynah had gone to a friend of her mother's, Anika, also a druid from whom she hoped to get some help before following Geralt's tracks to Aretuza. In this cottage in the woods, she rested, regained her strength and was confronted with difficult emotions and memories that she had long suppressed.

Words: 5.2k

Warnings: The Witcher season 3 SPOILERS Part 1 (some dialogues from episode 3 "Reunion"), title based off a quote from Albert Camus, violence, blood, guts, fights, heart-to-heart, fluff

Revynah looked at the little cottage that stood among the trees, a light mist floating in the woods. Gently tugging on the reins, she guided her horse with her and looked around the property, walking past the plant drying racks, when a man's voice spoke a few feet behind her. The mage turned and exchanged a look with him. She frowned slightly, wondering what the unknown man was doing in her mother's friend's house.

“Who are you?”

“I should be the one asking this question. I live here.” She parted her lips, about to respond something and ask him again who he was when another voice rose nearby and said her name. A voice she hadn’t heard since she was a young girl. Anika stepped towards them, a visible look of surprise on her face as she stared at the young woman. The man seemed surprised as well but not for the same reason.

“Otto, this is Visenna’s daughter. Revynah.”

“Anika, you should be resting.” He suddenly looked worried to see the druid up and running and took a few steps towards her, gently grabbing her shoulders. They exchanged a few words, Revynah heard him insist that she go back inside but she pushed him aside and returned her attention to the sorceress.

“I never thought I’d see you again after Visenna sent you off to Aretuza. Let’s go inside.” She had a soft smile stretching the corners of her lips and motioned for Otto to get the young woman’s horse and led the latter inside the small house. Revynah quietly followed her. The smells of the dried plants and flowers hung above her head brought her memories of her mother’s home, and candlelit lanterns on the walls bringing hints of warm orange light here and there to the room. The druidess had her sit on a small bed nestled in an alcove. She briefly closed her eyes and the first thought that crossed her mind after she sat down was how comfortable the mattress was and how soft the sheets felt under her hand. She hadn't had such luxury in a year, and she had missed having an actual bed. With her back to her, standing on the other side of the room, Anika leaned over a pot that was simmering gently over a fire and she slowly stirred what was brewing in it with a wooden ladle. “How did you end up here after a century?”

“I summoned a portal.” Anika stopped in her gesture and hung the ladle on a small notch in the wall. She knew that the druidess’ question didn’t ask for such a literal answer, but she was tired and didn’t think before deciding to be sarcastic out of the blue. The woman turned around and Revynah gave her the reply she wanted. “I’m looking for Geralt, but I ran into some troubles.”

“If you had arrived earlier, you would have met him. He was just here.”

“What? When?” She instantly went to stand to get closer, but pain shot through her back after accidentally pulling on the skin around the open wounds and she winced, falling back onto the bed behind her. She brought her hand to her side, her palm hovering over her back without daring to touch it. Anika set the Geralt subject aside and handed her a small vial. She drank it, figuring it was something to ease her pain and let out a sigh. Anika sat beside her, silently telling her to let her take a look at what was hurting her. Revynah gritted her teeth as she slipped her arms out of her sleeves and held the front of her robe above her chest as the garment fell down her back, revealing the pitiful state it was left in after the tortures she had endured for months on end. She had gotten rid of the grim covering her body by washing herself at that famr early, but the wounds were probably getting infected anyway since she didn’t have access to potions and because of the toll it took on her, she clearly didn’t have the energy and power to heal herself to such extent. Taking care of her health would be possible with Anika’s help though. Revynah turned her head upon hearing the wooden door of the house open and close as Otto came in. A silence followed as he witnessed the damage. He looked in shock and meeting Anika’s gaze, he went to take something from the crowded surface of the dining table and went back outside, leaving the two women alone.

“What kind of troubles did you run into?”

“Nilfgaard.” The mere mention of the Southern Empire of the continent was enough to throw a chill over the whole room. She would never tell how ironic it was for her to end up tortured by the very man she had agreed to serve after he pulled her out of the rotten hole in which the mages languished during the entirity of the usurper's reign which lasted for two decades, until he was overthrown a little less than ten years ago. Emhyr had been the man to save them and until a couple years ago, she used to think he was the ruler she wanted to follow but now, even if it meant losing Cahir to the White Flame, she would never go back to being a pawn under Nilfgaard’s thumb and in any case, if she did go back, she would be sentenced to death immidietaly, unless she got better and retrieved her full potential and power. She might have never graduated from Aretuza but she was still a pretty powerful mage. The simple fact that she survived so much torture without ever taking any potions was astounding and showed the great extent of her strength and resilience.

Now, she wanted to focus on reuniting with her brother, and it was all that mattered to her. While Anika busied herself with preparing potions and ointments to help heal her wounds and body, Revynah proceeded to tell her about all she went through during her imprisonment in the dungeons of Cintra, how she was stripped naked and hanged from the roof of a cold cell and flogged almost everyday, pieces of her skin and flesh ripped off by the repeated blows, drenching the floor with her own blood as it streamed down her body all day long, how she was sometimes waterboarded when the guards were instructed to stop beating her or she would die too quickly. She told her that on top of everything, when she was free from torture, she still had to drink rancid wine with other prisoners that tested it for poison for the emperor and how she was barely given any food ever. She glossed over her involvement with Nilfgaard in the late 50s and purposefuly chose not to tell the druidess about what she did in the past, including the acts it took for her to get the name of The Aguara of Nilfgaard. Anika didn't need to know, and it wasn't relevant to the tortures. Throughout her bloody story, Anika said nothing, letting her tell all the details she wanted to say outloud. She then promised her she would help and do her best to alleviate her suffering and fix her, though the scars it caused in her mind would be hers to tackle. Revynah drank another potion, to help fight infections and enhance healing. She felt the heat emanating from Anika's hands as she stretched her palms out facing her bruised back, concentrating all her power on it. She grunted when she felt her skin slowly pulling on itself to close the wounds.

“Leave the scars. Don't make them fade away.” She asked, gritting her teeth. Anika didn’t try to argue with her and withdrew her hands once thick raise scars formed all over the skin of her back. Looking at them was unsettling and disturbing and It was far from pretty or nicely healed but it was exactly why Revynah wanted to keep them this way, because if she ever found herself on a battlefield again, she would show them off to shock anyone who would lay eyes upon them and the first person she wanted to shock was Cahir, to try and knock some sense into him. She never wanted to lose him and if she were to lose him to Emhyr’s influence, she would let him go and stop fighting but if she could bring him back on her side, she would try anything. Anika applied an ointment to the scars before wrapping a clean cloth all around her torso so the ointment could penetrate her skin and then gave her a potion that knocked her out of sleep-in seconds so she could sleep peacefully. without being bothered by any pain. She had that same dream again where she saw a tall, broad-shouldered man on top of a hill, with white hair and wearing this necklace with a wolf's head on it. This time, when the man disappeared and left her alone, she found herself in the blink of an eye at the edge of a cliff, the waves crashing against the rocks below. Looking around, she recognized Aretuza in the distance, the school perched on the magical island of Thanedd with its tall tower reaching almost to touch the cloudy sky and its palace beside it. She stood right at the edge of the cliff and woke up when she fell but as her back hit the water, she saw the witcher from the wolf school standing where she was a second prior, though she couldn’t discern his face.

She felt somewhat better after having some rest and straightened up on the bed. Anika and Otto were seated at the table, eating the brew that had been cooking in the cauldron. They noticed that Revynah had woken up and the druid ended their discussion to bring her a bowl which she devoured. She hadn't even realized how hungry she was, she had gotten so used to this constant feeling of emptiness and void in her stomach from being starved over the past months. She thought that she must be a very pitiful sight, she must have lost so much weight since her imprisonment but the fact that her wounds were closed, and healing was a step forward. The rest would follow, unfortunately, she couldn't stay with Anika indefinitely, she would have to leave soon. She got up to peek out the window as she saw the sun's rays still beaming outside.

“It’s morning. The potion you drank put you into a heavy sleep yesterday afternoon. Get some more brew.” She thanked Otto and refilled her bowl to the brim, the soup almost spilling on the floor at every step. She sat next to Anika.

“I can’t stay. I need to get going.”

“You’re very much like your brother, or maybe he gets it from you.”

“Gets what?” She glanced at Anika, taking a spoonful of the brew.

“You’re both so driven.” She gave her a sweet look. Revynah looked into space, thinking about her brother.

“I wish we had the chance to grew up together.” Her nostalgia got less sad and warmer as she remembered the cute little boy Geralt was, brown curls, full cheeks, always running after her. Her little brother. But he had grown since. She felt a wave of regret and sadness wash over her, but her nostalgia got warmer as the memories of their childhood came back in her mind, playing out before her eyes. She chuckled, hearing her brother’s bubbly laughs echo in her mind. “We only ever wanted to please our mother. To make her happy. I wanted to become a druid, just like her. I always helped wounded animals... I would take Geralt mushroom picking with me too. He almost ate a poisonous mushroom one day. I’d gotten distracted...”

“Visenna had always been proud of you. She said that as a child, you already had so much potential. That’s why she thought sending you to Aretuza would be the best option for you.” There was a heaviness to Anika’s voice and the use of the past tense as she spoke of the druidess made her eyebrows twitch. She broke into a cold sweat when the realization of what Anika’s gaze was hiding hit, though she kept a calm expression on her face.

“She’s dead?” There was a silence and Anika didn't even have to move her lips to answer her question.

“She talked about you and Geralt a lot in the end.”

“What happened?” She enquired in a low voice. She wanted to know. “Did she suffer?”

“Geralt asked the same thing.” She chuckled softly but her expression got grave as she continued. The two women looked at each other. “She was mistaken for an elf while helping a villager. She was beaten very badly. Does that make you feel better or worse?”

“I never wanted her to hurt.” Revynah’s eyes drifted to the side, and she stared at her soup getting cold in her bowl without really looking at it. Giving them some privacy for their conversation, Otto quietly stood up and went to take care of something somewhere else in the cottage. “Just wanted her to know what she did.”

“Maybe you didn’t grow up with your brother, Revynah but even apart, you became very similar. It is as if you each have a mind of your own but share the same thoughts. Geralt said the exact same thing when I asked him this question.” She sighed. “Your mother knew. Love for a child forces parents to make the hardest choices of their lives. Impossible ones, even. Chances are, they toil over it for the rest of their lives.”

“What does Geralt remembered of our lives?”

“He said your mother smelled like embers. From—”

“From keeping those measly fires alive for the long nights.” A melancholic smile dawned on her face.

“He remembered the hunger and how you and your mother’s stomachs growled twice as loud as his.”

“I always gave most of my food to Geralt.” Revynah nodded, her eyes progressively getting tearier and as she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek but her voice ddin’t break. “She used her magic to create elaborate meals that we couldn’t afford. What— what else did he say?”

“That he would have done anything to make her smile. He spoke of the day she left him. She needed water so he went to get her some.”

“Yes. I wanted to go get it with him. He was so little. I wanted to help him lift the bucket of water because I thought it might be too heavy for him but, she drove away before he came back.” She frowned, slightly shaking her head. “I started telling her he wasn’t back yet. I asked her to wait for him that I would go find him and bring her the water quicker, but she told me to sit and be quiet. I didn’t understand what was happening. All I could think about was Geralt. I knew he would be scared when he saw we left him. I didn’t know, so I thought… I thought we would go back for him, but we were leaving the forest. I remember feeling so anxious when I saw this huge, dark tower. And Tissaia… she was so intimidating. I cried. I begged mother not to leave me and she just asked me to be good and promised to come back to pick me up when I finished studying at Aretuza.”

“She loved you the best she could. To save you, she had to let you go.”

“She didn’t save me. She pushed down a spiral of loneliness and loss. Oh, I hated her for it… This can’t have been the only choice.”

“It wasn’t. It’s simply the one she made.” She put a comforting hand on her arm, driving her attention on it. Revynah frowned stronger, closing her eyes shut.

“She never came back at Aretuza. Or maybe she did, how could I know? I hated it so much there that I ran away first chance I got before graduation. I thought I’d managed to hide from the Brotherhood, get a normal life… I didn’t get sterilized at the academy, so I even had a family for a while but, I guess I’d never been that well hidden from them.” She clenched her fist. “I had a son. I even named him after Geralt because I thought he died. The Brotherhood, they got my family killed. My child. The man I married. Even his parents. They didn’t leave anything on their way. So, once again, I ran. I ended up in Nilfgaard. I thought I was far enough from the mages. This time, I was, but I lost myself in chaos.” She didn’t want to tell her about all she did at the time, but she felt the need to say it out loud to someone. Emhyr knew but she never actually told him directly. She needed to look at someone in the eyes while confessing to this. Anika kept quiet. There was nothing she could say that would ease the pain Revynah was feeling from everything she went through in her life. “I spent the next 6 decades, alone in a foreign land and I— I killed people. In every village I came by, I killed a few villagers. In less than, I don’t know, ten years, people started talking about an aguara gone rogue, and I got the name of The Aguara of Nilfgaard. There was never lots of mages there so I was, with too much power and too many feelings I couldn’t cope with. I was angry at everyone and everything…”

“Revynah…” Anika’s hand slipped from her arm when the sorceress stood up, wiping away tears with the back of her hand.

“I have to go now. There are things I need to get done before trying to find Geralt. Did he tell you where he was going?”

“He left for Aretuza.”

“Then I’ll go back to Aretuza.”

“Wait. Before you go, I have something to give you.” Revynah watched Anika go get a small box in a drawer and come back. She looked at her in confusion, unsure what she was talking about. She reluctantly took the box from her hands. “It was your mother’s.”

“My mother’s?” She opened it, not really expecting much from whatever was inside but the shine of the chalcedone amulet on a thin and fine golden band got her to widen her eyes. She couldn’t get her eyes off the piece of jewelry. “What is it?”

“It was a diadem she wore. She wanted me to pass it on to you.”

“How do I— how do I use it? Do I just wear it?”

“I never used it myself, but she told me it grants you protection against mind spells. It allows you to understand the nature of every wound or illness and to cast spells on demand, like telempathy and detection.” As Revynah carefully slid her fingers to pick it up from the box, which she then put down on the table, she went to put it around her head when Anika stopped her for a second. “She also said that it greatly affected her physical and mental health over time. You need to be careful.”

“I will. Thank you, Anika.” She gave a nod to Otto before leaving the house. She had a new destination now, Aretuza. But before going there, she had a stop to make before heading towards the magic school. She had something before finally reuniting with her estranged brother. She walked to her horse and put the diadem in the bag hanging from the side of the saddle and she mounted. She rode away from the house, taking a moment to weigh the words that had been said in Anika and Otto's home before opening a portal to get to where she wanted faster. What she was planning to do required for night to fall so she went to the nearest village to eat something at the inn. She got off her horse, observing the few people around, a child was playing with a dog near the fence, a woman was sitting in front of a house and washed a cloth in a wooden basin and a couple men talked loudly near the door of the roadhouse and a few others walked around the place, living their daily lives. Revynah grabbed the diadem and placed it around her head, passing her hair over the band. She was curious to try its powers. She tied the rein along some other horses and caressed the mare.

“I still need to name you.” The animal puffed out, whipping the air with its tail. She took a hot second to make up a name and decided to name her Ròswen, which meant white rose in the Nilfgaardian dialect. Obviously after so long, Revynah spoke the language fluently and she chose a name referencing the gift she had made to Cahir a couple years ago, and it was fitting because the mare’s dress was as white as snow. The sorceress then walked into the inn with a small pouch in her hands, with coins in it. She used florens for so long too that she had to double check if her money was the right currency. She got herself some ale at the bar and went to sit in a corner. There weren’t that many people, it was a small town, and it was just noon. She figured it might be livelier in the evening, but she didn’t have the luxury to spend the rest of her day in this hole. After eating a plate of food, she ordered, she spotted a lone guy on the other side of the room.

She had an idea to bring some fun to this dull town. She stood up, walking straight towards him and pretended to accidentally spill her drink on his boots so she could get up close with him. He groaned and started complaining but she bent over, plunging her eyes in his. The two guys that she had seen talk outside were now sitting at the bar, chatting. She ordered to go start a fight and to groan like a rabid animal. She sat in his place, leaning against the wall, nonchalantly eating the chicken he left in his plate and watched the men jump at each other, causing some mayhem in the small establishment. She enjoyed the show for a moment until the guy was knocked unconscious because even though his face was covered in his own blood, he kept going, as if he was mad. She had finished his food anyway and quickly disappeared from the village before people came at her for being a witch and causing trouble, which she was doing, and they would be right because her causing trouble in a quiet town was absolutely related to her having powers. She also stole the man’s knife after he left it on the table.

She went back into the forest, out of sight and when she was about to open a portal, she saw an animal with orange fur not far from there. The poor fox seemed in bad shape, and she decided to approach. Exactly as Anika had told him, the diadem let her know from a single glance that his hind legs were broken and he was dying, sprawled at the foot of a tree. He wasn't a young or baby fox; he was an adult and quite a big one but that didn't change the fact that he was dying. She chose to put it out of its misery and took a deep breath before slitting his throat. She watched a pool of blood grow and taint the dirt when she got an idea. When she first heard that people named her the aguara, she decided to play the part and skinned a dead fox, it was as big as the one right there and she wore the skin as a cape. But back then she had gotten the whole thing preserved so it wouldn’t rot. Maybe she would do the same for this one or discard it later. She wasn’t resuming her role as the Aguara of Nilfgaard anyway. She proceeded to cut the skin off its flesh and broke the neck to pull the skull of the corpse. Her hands and forearms were covered in blood but the more blood the better. She stood up and put the head over her hair and she closed her eyes when she felt blood dripping over her face and she got back on her mount, quickly opening a portal to get to the forest near Cintra, to the exact spot where the soldiers dumped Fringilla and she. She tied her horse to a tree and grabbed some of the ingredients she got from Anika’s house, some saltpeter and phosphorus to make a dragon’s dream bomb for later. She followed the smell of the bodies in decomposition and slowly walked around the fire and she waited until nightfall. When she heard the voices of a couple soldiers approaching with a cart, she knew it was almost time.

“Heavy bastard.”

“Let’s get this over with.” As they swung the first corpse, throwing it on the others, it rolled down and bumped into Revynah's ankles. The silence that followed showed her that they noticed her standing there. She heard them draw their swords out of their scabbards. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Turn around now. Show your face.” The other tried to give her an order but she disappeared. Distraught, they looked around, squinting their eyes as they rose their voices, ordering her to stop this sorcery and show herself. When she did, she was standing behind behind the two men. The flames of the fire below reflected on her bloodstained face. They let out an audible gasp, stepping back and brandished their swords at her. They were shaking, trying to keep their composure but she was aware of the fear she subjected them too. Those two men were among the soldiers that took part in her torture, and she wanted revenge over them, but her plan was also to send a message to Emhyr. She took one step after another towards them.

“Stay back!” A smirk appeared on her face and her lips moved in a whisper. The soldier screamed as his wrist suddenly twisted with a sharp bone-crunching sound. He let go of his sword and it fell to the ground as he held his arm, loudly crying in pain. His peer was frozen in place, unable to run away and it was due to the amulet sitting on her forehead. He was staring at the bright stone with wide eyes.

“Pick it up.” The soldier picked up his weapon and as if in a trance, he sliced in broken hand off and plunged the sharp blade deep into his abdomen. He staggered and fell on the bodies below. He gagged on the blood that filled his mouth and gave a wide look of terror at Revynah who was unphased by the sight of his death. Her head snapped back towards the second guy when she heard a branch crack under his foot. He froze in place again, still holding his sword towards the sorceress. She reached out to the side and attracted the bloodied sword to her hand. It was pulled out of the soldier by an invisible force, and he was briefly lifted, falling back with a soft thump. The man in front of her stood his ground as she approached, and their swords clashed in a concert of metallic noises. She let the blade of her sword slip, and she saw a surge of confidence and arrogance in his eyes. When he was just beginning to believe he was getting the upper hand again, she struck so quickly that it took him a second to realize she had severed the hand that held his sword and cut him across the stomach. He dropped to his knees and stared at the guts he was keeping from falling out with his remaining hand. Revynah grabbed his jaw and forced him to look at her. She must have been a real sight of horror to him after what she had just done, and the mere fact that she was wearing a dead fox skin and her face and hands were as if made up with the blood staining them.

“W-why?” He tried to ask as he choked on his blood. She crouched down, still holding his face, clenching her fingers so tightly on his jaw that the bone was close to shattering under the pressure.

“Look closer, and ask again.” Her voice was cold and accusatory. He stared at her, and she saw in his eyes that he recognized her.

“It’s not possible. Y-you were dead.”

“I don’t die. You can’t kill me.” She raised her voice, shouting in his face with rage and resentment. She quickly gathered herself as she felt the thrill of the revenge killing come back and she herself got scared of where her mind might go. Wanting to get this over with quickly, she called upon the mind control power of the stone and ordered him to get up, hold his guts until he reached Cintra and ask the first soldier he came across that he needed to talk to Emhyr about urgent matters and when brought to him, to tell the White Flame that the Aguara lived and then let himself die at his noble feet.

With a sigh, she watched the soldier move unsteadly, staggering among the trees as he walked away towards the fortified city. The final stage of his plan could now unfold. She hissed at her horse and followed her whinny to find her in the dark. She untied the rein from the tree, got on her mount and trotted back to the fire, taking in her hand the bomb she had earlier. She threw it to the ground and sped her horse away as the bomb released a cloud of gas that quickly spread around the dumping ground. The flames danced dangerously close to the smoke and the forest turned into a huge inferno. At that very moment, Revynah rode at full speed through a portal to get herself to Gors Velen. The island on which Aretuza was standing was magic and she couldn't conjure portals to get her directly to the school so the Temrian city was the closest she could get. Taking advantage of the calm of the night, she skirted the town and went to the water's edge where she removed the fox skin, placing it on her mare's rump and she took off her dress to clean herself and wash the blood of her hair and skin, using the bandage as a a cloth. She bathed in the water, closing her eyes to let herself be lulled by the sound of the waves.

[To be continued…]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (12/19/2023)

Published (08/08/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 9 months

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Wanheda - THE 100 REWRITE Chapter Twenty

[THE 100 MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: Ever since Clarke walked away from camp Arkadia, Bellamy, Michelle and the others had been looking everywhere for her, but they would never find her until she was ready to be found. They started hearing about a certain Wanheda after running into a bunch of Grounders during a mapping run outside the compound and things went downhill from there.

Words: 7.5k

Warnings: The 100 season 3 spoilers (episode 1 “Wanheda - Part 1″ & episode 2 “Wanheda - Part 2″), violence, blood, grief, head trauma

Bellamy grunted and groaned as he traded punches with Lincoln. He fell to the ground and got back up, hitting the grounder in the chest. The two young men made a demonstration of combat under the eyes of the teenagers of the Ark. In the last months, they regularly practiced to fight, under the teaching of Lincoln. Months. Michelle sighed at the thought that it had been 3 months already since Clarke left Camp Jaha, now named Arkadia, and disappeared from their radar. She had no idea where her best friend had gone off to and had to wait for her to resurface and come back. Murphy was sometimes on her mind as well. She wondered if they found this utopia that was the city of light, but she doubted that. She only hoped he was alive, somewhere. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, standing a little behind the group watching Lincoln and Bellamy, she snapped out of her thoughts and her eyes drifted over his bare chest, detailing the bulging muscles of his body. She couldn't believe she would ever find Bellamy so attractive and yet a few months ago they had started to get closer. Purely physical at first, she felt her feelings for him change and get stronger, and for some reason she didn't even understand, she found herself pushing him away and distancing herself from him. She also wondered sometimes if the girlfriend he now had was to make her jealous, and let's say it did. Even if she refused to admit it.

She watched Bellamy get thrown over Lincoln shoulder and onto the ground while he held his punch back. The demonstration was over. He straightened up and turned to the group. Bellamy was still lying on the ground, catching his breath before getting on his feet.

“He had me, but he was too aggressive.” The crowd chuckled and the grounder looked at his opponent. The latter was putting on his t-shirt. “Quitting so soon?”

“Mapping run. Sector 7.”

“Harper, let’s get this over with.” She threw a bag at Lincoln, and he caught it effortlessly.

“The Council wants you to have that.”

“I’m Trikru.” He grabbed a uniform from inside the bag. It was a uniform worn by guards on the Ark.

“A uniform doesn’t change that. This is our home now, Lincoln. We fought for it. Too many of our friends died for it. On the Ark, the uniform meant something different. Down here, it means what we make it mean. Together.” He declared, pointing at the piece of clothing in his hand. “My sister will understand that eventually.”

“Pair up and fight. Now.” Lincoln instructed before following Bellamy to the bench. As they obeyed and began to practice on their own, Michelle fixed her gaze on Bellamy waiting for his talk with Lincoln to end so they could leave the training room. She wasn't staying to practice today, at least not yet. After the incident at Mount Weather, Abby told her to avoid physical effort for the next few months or the drill wound in her femur would never heal properly and though she was annoyed by this constraint, she couldn't go against it, and it made her team up with Bellamy less anyway since she didn't go on missions outside the camp. After a minute, Bellamy walked toward her and looked at her nodding his head towards the door as she followed him outside. They could both feel the awkwardness between them when they were together. It was palpable. But both acted like they didn't took notice of it, preferring to behave as if there was nothing between them. Bellamy probably thought that was what she wanted him to do, and it wasn't, but she felt like she couldn't tell him that. Their relationship was most definitely too weird now.

They walked in silence to a door, glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes when the other wasn't looking. Bellamy knocked and opened the door. Kane was standing in front of a sector map he had drawn on a board and motioned for them to be quiet and come forward. Abby was sleeping on a couch not far from them.

“It’s the Chancellor’s first sleep in two days.” He said quietly.

“I’ll be quick, then. We’re going into Sector 7. I think we should arm the entire unit.”

“Permission granted. But the rules of engagement still apply. Nonlethal response.”

“Copy that.” He proceeded to walk back to the door and leave when Kane called him.

“Bellamy… There hasn’t been an attack since Mount Weather. It’s three months. Our people believe that this is real peace. Try not to screw that up.”

“Yes, sir.” He nodded with a tight smile and turned around. Michelle was about to follow suit with him as she was supposed to accompany him on this mapping run this time around. Her father gently grabbed her arm.

“What? I can still go right? My leg feels fine.”

“Be careful.” She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile, and jogged to catch up with Bellamy down the hallway. Hearing her footsteps behind him, he took a peek over his shoulder, slowing down his pace and walked with her to search out Monty for the mapping run. The latter was sitting at a table when they arrived.

“Monty, why aren’t you ready?” Bellamy asked.

“I am. He’s not.” He simply said, glancing behind him. Bellamy and Michelle followed his gaze and saw Jasper sprawled on the ground, passed out drunk under a table. The three of them walked towards him. “What should we do?”

“We should leave him this time.”

“He’s not getting better. Maya’s death broke him.” He continued, concerned for his best friend. Insisting that he needed this, Bellamy exhaled. They each took an arm to help her up and Michelle sighed quietly before walking after them. The two sat him down when a voice reached their ears. Michelle glanced towards where it rose from and saw Gina, Bellamy's girlfriend. She couldn’t help but cross her arms, rolling her eyes and looking away when she saw them kiss, turning her head the opposite direction. She didn’t even try to hide her annoyance in front of Monty. He was a friend she could trust, there was no point in pretending she didn’t feel anything seeing him with her. She felt that he was looking at her and avoided his gaze.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged and walked away. She jumped at the chance to go further from Bellamy and Gina and accompanied him, leaving Jasper dozing off against the car.

“If you follow me then it’s not ‘nothing’, Michelle.” He grabbed a bucket and began to fill it with water. “I don’t understand what’s up with you and Bellamy.”

“Well, I don’t know… It’s just— It’s nothing.” She glanced at the car. Bellamy was busy with a bag near the vehicle, talking with Raven and Nate. He met her gaze and she looked away. Monty nodded and walked back to Jasper, taking their peers by surprise when he threw the bucket of water in his face. Michelle was kind of sad. He was a good friend but if she had Clarke to talk to it would be very different. Maybe she wouldn’t even have pushed Bellamy away in the first place and things wouldn’t be like this. She couldn’t blame Bellamy though. She showed him she liked him and when it got more serious, she stepped away without warning. He had probably been hurt by her gesture, but she couldn't do anything about it now. It was too late. She had to focus on helping them until they finally found Clarke.

“I’m sorry, was that too cold?” Jasper looked up at him through his eyebrows and started screaming as he slammed him against a wall. The sudden anger that had driven him seemed to leave and he let go of Monty. Bellamy walked up to him and gave him a bulletproof vest.

“No gun for you. Not until you’re sober.”

“Don’t want one.” Before walking away, he mimed a military salute and slightly slapped Bellamy's face, making him turn his head in reflex. Michelle watched for a few seconds, her arms hanging down at her sides before she decided to walk over to get a bulletproof vest and a gun, passing Bellamy without a glance. When he was his back to her, she looked at him getting a kiss from Gina before leaving and the two young women exchanged looks as Michelle got in the back of the rover next to Bellamy, while Raven and Jasper sat at the front.

“She’s too good for you.” Raven taunted.

“Shut up.”

“Careful. Monty might melt her.” Monty turned to Jasper, about to retort something but Bellamy stopped him.

“Raven… take us out.” She nodded and started the car. Nate closed the doors and the hangar door opened, revealing Octavia on horseback in front of the vehicle. They drove across Arkadia and followed her through the woods. Jasper had headphones on and started singing along the music he was listening to. Everyone in the car looked at him and Monty pulled the earphone out.

“No way. If you’re gonna ride shotgun, you can’t just disappear.” When Jasper went to connect his MP3 to the car system, Bellamy kept Monty from stopping him.

“It’s okay. It’s a long ride.” Quickly, Jasper began singing, joined by Raven and Nate who were enjoying the music. It was honestly not bad, but Michelle barely sketched a smile, letting her head rest against the wall, looking out the tiny, barred window on the back. She straightened up when she saw Jasper get up in the car and join them in the back to stick his head out the opening in the roof of the rover. The party was quickly over when the radar started bipping. Raven cut the music and made the car go to a halt.

“A tracking beacon from the Ark.” Monty exclaimed as he got on the passenger seat.

“Who is that?” Bellamy inquired.

“Farm Station.”

“After four months? How?” Nate wondered, glancing at Bellamy.

“We’ll find out. Where are they?” The car doors opened on Octavia, asking if she had missed the party.

“Sector 8.” Monty added.

“That’s Ice Nation.” Michelle said, frowning.

“What about it”?

“The protocole says we go home. Let the Chancellor decide what to do next.” Raven explained.

“Screw protocole. The Chancellor’s not from Farm Station. Monty is. So is Miller’s boyfriend. It’s your call.” Bellamy looked at Monty and Miller, leaving them the choice of action on this one and Monty almost immidietaly agreed to it. Octavia closed the door and they left for the Ice Nation territory. Michelle knew this wasn’t a good idea and it would at some point go sideways, not that she felt bad for going against the orders they had been given but she was thinking about how her father told her to be careful and she was not doing that at all. Even though her leg was healing, she had been warned by Abby to go easy on it or the drill wounds into her bones would always and forever weaken the strength in her limb. The scar on her hand was still barely healed as well, prominent, and pinkish across her palm. She would never fully recover her mobility and strength in her hand as nerves had been severed but the upside to that was that she no longer felt anything in the palm of her hand, neither pain nor hot nor cold.

When the car stopped again, they all quickly got out. Michelle and Bellamy looked around the forest that stretched before them. The sun was hidden by the clouds as the day progressed and they were bathed in a dull whitish light.

“These woods must be the border.”

“So wher’s all the ice?” Jasper asked, walking nonchalantly.

“Much further north.” Octavia stepped next to her brother. “Azgeda stretches for 1,000 miles.”

“Good thing we only have to go 200 meters.” Monty was leaning over the GPS in his hands, not looking ahead of him. Bellamy stopped him in his tracks, reminding him of the rules. They couldn’t engage with lethal forces if they crossed path with people from the Ice Nation. Knowing these people weren’t the most peaceful, it was really a rule setting them up for danger.

“Tight formation on my command. Raven, you stay in the rover.”

“We need every gun we’ve got.” Octavia then declared. As Monty watched the progression of the beam on the radar, telling them how much closer the people were getting, Michelle stared in front of her, holding her gun secured in her grip. Her scarred hand supported the barrel of the weapon. None of them moved a finger. Bellamy held his gun up, getting ready to fire, just in case.

“They’re our people. What are you—”

“We hope they’re our people.” On Bellamy’s command, they all aimed as they saw a bunch of horses coming towards them.

“Ice Nation?”

“Yes. White war paint.” She confirmed her brother’s question. There were three of them, on horses as white as the paint on their faces. Bellamy and the others lowered their guns. Octavia quietly advised them to stay calm and she raised her hands in peace as she approached the riders. They began to speak in trigedasleng. “They think we’re looking for Wanheda.”

“Who’s that?” Bellamy spoke for all of them when he asked this. Michelle frowned in confusion, wondering who it was and why it was even brought up. It must have a signification in their language, but they didn’t have the translation needed to understand. Even Octavia had no idea who that was. An Azgeda rider took a step towards her. Monty noticed a red light hanging from his bag. That was the beacon they had noticed on the radar. Out of the blue, Jasper walked up to them, ignoring Bellamy telling him to come back. He decided to act on his own at the worst time he could have chosen.

“Tell them we observe the Commander’s truce. Do it now.” Octavia hurried to do as her brother asked and she spoke in their language again, with a sense of urgency in her voice. They had to avoid losing control of the situation. Jasper straight up snatched the beacon, and the rider got a hold of him, holding a blade up to his neck. Michelle didn’t understand what he said after, but she made out the word wanheda again. Whoever that was, they were eager to find them. The two other riders bent their bows. Octavia seemingly tried to talk to them, but Jasper ruined any possible effort they could make and smiled as if he found the whole thing so funny. They never should have brought him on this run with them. He was too affected and messd up by what happened at Mount Weather and that had made him too reckless. His behavior was going to put them all at risk and of course things went downhill with the arrogant smile that grew on his face. The rider pressed the blade of his knife against the side of his throat, drawing blood and a shot was fired by each one of them until Bellamy ordered them to hold their fire, which they did but the two riders had fallen heavily from their mounts.

“Jasper, get down.” He kneeled and Octavia threw her machete at the last Azgedan standing, stabbing him neatly in the chest. The latter fell after stumbling. Just after the fight had ceased, they heard Kane's voice coming from the radio in the rover. It all got blew up in the first place because of Jasper. Michelle clenched her jaw, giving him a stare as she trotted around the car, her hand on the car door while Bellamy took the radio. Octavia took care of helping him up anyway. She leaned him against the vehicule while Miller got the aidkit out. As annoying as he was, he was still bleeding from his neck.

“We had to shoot three Ice Nation scouts.” There was no immediate response, so he insisted. “Culvert. Sector 4, copy. Will you tell me what’s going on?”

“When you get here. Out.”

“Sector 4? Why’s Kane so far outside the wall?” Michelle enquired, glancing at Raven standing beside her. It seemed like she was about to ask the exact same thing. He didn’t say anything and went to the others, shouting for them to get Jasper back home. They were knee-deep in a shit load of trouble because of his stupid behavior.

“Miller. Get one of their horses. Raven, since you can’t ride, you’re on the back. Monty, Michelle, you’re with me. Let’s go.” They all nodded to the instructions he gave them. While the others left on horseback, heading back to Camp Arkadia, Michelle, Monty and Bellamy climbed in the car and drove all the way to the entrance of a large tunnel. They jumped out and stayed on the look out.

“You were right about Jasper. Okay? Is that what you want me to say?”

“Quiet. Keep your eyes peeled. I could’ve said no.”

“He’s getting worse, isn’t he? I mean, getting drunk every night is one thing, but smiling with a knife to your throat, that’s next level damaged.”

“Exactly.” Michelle said quietly, staring ahead of her as she saw movement in the dense bushes and trees in front of them. The tall figure of her father appeared, followed by someone. The three of them held their guns low.

“Who’s he with?”

“Indra. He must’ve told her we broke the truce.” Bellamy added before walking to meet them. “Sir, before you say anything, there was a good reason—”

“I’ll deal with that later. This is about Clarke.”

“Clarke?” Michelle’s face suddenly relaxed as she looked at him, her lips parted. She quickly shook off the puzzlement she felt and continued. “What about her?”

“She’s being hunted.” Indra stated with a serious tone.

“By who?” Monty asked.

“By everyone.”

“So, she’s Wanheda.” Michelle quickly figured the person the Azgedan scouts were looking for, and that they kept calling wanheda, was most likely Clarke herself. Even if it didn’t really made sense to her now, there was no other reasoning possible. Bellamy contained his shock but when he looked at her, he couldn’t hide it from her. Just by sharing a simple look, they knew they would both be ready to do anything to save Clarke, wherever she might be and their shared love for her brought them together no matter what state their relationship was in. Even if they happened to hate each other, they would still be prepared to team up. Fortunately enough, they did not in fact hate each other. It was rather the opposite.

With Monty at the wheel, Michelle climbed in the back with the two newcomers, sitting next to her father as they drove through the forest. Indra seemed disconcerted and made uneasy by the tremors of the vehicle when a wheel hit a pothole in the road.

“I’m still getting used to it myself.” Kane admitted sofly.

“Sir, we’re almost out of range. Are you sure you don’t wanna tell the Chancellor?”

“I’m sure.” He told Monty. “I don’t wanna worry Abby until we know something.”

“We know there is a kill order. You people are big on those.”

“It’s not a kill order. It’s a bounty.” Indra corrected. “Clarke’s a symbol. She’s known as Wanheda. Seems like Michelle was the first to make the connection.”

“What does Wanheda means?” Michelle leaned on her knees, clasping her hands together. Indra turned her head towards her, silent for a second.

“It means, Commander of Death.”

“The Ice Nation guys we killed asked about Wanheda. They’re looking for Clarke. Why?” Bellamy spoke.

“My people believe that when you kill someone, you get their power. Kill Wanheda and you command death.”

“She’s just one girl.” Michelle glanced at her father as she straightened up and listened quietly. Maybe it wasn’t a kill order that Clarke was the target of but all in all, she would end up killed by someone. They had to do something to prevent that.

“So was the Commander. What Clarke did at Mount Weather weakened her. The Ice Nation is emboldened. Their Queen wants Clarke’s power. If her people believe she has it, she’ll break the coalition and start a war. I can’t let that happen.” A beeping noise started sounding at the front of the rover and Monty let them know they finally reached Sector 7. He asked where to go now and Indra’s voice rose again. “If she’s here, she’ll need supplies. We’ll start at the trading posts.”

Night fell quickly, and it was pitch-black outside with only the rover's headlights and moon as lights. It was silent too. Until Monty suddenly braked. Though unsettled and taken by surprised, Michelle was well seated and wouldn’t have fallen but Kane grabbed her arm. They looked out the windshield and saw the reason why Monty had stopped the car in the middle of nowhere. There was a large tree trunk lying across the road. They had to move it. Before Monty and Bellamy jumped out the vehicle, Indra stopped them.

“It’s been cut down.” If that was the truth it would mean this was a set up to catch them the moment, they stepped out of the car. Of course, Bellamy doubted her word and stood through the moon roof to take a look. The silence that followed was brief. Another tree crashed to the ground and Bellamy ducked back into the car. Now they knew for sure that Indra was right.

“It’s been three hours. What are they waiting for?” Bellamy was growing impatient and annoyed at whoever was out there. The sun had risen outside and yet none of them could see anything to report around them, after they had now been stuck in the car the whole night.

“I say we make a run for it.”

“No. That’s what they want us to do.” Kane disagreed with Monty as he looked out the rear doors window. But if they couln’t go outside, there wasn’t many things they could do. Indra argued.

“The boy is right. They can wait longer than we can.”

“Okay, Bellamy. You get in the turret, and you cover us. Once we get to that ridge over ther, we’ll cover you.”

“Copy that. Run fast.” He stood up, opening the roof and they tightened their grip on their guns when he let them know that the people prying on them were already here. A man's muffled voice ordered them out, or maybe Bellamy did. The latter was pulled out the vehicle. Kane and Michelle exclaimed in surprise when he was lifted out the rover. They let go of their weapons, with Indra reluctantly doing the same. The metal of her sword clanged as it fell. The moment the door’s handle was turned down, they were pulled out the car violently and thrown on the ground in a concert of gruntings before being all pinned down. Her head held against the dirt, Michelle’s eyes swept over the people around them and watched two of them make Monty stand up. One snatched the beacon from him. He yelled to get it back, but Bellamy called out to him, and a masked woman picked up on his name. It was his mother. The woman took off her mask and drew her son into a hug. It was clear how relieved she was to have found him alive and well, safe and sound.

Michelle looked away, swallowing harshly. It was a sweet and sour sight for her as it only reminded her that her own mother was gone. She would never have the chance to experience such a moment and could only be reunited with her in death, but she was barely 18 so if she played smart at survival, she would still live for quite a while. Knowing that she would never see her mother ever again in this lifetime hurt her in ways she never imagined. She could feel this gaping hole in her heart that would never be filled again. The loss of her mother was still so fresh too. It was an open wound that felt like it would never heal but at least she had found another parent, although she would have preferred to have her mother as well as her father by her side. She blinked heavily to force the tear blurring her sight to fall and roll down her cheek while Monty hugged his mother in a tight embrace, sobbing.

“Pike?”

“You have no idea how good it is to see you.” He declared laughing and with a big smile on his face, holding out his hand to help him up. Michelle and Bellamy kind of glanced at each other as they were still pinned to the ground, a blade to their throats. “Lacroix, Smith, watch our six. Everyeon else, I said stand down.”

The man holding her down released her and she rolled on her back, leaning on her elbow to sit up. She caught her father's gaze as she furtively wiped away the tear and she took the hand he offered to help her up in turn. He gave her a compassionate and fatherly look, putting a comforting hand at the back of her head, softly stroking her hair with his thumb. He didn’t need to do much thinking to understand why she had gotten teary. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes too as he looked at her. His hand slid to her shoulders as they looked towards Monty and his mother. The latter spun around, looking for someone.

“Where’s dad?”

“Your father didn’t make it.” After a second of heavy silence, they stepped into a hug. Michelle watched them for a moment while Kane addressed Pike.

“How many of you are there?”

“63. The rest are camped in the mountains north of here.” He raised his voice, talking to the survivors around him, drawing Michelle's attention back to him. “Grounders killers one and all. Am I right?”

They joined into a yelling cry, and it got Michelle frowning. Her judging and defying stare got him looking directly at her. He squinted his eyes and started observing the proximity there was between Kane and her. She had forgotten but it was true that no one beside Abby had ever known she was Kane’s child. Her mother had always kept it a secret who the father of her kid was. Pointing a finger towards her, he parted his lips.

“Michelle Cartwig, right? I’d recognize that look of defiance anywhere. You always stared at me like this when I was teaching you.” She sketched a tight smile as he gave her a heavy pat on the shoulder that was meant to be friendly.

“Hate to cut this short. We gotta find Clarke.” Bellamy stepped in, unknowingly stopping this awkward interaction for Michelle. They had no time to waste on top of everything, so she didn’t need to be reminded that she always looked mad during Earth Skills lessons.

“Clarke Griffin?” He nodded. “If only all of my Earth Skills students were as good as her.”

“It’s good to see you, sir.” They shared a handshake, chuckling. Kane then asked for the tree to be moved from the road and Pike motioned for the rest of the Farm Station survivors to help them do so. Michelle knew she wouldn’t be of much help with the reduced strength of her hand, but she wanted to walk away from Pike. She had never liked people in position of authority and though the incident in which she spat at Kane, the news of the assault on a guard had spread all over the Ark. Monty joined Michelle and Bellamy “Are you okay?”

“I have to be.” They grunted as they bent over the trunk and proceeded to push it out of the way together. It didn’t take them much time to get things done and they walked back to the others.

“Kane, it’s time to go.” After Bellamy called out to him, the councilman instructed Monty to give the coordinates to Arkadia so they could go there on their own while they looked for Clarke’s whereabouts.

When they arrived at the trading post, they heard noises of commotion in the building. Bellamy walked through the door first and shot the guy attacking the worker inside. She stood up in panic, stumbling as she found her footing, her face covered in blood as she watched them enter. Indra checked out the dead grounder, telling the group that it was a bounty hunter. He must have been after Clarke like everyone else they crossed paths with until now. She talked to the woman in their language and Michelle frowned at Pike when he insisted that they converse in English, for no reason. Kane told him to go search the perimeter with Monty and his mother, to make sure there was no one else lurking around the area. It was easy to tell that in the future, Pike would be a pain in the ass. There was a reason why Michelle had never been very obeidient and nice when he was her teacher. She didn’t like the guy. Watching him walk out, she turned back to Indra who had resumed talking. From what she gathered; she told her they were looking for Wanheda but she seemed wary to speak

“Please. She’s in danger.” Bellamy said.

“You’re Skaikru?” Finding this out seemed to loosen her tongue a bit. “She was here last night.”

“Did she say where she was going?” Kane stepped forward.

“No. She was here when I fell asleep, and gone when I woke up.”

“She gave you any indication of where she might go?”

“No. But he did. He said that his partner came back for her. It was Ice Nation.” Bellamy, Kane and Michelle shared a glance. They had already had a run in with Ice Nation people before. It didn't look good. Monty walked back inside. They all turned to him.

“Good news. I found fresh tracks.”

“Great. Start the Rover.”

“That’s the bad news.” He looked at Bellamy. “Too many trees. We have to go on foot.”

Michelle let the others out first and turned when she heard the woman's voice behind her. “I hope you find her.” She gave her a strong nod before following suit and joining her peers outside. They had to track down Clarke before anything bad happened to her because it would if they wasted too much time. Coming out of the forest, they crossed a large field, on the lookout. Being in such a big and open place was almost less reassuring than being in a crowded forest. There was no way for them to know if someone was watching them from the treetops or following them around in the high grass. As they walked, Michelle heard the others talk behind her and Kane until Indra, who had stopped in her tracks, asked them to be quiet as she looked in the distance. Maybe she had spotted something.

“Listen.”

“War drums.” Kane noted. Michelle looked around and she heard them too. Now that she has pointed it out. She just noticed the consistency of the rumbling sound going on in the background.

“Azgeda.”

“You can tell it’s Ice Nation from the sound?” Monty was puzzled.

“No. From them.” They followed her gaze and saw the bodies lying around. Michelle counted three of them dead.

“We need to get those bodies off the field. Unless you’re good with them thinking we did this.” Kane dropped to one knee; his weapon raised in front of him. The others ran to the bodies to get them off the field because on that one Pike was right, they couldn’t afford to have Azgeda think they killed some of their own. Michelle went along with the others, jogging towards the corpses when Bellamy saw people coming. He looked through the precision scope of his firearm.

“It’s Clarke.” Michelle froze and turned to him. They had been running after her the whole day, looking for her everywhere for months and she was right here and there on the very same field in which they stood. He started running but Pike stopped him in his course. She jogged towards them as the young man shouted for him to get out of his way.

“You’ll never make it in time.”

“He’s right. Look.” Bellamy listened to Monty and looked through the scope again. Michelle did the same and noticed the Azgedan troops marching out of the forest. She then resumed approaching the three of them. “No way we’d get across without being seen.”

“We should lay low, let the army pass. Then we find Clarke.” Michelle looked down, thinking. She wasn’t so in on just waiting it out. If they did so, they would lose their opportunity to get Clarke while she was there. She could tell Bellamy wasn’t so happy about what Pike was telling them they should do right now.

“Guys, there’s a cave.” Monty then showed them a dark opening in the trees.

“I can’t go with you.” Indra declared.

“Why?” Kane looked up at her as he was kneeling beside one of the bodies. He stood back up while the rest of them took care of dragging the body out of the open field.

“Ice Nation has crossed the border. They’re marching against my commander. I have to warn her.”

“We’ll get Clarke.”

“You better. If the Ice Queen gets her first, she’ll be dead. And we’ll be at war.” She warned before leaving them. They carried the bodies into the cave and waited. Michelle leaned against the wall, behind her father as the later stood with Pike and watched Bellamy pacing, constantly looking outside. She felt as restless as him, tapping her foot on the ground but for the time being, she got herself to focus on her hand to distract herself. She ran her thumb along the scar that barred her hand, scraping her fingernail on the tissue but because nerves had gotten severed, she felt nothing and could barely flex her fingers. She used her good hand to force it to close it into a fist, but she couldn’t hold it in that position for very long. She looked up when Bellamy came up to them.

“We’re losing her.” He said, anxious.

“Relax. Save your energy.”

“Kane’s right, son. The army will move soon. You’ll need your strength for what comes next.” He reluctantly gave in and went near the entrance. Michelle let herself slide to the ground, sitting cross-legged, staring at her hand as she held it closed. For some reason, maybe out of pure boredom or to cope with how worried she felt, she grabbed a dry pine needle and started picking at her scar. She couldn't feel anything, so she didn't know if she was going too hard on it, but she didn't care and kept doing so until her father, who had sat on a large rock next to her, stopped her from hurting herself. She just looked up at him and sighed crossing her arms when Monty’s voice broke the heavy silence in the cave. He crouched in front of his mother.

“I need to know what happened.” Michelle watched him and gulped. It reminded her of when she was told how her own mother died following the bombing in the Ark. The thought that it was at that time, that with her last breath she told Kane he was Michelle’s father got her to purse her lips to keep them from quivering. When she lashed out at him, he already knew. It took a second for Monty’s mother to start telling him.

“We landed in the snow. Your father said it absorbed some of the impact. That’s why we survived. The snow looked so beautiful.” Her voice cracked as she started sobbing and she called Pike’s name so he would continue telling Monty the story for her. Michelle stood up and Kane scooted over so she could sit beside him.

“The children were playing in it. They were the first to die. 15 of them.” Michelle tilted her face forward as she leaned on her knees, running her thumb up and down her scar. What hearing the tragic story made her feel had nothing to do with what happened, but it led her to think of her mother, again. She pursed her lips as her hair fell over her face, hiding her fight against the rising tears. She held them back, closing her eyes for a second as her father gently stroked her back before putting his arm around her shoulders. She felt hesitation in his gesture but seeing that she wasn't pushing him away, he held her close. “If not for your father, would have been more. He pulled four kids back into the ship. All four alive today. They got him when he went back for the fifth. Your father died a hero, Monty. We’ve been fighting Grounders ever since.”

“That was the Ice Nation.” Pike turned his head to Kane. “Not all Grounders are the same.”

“They are to me.” His response sure put an end to the conversation. He was so stubborn with his view and opinion on Grounders that it would have been impossible for anyone to convince him of the opposite.

Afterwards, Monty began to explain how they got out of Mount-Weather. Michelle sighed and stood up to stretch her legs. She had noticed Bellamy eyeing the bodies on the ground and one look suffised for them to read each other’s mind. Neither of them was willing to wait any longer before going after Clarke and if they really waited for the army to pass, it would take a while. Behind the backs of the other four who were all too busy listening to Monty, they stole clothing and masks from the dead Grounders and slipped among the troops outside. They stayed very close to each other and behaved as if they belonged in this army. At some point, another warrior came face to face with Bellamy and they stared at each other before he grabbed his shoulders and turned him in the right direction. Michelle stared straight ahead with a conviction she knew was fake and followed suit. The Grounder then walked past them, yelling commands to the others. Once he was a few feet away, his back turned to them, Michelle nodded to Bellamy, and they continued their way in the direction they had seen their friend last. Once in the forest, they removed mask and hood and saw blood at an entrance with stairs sinking into the ground. Pulling out their knives, they glared at each other, and Michelle let Bellamy take the lead. They took careful steps and looked around from where they stood until they noticed someone tied to a pole. They could only see the hands on the sides, so they approached and found Clarke. They were both so relieved that they smiled but as he pulled down the gag in her mouth, she shouted to warn them, but someone came out of the shadows behind Michelle and grabbed her forcefully. She struggled, and as Bellamy raised his knife to attack, the man brought the blade to her throat to dissuade him.

“No, please. Please don’t. I’ll do anything. I’ll stop fighting. Just please, don’t kill her.” Clarke begged him to spare her, her voice getting shaky. Michelle let out a sigh of relieve when he released the blade from her throat but suddenly, he threw the knife at Bellamy, stabbing him in the leg, making him yell of pain as he fell to the ground and he threw Michelle against the wall, hitting her head. She swallowed harshly, rolling on her side. She didn’t lose consciousness but was disoriented and in pain as a sensation of odd warmth seized her head. She couldn’t hear or see what was happening around her as she tried to get up. It felt as if the world was spinning around her, leading her to stumble around and losing her balance only to catch herself on the pole to which Clarke was tied up a moment before except that both she and the man were now gone. The ringing in her ears eventually subdued and she saw Bellamy on the ground. She leaned on the pole, closing her eyes to try to cope with the searing headache she had and called out to him but when she tried to stand on her own and take a step towards him, she felt pulled in the opposite direction, her head spinning and caught herself on the pillar. She threw up but because she hadn't eaten anything since, they left for the mapping run yesterday, she had only bile to get out and it left her throat burning and feeling sore. She took a few tottering steps and leaned forward on her knees, moaning.

“Michelle?” Hearing the worried tone of Bellamy's voice mixed with the pain from getting stabbed and knocked out, she managed to straighten up, stumbling a bit.

“Are you okay?” Her voice sounded castling. She cleared her throat and coughed, looking at the blood-soaked area around the wound on his leg. She helped him up, each leaning on the other for support. He groaned.

“Your head.” As she was about to dismiss his concerns because she had already noticed her head was hurting and acting up, she felt something get on her eye and went to rub it but looking at her hand she saw her fingers were tinged with red. Her head injury wasn't just vertigo and nausea, there was blood dripping on her forehead. She needed to get to Arkadia and get checked by Abby quickly in case of a concussion, but she downplayed it and shrugged. For now, they had to get out of here and she had to suck it up. She took a deep breath and tried to act as if she was completely fine, wiping the blood from his forehead. Her hair stuck to her temple. Maybe it would hide her head injury a little. They slowly climbed up the stairs, grunting and groaning, leaning on the walls and then the trees around them as they walked through the forest. After a few minutes, they heard Monty's voice calling their names and they slopped against a tree. Michelle let go of Bellamy and almost crashed to the ground, but he grabbed her waist and she stabilized herself.

“We told you to wait for the army to move.” Kane reached them, Pike and Monty’s mother were right behind the two, a little further away.

“What happened?” Monty looked them up and down, worried for his friends and Kane’s eyes landed on the wound on his leg.

“We almost had her.” Bellamy said, panting.

“Pike, find their trail.” He grabbed his daughter’s face in his hand, taking a closer look to her face after no doubt noticing a slight reddish tinge to his forehead or maybe she was bleeding again. It was probably more the latter given the urgency in his need to check on her. He ran his finger to brush the hair out of her face and found it stiff and sticking together with blood.

“It’s useless. He knows he’s being followed now.”

“Hey. You can’t even walk.” Kane stopped Bellamy as he tried to leave and because they were holding onto each other, Michelle was dragged along with him. He pushed him against the tree to keep him in place and despite all her efforts, Michelle let out a shaky moan, closing her eyes to get her head to stop spinning. She pushed Bellamy’s arm and sat on the ground, holding her head in her hands.

“So what? We give up? Let him kill her?” He groaned as he took a few steps, stopped by Monty trying to talk some sense into him. Michelle wanted to go after Clarke as bad as he did, but she couldn’t think straight, she couldn’t think at all without her head hurting like hell.

“We can’t lose Clarke!” She lifted her head, looking at Bellamy when he cried out. She tried to stand up on her own and her father kept her from falling over. He held her face in his hand as she closed her eyes, gulping. Throwing his gun over his back, he picked up Michelle and carried her in his arms despite her faint protests insisting that she could walk but he knew she might have a concussion and he wasn't ready to let her take any further risks. He would be mad at her when she wouldn't be bleeding anymore and could stand without closing her eyes.

[To be continued…]

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Published (07/28/2023) by Andrea/

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 10 months

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The Aguara of Nilfgaard - THE WITCHER Fanfiction Chapter Three

[THE WITCHER FANFICTION-MASTERLIST]

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Summary: Imprisoned and tortured for a whole year, Revynah had started to lose hope. She was going to die alone in a dungeon in Cintra, her whole body mutilated and her mind shattered, the white of her skin turned red from the blood she was covered in. She had lost hope of ever reuninting with her brother. This was the second time in her life that she stopped listening to what her mother used to say. She stopped clinging on to hope and let herself fall in the darkness of chaos but unlike the first time, she was powerless, at the mercy of sadistic guards.

Words: 4.9k

Warnings: The Witcher season 3 Part 1 Spoilers (episode 2 “Unbound” and episode 3 “Reunion”), torture, mention of waterboarding and flogging, description of wounds, scars, blood, angst, brief fluff scene, mention of murders

“Cut her down.” Revynah weakly lifted her, watching the knight walk around her. Eyes tired, she looked up when the chains clinked above her as he untied her.

It had been several days since they had left her hanging from the ceiling of that dark, damp cell in which those same knights had enjoyed torturing her every day oher life since she was imprisoned a year ago. She had never been executed by Emhyr, like Fringilla told her she would, for betraying Nilfgaard but considering what had been done to her instead, she would almost have preferred to be killed. The first couple months, she was isolated in that very cell, and they would flog her. All day, every day and for hours at a time, usually about a hundred times a week, sometimes a little less. It would only stop when the knight’s arm started to hurt but they would take turns so quickly after the previous one took a break, another would take on and keep flogging her while the other asked the questions, because as they whipped her repeatedly, they interrogated her on what she knew of her brother’s whereabouts, and therefore Ciri’s too but she didn’t know anything and she wasn’t even lying. She hadn’t seen her brother in over a century, since their mother left him in a forest, and she was brought to Aretuza to learn how to control her chaos and magic.

The last she saw of her brother was him running through the forest with a wooden bucket to get water from a nearby stream for their mother. She told them this more times than she could count but the emperor was reportedly not pleased with the information she was willing to give them and there was nothing she could do about it because she had no information to give them in the first place. The only somewhat recent things she knew about her brother were things they already knew and after about a month, they stopped interrogating her, but they kept going with the flogging, though it became less frequent. She had been flogged on her back, legs and stomach. It was a total butchery. Blood was constantly dripping down her whole body as every inch of her skin was covered in welts and large opened wounds, and a pool of blood was growing under her feet, her toes dangling above the floor. They had left her alone for a couple weeks and she thought that they were done with her, leaving her to starve to death, die from her wounds or from exposure. She couldn’t even use her magic because of the shackles at her wrist, which prevented her from doing so and she could only wait for time to pass by, and ultimately die, but she didn’t. She heard a guard come in with a piece of stale bread. They were done interrogating her as it was pointless, but they weren’t so done with toying with her. A doctor was called in to check her wounds and the poor man couldn’t even bare the sight, nor could he the stench that linged in the room. To Revynah’s relief, he declared that if she was to get more whipping, she wouldn’t survive it.

“The White flame is generous.” The knight then said with a smirk, knowing that it wasn’t an act of kindness.

The emperor of Nilfgaard was incapable of that, and even when she found herself to be his loyal mage, she never believed that. He saved her and Fringilla from the same cells and dungeon they were now both locked up in. It was hard for her to believe that there had been a day when she was an assassin and spy under Emhy’rs thumb, sent to the North to carry assignments he gave her, that is until she learned of the White Wolf and everything she believed in was shaken, the narrative and reality she had built for herself was shattered completely, for the sole reason that she now knew her brother lived. And it was enough to drive the loyalty she had for Emhyr out of her heart and mind, though it wasn’t as effective regarding Cahir, but she would rather not think about him as of now. A year ago, after Fringilla and him were pushed into her cell, she thought they would both be left to rot in there with her but Cahir, now demoted as a simple soldier, was sent off to raid caravans and Fringilla taken somewhere else to taste wine with other prisoners, to make sure the emperor wouldn’t get poisoned.

And, well, Revynah’s torture began, or really, tortures in the plural. After the flogging sessions became scarcer, though they kept on happening every now and then, spilling more blood to feed the pool at her feet, the knights would sometimes forget about her, or so they said and leave her in the cell for days at a time, coming back with very little to feed her. The first time they unchained her in weeks was to sit her on a stool in the center of the room, only to tie her back to the ring in the ceiling with a longer chain, keeping her arms stretched above her head but she could barely feel them anymore as they had gotten so numb over time. Their game this time was to waterboard her, again, all day every day, for hours at a time. A guard grabbed her hair, pulling her head backwards while another held a cloth over her face and the other poured the water. It seemed to be very entertaining for the three of them. Seeing the sorceress struggle, pulling on her chains, hurting herself and hearing her gag as she almost drowned each time because they kept pouring water for so long. She was left disoriented, gasping for air and her face so wet she could barely feel herself crying from the emotional distress the whole ordeal put her in.

They didn’t give a shit, and this became a horrific routine for Revynah. Everyday they would come back with more water and less food. They called her names, insulted her and laughed at her misery, wasting air she craved. They perpetrated this torture at a steady pace for a little over a month, then once again they did it less often and then one day Revynah was dressed in a worn-out cape and dragged into a larger room where she found Fringilla and other prisoners, empty glasses on the table at which they were seated, slumped on for some. For the first few days, Revynah was lying on the floor in a corner of the room, her eyes blank, staring into space and she didn't move a finger. The only evidence of her survival was her eyes blinking and her chest heaving as she breathed weakly. She didn't know why but Fringilla would give her some of the food that was given to them, helping her take a few sips of the wine they were left with. The first time she tasted it, she spat it out but eventually, she was so thirsty she had resigned herself to drinking it. When she spoke again after months of torture, it was to thank Fringilla. The two were never friends and Fringilla didn’t really like Revynah from what she had gathered over the years. The latter was an older and somewhat more powerful sorceress, despite never actually graduating from Aretuza, since she ran away before the ceremony.

They knew that Fringilla was the official mage serving the emperor and Revynah did his dirty biding in the North. Until she came back to the academy with her colleague, no one had heard from her in years if not decades. There had been rumors of what people had called ‘the aguara of Nilfgaard’ but after she was imprisoned by the usurper for being a mage, the rumors began to be told less vividly throughout the empire. What was funny to Revynah was that she had never even been condemned for what she did to earn herself that nickname, she was only ever arrested for the fact that she had an affinity to chaos and never for the murders she committed, leaving disembowelled bodies like a trail behind her, though no one ever caught her. This was one of the drakest chapters of her life, and her biggest secret. Though, one single person knew about what she did, and it was the emperor. It was because he knew she could kill without ever being seen or caught, that he had made her his assassin. With the brotherhood having lost track of her and the fact she literally had no one to ever turn to, she was the perfect candidate. And she was very efficient at her job, so much so, Emhyr entrusted her with more duties. He probably thought she was one of the few people with real, unfailing loyalty to him, since he had rescued her from that cell, she was rotting in. He had some trust in her, though he didn't like mages in general, but she never failed him, until she did.

“Bring her back with the others.” The guards who had untied her dragged her down the dungeon's corridor and dropped her heavily into the room with the other prisoners. She was in such a constant state of pain, her whole body aching every second of the day, that she didn't even react and just stared at the ceiling for a moment, until Fringilla's exhausted face appeared above her, catching her gaze. The latter helped her sit at the table, on which Revynah could only collapse on. She watched Fringilla as she drank from her cup.

“Come on, drink up.” She handed her cup to the red-head and Revynah straightened up with difficulty, leaning on her arm as best she could. She almost dropped the cup but managed to take a few sips before putting it down. It tasted terrible but her stomach was so empty, she could have swallowed anything. She quickly fell asleep from the exhaustion. That night, she had a bad dream, like every other night for a year now. They were restless nights, plagues by incoherent and dreadful nightmares. A succession of disjointed and deformed memories entangled with her traumas and the torture she endured.

That night, she dreamed that she was back in the town where she lived the happiest and quietest couple of years of her whole life, where she met the father of her child and started to build a family of her own, until she was found by the brotherhood and everything went up in flames, except her. But this time, there was no fire. She walked down the street, looking at the piles of bodies surrounding her. Blood covered the cobblestones. She realized she held something in her hands and looked down. In her arms was the bloody corpse of her very own baby, a gaping hole in his tiny chest, and in her hand, a pumping heart. An immense despair then assailed her and a feeling in her guts made her realize that it was her doing. She was suddenly convinced that she had gutted her own child, as well as everyone else in town. She broke down in tears and fell to her knees, accidentally pressing the heart in her hand. The organ exploded at her face and she gasped, closing her eyes. Her hair was pulled down and she started gagging, a cloth on her face. She recognized the fat laughs of the knights, pouring water over her face, except it wasn’t water. It was blood they were drowning her with. She woke back in the room with a start, her eyes wide and her breath short. She was shaking and sweating profusely, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Today was the day for another type of torture. She joined the others in tasting wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. When she wasn’t being flogged or waterboarded, drinking cups after cups of wine was what she was forced to do and with her whole-body aching and her throat sore, the alcohol didn’t make things better. She couldn’t even enjoy it. The wounds on his body barely had any time to heal before the knights came back at it, reopening the fresh scars with their lashes. And to make it even better, she was being denied any care so she was left to deal with her pain on her own so she drank as much as she could when she was on wine-testing duty. If she didn’t have those damn shackles and chains that repressed her magic, she would have painted the walls of the dungeon with their guts.

Sitting in the corner of the room, her head resting against the wall, Revynah stared ahead of her, half listening to the exchange between Fringilla and one of their cellmates as they drank. The cell was shrouded in darkness, lit by a few candles clustered at the center of the table and a large fire burning in the fireplace next to her. None of them had seen the light of day in months. It felt like they had been here forever and if it weren’t for Fringilla, Revynah would have had no idea that it had been a year since they were imprisoned. Being isolated for as long as she had and only ever being tortured messed up with her. She rolled her head to the side when she heard mice squeaking somewhere in the room. Revynah scooted closer to the fire, her face turned towards it. It wasn’t even winter and yet she felt so cold. She had chills all over her body.

“You wanna hear a good joke?” Fringilla was leaning on the table, her hand supporting her head. “I was born with more power than most could comprehend. Learned to bend Chaos to my will. Designed to live forever young and beautiful in the upper echelons of the court. Only to die here in a wine cellar with all of you…”

“You know the problem with you mages?” The man’s voice was hazy with alcohol. Fringilla glanced at the other prisoners around them and looked back at him.

“What?”

“You’re too bloody serious.” Fringilla was seized with a fit of laughter, nodding to the statement, slumping on the table.

“Yeah, helping the Brotherhood keep their power by proppin’ up rotten kingdoms is serious work.”

“Won’t be the case when Nilfgaard takes over.”

“Why?”

“Emhyr has no use for the mages. Case in point.”

“If I ever get out of here, I’ll play that game much smarter.” The former sorceress said to herself.

“I saw a man try to escape once. They sent the dogs after him. Tore him, limb from limb. The Emperor only absolves you once you’re dead, love.” His head tilted forward and fell gently on the table. Hearing his voice fade, Revynah glanced in their direction and crossed Fringilla’s gaze as she tried to get him to wake up, but he didn’t even react when she almost pushed off his seat and called for the guards. Another one of them had died. A knight came in with a body bag and threw it on the man.

“Put him in the bag. The lads will help me throw him out.” Fringilla sighed and Revynah saw her stare at the late prisoner. She wondered what she was thinking about as she stayed quiet for a few seconds before looking at her fellow sorceress against the wall. It didn't take her long to figure out the plan she had in mind. They were going to play dead. Fringilla called out to the guard, staring at Revynah, who stared back at her with her eyes blank. “What? Come on. Put him in the bag already.”

Fringilla stayed quiet for a few seconds and turned to point at the red head. She spoke with a calm and poised voice.

“We need more bags.”

“All that wine just makes them heavier.” The knight grunted as he grabbed the last body bag lying in the cart, throwing them away into the forest.

Revynah was still biting her hand hard to keep her from moeaning in pain after they threw her body rolling down among the others. She was going to have bruises all over her arms given how she had hit the ground and she could feel her wounds had reopened. The fabric of her clothing was sticking to her bloodied back. Her hand had gone numb from the biting, but it was unmatched by the pain that had gripped her as she felt the unhealed scars all over her back rip open in her fall. It had brought tears to her and a quiet whimper that she hadn't been able to contain but none of the two guards there had picked up on it and once they took care of the last body, they walked away. The horses neighed and the cart drove away. There was a silence lulled by the crackling flames of a nearby fire. Revynah tried to calm herself, unclenching her jaw from her hand with a shaky breath. She only dared to move when she heard noises next to her. She knew it was Fringilla getting herself out of her body bag. She got the confirmation when the latter called her name to find out what bag she was in and get her out in turn.

Fringilla crawled to her and pulled open her bag and helped pulling her out. Gritting her teeth and grunting Revynah sat up and it took her a few seconds and some deep steady breaths to get over how badly she was hurting all over, and urged by her fellow sorceress, she eventually followed her lead, climbing with difficulty over the dead bodies. It was one of the most strenueous efforts she ever had to make. Fringilla grabbed her hands and helped her up. The two staggered as they walked away. They glanced at each other, looking to their left, watching the lights of the fortified city of Cintra twinkling in the distance, and to their right, a dark path stretching as far as the eye could see in the forest. The first choice they had to make was in which direction they would go, and they both knew that they couldn't go towards Cintra, or they would either be thrown back in the dungeon or killed on sight. They also had to take care of getting rid of their chains and cleaning themselves up because they were scary to look at, and Revynah needed to heal her wounds, or she would quite die from the infection that would follow. It was already a miracle that she had survived so much abuse for so long, but it would be better to not test her luck any longer. They decided to go somewhere east, away from Cintra and went deeper into the forest, walking for several hours until Revynah’s leg gave out and she fell to the ground. Fringilla shook her, trying to get her to wake up but she had lost consciousness.

“Revynah.”

The sorceress slowly opened her eyes as she heard a voice calling her name, those eyelashes blurring her vision. She felt the soft warmth of the sun's rays licking the skin of her cheeks and a peaceful smile tugged her lips. She put her hand near his head and stroked the sheet of the mattress she was lying on and opened her eyes when her name was spoken a second time, but this time the voice was clearer and more distinct and she recognized the voice of Cahir, who made him suddenly open his eyes, realizing that something was wrong. Sitting up in bed, she looked around, contorting herself to feel her back, the skin of which turned out to be soft and without any scars. She pulled the blanket aside and revealed her bare legs and her skin was as flawless as the rest of her body. And Cahir was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom, which was the very bedroom she had stayed in ever since Emhyr became the emperor.

A room where she had also spent a lot of nights with the former Commander of the Nilfgaardian army. Nights that now felt very bitter-sweet to think about. The relationship that was born between them was clearly not something she could have imagined would happen. And when her loyalty to Emhyr had crumbled, their relationship had soured somewhat and turned into something more ambiguous. They both felt something shifted and the truth was that their views didn't align anymore, and it became clearer when she ran away from the fiel during Sodden hill battle. She did miss what they had but she still felt wronged by him as he stood and watched the guards drag her to a cell after Fringilla ordered her away. He didn’t move a finger. She felt that even if in the end, it didn’t do anything, he could have still tried to step in and say something. In the early months of her being tortured, she blamed him and Fringilla. She was angry but quickly the pain became such that there was no room left for that resentment. She couldn’t even think straight any longer but started blaming the real culprit as it was Emhyr who ordered that she be tortured until death.

“Cahir?” She called for him, feeling that this whole thing must have been some dream or hallucination, as she got up from the bed and walked in the room. Approaching a cupboard, she picked up a small red mesh pouch, tied by a single golden string. It was filled with white rose petals, kept fresh by a spell. The spell also brought some protection to the person who kept this object on him. She stared at it for a hot second, remembering the day she gave this small gift to the knight. This whole thing wasn’t just some dream, it was a memory, and she it was replaying itself before her eyes. The moment she realized that something clicked in her mind and her body started acting on its own. She slipped the flower into a small envelope and turned to a screen. The fluttering moment she had felt a second before was gone and it was as if the situation had unlocked itself. This strange silence had been disrupted by the sound of fabrics behind the open door of a wardrobe and she instinctively turned in that direction, a smile on her lips. A freshly shaved and well-groomed Cahir appeared as the dresser was closed. Revynah had an inner moment of surprise, but her smile didn't flinch. He didn't look like the last time she saw him. Revynah walked past a mirror and for a split second, she doubled herself in her reflection, showing behind her present self like a shadow; hair dirty and in a mess, eyes tired and overall, badly messed up.

“What’s in your hand?”

“It’s a little something I made… I pulled the petals of a white rose apart and put them in this pouch. Add a little preservation spell to keep the petals fresh and pretty, and a protection spell, and you've got yourself a nice, enchanted object.” She sketched a bigger smile but then smirked. “You know I don’t do gifts, so you better take it.”

“Why did you make this?” He asked softly as he took it from her hand, looking at the petals inside.

“The White Flame is sending me out in some town in the North, to get intail on some dude. And kill him. Anyway, I'll be gone for a while.” Revynah both loved and hated to see this memory again. Because, after she went on to fulfil her mission, she also learned of the witcher they called the White wolf, hearing people sing Jaskier’s songs in a tavern. And learning her little brother was still alive after all this time was a game changer for her. This trip in the North took her from a follower of Emhyr to a deserter of the Nilfgaardian empire and traitor, but she didn’t know that back then.

“And you give me extra protection for when you’re gone?” He cupped her cheek with his free hand.

“Not that you need it, commander Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach.” She chuckled, looking into his blue eyes.

“Say my name again.” He leaned in and their faces got so close that their lips brushed against each other's, the tips of their noses touching. She moaned his name as he kissed her and she woke up, his name still on her lips, echoing in her mind. She carefully brought her hand to her face, still able to feel his touch and sighed as her hand fell back onto her lap. The silence that followed made her look down and only then did she realize she didn’t have her chains anymore. Her wrists were red and bruised but she was free. Fringilla must have managed to remove them while she was passed out. Revynah looked around her. She was leaning against a wall, sitting on a pile of hay strewn on the floor of a barn. She stood up, gritting her teeth and made her way to the door and stepped outside. Fringilla was nowhere to be seen but that was the least of her concerns. She was probably already gone, and she couldn't blame her. They had never been great friends and dragging her with her in the forest was already more than she could have hoped for.

“Glad to see you’re not dead.” Revynah turned around and stared at the blonde woman standing a few feet away from her. Given her clothes, she was probably one of the peasants living on this farm. She held a bunch of folded clothes against her chest and carried a bucket of water with her. “Come. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

The woman walked past her and for a moment, the sorceress just watched her. Not knowing what to think of this, her first instinct was to doubt her intentions and be wary, but she eventually followed suit andentered a room adjacent to the barn where a washbasin sat in the center. It was filled with water, but the woman poured the content of her bucket in it and put down the clothes on the side. When she was about to leave, Revynah spoke.

“How did I end up in your home?”

“My husband found you lying in the dirt not too deep in the forest. He thought you were dead, but he saw you breathe and brought you here. He said you were repeating a name in your sleep... Cahir, I believe?”

“Thank you.” Revynah nodded with a smile to put an end to the conversation, and she was left alone. She didn’t waste any time and began to undress, her face was contorted with grimaces of pain as she peeled her garment off the wounds in her back. It was soaked with blood, and she let it fall to the side before stepping in the washbasin one foot at a time and she groaned quietly upon sitting in it. The stinging grew worse, and her lips trembled. She quickly rinced her hair, her eyes closed as she took deep breaths to not think of the pain. The water in the bath quickly turned a dark, dirty red color, a mixture of her blood and the filth that covered her body. She stepped out, braiding her hair over her shoulder, unable to take her eyes off how dirty the washbasin had turned. After a few seconds, she grabbed the clothes, tearing apart the shirt before wrapping it around her chest to cover her back and stomach before putting on the modest plain dress she had been given. She looked much cleaner now and joined the woman in the house where she was told the latter’s husband was out in town, having gone to the market and after drinking a soup she had brewed for her, it was time for her to leave.

Revynah had in mind to go and visit an old friend of her mother's, also a druid and where she would find herbs and plants to concoct something to treat her severe wounds and really get her back on her feet. That she was no longer starving was already a good step forward, but it couldn't completely perk her up. The woman still insisted she leave with a few items, which included pieces of bread and dried meat, along with a horse. She set off and once she was far enough from the farm, she climbed down the horse, leading it with her and took a deep breath, wondering if she was going to successfully open a portal to get closer to where her mother's friend lived. Circling her hand in front of her and chanting a few words and a cloud of light appeared before her. With a smile, she was relieved to see her powers were still there and she stepped in the portals, bringing her exactly where she wanted to be. She could see Anika’s house among the trees in the distance. The druidess was going to have a heart attack upon seeing the girl she knew a century ago being now a grown woman and powerful sorceress, with a past not worth mentioning to her.

[To be continued…]

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Published (07/04/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 10 months

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Fall Into Despair - TMR REWRITE Chapter Eleven

[TMR REWRITE-MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter

Summary: They were in the final stretch. The last fight to bring down WICKED had started and the city was going up in flames. Thomas, Minho, Gally, Newt and Grace had to be quick and get out of there before they ended up in the fire but reaching Brenda and their friends was no easy task. Grace was exhausted from everything she had been put through and this one last effort might end up being too much for her to handle.

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: TMR Death cure spoilers, angst, mental torture, medical experiments, needles, restraints, violence, mention of suicide attempt, stabbing, blood, depression

With soldiers everywhere in the city, it was hard to go through it undetected. They had to crouch down and hide behind anything they could. Cars were blocking the street. The five of them took cover behind plants on the sidewalks. Grace and Newt were sat against the wall while Gally and Thomas peeked out, but they were stuck there.

“What are they waiting for?” Right Minho spoke, there was a huge explosion behind Thomas, making him jump and look around. A crowd came running and screaming while there was another explosion. Gally told them to get down. The soldiers started shooting at the people. They all lied down on top of each other. Grace held her hands to her ears when someone launched a rocket in the middle of the street. This was complete chaos, and they had to take this chance and run. Thomas and Minho grabbed Newt, Gally helped Grace with one arm, holding his gun with the other and they took advantage of the general mayhem around them to leave. In all the months that they had spent in this city, this was the first time she actually saw said city, and it had gone downhill.

Everything that was happening forced them to hide in a coffee shop whose front window had been blown up. Thomas used the radio to try to make contact with Brenda. The situation was becoming critical, and they were running out of time to help Newt, who was getting worse by the eye. To watch him deteriorate in front of her eyes was very difficult for Grace, especially after she was put through. She agreed to be used and tortured to make a fucking cure and she couldn’t give it to the one person that mattered. She saved a child but saving Newt was more important in her eyes because he was her friend. He didn’t deserve to end like this when there was an actual way of helping him. She would never forgive herself if he didn’t make it out of this city, alive. Grace didn’t even dare look at Newt. She stared at the fire outside the building, only turning her head towards her brother when she heard Brenda say something about “their ride”. Apparently, she was coming to them. Thomas looked at the four others with confusion on his face. He didn’t know what she was talking about either.

They resumed their journey, trying to move quickly through the city which was falling apart around them, to quickly find Brenda and the others. They had to arrive before it was too late for Newt, before he was too far gone. Thomas and Minho were once again helping Newt while Grace tried to walk on her own, one hand gripped onto Gally's shoulder who was leading the way, holding his gun in front of him, ready to fire if needed.

“All right. Newt, we’re almost there.” He said, looking at the three behind him. Mere seconds after he spoke, an explosion sent a burning car flying across the road. They all jumped, losing their balances. Grace got so startled she loosened her grip on Gally's bulletproof vest and almost fell but he had the reflex to catch her with his free hand. He told everyone to stay back as he ducked behind the wall, giving Grace his arm for support. A crowd of people ran down the road, yelling and holding their weapons up in the air or shooting at the soldiers ahead. They glanced at each other before looking up when they heard an engine hum in the sky. A helicarrier flew overhead.

“Okay, that’s them.” Thomas declared.

“Go without me, man. You should just…” Newt tried to argue when Minho and Thomas went to pick him up, coughing up black blood. He looked even more sick than before, wheezing and panting. Grace looked away, holding her arms softly. She sighed heavily but quietly, feeling her stomach starting to ache.

“Minho. You gotta run ahead, grab the serum, and get back as soon as you can. Minho, go.” The latter was obviously reluctant to leave them here.

“He’s right. I can cover.” Gally added before standing up and going to the corner of the street. Newt grabbed Minho’s arm, streaks of blood flowing from his mouth onto his chin, his eyes bloodshot.

“Thank you, Minho.”

“Hey, just hang on. You hear me?” After a second, he finally gets up and follows Gally. Grace stayed with Thomas and Newt since she would have greatly slowed them down in their quest for the serum to cure Newt. The serum made with the experiments conducted on Grace for months. If that bloody serum was going to save anyone, it was Newt. She didn't really care to know that a little girl had been healed thanks to her. Everything she had to endure had to be used for something, otherwise she could tell she was going to lose it. The guilt that would hang over her head for failing to save him would be too much for her to handle. She knew it. Thomas leaned towards Newt as his breathing quickened. Grace jumped when he raised his voice, trying to get his attention on him.

“We’re gonna try this, okay? We gotta move, now. Let’s get you up, come on. Let’s go, come on. Grace you can walk right—” He glanced at the latter while addressing her but turned his head back to Newt when he spoke up. She watched anxiously.

“No. No, Thomas.”

“No, Newt. Later. Later. Really gotta go.” Newt grunted as he snapped a necklace from his neck and handed it to Thomas as they argued. He yelled for Thomas to take whatever this was, breathing sharply. Grace noticed a small pendant capsule and it only took her a few seconds to realize that he had put something inside for them. The idea that he knew he was doomed and had written them something broke Grace's heart and she kept saying in her head that they had to succeed in saving him so that they would never need to discover what could be in this small capsule.

“Please. Please, Tommy. Please.” He begged, short-winded. Thomas eventually took it, exchanging a look with Grace and they were both equally worried about the outcome of this whole situation.

“All right. I need you to give me everything you got. Come on, ready? Here we go.” Newt grunted loudly as Thomas lifted him off the ground. Grace leaned on the wall Gally had seated her against and managed to get up. It was more complicated with no one to hold onto, but for once her legs weren't shaking so much that she collapsed to the ground. They were shaking and the steps she took following her brother were hesitant and jerky, as if she was a toddler taking their first steps, but she kept up with them. Watching Newt struggle in front of her was terribly nerve-wracking. They walked through the street, seeing bullets fly before their eyes. Thomas sometimes looked at his sister to make sure she wasn’t too far behind. He often called out to her, telling her to keep going. Knowing that she hadn’t walked that much in months, or even at all, it really was a miracle that she managed to do so.

They got to a deserted area, going through doors with panes broken into a thousand pieces. They were almost there but not quite, and time was soon to run out for Newt. Grace heard Newt gag and fall over. She staggered and stopped in her tracks, staring at them. Thomas caught him in his fall, toppling over. He crouched around him, grabbing his arm to carry him and drag him the rest of the way and seeing his face, Grace held back a sob, resuming her walk until her brother collapsed. She called his name in a low but piercing shriek. Still feeling that her body was tired and weak, she knew she couldn’t help in any capacity so she could only watch. She had never felt so useless in her life. He held out his palm to stop her from coming closer and the moment she came to a halt, she felt her legs go numb and fell to the ground.

“Grace—”

“I’m okay, it’s… okay. I—” They both raised their heads when they heard a voice call out to them through the speakers. It resonated all throughout the city. She was probably talking to them directly from WICKED labs.

“Can you hear me? I need you to listen to me. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I need you to come back. Thomas, you can save Newt.” He stood up and glanced at Newt before turning back to where the voice came from. “There’s still time for him. There’s a reason Brenda isn’t sick anymore. It’s your blood. Yours, and Grace. She isn’t sick, because you cured her. She doesn’t have to be the only one. When we had Grace, we made a cure. An actual cure. It saved a little girl, Thomas. She had been infected for weeks, and Grace’s blood cured her. Do you understand? All you have to do is come back. And this will all finally be over.”

His back to her, he didn’t see Grace lean on her hands and push herself up on her feet. Teresa probably wanted him to come but Grace was ready to go back there if there was a guaranty Newt would be saved. Going back would mean death for her. If they took anymore of her blood, she wouldn’t wake up from the next medically induced coma they would put her in. The lights reflected off his glossy eyes. He saw Grace walk in his field of vision and turned his head, grabbing her shoulders to stop her.

“No.”

“Thomas...”

“Minho is bringing the cure. I won’t let them use you again.” His eyes moved anxiously over her face. Grace didn't say anything but when her head slowly turned to look at Newt, Thomas followed her gaze, letting go of her as they watched their friend get up on his own. There was a brief but heavy silence.

“Newt?” She called out to him, and Thomas held out his arm in front of her to make her step back. It felt like time was suspended, until he turned around, revealing his dark eyes and drooling mouth. Her brother barely had time to tell her to step back, Newt growled as he lunged at Thomas to attack him. Grace was pushed abruptly and grunted as she fell heavily on her arm, gasping in pain as she held her arm and rolled on her back. He shouted at her to stay away, asking if she was okay but all his focus was on Newt who was going berserk, throwing himself at Thomas. He fell, got back up and ran toward him. Grace watched them roll on the ground. Newt got on all four, panting and looked at Thomas, begging the latter to kill him.

“Newt, I’m here.” He took a few steps towards him, but Newt jumped on him, pushing him down, trying to bite him. Thomas struggled, crying out to him. Newt seemed to have a moment of clarity and he got calmer but only for an instant. He reached for Thomas’ thigh holster and brought the gun to his head. Thomas yelled and knocked the gun off his hand. It skidded on the ground and was stopped by Grace's leg. She pushed herself up into a sitting position but did nothing with the weapon. Newt let out a crank-like growl right Thomas’ face. Grace sobbed when he grabbed a knife from his belt and attacked him with it. Staring in fear and shock, she could only watch Newt try to stab her brother as he struggled against him, pinned down. She started crying, shouting for Newt to stop as Thomas screamed when the tip of the knife's blade digged through his skin, right above his heart. She knew her cries wouldn’t change anything and that he was driven to madness by the flare, but she felt so helpless watching them fight. Thomas kicked Newt’s back, pushing him away and punched him in the jaw. They got up. Newt swinged the knife around until he got close to Thomas, and they suddenly froze. Grace gasped, staring at them. Her heart pounding in her chest. Thomas had the same expression of utter shock on his face as he held Newt against him. Grace crawled and got on her feet. Thomas took a step back and she didn’t dare take a step closer. When she saw the knife in Newt’s chest, her stomach sank to her feet, making her feel like her guts literally dropped to the ground. A feeling of sickness washed over her, and she had a hard time standing up.

Thomas fell to his knees, calling out to him while Grace stood there, unable to take her eyes off his face. The silence that followed his calls was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She took a step forward and collapsed, bringing her trembling hand to his face, tears flowing down her eyes as she sobbed. She didn’t cry that badly when they were taken away from their mother. The realization that everything she put herself through to make this cure had been for nothing, she wailed. Grabbing onto Newt’s jacket, she let her head fall forward, her forehead resting on his shoulder which stifled her gut-wrenching cry interspersed with sobs. Her scream was so piercing that her throat was sore, but she didn't stop. Everything and everyone around her had stopped existing. She didn’t even realise her brother had walked away until she lifted her head to look at Newt and saw Minho and Siggy approach. Her scream became shaky as the weeping took over and she quietly stared at his dark eyes. They looked empty and blank. Minho and Siggy were on their knees, with Gally and Brenda in shock a few feet away.

Grace began to apologize to Newt, over and over and over again even though she was aware he couldn’t hear it, and that he wouldn’t respond to her words. She cupped his hand with hers. His body was still warm, but his hand was limp, and she just sobbed and kept saying how she was sorry and how this had all been for nothing. She had undergone all this torture for absolutely nothing and it was tearing her apart. She wished she could be gone, right there and then. She wished Janson had gotten what he wanted and emptied her of all the blood in her body so that she would be dead already. If she was dead, this pain and guilt that overwhelmed her would be gone altogether and she wouldn’t hurt anymore. She got quiet as her eyes looked at the knife in his chest. She didn’t care if it hurt for a moment. It would be just that. A moment and then she wouldn’t feel anything anymore. The reflection of her standing in front of this bathroom mirror, holding a gun to her temple flashed before her eyes. Her hand wrapped itself around the handle of the knife as she saw her index finger get on the trigger. She heard voices around her, but they were deafened. Her brother coming in the room to stop her. Her friends calling out to her. She could hear her and at the same time, she couldn’t. She wasn’t there anymore until she felt pain shot through her arm and she saw Minho’s hand holding her. She then realized that she had removed the knife from the body and although she saw Minho next to her, without looking at him directly, she still didn't let go of the knife.

“Grace. Let go off the knife. Please.” She stared at the knife; her face scrunched up as she began to cry again. It was only the second time in her life that she felt such bottomless despair, as if she was falling in a dark hole and she watched the light become smaller, with no way of coming back up and the only solution was to resign and let herself fall.

“It was all for nothing. I can’t— I can’t live with that… He died, and I couldn’t help him!” Her sobs were suddenly interrupted by her outburst of anger, and she shouted. She instantly felt regret for screaming in Minho's face, but it didn't compare to how remorseful she was for failing at helping save Newt.

“It’s not your fault, Grace.” His eyes were shining from the tears that filled them up a moment ago and his voice was tainted with sadness and grief, just like her. He obviously wanted to talk her out of doing something stupid. Maybe he thought he could, but Grace knew she wouldn’t let go off the knife unless it pierced her heart and somewhere deep down, she knew that none of the people here would let her go through with it, let alone Minho. Newt and Thomas' best friend, and a close friend of hers as well.

“It doesn’t matter.” Her voice got quiet as she stared at the knife again, already plotting something in her head. With tears in her eyes, rolling down her already wet cheeks, her voice trembled as she spoke, slowly tightening her grip over the handle. “They took my blood, for days on end… they made a fucking cure… and it still wasn’t enough to save the one person that needed it, so why does it matter?”

“You did all you could. That’s what matters.” He didn’t know what else to tell her, because she was right. Every single word she spoke was true and he couldn’t argue with her. Grace rested the knife on Newt's chest and maybe Minho thought she wasn't holding it anymore, so he let go off her arm and he went to help her get up but next thing he knew, she had drawn her hands close to her body and she froze in front of him. It felt like she had been hit with a hot iron. Minho screamed her name and caught her before she hit the ground. Siggy and Gally ran up and joined Minho around her. She was drawing sharp and quick breaths as her hands shyly letting go off the knife. Her eyes were wide as she watched the blood soak her tee-shirt, a red stain growing over her stomach. She quickly felt dizziness kick in and Gally held her head as it fell backwards while Minho applied pressure around the wound. Grace thought she would be successful in her attempt because they would have to leave at some point, or they would be stuck in a city going up in flames and it was oddly comforting. For some reason, she couldn’t think of her brother and how this would affect him. She could only think about her pain and guilt. Her body started feeling cold as her eyes closed and opened with difficulty. She was still crying but not continuously anymore. The pain from the wound, her arms and Newt’s death were all overlapping with each other, and she couldn’t make out anything. When she closed her eyes, the cold, the hurt, the exhaustion, the grief, everything went away.

It was her nightmare all over again, her falling in a dark water except that she couldn’t feel any water. Voices echoing around her, mingling in a sound that rocked her. Then suddenly, the silence became uncomfortable, and she opened her eyes. She stood in front of this mirror again. There was an infinite number of reflections spreading around her. As she turned around, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. There was a knife in her hand, dripping with blood. She looked up and every single of her reflection held a gun to their head. They were staring right at Grace with these dark, bloodshot eyes and their drooling mouth with this black blood falling down their chin, just like Newt. All together, they growled and fired.

Grace sat up in her bed, sweating and panting as she slung her legs over the bed. She had been tormented by these nightmares since the day Newt died. And since their arrival on this island where they had created a real Safe Haven with the members of the Right Arm and their friends who survived, she had not known peace. Every day she saw Newt, both smiling in the Glade and when he was turning. His face was always there, as if it was tattooed at the back of her eyeballs. Whether she closed them or not didn't matter. She was always seeing these memories of him, overlapping in her mind. And the guilt she felt since then was eating away at her and it was worse torture than what WICKED had ever put her through. Not a day went by without her wanting to see an end to this silent torture, but Thomas kept her close. They shared a shed in the Safe Haven. He was there for her, and so were Minho, Siggy, Gally and their everyone else, though not all of them knew about how she felt inside. Moonlight faintly illuminating the room, she glanced at her brother, sleeping in his bed. She stood up and quietly opened the door, her feet sinking in the sand as soon as she stepped outside. With one hand rubbing softly the scar on her stomach, she walked all the way to the memorial stone where they carved in the names of all who were dead. She looked at them. She didn’t carve Newt’s name, Minho did. She couldn’t bring herself to it because it would force her to accept his death. Thomas had added Teresa’s name too, but she didn’t look at that one too much.

She circled the large stone and walked on the beach, quickly feeling the sand become wet under her feet. When the tide washed over her ankles, she glanced down but kept walking, the bottom of her pants getting soaked as she advanced. She was staring at the horizon, her eyes riveted straight ahead. Newt had left Thomas a letter. That was what was in the small pendant capsule he gave him that day. A message of hope, asking to take care of the others that were left, telling him how he missed the sun rising over the Glade. She did too and she kept thinking about, incapable of moving on. She hadn’t been herself since he died, and she had only one solution to how to get rid of this grief and guilt. She hated how days passed and turned into weeks and months, pushing them further away from that day. She didn’t know if she would ever move on.

All she knew was that she wished she could see just one more time the sun rising over the Glade and join Newt in the garden and tend to the crops.

[The End…]

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Published (03/07/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 10 months

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Nobody tagged lol but I wanted to do this

#dolldivine #personality test #personality quiz #which horror movie stereotype are you

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justinewt · 10 months

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For the Greater Good - TMR REWRITE Chapter Ten

[TMR REWRITE-MASTERLIST]

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Summary: After Teresa called WICKED on them when the group had just reached the Right Arm that same day, Minho and Grace were both abducted by the organization while their friends barely made it out. Thomas had to watch his sister and one of his closest friend get dragged onboard of the helicarrier, unable to do anything to help them. For 6 months, they were locked up in a facility and experimented on until Thomas, Newt and a back-from-the-dead Gally came to their rescue.

Words: 7.3k

Warnings: TMR Death cure spoilers, angst, mental torture, medical experiments, needles, restraints, violence

Grace tilted her head back and she stared at the overhead lights with a heavy sigh. Her muscles felt so sore. She pulled at her wrists in frustration, but she was handcuffed to a chair, in a small room with a table and another chair facing each other like the one where Janson had briefly questioned Grace and Thomas back when they got to the facility, except this room was bright and white. Her heart ached as she remembered her brother struggling against Jorge, trying to get to her and Minho to save them, calling out their names, yelling at the top of his lungs. She feared what they were going to do to her and Minho here. It had only been a day since they were taken from the Right Arm camp, which went up in flames after WICKED came. All because of Teresa. Grace heard the handle move and the door open. A guard held out the door to no other than Teresa. She dared to greet Grace with a friendly smile. She was met by a death stare.

“How are you feeling?” She sat in front of Thomas’ sister as the door was closed behind her. Grace stared at her without saying anything. Teresa sighed softly, joining her hand on the table. She was trying so hard to come off as welcoming and agreeable, but Grace would never let her forget what she did to all of them by betraying them. “If your muscles are still hurting a little, it’s normal. It should be gone in a couple days.”

“Yeah, I doubt that.” Grace finally spoke, though her words were referring instead to the knife she had stuck in their backs. She was bitter and resented Teresa. Straightening up, she asked, “Where’s Minho?”

“He is being checked by a doctor. Just like you were, when you were still passed out.”

“I want to see him.”

“I’m sorry, Grace. I don’t think Janson and Chancellor Paige will allow that.”

“Do you like that? Huh? Being WICKED’s dog?” Grace asked. She didn’t have to raise her voice very much to let her anger show. Teresa looked at her like she was sad to see her react like this, as if it was surprising after what happened.

“Look, Grace, I came here to tell you something. I’m sorry it had to happen this way, really, but… we need you to help us.”

“You need my blood, not me. Why are you even here acting like you’re trying to bargain with me? Why do you act like you care?”

“This could all be so much easier if you agree to help us.” As she was talking, the door opened, and Janson walked in. He sized up Grace and stood by the table, hands behind his back.

“She’s right. This could all be so much easier if you just agree to help us. Because you know, that if you’re being too difficult… we will take what we want from you anyhow.” He threatened her with this annoyance in his eyes contradicting the smile on his face. “We have much to do right now. We’ll deal with her later, take her to her room.”

He waved nonchalantly at Grace, and she was grabbed by two soldiers who entered as he left. They grabbed her by the arms and not giving her time to get support on her feet, she was dragged out of the room and brought down the corridors. They passed many people in white coats and continued without stopping until they reached a door. At eye level along the wall was a window that looked out into the room within. It was a small room with a single bed with white sheets and blankets and a small light wooden table against the wall, with a chair. A guard slipped a card in a slot provided for this purpose, next to the door and a beep signalled the opening of the latter. She was pushed inside. They left her in handcuffs, and she turned back to the door, which beeped again as it locked. She also realized that the window was obscured from inside the room. They could see her, but she was cut off from what was going on in the halls. She sat on the bed and let her head fall on the pillow. She had no idea what Teresa wanted to tell her. Janson had cut their conversation short after probably being too annoyed by Grace’s behaviour. She was way too angry to comply and be obedient anyway.

As the days passed, Grace felt more and more on edge. She was locked in a room in which we could observe her without her knowledge and the lights were never turned off, which made her have a lot of trouble sleeping. She wasn't doing anything the whole day and the time seemed excruciatingly long. She thought that maybe they were trying to wear her out and push her to the edge so she would be too exhausted to fight back, or maybe they were just preparing the next tortures she would be subjected to. The only time she had some interactions was when she was brought food, and even then, the guards weren’t the most talkative, or when she was taken to get some blood drawn. It was really bugging her how they were just leaving her alone. She knew something was coming, and she also knew that she wouldn’t like it, whatever it would be. After a couple weeks, she was visited again by Teresa, directly in her room this time. The door buzzed loudly, and she sat up on her bed. The woman walked in, followed by an armed soldier.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, pulling the chair away from the table and sitting down.

“Are you going to ask me that every time you talk to me?”

“I’m just being mindful. You might believe me, but I care about your wellbeing, and Minho’s.” Her voice was soft, but it wasn’t fooling Grace. “I really need to have this talk with you, and I would prefer to do it myself. Janson won’t be as patient.”

“Oh, you’re so kind.” Grace rolled her eyes, pulling at the handcuffs, looking away from Teresa.

“We have been running tests on the blood samples we collected from you, Minho, and the others. You must have notified we weren’t taking you out of your room very often. We compared—”

“Get to the fucking point already.” Grace cut her off, sighing.

“We discovered something in your blood. The enzyme your brain produces is 110 percent more efficient against the flare.” She sounded excited and happy about what she was telling her, but it was all gibberish to her ears. “Not only do your body fights off the flare, but it also controls it. It’s as if it was assimilating to your system, rendering it harmless to you. You’re more immune than anyone else we’ve seen. Even more than Thomas.”

Grace instantly looked back at Teresa when she mentioned her brother. What she was saying was somehow not very surprising. This was a theory she had ever since she saw them draw so much blood from her at the facility in the desert. And now, she had the confirmation that there was something more about her and her blood, something that was very interesting and precious to WICKED. They probably already knew about it but needed a lot of her blood to run a few more tests and be sure. In any case, they took their time doing it.

“So? What now?” Grace enquired, holding her hands tightly to keep from fidgeting with her fingers.

“We are on the right track to synthesize a cure, thanks to you, Grace.” The latter glanced at Teresa. She would never get out of here if she was their golden ticket to a cure. They would never let her go and it made her grow anxious. So anxious about what they would do to her to get it that she was petrified. “We still need to conduct a few tests, and we need to find someone to try it on but we’re positive we can do it.”

“And why are you telling me this? They don’t need my permission to make me their lab rat.” Grace spat through her gritted teeth.

“I don’t want them to hurt you, that is why.” This made her let out a chuckle. She didn’t believe her anymore. She didn’t believe she actually cared, because she jeopardized the safety of everyone to get here and to get to this. Grace surprised herself when she spoke.

“I’ll agree to help you.” She turned her head to Teresa. “But I have a couple conditions.”

“Tell me.”

“I want them to conduct tests and shit, only on me. Not on Minho, or the others. I won’t fight back… if they leave him alone. Torture me not him.”

“You won’t be tortured, Grace—”

“Don’t bullshit me, please. Just go tell them and get on with it.” She looked away, gulping quietly. Teresa said she would go talk to Paige and see what she could do, promising her to do her best but she didn’t care about her worthless promises. She didn’t meet Teresa’s gaze again when she left and had a gloomy face, staring into space, as if she had signed her death certificate. To ensure Minho’s wouldn’t be tortured by WICKED, she had negotiated that everything be done to her, without having the slightest idea of how far their experiments would go and that thought alone made her feel sick to her stomach. She knew that if Minho was here, he would have never let her do this, but he wasn’t, and she didn’t want them to hurt him for the sake of science when they already had what they needed to make a cure with her. If she could ensure he would be safe, she was ready to do anything, even if it led to her death, though she prayed it wouldn’t come to that. She wanted to see her brother again. She wanted to Newt and all her friends again. She wanted to see Sonya again and get to know her, which she would never be able to do if she died at the hands of WICKED. It took until the next day for Teresa to come back. She talked to Chancellor Paige, and she had agreed to leave Minho out of this, the only condition was for Grace to never be difficult and agree to every test they would need to do. She agreed and knew it was going to be a long way to hell.

Her bare feet sinking into the snow, Grace walked on without really knowing where to go. Strangely, she didn't feel the cold, despite the fact that she wasn't wearing shoes or a jacket. Her clothes were thin, but she didn't seem to mind the temperature, which was probably in the negatives given the snow that was falling nonstop. She saw a forest straight ahead. There was nothing else on the horizon, so she headed there with a quiet step. As she approached the edge of the forest, she heard someone calling her, which caused her to go deeper into the woods, so that soon she found herself in the shade of the trees and of their tall, thick foliage. She walked blindly, following the voice that echoed around her. She only realized after getting too far into the forest that the snow had disappeared around her. She stepped on a branch that creaked under her foot. Suddenly, everything became silent, and the atmosphere changed drastically. The air became heavy and thick, and she found it harder and harder to breathe. Gasping for air, she held her hands to her throat and collapsed.

She was choking and there was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes for a second and as she tried to take deep breaths, she felt water seep through her nose and mouth and found herself banging furiously against a glass wall. This time, she felt the coldness in the water she was immersed in, right down to her bones. She wanted to hold her breath but the water she had already breathed made her cough and take deeper breaths. His vision was blurring. She no longer had the strength to hit the glass in front of her and her body shook with a brutal spasm, then another and she felt like falling into an abyssal void. Everything was dark around her. She let go and opened her eyes when she heard the heartbreaking cry of a Griever. Without thinking she took a deep breath and felt air fill her lungs, but the relief was short lived. She got up and quickly realized that she was in the labyrinth, in the middle of the night. She didn't even try to understand the meaning of everything that was happening, as if it seemed normal. There was a second screech that echoed through the corridors of the maze, and she began to run at full speed, not even knowing if she was getting closer to the monster or if she was moving away from it. She didn't care about being barefoot, she just ran breathlessly, terrified of coming face to face with one of her half-machines, half-organic creatures.

Taking a turn, she slipped and fell heavily to the ground. She felt her body go to the side and she slid into a wide gap between the platform and the wall. She screamed at the top of her lungs and fell silent when she realized that she was glued to the stone wall. She felt like her whole body was trembling from the inside. Her breath was shaky as well and she heard the metallic clinging of the Griever climbing up the wall. The creature covered her body and she found herself only inches from his head. He opened his mouth, letting out a squealing scream, bringing up a foul smell from the bowels of the earth. She closed her eyes as hard as she could and turned her head to the side, her face distorted with fear, and screamed. When she opened her eyes again, it took her a few seconds to stop and realize where she was. Her throat hurt like hell, but with a quick look around reminded her that she was not back in the maze. She heard the voice of a scientist rise in the room. She was barely catching her breath, her eyes wide from what she had been put through. After a minute, she was taken out of whatever machine she was in and carried to a bed. Her whole body felt drained of any ounce of energy that she ever had, as if she had turned into a ragdoll. She was strengthless. Her arms hanging loosely along the bed, she stared above her, breathing weakly.

The bed she was moved around on was pushed against a wall. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the shapes of several people, busy around her. She felt her arms being lifted and then rested on the sides of the bed. Her eyes moved slowly, and she tried to focus and follow some of the movements. She watched as plastic bags were hooked to IV poles on each side of her bed. One of the pouches contained a liquid that appeared to be translucent and the others a dark red liquid. She guessed the many tubes she could see linked the bags to her body, but she couldn't feel anything. The noises of machines and the words exchanged around her mixed in an incessant buzzing as if she was surrounded by a thousand bees. She saw someone lean over her and place a mask over her face. She took a breath, and her eyes grew heavier and heavier, until they closed completely, and she let herself sink in the dark again.

She did everything they asked of her, and she was still not allowed to see Minho, but Teresa assured he was being taken care of and not tested on. She didn’t trust her, but she had to take her word for it since she couldn’t check for herself. The only thing to do was hoping they were keeping their word. With Grace in their hands, it didn’t take the scientists as long as she thought to try and see if their vaccine actually cured people from the flare. What would take a little more time would be to see how long the cure they made was effective before they got sick again, if they got sick again at all, because there was a world where it did work out perfectly and in which Grace turned out to be the source of the cure for all of humanity. If it was the world they were in, Grace would be condemned to serve as their supply for the creation of this vaccine and would never see the light of the sun ever again. She would be sucked dry by these vampires, but they would act as if they were so grateful of her sacrifice. The sacrifice of a 17-year-old girl who happened to be more immune to the flare than others. To her great misfortune. But if they had gotten Thomas as well, he would be subjected to the exact same treatment and she didn’t want that, though she didn’t want to die for those greedy, selfish people either. While she was plunged into a vegetative state for months at a time, she only dreamed of one thing.

Getting out of there and seeing her brother and friends again.

She wanted to have another chance at life. She wanted to be more than what they saw in her. Maybe, if she could make it out of there alive, she could also see if anything could come out of that spark she felt when meeting Sonya.

Grace wasn’t really being told anything anymore and she couldn’t even get out of bed. She had been transferred to a bigger room where she was strapped to a sort of hospital bed, her arms stretched out to the sides. So many tubes were connected to the crooks of her elbows, the backs of her hands and really, wherever they could stick a needle, they had. She was bedridden and fed through a tube that had been inserted in her skin and into her stomach and an oxygen mask was sometimes slapped on her face to put her to sleep. When she was conscious and awake, she wasn't even fully aware of what was going on around her anyway. She just had this blurry, constant vision of masked people in white coats bustling around her. Usually, it was pretty quiet and when they did speak, she couldn't make out half the words, but she guessed they might be speaking way more when she was asleep, which she was most of the time.

“Can you hear me?” Teresa spoke to her softly, sitting across from her. Grace did hear her. She was physically unable to respond, her whole body feeling numb like she was still feeling the effects of the aesthetics and drugs that they used on her even though she had been brought here for some time already. She couldn’t tell how long it had been since they put her in this room, on this chair with Teresa. Grace looked terrible. She looked exhausted and sick, a dull grayish complexion on her face. It looked like she was asleep with her eyes open, her cuffed hands stretched out in front of her on the table. If there hadn't been a backrest on her chair, she would have collapsed to the floor without a doubt. Even though she couldn’t react very much, she listened to Teresa.

“There’s a little girl here. Her name is Shai Lun. She’d been infected for three weeks but, Grace… you saved her.”

Although her body remained still, her chest heaving at each weak breath she took, Grace looked up tiredly at Teresa. Hearing this, a glimmer of hope passed through her eyes. If what she was saying was true, maybe her sacrifice would have served some purpose, and saved this little girl. Teresa saw the way she looked at her and gave her a smile, nodding.

“We’ve had her here for observation for weeks now. You saved her. And you can save so many others. Everything we’re doing here, it’s working.” Her smile stretched at the joy that this statement brought her. “Do you understand? That’s why this is so important.”

Hoping that Grace would say something to her made Teresa greatly disappointed when the later just looked down at the table again. She sighed and stood up.

“I just wanted you to know.”

“Teresa.” When she turned her back to her, Grace called her name so softly it almost sounded like a whisper.

“Grace?” She asked as if she thought she had dreamed being called out to. She approached and leaned gently towards her. The girl lifted her head slightly, looking up at Teresa. Grace swallowed harshly, her throat feeling so sore and parted her lips.

“Minho… let me see him… please…” She had to speak directly into Teresa's ear, the sound of her voice being so low. Pronouncing these 6 words had already almost made her breathless. Teresa straightened up and nodded, unable to promise her that this meeting would actually happen. Two guards then came in and grabbed Grace by the arms, lifting her up from the chair and moving her out of the room. Her body hanged from their hand like she was just a rag, and she was brought to a single room which she recognized to be the one she was in before they started actively experimenting on her. The guards put her on the bed, lying on her right side and connected her handcuffs to chains tied to the feet of the bed. The chain was so short she couldn’t even think of rolling over, but she didn’t have the energy to do so anyway. She stared at the window across the wall. She couldn’t see what was going on in the hallways but anyone stopping by could watch her in the room. It was the least of her worries. Grace closed her eyes and she was so tired that despite the bright, white lights on the ceiling, she managed to fall asleep almost instantly.

When she woke up, Grace let out a yawn so big it felt like her jaw was dropping. She winced. Her mouth hurt. She straightened up with difficulty leaning on her forearm to bring her face closer to her hands and touched her mouth with her fingertips. She hissed when she touched actual wounds. Her lips were so dry and irritated that the corners of her mouth were cracked. Maybe that played in why Teresa looked at her with so much concern in her eyes when they met. Or maybe this was just an impression and Teresa didn't care about how awful Grace looked. Her eyes then went down her hands and arms. She knew they had been drawing blood from her for a while now, sticking needles wherever they could but she hadn’t realized how bad it was. There were large, dark blue-purple bruises all over her skin. A squeal escaped her lips, and she felt her body shake. Seeing those bruises covering nearly every square inch of her skin shocked her and she felt her stomach churn. She felt sick and a sudden wave of heat came over her upper body. It was as if she was burning up and she collapsed onto the floor with a grunt, staring at the ceiling, in pain. Her breaths fastened.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a guard being hurried inside the room to detach the chain from the handcuffs. Seeing these two people come in gave her an idea. She felt something cold being pressed against her shoulder and she quickly felt her body and breathing relax.

“How long did I asleep?” She asked faintly.

“You’ve slept since your meeting with Teresa, this morning. You needed the rest.” The woman gave her a smile and helped her sit at the table against the wall. She showed no resistance and let herself be handled, swiftly stealing her access card from her pocket. Surprisingly, the doctor then told the guard to remove her handcuffs as the girl wasn’t going anywhere in her state. While she had her back turned, Grace let herself fall against the backrest of the chair and slipped the card at her waist, held in place by the elastic of her pants. If she tried to escape from this place, she might need this card to even get out of this room in the first place. The guard took her handcuffs off and remained in the room to watch her while the woman walked to the door. She reached for her card but didn’t find it and she patted her pockets, not understanding where it could have gone. She motioned for the guard to open for her and left. A couple minutes later, someone came in carrying a food tray. It was placed in front of Grace and after she ate, the doctor came back, this time sending the guard on his way so she could check on Grace’s bruises. A kidney plate on the table caught his eye. His arms were outstretched, one on the table the other in the doctor's hands. Grace pushed the tray over the edge of the table, exaggerating the exhaustion she was in to make it seem accidental. Cotton balls rolled on the floor.

“Sorry.” Grace breathed out.

“It’s all right. I’ll take care of it.” The woman turned her back to her and bent over to gather the cotton balls and the other stuff that fell from the tray. Grace had a sudden burst of energy, and she immediately grabbed a syringe from another tray and a small bottle of drugs. She didn't take the time to read the label and just filled the syringe with it before stabbing the needle in the woman lower back. She injected the liquid and watch her body drop to the floor. Grace had no idea if she was really unconscious, but she stood up. Her legs almost gave out beneath her, and she caught herself on the table before straightening up and dropping down beside the woman lying there. She took off her white blouse and shoes. The teenage girl then put all that on and got up, not without much difficulty, leaning on the back of the chair.

“This is useless, you know?” Grace glanced over her shoulders and shrugged, breathing heavily.

“I gotta try.” She said standing at her full height facing the door, trying to hide the colossal amount of effort that it took her not to fall right here and there. She slipped the card into the slot next to the door. It buzzed open and she stepped out in the hallway of the medical wing, where she had spent day after day for the past few months. She had never put so much focus on something as basic as walking but placing one foot in front of the other while standing without any support seemed so hard. She felt her legs shaking and the thought of collapsing in the hallway terrified her, so she forced herself to keep going when she heard the doctor's voice coming from her room. The latter was shouting at a guard to go after her and in the blink of an eye she was pinned down, the guard's knee pressing against her back while he held her bruised arms with a strong grip. Being on the floor was almost relaxing after trying so hard to walk, if it weren't for the pain she was being put through. The fatigue came back in a second and she didn’t even realize when she passed out. She opened and closed her eyes without being able to move a finger and that blurry vision was back. She heard voices around her but the words were confused and sounded deafened and all she could really tell was that she was lying on some sort of bed, in a room she didn't know. Her eyes half open she saw an orange light swirling in the corridors, not knowing what was going on. It was as if not only was her body asleep again, but her mind and senses were also functioning in slow motion. She felt a pressure somewhere on her body, but she was so numb she couldn’t tell where it came from though, she recognized the pressure of a syringe. She slowly realized she was coming out of whatever they had used to sedate her a moment prior when she heard glass breaking sharply on the floor and loud grunting as if there was fight going on. The sounds became clearer as the grunting turned into yelling and she almost fell off the bed when she tried to get up. She felt strong hands catching her in her fall and as she was helped up, she saw Thomas’ face and couldn’t believe it.

“Thomas.” She didn’t care about the pain that continuously shot through her bruised limbs and wrapped her arms around her brother with a sob. Newt and Minho were panting from the effort the fights required, standing there a few feet away from the siblings just reuniting. They joined in the hug after Grace gave them a look when she noticed them in the room. She also gave them each a hug and upon turning back to Thomas, she saw him staring at her arms in shock. Taking a step back, she hit the bed and looked at the three boys. Newt and Minho had also just seen the state in which WICKED had left her and she couldn't help but look away. Seeing what her arms looked like made her sick to her stomach but seeing the guilt in their eyes made her feel even worse. She thought of telling them she was fine, but she couldn’t even resort herself to saying such blatant lies. She felt dizzy and her body was weak, barely able to stand on her own.

“Grace—”

“It’s— I didn’t want them to experiment on you.” She said in one breath, wrapping her arm around her stomach, holding her side. She patted lightly when she felt a bandage under her T-shirt. For a split second she wondered what they had done to her, and she quickly remembered that she had spent most of her last months hooked up to machines, a tube in her stomach to feed her. Not one of them really said anything. All three of them were at an abyssal loss of words. Thomas looked around and grabbed one of the doctors lying dead and lifted the body, grabbing it by the collar to pull off its white coat and put it around Grace's shoulders. She couldn't hide the pain that shot through her arms as she tucked them into the sleeves and closed her eyes so as not to see the way the boys were staring at her.

“Let’s get them out of here.” Thomas glanced at Newt and nodded. He helped Grace to walk out of the room but as they came around the corner of the corridor, a bunch of soldiers spotted them and yelled in their direction. Grace barely had time to realize, she let out a gasp when she was suddenly lifted off the floor and found herself in Thomas's arms as the boys ran in the opposite direction. She clung to Thomas and watched the soldiers chasing them with dread on her tired face. As they fled, she met Janson's gaze and felt her heart skip a beat, holding her breath until he left her field of vision. They were desperately trying to shake off Janson and the soldiers but came to a halt when the latter came from in front of them. Grace ducked her head in Thomas’ neck when they fired in their direction. Minho urged them to get into the room to their right and slammed the door shut and locking it. Janson could be heard grunting as he banged on the door furiously. Thomas took a look around the room while Newt and Minho knocked over a piece of furniture across the door to block it. They backtracked against the large bay window overlooking the rest of the city. Grace stared at the door anxiously, trying to stay calm but with the fatigue and pain she was in, she was kind of all over the place.

“Oh, shit…” Thomas swore as they heard loud steps on the other side of the door. Janson really wanted that door open for the sole reason that he felt so entitled to what was in their blood and the cure that could come out of it. Though she was scared shitless, Grace knew that now that Thomas had her back, WICKED was going to have to keep their claws off her. Grace gulped as she heard a drill whirring. They were trying to saw through the lock on the door to open it.

“Any ideas?” Minho enquired while he and Newt stared at the door, sparks flying inside the room. Grace followed Thomas gaze as he turned to the window and looked down. He showed the pool beneath them and stepped aside, still carrying his sister in his arms while Newt and Minho threw a huge canister at the window, shattering the glass. He put Grace on her feet, holding her firmly by the waist and all four of them stood on the edge, watching the canister fall heavily into the water.

“It’s doable.” Thomas said, glancing at his sister and friend. In other circumstances, Grace would have laughed when she saw Minho’s doubtful face. “Just need a little running start.” Thomas was the first to walk towards the middle of the room, swiftly taking his sister back in his arms since she couldn't run, even for such a short distance. He told her to hold on tight and she clung to him, ignoring the pain that shot through her bruised hands, staring fearfully through the window, taking breaths to try to calm down.

“You sure about this?” Minho asked.

“Not really.” He saw the look on Grace’s face and added; “it’s gonna be okay.”

“Nice pep talk.”

“Yeah, we’re all bloody inspired.” Newt added sarcastically.

The sound of the saw stopped, and Grace turned her head towards the door. There was a silence for a couple of seconds before they started ramming the door. The door banged open, and Janson stepped over the furniture on the floor to get in the room. Thomas swore under his breath and the three boys ran for it and jumped out the window. He shouted, telling Grace to hold her breath but she didn't have time to process what he said and what was happening. She screamed her brother’s name as they fell. She opened her eyes underwater, blinded by this cloud of bubbles and this deaf sound that was her voice. In a matter of less than a second, the nightmares she had of herself drowning came back and she panicked. She was pulled out by Thomas and desperately gasped for air, coughing dryly, and wincing at the sensation of her nose and throat sore from breathing in water. He tightened his grip of her and pushed the hair sticking to her face, reassuring her. She calmed down but had no control over the cough she was seized with. Thomas gave the middle finger to Janson, who was watching them from the windowsill and the group swam to shore. Grace let Thomas pull her with him, out of breath. Only when he put her on the edge of the pool before he even got out of the water, did she realize she was sobbing, panting, coughing and shaking all at once. He pulled Minho and Newt out of the water and helped Grace get on her feet when soldiers ordered them to stay where they were, their machine guns aiming at them. There weren’t many options, so they obliged. While staring at the soldiers, Thomas whispered to Grace to help her calm down. He tried to reach for the handgun at his thigh, but they saw him, advising him not to do that.

“Get on your knees with your hands in the air.” Grace gasped loudly and widened her eyes when one of the soldiers started firing at his peers, stunning them with the electric shots. Once they were all down, he came towards them and took off his mask. Her jaw dropped when she saw Gally standing right in front of them.

“Minho. Grace.” He nodded at them before looking up the building. “You guys are nuts.”

“I’ll explain later.” Thomas then told Minho and his sister, who looked at each other in shock before walking away. Grace heavily relied on her brother’s support to walk along them. She could feel her legs almost giving way with every step. It took so much energy from her; she would have never been able to walk on her own. She barely managed to take deep breaths. Sneaking through the city was really not easy on her. They slid on the ground, hiding from the soldiers looking for them. Thomas sat her down against the grove's half wall, in between him and Gally. She held her arms with a low moan of pain through her teeth. She almost felt even more drained than back there.

“Well, they’re definitely pissed.” Gally declared.

“How far are the tunnels?” Thomas enquired as he took off his soaked gloves, looking at his sister with concern. She was way calmer now, but he could tell she was in a lot of pain, on top of being exhausted.

“Uh, maybe blocks from here.” They all looked ahead of them upon hearing Newt, who was a few feet away, sitting next to Minho, started coughing his lungs out. Grace stared at him, not understanding what was wrong with him at first but when it clicked, her face dropped, and she felt her heart and stomach sank to her feet. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t be infected. They were supposed to be immune to this. Gally looked at the two siblings. “We can make it.”

Thomas didn’t say anything. Him and Gally crouched behind the wall, on the look out but she kept staring at Newt. She had just reunited with her friends, and she was faced with the realization that one of them was dying and that she could save him with all the fucking vaccines or whatever that they made using her, but they needed time to get said cure. She was so focused on the fact that Newt was dying that she completely overlooked the reappearance of Gally. Minho came towards them.

“Hey. How long has he been like this?”

“He’ll be okay. We just gotta get to Brenda.” Thomas said, taking off his jacket. “She’s got the serum. Come on, let’s go.”

Thomas tried to help his sister get up, but she pushed him away, telling him to take care of Newt. Minho and Gally, or either of them, could help her. They watched him catch Newt as he almost fell over and walked away. Until then, she hadn't really cared about the sticky feel of her soaked clothes on her skin, but she suddenly couldn't bare it anymore and leaned forward, moaning from the pain as she tried to pull the blouse off.

“Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy, Grace. Don’t hurt yourself.” Minho hastened to stop her and helped her take off the blouse. Gally's eyes slid down her arms as she fell back against the low wall. Like every single one of them when they saw all the bruises, he couldn’t help but stare in shock, though he tried to control his expression, she could tell in his eyes. He was taken out of his stupor by Minho’s voice. “Why you helping us, Gally? I put a spear through your chest.”

“Yeah. Nobody’s perfect, man.” He shrugged it off and was about to help Grace up but a quick look from Minho was enough to make Gally understand that he got this so the latter just stood up, patting him on the shoulder and walked off.

“Can you stand?” She nodded and he put her arm around his shoulder, holing her by the waist and they just started following Gally and Thomas when she spoke with a faint voice.

“Minho… did they do something to you?”

“They put me through a bunch of simulations, but they only did it a couple of time.”

“Okay. Good…” She nodded, resting her eyes as they walked. She was relieved to hear that Teresa did keep her word and stopped the experiments on him and the others.

“What did you do, Grace?” His question got her to look at him from the corner of her eyes and the silence that followed pushed her to say something. Her brother and Newt were far ahead but not Gally. She knew he would hear but it wasn't that much of a problem. She just didn't want Thomas to know about all this. For now, anyway. On the way, she proceeded to tell him about the day Teresa came to talk to her, trying to get her to cooperate, and she ended up agreeing to do all this and that her only condition to this was for them to leave Minho alone and not use him for any experiments of any kind. She could tell he was upset to hear all this, but the guilt outweighed it. He came out of this safe and sound because she took it all on her. She didn’t have to tell him about how they drew her blood almost every day, leaving her bedridden and in a medically induced coma for a while. She didn’t tell him about the anxiety-inducing nightmares of her drowning or about how sick she gets when she looks at her arms now.

“Anyway… I’ll recover from this.”

“They tortured you—”

“And I agreed to it. It was a shit decision, but it doesn’t matter…” She shook her head, letting out a sigh. “You should go help Thomas with Newt.”

“Grace, you can barely walk on your own.”

“I’ll help her.” Gally turned to them and pushed by Grace, Minho went ahead and put Newt’s arm around his shoulder. She took a step forward and it was enough for her to lose her balance and catch herself on the arm that Gally held out to her. They resumed their walk and stopped in their tracks again, watching an explosion occur further ahead of them. “We’re supposed to take down WICKED, not the whole damn city.”

“Gally, come on.” Thomas urged him to continue on their way and Grace had to wait for him to follow them and looked up at him observing the fire left by the explosion. He didn't seem so thrilled with how far this was going but she didn’t really care. She already had a hard time with Gally back in the Glade and she still wasn’t too fond of him, but he seemed nicer than he used to be. If someone had told her that she would stop hating Gally one day and that he would even go so far as helping her out, she wouldn’t have believed it. When you remember how he ran after her and she taunted him from the top of a tree after she tried out for the Builders during the first week, she would have never thought she would even accept help from him.

[To be continued…]

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Published (26/06/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 1 year

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The LGBTQ community has seen controversy regarding acceptance of different groups (bisexual and transgender individuals have sometimes been marginalized by the larger community), but the term LGBT has been a positive symbol of inclusion and reflects the embrace of different identities and that we’re stronger together and need each other. While there are differences, we all face many of the same challenges from broader society.

In the 1960′s, in wider society the meaning of the word gay transitioned from ‘happy’ or ‘carefree’ to predominantly mean ‘homosexual’ as they adopted the word as was used by homosexual men, except that society also used it as an umbrella term that meant anyone who wasn’t cisgender or heterosexual. The wider queer community embraced the word ‘gay’ as a mark of pride.

The modern fight for queer rights is considered to have begun with The Stonewall Riots in 1969 and was called the Gay Liberation Movement and the Gay Rights Movement.

The acronym GLB surfaced around this time to also include Lesbian and Bisexual people who felt “gay” wasn’t inclusive of their identities.

Early in the gay rights movement, gay men were largely the ones running the show and there was a focus on men’s issues. Lesbians were unhappy that gay men dominated the leadership and ignored their needs and the feminist fight. As a result, lesbians tended to focus their attention on the Women’s Rights Movement which was happening at the same time. This dominance by gay men was seen as yet one more example of patriarchy and sexism.

In the 1970′s, sexism and homophobia existed in more virulent forms and those biases against lesbians also made it hard for them to find their voices within women’s liberation movements. Betty Friedan, the founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), commented that lesbians were a “lavender menace” that threatened the political efficacy of the organization and of feminism and many women felt including lesbians was a detriment.

In the 80s and 90s, a huge portion of gay men were suffering from AIDS while the lesbian community was largely unaffected. Lesbians helped gay men with medical care and were a massive part of the activism surrounding the gay community and AIDS. This willingness to support gay men in their time of need sparked a closer, more supportive relationship between both groups, and the gay community became more receptive to feminist ideals and goals.

Approaching the 1990′s it was clear that GLB referred to sexual identity and wasn’t inclusive of gender identity and T should be added, especially since trans activist have long been at the forefront of the community’s fight for rights and acceptance, from Stonewall onward. Some argued that T should not be added, but many gay, lesbian and bisexual people pointed out that they also transgress established gender norms and therefore the GLB acronym should include gender identities and they pushed to include T in the acronym.

GLBT became LGBT as a way to honor the tremendous work the lesbian community did during the AIDS crisis.

Towards the end of the 1990s and into the 2000s, movements took place to add additional letters to the acronym to recognize Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, Agender, and others. As the acronym grew to LGBTIQ, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIAA, many complained this was becoming unwieldy and started using a ‘+’ to show LGBT aren’t the only identities in the community and this became more common, whether as LGBT+ or LGBTQ+.

In the 2010′s, the process of reclaiming the word “queer” that began in the 1980′s was largely accomplished. In the 2020′s the LGBTQ+ acronym is used less often as Queer is becoming the more common term to represent the community.

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justinewt · 1 year

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Rest In Peace - TWD REWRITE Chapter Eighteen

[TWD FANFICTION-MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (TBA)

Summary: Things never got complicated, because they always were in the first place. But some people made it worse with their actions, hurting and wronging others. Pamela was in the crosshairs of the survivors. And she would fall, one way or another. On the other hand, Anna had to deal with her own emotions and and the anxiety in which she found herself after her children were taken from her. And maybe, only maybe would she find it in her heart to give her father one last chance...

Words: 10.7k

Warnings: TWD spoilers season 11 (end of episode 20 “What’s been Lost”, episode 21 “Oupost 22”, episode 22 “Faith, episode 23 “Family” and episode 24 “Rest in peace”), TWD finale chapter, long chapter, angst, a couple life-or death situations, making amends, heart to heart, blood, shooting

Anna's anxiously looked around, taking in short breaths. The hessian sack on her head prevented her from seeing around her the other captives on the bus and being bound hand and foot restricted her movements. She didn't even know for sure where her father was in the vehicle. She knew they had only caught their people before Daryl managed to get them out of the Commonwealth, but a bag had been put on them before they even set foot on the bus. She was frowning in worry, not knowing what they would do to them, but her main concern was the safety of her two young children, whom had been taken away from her. She winced when someone slightly lifted up the side of the sack and stuck a needle in his neck. She quickly felt the effects of whatever was in that syringue and she blinked profusely to try and not pass out but her eyes didn't open again after a few seconds and her head fell forward. They were all helpess at the hand of Commonwealth soldiers. They were all at their mercy, but the catch was, not all of them were on that bus. They had purposefully separated them, and the only thing Anna was sure of was that her father and Annie were with them. She had no idea where they took the others.

When she woke up, completely disoriented, Anna couldn’t hear any noise. The bus has stopped. She didn’t know if she would have rather preferred to hear that they were still driving. She raised her bound hands and removed the burlap bag. Looking to her left, towards the window, she saw there was only her on her seat. On her right, she recognized her father and Annie’s clothes. A few seconds after she came to herself, something or someone started banging on the bus' sides. That’s when everyone removed the sack on their heads and looked around in confusion. Negan met his daugther’s gaze when Ezekiel asked if everyone was all right but most of them were still too zoned out to give an answer. Anna let out a heavy sigh and leaned on her knees, burying her face in her hands before straightening up, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears. She remembered the screams of protest she had let out and the cries of Adam and Lucille as the soldiers took them away. She was feverish just thinking about it. A random thought popped into her head; she hadn't even told Negan what her daughter's name was yet, but that didn't matter right now.

“One of the trucks is missing.” When Annie spoke, Anna turned her head to her and her father.

“No sign of Gabriel, Maggie or Rosita.” Negan added.

“They’re unloading a bunch of stuff off the trucks.” Anna stood up to see through the windows and had confirmation of Kelly's statement. This whole situation was very odd though not that surprising coming from the Commonwealth.

“Can you see the kids?” At Ezekiel's question, Anna looked at him and Kelly but the latter replied in the negative. She knew they wouldn’t separate them and the kids just to reunite them so soon but she had to admit, she had hoped they were there for a second.

“I was in and out. We stopped for a few minutes. There was a crash.” Annie looked at Negan. “You think that was them?”

“It fits.” He replied quietly, shooting up his eyebrows. “They either bailed, or…”

“Or what?” Before they could continue their discussion, the door of the bus opened. Through the grid separating them from the front of the vehicule, a man stepped in, greeting them.

“Today is the first day of a new beginning. The world works when everyone knows their place.” At this statement, Anna couldn’t help but give a sidelong glance at her father. This was something he used to say a lot when he was the leader of the savior. That was one of his mottos. But this time, none of them were at the top of the hierarchy in the group. She wasn’t the golden, untouchable child and he wasn’t the boss. Negan met his gaze briefly. He had to know why she looked at him and the shame showed on his face. “Your place is at the bottom. All of the resources that we use to bring the old world back into the new and sustain it, it all starts at places like this. You should take comfort in knowing that good people will benefit from your labor here. That is your redemption. That is your salvation. Your children are safe and being attended to.” Anna gave him a death stare. “Play by the rules, you get to see them again. In order to do that, you must work as one. Here… nobody has a name because we have no need for them. I’m not gonna tell you mine, and you will not… address each other by yours.” He paused for a second and opened the grid as he continued to speak. “When I point at you, you stand up. You exit the rear.”

At the same time, a Commonwealth soldier opened the back door of the bus. Anna watched him through the grid behind them. Another then got in the vehicule and opened the grid while the man that just made a speech was pointing at people for them to stand up. Already half a dozen people had walked out when he set his sights on Annie.

“And you.” The silence that hung in the bus got even heavier when he turned to the other side and pointed at Anna. The latter tried her best to hide her worry, but she was freaked out. She had no idea where they brought her children and Annie and her were being separated from Negan, for whatever reason. He stood up, stepping in the aisle to let Annie get on her feet. Anna stood in turn, and they all faced each other.

“I’m gonna get us out of here. All four of us. I promise.” The child in Anna wanted to hug her dad as tight as she could but she just stared at him until a soldier ordered them out.

“Her name’s Lucille.” Anna said softly before following Annie outside. Before the door was closed behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the look on her father’s face after he realized she told him the name of the newborn daughter she had with Alden. Lucille. Her mother’s name. Maybe Aaron was right. Maybe she really was proud of her.

Anna, Annie and the few others who had been selected had therefore been separated from the others and taken directly to another location. From what Anna understood, it was a Commonwealth outpost, but she couldn't see out of the vehicle's windows which were blurred. It was only when they got off that she realized, despite the night falling and the sky darkening visibly, that it was in fact Alexandria. The houses were still there, the mill too, but with the soldiers in white gear all over the place, it didn't feel the same at all. They really fucked them all up and took over their homes. Thinking of home reminded her of the Sanctuary which must have been in an even worst state now than when her father and her went to see it a while ago. There were times like this when the realization of how fast time was passing by hit her right in the face. The two women were then brought to a house. Anna froze as she looked up. It was Rick’s house. She stared at the stairs leading to the porch, remembering Judith sitting on them, talking to her father who was still locked up in the basement to the side of the house and doing her maths homeworks. She lost her balance and nearly stumbled on the first step when a soldier pushed her forward. She was caught by Annie and just looked up at her, muttering a thank you as they entered the house. They were then brought to a room with two single beds, one right by the door and one in front of the window and heard the door being locked behind her. Anna sat on the second bed and looked outside.

“I know this house.” Annie turned her head towards her as she broke the silence that hung in the room. “I’ve lived here. It was Rick’s house before… Since you know my father so well, you must know about him.”

“Yes.”

“From the little that I knew him, during the six years that my father was locked up, he proved himself to be righteous. A good person, and a good leader. His son, Carl. It’s thanks to him that Rick didn’t just kill me on the spot. He encouraged me to “show the way” to my dad”.” She chuckled, sketching a nostalgic smile hearing Carl say these few words in her head. Her facial features tensed up and she gritted her teeth. “I wanted a father who was present and loving, and who did what was right instead of instegating fear everywhere he went. I thought he could become that person… to be as he was before all this… to be a father more like Rick.”

“He is no longer the man he was at Sanctuary, and he loves you dearly, Anna.”

“I've been through the last 15 years alone with him. I saw him change and you know what's the only difference I see between him nowawdays and how he was in the Sanctuary? Huh? It's that he appears quieter, less scary. He doesnt throw threats around anymore, but I'm not sure this new persona is sustainable for him. Deep down, he’s always been the same, even before. You've only really known him for 6 months, Annie. I’ve known him for about 25 years.” She stared at Annie. “People don’t actually change, and I hope you really know what you signed up for when you joined this family.”

The next day they were brought in separately from the others to work cleaning rails in the middle of the forest. Everyone else were there already. Guards watched them all closely and one of them was standing next to Annie and Anna while they were on their knees in the dirt. When the guard motioned at them to work faster, the two women looked up at him, annoyed. One more comment from him and Anna was going to start a fight, although he was the one holding the gun. She honestly didn’t give a shit if he struck her with it. Getting hurt and having a couple of big bruises on her face was the least of her worries. She paused in her work to redo her low ponytail and stared at the guard in defiance, when a loud noise came from nearby and caught her attention. That's when she saw her father bent double in front of two guards. Annie and she glanced at each other, slowly standing up. He quickly straightened up and shoved the guard away, but the latter pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach.

“Get off of him!” Annie shouted as the two women abandoned their post, running towards them. A guard turned to them, pushing Annie unceremoniously pushing her but Anna caught her before she hit the ground, helping her get back up.

“Know your place, prisoner!” The second Anna let go of her, she landed a punch in his face, but he then grabbed her as she tried to get past him. Anna wished she had her knife right now, she would have stabbed him without a second thought, but she had left it in Alexandria before going to the Commonwealth and seeing what it had become, there was no doubt that someone had taken it. She would retrieve it later. Annie struggled, calling out to Negan and Anna was unable to help and do anything because a guard was holding her at gunpoint, hands in the air. She looked at her father, on the ground, in a similar situation. The guard eventually motioned for her to go back to work and she gave him a death stare, having to comply with his order. She couldn’t wait for the roles to be reversed.

A little later, they were brought back to Alexandria for lunch but neither Anna nor Annie was allowed to eat with the others and were once again separated and kept apart. They ate and were locked back into their room. Anna was fuming, her arms crossed, walking back and forth in front of the window, dragging her feet while Annie rested on her bed. She briefly stopped in her tracks, looking behind her when the door opened and she saw a guard lead her father into the room. He then went to stand by the doorframe. Negan crossed his daughter’s gaze but she turned her back to him, looking out the window and hearing him sit on the chair by Annie’s bed, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He softly grabbed her hand hanging off the bed, and she must have been sleeping so soundly that she awoke with a slight start. She smiled at the sight of her husband.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”

“I think you got the worst of it.” He chuckled.

“How’s the little one?” Anna looked away. She could blame her dad all she wanted, but she couldn't be angry at an unborn child for how her relationship with her dad turned out. She loved her father too much to really hate him but resented him too much to forgive him and this vicious circle had been going on for years, hurting the both of them in the process. Annie sat up on the bed.

“Just kicked me so hard I almost rolled off the bed.”

“Gonna be a badass, just like Mama.” If she could have, Anna would have just walked out of the room but it wasn’t an option so she listened with only hald an ear.

“We’re gonna get out of here. We will.”

“Yeah. I know. I know we will. I am working on it.” This comments her father made got her interested and she turned around.

“Is that what you were doing back there on the tracks? Working it “your way”?”

“Hey, old habits die hard, I guess.” Anna scoffed and sat on her bed. She knew what she told Annie was true. He might no longer be the Negan he was at the Sanctuary, but he didn’t thoroughly change either. Hearing her behind him, her father looked at her over his shoulder.

“But we can’t. I am gonna meet this baby, and so are you.”

“Yes.” He said quietly, nodding. “Yeah. Hey, Annie, I would never risk us.”

“What did the warden say to you?” Annie lowered her voice.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“That bad, huh?” She cracked a tight smile.

“I’ve known men like him my whole life. Hell, I used to be him.”

“In that case, no wonder everyone hated you.” As the two started laughing, leaning their heads together, Anna pursed her lips to suppress an amused smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a guard approaching the one standing at the door. The one who had just arrived leaned into her ear, whispered a few words and the two men exchanged a look in Anna's direction. She frowned.

“I will handle him.” He then assured. “Okay?”

“Sure.” The guards eventually put an end to the reunion, calling Negan out of the room. He stood up, heading for the door when one of them pointed at Anna.

“You too, let’s go.”

“What? What do you want with her?” Negan enquired, hiding his worry for his daughter behind the confusion that read on his face. Anna knew they were going to call her but not knowing why was the part she really didn’t like. She got on her feet, walking past Annie’s bed and briefly putting her hand on her father shoulder.

“None of your business, prisoner. Bring him back.” He then ordered the first guard and the latter nodded, motioning for Negan to follow him down the corridor. He wasn’t reassured for his daughter and gave her a concerned look as he walked away. She watched him until he disappeared from sight, and she followed the guard to a door. He was wallowing in an annoying silence, refusing to answer her questions and tell her what she was doing here, and she was therefore surprised to find herself in the Warden's office. He made her sit on the chair. On the other side, the warden watched her from his seat, leaning on the desk, his hands clasped. She shook her shoulder to make him remove his hand and crossed her arms, slightly slumped in her chair.

“Annabelle Smith.” He straightened up, looking down at a couple document spread before him.

“I thought we didn't do names around here.” He chuckled at her remark, looking up at her.

“We do, when we find your name on a box full of vials of blood, properly stored at the bottom of a fridge in the infirmary.” She had totally forgot about the blood Siddiq had drawn from her. It was over a year ago and she thought they would have discarded all those old vials. If it really was at the back of a fridge, probably hidden by other stuff, they had probably overlooked it.

“I’m a universal donor.” She shrugged, trying not to let it show that she had been unsettled. Neither he nor anyone in the Commonwealth was to find out that she was immune to the virus. She had managed to hide the origin of her ugly scar on her calf for six months, she couldn't let him find out the truth. The answer she gave wasn’t really a lie anyway, she was actually a universal donor and he would only need to check her blood type in the files from the Commonwealth hospital.

“You have no equipment here to do transfusions.”

“Alexandria—”

“Outpost 22. There is no Alexandria anymore.” Anna sketched a tight smile and bit her lip.

“Alexandria…” She stressed every syllable of the camp’s original name. “suffered many losses because of all the attacks we went through. Both human and material losses.”

“Right, right.” He wasn’t convinced by the excuses she gave him but still dismissed her, reviewing the papers as the guard led her back to her room before locking it for the rest of the day. She just hoped he would never find out why they had drawn blood from her, or she would become the Commonwealth’s rat lab in the blink of an eye.

All the prisoners in the outpost were suddenly awakened in the middle of the night and dragged across the camp towards the mill. Annie and Anna were escorted by guards, looking around in confusion. Nobody knew what the cause of all this could be. They narrowed their eyes when a spotlight came on. Anna noticed that only, Annie, Ezekiel and her were held by guards, while the rest of the prisoners were only led towards the mill. She frowned, now starting to wonder where her father was because she realized he was nowhere to be seen.

“There is a traitor in our midst.” The warden appeared in front of the crowd. He walked up to Ezekiel and stared at him as he continued. “Someone who thinks he’s above the rules. This prisoner has admitted to spearheading a rebellion.” Anna first thought he was talking about Ezekiel, but he turned his head to the side and that’s when she saw her father, handcuffed and held by the arms by two guards who dragged him right in front of everyone. Shock was quickly replaced by anger, and she struggled against the guards holding her but all she got was their grip on their arms getting tighter. “Any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt. I trust they were not acting of their own free will. So only he will be punished. But it’s important that you’re all here to see. To remember.”

“Negan!” Anna wartched Annie take advantage of the guards being distracted and she ran towards him but was caught halfway. Anna was so conflicted with her emotions that she froze for a moment and didn’t have much reaction. Her father was going to be executed for steering up a rebellion. There had to be something she could do. No matter how much she resented him for letting her down, she refused to lose her father after all she had been through. She wanted to run to her father, even if she would get caught before she reached him as happened with Annie, but the guards were already holding her so tight that she could barely move her arms. Anna stared at her father, her lips were trembling, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she furiously as she stubbornly wiggled her arms around to get the guards to let her go. When her father looked directly at her and mouthed “I love you” was the straw that broke the camel's back, and a tear ran down her cheek.

“Get him on his knees.”

“No. No!” Anna cried out. She managed for a brief moment to free herself from the guards that held her and ran but these same guards quickly caught up with her and stopped her next to Annie.

“This is what happens when you forget your place.” While he kept shouting the guards pushed Negan on his knees. Thoughts raced through Anna's head. She had to try something and stop her father from being executed before her eyes. She was still angry with him, but she wouldn’t let him die. Annie was crying and screaming at them not to do this.

“No. Wait! Please!” She tried calling out to the warden to get his attention and delay the execution and she thought he heard her when in reality he was looking at both Annie and her because her father had smirked at him defying his authority in front of everyone.

“There are no martyrs here.” He grabbed Anna and Annie himself and dragged them towards Negan. When he realized it, his cocky smile had completely disappeared and he yelled at him.

“That wasn’t our deal!” He stood up, trying to argue and protest but he was forced back onto his knees.

“You will feel this punishment!” The warden then walked away. Anna was aware that this was her last chance to do something, but now she had to try and save the three of them, not just her father. As he got the soldiers ready to fire, Anna called out to him again, struggling against the guards to get on her feet. He glanced at her and she knew she only had a split second to make sure she really caught his attention and keep it on her for as long as she could and the idea that had popped in her head might be her only chance. If she could surprise him enough to unsettle him, it might work. He frowned slightly, clasping his hand behind his back. No one knew what Anna had in mind and they were all looking at her, muttering to each other. Her father was staring at her. He looked confused for a few seconds but somehow quickly understood what she had planned to do to try to save his life and as she spoke again, she saw him shaking his head, mouthing a silent no. “I have something to tell you.”

“I do not have time to play games.” He approached.

“Anna, no. Please. Don’t do this.” Her father mumbled to her, trying to reason with her but she was already determined to go as far as necessary to try and stop this.

“You're going to want to hear this, believe me.” She tried to convince him to listen to her and she saw a glimpse in his eyes confirming to her that she had succeeded. She tried to get up, but the guards pushed down on her shoulders to keep her on her knees. The warden briefly waved his hand and they let go of her. She stood up. It was a start, even though she still had her wrists tied behind her back. Anna knew that out of everyone around them, only those who had known her for a long time would believe her next words, and it suited her that she could be seen as a liar by people. Hiding her immunity in plain sight was the right move.

“So, speak. What are your last words, prisoner?” He urged her.

“You know the vials you found, the ones labelled with my name. You asked me what it was for. I lied to you, sir.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father's face crumple with worry. Annie was looking at her with her eyes glassy with tears, her cheeks wet. “I'm a universal donor, it's true but that's not why all this blood was drawn.”

“Get to the point. Now.” He was starting to show some annoyance, so she cut her story short.

“If you let them go, I’ll tell you.” She tried negotiating as a last resort.

“I see what this is. If you think your tall tale will interest me...”

“I’m immune to the virus. That’s why.” Her declaration was so sudden that he frowned, taken aback. Some near her had their eyes widened, like Annie and Anna's peers, in shock while the others were glancing at each other dubiously, whispering. Anna gulped as the warden motioned for a guard to bring her to him. He tugged so suddenly on her arm that she almost lost her balance.

“No one is immune. You will die first for wasting my time. Turn her around.” She was turned to face Annie and her father and felt a chill down her spine when she heard a gun click near her ear. Negan started shouting, telling them not to do this and to take him and only him instead. Anna took a couple deep breaths.

“Aim—”

“I have proof! I can show you I’m not lying!” After a few seconds, the gun was lowered and the warden appeared in her field of vision and came to stand right in her face. He stared her down, silently giving her a few seconds to explain herself before she was shot.

“I… I need my hands to show you.” He raised his hands, nodding at a guard. She was held her at gunpoint in case she tried anything and Her restraints were removed and she massaged her wrists before crouching down to grab the bottom of her jeans. She pulled it up her calf in a hem and took her boot off, revealing the nasty scar left by this walker. Even healed and about 7 years old, the bite from that walker that had ripped a good chunk of flesh from her calf had left a large scar and it was just as Siddiq had told her it would be. Nasty looking. This time she wasn’t lying to the warden but it was a possibility that he would believe it wasn’t a walker bite. She straightened up and rotated her leg so the warden could see the scar in the light of the spotlight at the top of the windmill. People audibly gasped in the crowd.

“It could very well be a human bite. Stop trying to take me for a ride. All right, that’s enough.” He tilted his head forward in a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, and motioned to the guards around her to bring her back to her knees next to her father and Annie. Anna wasn’t even given time to put her shoe back on and the guards held her arms in her back, restraining her again. They were holding her arms so tight that she winced at the pain and she was pushed forward and forced to get back on her knees. She had tried to play her last card and it hadn't worked, and now the three of them were going to be executed. She didn't care that everyone knew about her immunity. What bothered her to make her stomach churn and drop was that her two children would grow up without their mother. They had already lost their father, she refused to abandon them but she was powerless in this situation. She followed her father’s gaze when he addressed one of the guards holding them at gunpoint.

“You. You have a family. Don’t do this. Please.”

“I said ready!” The warden insisted.

“Leave them! Take me! Just take me! Please.” As he pleaded, begging them to let Annie and Anna go, the latter noticed Ezekiel step forward, his arms in the air. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know.” He stood in front of them, his arms stretched to the sides. Soon, more of their people joined him. Magda, Kelly, Nabila, Princess and so on. They all came to stand by his side to form a barrage, shielding the three of them from the guards.

“I admire your bravery, prisoners. Shoot them all.” He then ordered before stepping aside. Anna and Annie moved closer to Negan, fear in their eyes. They couldn’t see what was happening on the other side of the wall built by their peers.

“You don’t have to do this! This world is broken, but we don’t have to be.” Ezekiel’s statement was followed by a heavy silence. A shot rang out and the warden grabbed Kelly, holding a gun to her temple. Magda called out to her. He stepped back and suddenly let out a grunt. As his body crumbled to the ground, the light revealed Daryl and Connie behind him. Kelly hugged her sister, relieved. Negan, Annie and Anna’s ties were cut and the young woman finally got her shoe back. She quickly put it on and rolled down her jeans, concealing the scar once again. She was alerted by loud noises and looked to the side. Her father had picked up and violently thrown the warden to the ground and was about to bash his head in with a stone when Rosita’s voice rose. Gabriel rolled the man onto his back as Rosita strode forward, gun in hand. She tossed it to Gabriel and crouched down. Anna watched her as she enquired of her daughter's whereabouts. If he knew where Rosita's child was, he surely knew where her own children were so she listened.

“Where is she?!” She shouted but his only response was a smirk so she punched him in the face and stood up. Nearby, a guard who had gotten killed was coming back so got a hold of him and dragged him to the warden, putting the walker just above his head. “Where the hell is she?! Tell me where she is! Where is she?!”

“You will lose everything.” He dared to smile so she pushed the walker on him, and he screamed at the top of his lungs as the dead bit his eye and pulled it out of its socket. Anna stared him down, gritting her teeth. It didn’t matter if he preferred to mock them, Rosita and her would find their kids, without his help.

Anna had recovered the knife that had been confiscated from her. She had it on her belt and held the handle firmly, running her thumb over the notches of the blade. She watched Gabriel talk with Tyler, asking if he knew where they could find the kids that were still missing, which included Rosita’s daughter and Anna’s two children. Anna looked around Alexandria. The Commonwealth soldiers had been tied up and seated in line, since last night's critical situation. They got more scared than hurt in the end, but the young woman had thought that she, her father and her stepmother were really going to be shot in the head, their knees in the dirt, right there and then. With everything that had happened since her dad's surprise return, she was starting to want to give her dad a second chance, but she swore to herself that it would be the last time she would wipe the slate clean and forgive him for hurting her like that.

“Let’s go! Come on! Now!” Rosita urged everyone to get on the bus. Anna met her father's gaze. He was standing behind the bus and watched Maggie walk away from him. He tried to give Anna a sweet look, but she turned her head and got on the bus when she saw Annie coming towards him. She could see he wanted to try and make up to her after leaving her on her own when she needed him most and she wanted to somewhat forgive him because she loved him but it was difficult getting past the hard feelings she felt towards him for this very reason. She had lost everyone close to her, except for him. Their relationships had known so many highs and lows in the past few years. If Alden was still here, she might have had less anger and resentment but he was dead and her father disappeared without even saying goodbye. For now, her priority was to find her son and daughter. She would think about whether or not she wanted to mend her relationship with her father later. Once she had Adam and Lucille back, she would make her choice.

After the bus ride, they boarded a train. Before getting on the same wagon as her father, she briefly talked with Gabriel, who reassured her and assured that they would get their children back. She just thanked him and got on another wagon, which happened to be the same her father got on. There was also Ezekiel and a few others. Anna let out a heavy sigh as she sat down in a corner, leaning against a couple of piled up crates. Her nervous fingers quickly found the pendant around her neck, and she closed her hand on it, letting her head fall against the wall behind her. After staring off into space, lost in thought for a moment, she was snapped out of her reverie by the voice of Ezekiel, who had just sat down on a trunk nearby, right in front of Negan. Her face was hidden by the boxes next to her, only her legs were sticking out. She listened to their exchange.

“I never thanked you. For getting in front of those rifles. Thank you.” From where she was, Anna couldn't see the faces of the two men as there was silence. “Why did you do it?”

“A lot of reasons.” Ezekiel answered his question vaguely, before pursuing. “Dying a martyr… is too easy. You living, making something positive out of your days, now that… That’ll keep me from giving in to anger. Over what I lost. I don’t want to live out whatever days I got left in bitterness. You know? I’m not even supposed to be here, man. The dead came for me… and yet I smile. War came for me, yeah?.. Yet I smile. Cancer... Yet I smile. I try to, anyway. Anna straightened up a bit and tried to glance at Ezekiel but he was out of her sight, she could only see her father, sitting on the ground across from him. He sketched a smile and tilted his head forward, looking sad and regretfull. “So… So why’d you tell the warden your name instead of mine?”

“For my wife… For my daughter… and my unborn kid. To leave a better story about me than the one you’ve been telling. That when it mattered… I did something right.” Anna bit her lip, letting her face fall into her hands and silently shed a tear and a single tear turned into silent crying as he spoke. She still felt, deep down, like that teenager who had left her father behind years ago. She had tried to go against him to make him change and she realised that, to a certain extent, he had changed. Never would she have thought that the Negan she knew, the one she saw turn into an authoritarian leader of the Saviors, would want to make things right. Maybe he did actually regret leaving her when she was at her worst. Maybe he wasn’t lying about that. “And it wasn’t to prove anything. It wasn’t to get anything in return. Hell it wasn’t to save my own ass. It was to save all of you. You all are better than me. And if you think I don’t know that… then you haven’t been paying attention.”

When she heard him walk away, Anna lifted her head, wiping her tears and got up, stepping out from behind the crates. He hadn’t seen her stand up and as he walked away, she met Ezekiel's gaze. The latter gave her a tender smile and she followed her father to the back of the car. She eventually tried to call out to him but her lips moved without making a sound and when she did make a sound, it was as loud as a whisper. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Dad…” He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Eyebrows raised, eyes unsure of what to say, he looked at her, looking almost worried to hear what she wanted to say to him. Running her hand through her blonde hair, she didn't really know what to say either and crossed her arms. “I- I don’t know if I can forgive you yet, but… I don’t want to be cold and distant with you forever. If you have something to say, I’ll listen to you now.”

“Anna… I will apologize to you for everything forever because I am truly sorry. I made so many mistakes… I should have cherished the child Lucille left me and instead, I fucked it all up. I made poor choices and it’s all my fault that you’re angry with me. I don’t know how to make it up to you but I will try ‘till the day I die, apple pie.” He spoke softly, and despite trying to keep it together, she saw the hurt and regrets in his eyes and it moved her deeply. He seemed to mean what he said. She assured to Annie that people don’t change and swore by the quote saying that what’s bred into the bone comes out in the flesh but she came to the realization that, though people don’t change, they can evolve and be better.

“You have one last chance but if something like when you left me all alone after Alden died happens again, that's it, you're done, and you can live the days you have left in regret. I won't come back. I- I can't, cause if I do, we'll be back to the same vicious cycle than at the Sanctuary and I can't go through that again.” She shook her head, letting her arms fall to her sides. “Alden left me with a toddler and a baby, I don't want to put them through this.”

“I want to make things right... Be there for you, and your children. I have to do this for you, and for Alden. He was there for you when I wasn't.” Anna swallowed, looking away as tears were already welling up. She hadn't had such a conversation with her father in a long time, if she ever had one before, which she couldn't even remember, and it was very telling of how they relationship used to be. It made her emotional to see how good things could be. She tried to stay where she was, but one look at her father, who was so watery-eyed and on the verge of tears, she let herself hug him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Once arrived at their destination, the group got off the train and slipped between a fence and a line of shrubs. Commonwealth soldiers stood nearby. The survivors watched them silently through the foliage, crouched down. Across from them was a door they needed to access.

“Hey, we are sitting ducks. He ain’t coming and we can’t wait.” Negan stated.

“Guys, please. Mercer’s gonna show up.” Princess assured.

“We’re running out of time.”

“I’m gonna head around, try to find another way to slip in.” Carol looked at Daryl before leaving them.

“There’s only four of them. We could take them.” Maggie then said.

“Those guards go missing, clock’s ticking on us.”Rosita softly shook her head, glancing behind her at said guards.

“Hey.” Judith quietly called out to them, getting their attention. The whole group got silent, seeing the guards approach the bushes. Holding their breaths they watched them but they were called via their walkie-talkie and ordered to move away from the area to go wherever, which was extremely convenient for Anna and the others. The four guys in white gear jogged away, clearing the way for them to cross. “I think we’re good.”

“You sure?” She glanced back and nodded to Daryl. This was their chance. They slowly stood up and walked to the door, looking around them, on their guards while Gabriel broke the door’s lock with the butt of his machete gun. He stepped aside, letting Maggie take the lead and they all followed her inside the building. Anna clutched her weapon, brandishing it in front of her as she followed Rosita's footsteps, her father behind her. She was increasingly anxious to finally find her children. They carefully made their way through the sewers under the Commonwealth, on the look out. There was a heavy silence hanging over them as they reached a ladder on the wall. One after the other, they climbed up and got into the train station of the Commonwealth. The hall was completely empty but none of them were reassured though. Anna came through the door with Maggie, her father, Daryl and Judith. Their eyes slid over the walls around them, surveying every square meter of the place, intently.

“What’s wrong?” Judith inquired to ask Daryl, seeing the apprehensive and sceptical look on his face.

“Something ain’t right.” Anna looked at him, following his gaze behind them and she noticed the doors were padlocked with large chains. He instantly yelled out to everyone to get down and shots rang out. The first few to have set foot in the hall were shot on the spot. Blood spurted out and their bodies fell heavily to the ground. Anna immediately crouched down, watching their comrades being killed in front of them with wide eyes. The shooting continued for a hot minute as everyone ran in different directions to hide, screaming and trying to shoot back at the attackers. Anna tried to shoot in turn, taking cover behind the corner of the wall but her father pulled her back and put her behind him to keep her away from the gunfire. She clenched her jaw, side eying him but didn't argue. Right now, wasn’t the time to act like an angry teenager. They were in the middle of a shooting in the hall of a train station. She still managed to get a few hits at the guys above them. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream sounded, and it was as if time had stopped. Everyone turned and Daryl was kneeling on the ground, hunched over Judith, unconscious. Anna stared at the little girl and was shaken out of her torpor when she heard Daryl urging them to go. The latter looked across the room at Ezekiel and motioned for him to throw the fire extinguisher into the air. He shot at it with his handgun and a cloud of smoke spread across the room, giving them enough cover to get out. This whole thing went sideways in a matter of minutes.

They rushed out of the building and were practically running down the street, with Daryl carrying the poor Judith. Anna stuck by her father’s side. Huge army trucks pulled up ahead of them, blocking the street. Ezekiel made them take a turn, but another truck came. They stopped in their tracks, not knowing where to go when Carol realized something.

“They’re not following us.” The guards were setting up barriers with barbed wire on top across the streets as if to keep something out of town when Anna heard gunfire not far from them. A group of troopers was shooting in the air, leading a herd of walkers.

“They’re penning us in!” Ezekiel shouted.

“What the fuck?”

“Wha—” Anna looked at her father, not knowing why he was confused but she quickly saw what puzzled him this much. A walker had just effortlessly climbed onto a dumpster. She had never seen an undead able to do something like this but the main concern at the moment was the fact that they were trapped. Herds of walkers kept coming from each of the streets surrounding them.

“Move! Move!” Daryl yelled at the lot of them.

“Cut ‘em off! We got that alley.” She pointed at an alley with a DELIVERIES sign up on the wall. They would have to clear a path to get to it because walkers were walking up to them from the very street they had to cross. Everyone shot at them, including Anna, while some stabbed the dead in their rotting skulls. Carol let Daryl get through and he ran down the alley while they were surrounded by the walkers. Anna was trying to stay calm, but it brought back a lot of bad memories. She saw herself again, barely 18, having to cross the courtyard in front of the Sanctuary with her father and Gabriel, her clothes covered in smelling and bloody guts as a dead man grabbed her arm and dug his dirty, chipped nails into her arm. But the wound he had left her was far from being the most traumatic thing that happened that day, it was this feeling of being oppressed by this crowd of walking corpses, growling in her ears. With these memories flashing before her eyes, she continued to stab the dead with her knotched knife, shooting at them and blowing up their skulls, but a great distress could be read on her face. A sudden, bloodcurdling cry alerted Anna, and she saw a dead man rip a large chunk of skin from the arm of a woman who was screaming at the top of her lungs, Luke calling out to her. He came to her aid and tried to escape the situation but he was pushed to the ground and bit as well. Anna's jaw dropped in horror. She turned her back to them when she felt a hand grab her arm, and in a panic, she sliced the undead's wrist with a couple blows of her knife and stumbled as she stepped back, jerking her wrist to knock the decrepit hand off. She wore her leather jacket so he would have had a hard time getting to her skin but she didn’t really want another wound to add to her collection. She already had a nasty bite scar on her calf, another one was really not necessary. While Luke was pulled away by their friends, the woman he tried to save disappeared under the undead eating at her. In a concert of gunshots and loud growling and with a lot of the walkers busy with the poor woman they caught, the group managed to get to the alley to get away from there. Another undead got a hold of Anna’s arm and she let go of her gun, which hanged around her shoulders with a strap. She jumped back, her knife almost falling from her fingers when her father saw what was happening. He put his shoulders around and pulled her with him. The dead man only let go at the last moment, leaving long scratches on the back of his hand, filling with blood in seconds. Anna clenched her teeth, her hand tensing up and she ran away with the group, her father not letting go of her until they were far away from the herd.

The group then went in opposite directions, Maggie, Negan and the others leaving for the hospital with the wounded and Anna, Rosita, Eugene and Gabriel searching the houses, attempting to find the children of the two young women. Pushing the door of the building unceremoniously, they entered, brandishing their machete guns in front of them. After escaping the dead, Anna had tried to quickly clean the shallow wounds he left her with water and bandaged her hand. Walkers were kneeling over dead bodies lying on a floor covered in blood. Knowing her children could be in this place turned her stomach upside down, making her anxiety go through the roof. In the distance, a child suddenly wailed. Rosita and Anna ran down the hallway to their left, rushing to where the crying was coming from. Rosita single handedly killed the two walkers in the room and lifted the crib under which were two baby girls, Rosita's daughter and Anna's infant daughter. At the sight of Lucille, Anna dropped to her knees, holding her in her arms. She was crying, her cheeks soaked wet with tears. Gabriel and Eugene arrived in the room, relieved to have found the two kids but one was still missing. Anna stepped out in the hallway, looking around restlessly, screaming her son’s name.

“Anna— Anna, give her to me.” She turned to Gabriel, standing in the doorway, holding out his hand to her. Kissing Lucille’s forehead, she gave the little girl to the priest. She left her knife at her belt and gripped her gun tightly, rushing into each and every room there was in the hallway, kicking the doors down. Every time, there was at least one walker roaming around in there but at some point she heard quiet crying. She knew it was him. She smiled as she held her son in her arms, having finally gotten both her children back. They were her only family, all she had left of the love Alden and her had for each other, and she couldn't bear to lose them. She came back to the room where they found Lucille and Coco. A man’s voice rose from Gabriel walkie talkie and he stood up.

“We got Mercer. Any updates on the kids?”

“We found them.”

“Oh, thank God. We’ll see you at the hospital.”

The red truck in which they had taken refuge could not serve as their shelter for long. With the children in baby carriers strapped to their backs and chests, the four accomplices abruptly opened the rear doors of the vehicle, shooting down the walkers in front of them, trying to fight their way out of there, and all this while trying their hardest to keep the children safe. They desperately looked around them, standing back-to-back, searching for a way out of this situation. They got surrounded, stuck in between a building and the side of the truck. Rosita urged Eugene to go up a pipe running down the wall.

“You first!” He argued.

“Damn it, Eugene! Go! I’m right behind you!” He eventually started to climb up. Gabriel stood by, keeping the dead at bay so they would have time to get out. He let Anna go after Eugene. She had her baby wrapped around her chest while the priest carried her son on his back. Her shoes were slipping on the bricks of the facade while she climbed somehow. She was helped through an opening by Eugene, and they were joined Gabriel. The two men crowded into the frame, leaning out of the window, reaching out to help Rosita who was struggling to reach them, the dead swarming beneath her feet. Anna stood behind them and watched them, her brows raised with anguish. She couldn't see what was going on with Rosita but when she heard them screaming out her name, fear washed over her face. She understood their peer had fallen from the pipe but a few seconds later, she could hear sounds of struggle and gruntings. Less than a minute later, the two men urged her to jump to them. Anna lifted her head, getting on her tippy toes, trying to look out when she saw Rosita standing on the truck. She took a chance and managed to get a hold of the pipe and she got in. Anna let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her and stroke Lucille's head, gently.

Shortly after night fell, the group of survivors had taken refuge in a quet shed along the train tracks that criss-crossed the Commonwealth. Everyone was exhausted after all these events. Rosita and Anna were each with their small children; the latter were particularly tired. Judith had survived her gunshot wound and was lying drowsily on a stretcher. Anna was sitting on a bench against the wall, at the end of the quet. Adam next to her, the little boy's head on his knees and the little one sleeping against her in her ring sling, the young woman let her gaze wander into space. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Mercer glancing into the distance with a pair of binoculars. She was snapped out of her thoughts when her father came to sit next to her. After the heart-to-heart conversation they had on the train earlier today, it was a bit awkward, especially for him. One hand resting on her, and the other stroking her son’s hair, Anna turned her head towards her father.

“Do you want to hold her?” He couldn't hide a slight surprise at her proposal, but he clearly didn't want to say no. Anna gently picked up the infant without waking her up and placed her in Negan's arms. His face softened when Lucille opened her eyes and stared at him. A smile tugged the corner of his lips as he looked back at the little girl fondly. This time spent in their little bubble came to an end when Mercer urged everyone to get in the cars. They still had to get Judith to Tomi, a surgeon. The latter was waiting for them in a safe house that had been set up in the estates of the Commonwealth. The doctor took care of the young girl as soon as she was in the house and urged everyone to give her time and space. Anna had moved into a room with Adam and Lucille. She lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before reaching for a bag laying at the foot of the nightstand. Inside there were some of her belongings, children's clothes and a notebook in which she had slipped drawings and portraits that she had made. She grabbed this last object and grabbed a portrait of Alden which she placed in front of her on the bed after straightening up and sitting cross-legged. With a sigh, she removed her necklace, opened the pendant, revealing the two old photos inside and placed it next to the drawing.

“Daddy.” Anna looked up from the drawing when Adam exclaimed as he put his hand on the paper.

“Yes. It’s your daddy.” She chuckled and nodded. The little boy crawled on the bed to come and sit next to her. The smile on her face quickly faded away and tears filled her eyes. She put the drawing back in the notebook when a drop fell in the corner. “Adam. I want you to listen to me, okay? Your daddy… your daddy died. He— he’s not coming back.”

She wasn’t sure if the 2-year-old boy truly understood what these words meant but she couldn’t keep it to herself. The news of Alden's death had felt like someone had ripped her heart out and she didn't know if the pain would ever fade but she couldn't lie. It didn't matter if he didn't comprehend what it meant yet. She would gently remind him and Lucille of Alden every now and then, so they wouldn't forget him and one day they would understand what death meant and would come to terms with it. Maybe she would manage to come to term with this as well and go through with her own grief, but her heart would probably never open to anyone else like it did for him. Thinking about it, she realized she would rather never fall in love ever again than take the risk of going through such a heartbreak again. Even though it would never be the same. Alden and her had known each other for quite a while before they became romantically involved with each other.

The young woman stayed in the bedroom, resting with her children while most of her peers were still gathered in the great room. A few years back she would have jumped at the chance to assist her friends and be at the heart of the action but that night, she wanted to stay out of everything that was going to happen. She would join them if they really needed her, but she preferred to watch from afar. Outside, she sometimes heard gunshots in the distance and upon glancing out the window before returning to rest, she had seen Pamela in the midst of a group of Commonwealth troopers who were gunning down anyone tempting to climb the perimeter walls of the property. She let her own people crowd against the gate, denying them safety from the walkers that invaded the city. After thinking for a moment that seemed like an eternity, Anna managed to fall asleep for a few minutes, but it was such a light sleep that she was quickly awakened from her nap by noises outside. The townspeople vehemently shook the gate, so hard that Lucille began to cry. She took the baby in her arms, trying to calm her down while quietly watching what was happening outside. On the other side, Mercer and the other survivors were facing Pamela and her minions.

Eventually, Lucille stopped crying, but she was no longer the center of her attention. Anna watched Gabriel walk toward the gate before being held at gunpoint by a soldier but after a few seconds, everyone lowered their weapons. It seemed her friends managed to rally the troopers to their side and Mercer stepped forward and handcuffed the Governor. The gate was then opened, and people started to run as the herd came dangerously close to them. When they closed the gate, the dead were already almost at the doorstep. Anna was kind of glad that she chose to stay out of this because it seemed like a mayhem outside. She frowned, squinting when she noticed Pamela advancing slowly towards the dead who were stretching their arms through the gate. One of them grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her towards him but someone shot him in the head. It was Maggie, which was somewhat surprising given she wanted the woman dead. From what she gathered, Maggie would never have let her live and she thought that maybe, her father had something to do with her change of heart.

The next morning, the sun rose over a half-burning Commonwealth. The dead had been lured to Pamela's house which had been filled with fuel barrels. Anna had slept through the rest of the night and although it wasn't particularly restful with the music and the explosions, but it had helped her recover well from the events of the past few days. Now that Pamela had been arrested and imprisoned and the herd dealt with, hopefully things would calm down. After waking up, she brought her kids to the living room and went on a stroll outside. Walking around the house, she heard Maggie speaking to her father and stopped behind a corner.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said.” The conversation had only just begun, and the tone was already quite heavy and serious. “I want to thank you. I can stop wondering if you’ll ever say those words. And if I can ever forgive you. ‘Cause I know now… I… I can’t. Glenn was beautiful.” Anna could see the hurt in her eyes. It made her think of her own relationship with Alden. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, sighing heavily. “I’ll never love anyone like that again. I remember his smile. His goodness. And the way he made me feel. But when I look at you… all I see is that bat coming down on his head… blood running down his face. I hear him…” Maggie sighed tremulously. “I hear him calling for me. And I hear you mocking him while he’s dying. So I… I can’t forgive you. Even though I’m so grateful that you saved my son. Even though I know that you’re trying. I’m trying, too. Because I don’t want to hate you anymore. I don’t want to hurt like that. And I don’t want my son to see that anybody has that kind of hold over me. If you and Annie want to stay with Anna, you have earned your place. But if I can’t look at you some days, if I can’t work with you, and if I can’t move on, that’s why. Because all I have are my memories. And I don’t want to remember Glenn like that.”

She straightened up, opening her eyes when she heard Maggie walking towards where she was hiding but she didn't see her and just went back inside the house. Once she was gone, Anna came out from behind the corner of the wall. She had never really gotten along with Maggie but what she had been through had resonated so much with her, it had really shaken her up and even without seeing her father's face, she could tell he was affected. She walked over to him and sat down. He didn't dare look up at her, too ashamed about the things he did. She wrapped her hands around his, her eyes glued to the floor. After picking up her children, she joined her father, and both went along the house. Passing under a window, they saw Daryl upstairs. The two men nodded to each other, and Negan and Anna walked away. Since crossing paths with Rick and his group, things had gone south for all of them. Her already complicated relationship with her father had become all the more complex and just a teenager, she had to make difficult choices for her own good and with the slim hope of seeing her father become again the one he was before all that. More had happened in a few years than in the whole decade following the downfall of the modern world and life as it used to be. Growing up in this post-apocalyptic world had made Anna the woman she was today, and she probably wouldn't be the same without the encounters she made along the way. Dwight, Alden, Carl, Rick... She could never forget all those people that helped and cared for her when she needed most.

Going to see Alden’s grave with her father was one of the most heart-breaking things she did in her life. It was next to an abandoned church. Dropping to her knees next to the mound of dirt covering his corpse, a makeshift cross above him, she felt all her emotions well up and tears streamed down her cheeks. She wished she could go back in time and prevent him from leaving Alexandria that day. Maybe he would still be here with them. With her…

I think of the dead all the time.

And about the living, who I lost. I think about them every day.

Their faces, what I learned from them, how they made me who I am, so much more than all this made me who I am.

All of our lives… They come in one life…

We’re together, pieces of a whole that just keep going for what we gave each other.

One unstoppable life.

We are the ones who live.

[To be continued... maybe.]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (TBA)

Published (04/09/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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justinewt · 1 year

Text

London, Punk Capital - MONEY HEIST: KOREA Chapter One

[MONEY HEIST: KOREA MASTERLIST]

Next Chapter (SOON)

Summary: When Jin-sol, a promising young sportswoman decides to send her whole life away, going as far as faking her suicide to get under the radar, and crosses paths with the Professor, she finds herself involved in the plan of an ambitious heist that reveals her true colors. The target: the Mint of the Joint Economic Area.

Words: 5k

Warnings: Money Heist: Korea season 1 (episode 1), 1st person pov, mention of suicide: FAKE suicide (no blood etc), loss, backstory, screams, hostage-taking, tauting, guns

DECEMBER 2023

At only 18, the path I was going to take was already mapped out. Plans to major in Sports studies and have a brilliant career as a combat sports athlete. I practiced Taekwondo since I was 6 years old, and it was my dream to become a professional in this sport. My dream, to represent South Korea at the Olympics one day. If I had been born in North Korea and lived in poverty, like my mom did, I wouldn’t have had so many opportunities and options but ultimately, I chose to throw away one of the only things I was good at and end it all and give up the life of freedom she risked hers for. Years ago, my mother, a hardworking but private woman, died of overwork and left me in the care of my uncle. I was 10 years old. Nobody had ever told me anything about my biological father, even though she had known him quite well and my uncle was the closest thing I had to a dad anyway so after I found myself orphaned, he adopted me and I started to call him dad because I wanted to feel like my peers, who had their parents. But he died too, and not that long ago. He was a college professor and taught in the department of business and economics at the Seoul National University. This smart and caring man was the last family I had. Losing everyone just made me realise an honest life wasn’t always worth it.

The wind was blowing that night. I let my bag fall on the floor of the Mapo bridge sidewalk and took off my jacket, making sure my identity papers and suicide note were in the pockets. It was actually not my plan to take my own life. My only wish was to completely disappear from the radar screens and let life surprise me with whatever it could come up. I heard my grandfather died in a robbing, in the 90s. Maybe I could do that too, without the dying part obviously. This new life choice was a complete turnaround, but it was my choice. Living an underground life in the guise of a dead person wasn't just anything. I was calm as I tied my hair in a bun above my neck, staring into the distance. Cars drove by but no one pulled over to come and stop me and that was for the best. The bridge was notorious for suicides and dozens of telephones and signs to deter people from commiting were set up along both sides. Glancing around, I leaned on the railing, lifted my leg and tipped my body over to the other side, resting my feet on the ledge. I didn't even really want to kill myself; it was just to give the illusion of it, and despite the fact that it was good that no one was bothering me, I wanted someone to witness my fall so that they could then confirm to the authorities that I was the person who jumped. I was not yet such a famous sportswoman, few people would be sad to hear the news, maybe my old friends from middle and high school but that was all. Everyone would forget me, ultimately.

I tried taking deep breaths. Despite the bright lights all over the bridge, the water looked dark beneath my feet. After a minute of staring down at the Han River, I heard someone calling out to me. This was my cue. I didn’t even look at the person trying to talk me out of it, closed my eyes, held my breath and let go of the railing. My body fell forward, and I plunged into the water. For a brief moment, I forgot my plan and let the water carry me away but eventually, I swam. I swam all night long and hid under another bridge, far from the one I jumped off of. The police would check the bag and jacket I left, get a testimony from the witness and quickly rule it out as a suicide. They would try to find my body but after a few days of being unsuccessful at doing so and with no one stepping forward, like a family member or something, they would stop searching and I would be fine. I just needed to lay low for a bit. I hid in seedy hotels and dyed my hair red. On my ID, I had bangs and black shoulder-length hair. It was now quite different, and it changed my appearance a lot. I left Seoul and went where the wind took me. And the wind took me to Mungyeong where I joined an illegal fighting ring. I ran into some cool guy who became like a brother to me. You’ll meet him eventually. He is not especially sharp-witted but he's fun, I'm sure you'll like him. Just so you know, I’ll refer to him as 오빠 “oppa” most of the time. It’s Korean for brother.

We would fight at every illegal fight club we could find and never lost. He eventually beat up the gamblers who had bet on us and we left. He had told me his father was constantly in and out of prison and he was the last person we expected to see. Gamblers had lost lot of money because of the both of us and had sent their dogs after us. He played with them while I tried to fight them off. So much so I always had to urge him to keep moving. I was way younger but the most serious of the pair. We had slipped between two buildings, which roofs we were running on just a moment before, trying to escape them but we got stuck. These guys were above and below us. A few cursings came out of our lips as the wall exploded. We protected our faces and looked to the side. A man was sticking his head out of the hole made by the explosion. It was his dad. He helped us get out of there and we ran away. That’s when we were introduced to a man calling himself the Professeur, 규슈 “guyshu”. When I met him, the first thought that went through my head was that he reminded me of my uncle, but it wasn’t what this meeting was about. He needed us to join his plan, which was to rob the Mint in the Joint Economic Area. We were in. He had assembled a whole team of people like us, and he brought us together to where our hideout was. The place where we would learn all about his plan until the D-day came around.

I had no idea how he found this place. A whole hotel complex, abandoned. Perfect for us. As we walked down a tree-lined path to reach the disused resort, I looked at the faces around me. We were 10 in total. For the first day, we settled in the hotel swimming pool. The professor had set up a whiteboard and we sat around it, in an arc. I sat on a cube with the number 6 on one side and next to me was a stern man in a suit. I wasn’t in such fancy clothing, just wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER in red writings, a faux leather skirt, a pair of pantyhose and combat boots. There was this little thing I hadn’t left behind when I faked my own suicide, and it was a gold ring that my mom gifted me. It was a ring she had herself been gifted, by her older sister for her 18th birthday. She had written in the letter she left me, that when triplets are born in North Korea, boys get silver daggers and girls get gold rings, as a gift from the government. Until I read this, I had no idea my mother actually had three older siblings. The 50-year-old ring hung from a thin cord tied around my neck.

“Before we start, I wanna make this clear.” The professor started speaking. “From now on, regardless of age or where you’re from, we’ll all speak informally. We’ll use code names to call each other instead of using real names.”

“I can do code names, but what about respect?” Oppa’s dad raised his hand. “What’s the reason for that?”

“It’s safer that no one knows. It’s out of serious precaution for each other’s identity. How about we use city names?” He walked over to a small table and grabbed a globe from it. “It can be a city you wanna live in once the job’s over or a name that you like the sound of. It’s up to you, so pick one.”

Gyushu sat down and the first of us that stood up was the other youngest of the group. W ewere called the “maknae”, literally meaning the youngest. He turned the globe and put his finger on the city of Rio de Janeiro, sketching an excited smile, chuckled and moved his body like he was dancing the samba. That guy who looks like your typical K-pop idol is Rio. He’s a horrible dancer, but apparently, he’s an amazing hacker. Then came oppa’s turn. I already told you, his story.

“Denver. I’mma go with that one since it’s near the Rocky Mountains. You guys know Rocky. It’s, uh… It’s my favorite movie of all time.” He punched the air, making the sound effect to accompany his gestures. Faced with his little show, his father seemed quite embarrassed.

“Just so you know, that movie is set in Philadelphia.” The professor's intervention caused Denver to stop, and he awkwardly brushed the hair from his face.

“Oh- oh, really? Philadelphia. Phil… That’s a bit long. Denver sounds a lot stronger, right?” His father then picked Moscow as his alias. I did say he was in and out of prison in the years prior to this day but he also used to work in the mines, so naturally he’s a digging expert. That’s why he’s here. And where was here? The dead-end that was his life.

“Has anyone here ever been to Africa before? The cradle of civilization. Words can only try to describe. Did you know the area’s famous for diamonds?” This woman who introduced us to her ass as she chose her alias was Nairobi. A pathological liar. A forgery master, claiming to have been a part of every major crime, but I didn’t take her word for it. She was probably nothing more than a con artist. She went back to her seat and two fellows walked towards the globe, squabbling over its use, pushing each other around. That jolly pair was Helsinki and Olso. Fixers from Yanbian. Word had it that they wiped their entire gang and left. Next was the man in the fancy suit sat in the chair next to me. He went up to the globe, his hands in his back and picked it to take a look at it. Berlin. He had this gift for making people nervous, but he didn’t intimidate or scare me. He was from the Kaechon camp in the North, where only the dead are free. How he got here is a mystery that made him the most wanted man in the history of North Korea. I hopped on my feet before he even came back to his seat and crossed his gaze when he handed me the globe, stepping away. His eyes lingered on me as I turned the globe and put my finger.

“London.”

“It fits you.” I nodded, giving the professor a smile as I returned to my seat. The last to take an alias was Tokyo. She had come down here from the North after being discharged from the army.

“Out of all the places, why pick Tokyo?” Denver enquired.

“Because we’ll be doing bad things.” Some of us chuckled at the remark. I sketched a smirk.

“Yo, that’s really smart.”

“She’s right.” The professor stood up and she walked past him to go back to her seat. I leaned on my knees, listening to him. “We will be doing bad things. We are going to pull off the single largest heist in history. The North opened up its economy, and every Korean was promised that they’d benefit from this, but in reality, only the rich got richer. It’s time for us, the ones left with nothing to claim what’s ours. This is why we’ve formed this team. I’m going to make this clear. Not a single person will get hurt. Our goal is to steal four trillion won and then we’ll disappear. We’re giving the public the best show they’ve ever seen, live and in their faces. And they’ll have no choice but to root for us all.”

“There’s no way that’s possible.” Rio said.

“Okay, let’s say it is possible. Where are we gonna find that much money?” Nairobi wondered.

“The target for our heist… is gonna be…” He marched to a table covered with a red fabric behind us and pulled it off. The others stood up to see while Berlin and I just pivoted in our seats. “… The Mint.”

FIVE MONTHS LATER

We all had to stick to our roles to make this plan work. I was one of the only ones to have no real decision-making power, but I was fine with it. It had been decided that Berlin would be the on-the-ground chief of operations, so I had to follow his orders and those of the professor to the letter, but my job did not end there. I didn't have a mere supporting role in the heist. What I had to do was a lot more vicious. We knew that there would be We knew that the hostages would not only be Mint employees, but also students from Myeongseong Foreign Language High School, where the US Ambassador's daughter was studying. She would be our key hostage. The most valuable of all. And what I was to do, prior to the heist, was get close to her and in order to do so, the Professor had provided me with a whole new identity to join this school, and more specifically the class she was in. I assumed a new name and wore a realistic wig that really gave the illusion that I had bleached my hair, but not to the point that it was white or platinum, but kind of straw blonde, with blunt bangs falling right above my eyebrows. It really changed my face. I wasn’t really into the whole going back to school thing, but I had to do it. At first, I was in school for about 90 percent of the time but once the professor brought us all together and we started working on the plan for the heist, I didn't go there as often anymore. One obvious excuse was that of the so-called chronic disease from which I suffered, or rather from which the student I played suffered and that I had to go abroad for a long time.

At the same time as preparing for the robbery, I was doing homework remotely and chatting with the classmates I had “befriended” to keep up appearances. I must have been very convincing in this role since I had totally succeeded in my mission and Anne Kim really seemed to consider me a friend. She was one of the people who texted me the most, often asking how I was doing and if I would be back in time to come with them to visit the Mint.

“It’s great you’re doing better.” Anne said as she was taking selfies in front of the Mint. I looked to the side and watched the students getting off the bus and nodded with a soft smile.

“It was hell having to stay in the hospital.” A group of girls then came running towards us, disrupting our quiet conversation and one of them grabbed my shoulder to bring me closer to them and take a picture of us. Right after the camera click shuttered, they ran back to the group of students. I stared at them. I couldn’t wait to take off that wig and stupid school uniform and take my place among the robbers. This little role-playing game had gone on long enough.

“Um, later can you send me the photos?” Anne and I turned our heads as we heard a classmate's voice rise near us. I hadn't even noticed he was there while we were taking the group photo. “You have insta, right?”

“I don’t.” Anne looked him up and down and took my arm to bring me with her to our classmates, standing two by two in line in front of the entrance to the Mint building. I was really getting tired of having to act like a 17-year-old teenager, but I played along and stood with her as the teacher invited us to follow her inside. With a quiet sigh, I looked behind us and saw two women standing by a tree. Nairobi wore a purple wig and was smoking, and Tokyo wore a light blonde wig. As I climbed the stairs, I held her gaze before walking into the hall and looking ahead. They now knew that Anne Kim and I entered the building, and surely told the rest of the team.

“Please stay in line as you follow me.” A lady greeted us at the entrance and guided us into the Mint, walking us down the monetary exhibition hall, telling us about the story of South and North Korean’s currencies. I wasn’t exactly paying attention to everything she was saying but rather waiting impatiently for when I would finally be able to swap roles. For now, I kept that jaded expression on my face and walked beside Anne. She stopped in her tracks to take a photo of a politician with a Snapchat filter on. The teacher reminded her not to take pictures and wait until the tour was over. We continued to follow the group and I saw Anne take a turn in the direction of the toilets. Glancing at our comrades, I slipped away, wanting to keep an eye on this precious hostage. I quietly opened the door to the restrooms and heard Anne speaking in English in one of the stalls. She was on the phone with someone, complaining about school, her uniform and her dad. Rolling my eyes in annoyance I turned around and the moment I let go of the door, I heard gunshots ring out. I was taken aback and jumped but quickly, a smirk appeared on my face, and I walked with a determined step while everyone ran and screamed around me. Nobody paid attention to my behavior, far too poised for such a situation. My fellow robbers were finally there, threatening the students and employees with their guns. When I found myself among the students, I started acting scared and let out a few screams of terror. I saw Tokyo arrive, she took off her wig and looked around. She held her gun against her shoulder, the barrel pointed in the air. When she met my gaze, she grabbed my arm and dragged me away. I cried out.

“Where’s the girl?” She spoke in a scolding manner, raising her voice and I did my part.

“In- In the restroom.” My body was shaking so much that I struggled to line up those three words and my voice broke into a sob as I answered. Tokyo looked at me with great surprise, eyes widened. She tightened her grip on my arm and looked me down, trying to hide that she had been unsettled by how intense but realistic my acting was. she let go of me, pushing me away unceremoniously before going to get Anne Kim. I lost my balance and the teacher caught me and brought me back to her and the students, asking me if everything was okay but I didn't answer, pretending to be so shaken that I couldn't answer, but on the contrary, her fear was very real. The robbers, dressed in red boiler suits and masks inspired by traditional Hahoe masks. Only Nairobi, with her purple wig, had yet to put the outfit on. As agreed, Berlin was leading the group. Despite the masks, I also knew very quickly which one was Denver since I saw him out of the corner of my eye wanting to approach me when he saw this distress on my face, and I also saw his hair tied in a bun. He had let himself be deceived by these artifices, but Berlin had prevented him from approaching me while they put blindfolds around the eyes of the hostages, lined up in two groups facing each other.

I was the last to be blindfolded and Berlin stopped in front of me, without a sound. I couldn't quite look him in the eye, but I stared at him anyway and all that fear I was faking was gone. His fingers lingered on the thread of my necklace and after holding the ring between his thumb and index finger for a hot second, he slowly lowered the blindfold over my eyes. They could have left my sight, but Tokyo had not yet returned with Anne, and it was important that the illusion remain intact for a little while longer, until the real moment of the reveal. Only then would they raise the curtain on the fact that I was one of them, and not a hostage. The latter were also shaking with fear and beyond this noise pollution, I heard footsteps coming towards us and I immediately thought of Tokyo. I didn’t need to see to have the confirmation that she had brought Anne. I heard the latter grunt when Tokyo pushed her after blindfolding the teenager. Berlin’s voice then rose as he took a few steps.

“Hello, everyone. I’m the one in charge here. I apologize for the invconvenience, but you are our hostages.” They whimpered, holding hands, shaking, but I stood still and listened to Berlin as he walked in front the hostages. “We each go through all sorts of moments in life, both good and bad. During the bad moments, it feels like the sky is falling down, but after some time, you’ll realize it was nothing. Each of you will have that experience, as long as you follow our orders. Many years from now, this will be an exciting adventure story that you can wow your grandchildren with. But in case any of you are thinking of causing trouble, let me tell you just one thing. I truly love when that happens.”

“Empty your pockets.” Moscow then ordered. The two hostaged that were holding my hands let go and I let out a sigh while they gave their access cards and cell phones, which were being put away in a box when suddenly, one of them rang, or so I thought but I quickly realized it wasn't a cell phone ringtone. I lifted the bottom of the blindfold and saw a landline phone on the reception counter. It was this phone that was ringing so loudly. I could also see that my fellw robbers had taken off their masks and Berlin was looking at all of them when the director of the Mint raised a shuddering hand.

“What is it?”

“That could be from headquarters.” He told him, trembling. “If we don’t pick up, th-th-they’ll know something’s going on.” The woman standing next to him gave him a shy blow with her hand. Berlin must have seen it but chose to act as if it was not the case.

“You know, I like your face. I feel like I’ll grow to like you. Answer the phone.” His voice suddenly grew harsher, and he grabbed the woman’s hand. She whimpered as he led her to the phone and was panting. He got her to calm down and take a deep breath and put her hand on the phone.

“This… This is the Minting Bureau.” Berlin and Denver exchanged a look. “We’re experiencing network difficulties." The woman's voice rose, taking on an aggravated tone. She told them off before hanging up abruptly. Berlin sketched a smirk as he properly replaced the phone on its base and took her hand.

“So, was it important?”

“It’s, um… it was nothing.” He looked at her and nodded with a large, drawn smile. His hand on her shoulder, he led her back to her place among the hostages.

“It wasn’t important. We won’t have any problems now, will we?” The woman and the Mint’s director nodded nervously. Berlin clapped the latter on the shoulder, and he whimpered, sticking to his secretary in fear. He then walked away from them and gave me a look as he passed in front of me. The blindfold he had put over my eyes was now up on my forehead, but obviously, since I wasn’t an actual hostage, he didn’t really care and waved at me to follow him. I smiled, knowing that I was going to leave this high school uniform. When they would remove their blindfold, Anne Kim would probably start to panic when she saw that I had disappeared, and she wouldn't recognize me behind my mask. She had no idea I had been wearing a wig for several months and that I was this red-haired robber. We would leave her the surprise and the pleasure that her good friend never actually existed. As we moved away from the hostages, Denver, Moscow, and Rio left the lobby and headed for the Mint vault. I watched them as I took off my blonde wig and let go of it into the bag from which I had retrieved the red suit, boots and Hahoe mask I was going to wear and walked to the nearest restroom. I had taken an earpiece as well.

It would probably take a few minutes for the three others to take care of getting the vault open. I quickened my pace as I walked down the hallway and pushed open the bathroom door and dropped the stuff on the floor before taking off my skirt and blazer. Once the suit was on, I pulled up the zipper to the waist, put on the combat boots and tied my hair in a low bun before washing my face. Without this light makeup, I looked more mature already. In front of the bathroom mirror, my eyes fell on the ring hanging from my neck, the one that had caught Berlin's eye as I stood among the hostages. I stared at the reflection holding it between my fingers and after a few seconds, I sighed, put my arms through the sleeves of the suit and put the mask on my face. I then shoved the uniform into the trash can and grabbed the bag to tie it before heading back into the hall. Berlin watched the room from the central stairs and glanced at me as I returned. I grabbed a gun and slung the handle over my shoulder, finally taking on my role as one of the robbers. The hostages were shaking like leaves as the rest of my peers walked across the room carrying bags filled with banknotes retrieved from the vault opened by Denver, Moscow and Rio while I was gone off to the restroom to change. Berlin pressed his earpiece, and I heard him in mine speaking to the professor.

“Professor, we’re going out now.” Behind my mask I watched him slowly descend the stairs. Moscow and I walked beside him. An alarm went off and the thud of the main door opening echoed all the way to us. Seeing the director lifting his blindfold and sneaking a peek around him, we came to a halt and upon realizing that we had seen him, he jumped and looked down. This man was such a coward but what happened was a perfect example as to why I had to keep my mask on for now. To keep the element of surprise. Berlin smiled and looked at Moscow and I and while he slowly walked up to him, I looked at Anne Kim. She was just a couple feet away. I didn’t feel bad for lying to her all those months, but I was well aware that somewhere deep inside me, she had become my friend and I hadn't had one in a long time. I did an immediate head turn when I heard him rip the blindfold off the director's head. The latter was shuddering. He leaned forward and whimpered, squinting his eyes really hard.

“I didn’t see anything. I swear.”

“You can look. Mmh? It’s okay, mm? I said open your eyes.” Berlin grabbed the man’s head and held him in place. “Do you wanna know what we’re up to? Is that it, huh?”

“No. I swear!” He whined, keeping his eyes shut in fear. I was watching him with a jaded expression on my face. I found him to be of a really irritating and annoying character. One time, he acts as if he thinks he's master of the world and there he is, shaking and yelping like a wounded dog. “I know absolutely nothing, and I don’t wanna know anything—”

“No, no. I like you, my friend, so let me tell you exactly what we’re doing right now.” He patted him on the shoulder and took a step back, pulling out his handgun and aimed at his head. “We’re going to have a gunfight with the police, and people are going to die, like in movies.” The director opened his eyes and looked at the weapon, scared for his life. “BANG!”

He fell to his knees, yelping and whimpering and the other hostages clamored at the loud noise made by Berlin, while he chuckled. I would have laughed with him if I didn't have to make sure that Anne Kim wouldn't hear and recognize my voice, but the situation was, from my point of view, very funny. This moment of Berlin having fun terrorizing the hostages was really setting the tone for the whole heist, and I couldn't wait to see what was next. Everything had been carefully planned, down to the smallest detail. The Professor was prepared to any eventuality. He had emphasized from the beginning that it was important no one gets hurt or dies. Killing or hurting people wasn’t the plan. We tackled the subject during one of those study session in the swimming pool of the abandoned hotel complex where we had established our headquarters. As always, we were seated around him, in front of the whiteboard covered with maps, a model of the Mint on a small table next to it. Arms and legs crossed, seated between Rio and Berlin, I was slumped in my chair, fiddling with the ring around my neck as I watched and listened attentively to the Professor.

“When the police arrive, act as if you’ve been caught while trying to flee, and shoot at them, and retreat back into the building to hide…” He moved his hand towards the model of the Mint. “…like a rat caught in a trap.”

“But why exactly do you want us to fire into the air?” Denver wondered.

“I told you. Our plan is to not kill or hurt anyone.”

“But it’s not like anyone plans to die.” Nairobi stated, followed by Rio, backing up her words. My eyes went from one to the other without really turning my head.

“She’s right. Who knows what’s gonna happen? Couldn’t we just kill a few if the situation calls for it?”

“Absolutely not. This is crucial for our plan to work.” I heard Berlin laugh behind me.

“Our plan? Sounds like your morals are getting in the way.”

“What’s with all the comments?” Tokyo spoke, and he didn't seem so amused anymore, staring at her. She looked at everyone and let her gaze fall back to Berlin, raising her eyebrows. “Our job here is to execute the Professor’s plan. If you can’t, then leave.”

And I agreed with her. Which is why, like the brothers and Moscow, I was among the few to not say anything during the lesson. I was not to question the Professor's words and orders. I had promised. Because it didn’t matter the reason, when the Professor told us to jump, we asked how high. From the hall, where only Berlin, Moscow and I had remained with the hostages, we heard police sirens in the distance, a brief silence and then gunshots. The hostages gasped and screamed, as usual. The police were firing back at them and we heard from our earpieces that something had happened in Rio but we couldn’t see what was going on. In the following seconds, they must have pulled back inside the building since the closing of the door was engaged. Now that news of an armed robbery over the Mint would spread, the real heist could begin. Officials from the North and the South would scratch their brains really hard to find the best way to resolve the situation. The Korean Peninsula, the only divided country on earth, was soon to be unified after all. An unprecedented situation was unfolding inside a unique zone called the JEA. Short for Joint Economic Area. Korea’s neighbors weren’t the only ones paying attention… the whole world was watching.

Bags full of red suits and masks were lined up on the floor. The rest of the team was back in the room after the exchange of gunfire with the police a couple of minutes ago. I stood next to the two brothers, near the bags. I was slightly behind, my face still hidden. The surprise would soon be revealed to my dear school friends.

“My dear hostages, please take off your blindfolds.”

“Come on, everyone. You can take ‘em off.” Denver raised his voice, urging them to do so while Berlin walked in front of them. They eventually took them off, hands shaking. My eyes were on Anne Kim who was just taking notice of her surroundings after removing her blindfold. She would quickly notice my disappearance, and most likely comment on it.

“It’s so good to finally speak with you all face-to-face. There’s no need to be afraid. We are all trapped inside the same building together, which means we have to work together, hmm?” He sketched a large smile and nodded at us to bring the bags. Standing beside Moscow in front of the stairs, he watched the others proceed to give red jumpsuits to the hostages. Anne Kim was looking around her, frowning.

“Where is Park Ho-Yeon? What did you do with her?” She demanded answers. Berlin smirked and turned to her, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. Back to them, I continued to give suits to hostages right in front of her.

“Who?” Berlin asked her, acting as if he didn’t know what she was talking about which he wasn’t supposed to so she must have mistaken his tone for mockery regarding her concern for her friend. He was, in a way, actually mocking and taunting her like he did with the director. Faced with his intimidating gaze which she held, she repeated herself.

“Where is my friend? The one with the blond—”

“What friend?” When she heard my voice, she went silent, probably not knowing what to think anymore. Time stopped for a few seconds. As I swiveled towards her, I slid my mask over my head and discovered the look of profound stupor on her face. She was shocked. Mouth open, she couldn't hide her shock. I took a few steps towards her.

“Ho-Yeon, you’re… with them?”

“My name’s not Ho-Yeon.” Berlin walked up to us, laughing and patted my shoulder, looking at Anne Kim, with a broad, amused grin on his face. This look of betrayal I saw in her eyes followed me as I walked towards the stairs with him.

“We have no intention of hurting any of you, trust me.” He then declared; hands clasped. He spoke with a smile. “Each and every one of you will return home without a single scratch, as long as you fully cooperate with us. I give you my word. Let’s just have some fun.”

Soon, the first day of this unprecedented robbery came to an end and night fell. We had been occupying the Mint for over 11 hours already and the whole world was kept in suspense, looking at us, wondering what was going to happen next. But people weren't the only ones racking their brains to figure out our next move. Even the task force was most likely confused. The one with the true upper hand was not the North or the South. It was the Professor. He developed plans and factored in everything. Like I said, he had planned everything, down to the smallest detail. The Professor came up with solutions for every possible situation and then a backup plan for each of those possibilities. I found it all very impressive and to be apart of it was beyond great and exciting. It had all just started earlier this day and I was already having a blast. All those months invested in preparing for this heist had been worth it. I was sure of that.

“They’ll be there very soon. Proceed as planned.” We were warned by the professor over the phone, that a military raid was coming to get us. We talked about this situation during our classes, which would happen if the North took over in the Task Force and they would never agree to negotiate with us. They would try to suppress us no matter what, and they would try to do so in secret.

“There is a total of five entry points. The main gate, the rooftop, the underground garage, the emergency exit on the side, and last but not least, the loading dock. If you remove the main gate and the rooftop where they’re likely to be seen, they’ll use the other three to enter.” Berlin raised his hand.

“Okay so let’s say we know when they’ll enter, thanks to the information from that woman.” I might have forgotten to mention it but yeah, the woman in question was the negociator, Seon Woojin. When I said the North took over amid the Task Force, I omitted that it would happen if she was sidelined. “How do we stop the Special Operations Unit when they have so many points of entry?”

“Well, that’s a good question.” He had this calm and collected look on his face, like he had it all figured out, which he had. I remember he asked us what we thought was the best strategy when we’re surrounded by enemies. We were only 9 robbers, but we had plenty of people at hand to repel the soldiers, without even having to fight. We outnumbered them, thanks to the hostages disguised as robbers. What they would see, no matter where they tried to get in from, would be masked people in red jumper suits holding guns towards them. With Rio in the office, watching the cameras, we were all with different groups of hostages turned into robbers for the subterfuge and the soldiers would never be able to tell a real robber with a gun from a hostage with a fake one. They would be forced to retreat. And it’s exactly how it happened. We handled the situation exactly how the professor told us to and everything went like clockwork. Everyone was then led back to the main room where there was a heavy silence among the hostages. Berlin, towering above us from the top of the stairs, broke the silence. I stood with my peers, on the other end of the room, right across the stairs.

“Now, my dear comrades, take off your masks.” He smiled as he watched them do as he said but quickly regained his seriousness. “Thanks to your cooperation, the police completely aborted their mission to raid the building.”

“Yes!” Moscow cheered and Denver and I chuckled.

“I want to applaud you all for being courageous and for your exceptional teamwork. We could not have done this without you.” He sketched another broad smile and slowly clapped his hands as he descended the stairs, and we joined in, walking in front of the hostages, mocking them with our smirks. We clapped strongly and eventually, one after the other, the hostages clapped along, and I laughed, meeting Berlin's gaze. We were both all smiles. The hostages didn’t look as happy as we did, obviously but how they felt went flying over my head. You can call me insensitive and self-centered, which I don’t think I was, but that still was the last thing I cared about. I did what I was asked to do, follow the Professor’s orders. I did my part and was satisfied. We had successfully prevented the raid, and the Task Force would be forced to recall their negotiator and forget about the use of force to enter. And with one of the hostages happening to be the daughter of the US Ambassador to Korea, that was no longer a possibility at all.

[To be continued…]

Next Chapter (SOON)

Published (03/25/2023) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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