UP IN FLAMES
CHAPTER TWO
Liv tugged the sleeves of her sweater down over hands nervously, stepping out into the same hallway she and Clarke were in before they were taken into custody by the guards of Mount Weather. Someone was talking in the distance about the levels of Mount Weather and what not, Liv glanced toward Clarke for reassurance before going any farther. Clarke nodded toward her encouragingly, although she was just as terrified as Liv was right now.
Hesitantly they rounded the corner, familiar heads of hair coming into Liv's vision. They were the bodies of all of her friends, all of the people she originally came down to Earth with.
Monty was the first of them to notice the two girls, practically shouting, "Clarke! Liv!"
The girl's voice was cut short, everyone beginning to murmur in confusion before turning around, Liv glancing at all of their faces with wide eyes. She felt the edges of her lips twitch into a small smile, Monty pushing his way through the crowd in a race to get to them.
"Liv!" a familiar voice shouted, Liv's head snapped up as a head of strawberry blonde hair made its way in front of her.
Before she could react, strong arms were wrapped around her, Liv finally wrapping hers around Ashton tightly. She immediately buried her head into the crook of his neck, grasping onto him for dear life.
Tears welled in her eyes, clutching onto him as though she'll never be able to see him again.
"Ashton," she gasped out, shocked by the sight of him, "Oh, my God. It's really you, you're here. You're okay."
She felt him nod, his strong arms squeezing her even tighter. "I am."
Her face broke out into a grin, letting out a laugh created by relief.
Slowly, she pulled away, looking toward his face with a bright smile plastered onto it. In a question of hope, she then asked, "Is Bellamy here? Did they find him, is he okay?"
At that, his face immediately fell, not prepared for the reaction of his sister. He knew how she was beginning to feel about the Blake boy, and he also knew that the fact that he was really and truly dead was going to crush her even more than she already was. She was already a broken girl, barely keeping hold of her sanity after everything that has happened, and losing Bellamy was just going to be the icing on the cake. It was only going to be a steady downfall for her from here.
"Liv - " he began, Liv taking a wobbling step back as she felt the wind get knocked out of her. "Are you okay? Liv?"
She shook her head back and forth, breathing out, "I just - I just need a second, okay?"
He was really dead - Bellamy was dead. She was never going to see him again, never going to shoot him another sarcastic remark. She was never going to feel his lips on her forehead again, and she was never going to feel the sensation of hers actually against his lips. Never again would she feel his strong arms wrapped around her, nor hear the sound of his voice.
He was gone, out of her life forever, and somehow everyone expected her to keep herself together despite that fact.
At this point, all of her friends were looking toward her with sad eyes, knowing that she was more than likely the first to break from that news. Clarke watched nervously, pained expressions on Monty's and Jasper's faces as well.
Liv shook her head, sputtering out, "We don't know that." Everyone was silent, Liv wracking her head around for people she knew were on the drop ship before the explosion. "What about Raven?"
Rather than getting the response she wanted, the girl from before held two folders, making her way in front of Clarke and Liv.
"Welcome, Clarke. Welcome, Olivia," she spoke, handing each of the girls a folder filled with information about Mount Weather. "If you have any questions, I'm Keenan."
Keenan smiled at the two before backing off into the crowd, Liv opening the front of the folder to be met with a print off of a map of Mount Weather. And with a map was the ability to devise an escape route.
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Liv found herself seated in between Jasper and Ash, Monty seated across from them. The three boys were happily devouring their food, Liv silently picking at hers. If anything, she was just moving it around with her fork.
It felt like there was a hole inside her chest, knowing that Bellamy is dead, as is Finn, and that she'll never see Octavia, Raven, or Lincoln again. That she was going to be trapped within this mountain and never feel the sun reach her face again. She was stuck, and there was absolutely no way out.
In the background sounded a piano, nimble fingers dancing along the keys to create a soothing melody. Liv didn't feel all that soothed.
Jasper let out a moan of pleasure, leaning in toward Monty. "You have to try this pie."
Monty quickly plunged his fork into the desert, breathing out, "Oh, my God."
Liv looked toward it, raising a brow. "What even is that?"
Jasper shrugged. "I don't know, but it's great."
Monty continued to eat from his meal, the three boys chuckling at Jasper's words. Liv, on the other hand, stared down at the food in front of her. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she needed to eat something. Tonight she was determined to get the hell out of that mountain, she needed her strength.
"Okay, my turn," Jasper spoke, Ash quickly cutting in.
"Hey, I haven't even tried your pie yet." And with that, Ash swiftly took a fork full of pie, stuffing it into his mouth with a grin.
Monty looked down at his food, shaking his head. "Oh, no, you guys wouldn't like it. Pie is much better."
Jasper and Ash both shared a look, soon lurching forward only to have Monty grab his plate, holding it out of their reach.
Ash simply raised a brow at his friend, inquiring, "What was that about pie?"
Jasper and Ash shot up onto their feet, Liv sitting in between the two silently, not really paying attention to the three boys. Adults began to glance over at the four teenagers making a scene, Monty, Jasper, and Ash lurching side to side and lunging in an attempt to the get the slice of something Monty held.
Soon enough, Clarke entered the cafeteria, standing beside Monty.
"Oh, Clarke," Ash spoke sheepishly, pink beginning to rise onto his cheeks as he realized Clarke caught them all acting like three year olds.
"You don't look very happy to see me," she muttered, Ash looking like a kicked puppy.
As she took a seat beside Monty, Ash assured, "Of course we're happy to see you."
He then held out the food for all of them to get a glimpse of, speaking, "And now I offer the chocolate cake."
Jasper simply moaned at the thought of it, Clarke stating, "I'm not eating their food."
Liv glanced up at her, questioning, "Then what are you going to eat?" She then leaned forward, whispering, "If we want to get the hell out of here, then we're going to need to be ready with full strength."
Clarke quickly slid her folder in front of Liv, explaining, "They gave us a map with no exits." Clarke's eyes then scanned all four of her friends, a deadly serious expression on her face. "I need you all to tell me what you've seen. Every room, every hallway, every way out."
"Way out?" Jasper questioned in confusion, Liv raising a brow at him. Wouldn't he want to get out? She knew that she sure as hell wanted to. "Why, Clarke? There's no one hunting us here. First time in our lives we're not hungry. Why would we want to leave?"
Liv's eyes widened, pointing out, "We have friends out there still."
"They're looking for survivors," Monty pointed out, Liv refusing to believe a word that Dante spoke. There was something about him, something extremely untrustworthy. "And they're way better equipped to find them than we are."
Clarke shook her head. "This place is too good to be true."
Jasper chuckled awkwardly, mumbling, "Well, I'm going to get more cake."
Jasper quickly shot up, making his way down toward the buffet. Clarke turned her neck, watching as Jasper soon began to speak to the girl from this morning, Maya, who had a rough encounter with her and Liv.
And Clarke was quick on her feet once Jasper was seated across from Maya, practically devouring her cake. Liv watched in confusion, glancing toward Monty and Ash.
Ash looked at her sister in confusion, demanding in a hushed manner, "Why the hell are you so hell bent on breaking out of this place? This is the first time we've been safe in months, Liv. Why do you want to ruin this for all of us?"
Liv's jaw dropped, hissing, "So, you don't want to find our friends?"
"Is this about Bellamy?" Ash demanded, Monty staying silent during it all. He didn't want to intrude on their argument, it seemed more like a sibling problem. "Liv, he's dead! Don't you get that? Ruining all of this for us isn't going to bring him back!"
Liv opened her mouth to protest, but Clarke was soon making her way back over to Liv, placing her hand on Liv's shoulder before squeezing softly. Liv glanced behind her, Clarke now making her way out of the mess hall and down the corridor.
Ash shot her a look of confusion, Liv simply smiling sweetly before rising from her seat. A determined expression crossed her face, Liv turning the hall to be met with Clarke. Clarke shot her a smug look, lifting up a key card that they saw Maya have earlier.
Liv grinned, the two girls making their way down the hallway. Liv gripped onto her map, leading herself and Clarke throughout the mountain.
"Do you know where the exit is?" Liv demanded, the two girls continuing to steadily rise in the floors.
"I don't know, but it has to be somewhere on the top," Clarke spoke, determined to get herself in Liv out of there.
"Wait," Liv cut in, halting in her stride and facing Clarke. "What about everyone else? Ash? Monty? Jasper?"
A conflicted look crossed Clarke's face, assuring, "We'll come back for them. After we find Raven and Octavia. When we have some back up."
Liv felt torn, unsure whether to go back for her friends or leave. If she didn't leave now, she might never get another chance, but if she does leave now, she may never see Ash again. She wasn't sure she'd be able to live like that.
With a sigh, Liv spoke, "It's time to go home."
Although she had no idea what home was anymore.
Either way, she and Clarke continued to make their way down the hallway of metal, the two girls determined to get the hell out of there. And then proceed to get as far away as humanly possible.
Soon enough, though, an alarm began to sound throughout the mountain, orange lights coming on from above them.
"Code five. Code five."
Clarke scowled, muttering, "Not a prisoner."
Soon enough, the two girls were breaking into a dead sprint, Liv's heels skidding against the floor when a troop of guards turned the corner. Their heads swiveled the other way, guards flooding in from either side of them. They were trapped.
Clarke wrapped her hand around Liv's bicep, shouting, "Come on!"
And with that, they took their only available option - straight. They were racing down the hallway, their shoes smacking against the ground as they raced for an exit. Guards were on their tales, following right behind them. In front of them was a large door, a key pad on the side with a sign saying authorized personel only. Well, having Maya's key card gave them the illusion of being authorized persons.
Clarke slid the card across the pad, it lighting up a bright green before letting out a ding. The two girls each grabbed the heavy metal door, tugging it open before slamming it shut right behind them.
The two girls were out of breath, their hearts racing as Liv glanced toward Clarke before her eyes finally adjusted to the new lighting. They were in a dark hallway, fluorescent lights guiding their way down a long flight of stairs.
"Where the hell are we?" Liv muttered to herself, trying to get a grasp on what exactly was happening to the two girls as of right now.
Rather than answering Liv, Clarke grabbed the wires connected to the door before ripping them in half, a shower of sparks erupting before all of the lights around them flickered off. The guards knew where they are, meaning that they have to get the hell out of here and quick before they're found.
"Up the stairs, now," Clarke ordered, Liv nodding before racing up the flight of stairs behind Clarke.
It was easy to tell that they were prisoners here, Liv knew that for a fact now. There was no hope, there was no safety. On Earth, you were never safe. She was a victim of circumstance and as of now everything was do or die.
Liv was taking two steps at a time, soon rushing off of the flight of stairs and into a new hallway. Orange lights shined down upon her once again, a voice being heard over the intercom.
"Unauthorized access."
In front of the two girls was a vault like door, Liv sprinting forward and grabbing hold of the lever which was connected to the wall. The lever that would open the door. She began to pull down on it, grunting as she realized that it was stuck in place.
"Clarke, I need help!" she cried out, Clarke quickly wrapping her fingers around the lever and tugging down with her.
The two girls pulled at it, slowly bringing it down in order to open the door.
It then shot back up, refusing to be pulled down.
Liv glanced over, knowing that they only had limited time before the guards were upon them again. Her eyes scanned the door, a circular handle coming into focus.
"The other handle," Liv blurted out, rushing toward it and beginning to spin it around.
Once done so, she heard a click, Clarke tightening her grip around the lever, preparing to pull down. This is how they'd escape, they were going to get out of this place.
"Clarke!" a familiar voice shouted, making both girls turn around in shock. At the end of the hallway stood Maya and Jasper, watching the two with wide eyes. "No! If you pull that lever, all of these people will die. Even a little radiation could kill them."
Liv felt her eyes widen, soon realizing that they were the ones keeping them trapped. They could have just left them alone, but no, they must have wanted them all for something.
"Why should we care?" Liv shouted, desperate to get out of the mountain. All she wanted to do was be back at the drop ship, her seemingly home. It was the closest thing to one that she had, at least.
It was then when Maya pulled out a machine gun from the crate, Liv's eyes widening. She aimed it right at Clarke, threatening, "Don't make me shoot you."
Clarke kept her grip firm on the lever, Jasper quickly running in front of Maya, his hands held up in the air in surrender.
He then turned to face Clarke and Liv, looking at them in shock and horror, like he couldn't believe that they were doing this. Liv didn't see what was wrong with not wanting to be a prisoner here. She wanted to be let out, if she weren't a prisoner she'd be allowed to leave. They got them in, there's got to be a way to get them out, too.
"Clarke," Jasper started hesitantly, "don't do this."
She shook her head, looking as though she was on the verge of tears. "I don't believe them."
"Why would they lie?" Jasper countered, softly. "Listen to me, we are safe here, because of you. We're safe."
With a cracking voice, Clarke whispered, "Not all of us."
Liv felt tears well inside of her eyes, her mind racing back to Bellamy. Racing back to wherever Raven and Octavia may be, and if they're okay.
"I'm the one who fired the rockets," Jasper breathed out, sniffling as he thought of the fact that he also killed Bellamy and Finn in the process of fighting off the grounders. "Should I not have done that? Clarke, wehn you pulled that lever, you saved lives. Don't pull that one as a weapon."
She took a deep breath, blinking away her tears before reluctantly letting go of the leaver.
Guards then flooded into the area, pointing their guns at the Clarke, the one who is closest to the lever. They were quick to grab hold of her, slamming her to the ground.
"Wait!" Liv practically screamed, Jasper grabbing a hold of her and keeping her away from the guards.
Soon enough, though, two were on her as well, ripping her out of Jasper's grasp while she thrashed around. She hated this, she hated being here. All she wanted was to be free again. And if they weren't prisoners, they would have been allowed to leave the moment they came.
Of course, they were never going to simply be allowed to waltz out.
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Liv's hands were bound together in front of her in handcuffs, two guards walking on either side of her as they lead her through unfamiliar hallways. She was itching to get out of the mountain, it was all she wanted at this point. They couldn't just keep her trapped here like some animal.
Soon enough, though, she was being lead into a room, a man in a blue suit in front of her. His dark, black hair was slicked back, and a rather annoyed look was on his face as Liv was escorted inside.
"You muse be Olivia Ross," he spoke, looking toward the two guards on either side of her. "Please, take off the hand cuffs." Following his orders, they did just that, Liv rubbing her now raw wrists with her hands. The two men exited the room, leaving her alone with the unfamiliar man in front of her. Sticking his hand out, he greeted, "Cage Wallace."
Liv hesitantly grasped his hand before shaking it, breathing out, "Your related to Dante, aren't you?"
"His son," Cage explained, Liv nodding her head warily.
"Why can't I leave?" Liv blurted out, not wasting a second before asking her questions. She wanted to know why she wasn't allowed out if she wasn't a prisoner. "Dante said we weren't prisoners, yet we're not allowed to leave."
Cage shook his head, questioning, "Where would you go to, Olivia?"
"I'd go to find my friends."
"I have some grave news, actually," he began resting his palms onto his desk while she stood there patiently, silently. "They weren't able to find anyone out there. There were no survivors."
"I don't believe that."
"Hope," Cage spoke. "It drives you, doesn't it? But it also drives you to do things that could potentially hurt my people within this mountain, and I can't have that."
"You guys were able to get me in here, why can't you let me out?" Liv questioned, raising a brow. "And don't give me shit about letting radiation, you were able to bring me in here."
"Olivia, it's not safe out there for a teenager like yourself."
"I've managed to get this far," she countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just let me and my friends leave."
He shook his head back and forth, Liv dying to slam her knuckles into his face. "I can't allow that to happen, though." He then took a step forward, advancing toward her with a darkened look. "If you and your friend - Clarke, is it? - try another stunt like that and it puts my people in danger, you won't be the only ones facing punishment."
Liv took a step back, demanding, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever you think it does."
And with that, the two guards were back inside of the room, dragging Liv out while she tried to figure out what the hell Cage meant?
And if she does it again, will it harm those she loves?
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Liv found herself hand in hand with various people she didn't know, nor did she ever plan on knowing. All of Mount Weather's inhabitants were all at one long table, Dante Wallace leading them in a prayer.
"Good health, good food, and good company, in the blessing of new friends."
"We give thanks," everyone spoke, except for Liv, who was still wracking her brain around what her life has become.
Everyone then seated themselves, Liv across from Clarke and in between Ash and Harper. This was her new life now, otherwise she might face consequences she knew that she never would want to know. But despite the fact that she was now in a seemingly safe and inviting place, it just wasn't good enough.
Not until she had real proof that none of her friends were out there, not until she could see for herself.
And she would not rest until she found them.
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not edited.
i hate the new writing layout i hate it i hate it i hate it oh my god it makes doing spell check ten times freaking harder oh my god. anyway, let me know what you thought! i'm part way done with episode two so hopefully i'll have that done by today! :)