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"Let's go." The guard commanded the prisoners as they were rushed into their former classroom. Dakota crossed her arms over her chest as she entered the room beside Murphy, while Murphy glared at everyone who stared at his ex-girlfriend. Dakota locked eyes with her father briefly before sending a sneer in his direction and looking away the minute her father shared a worried glance.
Dakota took a seat next to John Murphy and crossed her leg over the other while pulling her jacket tighter around her. "This is stupid-" Dakota leaned over to Murphy who interrupted her the minute her mouth had opened.
"At least you not handcuffed to a wall right now," Murphy looked over at the brunette who frowned. "Wanna take a nap?" He grinned.
Dakota rolled her eyes at him, punching his arm playfully. "Shut up, John." She gave him a flirty smile and faced the front.
"Welcome to Earth Skills," their teacher, Charles Pike spoke, making everyone look at the front of the glass.
****
The windshield wipers glided over the windshield as water fell off the glass. Everyone was silent as the driving began to take a toll on them. The weather was miserable and the thick tension in the air didn't help either. Dakota sat in the passenger seat, heading leaning against the window as she stared off into the endless forests and watched the rain drops race down the window. Dakota still had her doubts of finding Luna and, if they did manage to find the other Night-blood, she had her doubts that the girl would even help them. She had trust in Octavia's lover, Lincoln, but Dakota found it hard to believe that the girl would stick the chip in her head after running from the Conclave.
Jasper had been keeping a close eye on the map, comparing it's locations to the ones that they had already drove through. "It's been an hour since we passed the airplane wreckage." He said, his fingers trailing delicately over the map in Lincoln's book. "Seeing as we're using a map without any distances, it could be days before we reach Luna's village."
"At least we know we're going the right direction." Bellamy mumbled back, his jaw clenching in frustration.
"We're running out of daylight. We should stop in the sun, recharge the battery." Jasper suggested.
Dakota scoffed and turned around to look at the boy. "What sun, Jasp?" She gestured towards the windshield where the rain continued to splatter down upon it. "It's raining out there and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon."
"Yeah," Clarke agreed, "and neither are we. We keep going until it dies."
"We keep going until we get to Luna." Octavia corrected her, glancing at the blonde.
"This her?" Jasper said, holding up a drawing of a girl with wild curly hair.
Octavia nodded. "Yes."
"What do you think she's gonna say when we show up asking to put an A.I. in her head?" He reiterated the question Dakota had been asking herself all along.
"Lincoln said she helps those that are in trouble. She'll help us, too," She assured them. Dakota gasped as Bellamy slammed on the brakes, the rover skidding to a stop on wet leaves. Dakota looked over to glare at him when her head almost hit the windshield, but his eyes weren't focused on her, they were focused on the tree in the way.
"Think she can help us find a better map?" Jasper mumbled sarcastically which made Dakota snort, fixing her position in her seat.
Bellamy sighed, assessing the situation. "Backtrack. We'll find somewhere where the trees aren't so bad." Bellamy said while shifting the rover into reverse. He was cut off when the back door swung open and Octavia jumped out. "Hey!"
"About time, I can't be stuck in here for much longer." Dakota complained, throwing the door open and grabbing her sword and sliding it over her back. Dakota opened her jacket to reveal three more scabbards for throwing knives and she slipped three knives into its holder.
Clarke groaned. "Guess we're going on foot,"
"Anyone hear the part where I said it could be days?" Jasper shouted as the group followed Octavia up the hill.
"Stop." Octavia put her hand out to silence him. "You hear that?" She said, turning to face the two girls as hope flared in her eyes.
"Water," Clarke whispered with a slight smile.
"Eyes sharp," Bellamy shouted, holding his gun up, "They could be hostile."
"They're not hostile!" Octavia snapped. "Put the guns down."
Dakota ran along a large, fast moving river, following Octavia's lead through the forest. They all moved through the trees until suddenly it cut off near a small hill. Dakota climbed down the hill.
"Where's the village?" Jasper asked as the group stopped right in front of the water. Dakota's eyes lit up at the sight of the large mountains and the water that kissed the grey and foggy air, making the location look more mysterious. Bellamy stole a glance over at the girl, seeing her lips turn up into a true smile and for a second there, Bellamy felt his lips twitch at the pure delight that was washed over Dakota's face.
Octavia looked down at the map, her eyes locking on some stone structures on a small peninsula not too far away. "No. No, it can't be," Octavia grumbled before heading over to the structures.
Dakota followed after her as Octavia ran towards the small island, standing in the center of the stones. "This isn't a village. It's just a bunch of rocks," Dakota said, confusedly.
'She's gone," Clarke whispered.
"What do we do now?" Jasper threw his hands up as Octavia had walked over to the edge, kneeling down. She let out a scream of frustration, pretty much voicing everyone's thoughts in this moment.
****
Slumping back in her seat, Dakota eyes began to close as the other prisoners watched carefully at Pike who was making fire out of wood and rope. Dakota jolted awake when a sharp paint erupted from her forearm, when she opened her eyes, Murphy was staring back at her with a playful smile.
"Keep your hands to yourself, John." Dakota snarled as she realized that he had pinched her. She put her boots up onto the seat in front of her, making the boy turn around and scowl at her but Murphy told him off, making her smile. Murphy had leaned into her, "How can I keep my hands to myself when you're-"
"Can it." Dakota shoved her elbow into the boys chest, making Murphy bend over in pain. "Point taken, sorry." Murphy looked back up at the girl.
"The ability to make fire kept the human race alive during the Ice Age," Pike explained as he finally created a flame. "There we go. Who knows? It may do the same for us someday." He gently blew on the flames until the fire grew. "Voila.." He held out his arms, presenting the fire to them, "the difference between life and death."
From beside her, Murphy began slow clapping. Dakota turned her head to look at him with a small amused grin on her face. Pike took it in his stride, to take this opportunity to create a teaching moment. "Thank you, Mr. Murphy. Perhaps you'd like to tell us the key to surviving on the ground."
Murphy grinned. "No, not really. No."
"Miss Blake, how about you?" Dakota straightened up as Pike called upon Octavia, drawing everyone's attention to the girl. "The key to survival on Earth, what is it?"
"Not dying?" She answered hesitantly.
The class began to laugh. Dakota rolled her eyes and yelled out, "Why don't you guys shut up. She's actually not wrong, and I bet none of you assholes know the answer anyways," she growled, making the prisoner's quiet down.
Murphy scoffed from beside her, "You're sticking up for her now?" He whispered.
Dakota shrugged her shoulders. "I stick up for everyone. No one has the balls to say anything back since everyone knows what I did to earn my spot in here."
Murphy rolled his eyes, "Right."
"Don't roll your eyes at me, Murphy." Dakota glanced over at him. "You don't have any balls either." Murphy looked over at Dakota for a moment before returning his gaze towards the front of the class.
Pike continued his class, trying to stress the importance of his lessons without revealing the sombre truth. "We've got a lot to learn here: making fire, tying knots, how to navigate using the stars, how to hunt. You have to learn which plants you can eat and which-"
"Which ones we can smoke?" Jasper Jordan grinned and nodded lethargically at his own joke, making a few others laugh and Dakota to snort.
"Mr. Jordan, that is precisely why we had to separate you and Mr. Green." Jasper hummed a understandingly at that. "Listen. The answer to my question. The key to surviving on the ground and on the Ark is to keep fighting at all costs against all odds. The minute you give up, you're dead." Pike spotted Murphy whispering to a guy that was sitting beside Dakota. "Am I boring you, Mr. Murphy?"
Murphy smiled and stated "I'll survive," confidently.
***
The downpour had finally stopped when Bellamy and Dakota began to collect firewood for the fire that Octavia was working on. Dakota came back with large branches in her arms and set them near the big fire as Octavia used the bow-drill method to help spark a flame. Jasper sat next to Octavia, watching her work.
"It'll be dark soon," Clarke spoke up as Bellamy came back, dropping more wood on the small pile they had started. "We need to talk about what we're gonna do."
"We wait until first light," Octavia answered, "and then we split up and search the shore in both directions," She finally got a spark to light, making the dry tinder smoke. She pulled out the drill and she leaned in, blowing air gently into the sparks.
"Nice," Jasper commented as a tiny flame formed in the tinder. "Yes," Octavia said as she grabbed the tinder and placed it under the small cone of wood they had positioned in the fire pit. She continued to blow on the tinder until the flame grew and caught the wood.
"I agree." Bellamy started, getting back to the matter at hand, "Lincoln wouldn't have put this spot on the map unless it was important," He leaned down to pick up Lincoln's book but Octavia slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch that," She hissed angrily, swatting the journal out of his hand and back onto the sand. Bellamy looked over at Dakota who just avoided his gaze. He sighed and crouched down next to Octavia as she helped Dakota stoke the fire.
"Come on, O. How long?" Bellamy asked her.
"I don't know," She answered quietly, "I can't even look at you," Her head turned to look at him, but she couldn't bring herself to, proving her point. Octavia gritted her teeth as images of Lincoln's death flashed through her mind. "Because every time I do, I see Pike putting that gun to Lincoln's head. I hear the gunshot. I see him fall."
"I didn't kill Lincoln." Bellamy replied, he tried to mask his feelings, but even Dakota could hear the underlying tone of hurt.
"No, but he is dead because of you." Octavia shook her head and stood up with Bellamy following suit.
'I came to you," Bellamy argued, "you didn't take my help. If you had just trusted me, I-" Octavia scoffed and crouched down again and continued to stoke the fire. Bellamy sighed and began to head off down the beach.
Clarke turned her head to look over at Dakota, her eyebrow rose in question. Dakota snorted. "Don't look at me," She shook her head, shutting down Clarke's thought of having Dakota try to comfort him. Dakota turned her head to look over at Jasper as he threw something into the flames, and they turned green.
"What did you just do?" Octavia asked, alarmed at the sudden change in the fire.
"Nothing," Jasper defended himself, raising his hand to show what he was holding, "I just threw these in the fire."
Clarke and Dakota frowned at Octavia's look of realization. "What is it?"
Octavia grinned. "Signal fire. He was trying to tell us. This is how we contact Luna."
Jasper smiled and nodded, "I'll get more."
Dakota stood up, "I'll help-" Just as she was about to walk towards Jasper, a pain-filled scream filled her mind as her whole body twitched with pain, and Dakota's hand came to rest on her temple as she cried out.
Clarke was quick to get to the girl's side, and crouched near her. "What is it?" Clarke asked her, worried.
Dakota slowly collapsed to her knees as her pained eyes stared out into the water. Her mind replayed her father getting nailed to a board of some sort, and she could feel the pain shoot through her wrists. "My-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as the vision flashed through like lightening. She screamed out as she lunged forward, feeling the pain increase and Clarke grabbed ahold of the trembling girl, keeping her still. "It's okay," Clarke tried to comfort her, but she didn't really know how.
"They have my father," Dakota spoke out, her attention returning back to Clarke, whom she looked with worried eyes. Dakota shook her head, she didn't want to believe what she saw, but the chip wouldn't lie to her. "I saw it.." She said as she sat in the sand with her fingers pressing into her pulsing temple. "They were chaining him up,"
"Who?" Clarke demanded, looking back at Octavia who had a frown on her face.
"The Grounders.. they're chipped." Dakota blinked back. "Jaha was watching.. your mother.." She shook her head as Clarke paused in shock. She didn't want to believe that her mother had taken the chip, even though she had seen how her mother changed under the influence of A.L.I.E. and this only fired her determination on stopping her.
Nightfall arrived, and the fire was the only thing keeping the small group warm under the crisp sea air. Dakota had sat by the fire, gazing over at Octavia who was trying to keep herself busy with stoking the flame with more wood while Dakota looked through Lincoln's journal. She had seen the drawings that Lincoln had left in the journal, one in particular that caught her eye. One of Octavia and Dakota sword fighting, she had smiled when she remembered that day and how Indra had been watching them. She looked back up at the fire when Octavia glanced at the drawing and a small smile had slipped onto her face, but quickly disappeared with a small broken frown.
From the corner of Dakota's eye, she caught a glimpse of Clarke walking from the camp and cautiously making her way towards to check up on Bellamy. Dakota knew that it was painful for Bellamy to watch as his dear younger sister hate him, both girls hate him. Clarke had tried to comfort him, but from the yelling that was heard in the distance told the girl that it was not going well.
"Well, I don't need your help," Dakota heard him snap at the blonde and Dakota found herself chewing on her lip as she looked over at Clarke, who stared out into the sea. "Clarke," Bellamy's eyes had caught Dakota's and she quickly turned her head away when Octavia knelled down beside her.
"Thank you for letting me look at this," Dakota smiled over at Octavia and tied the book back up and handed it over to the young warrior. Octavia nodded at her with a small smile and started to warm her hands in the fire.
Suddenly, Jasper had jumped up with a panicked look on his face and took out his gun. "No. No. It's okay." Octavia looked to Jasper who pointed his gun over at the masked Grounder while Dakota kept her sword hot on the other one behind her. Octavia let go of her sword and raised her hands while Dakota raised an eyebrow when Clarke and Bellamy were forced to kneel, gagged and bounded.
"Who are you? Why did you signal?" One of the Grounders spoke, stepping forward to address them.
"I am Octavia of Skaikru and I seek safe passage." Octavia had replied back to the man strongly and confidently.
"Skaikru, bringers of death," he spat once he realized exactly who the group was, and by the tone of his voice, Dakota knew he wasn't a fan of the Sky People. "Why should we give you safe passage?"
Octavia was silent for a moment before finally answering. "Lincoln. He sent us." Bellamy looked over at Clarke with a tense look on his face as the leader observed them all, coming to a decision of what to do with the captures.
"Remove their gags, and free their hands." The leader had ordered and immediately the order was answered as they started to remove the rope around Bellamy and Clarke's hands.
"What's going on?" Bellamy had whispered to Octavia, assuming there may have been something in Lincoln's book about this situation.
"I don't know," She replied just as quiet and the man pulled out a small leather holder that stored some vials from his coat. He held one out to Octavia, looking at her expectantly.
"What is that?" Clarke asked suspiciously when he handed her one. Dakota had put her sword back into his scabbard as the man handed her a vial and she inspected the cloudy liquid.
"Safe passage."
"What does it do?" Jasper hesitantly inquired, but the man had only gave him a look. Octavia wasted no time opening the vial and swallowing the contents. She didn't care, she trusted Lincoln, and she knew that he wouldn't lead her to her death.
"Octavia, wait!" Bellamy yelled but it was too late.
"I trust Lincoln," She shrugged.
"If only she drinks, only she goes," the leader warned them.
Jasper put his vial up in a cheers motion, "see you on the other side," he toasted, before drinking the liquid in the small bottle as Octavia begun to sway back and forth until she fell to the sand, unconscious. "Oh, crap." Jasper muttered as he began to feel loopy and he stumbled, and fell just like Octavia had.
"Something to knock us out so we won't know directions," Dakota studied the man and nodded at him. "Smart." She pointed at him and unscrewed the bottle. "The things I do to survive.." She sighed and downed the bottle. A few seconds later, her vision became blurry as she started to lay on her back while Bellamy and Clarke looked at each other, "Together." Clarke had whispered as Dakota's mind faded into the darkness.
****
Dakota was leaning back into her seat, examining her nails out of boredom as Murphy's hand came down to knock her chair all the way down, sending Dakota flying backwards to the ground. "Are you serious, John?" Dakota had hissed out as laughter interrupted over the small room.
Dakota picked herself up off the floor and placed her chair back onto the ground. She lifted her hand to back hand the back of Murphy's head as she sat down next to him. "You're so annoying," She rolled her eyes.
"Can we just get out of here, seriously?" Murphy complained loudly, boredom finally getting to him.
"You got better things to do, Murphy?" Harper asked sarcastically.
Murphy smirked and walked towards her. "Oh, is that an offer, McIntyre?"
"Alright, Murphy. Cut it out." Dakota rolled her eyes.
"You're an epic dick, Murphy," Harper spat, grossed out.
The doors finally opened and in came their teacher, who seemed a bit panicked. "Everybody take your seats," he typed in a code to lock the doors and walked to the front of the room. "Now! I'm sure all of you will be glad to know that we are officially done talking about Earth skills."
"Oh, great," Murphy celebrated. "In that case..." he got up from his chair and made a move towards the doors.
"Sit down!" Pike barked but Murphy ignored him so he approached Murphy. "How would you feel about assisting me with today's lesson, Mr. Murphy?"
"Sign me up," Murphy accepted the proposal. He didn't expect, however, to be smacked across the face by his teacher.
Dakota's mouth had flied open as she sat up-straight in her seat. Her tiredness becoming alert.
"What the hell was that fo-" Murphy began once he recovered from the hit, only to be smacked again. He didn't retaliate, though. He just raised his hands up in defeat and returned to his chair next to Dakota.
"I know all about you, John Murphy," Pike said, towering over the teen.
"Oh, you do, huh?"
"Yeah, I do. Mother drank herself to death after father was floated for stealing medicine to save you. That's a tough row to hoe. I'll give you that," he raised his voice, "so what does he do with the second chance his father gave his life to buy for him? Wasted it setting the arresting officer's quarters on fire." He waited for Murphy to reply but he didn't. "Say something." Waiting for a moment, Pike smacked the boy again.
Dakota had stood up from her seat and walked forwards. "Are you serious, right now? Is this what you do, beat teenagers?" She sneered, but Pike had ignored her as if she didn't even open her mouth.
"Do something."
Murphy sat up, spitting the blood out of his mouth. "You know, I get it...trying to teach us to fight back."
"Wrong," Pike sneered before grabbing Murphy by the shirt and slamming him against the wall, punching him in the stomach several times.
"Stop! That's enough!" Dakota yelled over the shocked gasps that filled the room while Pike threw Murphy on the ground, knocking several chairs over.
"Leave him alone!" Jasper shouted, trying to defend Murphy but Pike wouldn't listen.
He carried on beating Murphy and shouting at him. "No one is coming to help you. No one is coming to help any of you."
"Get off him! Get off him!"
Dakota started to panic as Pike didn't stop. She looked over towards the frightened girl who froze on the spot, looking with widened eyes at the scene. "Go do something useful with yourself and get someone's attention!" She yelled over at one of the prisoners who had completely snapped out of whatever daze she was under, and started running towards the doors, pounding on it with her fists.
"Is that all you got? It's gonna take more than the kids from your own station to save you. Who will save you?" Pike screamed in Murphy's face, tightening his grip on his throat.
Dakota had ran up to Pike and grabbed his arm, trying to pry him off of her bestfriend. "Stop! You're killing him!" She yelled out in panic as a few boys behind her tired to help get Pike off of Murphy.
Dakota was sent flying backwards as Pike's arm had strongly hit her, and her back hit a shelf, making a metal pole land down beside her.
"Don't you see? This is life or death." Were Pike's final words before Dakota had ran over and hit him over the head with the metal pole, distracting him long enough for the boys around her to shove him off of Murphy. Murphy was finally released, gulping in the air as Dakota had sat down next to him
"Hey!" A voice shouted and Dakota turned her head to look back at her father who had walked into the room. Dakota helped Murphy up off the floor and wiped at his bleeding nose with her sleeve.
Are you out of your minds? What the hell is this?"
"This is graduation," Pike answered. "Congratulations. Class dismissed,"
Dakota had took one look back at her father, his broken gaze fixed on the disheveled girl, who had nothing but a sneer on her face, but what she didn't know was that was going to be the last time she had seen her father.
******
Dakota let out a groan as she started to re-gain her consciousness, she was faintly aware that she was on something that was moving, swaying back and forth. Her eyes had fluttered open to see holes above her, shinning the sunlight into the metal cage. Everyone else around her started to groan as they too had woken up from the sleep that the vials had brought onto them.
"They took our swords," Octavia's pissed off voice came from Dakota's right and Dakota's brows furrowed as she reached for her sword that was usually on her back, but her hand touched nothing. "They took my knives too," Dakota told them as she unzipped her jacket to find her knife belt carrying nothing.
"Guns are gone, too." Jasper mumbled, looking at his surroundings.
"Where the hell are we?" Bellamy's voice was still a bit raspy from being asleep.
Octavia walked over and started banging on the metal wall, stopping when the door opened and in came the blinding flow of light, making Dakota squint as she saw the outline of a dark figure slowly walk into the box. Her vision got use to the light, and when her eyes focused on the girl with wild curly hair, she knew it was Luna.
"Luna," Octavia spoke, relieved that she chose to trust in Lincoln.
Luna glanced at them all. "Where's Lincoln?"
"Lincoln is dead." Octavia replied, her voice cracking slightly. Luna looked down, the hurt and anguish clear as day on her face.
"Lincoln said that you would help us," Clarke told her, stepping towards the girl.
"Did he?" Luna raised her brows.
"Luna, you're the last of your kind, the last Night-blood." Clarke informed her, and Dakota looked over in question.
"So Lexa's dead, as well."
"Her spirit has chosen you to become the next Commander. Titus entrusted me with the Flame to give to you." Clarke explained while pulling out the flame holder out of her coat and grasping it between her fingers.
"Then he should have told you that I left my conclave swearing to never kill again," Luna said softly, watching them all warily.
"Then you don't have to kill. To lead is your birthright. How you lead is your choice." Clarke said strongly, stepped towards her. "Here," Clarke removed the flame from the box and presented it to Luna.
"I recognize the sacred symbol, but what is that?" She had never seen the small device before, despite its obvious relevance to becoming the commander.
"This is the Flame that holds the spirits of the Commanders, of Lexa. Will you take it and become the next commander?" Clarke smiled at Luna.
Luna was quiet for a moment, contemplating her decision. Just when they thought she was about to accept the proposal, she answered, "No." She removed her hands from Clarke and turned to walk out of the box.
"Hey, wait!" Clarke called out to her. They all ran out of the box. Fresh air and the warm sun greeted them, along with the ocean. Nothing but the ocean.
"I guess swimming back is out of the question.." Dakota's eyes widened as she saw nothing but water on the horizon, knowing that where ever they were, land was far away.