─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
THE ONLY WORD RUNNING THROUGH RILEY'S HEAD WAS MONTY. She felt guilty for the way she acted when she didn't know if he was telling the truth of wanting to help, and every bit of her needed to know that he was okay. She believed that this time, he really was on their side, so Riley knew she had to save him. The group was waiting for the rest of them back at the cave, for whenever they'd come back. It was already dangerous enough to leave, but, it was worth the risk.
Riley hardly remembered where the dropship was, but the others did. She expected nothing less, considering that it was once their home, where they defended themselves against grounders. The group of four approached the gate, and suddenly walked in slower, on guard in case this was a trap. Carefully, Riley lifted her gun, her bad hand balancing it as the finger on her other hand rested on the trigger. She sucked at shooting, still, but felt prepared.
"Monty!" Kane called out when the entrance of the dropship was in their view. He waited a second, gripping a bound Bellamy's jacket and holding a gun to his head, but lowering it when they received no response. "We got here first."
Riley breathed a short sigh of relief. They still had time, she thought. That is, until Octavia snapped. "No, we didn't." She grabbed Bellamy's shoulder, holding her sword to his throat, and setting Riley on guard again, back to the sheet covering the opening. "Get outside!" She shouted. "Now!"
Suddenly, the curtain was swept to the side and Monty's face appeared. Riley's blue eyes widened and the edges of her mouth curved into a small smile. "Monty?" She whispered, grateful to see him okay, before noticing how scared he looked with his hands tied. She looked back through the scope of her gun, watching as he stepped forward, and noticing the gun pointed to the back of his head.
Gritting her teeth in anger, Riley watched as Pike followed him outside, the barrel of his gun now pressed to the side of Monty's head as he stood behind him. "He followed me," Monty explained, apologetic and regretful. "I'm sorry."
"Let him go, Pike!" Kane called out, demanding.
"I can't do that!" Pike hollered back. Riley watched as he brought a walkie-talkie to his mouth, whispered something, before jumping in surprise when gunfire echoed and bullets hit the ground near her feet. She took a glance around, knowing Pike came prepared with guards in the woods watching them. It was a trap after all, but not Monty's fault. "It's over. Put down your weapons!"
Shaking her head, Riley peered to Kane. "No way," she hissed, refusing. She knew her of all people wouldn't be able to shoot right, and she wouldn't risk it with Monty close. "Shoot him."
After looking through his scope, Kane shook his head. "I can't," he mumbled back. "Monty's in the shot."
"Come on, Marcus," Pike urged them. "I promised Monty's mother that I'd bring him home alive, don't make me a liar."
Riley wasn't ready to surrender, neither was Octavia, who held her brother hostage. She tightened her grip on the gun, unsure of what to do, but Kane was the one to cave. He dropped his gun, irritating Octavia. "Kane, no.." She whispered as their leader lifted his hands in defense, disarming himself by throwing his gun on the ground.
"Now you two," Pike demanded, looking at the two teenage girls left.
Dropping to one knee, Riley balanced her gun forward, her finger pressed more tightly against the trigger, threateningly. Octavia swung her sword around, this time pressing her sword to the front of Bellamy's throat, refusing to give in. Riley knew she wouldn't shoot, not with Monty too close, but she hoped that if Pike saw the pair refusing to surrender, he'd let Monty go. She watched as Pike spoke into the walkie-talkie again, unable to hear him, but prepared for the worse.
Suddenly, Bellamy swung Octavia's arm over his head, striking her in the chest and making her topple over before twisting her arm back. Before Riley could shout at him in anger, Pike whistled, and in seconds they were surrounded by guards. She froze when feeling the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of her neck and hearing a two warning words. "Drop it."
Finally giving up reluctantly, Riley dropped the gun and raised her hands. She knew there was no point in fighting, much to her annoyance. When the gun hit the ground, a hand grabbed each of her wrists and pulled them behind her back, before pushing her onto her chest and into the dirt. She said nothing, but was enraged, hearing Bellamy talk to Pike as her, Octavia, and Kane wrists were bound together.
"You got about five seconds to make me believe you're still with me," Pike informed Bellamy as rope dug into Riley's skin, rubbing it raw.
Simply, Bellamy stated; "All the others are in a cave not far from here."
Angry, Octavia attempted to lurch towards her brother, her bound hands in tight fists as she screeched. "You son of a bitch!" Before she could get too close, a guard pressed his shock baton to her back, knocking her back down.
Riley looked up from where she was being tied, catching Bellamy's gaze and giving him a look that was a mix of enragement and disgust. While she didn't trust him, and knew he was the enemy, there was a part of her heart that hoped her friend would change his mind after seeing Pike willingly put a gun to Monty's head, right after killing Lincoln. "I'm not one to talk, but.." She muttered, bitter, as the guard grabbed both her arms and pulled her to her feet.
"Once a traitor, always a traitor," she snarled, meeting Bellamy's gaze.
-x-
The gag a guard put in Riley's mouth gave her no choice but to bite down onto it, as her hands remained tied behind her back. She was walking beside Octavia, each girl having a guard behind them with their guns held tightly. She could see the enraged, hateful look on Octavia's face every time she glanced at the back of her brother's head. He was leading Pike straight to their camp in Lincoln's cave, back where they came from.
"You sure about the route?" Pike questioned Bellamy, cocking his gun. "We're getting close to the blockade line." Riley knew she couldn't speak, not with the gag in her mouth, but she hoped that the grounder's did appear, even if they killed her in the process.
Bellamy nodded back, confirming. "That's why Kane set up out here," he explained. "Didn't think we'd risk it."
"Well, he was wrong," Pike retorted. Riley inhaled sharply through her nose. She hated how brave he was attempting to sound, when she knew he was the biggest coward of them all. If he had handed himself to the grounders from the beginning, accepted what he did, then none of this would be happening.
"What's going to happen to my sister?" Bellamy asked after a moment's hesitation. "I know she has to answer for her crimes, but.."
"Tell you what," Pike began, cutting Bellamy off. "I'll make you the same promise I made Monty's mother. Immunity for all past actions, but if she screws up again.." He trailed off, warning Bellamy without having to finish.
Understanding, Bellamy nodded. "She won't," he promised. "I'll make sure of it. My sister, my responsibility."
Riley looked over to Octavia, meeting her eyes. She seemed furious, but her expression softened up when staring back at the blonde as they walked side by side. Riley knew that her second chance was blown, and Pike wasn't letting her get away this time. She bit into the gag harder, both afraid and livid over her what would happen to her life and who was the cause of it.
Back when Riley was helping save the delinquents in Mount Weather, she thought that there was no getting out of it. Cage definitely wouldn't have let her live there after what she had done, so she assumed she'd either die from radiation or die from a bullet to the head. Now, Riley could only assume that she wouldn't escape her fate this time.
After awhile of walking, Riley's feet began to ache with each passing minute that felt like hours eventually. At this point, she assumed Bellamy was taking the long way to Lincoln's cave. Pike only forced them to stop walking when they neared where he knew was the part of the woods with the blockade.
"The cave's just on the other side," Bellamy assured him, stepping forward and motioning for the rest to follow him.
"Keep a sharp eye out," Pike warned the guards before allowing them to continue. Riley stumbled a bit down the hill, sighing as best she could without being able to breathe well, feeling tired.
Suddenly, Riley wasn't so tired anymore when she heard a horn in the distance. She whirled around, her blonde curls flying behind her, as she looked in the trees to see if it was from the grounders. "The blockade!" Pike shouted in alert, perking Riley up. "Back to higher ground!"
Before Pike could move, Bellamy grabbed the handgun from his holster and pointed it at his head. "Drop your weapon!" He demanded. Shocked, Riley turned back around to see what she had never thought was possible.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Pike shouted back, making Bellamy repeat himself. Two guards went to attack Bellamy, and Octavia used her bound hands to hit one in the chest, making him topple over. Before the second one could reach Bellamy, Riley stuck out her boot, making him trip. The second he hit the ground, she lurched forward bravely, swinging the same foot around and knocking him in the head with a grunt, forcing him to pass out.
"We bring you Chancellor Pike of the Sky People!" Bellamy called out to the grounders, making the horn stop. "O, translate."
Octavia reached up, pulling her gag out of her mouth. She gave her brother a small smile, before shouting; "Osir lid in yu Chancellor Pike kom Skaikru!" (We bring you Chancellor Pike of the Sky People!)
"You've killed us all," Pike stated.
"Take him!" Bellamy talked over him, demanding. "And lift this blockade."
"Teik in! Ban dash blockaway!" Octavia translated, shouting. (Take him! Lift this blockade!)
Grounders began to appear out of nowhere, shooting down the guards with their arrows. Riley ducked, watching as they fell to the ground, dead. But none of them aimed for the bound prisoners, only raced in towards the direction of Pike.
Furious, Octavia pulled a knife out of one of the guard's belts and screamed, running towards Pike. Riley didn't try to stop her. She didn't care if the grounders received him dead or alive, and she knew the grieving girl wanted her revenge for Lincoln's death. Kane, however, grabbed her arm before she could reach him. He whispered something to her, something Riley couldn't hear, but Pike had.
"In that case - " Pike began, pulling a knife out and aiming towards Octavia. Before he could reach him, an arrow flew forward and hit him in the shoulder, knocking him on his knees from the pain. Satisfied, Riley watched as a grounder swung his foot upwards, striking Pike in the nose and officially knocking him unconscious.
While Kane talked to the grounder, asking to come along, Octavia cut the straps on Riley's aching wrists. She nodded towards her in thanks, reaching her hands up to pull the gag out of her mouth and letting it hang on her neck, sucking in a deep breath. She could hardly believe that Bellamy caved and did what was right, but he did, and Pike was finally going to be taken away.
"Go home," Kane ordered them. "Tell our people what happened here." Riley nodded, stepping aside as he finished his request directed to Monty. "Tell Abby I'll look out for Clarke."
As Riley was untying the gag around her neck, flinging it off, Monty approached the other side of her. He looked at his feet, unable to meet her eyes. "My mom turned me in," he finally spoke, soft and hurt.
Riley looked at him sympathetically. She gently touched the side of his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You saved our lives in Arkadia, Monty," she told him truthfully. Even if Monty's mom betrayed him, he did the right thing, and she needed him to know so. "Thank you." At her grateful gratitude, Monty smiled slowly. Riley felt his skin warm under her touch from her colder hands, so she dropped it, attempting to push aside the tender feeling.
"You guys are family," Riley assured him. "You're going to work it out."
The guard Riley had kicked unconscious came back to the real word, lifting his head with a quiet groan. Octavia curled her lower lip, striding towards him in two quick steps, before bringing her knife down into his chest, killing him. She looked up, meeting Bellamy's surprised expression, saying four simple yet firm words.
"Jus drein jus daun." (Blood must have blood.)