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[PREVIOUSLY: The stranded delinquents are saved when Kane and a company of guards from the Ark make a dramatic appearance. They are escorted back to safety where they meet Abigail Griffin, the mother of Clarke who is desperate to see her again. However, they carry bad news].
"We need your help."
Before Abby or anyone else could answer, a yell rose up and carried itself over to us along the wisps of the crisp afternoon breeze. "Kane! Thank god. You made it back!"
A dark-skinned man, curls bouncing against his forehead and a rifle slung over his shoulder, hurried forward. Upon seeing us kids, however, he paused. "Wait. R-Raven?" he choked out.
Raven's eyes brightened upon spotting him. "Sinclair! Oh my god! Sinclair!" she yelped happily as she threw herself into his arms.
As the two shared their tender moment, I turned to Finn and whispered, "That was Raven's boss back on the Ark, right?"
Finn sent me a lopsided grin as he nodded. "Yep. Apart from Raven, he's one of the best mechanics they have."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell her that. She's the best, remember?"
"I hate to interrupt," Kane suddenly spoke up, his voice rough and urgent. "But we all need to get back inside the gates. The grounders could be watching us at this very moment. We can't risk being attacked."
"Speaking of grounders," one of the guards turned and eyed Aidan suspiciously. "What the hell is he doing here?"
Aidan narrowed his eyes at the man but said nothing. Finn, however, was quick to jump to his defence. "Jeepers, man, pipe down. We can trust him. He's saved our lives a number of times. Besides, his people want to kill him too. We can't just leave him out here. He'll die."
"I can take care of myself thank you very much," Aidan snapped.
"Whoa," Kane quickly stepped in. "You cannot go around fighting and quarrelling like animals! There are rules! And they're here to stay. The grounder can come with us, but keep him in solitary. I don't want him mixing with the general population. He could be a spy for all we know."
"What? No! Kane, you don't understand!" I protested. "You can't lock him up! He's done nothing wrong!"
"Yeah, you can't treat him like an uncivilised savage!" Finn backed me up.
Kane's eyes flitted between Finn and I. "I can't go wrong. He is one." Then, he glanced up at a handful of guards standing nearby. "Do as I say. Now."
As they started dragging an unresisting Aidan off, I attempted to go after him but Kane put out a restraining hand, stopping me mid-stride. "Unless you want to join him I'd advise staying right where you are."
I shook off Kane's hand, swallowing hard as I gazed after Aidan. I shook my head and mouthed the words, I'm sorry.
Aidan, who had been looking back at me, quickly turned away, not even responding to my gesture.
A shaky breath left my lips. I had almost forgotten how life had been back on the Ark.
"What are we going to do with the horse, sir?" another guard spoke up from behind me.
I whirled around, quickly snatching the reins from the man's hands. "I'll take care of that!" I growled. Shooting Kane a stony glare, I stomped off, hauling Zenia after me.
As I went about stabling the horse and making sure he had adequate quarters and fresh supplies, the anger and resentment that had been bubbling up inside of me overflowed.
With a yell of fury, I plunged my fist right into the flimsy wooden boarding that made up the walls of Zenia's stable. How dare Kane treat Aidan like that! After all that he and Lincoln had done for us! He and the others just didn't get it. The grounders weren't savages! They were people, just like us, who were willing to do anything to protect their homes and loved ones!
A stifled sob found it way up my throat as I slid to the ground. My side was throbbing with pain and my head was pounding in agony. My eyes just wouldn't stop watering with tears and my shoulders shook with the muffled cries that continued to fight their way through my mouth. I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't handle the prejudice, the lofty airs, the judgemental attitudes.
I didn't want to be here.
Some part of me wished that I, too, had been taken to Mount Weather.
It took me a while to recover from my sudden outburst. I didn't want Kane or any of the others to notice that I had been crying. So I washed my face with water from a full barrel near the stables before tightening Lincoln's sword around my waist. Straightening my posture and setting my jaw in determination, I strode briskly over to the gaping hole that opened into the Ark.
As I walked inside, my footsteps echoing loudly through the airy chambers, a flood of memories washed over me.
RRAAPP. RRAAPP.
"Inspection! Open up!"
My eyes widened in horror as I cast a desperate look towards my mother and brother, who were gathered around an old wash-table situated in the corner of the room. We had been talking and laughing about the most random of things while helping to follow through with the laundry when, all of a sudden, the guards came knocking.
"B-Bellamy!" I whimpered, frightened. "What do I do?"
"Quick, grab this!" Mum shoved my rag doll into my hands as she slipped hurriedly out of her chair. "Bellamy, grab the floorboard, get your sister inside, now!"
"Open up!" the authoritative shouts of the guards were getting more angry and impatient.
"I'm coming! Just a minute!" Mum called out, her tone laced with urgency and worry.
As Bellamy guided me over towards the loose floorboards hidden behind the wash machine, I started to cry. "I - I don't want to go. I don't want to go!"
"Stop, O, listen to me!" Bellamy grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look up at him. "You're brave. You're strong. You're not afraid. It's going to be alright."
I shook my head. "I don't wanna go under there again."
"It's okay," Bellamy whispered comfortingly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "It's going to be okay."
"If you don't open this door, we're going to break it down!" the threatening voices of the guards penetrated the thick, metallic walls.
"Octavia, get in!" Mum hissed as she started for the door.
Clutching my rag doll to my chest, I heaved a deep breath, watching as Bellamy pulled up the floorboards and motioned for me to climb inside. As I wedged my little body into the tiny space, I kept repeating these words to myself, over and over, "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid."
"Are you okay there, miss?"
My eyes snapped opened and I uttered a startled gasp. I spun around to see a tall, African man approaching me. "Uhh ..." my gaze travelled down to the shock baton tied to his belt.
"Kane's in his office. He wants to see you," the man spoke as he stopped right in front of me, his large, six-foot figure towering over my head.
I gulped. "He - he wants to see me? Why?"
The man shrugged, an amused look plastered onto his features. "How am I supposed to know? It's not like you have a choice in the matter, though. He's the chancellor now."
"T-the chancellor?" I whispered, astonished. "But ... Jaha?"
"He'll explain everything to you when you get there," the man shrugged as he turned around, motioning for me to follow him. "Right this way, miss."
Knowing I had no say in what was happening, I was forced to meekly trot after the guard as he led me through a maze of long, spacey passages that were once filled with over two and half thousand people, going about their daily business.
The guard stopped in front of a door lining the end of a particularly large and glamorous-looking passage. Cadets, all suited up, lined the walls and small, sparking globes attached to the ceiling flickered their shadows across the floor.
The guard in front of me paused only to swipe a keycard through a lock machine next to the door. Then, he pushed it open with a heave and stood aside so I could enter.
As I hesitantly shuffled inside, my eyes darted this way and that, noticing that not only was Kane in the room, but Abby, Sinclair and a handful of important-looking officials were as well.
I looked up at Kane as he turned around to greet me.
"Octavia," he smiled at me, but there was nothing warm or friendly about him. "We need to talk."
Gif: Octavia before she goes inside the Ark.
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