𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 · 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 ⁴

𝟒.𝟐𝟎

──── 「THE THREE OF US
OR NO ONE」 ────

     Everyone started leaving the room as I sank on the throne. I had taken quite a couple of hits and I needed to see Jackson before I actually bleed out. Kane, Roan, Echo, and Indra chose to stay, Indra being the first to walk up to us, nodding at me before she addressed Octavia.

- "Lincoln would be so proud of you." -I smiled as they hugged, nodding my head as I knew what Indra's words meant to Octavia before Indra faced me- "I apologize for doubting you."

- "It's fine, Indra." –I straightened my back as she stood in front of me, feeling the pain hit all my nervous ends- "I just ask Lila and Ozkan's family are among your chosen ones."

- "They will be."

Ozkan's family had been nothing but good to me and Lila; the least I could do was make sure they survived. I watched Indra go as Kane approached us, my eyes landing on Roan and Echo as she nodded her head and left; I assumed they were deciding who would live from their clan.

- "100 of our people?" –Kane sighed as he looked at Octavia.

- "It's Unity Day, Kane."

- "Yeah, lighten up." –I added and he landed eyes on me.

- "You've killed 400 of our people." -his voice became harsh.

- "I can live with that." –I scoffed- "You should be thankful a 100 are surviving instead of none, I remind you Luna was down there."

- "Still, you could have..."

I didn't need him to finish his sentence as he moved his gaze to the floor, Octavia quickly protesting, but I stopped her, taking her hand in mine and pulling her to stay back.

- "Would you have rather I had died down there? Killed myself so that the bunker would be only for Skaikru?" –I scoffed, tilting my head; if he thought he could play to be the bigger person with me, he was wrong- "I'm prompt to sacrificing myself, but not for the people who don't deserve it. Besides, your idea would have gotten Roan and Indra killed among others I actually like."

- "Our people will die because of your choice!" –he rose his voice at me.

- "My people have been dying because of your choices!" –I practically jumped from my seat, Kane taking a couple of steps back as I startled him- "Because of Jaha's and Abby's! Even Clarke and Bellamy have been making dumb choices since we fucking landed on this stupid planet! Kids died when you sent us to the Ground because you were cowards to send an actually prepared team to do it for yourselves. Oreth died because of Clarke's choice back in TonDC. People died because you decided to take Pike and his sheep in and Bellamy chose to endorse them! Lincoln is dead because of you! Ion is dead because of you! Fuck! Sheda is dead because of Jaha! I had to kill Luna because you adults made her a monster! Those Champions died today because you, adults" –I practically spat the word at him this time- "can't make choices." –I had forced him to walk backward as I moved down the couple of steps that elevated the throne from the rest of the room, trapping him against a wall- "But fear no more, we make this call, you're welcome." –I took a step back- "We dirt our hands so you don't have to. I'm sure you'll manage to make the cut, but remember, someone is dying for you to live."

I felt so much rage, my breathing had quickened and I had my fists clenched at my sides; the adrenaline running through my veins almost made me forget about my bleeding abdomen, that is, until I took a step back and my legs failed me, not hitting the ground for Roan managed to catch me just in time.

- "You're bleeding."

- "You don't say." –I held onto his arm- "I need to see Jackson."

- "We'll get you to him." –Octavia squeezed my arm as she walked past me towards Kane- "Where's my brother? I didn't see him when we came in, didn't he come back?"

- "Come back from where?" –I questioned as Roan and I made our way to them, him holding me up by my waist.

- "He went down to the city earlier."

- "What?"

- "Echo was down there too." –Octavia looked at me and I furrowed my eyebrows- "She was thinning the competition." –and then, I understood.

- "Ilian." –I whispered under my breath, Octavia nodded- "I... I'm sorry, I swear I didn't know she was there." –I pushed Roan away from me, almost losing my balance and ending on the floor if it weren't for Octavia's quick reflexes- "You! You broke the rules! You didn't trust I could win this?"

- "I had nothing to do with it." –he gave me an apologetic look.

- "Prove it." –I hit him on the chest with my finger- "Or burn."

- "Sam, he didn't know." –Octavia's voice was calm- "I heard her talking with Bellamy; he confronted her and she argued she was just trying to help her people, even if that meant going behind his back."

- "Fine." –I looked at Roan- "Do something about it or you'll burn with her."

     I had gone to the ground to check if my gut had been right. Of course, I was. I found Echo and confronted her, forcing her to move back to the Tower; I stood back for a couple of minutes, waiting to see if I could catch a glimpse of Octavia or Sam, but I didn't. I moved back in the shadows and was almost at the Tower when someone pulled me back, putting a bag over my head and knocking me out. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Jaha and Clarke looking over some papers at a table. No.

- "What the hell did you do?"

- "If only one clan could survive," -Jaha eyed me- "it might as well be ours."

- "Clarke, you agreed to this?" –I was furious, I couldn't believe she'd come that far.

- "It was her idea."

- "We did what we had to do."

She didn't even regret it. Of course, why would she? Her mom is surely down here.

- "How could you do this?" –I yelled at them- "There were only four Champions left. Octavia and Sam were there!"

- "And they might have died, Luna was there too." –Jaha rose his head to look at me- "And even if they managed to kill her, what makes you think Samantha wouldn't kill Octavia?"

- "Are you listening to yourself?" –my jaw trembled, I felt the tears in my eyes- "They'd never hurt each other."

- "Bellamy, only one Champion could make it out of there."

- "No, no..." –I shook my head.

- "Bellamy, I understand you believe in them, and they might have had a chance, but Luna was still there." –Clarke took a step towards me- "The possibility of no one getting the bunker was great. Of the end of the human race! Can't you understand that?"

- "Yeah, I understand you did what you thought you had to do like you always do!" –I reproached her harshly- "But you can't expect me to stay down here not knowing what happened to my family."

- "What if Samantha won the bunker for Azgeda, she'd kick you out too."

- "Stop talking about Sam like you know shit about her!" –I approached Jaha, I'd knock him out if I had to; I would if he kept throwing Sam's name around like he knew her, talking shit about her when she wasn't around to defend herself- "Sam is my family and I won't stand here as you try to demonize her."

- "We're not opening that door!" –Jaha yelled at me.

- "I must have missed the election that made you Chancellor again."

The door behind me opened, not allowing Jaha to reproach me anything else, revealing Abby.

- "I was setting up the infirmary and I heard people in the corridor." –she turned around, looking at the three of us- "Is it over? Did we win?"

- "We don't know." –I answered her, letting my arms fall at the sides of my body.

- "Where's Marcus?"

- "He was in the Tower. We sent some people for him, Bellamy and Octavia." –Jaha looked at me as if that was supposed to make it okay- "Bellamy was the only one we could get in time. I'm sorry."

- "Give me your radio." –Abby demanded- "Marcus has his."

- "The walkies are no good down here." -Jaha was quick to answer, but Clarke moved back behind the table, pressing a button that revealed a secret compartment- "Clarke?" –he asked but his tone was more reproaching than anything else.

- "I'm letting them say goodbye."

Abby and I quickly moved to the radio as Jaha tried to convince us not to, saying that'd be more painful, but I wasn't listening, I didn't care for a word he said.

- "The radiation levels are already critical." –that sparked my attention- "That means people up there are already feeling the effects. Once they realize we took the bunker, it'll be chaos and, if we open that door, we let that chaos inside."

- "I understand." –Abby's tone was cocky and I couldn't help but smile- "Now, get the hell out of my way."

I started the radio, setting the frequency to that of the walkies, trying to hear anything, whatever it was.

- "Can anyone hear me? Over." –my heart stopped beating for a second as I heard my sister's voice at the other end- "This is Octavia, can anyone hear me, damn it?"

- "O!" –I answered her immediately- "It's me, are you okay? What happened?"

- "I'm alive." –her voice was hard- "We won." -Octavia had won. I looked around me, seeing the surprise in the faces of everyone there. Sam- "Bell, what the hell did you do?"

- "It wasn't me, but I'll fix it." –my mind was going a mile per hour- "What... Sam?"

- "Bellamy, I need you to listen to me, we don't have much time." –her urgent tone worried me- "When we won, we made a deal with the other clans, to share the bunker equally, a 100 people per clan. Kane is buying us some time helping them select their people and Gaia somehow convinced the scouts to lock down the temple, but if anyone finds Skaikru stole the bunker, we're all dead."

- "Copy that, I'm on my way."

- "I'm also going to need Jackson." –she spoke- "Hurry."

I was about to ask who needed medical assistance when Jaha came back inside with a bunch of guards, I hadn't even realized he was gone.

- "Turn off the radio."

- "Thelonious, we can save them!"

- "O, I'm gonna need some time." -I waited for her answer but Jaha quickly turned off the radio, not allowing me to hear everything she was saying- "Did you hear her!" –I exploded- "The Grounders are listening to her now but they won't be for much longer! I'm opening that door."

- "I'm sorry." –he placed a hand in front of me- "But right now, our people are safe."

- "No, my family is outside and I'm getting them inside." –then I realized Sam had to be dead- "I'm getting my sister back."

- "I can't let you do that."

- "To stop me, you're gonna have to kill me."

The guards surrounded me but I fought them back; I had to get to my sister, I had to find out what exactly had happened and I needed her by my side. I was opening the door of the room we were in when someone stroke me with a shock baton, the pain took over my body, and soon, it all went black. No, no.

     I decided to leave Octavia to deal with the Grounders and the bunker situation for Kane was sure Jaha had taken it for Skaikru and that was why we couldn't find anyone out there. I advised her not to say anything about me, knowing the only way Jaha would open the bunker was if he thought Octavia had won for them. Meanwhile, I moved back to Sheda's house to find my bow and a couple of things for Lila. 5 years is going to be a long time for her down there.

- "Out of all the things you could be doing with your blood, you decide to let it spill."

- "Why exactly did you follow me, Roan?" –I turned to look at him annoyed- "The rain could come back any second and you'd die."

- "I have to make sure my Queen makes it back in one piece."

- "Ugh." –I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I used a couple of bandages to press my wound; I knew it could take some time before I could get a hold of Jackson- "This is your fault." –I grunted exasperated.

- "I apologize."

- "Your apology is worth absolutely nothing if I die from this."

- "Then, let's make sure you don't."

- "I'll take any suggestions."

He took out a small blade and moved around the room, then exiting towards the kitchen and I suddenly smelled like burnt. So, we're back to cauterizing, great, my favorite thing to do.

- "Show me the wound." –I rose my shirt as I had already taken off the corset- "This will hurt."

- "Listen, Roan, this is not the first time I get..."

Before I could finish my sentence, he forced me against the wall, keeping me still as he pressed the hot blade to my abdomen, a loud fuck escaping my lips as he did. I dug my nails on his arm and clenched my jaw; just because I had gotten other wounds cauterized, it didn't mean it didn't hurt. If Roan hadn't been holding me up, I would have fallen to the ground as my legs gave in for a moment as the blade first touched my skin.

- "You were saying?" –he smirked at me as he moved the knife away, his eyes moving to his arm for a second before glaring at me again- "Did you have to do this?"

- "That's what happens when you burn my skin without asking." –I mocked him, looking down at my stomach- "Ugh, what is it with everyone always injuring me in the same place."

- "That scar?"

- "Indra's." –I pulled down my shirt, putting the corset over it this time- "We're good now." –I took my bow and quiver and the bag I had packed- "Let's go before the weather kills you."

- "After you."

- "I'm going to have to break your jaw if you insist on being this annoying."

- "You can try."

- "Great to know I have a plan for the next five years of my life."

With the wound now cauterized, it became much easier to move around. I hated to admit it, but Roan had had a good idea for once in his lifetime.

     I remained at the bunker's door with Indra, Sam having had left to pick up a few things before we entered. I assumed Roan went after her, making me realize he might have cared about her safety. Indra and I paced the room, waiting for Bellamy to open the door so that we could get in, but as time passed, Indra grew impatient.

- "They've made their choice, Octavia." –she finally spoke again as she took care of one of my wounds- "We have to find another way in."

- "There is no other way. This one stayed hidden for 100 years."

- "Then we should break it open."

- "Then it won't protect anyone." –I sighed, rubbing my temples- "Bellamy will find a way."

- "When the clans come and they find out what your people did..."

- "They stole the bunker!" –I faced her- "They are not my people anymore!"

- "I wondered why Kane was stalling." –Echo made herself known as she appeared from the shadows- "Skaikru dishonors us all, yet again."

- "And you dishonored your clan when you broke the rules." –Sam came through the door just in time, closely followed by Roan- "We know you were on the battlefield."

- "Jusheda."

- "Is this true?" –Indra asked me as Echo's guilty eyes landed on her.

- "If the scouts check Ilian's... the body of the Trishanakru Champion, they'll find Azgeda arrows."

- "And Samantha did not go in with a bow."

- "Explain yourself."

- "My King..." –Echo stood in front of him but leaving a decent amount of space in between them- "I was just trying to help save our people."

- "Jusheda is not my mother and neither am I." –Roan approached her- "We are not willing to cast aside honor for power."

- "And, no offense," –Sam had sat now behind me, eyes closed- "but I've done just fine on my own."

- "I was just..."

- "Enough." –Roan cut her off before she could stall any longer- "You will not dishonor our clan ever again." –I cleared my throat- "You will not dishonor us ever again. You're Azgeda no more."

- "There's no place for you inside this bunker, Echo." –I pointed at the door with my head- "You should leave before the rain gets heavier."

Echo cast her eyes down, she looked almost fragile, but I refused to feel bad for her, knowing Ilian was dead because of her, murdered without a chance to fight back. She looked at Roan one last time before putting on a hood and leaving the Temple.

- "It's a pity." –Sam spoke as the door closed again- "I actually liked her."

- "She tried to kill us!"

- "If I held a grudge against everyone that's tried to kill me or you, it'd only be me and you around here, O."

- "What's the plan?" –Roan looked at me and pointed at the bunker- "You spoke with them?"

- "Yeah, Bellamy said he'd open the door."

- "Your plan is to wait?"

- "Have you met Bellamy?" –Sam scoffed- "He won't let O die out here."

- "Why don't we make sure that's true?" –Roan approached me- "Can you try to get to them again?"

- "I can but..."

- "Do it." –he then turned to Sam- "Your turn. Make sure we get what we want."

Sam eyed him, but Roan didn't back down, so she simply rolled her eyes and slowly stood up, walking up to me as I turned on the walkie, trying to contact the bunker again. I didn't expect an answer, not after how the first conversation had ended.

- "You sure about this?" -I eyed Sam.

- "What's the worst that could happen?" -she shrugged her shoulders.

- "Anyone read me?" -I spoke on the walkie- "Please, can anyone read me?"

- "Octavia?" –it was Abby on the line.

- "Are you alone?"

- "I'm here too."

Clarke answered harshly, distrust fuelled her words mixed with anger. It was clear she didn't want us contacting them, of course, since she had saved herself, it was all good on her end. But it wasn't. Sam opened her hand in front of me, prompting me to give her the walkie. This is going to be fun.

ABBY'S POV

     After they had taken Bellamy and tied him up to make sure he couldn't open the door of the room they threw him in, I had been called to go check on him because he had cut his wrists trying to get out.

Before doing that, I went up to the office room to take the medkit I had left there, finding Clarke inside. I couldn't even look at her.

- "Mom." –she walked up to me- "Mom, I'm sorry."

- "You did what you had to do."

- "Can anyone read me?" –Octavia's voice startled us, I thought Jaha had turned off the radio- "Bellamy?"

- "Don't." –Clarke warned me- "It'll just make it harder."

- "I need to know, Clarke." -I ignored her advice, moving her out of the way as I took the radio in my shaky hand- "Octavia?"

- "Are you alone?" –she questioned, maybe she had something important to say.

- "I'm here too." –Clarke took the radio from me.

- "Of course you would! I'd be damned if the princess Clarke Griffin, miss privileged, didn't try to save herself and some of her people by killing the rest of us in the process. Where did your faith in me go, huh? You surely didn't think I went into the Conclave without a plan, did you?"

Clarke's eyes widened as so did mine. It wasn't possible.

- "Sam?"

- "You didn't seriously think I'd die today, right?" –Samantha scoffed- "Now, to the important stuff, where the fuck is Bellamy and why is this fucking door still closed."

- "If we open that door, it'll be the end of our people!" –Clarke yelled at her- "I can't do that."

- "If you don't open that door, I'll be up here once you come out in five years and I will slit your throat before you get to see the sun rise again, princess. It's always you privileged saving your own asses when we are doing all the work up here."

- "You won't survive Praimfaya, Sam." -my daughter's apologetic voice reminded me that once, they had been friends, or at least, they tolerated each other.

- "The blood worked. I killed Luna under the black rain, so props to your mother and Jackson." –Clarke looked at me; maybe what I saw had been wrong, maybe they wouldn't have died in the chamber and I could have saved everyone- "Now where's Bellamy? What did you do to him? Because I'm certain he'd never let his little sister die out here."

- "I'm sorry, Sam."

- "I assume Abby would like to open the door for Marcus who, by the way, will be the first to die if the door remains closed. And it will not be a painless death, trust me."

- "Goodbye, Sam."

- "I'll see you in five years and I'll end what Luna started." –the threatening tone in her voice frightened me- "If my sister dies, you all will too. And that's a promise."

Clarke disconnected the radio as Samantha's words sank deep into my heart. If the blood worked on Samantha to survive the black rain, maybe she could survive Praimfaya too out there. I wished I had left my medkit out there... maybe she could find a way to give her marrow to Marcus.

- "Mom?"

- "Huh?" –I hadn't heard a word she had said- "Sorry."

- "We can't open that door."

- "I know."

- "And you can't tell Bellamy Sam's alive."

- "I know." –I looked around me- "I only came here for my..."

- "Here." –she handed me the kit- "Make sure he doesn't hurt himself even more."

- "I'll put him to sleep if it comes to that."

- "Thank you, mom." –I furrowed my eyebrows- "For understanding."

- "It seems you're in charge now."

     I couldn't believe Clarke would do this. They had locked me in the turbine room, chaining my hands to the wall so that I couldn't escape. Fuck them, fuck this! I started pulling on the shackles until I cut my skin deep, I had to get out of there before it was too late; I had to get my sister inside this bunker even if that was the last thing I did. I heard the door open, revealing Abby; I immediately rose from my place and approached her as much as the chains allowed me.

- "It's about damn time." –she opened her medkit as I spoke- "I didn't do this to my wrists for fun."

- "You want me to help you open the door."

- "Kane's out there."

- "You don't think I know that?"

- "Do better today than we did yesterday, that's what he taught me."

- "Bellamy..."

- "Abby, I saw your face when you heard my sister's voice on that radio. I know you want to open that door as much as I do."

- "There's something you need to know." –she eyed me carefully, taking a step back as if she feared I'd hurt her- "Samantha's alive."

I felt my heart drop to my stomach as the words hit my brain.

- "Don't play with me like that." –I wanted my voice to sound angry but it came out more as a plead.

- "Don't ask me how, but when I went into the office room for my kit, Octavia radioed again. I answered, but she didn't respond, it was Samantha and she was pissed."

- "Sam's alive." –I smiled, a tear run down my cheek as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding- "I need you to get me out."

- "Well, she threatened to kill everyone in this bunker if Octavia dies in Praimfaya." –she then seemed to remember something- "She's a Nightblood now."

- "I know."

- "She told you?"

- "No, Roan did; I think that's why he let her fight for Azgeda."

It didn't take us long to devise a plan to get me out of there, she opened the shackles and cured my wrists before making it seem like I had cut one of my hands to get out and calling Murphy to help her; as he did, I jumped on him, easily knocking him out and putting him to sleep.

- "The airlock control is in the office room and so is Jaha." –Abby looked up at me- "You got a plan for that?"

- "Yeah." –I picked the shook baton that Murphy had been carrying- "Open the damn door or die trying."

I took a side hallway to the emergency stairs that no one was using to get to the control room, Abby had to knock out Jaha with etorphine –an analgesic that'd put him to sleep- and then open the side door for me to get inside. Everything worked out perfectly, but I still could tell Abby was reticent; I knew why.

- "Abby, I promise you, Octavia won't let anything happen to Clarke, and neither will I."

- "Samantha threatened to kill her, would you stop her too?"

- "She threatened to kill her in five years if she didn't open the door; Sam and Clarke may not be exactly friends, but she won't harm her now."

- "Alright." –she nodded- "Let's do this." –she sat in front of the controllers and started checking how we had to do this- "It takes two people to open the door, one from above, one from here. Get into position."

I ran as fast as I could, getting rid of everyone that chose to stand in my way, quickly getting to the door that secured the room where the main door to the outside was. I had to wait till Abby opened it and a green light showed in front of me. We could do this.

- "Come on, Abby!"

The door finally opened and I wasted no time to get to the hatch that connected us to the surface, the adrenaline running through my veins like wildfire.

- "Bellamy, stop." –Clarke showed up, pointed a gun at me.

- "I don't have time for this; the radiation is getting worse and people are dying out there!" –I went up one step and she shot over my head- "What the fuck are you doing!"

- "What I have to, like always. Now, get away from the door."

- "No." –I stated harshly as I shook my head- "This is not like shutting the dropship door or pulling the lever in Mount Weather or the City of Light. We knew what we were stopping then; now, we know nothing."

- "We know that if that door stays shut, the human race survives!" –her hand was shaking- "Please."

- "I don't care about the human race." –I took another step up- "My family is out there because of you and, as far as I'm concerned, either the three of us make it or no one does." –she gulped- "Yes, thank you for telling me that Sam's alive."

- "I was trying to protect you!"

- "From what?"

- "From the pain!"

- "You know nothing about my pain, Clarke." –I scoffed- "Make it a killer shot because I'm not going to stop until I get to them. And if they die... I will kill you."

Constructive criticism is always welcome, thank you🍸