WARNINGS: swearing, violence, sexual tension.
I'm on my way to Polis. I'm hoping one of Ontari's warriors will "confiscate" me and lock me up. I can deal with finding John once I'm free. It's a terrible plan, I know that. I just can't be away from him for another second. I want to be near him. I also want to kick him in the balls if he slept with Emori.
Once I'm outside the gates and I still haven't been taken into custody, I bang on the metal. The doors open to a strange scene. People are walking around in peculiar patterns while I see people nailed to crosses. I rush through the market, stopping in a courtyard. Someone is being lowered from the cross because they're dead. I continue on through the rows of people on their knees to find Marcus nailed to one of them.
"Dad!" I shout before I can think about it.
His head raises as his tired eyes meet mine. "Camari, no. Run."
"Camari."
I turn to find Jaha and Abby behind me. "Abby, what are you doing!? Get him down!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Camari," she says, shaking her head robotically.
She's been chipped.
I pull my sword from my belt. "You'll kill me before I take that damn chip."
Synchronously, all the people who were once on their knees stand to surround me. I'm outnumbered, I know that. I'm a pretty amazing fighter though. Maybe I could take them.
"Camari! Please! Just go with them!" Marcus yells at me.
I can't deny him. Not when he's about to die. I drop my sword on the ground as two Grounder soldiers grab me. They drag me away as I give Marcus a warning look. They pull me toward a stone structure and through the door. They open a barred gate into a drab dungeon housing maybe fifteen people. They pull me to one of the stone walls as they lock me into a pair of old-looking cuffs. They leave, locking the door behind them. I sit on the hay covered floor, sighing.
"Cam?"
I look up to find John chained to the opposite wall. I smile. "I knew I'd find you."
"What do you mean? I thought you were mad at me and that's why you ran," he says, keeping his voice down as he crouches to be eye level with me.
"No, I was taken by the Grounders and brought here. Then back to Arkadia, then to this lonely girl, then back here," I say, shaking my head. "But Clarke told me that you were a Flamekeeper."
"Barely," he says, leaning against the wall. "Ontari was pretending to be the Commander when she didn't have the flame so I helped her to stay alive."
"What about before that? Jaha said you stole the boat with Emori," I say, frowning.
"Yeah," he says slowly. "We kinda had a thing. We were conning people until I got caught and they brought me here, to Ontari."
"And...I should worry about them?" I ask, swallowing hard.
He sighs, looking at my feet. "Not Ontari. We had sex but only to survive."
"And Emori?" I ask, meeting his eyes.
He nods. "Yeah. She's chipped though."
I nod, looking to his right to find Pike chained to the far wall. "Pike."
"Hello, Camari," he says, nodding.
"You two know each other?" John says, pointing between the two of us.
"He was a dictator in Arkadia," I explain, turning back to him. "Well, doesn't this just feel like exactly what you deserve."
John laughs quietly as Pike frowns. "I never meant to hurt anyone-"
"I don't want to listen to you talk at the moment," I say, looking back at John. "You know, I wish I could kick you in the balls right now."
He nods, eyebrows raised. "Understandable."
"How many times have you had sex in the past week that weren't with me?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.
He grins. "Three."
"Damn it," I say, frowning.
"What? Did I beat you?" he asks, smiling wider.
"Nope. We tied," I answer, standing up.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
"I'm gonna try taking this out of the wall," I say, pulling on the ring stuck in the rock.
"Too late."
I turn from my work to find Indra already out of her binds. She's holding the pointed end of the ring in her bound hands as she stares at Pike. He killed her people. I can't imagine that she'd be happy about that.
"Are you gonna kill him?" I ask, leaning against the wall. "If you are, I don't blame you."
"Me neither," John says, raising his hand.
"Thanks for the votes of confidence," Pike says, staring at Indra.
"You will suffer the deaths of my people. Three hundred cuts for three hundred lives," Indra says, ripping his shirt open.
I go back to pulling on my restraints, dust and debris falling from the hole in the wall that I'm making. It's difficult at first but gets easier over time. Pike's shouts definitely don't help. Seriously, he's being a little over dramatic. I've been stabbed and it doesn't hurt nearly as much as he's making it out to be.
"Can you shut up?" I snap, scowling at him after maybe half an hour. He's got quite the nice little pattern of blood on his toned body.
"I'd rather listen to his pain," Indra says, frowning deep.
"It's just a little distracting," I say, tugging on the ring once more before it comes right out of the wall. I see the same sharp point that Indra's has. "Yes."
I turn to find John staring at me with his eyes wide. I grin, rushing to him and kissing him roughly. He holds onto my waist, returning my urgency. Obviously, it can't go further than this but I'm happy for now. Fuck, he's such a good kisser.
I pull back, smiling at him. "God, I missed you."
He smiles back before I hear shouting in the hall. I give Indra a look and we both go back to our places, sticking our rings back in the wall. Two Grounder guards walk in, one strolling to stand in front of Pike.
"We didn't do this," he says, shaking his head.
I look over my shoulder at Indra and she nods to me. I pull my weapon from the wall, driving it forward and into the Grounder's neck. He falls to the ground as he starts to bleed out. I search him for keys and find them quickly, unlocking my cuffs. Then I go to John, undoing his binds. We work fast, releasing everyone as they all rush out. John grabs a large gun from the Grounder's body.
"You remember what I taught you?" I ask, grinning.
He smiles back. "Of course."
Apparently, we're bringing Pike with us because he follows Indra, John, and I out of the dungeon. John tells us we need to destroy the backpack to destroy Ally. So, we head off. He leads us to a room. A room with low lights from candles. Drawings cover the cave walls. Indra finds the backpack on a table, opening it up. I take out the sword I stole from the Grounders, standing by her side. Pike has a gun now, aiming it at the door just as it bursts open. Grounder warriors file in but he shoots them all down. Until Emori walks in alone.
"Stop!" John and I say at the same time.
Emori looks past me to Indra. "That thing is a nuclear power source. If you destroy it, you kill everyone in Polis."
"We'll have to do it carefully then," Pike says, joining Indra at the backpack.
"Sounds like a plan but have you ever really destroyed a nuclear power source before?" I ask, looking over my shoulder at Pike.
"You're sarcastic just like John," Emori says.
"Shut up," John and I chorus as my grip tightens on my sword.
"This won't work," Emori says. "If you break it, you'll kill everyone in Polis, including me." She looks at John for that last part.
"Please, Emori," he says. "I know you and this isn't it."
"Hurry up," I tell Pike, bouncing on the balls of my feet.
"John, don't do this," Emori says, tears almost in her eyes.
I roll my eyes. "Ally, shut your god damn mouth before I shut it for you."
"Got it," Pike says. "All you have to do is press the button."
John hesitates, looking between the bag and then Emori. He cares about her. Like, really cares about her. He would rather himself die just to save her. I'm not letting him be an idiot for some slut. Well, I'm a slut too.
"Jesus," I say, turning and pressing the button.
There's silence for a second.
John rushes to Emori. "Are you okay?"
She just smiles up at all of us. "You're too late."
"Shit," I say, grabbing a piece of fabric from the ground and placing it over her head. "Let's go. Ally won't see the secret entrance if she doesn't."
We head down the tunnel and come out in another hallway. We walk before I realize that we can't bring Emori with us. I slam the hilt of my sword into her head and lay her gently against the wall. John nods at me as we continue our run. We find Bellamy, Octavia, Miller, and Bryan around the corner, getting shot at. Pike runs in front of them, shooting the enemy dead. We all turn the corner to the elevator.
"Clarke is on the top floor," Bellamy says, nodding.
"I'll go," John says, looking to me then Bellamy.
They both turn but I shake my head. "Wait."
He turns and I kiss him roughly, holding onto his neck. He kisses me back, grabbing my waist and pulling me into him. I step back, removing myself from him. I nod, waving shortly. He nods too, following Bellamy into the elevator. Miller and Pike start to turn the crank that will lift the elevator.
WORD COUNT: 1682
.