chapter 1 - the aftermath

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When Chancellor Jaha, along with the other members of the council, realized that the ark was running low on oxygen, they decided that attempting to rehabilitate the earth was the best option. Of course, certain precautions had to be taken into account, considering the risk of possible lingering radiation.

So, one hundred delinquents were chosen to be sent down to the planet to see if the ground was inhabitable. Their crimes had made every one of them "expendable", yet the truth was masked with the deception that this was their chance at a new life. A new start. And soon enough, they were even given the promising words that their criminal records would be cleared due to their "sacrifices".

The goal was for their drop ship to land on the site of an old military base called, Mount Weather. There, they would have access to shelter and unending resources like food and water. The only problem was that their ship happened to fall off course, and they landed miles away from the designated area where they had originally planned.

Now, after countless fights between each other as well as wars with unexpected grounders, the delinquents that managed to survive now had to face a new threat. And it just so happened that these newcomers, the Mountain Men, weren't new at all.

They were there all along.

Unbeknownst to the one hundred, the Mountain Men were always watching and waiting from afar as they observed and studied the delinquents' way of surviving. Their goal or reasoning for doing so has yet to be discovered, however, that's where the new story begins.

You see, in the end, the fatal war with the grounders and that deathly ring of fire were just the beginning of what the delinquents would soon face.

This time, the majority of them would be held captive in the place that started it all. The so-called "safe haven" that they would soon realize wasn't as safe as they once believed: Mount Weather.

They'd also find themselves joining forces with the Grounders, whom they had originally labeled as their enemy.

Whether it would change things or not, they didn't know, but they would soon find out.

And so the next war begins here.

Currently, as the rest of the passengers of the Ark, (not including Thelonious Jaha) found their way around the ground in search of the delinquents, they would soon realize that the One Hundred were nowhere to be found.

And as they wandered around this new territory, a certain blonde found herself in an unfamiliar territory of her own.

Waking up in white clothing, with a blinding overabundance of white walls and white furniture, she approached the unsurprisingly-white door of her confinement. With each step she took, Clarke was met with the threatening nerves that emerged within the pit of her stomach, as well as the slight eerie shiver that ran down her spine. As she peered out of the spotless glass window, she was immediately met with an unfamiliar presence wearing nothing but a white hazmat suit and staring back at her.

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"I'm Octavia of the Sky People, and I seek safe passage. Can you repeat that?"

Kota's words were gentle, yet firm, as she helped Octavia learn what to say when the time came to meet her brother's acquaintance, Luna.

"Ai laik Okteivia gon kom Skaikru, en ai gaf gouthru klin." She replied, restating the sentence back in the Trigedasleng language like they'd been practicing.

"Klir, not klin." Kota calmly corrected her. "Gouthru klir. Try again, okay?"

"Ugh!" She groaned, growing frustrated with herself for not getting it perfect.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was rummaging through the nearby river, trying to find ingredients for an antidote to treat Octavia's leg wound.

"Why do I even have to learn this?" The brunette suddenly questioned. "You speak English."

"Only our warriors speak English," Kota responded. "When we get to the sea, you need to sound like one of us."

"Well then we have time," she concluded, as Lincoln walked back towards them and sat down. "Tell me about this one," she asked, pointing to a page in the Grounder girl's sketchbook.

"That's a statue in our village," Lincoln was the first to explain. "It's a place where we go to settle disputes."

Octavia nodded her head in understanding, while Kota examined the arrow in her leg. She knew it had to be removed so that Lincoln could treat it, but she hesitated, knowing it would be painful for her.

Octavia seemed to notice because the next thing she knew the brunette lightly directed her head to face her by using her thumb and forefinger.

"Look at me, Kota," she ordered, causing hazel eyes to instantly meet her green ones. "Quit stalling, and pull it out—"

Before she even finished, Dakota was yanking the arrow out of the flesh of her leg, causing her to gasp loudly in surprise.

"No warning?! Nothing?" she groaned in pain.

Kota shrugged in confusion. "But you told me to pull it out."

She rolled her eyes because she knew the girl was right but before she could say much else, the unsheathing of a sword was heard as Lincoln retrieved his dagger from the fire. Its blade now adorned in a mixture of blazing red and burning orange from the heat.

Octavia's eyes went wide at the sight, as well as Kota's when she recalled the first night that they met at the cave and similarly treated her old wound.

"I take it back," she uttered, holding tightly to Kota's hand. "No warning is better."

Lincoln half-smiled apologetically right before bringing the blade near her open flesh.

She hissed in pain as the burning metal finally met her skin, but just as soon as it started, it was already over and Lincoln was plunging the dagger into the gravel to cool it down.

Octavia exhaled deeply while trying to hide her discomfort, and so Kota intertwined their fingers and kissed the back of her hand as a small sign of comfort.

She smiled lightly at her actions and tightened her grip on the other's hand, while Lincoln picked up the arrow from the ground and quickly licked the tip of it.

Right after he did so, he spit out whatever it was he tasted onto the ground making Kota cringe a little once she took notice of Octavia's blood dripping down the arrowhead.

"Poison." He sighed, which instantly caught their attention.

"I'm guessing this means you guys don't have the antidote?" Octavia asked.

"No, we don't." She shook her head, running her free hand through her hair in frustration. "We gave it to Finn to save Raven."

Kota felt defeated. They traveled all that way from camp covered in nothing but sweat, blood, and dirt from the recent war, reapers and all, and yet they didn't think to carry an extra bottle of antidote with them.

"So we go back," Octavia suggested, but Lincoln instantly cut her off, telling her it was too far.

"But it's further to the sea." she pointed out.

"Damn it!" Kota cursed and kicked a nearby rock. Admittedly, a bit childish, but she couldn't help it. The only other option they had would've been to—

"Hey, we are not going back to your village," Octavia stated, reading her exact thoughts. "Your Commander let you off with an easier punishment but you know what they do to traitors."

"Octavia--"

"...death by a thousand cuts," she continued. "Every single member of your clan will take a turn stabbing you. Both of you. And then they'll feed you to the bugs! It's what you told me."

Kota lowered her head, trying to think of any other solution. Octavia wasn't yet aware of the fact that she felt so strongly about her, so of course she wouldn't know that if it came down to sacrificing her own life for her, Kota wouldn't hesitate to protect her in any way she possibly could.

Suddenly, Lincoln jumped up with an idea and ordered his sister to stay and watch over her.

"Where are you going?" she questioned him, making him smirk proudly.

"The antidote," he replied. "It comes from the beetles that feed on the river moss."

He then directed his attention over to Octavia. "You're going to feed on the beetles. It'll work." He nodded, already sure of himself. He then ran off, leaving the two girls to themselves.

It was quiet for a while between them. Nothing but Octavia's occasional grunting and groaning. Kota tried comforting her as best she could, but there wasn't much that she could do to ease her pain.

Eventually, she stood up and walked a few feet towards the river, where she bent down and ripped a part of her garment, dipping it into the cool water. Once the cloth was soaked, she turned around to walk back towards Octavia, only to notice her eyes were already on her.

"You're quiet," the younger Blake commented, watching her kneel in front of her.

Kota gently pressed the cloth to her cheek, wiping the dirt and dried blood from her face. "I have a lot on my mind, I guess."

"Care to elaborate?" she asked, smiling lightly. "I could use a distraction from the pain."

Kota smiled and looked into her eyes. They were just a few inches apart and her eyes flickered down to Octavia's lips quickly, before meeting her gaze once more. She wanted to tell her how she felt about her but she was afraid that the girl would feel like it was too soon. Neither of them had been in a romantic relationship before and Kota couldn't help but feel uneducated on the dynamics of how it was supposed to work and progress. Perhaps she was just thinking too much about it.

Smirking lightly and biting down on her bottom lip, Kota leaned in closer. "How about I distract you differently?" she questioned, a bit seductively.

Octavia grinned, showing that cute yet mischievous smile that Kota loved so much, while her face turned a shade of pink. "I'm open to any suggestions," she hinted, leaning in the rest of the way and connecting their lips.

As soon as their lips touched, Dakota was met with the same familiar sparks and tingling sensations that always seemed to give her endless butterflies in the pit of her stomach. They continued to kiss slowly and passionately at first, and all she could think about was how there was so much she already loved about her.

Octavia grabbed her face with both of her hands and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Kota's hands automatically found a place on her waist while her thumbs rubbed the exposed skin there.

"Mmm," she spoke between kisses. "I'm still gonna want to know what was on your mind."

"Not now," Kota replied, gently biting down on her bottom lip and effectively making her gasp. She used that opportunity to quickly, and boldly, slide the tip of her tongue between her already swollen lips.

Octavia let out a small moan when their tongues collided, before moving her hands up to run her fingers through Kota's hair. It was probably the most heated kiss they've shared so far, and even if it couldn't go any farther due to the unfortunate circumstances and current environment, that didn't stop the Sky girl from tugging slightly on her strands, wanting to take control.

Kota chuckled lightly at her eagerness and her want—no, need—of a distraction from the pain in her leg. Feeling more confident in herself, she decided to tease her more and moved down to trail small kisses along the right side of her neck, earning an appreciative gasp in response.

As she continued to work down to her collarbone, she heard her begin to say something so she leaned back up, only to be met with an ear-piercing scream from her.

She jumped back startled and afraid that she had done something wrong. Did she go too far? She didn't know, but when she looked back up she saw a horrified expression on her face that made Kota's heart drop.

"I'm sorry! Was that too much? Did you not like it?" she questioned her frantically.

Octavia shook her head and tried to say something but it seemed as if she was in some sort of shock. She ended up just pointing to the bushes behind her a few yards away from them.

Kota turned around to see what was causing her to be so frightened but saw nothing. She reached for her dagger and was about to cautiously approach the bush to see the possible threat but Octavia quickly called her back and tried to stand up to stop her. She ended up stumbling and Kota immediately rushed to her side to help her and console her at the same time but that's when she noticed that the brunette was also shaking and her body was burning up. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed her temperature before but her guess was because of the position they were in a minute ago.

Suddenly, Lincoln was running towards them in full force and determination.

"What is it?! What's wrong?" he shouted, sword in hand.

"I saw a man! It was a—it was a monster!" Octavia finally managed to cry out.

"I think it's the poison," Kota said. "She's burning up."

Lincoln nodded and felt her face as well. "We have to hurry." He stated, wasting no time in hoisting Octavia up and over his shoulder.

Dakota gripped onto her sword in precaution as Lincoln ran off with her trailing behind him.

"I know what we have to do." He decided.

"Where are we going?" Octavia asked, groaning in pain while riding on his shoulders.

"Just hold on!" He ordered her, and they continued to run wherever he had in mind.

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As Monty and Jasper feasted on the various tasty desserts that the residents of Mount Weather had to offer at the dining area, a suspicious Clarke made her way toward their table and caught their attention.

"Sit down and pretend that you're happy to see me." She inconspicuously ordered them.

"But we are happy to see you," Monty stated and sat down, oblivious to the older man who was in charge eyeballing their table. "You have to try the chocolate cake." He suggested.

He offered her his plate, but she declined. "I'm not eating their food."

"Look," She stated, pointing to the blueprints of Mount Weather. "They gave us a map with no exits. I need you both to tell me everything you've seen. Every room. Every hallway. Every way out."

"Way out?" Jasper scoffed at the blonde. "Look around you, Clarke. There's no one hunting us here. First time in our lives we're not hungry. Why would we wanna leave?"

"Because we still have friends out there who need our help." She replied, thinking of Finn, Bellamy, Raven, and Andy.

"They said that they're looking for survivors," Monty informed her. "And they're way better equipped to find them than we are."

Clarke shook her head and looked around the room at all the happy and content faces of the crowd while the clashing sounds of silverware echoed throughout the dining hall. "This place is too good to be true."

"You're bumming me out," Jasper uttered. "I'm, um, I'm gonna get more cake."

He stood up from the table and walked away, leaving the blonde and Monty to follow him with their eyes as he greeted the familiar brunette, named Maya, that Clarke had previously attacked earlier that morning when she saw her in the hazmat suit.

Clarke got up from the table as well, and made her way over to them, where she instantly apologized to the girl for her earlier actions. Maya just sat there awkwardly, and without any further words to be spoken, the blonde picked up the book that she had sat down on their table and secretly lifted Maya's keycard with it.

As Clarke made her way out of the dining hall and used the keycard to access a secure area, she was met with yellow flashing lights and a blaring voice on the overhead speaker:

"ALERT! CODE FIVE!"

"I'm not a prisoner, huh?" Clarke sarcastically spoke to herself and she rushed through the halls.

Multiple men with guns began charging after her as she ran through the restricted area and through a thick metal door that had a dark and eerie staircase behind it.

Once she was successfully on the other side, she ripped the wires on the door, causing a shortage in the access panel so that the guards couldn't follow her. Clarke continued to run as fast as she could up the cold stairs, passing a sign along the way labeled as the emergency evacuation route.

She approached a huge bolted door that seemed to have led to the outside world. She struggled at first but finally managed to twist the large wheel that was on the door to unlock the handle. Just as she was about to approach the lever to pull it down and retract the door, Jasper and Maya rounded the corner and stopped her.

"Clarke, no!" Jasper shouted. "If you pull that lever, these people will die. Even a little radiation could kill them."

All of a sudden Maya left and quickly came back with a large gun, cocking it and aiming it at the blonde.

"Don't make me shoot you." She threatened her.

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Dakota continued to follow Lincoln through the woods as they started to come into familiar Trikru territory. She could tell Octavia was slowly losing consciousness so she began rehearsing their earlier conversation trying to get her to practice her sentences in Trigedasleng. She barely stated them back to her but she needed her to stay awake, so she continued to commend her and encourage her to keep going.

Thankfully, they arrived at their destination as Lincoln led them to the place that resembled the sketch in her book.

"You brought me to your village?!" Octavia questioned them.

"We won't let you die," Kota told her, yet she was also confused as to why Lincoln brought them there.

"Dakota," she whispered. "They'll kill you."

"Hey, hey," Lincoln spoke up, reassuring her. "Only if they catch me."

Kota instantly furrowed her eyebrows. "You?" she asked him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'll be back with the antidote as soon as I can." He answered simply. "Stay alive and stay quiet." He ordered both girls.

"But Lincoln—" she stood up, yet he cut her off.

"No, Kota! You need to stay here with her. I can't have you coming with me, you know it isn't safe."

She tried to protest because she didn't want him getting caught, but he stopped her again.

"Please Sis, I need you alive. She needs you alive," he spoke, motioning to Octavia. "Just like you need her alive."

"But I need you alive too, Link," she uttered, calling him by his childhood nickname as her eyes began to water.

"Remember how strong you are Dakota," he comforted her. "You can do this. I promise that I'll be back soon, okay?"

Biting her lip to hold back the oncoming