XX

[PREVIOUSLY: The combined armies of Trikru and Skikru march against Mount Weather. Meanwhile, Octavia and Zoe accompany Indra as part of a decoy. A trail of bad luck hits them, though, ranging from a wave of toxic acidic fog to Octavia lying on the ground with her dying friend in her arms. Finally, the Warrior's world comes crashing down around her when the retreat horn sounds and she is abandoned in the tunnels].

One hour. Two. Three.

And Bellamy still hadn't opened the door.

By this time, I was lying down with my back pressed up against the jagged edges of the cool rock wall behind me. My legs were splayed limply in front of me and my body sagged wearily onto the dirt floor beneath me. My palms were so sweaty I couldn't even hold my sword. My throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire. My lungs were so deprived of fresh air they felt like they were going to burst.

In that fleeting moment, I wondered: what if the door never opened?

CLACK.

Instantly, I sat straight up, my eyes trying to depict the imagery shrouded by the darkness around me. I held my breath, I strained my ears.

Nothing.

Trying to still my wobbling legs, I pushed myself up into a standing position and felt my way along the wall. Desperately, I attempted to get as far away from the source of the noise as possible.

Then, something warm and clammy came down on my shoulder.

I screamed and hit out at my attacker, swinging the end of my sword beneath their feet. I heard a light 'oof' sound as the person hit the ground. Locating their position on the ground beneath me, I raised my sword, intent on thrusting it straight through them when a voice yelled out, "Octavia, don't! It's me! It's Clarke!"

Horrified, I backed away. "Clarke? Geez. I could've killed you! What the hell are you doing here? What happened?" Crouching down, I felt around to where Clarke was sprawled out on the floor and offered her a helping hand.

"Thanks," she grunted as I pulled her to her feet.

"Clarke, what's going on? Why did they sound the retreat?"

Clarke heaved a deep breath as she fumbled around in her pocket. "Hang on." The sound of a match being struck pierced the air and the blonde turned around to reveal the tiny flame that cast a circle of dim light around the area.

Searchingly, I gazed at her face and knew, in that second, that the news wasn't good.

"They found out," she uttered softly as she held her hand protectively over the match.

"Found out?"

"About Anya," she whispered. "President Wallace spoke through a megaphone and told the entire army that their commander was dead. He made a deal with Lexa. If she withdrew her troops, he would hand over the rest of the Trikru prisoners still in the mountain."

"And she agreed?" As I spoke this, all I could think about was Aidan.

He was free.

"Yes. And what's more, she's going back to Polis for the coronation," Clarke explained, quietly and quickly. "She's being crowned as Heda, Commander of the Trikru clans. They - they left us there to die, Octavia! And, upon seeing that their chances of getting in were gone, the Skikru army abandoned ship under orders from Kane. I refused to leave though and came down here, hoping to find you. I knew you wouldn't leave Bellamy hanging."

I groaned. "Oh no. We should've told them before we left Polis. Now we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"If we had told them, we wouldn't even have made it past the gates," Clarke hissed.

Before I could rebuff her again, the rattle of a chain sounded through the air. Startled, the two of us spun around to face the metal grate situated a few paces away.

We both exchanged knowing looks.

It was Bellamy.

We rushed up to the door just as it swung open and a dark, curly head emerged.

"Octavia!" Bellamy cried as he engulfed me in a huge, brotherly hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. Clarke, it's good to see you. Wait...where is everyone?"

"News update: we got betrayed," Clarke told him pointedly. "We're on our own now."

"Well, we'd better make it count," Bellamy sighed. "President Wallace is rounding up the rest of our people. They want to kill us for our bone marrow. Apparently, the crazy-ass doctor that's helping to run this whole brain-washed operation reckons that if they inject our marrow into their bodies, they'll be able to leave their underground homes and come out into the open without being affected by the radiation. Maya and her folks are helping us but we haven't gotten very far."

"How do you mean?" I demanded.

Bellamy closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing as he responded, "O, there's only 48 of us left. The rest have been...killed."

"Wow," Clarke shook her head in disbelief. "That's a far cry from the original 100."

"What about Dustin? Monty? Jasper? Are they okay?" I gulped, almost fearful of the answer.

Bellamy nodded. "Yes. They're fine. They've been with me the whole time. Alright, we can discuss this later. We have to go now!"

As we slipped inside the formidable fortress, Clarke retrieved a gun from her belt and glanced over at Bellamy. "So, what's the plan?"

"The plan? We do what we have to do."

Bellamy led Clarke and I through an illuminated maze of sterilised labs stocked with medical cabinets and white-sheeted beds. Using his stolen key-card to access entry, Bellamy eventually broke through into the hallway just outside where the figures of our friends were waiting.

"Monty! Jasper! Harper!" I exclaimed in relief upon spotting the two dark-haired boys and their blonde friend. Grabbing Jasper by the shirt, I pulled him close and threw my arms around him. Pushing him away, I gazed deep into his eyes and smiled, "I missed you."

Jasper, tears of hope and eagerness springing from his eyes, nodded at me. "I - I missed you too."

"Oh, come here," I commanded as I held out my arms to Monty and Harper. The two enveloped me in a big group-hug, voicing their relief and happiness upon seeing Clarke and I.

"Isn't there supposed to be more people with you?" Jasper queried, cocking his head to one side in confusion.

I hesitated. "That's the catch, Jas, there was supposed to be."

Suddenly, a shrill, urgent voice cut through the air: "Guys! The perimeter's clear but if we wanna make it to the control room we have to move now!"

We all turned to see a thinly-haggard girl, whose floral dress hung loose around her shoulders and whose thin, black curls frayed out around her collar-bone, standing in the doorway.

"Maya!" Jasper cried as he hurried over to her. Placing a gentle hand on her waist, he motioned to us, "They're our friends. They're gonna help us."

Squinting my eyes at the two of them, I only half-listened as Bellamy called out instructions, "Okay, Octavia, Jasper, Harper stay here and keep a look-out for any guards. Clarke, Monty, you're with me. We're going up to that control room. Maya, lead the way."

Without another word, everyone dispersed, intent on carrying through the last leg of the plan. As I warily circled the room, clutching my sword tightly in my hands and keeping an eye on a nervous Jasper and a cautious Harper, I couldn't help but hope that we all pulled through this alive.

I knew what Bellamy and Clarke were going to do. I knew that, when Monty gained access to Mount Weather's security system, they would pull the lever, change the air-flow and kill everyone inside.

I also knew that if there was any other way, they would choose it. They didn't want to slaughter the hundreds of people that roamed these underground walls. They didn't want to radiate everyone in cold-blood. But they didn't have any other choice.

Frowning, I bit down on my lip as I cast another glance over towards Jasper. Did he know? Did he know what was about to happen? Did he know that Maya, who he was obviously fond of, was going to die?

I didn't have a chance to contemplate this any further because a group of armed guards suddenly charged at us from right around the corner.

"Put your hands up!" "Lay down your weapons!" "Turn around slowly!" they shouted out in sync.

Swallowing hard, I looked over at Harper and Jasper who had immediately seceded to the demand. Swinging my eyes back towards the men I realised that I was facing the open barrels of six guns.

Maybe if I had trained more, maybe if I had practiced hard enough, maybe if I had the skills needed to react in time ...

But no.

Like a coward, I slowly knelt down and laid the sword on the ground. As soon as I felt the weight drop from my fingers I knew I had lost something, something that would be hard to get back.

"Stay still and keep your hands where we can see them!" one of the guards growled as he advanced towards the three of us. Eyeing us all suspiciously, he hissed, "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Is that any of your business?" I blurted. "No. I think not."

The man immediately turned his rifle on me. "Say that again," he snarled. "Say it!"

I hesitated, my emerald eyes flickering back and forth between his face and his gun. "I - I..."

"Octavia! Don't! He'll kill you!" Harper sobbed.

"Just let her go!" Jasper shouted. "Take me instead! She didn't do anything."

The man just shook his head as an evil smirk twisted its way around his mouth. "You should've stayed out," he spoke, almost bemused. "Well...at least you're gonna wish you had."

I heard the familiar click of the gun. I heard the screams and cries of my friends. I heard the satisfied chuckles of the remaining guards.

But, in that moment, as I was staring death in the face, I didn't feel afraid. I was too numb, too dazed, too overwhelmed to be frightened.

I didn't even care.

Suddenly, a blaring alarm ripped the air. Peals and peals of hideous noise rang in my ears. I hunched down, covering my head with my arms. I could see the yellow flashes of the sirens mounted on the walls. I could feel the rumbling of the earth beneath my feet. I could sense the absolute direness of the moment.

Then, as abruptly as it had began, everything went still.

Slowly, I lifted my head. To my horror, I saw the convulsing figures of the guards in front of me. Their faces were blistered and burnt. Their fingers were coated with blood. Their skin was in a liquidate form and literally running down their bodies as it melted.

The stench. I had never smelled something worse than the smell of burning flesh.

It was disgusting.

"No!" Jasper shrieked in panic as he stared, wide-eyed, at the men on the floor. "Maya!" Spinning around, he charged down the hall and up a flight of steps leading to the upper level of the building.

Harper and I exchanged swift glances before retrieving our weapons and dashing after him.

"Jasper?" I called out as I cleared the stair-well and stumbled onto the second storey. "Jasper!"

That's when I saw him, lying, prostrate, on the floor next to Maya's deformed body, his entire body wracking with sobs.

Several tears slipped down my cheeks as I stood there, helpless to do anything, watching as he grieved the death of his beloved.

I knew, from experience, that losing someone you loved was a very evil thing.

Eventually, one after the other, they emerged from within the shadows, the cracks in the walls, the back closets in people's bedrooms.

Our friends.

The forty-eight of them that were still alive.

As Bellamy and Clarke directed everyone to the nearest exit, I caught sight of a certain, dirty-blonde haired boy.

"Hey!" I called out as I reached for him. "Dustin!"

Upon hearing my voice, he turned around to face me and a large grin lit up his features. "Octavia!" He grabbed me and pulled me up against him.

I hummed in contentment.

I had them back. I had them all back.

As Dustin and I untangled ourselves from each other, each slightly flushed from our close proximity, Monty stumbled out of the control room, trying to hide a yawn.

"What time is it?" he mumbled as he rubbed at his sore, blood-shot eyes.

I smiled as I threw my arms around Monty and Dustin's shoulders. "It's time for all of us to go home."

~~~~

We met a base of Skikru scouts halfway through the forest. They accompanied us back to Camp Jaha where we were warmly received with tears, open arms and gratitude.

As Bellamy, Clarke and I lingered on the outskirts of the bustling camp, watching as our friends reunited with their loved ones, we all felt a warm, fuzzy feeling bubble up within us.

We had done well.

We had saved our people.

Bellamy gave me a playful nudge in the side, motioning for me to walk with him. As the two of us started off, Clarke called out after us, "Goodbye."

Startled, we both whirled around and stared disbelievingly at her.

"Goodbye?" Bellamy questioned, confused. "Clarke, where are you going?"

Clarke closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from squeezing out. "Don't get me wrong, Bell, I'm glad that everyone's back. But what we had to do to accomplish this? What I had to do? Bell...I pulled that lever. I killed all those people in Mount Weather. Hundreds upon hundreds of innocent people. Men. Women. Children. I - I need to be alone. To think. To make peace with what I've done."

Bellamy started to protest but I placed a restraining hand on his arm and gave Clarke a firm nod. "We understand. Take all the time you need. Just stay safe and remember, we'll always be here for you."

She smiled through her tears as she reached over and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you. Thank you for forgiving me...for what I did to Finn."

I nodded against her shoulder as I returned the embrace.

Pulling away, Clarke gazed over at Bellamy. Standing up on her tip-toes, she leaned in and placed a light kiss on his cheek. Squeezing his arm, she spoke, "Take care of yourself, Bell, you and Octavia."

Then, after giving the two of us a farewell wave, the blonde, weighed down with guilt and grief, turned and walked away.

Gif: Octavia as she greets her friends.

XX