JUSTICE IS A WOMAN.

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CARRY YOUR THRONE (book one).
°• CHAPTER SEVEN •°

" BUT WE ARE ON THE GROUND NOW -
AND REVENGE IS NOT JUSTICE. "

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DEATH ROCKED ASPEN ALONSO'S WORLD. The first (and only) time she had been a witness to someone dying was when her grandmother, Leila Perea, had reached the end of her life. Aspen loved her grandmother more than her own parents, somedays, despite how guilty the mere thought made her feel. Leila was a kind old woman who was oblivious to her grandaughter's greedy habit of stealing that her son passed on as if it was a family business. She didn't look at Aspen like she was an object, a weapon, someone to command or push around. She was the lovely parent figure the little girl never had, someone who read Aspen bedtime stories before tucking her in, shared her rations, braided her hair, and loved her in a way Victoria and Axel Alonso didn't.

It was rare if the Ark's elderly died of old age. Leila Perea was one of the very few lucky ones. Aspen knew it was time to let go of the older woman she loved the most when the doctors deemed it time even when her heart begged her not to. She was only twelve years old at the time and sat beside her bed nearly every day when her grandmother couldn't move from the spot any longer. Aspen was the one clutching Leila's frail hand in her own when her own daughter wouldn't.

Leila's voice is fragile, barely above a croak.

"Te amo, niña dulce."

Tears sliced through Aspen's cheeks and made a wet trail. Her biggest regret was that she couldn't choke a response out.

"Que nos volvamos a encontrar."

So far, it was single-handedly the worst memory of her seventeen years of life. Aspen struggled for a long time after that. She tears up every time she thinks of her grandmother. She wouldn't wish that pain of grief on anyone, especially a child.

It's odd in some ways that Aspen completed the cycle of life and death while on Earth once her world was rocked with it. It was hard seeing Atom brutally killed by the acid fog. She was grateful the next few days that Jasper was granted permission by Clarke to go for a walk after a few trials runs in the dropship.

It was even worse for Aspen when someone went to unlock the gate the morning after Atom's death only to return screaming their lungs out in fear. She pushed and shoved her way through the crowd the noise drew in until she reached the root cause of it. Clarke had fallen on her knees next to Wells's body and cradled his bloodied head in her hands, a series of heavy sobs causing teardrops to mix with the crimson flow from the open wound in his neck. Aspen had gasped so loud at the sight that her lungs burned and her arm flew up to slap her hand over her gaping mouth.

There was no question to anyone else that grounders did it. They had to of which meant they had to look past losing one of them and prepare themselves because the grounders were watching closely. Aspen knew none of them were fond of Wells, especially herself, but it couldn't have been possible the murderer was among them. She didn't want to believe that. It seemed much scarier to live behind locked walls with someone who murdered in cold blood than to have them just outside spying on them.

Aspen didn't consider herself a killer when she helps Nathan Miller find random animals caught in set-up traps to properly gut them for meals of meat. This was survival of the fittest. Everyone on Earth was only trying to survive and Aspen would rather it be some squirrel with three heads that could be turned into a dinner for protein than herself or her people.

Nathan Miller wasn't one of Aspen's favorite delinquents. It wasn't just because he seems squeamish as they skinned the few animals caught in a deathly snare. It was because deep down was an ugly ball of green that could be identified as jealousy. Aspen excelled in Earth Skills the same way she was an incredible thief. But she was no match for the hands of Miller. He somehow snuck under the watchful eyes of Councilman Marcus Kane because the man was too busy watching her. Aspen was jealous she was placed second best at something she loved to do. Aspen was too busy being torn up on the inside to argue, though.

Blood was splattered on Aspen's hands and reached her wrists. She had the sense to roll the sleeves of her jacket to her elbows, unlike Miller who was still trying not to gag even when the animal was already long dead. She rolls her eyes at the sight. Men always said women were the weakest species. They couldn't handle a man's job. They were supposed to sit, shut up, and hold back in the presence of someone superior. Yet here Aspen was with skin covered in crimson liquid if it meant her friends could eat.

"Go get some air, Miller," Aspen orders him. She supposed at first she didn't have the energy to argue with him but thought differently now. Any chance to bite back at Miller, Aspen would be happy to seize.

Miller isn't as interesting in bantering as she is. He's clueless to the envy Aspen held towards him since he earned the title of the best thief of the Ark when she could never match up to it. "This is so gross," he tells her instead. Miller's nose scrunch at the pile of guts Aspen had on the barrel. She couldn't wait for them to build a proper setting to cook meat. "Pen, how do you do that without vomiting?"

The use of her nickname causes Aspen to glare. She stops her task to inform Miller, "I castrated men for fun in space. How else?"

There's a beat of silence that follows as the expression on Miller's face tells Aspen he was actually considering believing her. She almost rubs her temples in frustration before remembering the blood and decided she really didn't need to paint her face in it, too.

"I'm messing with you. Your hands are faster than your brain," Aspen snaps. She knows she sounds mean and just like the bitch every delinquent in the Skybox accused her of being.

But that's exactly who Aspen Alonso is. She's not perfect. She makes mistakes and carries more flaws than she cares to admit. This is all that makes her a human. She's spiteful when she's jealous, she doesn't trust or make friends easily, and she refuses to keel over and be a doormat for men to clean their shoes over. Aspen was tired of men, especially those in power, who put those less fortunate below them. It made her sick to her stomach. And if they wouldn't learn, then she would teach them whether it was verbal or physical; whatever it takes.

However, Miller accepts Aspen's words as a compliment. He grins, the smile like a shadow because of his beanie. "Cool. Thanks."

Aspen is about to tell him to go the hell away but she barely parts her lips before Miller leaves her and is finally gone. She blinks in disbelief as her brown eyes follow his figure that disappears into the crowd at camp. Dozens of the delinquents have gathered together to build sturdier walls that would hopefully keep the grounders out or at least slow them down. Aspen wonders if he thought he'd find himself more helpful with them instead of grimacing at dead animals.

One less person means double the work, so Aspen isn't done until nearly noon. The sun has been up for hours now. She considers asking Clarke for the time since she seemed to be the only one who carried a watch, a beautiful momentum that is forever clasped around her wrist, the silver always gleaming while the sun shines. The thought makes Aspen grimace when she remembers exactly what she's covered in and decides that she should clean up before someone thinks she murders someone after everything that's happened.

The water is cool and inviting. Aspen longed to take a dip in the lake that she knew Clarke and Finn had already swum in before it became their source of drinking water. The blood painting her skin in swirls of red, shades that become lighter as it crawls from the tips of her fingers to the bone of her wrist, has become sticky under the warm sunlight. Aspen is grateful for the feeling of relief it brings to sit in one of the dropship seats and dip her hands into the bowl of water she collected, keeping it balanced between her the knobs of her knees, using her fingernails to scrub them clean.

Pink slowly tints the once crystal clear water as Aspen rubs off the blood. Different colors and shades always amazed her. Aspen supposed that was because she was an artist. She was always attempting to find new ways to mix colors to find the perfect tint for her future work.

She was so lost in colors that Aspen nearly missed the shouting right in front of her. She nearly drops the bowl in surprise but quickly catches it, only managing to spill a few accidental drops across blades of grass. Aspen's stare quickly moves from a starstruck daydream to a dark nightmare when she sees it's none other than Murphy causing the commotion. What an asshole.

"Hey!" Murphy is on a rampage. Aspen quickly follows his frosty glare and sees he's marching towards a boy named Connor who had sunk to his knees from exhaustion. "You think the grounders are just gonna sit around, and wait for us to finish the wall?" His voice drops colder as he nods to the youngest delinquent who was tying knots around the logs. "Maybe we should let the little girl do the lifting for you, huh?"

"The little girl has done more work than you have all day," Aspen snaps. Her furious voice carried on despite being a few feet away from the scene.

Suddenly, Aspen is the center of Murphy's next target. "Yeah, Alonso?" He challenges as he passes Connor to approach the girl who was comfortably sitting with a bowl of pink water. "If you think you can lift more than I, then - "

He's cut off when Aspen throws her head back and laughs. She can't stop the amused cackles because she's so undeniably livid that she can't help but laugh as if Murphy had made a stupid joke. Scratch that - he did make a stupid joke. But instead of beating him to a pulp, Aspen was laughing.

Murphy's face flushed with anger. They had half the camp staring at them now. "What's so funny?" He fumes.

"You're so pathetic." Aspen clutches her chest when it aches with the loss of air. "Oh my God, you're like Bellamy's lost little puppy." She lets out another series of uncontrollable giggles. "I almost pity you. You, Murphy, are so sad - "

The metal bowl in Aspen's lap is suddenly flown to the side when Murphy swipes at it. The water sloshes dangerously before half of it spills and drenches Aspen in its contents. Her laughs are cut off when she lets out a sharp gasp. Her wet clothing sticks to her like a second skin and strands of her raven hair clung to her cheek. Aspen's mouth has fallen slack, beads of water sliding past the curve of her sharp jawline, and something incredibly murderous etches itself into her features.

It's Murphy's turn to laugh humorously while Aspen fumes. She thrusts her leg to kick the bowl aside before jumping to her feet. "Float yourself, asshole!" She hisses before she struck.

Murphy's a coward, so it's no surprise Aspen pounces first. She's been waiting for a chance to kick the shit out of the asshole who made her life hell in the Skybox. Scratch that, he was hell to live near in Factory Station. Murphy was the boy constantly yanking Aspen's pigtails, knocking the door to her home and then ditching, kicking the back of her chair, calling her names, and tattling every chance he got. Aspen was glad after all those years of torture just by the pure fact he existed, she was given the chance to fight him. Revenge could taste like honey after all.

It takes one swift motion of Aspen's legs and Murphy is swiped to nearly faceplant on the ground. She waits until he stumbles to throw the first swing and her knuckles flame with an ache when they bash his jaw with a furious grunt. It's her first physical fight on the ground and Aspen hadn't realized how much she missed it when Murphy goes to fight back. It seems to finally draw in the crowd that instead of cheering, they tackle the offender and heave him away.

He's still bucking like an idiot when Aspen attempts to lunge again, but a soft hand on her arm stops her. She nearly punches them too but with a quick glance, she unclenches her fist. It was only Monty. He's frowning, concerned, but Aspen hears Bellamy's voice before she hears Monty's.

"Hey, Murphy, enough," he snaps. It's no surprise Murphy complies immediately at the command. Their arrogant leader glares at Aspen too. Bellamy's anger for her has been growing since she had dick measured him and accused him of trying to look bigger than what he carried since he was just a man. "You too, Alonso." His stare darkens as his voice lowers. "You don't have to be the psycho, manipulative girl you were on the Ark."

"And you," Aspen sneers, "don't have to be boring, nothing, man you've always been Janitor Blake."

Monty's arm suddenly swung over Aspen's shoulder and he spun her around until her back faced the other. "It's okay, Pen. Pen, you are so much better than him," he insists while his friend fumes like a steaming pot of boiling water, dangerously seconds away from spilling.

Everyone tries to return to their jobs. Despite Monty's calm voice, Aspen's still fuming too much to stab dead animals or do much of anything else, but her rage is no match for Clarke Griffin's when the girl storms out of a tent as a few others follow her steps. Aspen sees hate burning in her crystal blue eyes as she makes a beeline towards Murphy. She opens her mouth to say something, anything, because she doesn't have to imagine the pain Clarke is in. But she's a second too late.

"You son of a bitch!" Clarke screeches. She shoves Murphy so hard that he barely catches himself.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Murphy demands. His hands clench into fists at his side. Aspen imagined he's been on edge since the fight she started with him.

A glimmer of silver is waved in Murphy's face. "Recognize this?" Clarke demands. Aspen has to squint to see what was in her grasp. It's definitely a homemade knife, created with metal from the dropship. She took a wild guess that J.M. was carved next to the thin, yellow stripes.

"Yeah. It's my knife." Murphy's face twists with confusion. He reaches for it, but Clarke whisks the weapon out of his reach. "Where'd you find it?"

"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells," Clarke revealed spitefully.

The crowd they attract is no match for the one Aspen and Murphy had during their spat. The delinquents slowly start to pour together, closer, whispering to one another. Aspen can't exactly pinpoint what she felt. There wasn't much sorrow to express for the loss of Wells because he wasn't a friend, he was a royal enemy, one that turned his nose away from lower-class people like her who lived in Factory Station. But the pain on Clarke's face, the words she spits out, it could've socked Aspen in the gut.

However, Murphy's expression drops. It's almost unreadable until Aspen realizes he's never held a mask like this. Murphy's genuinely confused by Clarke's accusation. "Where I what? The grounders killed Wells, not me," he defends.

His words skim past Clarke. "I know what you did, and you're gonna pay for it," she warns coldly. Aspen's never heard her speak with such a scarily violent tone. It's always been gentle words, sometimes sorrowful, but never hate. Wells death must've hit her, hard. And to stare his killer in the eye? For once, Aspen can't imagine how she felt.

The typical, confident smirk Murphy usually wore plasters across his face. It covers the puzzlement. "Really?" Murphy challenges. He turns to Bellamy who was standing before the crowd, arms crossed over his chest, wordless. "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?" He asked. Aspen isn't surprised that he doesn't receive an answer. Bellamy was more cowardly than she thought.

"You threatened to kill him. We all heard you, you hated Wells!" Clarke states. Every word brings her voice to rise.

"Plenty of people hated Wells. His father was the Chancellor that locked us up," Murphy argues.

Aspen hates Murphy terribly, but she loathes that he's right with a burning passion. She was a woman who believed in justice, not revenge. That's why she personally never sought it out to pick a fight with Wells as everyone else had. Every delinquent at this camp hated him, even Clarke, since they landed.

"Yeah, but you're the only one who got in a knife fight with him," Clarke continues furiously.

"I didn't kill him then either."

Octavia clears her throat and takes a step forward. Eyes dart to her as she adds, "Tried to kill Jasper, too." Jasper's eyes widen from beside her, his hand pressed over his bandaged stomach.

"Come on, this is ridiculous," Murphy scoffs. He's nearly nose to nose with Clarke as he cockily says, "I don't have to answer to you." He whirls away and calls to their audience, "I don't have to answer to anyone!"

A voice tests Murphy when he calls back, "Come again?"

In any other circumstance, Aspen would have thought the sudden look crossing Murphy's face was satisfying. It was full of another emotion she's never seen on him, fear. She could've smiled happily from the sidelines if this didn't feel like a murder trial. Aspen silently watches with a stone-cold glare as Murphy quietly pleads with the man he followed, "Bellamy, look. I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this."

"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife," Bellamy reminds him quietly. He sounds unsure, torn down the middle, as if he didn't know who to believe. Aspen secretly had a hunch he wanted to trust Murphy. He was chaotic, reckless, and maybe a murderer, sure, but he was incredibly loyal to Bellamy as well. He wouldn't want to lose someone like that who followed every command like they didn't have a will of their own.

"Is this the kind of society that we want?!" Clarke exclaims to their people. She gestures to Bellamy. "You say there should be no rules - does that mean we can kill each other without... Without punishment?" She chokes out. Aspen recalls the heartbreak Clarke carried when she fell to her knees beside Wells's body. She must remember too.

She wants justice for her deceased best friend. Aspen, a woman of justice, could understand that. But the atmosphere was starting to shift. Her gut was already twisting. Adrenaline used to feel like home in Aspen's veins, but this fear is what overpowered it.

"I already told you, I didn't kill anyone!" Murphy desperately insists.

It catches everyone off guard when Connor pipes in. "I say we float him." A few of his friends chime in to agree.

Aspen's eyebrows furrow. Float?

A wave of calmness passes over Clarke. Her rage had disappeared all at once as if she understood the mistake she made. "That's now what I'm saying," she replies.

"Why not?" Connor questions incredously. Aspen has a feeling his next words are more personal than anything. "He deserves to float. It's justice."

A leader like Aspen that could keep her cool in rough situations takes a pace forward. She reminds Connor, "You're wrong. The Council wanted you to believe that, but we are on the ground now - and revenge is not justice!"

Her words should hit every delinquent that stands in the dropship camp, but it doesn't. The need to become exactly who the Council wanted them to be. People who believed in vengeance under any minor crime or one without any evidence. They were raised to believe that this was the right way to handle a crime. Floating was all the delinquents knew, in fact, it's what they feared.

Aspen was a fighter in space for justice and equality. She didn't believe she'd have to do so on the ground as well.

"It's justice," Connor declares, "Float him!"

The float him chant caught on quicker than Aspen thought. It spreads until all she could hear is the same two words being shouted in a rageful chant, "Float him! Float him! Float him!" Aspen has to swallow thickly. She couldn't be amongst them when she always wanted to be better than the Ark's laws. She had to believe she was otherwise everything would've been for nothing.

But Aspen froze. She's never become paralyzed when danger stares her in the face so it's a foreign feeling when her boots match the feeling of cement. It's like the soil had turned into quick sand and was slowly dragging her under. Murphy, however, darts his eyes past the delinquents with a look of terror. Aspen almost pities him.

No one can help him now. Murphy seems to realize this when he breaks out into a sprint, but a leg sticks out and quickly sends him sprawled into the grass. There's no mercy spared as everyone takes turns kicking Murphy, punching him, beating the shit out of him. Clarke's sobs that turn into pleas echo in Aspen's ears. She has no choice but to move when shoulders bump into hers forcefully, effectively shoving her out of the way. Otherwise, she'd surely be trampled like Murphy, who had disappeared into the pit of beatings.

The delinquents are like animals, savages. Aspen couldn't shove them out off of Murphy without risking her life. They've become what they feared the most.

Connor used ropes from the dropship belts and ties them into a gag securely in Murphy's mouth. It muffles his screams of pain. Blood has already started to smear from his nose and mouth, and truthfully, Aspen feared the bruises under his skin.

Her voice finally breaks free when they drag Murphy further into the woods. "That's enough!" Aspen grabs the first arm she sees, one of Connor's friends, who had a snug hold on Murphy's arm. He was crying out from the painful tug like it'd rip the limb from his socket. Aspen nearly stumbles down the slope they reached, but she grinds her boots into the dirt, tugs harder, and shouts, "We are not the Ark! This - is - not - justice!"

The captivator has no choice but to release Murphy when Aspen yanks just hard enough. It sends him staggering away as Murphy's legs fail him and the world circles him with every crash he takes as he rolls down the hill. Aspen left leg slips out from underneath her when the herd follows, carelessly shoving aside anyone in their way. She cries out at the dive she takes, her back sliding across the soil until she finally lands.

A long rope is tossed over a tree branch that would be strong enough to make a noose. Aspen watches it dangle for a moment before someone ties a firm knot and realizes exactly what I say we float him meant. They didn't have an airlock to throw someone into space, but thanks to Charles Pike's Earth Skill classes, they certainly knew how to tie a noose. They were going to hang him.

Aspen suddenly feels sick. Her hand slaps over her mouth before she can gag. She watches in silent horror as they forcefully stand Murphy on a crate and place the noose around his neck. She can see the tears that cut through the crimson splatters and streaks of dirt on his face even from her distance. Murphy cries and mumbles through the gag, words that aren't audible. Aspen always believed he deserved some punishment - but not this. Their floating days should've been long over.

"You can stop this!" Clarke cries out to Bellamy. She thrashes as others try to hold her back from stopping this. "They'll listen to you!"

"Bellamy!" Connor shouts over her. "You should do it!"

"Enough, Connor!" Another girl yells. Her voice is like a strain, almost recognizable. Aspen would later identify it as Nova Sydney, who she guessed couldn't pick a side when it came to justice.

No one listens. The begs to stop this monstrosity are quiet compared to the following chants of, "Bellamy! Bellamy! Bellamy!"

"I saw you in the woods with Atom! I know you're not a killer! Bellamy, don't do this!" Clarke begs desperately. Aspen can hear every emotion she thrusts into her tone. But Bellamy, who didn't care half as much as her, is hardly listening. He shoves her hands away and marches forward. "Don't, Bellamy! You can't do this, Bellamy, no!" Clarke screams after him.

Aspen nearly lets loose a scream too, but it wouldn't matter. Bellamy kicks the box underneath Murphy. His bound body swung midair, his legs furiously kicking for freedom. The rope pulls against his skin and cuts off any air. Murphy can't even scream.

"No! How could you?!" Clarke sobs.

A finger is jabbed in Clarke's face as Bellamy's features twist. "This is on you, Princess! You should've kept your mouth shut!" He accuses wildly.

Nova's face appears behind Clarke. She's angry in a way Aspen has never seen her, pale skin suddenly flushed red, lower lip pulled back into a cold sneer. Murder could do that to you. "You could've prevented this!" Nova fiercely defends. "You murderer! How are you better than him?!"

Multiple heavy footsteps dart towards them. Finn appears out of nowhere, shoving his way into the crowd to reach Murphy. "What the hell are you doing?! Cut him down!" He demands. The little girl Aspen noticed Murphy had pointed out is shoved towards Octavia, who tries to hold her back from watching this any further. "Charlotte, get out of here now!" A little late for that.

The sight of Connor pointing a sharp weapon at Finn threateningly when he gets too close to freeing Murphy sends Aspen's heart beating, hard, in her throat. She storms ahead and is prepared to beat the man who started all of this into a bloody pulp for attacking her closest friend next, but stops in her tracks. Connor had already lowered the weapon when the same young girl, Charlotte, screams, "Stop!"

"Murphy didn't kill Wells, okay? I did."

Everyone stops. It feels like the world had stopped turning around them. The only noise other than the wind rustling the trees is Murphy's gags that were slowly starting to quiet. Clarke finally gasps, "Oh my God," lunges to snatch the hatchet carried on Bellamy's belt. She hacked the blade deeply into the tree's log, slicing the rope that held Murphy by his neck into two.

The innocent delinquent hits the ground with a horrid smack. And Aspen, the woman of justice who couldn't bear to see another death, who thought she could flip the Ark's laws one day to prevent so, was at a loss of what to do.

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author's note:

god is a woman? nah, justice is a woman and her name is aspen alonso.

this was one of my first times incorporating spanish into a hispanic oc's storyline, so please let me know if i butchered it or did something wrong! i promise i don't use google translate, i definitely know better. i'd love to use more in the future since aspen's fc is hispanic.

it was so hard picking a reaction aspen has towards murphy's hanging. like, she hates this mf (who probably lowkey had a crush on her growing up js) but doesn't want to see him hanged because all she wanted to fight for on the ark was fair laws instead of floating people for breaking minor ones. she also knows murder isn't a minor crime, but aspen believed a trial would've been much fairer than "fLoAt HiM!" so hopefully that all made sense.

also a lot of nova's character is gonna be added in the next few chapters. she lowkey reminds me of june from my raven fanfiction series, which i totally need to update. please don't hate her, she's lovely and you'll see more of her reasoning ): plus aspen's character is shining too. i purposely cut out murphy peeing on connor because it made me uncomfy after already writing it multiple times and i thought a minor fight between her and murphy would be cooler.

lastly aspen alonso owns my heart and ass and i would pay good money to see her beat the shit out of murphy or bellamy GNIGHT YALL

- koda

TRANSLATIONS:
"Te amo, niña dulce." - "I love you, sweet girl."
"Que nos volvamos a encontrar." - "May we meet again."

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