chapter twenty-seven | plans & the bunker
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"Okay, please explain it again," Hunter requested, as Clarke and Bellamy updated her on the situation concerning Mount Weather.

"It's a maze down there. We reached the dam through a tunnel," Clarke used a map to illustrate. "It's all connected to the mining system. That's our way in."

"Of course, assuming we can make it past the Reapers and the Mountain Men," Bellamy added, looking at Clarke and Hunter. "I swear to God, if your mother doesn't authorize a mission soon, I'll go in alone."

"You won't be alone," Clarke reassured him. She glanced behind Bellamy and noticed Finn emerging from the dropship. Her gaze shifted to Hunter, who was staring at Finn.

"I guess the inquisition's over," Bellamy remarked, turning around to see Finn's arrival.

"How is he?" Hunter inquired, looking at Clarke.

"I—I don't know. I haven't really spoken to him since we got back," Clarke replied, her gaze steady on Hunter.

"He couldn't even look at you when you were asleep," Bellamy noted, observing the situation. "We're at war, and we've all done things," Bellamy added as he looked at Hunter.

Hunter sighed and stood up when Finn approached. "Hey," she greeted him softly.

"You're awake," Finn said, his eyes meeting Hunter's, resisting his urge to embrace her. "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah," Hunter responded, glancing at her shoulder and then back at him. "I'm fine, just a little sore. But I'm okay." Finn struggled to meet Hunter's gaze, and Bellamy observed them both before looking at Clarke.

"Next round's on me," Bellamy said with a sigh as he got up and walked off toward the bar.

Hunter watched him depart and then turned her attention back to Finn. "Uh, Clarke and I were just discussing Mount Weather, weren't we?" She returned to her seat, and Finn followed suit.

"Yeah, right," Clarke nodded.

"What's the plan?" Finn inquired.

Hunter looked at Clarke, then back at Finn. "Uh, we're still working on it."

Murphy stumbled over, holding two cups of moonshine. "Ah, check it out," he said, placing a cup in front of Hunter and sitting down next to her. "Salvaged Monty's still from the dropship," he added, taking a deep breath. "Now, I guess, you know, if they could just salvage Monty, huh?"

Clarke looked at him with disbelief. "Murphy," Hunter whispered to him.

"Easy, just a joke," he replied, smiling at them all. "Did you tell them you were cleared?"

Finn looked at Hunter. "No."

"Well, it looks like our pardon for surviving includes our time on the ground. Now, bigger fish to fry, I guess," Murphy noted, studying Hunter's face.

Finn locked eyes with Hunter. "We did what we had to do," he said before getting up. "I gotta go."

"Finn," Hunter tried to stop him.

"Don't worry, he'll come around," Murphy reassured her, looking at Hunter.

"He can't even look at me," Hunter replied, gazing at Murphy, then taking a sip of moonshine. 

Raven then approached them. "Hunter," She smiled. 

"Raven," She smiled back.

"Beat it, Murphy," she said.

"Well then, have a good one," Murphy replied as he got up and left.

"I know why we haven't heard from the other Ark stations," Raven informed them, leaning over the table. "Mount Weather's jamming our communications."

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Hunter and Clarke exchanged worried glances. "Show me," Clarke said as she got up, with Hunter following her and Raven.

"I tweaked the resonator and got this," Raven explained, showing them a strange sound resembling a low electrical whirring. "It's on every frequency. Long-range communication is totally screwed, and it's also affecting the range on our walkies. It's the same signal Monty heard on the black box of the Exodus Ship."

Clarke and Hunter looked at each other in alarm. "Mount Weather crashed the Exodus Ship," Hunter said in disbelief.

Clarke turned to Abby, who had just joined them. "Can you get around the signal?"

"Around it? No. But if I can get to the tower that broadcasts it, I can make it go boom," Raven replied with a smirk.

"No one is going anywhere," Abby and Major Byrne walked in.

Clarke approached her mother. "Mum, listen to me—"

"What do I have to do to get through to you?" Abby interrupted her. "You and your friends are not soldiers, and continuing to act like you are puts lives at risk."

Hunter stepped in. "You don't understand, Raven found something. Mount Weather is jamming our communications," she informed Abby.

"It's true. There could be other Ark Stations on the ground," Raven added.

"And more guards. You said we don't have enough people to fight a two-front war. Mum, we're already fighting one," Clarke pleaded.

"The Grounder retaliation for the massacre could happen at any time, and when it does, we need every available man to defend this camp," Major Byrne added.

"So let us go," Clarke looked at Hunter and Raven.

"You're not gonna stop, are you?" Abby asked Clarke.

"Not until my friends are safe," Clarke replied firmly.

"Okay," Abby relented. "But I'm coming with you."

"Ma'am, I just said—" Byrne started.

"It's been quiet for two days. Maybe Kane is making headway with the Grounder Commander," Abby reasoned.

"Or maybe he's dead, and they're massing against us as we speak," Byrne argued.

"Maybe, which is why we need more guards," Abby agreed, looking at Clarke and Hunter. "But you are staying here."

"Like hell I am," Hunter scoffed.

"You need to rest, your arm—"

"It's fine, I'm sorry Abby, but I'm doing this with or without your permission," Hunter asserted.

Abby sighed. "Fine, but no weapons for you."

Hunter nodded. "Then it's settled. We're going back to Mount Weather."

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Bellamy, Octavia, Raven, Clarke, Finn, Abby, Hunter, and some guards set out into the forest, making their way to Mount Weather to disable the radio tower jamming their communications.

"Don't forget to watch the trees! Grounders use them. That's how we lost John Mebege," Bellamy cautioned the group.

Hunter, with her arm in a sling and without a jacket, walked with her gaze fixed ahead. She watched Finn and was soon joined by Abby, who walked beside her. "You were right to insist on bringing them," Abby told her.

"Don't worry; your guards will find their way," Hunter replied.

"I know you're concerned about Finn," Abby noted.

"Thank you for voting to clear him," Hunter said, smiling softly.

"You all believed you were rescuing your friends. The real question is whether he can clear himself," Abby said as they continued walking.

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They finally reached the outskirts of Mount Weather, and Raven scouted the mountain to locate the tower. "There it is," Raven announced, handing Clarke a pair of binoculars.

Clarke sighed and shook her head. "It'll be dark soon, and we'll never spot the traps. We should set up camp here and leave at first light," Clarke suggested, turning to look at Hunter, who was sitting on a log.

"We're missing two," Abby called out, referring to Bellamy and Octavia, who had left to find an entrance. "Where the hell are they?" She asked Clarke, who shot her a questioning look.

"They went to find a way in," Hunter called out.

Abby approached Hunter. "A way in? That's not the mission objective."

"It is for them," Hunter responded, her determination clear.

Abby shook her head in frustration. "This mission is not about finding alternate entrances. We have a specific objective."

Finn suddenly picked up a rifle, prompting Hunter to stand up and approach him. "Finn, wait," she said.

"We need you here," Raven chimed in.

Finn's frustration was palpable. "Why? So you can keep an eye on me?" he retorted, throwing the rifle down and walking off.

Hunter called out to him, "Finn!" She followed him into the forest.

"Finn!" Hunter called out as she jogged after him, despite the pain that shot through her shoulder. "Please come back," she winced in pain, her plea filled with genuine concern. Finn reluctantly turned around, but his gaze remained distant and troubled as he struggled to meet her eyes.

Hunter closed the distance between them, stepping closer to Finn. "I understand why you did it," she said softly, her voice filled with empathy. "Look at me, Finn."

After a moment's hesitation, Finn finally met her gaze, his eyes reflecting a mix of guilt and inner turmoil.

"It's not your fault," Hunter reassured him, her words meant to ease his burden. Their fragile moment was interrupted by the sound of howling winds behind them. Both of them turned around, their hearts sinking as they realized they were facing the deadly acid fog.

"Run!" Finn called out, his urgency clear, and he waited for Hunter to run ahead of him.

"Acid fog! Take cover! Abby, if you can hear me, use the tents!" Hunter urgently transmitted her message through the radio. "My tent! I forgot my pack!"

"It's okay, we can make it to the bunker," Finn reassured her.

With adrenaline pumping through their veins, Hunter and Finn sprinted towards safety, desperately trying to escape the encroaching danger of the acid fog.

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Hunter descended into the underground bunker with Finn close behind her. The pain in her shoulder was excruciating, and she couldn't help but cough from the strain. The room they entered was pitch black, but Finn illuminated it with a flashlight, casting a dim light on their surroundings.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked, genuine concern in his voice as he directed the flashlight toward Hunter.

Hunter winced from the pain but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, trying to reassure both herself and Finn.

She retrieved her own flashlight and swept its beam around the bunker, freezing when she realized the lifeless body of a Grounder was still present. The memories of her own gunshot and the traumatic events flooded her mind.

Finn, sensing her distress, approached her. Hunter took a deep breath, and the pungent odor of the Grounder's body assaulted her senses. She sank to the floor, her back against one of the bunk bed's poles, her expression haunted.

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Finn, taking the lead, lit several candles in the bunker to provide them with some much-needed light. He sat at a desk, studying a piece of origami, while Hunter paced back and forth in front of him, her mind consumed by worry about Clarke and the others.

"Stop," Finn gently urged, looking up at Hunter and meeting her anxious gaze. "I'm sure they're fine. Everyone had tents."

Hunter scrutinized Finn's face, her thoughts swirling with questions about his actions during the shooting incident. Why had he fired his gun? What was he trying to achieve? Her conflicted emotions were evident as she watched him.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Lee," Finn finally admitted, his voice filled with regret.

Hunter took a deep breath, attempting to find the right words to respond. "I know," she said quietly, her voice tinged with understanding.

"Then why are you looking at me like I wanted to?" Finn questioned, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm not looking at you like that," Hunter shook her head, attempting to convey her complex emotions.

Finn persisted, his voice laden with sadness. "Well, you don't look at me like you used to."

Hunter's shoulder continued to ache, sending sharp pains through her arm. Frustration welled up within her, and she began to remove her sling. Standing up, Finn walked over to her. "Hey," he said, trying to comfort her.

Hunter angrily tossed the sling aside and sat on the bunk bed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm fine. It's just from all the running," she explained, wiping away her tears.

Finn knelt down in front of her, reaching out to hold her hand. Their eyes locked, and Hunter broke the silence, her voice filled with vulnerability. "You knew I was going to shoot, didn't you?"

Hunter's eyes welled with tears for a moment, then she looked away. "You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have shot."

Finn looked into her eyes. "I did what I did, Lee. And now I have to live with that."

"You killed those people because you knew I was going to," Hunter accused, her anger rising. "And I have to live with that."

Finn sat down on the floor, burying his face in his hands before running his fingers through his hair. "I'm in love with you, Lee," he confessed, looking back at her, his vulnerability laid bare. Hunter's head shot up, taken aback by his admission. "And all that matters to me is that you're okay," 

Hunter moved closer to Finn, kneeling in front of him. She grabbed his hand, seeking comfort in their connection. As they embraced, holding each other tightly, for that fleeting moment, it felt like time had stopped, and a sense of peace washed over them despite the turmoil that surrounded their lives.

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Time passed, and Finn returned to the ladder, cautiously checking if the acid fog had dissipated. Hunter, her shoulder now back in its sling, sat on the bed, her gaze fixed on the lifeless Grounder's body. She was lost in thought, wrestling with the reality of what she had done.

"I didn't feel anything," Hunter murmured softly, her voice tinged with a sense of detachment.

"Lee?" Finn called out, concern evident in his tone.

"I've never killed before, and when I did - I didn't feel a thing," Hunter admitted, her words heavy with the weight of her actions. She looked at Finn, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and self-judgment.

"This is what I was trying to protect you from," Finn explained, attempting to justify his own actions.

"You don't get to do that, Finn," Hunter countered firmly. "You can't protect me from my feelings."

"We have to go," Finn stated, his voice resigned, and he made his way to the ladder.

"I don't even know who I am anymore," Hunter confessed, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Finn, overwhelmed by his own internal struggle, looked at Hunter and admitted, "Neither do I."

Hunter and Finn faced the harsh reality of their actions and the profound changes they had undergone, their shared sense of loss and confusion binding them together.

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Finn and Hunter finally returned to their camp, reuniting with Clarke and the others. Clarke saw Hunter walking in and immediately embraced her, their bond offering a moment of solace amid the chaos.

Clarke then looked around, her concern etched on her face. "Bellamy and Octavia?"

"They know to rendezvous here," Clarke informed Hunter.

"Have you tried to radio them?" Raven inquired.

"It's still jammed," Hunter confirmed.

Raven explained her decision regarding the radio tower. "You didn't blow the tower."

Hunter scrutinized her choice but didn't press further. Abby approached her, shedding light on their current predicament. "Raven figured out a way that we could listen to Mount Weather, but if we took out the antenna, we wouldn't be able to do that."

Hunter, however, was more concerned. "What about the other Ark stations?"

"We don't know if they made it," Abby admitted, her voice heavy with uncertainty. "What we do know is that forty-seven of our people are being held prisoner on that mountain. We're going to get them out."

Hunter wrapped her arm around Clarke, pulling her in for a comforting hug, reinforcing their commitment to the mission and to each other.

Their moment of reunion was interrupted when a voice cried out for help. All of them spun around, their weapons drawn, as an injured man crawled up the hill. It was Thelonious Jaha.

Abby rushed to his side, and Jaha, overwhelmed by the sight of the Ark, fell to his knees. Abby reached out to him, offering comfort as he took in the enormity of their situation.

"I have a message from the Commander," Jaha spoke breathlessly. "Leave, or die. We have two days."

Hunter and Clarke exchanged worried glances, knowing that the challenges ahead were growing more daunting by the moment. With the ultimatum from the Commander hanging in the air, they faced a crucial decision: what would they do next?

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- ay here's a long chapter for you guys [2465 words]
and more clarification on what happened to hunter and finn at the village
im also terrified of the coming chapters ahead cause you know why eeeeee