007.

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     The only reason Bellamy chose to wake up Maggie was because of the memorial happening to commemorate the lives lost at Mount Weather. She was glad he made that decision, because if she had missed it, it would've made her feel worse than she already did to begin with. 

     Sitting there with her legs crossed and foot bouncing, Maggie couldn't quite decide how she felt about Pike just yet. Thoughts conflicting, it was bizarre for her to not get a solid read on people; especially those who weren't even total strangers. She fiddled with one of the loose buttons on her guard uniform. 

     It was no secret that Pike's method of teaching Earth skills had been— different. What he did was harsh, and even grotesque at times. And although Maggie didn't fully get it up there on the Ark, it was clear as crystal now. He prepared them in unconventional ways that, in the long run, helped them better than any standard lecture would've.

     But Pike hadn't been there since the beginning, like the delinquents were. Something about that experience gave them an entirely different outlook that even he didn't cover in Earth skills. Others just couldn't make sense of it. Charles Pike had it out for the Grounders, without even being aware of their full history with them, and that nerved Maggie. She didn't think she could trust him. It seemed like a decent consensus, for now.  

     The idea of a service was nice, though. She could acknowledge that in the very least. 

     "Who will speak for Gina Martin?" he inquired sternly yet endearingly, and speaking the girl's name made Raven, Bellamy, and Maggie all stiffen as they sat next to one another. After a deep inhale, Maggie nudged the boy beside her to go up and speak, like he intended to. A book Gina had given him rested in his hands, and it didn't take all that much thinking for him to choose that as the piece to keep her memory alive. 

     Most of the people that had died didn't even have anyone related or insanely close to them to say a few words. If the circumstances weren't as they were, Maggie would've argued that it was pitiful.

     It was rare for Bellamy to seem so solemn. Yet, there he was, in front of the small crowd, seemingly at a loss of words as a whole. More than likely, he was still shaken up from giving away his place in the guard just a few hours before (even though his place still sat there for him, whenever he wished to return). 

     Maggie's soft eyes met his for a brief moment, doing their best to silently calm and encourage him as much as she could. Gulping hard, he finally gathered his composure. "Gina was real. She always saw the light— even here. She deserved better. May we meet again."

     Just as everyone was about to reiterate the phrase, a faint buzzing caught everybody's attention and interrupted the silent atmosphere. A few guards came in with determination written across their faces, completely indignant to what was going on before they came in. 

     Quieting down, everyone did their best to hear what their appearance was relating to. "I just saw em. Whole encampment, three hundred strong. Just behind the tree ridge. It's a bunch of em— it's Grounders. They're coming."

     Like she had anticipated, Pike marched up to reiterate the news that, in all honesty, didn't seem to shock Kane or Abby too much. Their conversation was too low for anyone to clearly listen, unless they were standing right there.

     "You gave a Grounder one of our radios?" he suddenly spoke up, more than likely on purpose to strike some feedback from the people gathered around. Magnolia could only scoff at the tone he spoke about them while she glanced at Raven, who crossed her arms as the audience began to clamor. 

     Monty's mom rose out of her seat, worry lacing her features as she looked towards the front. "Sir, are we under attack?" Hearing the key word— attack— was all the people needed to hear to rush to stand, almost seeming as though they were preparing for something coming their way. 

     "No, we are not under attack," Kane immediately dismissed the idea to rid any eminent anguish, "The commander sent a peacekeeping force to ensure that we can defend against any further attacks from the Ice Nation."

     As much as that statement was able to dull the anxious chatter, Maggie and Raven could clearly tell that when they scanned the room to observe, the apprehension was still vexing their minds. 

     "Peacekeeping force?" Pike replied incredulously, nostrils flaring as he tried to recount on what the man had just told him and make sense of it, "Even you can't be that naive, Marcus!"

     "Watch your tone," Abby warned with probing eye contact, "You're talking to the next chancellor. We're all grieving. This has been hard on all of us. But we can't let anger drive our policy," she centered that remark towards the man standing a few feet away from her. 

     Seething, there was a visible tightness in Pike's jaw as he bellowed, "Anger is our policy. Now, if they're here to defend us, as you say— then tell them to go home! We can defend ourselves!" The man's allocution earned many cheers in accordance, their fists balled and eyes narrow.

     "Shit," Raven muttered under her breath as she examined the room— rigidity was running higher by the second, and it felt as though there'd be an outburst or riot in any second.

     What happened to it being a memorial?

     And they were right. Because in a mere second, citizens began to turn on one another. It began with a middle-aged man pointing a threatening finger in Lincoln's direction. "You," he gaped, "You don't belong here."

     "He's one of them!" another shouted, and that was enough to make everyone snap into action. "My boy is dead!" he seethed through gritted teeth, before throwing a large rock that hit Lincoln's temple with a deep thud. 

     Being in mourning was one thing— holding a grudge towards the people that were responsible for the lives lost made total sense. But blaming Lincoln and making him suffer for it?

     That was where a line was crossed in Maggie's book. 

     It took her less than a second to bolt towards the man, who had continued to go rogue and throw punches at some of the older guards. "Back off!" she shouted over the ensued chaos, shoving him off of anyone else he tried to injure. 

     "They're all dead because of him and his people!" the guy persisted, not giving a care about the authority figures in the room that had leverage over him, "You guys are just letting him roam inside of our walls!"

     Coming to terms with the fact that he probably wasn't going to let up any time soon, Maggie grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt to force him to the ground so they could handle him as they pleased. He wasn't all that much taller than her, but with her heavily-trained muscle, it was a relatively simple task to bring him to the floor. 

     Holding him down by his chest, the man heaved in heavy breaths of air, and Magnolia did the same, out of the adrenaline rush she had received. Looking around the space for anyone that could be of assistance, the man caught her off guard, sending a sharp hook to her left cheek. 

      "Fucking prick!" she groaned at the blossoming, warm pain underneath her eye as she faced him yet again. Her left eye stung and watered as she placed her hands over the mans wrists; not doing so from the start was a minor mistake on her part. "I understand that you're suffering, but you're placing the blame on someone who isn't even affiliated with the people who set that goddamn mountain on fire."

     "He's not one of us," the man smoldered, the young girl's words going in through one ear and right out the other. 

     "Arrest them!" 

     Just as things could worsen even more than they already had, an ear-piercing whistle reverberated through the corridor. "Hey! We do not attack our own! Fighting each other only makes us weak. The enemy is not in this camp— the enemy is out there."

     Taking notice of the teenager still pinning down the main culprit, two male guards hurried over so they could get a more strong hold of him. Bellamy followed not too far behind; although he gave up his legitimate position, he still wanted to protect his girlfriend at all costs. Looping his arms underneath hers, he proceeded to hoist her up off of the floor. 

     "Where's Lincoln?" Magnolia's eyes travelled along the perimeter, but their ally was nowhere to be found. 

     "Abby's got it under control. You need ice," the pads of his fingers gently traced the redness of her skin, her cheek feeling as though it was burning up. 

     "I'm fine. Is he okay?" she prodded— the injury he faced was much larger-scale as opposed to her little punch she received. Taking her hands off the boys shoulders, Maggie eyed the room with narrow eyes. Trailing over towards the table of all the belongings to commemorate the lost lives, her face soured at items knocked off carelessly and a heaping mess due to the anarchy. "That's one way to memorialize the dead."

———

     As the days went by, Maggie felt like she was working more and more. And it wasn't because they had requested her to do so, but because being on duty seemed to be her calm. She felt like she was of the most use while guarding; the teenager feared that something bad would happen when she'd least expect it and hold the liability yet again. 

     On the contrary to Bellamy's nagging, she skipped the ice suggestion, instead settling on slipping a rifle over her shoulder and shuffling up to the front gate. It felt odd when her boyfriend stayed back in their room as opposed to working alongside her, but that didn't mean she didn't understand. No— Magnolia understood that different people grieved in different ways, and it was a process. A painful one at that— but a process nevertheless.

     She was one to keep busy to keep her mind away from the inevitable. Typically, the older Blake was one of those types of grievers, too. Perhaps that's what made the situation feel so off-putting. 

     Before she had left him, he had claimed that he was going to just lay low for the night. 

     That wasn't her Bellamy. 

     Magnolia almost gave into the temptation she felt to go off and find him, but being around Monroe and Harper was enough to bring her some peace of mind. 

     She stood around for hours with the two girls beside her, awaiting the Grounder army to approach in the field yards away from Arkadia. Maggie glared through the gap between the gate and wall paneling, browsing the trees for illumination of any sort. 

     "What the hell?" a very confused-sounding Harper caught the attention of the Gray girl, causing her to spin on her beaten-down shoe soles. Slowly yet dominantly marching forward was a sizable group of citizens, appearing to have a mission in mind.

     That would have been one thing, but one particular figure stuck out amongst the others and struck Maggie Gray dumb. 

     What was Bellamy Blake doing, walking alongside Pike with some kind of goal in mind? What kind of commonality did those two individuals share?

      "You need to step aside— right now," Bellamy muttered in a foreboding tone, like he almost lacked confidence. He just about spoke robotically, not carrying an ounce of enthusiasm or emotion. His eyes flickered between Harper, Monroe, and Lincoln, but they couldn't quite meet up with his girlfriend's, despite the fact that she was standing in the same spot as their peers. 

     It was insanely prominent— whatever it was that they were trying to accomplish, he knew damn well that he couldn't face the eighteen year old. 

     "What are the guns for?" Harper seethed through gritted teeth, maintaining her composure excellently— something that they taught in classes to become a part of the guard. 

     "There's an army out there," he replied stoically, "We need to hit them before they hit us."

     At that final statement, Maggie's blood practically ran cold. Those weren't Bellamy's words— those were Pike's. Naturally, that's when all of the puzzle pieces began to match up, and she came to a clear consensus: he wasn't in their room for the girl's entire shift. On a regular occasion, that would be totally fine; it wasn't as though she held her boyfriend on a retractable leash. But, he was scheming. And lying. 

     Bellamy scheming was dangerous terrain to step into, solely because he held a lot more power than what originally might meet the eye. People followed him and what he decided like they were lost children, completely unable to make decisions for themselves. They trusted his tactics because of his control at the drop ship. 

     Full of shame, Lincoln stared him down, "That army was sent to protect us." Didn't he get that?

     "Do we have a problem?" Pike chimed in, armor suiting his chest. 

     Shaking his head, Bellamy let out a stern no, then raising his voice, "I have always done what's best for us. I need you to trust that I'm doing that now."

     There it was; the sympathy ploy. Maggie figured it was no coincidence that his eyes were locked with hers, trying to grab her in. Without speaking any words, it was evident as ever that he yearned for the girl's approval standing in front of him. But, it was probably even more evident that she couldn't agree with him this time.

     Not when lives came into play. 

     "Monroe," Bellamy nodded for her to move out of the way, and she didn't even put up a fight. "Harper," he switched his focus. Her feet remained planted for a few brief seconds as she contemplated what to do. 

     Biting her lip, Harper finally let out a singular nod. By the looks of it, it seemed as though she was violently against it, yet she was choosing to believe Bellamy because he was Bellamy. "Sorry Lincoln— Maggie."

     Although two of the four had backed down, Lincoln and Magnolia were not going anywhere. Glowering and practically piercing two holes through the Blake's head, she searched all of his features, hoping for any sign of the Bellamy that she knew better than anybody else. Instead, he did not falter, nor show any remorse. Those words he spoke might've been Pike's, but he was all for them. 

     "You too, Lincoln," Pike interrupted the girl's train of thought, "You wanna prove you're one of us? Let us pass."

     "Prove he's one of us?" Maggie let out a sadistic chuckle, blown away by the words coming out of the man's mouth, "Last time I checked, we found you a week ago. Lincoln's been helping us longer than you even know— he doesn't have anything he needs to prove. We're just doing our job."

     "If you really wanted to do your job, you both would move out of the way," Pike disputed, an alert gaze and set jaw. 

     Arms crossing, Maggie's chin raised, "My job also entails making sure the people inside the walls are following the rules. And I could be wrong, but I'm pretty damn sure Abby and Kane didn't approve of you guys stealing all these weapons and trying to play Cops and Robbers on the Grounders. But should I radio and ask?"

     As opposed to Pike responding to that, Bellamy took a few steps forward, "Mags— you have to stop."

     "Don't 'Mags' me!" eyes dark, she spat back at him, "What the hell has gotten into you, Bellamy?"

     "I'm doing what's best for us— like I always try to do."

     Standing on her tiptoes, Magnolia became more level with his face so she could lower her tone, "So it's just a coincidence that I can smell the whiskey in your breath?" His face fell flat, "This isn't you, and I don't care if you try and disagree; I know that for a fact. And that's enough."

     "We're not moving," Lincoln appointed, diverting back to the matter at hand. But before anyone got the chance to say a word or move a muscle, one of Pike's men aimed a gun right at Lincoln's skull. And in return, he took the defensive route, locking said man into a narrow chokehold. 

     Instinctively, all of those holding the unauthorized weapons prepared to fire, and fortunately, Bellamy talked a tad bit of sense into them, shouting, "Guns down! Guns down!"

      Hands held up, Pike responded, "Do what he says— now."

     "So much for the good Grounder," Hannah distastefully huffed, chin lowering. 

     "Quiet, Hannah. Whose people are you defending here, Lincoln?"

     Eyes beginning to show an ounce of emotion, Bellamy lightly stepped forward, "Lincoln, put down the knife. No one has to get hurt here."

     "Can't let you start a war."

     "We're already at war," Piked attempted to correct. 

     Maggie couldn't help but shake her head, "You're wrong. That army is an entirely different group of people than who blew up Mount Weather. Maybe you guys forgot that because you weren't there, but I was."

     Bellamy's eyes widened at the final part, just like the girl had intended to happen. She had hoped it would get the wheels turning in his brain so he would finally think straight and like himself. "You can't stop this," he finally let out, and Magnolia felt her heart drop at that statement. No matter what she'd say, she wasn't getting through to him. 

     "Yeah, I can," Maggie said angrily. 

     Luckily for her, almost instantly after she made that comment, the loudspeaker buzzed on, "All unstationed security personnel report to the main gate now. All unstationed security personnel report to the main gate now."

     Sprinting up the situation to see what was going on, Octavia's eyes flickered back and forth. "What's wrong with you?" she finally interrogated her brother. Following after her came a majority of the guards, all suited up and carrying guns in their hands. 

     "Calm down, people. Farm Station. Guns on the ground— on the ground," Pike ordered in his teacher-like tone.

      Next person walking into the madness were Kane and Abby. "Lincoln, it's all right! Let him go!" He obeyed when hearing the voice of an ally. 

     "What the hell do you think you're doing?" baffled, Abby questioned the man standing before her. 

     With a tight gaze, he gave a simple answer: "What you didn't have the guts to."

     Maggie remained so focused on Abby and Pike that she didn't even take notice to Kane speaking with Bellamy. "Guards, take them to lockup now," she commanded, and they all did so immediately. As the eighteen year old stood still, she chewed at the inside of her cheek watching Bellamy get a set of handcuffs put onto him. "Everybody, back to your quarters. It's over."

     Suddenly bellowing, Pike spun on his feet, "Nothing is over! We are surrounded by warriors who want us dead!"

     "That's enough!"

     "No it isn't. Not even close! Why don't you show us all what you let the Grounders do to you yesterday?" Kane inquired lowly, but loud enough for citizens to hear, "Come on, Kane! I think that the people, who are about to vote for you, have a right to know."

     Voices emerged in the crowd, showing that the announcement had piqued their interest. So, with confidence, Marcus Kane rolled up his long sleeve to reveal the mark on his arm. Holding it up for all around to see, he explained. "It's the mark of the Commander's coalition. It means that we're the 13th clan. It means we are in this fight, together."

     "No," Pike declined, "It's what farmers used to do to their livestock."

     Hannah chimed in, "Right before the slaughterhouse!"

     "Pike for chancellor!"

     "Sir," the man who previously threatened to shoot Lincoln, spoke up, "You should be on the ballot tomorrow."

     "Yeah, we're with you, Pike!"

     "I vote for Pike!"

     "That's enough. Take him away," Abby authorized. 

     The next words that came out of Bellamy's mouth were what sent Maggie over the edge. 

     He started the sickly chant: "Pike! Pike! Pike!"

     It escalated quicker than imaginable, to the point where the cheers were almost so prominent to the point where they reverberated off the metal walls as the culprits were taken away. 

     All that Maggie, Octavia, and Lincoln could do was eye one another, because they could barely register what had just happened. 

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ally speaks! 

finally, a new chapter. i sincerely, SINCERELY apologize for the wait. i'm not going to list out the excuses i have, but hopefully i am back to writing on a more often schedule with summer approaching! thank you all for sticking with me here. shit's about to get dark, so buckle your seatbelts!!!