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Aleta grabbed the wire she was looking for and began to climb back up the ladder. It was a repetitive process. Look for a wire or component, find that wire or component, bring it back up to Raven to do what she did. Aleta climbed all the way out of the hole and carefully handed Raven the wire.

"This is it, right?" She asked. Raven took the wire and examined it before nodding. "Can you hand me that knife?" Raven asked, pointing across the dropship. Aleta eyed the knife at the table. "I'd get it but..." Raven trailed off and motioned at herself. Aleta nodded and walked over to the table. She carefully grabbed the hilt of the knife and made her way back over to Raven. She handed her the knife.

"Raven, we can't find the ignition system," Clarke called from down below. Raven didn't respond and Aleta looked at her in concern. "Raven?" She asked. "I can't feel my legs," Raven said. Aleta dropped down next to her as Clarke and Finn climbed up the ladder. Aleta gently pushed Raven's upper body forward and the brunette grunted in pain. Clarke pushed up Raven's shirt.

The two examined Raven's back and Aleta's heart dropped. The bruise-like area was an indicator of internal bleeding. She and Clarke looked at each other. "That bad, huh?" Raven asked. Aleta helped her sit back up normally. "Raven. The bullet's in your spine. You're bleeding internally," Aleta informed her.

"We better do this fast then, huh? Get back down there," Raven said. Clarke began to do just that when Finn stopped her. "What if we can slow the bleeding? Would that help?" Finn asked. "Well, of course it would help. Can you tell me how to do that?" Clarke replied. "That stuff the grounders had, coagulant. You said that Lincoln had some, too," Finn said.

"Yeah, it's in the box with the antidote, but I—" Finn cut her off, "I'm betting that there's more of it in his cave. If I can get there—" Raven cut him off this time. "Wait a second. No."

"I can make it," he told her. "Clarke, tell him he's being an idiot," Raven said to the blonde who remained quiet. "Raven," Finn began. "What? I'm not gonna let you die to save me," Raven said. "Fine. If you won't let me save you, how about we save everybody else? You're the only one who can fire those rockets. If you die, we all die," he said. Aleta had to admit, he did have a point.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Finn, wait. Wait," Clarke called after him. She ran over to him and the two conversed quietly. Aleta looked over at Raven and took her hand. "He's gonna be okay. And so are you. Now let's get back to work," she told her.

Aleta watched Finn leave before standing up and going back down the ladder.

••••

Aleta was stood outside the dropship, clutching her rifle tightly. She looked around the camp. She could see the fear written across everyone's faces. They were terrified. Hell, she was terrified too. She didn't want anyone to die. She didn't want this war at all. She hated that it had come to this.

People would die, and there was nothing she could do stop it.

Gunshots began to ring through the air. Aleta became alert, her eyes moving in the direction that the noise had come from. She could barely hear the chatter from the radio that someone ahead of her held. She didn't know what was going on. Jasper sprung up out of nowhere and ran into the dropship. Aleta quickly went in afterward.

"Jasper? What're you doing?" She asked. "Clarke said she needed my help with something," he answered. "Jasper, over here," Clarke called. "What's happening?" Aleta asked. "We need Jasper to splice a wire," Raven answered. "Don't worry, everything's fine," she added. Aleta nodded and made her way back out of the dropship.

The gunfire seemed to have stopped entirely. Aleta quickly made her way over to the gates. She hopped up onto the platform where Elijah already was, his gun resting on the gate as he looked through the scope. "What're you doing?" He asked as she placed her rifle down next to his and looked through the scope.

"Scanning for grounders, same as you," she replied. She didn't see anything. "Do you even know how to use that?" He asked. She shrugged slightly, "Kind of." He shook his head, "Aleta, get out of here."

"Elijah, I love you, but you're not the boss of me nor are you my keeper. I'll be fine, I know how to shoot a gun," she said, still looking through the scope. She moved her rifle into another direction to scan that area as well. "Bellamy said you're a horrible shot," he pointed out. She rolled her eyes. "You're talking to Bellamy now?" She asked.

"He told me that if you tried to play hero and take out some grounders with that thing, to not let you. In fact, he wants me to take that gun away from you. But I won't leave you defenseless. Just go back to the dropship," he said. Aleta looked back out at the woods. "Go, I'll be fine," Elijah repeated. Nathan hopped onto the platform next to Aleta and looked over at her.

"You should listen to him," Nathan said, placing his rifle on the gate as well, ready to use it if need be. "Of course you two boyfriends are gonna gang up on me. Fine, I'm leaving," Aleta said. She got down off of the platform and headed back to the dropship, though she didn't enter it. She clutched the rifle tightly again.

It was only a few minutes later when she heard battle cries and the gunfire resumed as the grounders charged to the gates. Nathan and Elijah were shooting rapidly and Aleta held up her rifle in case any of them broke through gates. She hoped that none of them did. She really was a terrible shot.

"There are too many! Everybody to dropship now!" Nathan called. They all began moving but Clarke stopped them. "No! We need more time. Gunners, stay at your posts. The rest of you, inside. Come on, quick," she ordered. An explosion like noise caused everyone to temporarily cease what they were doing. They all looked up at the sky. Aleta watched as the fiery object that had just broken through the atmosphere hurtled toward the Earth.

"Is that from the Ark?" Fox asked. "That is the Ark," Clarke realized. Aleta watched it in a mixture of confusion and awe. The Ark broke apart into separate pieces, all on fire.

Whooping and hollering could be heard and Aleta grew even more confused. What the hell was that? A battle seemed to ensue, but outside the gates. Someone, or something, else was out there. Finn suddenly broke through the bushes and Clarke ran toward him, embracing him in a hug. Aleta walked over to them.

"What did you do?" The blonde asked. "I kicked the hornet's nest," he replied. "You brought the Reapers?" Clarke asked. "I just bought us some time. How's Raven?" He replied. "She's not good," Clarke admitted. "What?" Aleta exclaimed, looking over at the blonde. "I didn't want to worry you," Clarke told her. Aleta began to make her way to the dropship. "And the rockets aren't ready yet. Jasper's working on them now," Clarke continued.

"Jasper? What's plan B?" Finn asks. "Jasper was plan B," Clarke replied. Aleta entered the dropship and made her way over to Raven. The girl was unconscious and Aleta went to check her pulse. It was faint, but it was there. She sighed in relief. "Don't you dare die on me, Birdy," she whispered.

Clarke came into the dropship and prepared a syringe with the medicine that Finn had brought back. She injected the needle into Raven's side before pulling it out. Nathan entered the dropship. "Clarke, they're taking down the gate," he informed. "Good. Because I did it I think," Jasper replied. "I'm closing that door," Nathan said, clutching his injured shoulder.

"Wait! We've still got people out there. Bellamy's not back yet," Clarke objected. Aleta stood and looked around. "Neither is Elijah," she added and the two exited dropship. "All right, Jasper, get everybody, get inside now!" The blonde called out to everyone. Aleta spotted a grounder about to stick their sword into one of the campers and ran closer, rifle raised.

She pulled the trigger and heard a click. The gun was jammed. "You've got to be fucking with me!" She exclaimed as the grounder began to charge toward her. His arm was raised with the sword in hand and he brought it down. She used the rifle to block the sword, pushing it away from her. She kicked him in the leg, but he didn't go down. She swung the rifle and hit him in the face with it.

He stumbled slightly and she used this to her advantage, knocking the sword from his hands. She dove for it and quickly picked it up, her fear of being killed overpowering her thoughts. The grounder bounced back quickly as she stood, raising the sword. But he had another one and was much more skilled with it than she was. She blocked his sword with the one she was holding.

He was quick to bring it back and managed to slice her exposed arm, the one that hadn't been previously injured by one of their arrows. She let out a cry of pain and nearly dropped the sword in her hand. He brought it toward her and she barely moved out of the way. He managed to knock her onto the ground, causing her to let out a gasp of pain as she hit the ground.

She sat up and gripped her bleeding arm as she scooted away from him. He was now holding the sword at its hilt in both hands and was about to bring it down and through her chest. Aleta threw her arms out in defense and he stopped, his eyes landing on her bloody hand.

His eyes were trained on her black blood as he squinted through the darkness, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. The grounder tilted his head to the side in confusion. She looked down at her hand, then her arm, before looking back at him. Aleta stared up at him in fear and confusion.

She was frozen, unable to move away from him. It was stupid, she should have moved. But her fear seemed to paralyze her. "Natblida," he stated, almost like a question. She grew even more confused. He began to lower his sword and as he did, another gunshot rang through the air and hit him in the head. He fell to the side.

Aleta looked over to see Elijah running toward her. He quickly helped her up. "Get to the dropship!" He yelled. She nodded and as soon as she did, an arrow lodged itself into Elijah's neck. He choked on his own blood and reached out to her before falling to the ground. He struggled to breathe, attempting gasp for air and failing. His movements quickly slowed until they stopped completely. He was dead. Aleta's mouth dropped in horror and she stumbled back as more arrows flew past her. "Elijah!" She screamed. She was then pulled back. She whipped around to see Bellamy. "Get to the dropship!" He shouted. "I can't leave him," she said, she was crying now.

"You have to. Go! I'll be right behind you," he said, pushing her in the direction of the dropship. She began to run to the dropship as he picked up a discarded rifle and tried to use it on a grounder about to attack someone.

Aleta turned around in time to see Bellamy getting knocked to the ground. "Bellamy!" She yelled. She was about to run to him but was grabbed. "Get off of me!" She shouted, her eyes returning to where Bellamy was. Finn had run to help Bellamy fight off the grounder. "Bellamy!" Aleta yelled again as Nathan continued to pull her away. She fought him, struggling in his hold. He was injured and she used that to her advantage, managing to slip out of his grasp.

Her eyes met Bellamy's and for a moment, it was as if time stopped. Like the commotion happening around them paused for just a moment. "Go," he said. And she was somehow able to hear him amidst the battle. She shook her head, more tears slipping down her cheeks. "Go," he repeated. Nathan grabbed her arm again and pulled her toward the dropship. "No!" She shouted. "I love you," he declared before going back to fighting. "No! Bellamy! No!" She cried.

Nathan practically threw her into the dropship before grunting in pain at his injured shoulder. He went back out to get Clarke into the dropship. Aleta felt paralyzed again, but this time, only for a moment. She got up off of the ground and began to head back to the exit when Clarke came in, a defeated look in her eyes. Clarke moved in front of Aleta to stop her from leaving.

"Clarke move," the dark haired girl commanded. "I can't," Clarke replied before going to the lever and pulling it up. The dropship door began to close. "No, Clarke. Bellamy's still out there," Aleta cried. Clarke was shaking her head, her own tears threatening to spill. "I'm sorry," Clarke apologized. Before the dropship door closed completely, a grounder woman jumped through. It was the woman on the horse from the bridge. She pulled out her swords.

Weapons were raised immediately and pointed at her. The door closed completely and the grounders outside began to bang on it. A wave of pain began to radiate throughout her arm and Aleta gripped onto her wounded arm. The black blood that slipped through her fingers made her feel sick. The word that the grounder said echoed in her mind. Natblida. What the hell did that mean?

Aleta hissed in pain, grabbing something stop the bleeding. "Jasper, now," Clarke commanded. Jasper turned something on the device he was holding and flipped a switch. Nothing happened. The grounders outside continued to hit against the dropship. "No," Jasper muttered as he began flipping the switch back and forth.

"Anya, you can't win," Clarke informed the woman. The grounder, Anya, looked at them all before letting out a cry and charging forward, her sword raised. Nathan hit her in the head with his rifle, knocking her to the ground. Many of the delinquents began to kick at her and Clarke went to stop them. "Kill her!" Someone cried out.

"Stop! She's already down," Clarke exclaimed, going to stop them, but she was held back. The blonde managed to break free from the person who grabbed her. "Get back. Get back," she commanded them all. "She deserves to die," Nathan said before trying to stab her with his knife. "No!" Clarke grabbed his arm, stopping him. She looked around at them all.

"We are not grounders."

That statement alone made everyone stop what they were doing as they realized she was right. The dropship jolted suddenly and lifted off of the ground a little, causing Aleta to stumble. Jasper managed to do it after all. She let out a sigh. She placed a hand over her mouth to try to keep her sobs at bay. Bellamy and Finn were still out there. They might not have made it out of the blast zone in time.

That meant that they were dead. And any other delinquent that was out there would be dead too. They were all dead. Everyone was dead. Aleta slid onto the floor.

Clarke made her way over to Aleta and began to tie clean cloth around her arm to stop the bleeding. Aleta sat there, eyes on the dropship door. They were dead.

"Aleta. Aleta," Clarke repeated. The dark haired girl finally looked over at her. "We have to check on Raven," the blonde repeated. Aleta only blinked before looking back at the door. "Aleta, look at me." Clarke grabbed her face and turned it to her. "I know how you're feeling. I feel it too. But we have to help Raven, okay?" She tried. Aleta snapped out of it and nodded. The two stood, making their way over to her.

The next few hours were torture for them all. It was nearly silent the whole remainder of the night. An eerie, uncomfortable, and deafening silence. Aleta was almost relieved when they opened the dropship door. She needed to get out of there.

Clarke was at the front of the group as they exited the dropship. There was smoke lingering in the air, the smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils and she gagged, placing a hand over her mouth. She could barely look at the charred bodies of grounders and delinquents alike. One of them was Elijah. Another, probably Finn. And another Bellamy.

That thought alone brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. Though they didn't get a chance to fall. Because an object was thrown in the group's direction, landing next to Clarke. Red smoke emitted from it. Another was thrown and then another. And two more. "What the hell?" Jasper muttered. Aleta's hand fell from her mouth as she grew confused. "Mountain Men," Anya said.

Red smoke began to fill the air around them. It began to choke her and she coughed, covering her mouth and nose to not breathe it in. But she already had, they all had. Around her, people began to cough. Her coughs became more profuse and she fell to the ground. The red smoke was all she saw. It clouded her vision completely.

Her eyes began to droop closed but she forced them open. She managed to see a masked figure approaching her, a gun in his hand and pointed at her. Aleta's eyes drooped again and this time she let them close, falling completely unconscious.

°°°°

Nobody has been reading this book since I rewrote it, which is a little disheartening. I'm excited for the upcoming chapters and if no one's reading them, it's gonna suck. But anyways, welcome to the end of season one and part one of this book. Part two will pick up with season two. Stay tuned for that. I hope you're as excited as I am!