┍━━━━━━━━━━┑
chapter seventeen.
don't touch the kill switch.
┕━━━━━━━━━━┙

        June was grateful that using a computer now wouldn't have dire consequences. Her brown eyes were flickering around the screen, able to keep up with the endless coding flashing through the screen by Raven's hand. The two were taking turns on the keyboard while Monty paced behind them, his anxiousness in the air. He tried to distract himself by writing notes they gave him on the drawing board with a neon marker. June supposed that he was tired, nowhere near as perked up as herself and Raven. "I can't believe how many people ALIE has now," the mechanic marveled. "You see this cluster?"

She pointed to a collection of letters and numbers that were stacked together. "That's a building," Raven explained. "But all this..." She guided her finger to a line that seemed to go on forever in another section. "These are minds. It's full of them, thousands. She's taken Polis too."

"I guess the grounder's believe in technology now," June said with a sigh.

Grimacing, Raven shrugged. "Still, ALIE's army is growing. The longer we wait to go in, the stronger she gets." June narrowed her eyes at the screen. She remembered the promise she made to ALIE when Raven was under her influence. Clarke would often describe June as reckless in her decisions and she supposed that was true when she was thinking how easy it would be to hack into the system and shut it down once and for all.

However, Monty wasn't thinking the same. "Go in?" He repeated. "Raven, no. Our mission - "

"Is to wait for Clarke. Like always," Raven cut him off. She spun around in her chair, picking up Becca's journal. "But what if we can do this ourselves? We have Becca's backdoor password. We have me and June."

"You flatter me, Reyes," June joked, sliding the keyboard in her direction and taking a look at ALIE's system herself.

"You said the moment we use the password ALIE will know," Monty argued seriously.

"She will, I think," Raven confirmed.

"That means we have one shot at this. Is there a kill code in that book you didn't tell me about?" Monty questioned. Raven hesitated before shaking her head in defeat. "Then we stick to the plan. Clarke gives the Flame to Luna. The AI in the Flame gives Luna the kill code. We enter it here, taking our shot, and..." He clasped his hands together. "Bob's your uncle."

Rolling her eyes, Raven wheeled her chair back to the computers. "I hate that expression," she mumbled. June faintly smiled, trying to comfort her by leaning over to press her forehead on her shoulder briefly.

"Let's keep mapping," Monty suggested. "What do you see?"

Before Raven or June can answer, the doors slid open and Harper strolled inside. "Perimeter's clear. Bryan and Miller have watch," she announced. "How is it going in here?" The question made Raven groan and June shoot Harper a look of helplessness. Harper winced. "Not good, huh?" She guessed. She came to a stop by Monty's side. "Take a break?" She offered. "I could use some help securing the South airlock."

Monty hesitated, his gaze landing on Raven unsurely. She noticed and thrust the book in his direction. "Go. Take the book if you don't trust us."

"You memorized Becca's password," Monty countered.

Shrugging, Raven tossed the book back on the desk by June's hand. "Then I guess you'll have to trust us."

Easier said than done for him, June thinks to herself. She eyed the way Harper was looking at Monty with a fondness as they leave, seeing that he was completely unaware of it. She smiled, shaking her head to look back at the computer screens. June had a hunch as to what Harper had in store for him. "Rabbits," she mumbled playfully when they disappeared, door sliding shut and locking behind them, though, she was happy. They were in the middle of war and still found one another.

When June glanced over and peered at Raven, feeling her heart melt at the sight of her in a state of wonder doing something she loved, she knew she felt the same - having found her other half, here, in a neverending battle to survive.

━━━━━━━━

"Raven, look."

After some time passed by, June and Raven putting their amazing minds together, they had finally got somewhere in ALIE's system. She was an intelligent hacker, sure, but ALIE was an AI. It wasn't the same but with the help of the mechanic, they were at least making progress. June had at last hit something. She tapped Raven's shoulder rapidly without taking her eyes off the screen. "It's like some kind of wall, security, maybe. It's definitely protecting something."

Raven made a noise of acknowledgment, clicking at her keyboard to try and breakthrough, the tools in her mind working together with the information given. Nothing happens. June paused, watching her fondly before she commented to her. "You know what we need to get through"

"Like he'll let us do it," Raven huffed, referring to Monty. She then shrugged. "Worth a shot." She slid back, rising and practically bouncing to locate him.

Maybe they could, June thinks to herself, focusing her attention back to the computer. Maybe Monty will see it the way she does and realize with this chance that they can rescue their friends and save everyone. She's so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed Raven returning with Monty in tow behind her, plopping back in her chair.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Look at all these layers of security," Raven directed him. "More than anything else in the entire ALIE code."

Drawn in, Monty scanned the screen. "Firewall?" He guessed.

"More like a fortress," Raven corrected. "She calls it the Citadel. It overlooks the entire city. It's... It's separated by water, like a moat, so..."

"Slow down," Monty interrupted. "What are you saying?"

"That she's hiding something," June explained. She tore her gaze away to spin around and look at him, hoping he'd see the beam of hope in her expression. "Monty, this is good news - "

But he shook his head and cut her off stubbornly. "No."

June's shoulder fell in defeat as Raven begged. "Monty."

"No."

"Please," June is pleading as if she needed Monty's permission to follow through. "With Becca's password, I can edit the code. I'm sure of it!" She exclaimed desperately.

"We've covered this. We map it from the outside, we don't go in," Monty reminded the pair firmly.

"If we don't go in, we won't know what she's protecting there," Raven tried again.

"We'll tell the others when they come home," Monty argued. "We decide together."

Raven's features darkened. "What if they don't come home?" She shot back, a hint of harshness in her tone. June winced at the idea. She wanted them to come back as much as the rest, but there was always that option. They were on a mission to find a nightblood and put the Flame in her head. How many grounders would accept that?

"This could all be over," June spoke up softly. She made sure Monty was looking in her eyes, sensing the if.

But Monty broke away and decided to be more optimistic. "They're coming home," he declared. "And they're bringing back a supercomputer built for this. June, Raven, you may be freakishly good - especially working together - but you're not AI's."

Sighing, June spun back around, feeling defeated. Monty may be right in every way but there was a nagging in her mind that it could be over. No one else, none of their friends, would have to die because of ALIE. They could live and move on. Besides, she swore to ALIE when Raven was under her influence. That she'll be done for one day. "I hate this," Raven muttered in annoyance.

"I know," Monty said sympathetically. "Maybe some sleep would help."

"Yeah, right," June whispered under her breath. Immediately after, she feels a twinge of guilt at the sarcasm, wondering if Monty heard or not and was hurt by it.

She feels Raven nudge her gently. "Let's just keep mapping in case she has any other vulnerabilities," she suggested.

The wheeling chair on June's other side moved backward as Monty sat down. "Then we'll do it together," he stated. June turned her head to see he was smiling warmly. "I promise I won't slow you down. I'll just keep you company."

She weakly smiled back. "You'd never slow us down, Monty."

Although maybe June and Raven could have used Monty's assistance, he kept his promise and tried to stay out of there were in case anything would set them off and eventually turned not very helpful when he laid his head down on the desk, claimed he was 'resting his eyes' before falling asleep completely. June waited until she was sure he really out before grinning to herself.

Raven happened to notice the wide smile and recognize what it meant just as fast. "Don't tell me," she groaned.

"I love Monty but if I do this, no one else has to die or end up like you did because of ALIE," June justified quickly. "I'll end that bitch. I know that I can." She paused, letting Raven take that in before she asked her a simple question. "Do you think I can't?"

"No," Raven responded, fast before June could think she doesn't have any faith in her. "Of course I believe that you can."

"Then here I go." June doesn't give Raven a chance to change her mind on stopping her. She's already at the wall ALIE put up, putting in the password to break it down. Her eyes widened at the screen, all of the brand new information beholding clearly. There were so many things she could do and June knew she didn't have long. She doesn't stop or hesitate for a second, remembering the pain ALIE put Raven through. That AI won't be getting away with it.

Especially when Monty stirred, the words they were sharing waking him up. It doesn't take long for him to catch on. His eyes widened in shock. "June, are you crazy?!" He exclaimed, launching to the side in an attempt to stop her by grabbing her wrists.

"Don't!" June warned him. "I'm getting close. I'm in her Citadel..." Her focus locked back on the computer. "There's a lot of doors but they're locked... Fortunately, I can delete locks." Like that was a challenge. She only had to type faster.

Raven's eyes lit up at the next window popping up. "We were right. She's hiding something," she noted.

Prideful, June nodded. "Yeah, I just have to get past..." She trailed off when she repeatedly hit the enter key, only for the action to be blocked. She tapped a few keys on the board in an attempt to see what's wrong. June's eyebrows furrowed when she caught on to what ALIE was putting there. "... Someone's in the way."

"Someone?" Monty repeated, confused.

"I think it's a, uh... Person," June said, still lost. She's never seen anything like this but ALIE was somehow surprising her with all the tricks. "Must be in the City of Light. I can't get around them."

"Why not?" Monty questioned. "Who is it?"

"Monty? Can you hear me?"

A calmly robotic voice filled the computer's speaker. It was slightly familiar but June couldn't place her finger on it. However, it made sense when Monty tensed, the color draining from his face. His voice broke as he whispered back. "Mom?"

"Monty," his mother says, relieved her son answered. "I wish I could see you. Maybe I will someday." June's hands had frozen in their spot. Hannah Green was dead - wasn't she? Then how was her mind here? Maybe it was because she was chipped but June couldn't comprehend how that was possible.

"She sounds so real," Monty said in amazement.

June's heart breaks at his words and what she has to tell him. "She's gone, Monty," she whispered to him. "It's not really her."

"But ALIE processed it," Raven pointed out. "It's her mind, alive because of the chip."

That seems to be enough for Monty. "Can she hear me?" He asked.

Raven shook her head. "You have to type."

"Monty?" Hannah called out to him. "Monty, you're still there?"

When Monty reached out for the keyboard, June tried to work with him but she doesn't want to be the one to hurt him. "Monty, this is what ALIE wants. She knows I'm close. That's why she sent her. She wants me to stop. She doesn't want us to see what's on the other side," she said gently.

"What you did to me, I know it hurts," Hannah continued.

This time, June doesn't try to stop Monty when he shifted over to type. "I'm sorry," he murmured the words as he hit the letters.

"I know," Hannah replied, sounding pleased that he responded. "I want to take that pain away. That's all any of us want. We can be together again. Don't you want that?"

There's a heavy pause before Monty quietly said; "What happens if we delete her code?"

Raven looked apologetic. "Monty..."

"What happens?" He demanded.

"She'll be gone. Forever," Raven added on, remembering June's earlier words.

"I love you, son."

The pain in Monty's face is full of grief, knowing his mother was gone. He was using all of his strength to fight back tears. It doesn't give June the shove she needs to just delete Hannah's code when she knows how much more it'll hurt him. It's up to him on what to do. "Monty," she says his name carefully as to not finally break him. June can't imagine how hard it is for him but it was time. "It's up to you."

Monty swallowed thickly, stiff. "How do I do it?" He spoke without lifting his head. When neither answer, he shot up. "How do I do it?!" He repeated louder.

Holding her hands up, June eased him by complying and typing Hannah's kill code before sliding the keyboard over to him. "Just hit enter."

"Monty?" Hannah called.

Tears had started freshly pooling in Monty's eyes. He started trembling, blinking rapidly to keep them away. June wants to drop everything and embrace him tightly, to tell him everything was okay when it wasn't but she knows how little it'll do to help comfort him. Monty held his pointer finger over the 'enter' button, grieving the loss of his mother. "I love you too," he choked out. He brings his finger down, pressing the button.

The screen flickered once, showcasing that Hannah Green's file was deleted forever. Monty let out a breathless sob, Raven moving around to put her hand on his shoulder. He had to deal with the loss of his mother twice and was still going to let them finish what they started. "Do it," he whispered to June. "Shut her down." Monty stood then, pushing himself away from the computers to turn away.

June nodded. She took the keyboard back, putting all of her attention back on the screen. She felt a pressure on her shoulders, knowing this was her last chance to stop ALIE. "I'm through the last door," she announced when she finished deleting the rest. Her heart was pounding. The letters on the screen went red and June perked up. "I see it! It's a kill switch!" She was smiling widely, proud and hopeful. "All I have to do is - "

The screens went black all at once.

All of the blankness made June's heart's beating stop as it sunk in her chest. The smile was wiped off of her face and she became distressed and furious. "No!" She angrily pounded her shaking fists on the desk. "No, no!" It's all she can make out in her fit. June was so, so close and was defeated. ALIE disconnected herself before she could finish. She stares at the screen in despair, tears springing in her eyes.

"What happened?!" Monty is demanding.

Raven put her head in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut and drawing in a deep breath. "She must've pulled herself from the mainframe," she muttered, disappointed.

"I was so close." June tilted her head back, fighting the strong urge to smash all of the glass screens. "She... She got away before I could hit the kill switch."

For a minute, Monty is silent as he let what happened hit him before he exploded, throwing all of the blame on June. "This was all for nothing?" He shouted.

"No, Monty, no!" June attempted to convince them all, shooting up out of her chair to face him and see the damage she's done. "Now we know there's a kill switch!"

His eyes only narrowed at her. "A kill switch we can't use because the code is gone!" Monty corrected sharply. "This is your fault!" He accused. He jutted a finger at her and June flinched, pressing her lips together, letting him take out all of his rage on her. "We were supposed to wait for the others!"

As he stormed past her to the desk, Raven reached out towards him to try and calm him. "Monty - "

Monty ignored her, shoving aside her hand to grab one of ALIE's chips on the desk and pinch it in between his fingers, shoving it in June's face. "Is this what you want?!" He demanded. June doesn't answer, her face pinching up as she crumbled, crying in guilt and sorrow. "You want that pain to go away, all of that guilt? Then here!" He slammed the chip down next to the keyboard June had used to blow their last chance. Monty scowled at her once more, spitting out spitefully. "Take it."

"I'm sorry," June cried in an apology. She swears she can feel that guilt swallowing her whole, adding on to the rest of her pain, from all of his rightful accusations. "I didn't mean to cause this. I'm so sorry."

He doesn't respond and June doesn't blame him. Monty only takes off, storming out of the control room, pretending she never said anything at all. She watched the back of his head for a moment before breaking away, sinking back in her chair. Raven eyed her for a second before speaking in comfort. "June, you tried."

"And it still wasn't good enough," June choked out.

With a shattered sob, her head fell forward and she pressed the palm of her hands on her forehead to hold herself up, refusing to look in Raven's eyes in case she saw the same blame she saw in Monty's since she had once again failed them after putting her all of her heart into it, leaving June with the empty hollow feeling that worsened with the pressure of the world on her back.