─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ONCE CAGE WENT PUBLIC WITH THE DELINQUENTS, IT WAS EVERYONE FOR THEMSELVES. Neighbor turned against neighbor, friend against friends, and worse, the guards did random checks. June knew why he did. Bellamy managed to disable the acid fog with Raven's assistance, and Cage knew there was an army just coming for them led by Clarke and Commander Lexa. All June had to do now was wait, and spend her time in a dorm resting and healing.

The two people June, Maya, and Jasper were staying with were Mrs. and Mr. Peters, kind adults that welcomed them so quickly into their home knowing the risks if they were caught. She was leaning against the arm of a couch, the hem of her shirt pulled up as Mrs. Peters gently wrapped a new bandage around her wound.

June tried to stay still, remembering how bad it was the first time Mrs. Peters had put a bandage around it days ago, but she dug her fingers into the cushion and waited until it was done correctly. "Thank you."

"Of course," Mrs. Peters replied, pity laced in her tone as she watched June sit up with a wince. "Have some more tea." June faintly smiled as she picked the teacup up, sipping at the warm liquid.

June nearly dropped the cup when she heard a sudden knocking at the door. Mr. Peters shared a worried look with his wife. "This section had already been checked," he whispered. He quickly stood, ushering the teenagers to follow him with a wave of his hand. A large painted picture covered a hole in the wall, that easily shielded the three from the guards.

Only a light shone through the decorative holes in the front wall of the cramped space. June held her breath as Mr. Peters opened the door, greeting the guard who stormed in with two others trailing behind him. "We'll just be a moment," he says.

A few doors open and slam. "If you tell us what you're looking for, maybe we can help you," Mrs. Peters offered, feigning confusion.

"You know what we're looking for," another guard sneered. June freezes, recognizing the voice. It belonged to the guard, Moore, that brought her to the hidden room for the bone marrow.

"Honestly, we don't know," Mr. Peters insisted. June shut her eyes, knowing the guards sensed the nervousness in his tone. She reached down, flicking on the radio, remembering her earpiece was still on the coffee table.

"According to your neighbors, you've been bringing extra food home after meals," the guard who was in lead informed them. June felt guilt weigh her down like she could feel the food she consumed.

"That's not true," Mr. Peters protested.

"Is it true that you've refused treatment twelve times in the past fifteen years?" The guard spit out. "Or that you've refused them thirty times? Do you deny that?"

There's fear in Mrs. Peters's voice as it wavers when she answers. "We take the blood when we need it. We don't take extra food," she says.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about." It's quiet. June tries to lean forward to see better, but then Jasper is shaking his head, warning her not to. Suddenly, the guard shouts. "Where are they?!" June hears the click of a gun. "You have five seconds to cooperate! One... Two... Three..."

"Please don't do this!" Mr. Peters pleaded over his wife's cries. June looks from Jasper and Maya, knowing they can't do this. They can't stand in hiding and let them die.

"Four... Five!"

June shoves the painting forward with one push, making themselves known before the guard can shoot them. Jasper quickly grabbed it, setting it to the side, calling out. "Wait, wait! Please don't shoot!" As June steps out, she can see the image in her mind is right. Mr. and Mrs. Peters are sitting at the couch, terrified, with the guard just a few feet from them. A firearm is in his hand, the barrel pointed at them. "We're here, okay?" Jasper said calmly, his hand outstretched.

"We'll go with you," June promised softly before begging. "Just leave them alone."

"I'm so sorry," Mr. Peters whispered to the three.

Ignoring them, the guard still holding his gun up clips his radio from his belt and speaks into it. "This is Tilling. Just found three more," he tells whoever is on the other end. "We're bringing them in now."

A split second after he lowers it, a gunshot rings in the air. June's jaw drops as she watched Mrs. Peters' head fly back, blood splattering the wall behind her. Mr. Peters screams before he's silenced with another gunshot, piercing his head and killing him instantly.

Metal cuffs being slapped around June's wrists make tear her gaze away from the dead ones that tried to help them. "You monsters..." She gaped, unable to think of any other name to describe them.

There was a time June had been convinced that the grounders were the real monsters. That they were these bloodthirsty warriors, willing to kill and slaughter everyone in their way. But it was when she heard hers and the other's chains cling together she knew it was the Mountain Men. And knew that every guilty person here would die once the war started. June's bound hands were in tight fists, following the guard that guided her, Jasper, Maya, and a caught Miller and Fox with him. The other two followed with their rifles cocked.

As they turn a corner, the guard stops when he sees who's at the end of the hall. Vincent stands there, hands fallen to his sides in sorrow. "Out of the way, Vincent," he's warned.

"That's my daughter," Vincent responds quietly.

"Dad, don't," Maya pleads, her eyes filling with tears.

"Quiet!" The guard barked. "She's been aiding and abetting the outsiders. You need to get out of our way."

Refusing, Vincent shakes his head, standing his ground. "I won't let you take her, Paul."

"Listen carefully," the guard, Paul, demanded. "We've got orders. She knows where they're hiding. Now step aside. I'm not gonna ask you again." Maya let out a soft cry, and June sadly gazed to her, her arm gently brushing against her in comfort.

"If you want her, you got to go through me," Vincent declared bravely.

"Dad, please," Maya begged. "They'll kill you."

On cue, Paul ripped out his handgun from his holster. He pointed the barrel straight at Vincent's chest. "Don't make me do this, Vincent."

Shaking his head, Vincent apologizes. "Sorry, Paul."

Maya sobs. Just when June braces herself for a gunshot and to see Vincent fall, the grate to one of the vents is pulled open. Just as she sees that it's Bellamy, sticking his arm out, he shoots, the shot taking down Paul. And she reacts just as fast as her mind processes to. June circled her wrists, catching the chains in her hand and bringing them up. They easily wrap around Moore's neck, and she grits her teeth, using all her strength to tug back.

He chokes, dropping his gun and hand flying up to claw at his neck. June doesn't stop, head cocking as her vision turns red with fury, watching with her lower lip curled back as he dies by her hands. Painfully, she guessed. Moore's skin turns a mix of purple and blue, and with a few more choked gasps, he becomes still. June lets him go, pulling her chains back and he crumpled to the ground.

"June," Bellamy calls. "You okay?"

"Probably better than him," Miller answered before June could. She lets out a small huff, nodding to each of them.

"Need to get everyone into the harvest chamber," Bellamy announced as Vincent rushes to take the keys off Paul and free them. "You'll be safer there."

Jasper looks up, holding his wrists out to Vincent. "Safe in the harvest chamber?" He repeated in surprise.

"Just trust me," Bellamy reassured them. June thanked Vincent who took her cuffs off, knowing she did trust Bellamy.

"Are the others there?" Jasper asked. Bellamy shakes his head. "Monty?"

"Monty's with the other group on Level Three," Vincent cut in, freeing Fox and Miller. "Don't worry, we moved him after the last sweep." He points to Bellamy. "You should go there next."

"Alright, go on," Bellamy gestured to the younger ones. "Vincent will take you, I won't be long."

Nudging her way past Maya and Fox, June quickly stopped him before he could run. "Wait, Bellamy, I'm coming with you!"

Shaking his head, Bellamy held his hand up. "June, your hip - "

"I'm fine," June declared, putting emphasis on the word sharply. "I got rest. I'm coming with you," she repeated, leaving no room for any further argument.

"I am too," Jasper added, picking up one of the rifles. "I promised I'd protect them. That's exactly what I'm gonna do."

With both Jasper and June too stubborn to say no, Bellamy hesitated before nodding. "Let's go."

"Maya..." Vincent whispered.

June turned her head to see Maya prepared to leave with them, giving her father an apologetic look. "I'll be okay," she promised.

Her father comes to stroke her hair gently, his face pinching in sadness before he tells her; "Your mother would be so proud." Maya smiles sadly, hurrying to embrace him. "See you soon," Vincent mumbles quietly. "Be careful."

"You too," Maya replied, slowly releasing him as Jasper called her down. June sent Vincent one last faint smile of gratefulness before she follows, knowing that this war was just beginning.

━━━━━━━━

The vents were small, and June's hip still would give her short pangs from her crouched position on her hands and knees. But she still continued, following Bellamy with Jasper and Maya just behind her. She managed to ignore it and was relieved when the vent was just inches away. Bellamy quickly popped it open, sticking his head out. June could hear people running in a panic, so he waited until it was clear before waving his hand and hopping out. "We don't have much time," he said. "The last twelve are on this level." He held his hand out, letting June grasp it and helped her out.

"Including Monty," Jasper commented. He jumped out, helping Maya behind him. "Which way?"

Maya pointed to their right. "This way."

As they ran, a voice filled the intercom. "Attention. Class one quarantine protocols are now in effect. All citizens must report to Level Five immediately. Hard seal lockdown in T-minus thirty minutes and counting."

June wanted to shout and cuss because of course this was their luck. She gazed to Maya who was frozen in fear. Jasper quickly held her lower arms, gently speaking. "Listen to me. It's gonna be okay. Alright? You're gonna be okay," he promised. "We're not gonna let anything happen to you." He looked up to Bellamy and June. "Will we?"

"Yeah, of course," June said confidently.

"In thirty minutes, all backup power gets diverted for species continuity. That means Level Five for life support and security. Radiation will seep in everywhere else." Maya paused to shake her head sadly. "I can't go to Level Five without being shot in the head."

"Guys," Bellamy called. "We need to keep moving."

Ignoring him, Jasper moved his hands to Maya's shoulders. "We'll get you your hazmat suit, extra oxygen, enough to last until the engineers get the power back on."

"And then what? You think Cage Wallace is gonna let me live here after that?" Maya pointed out.

"We'll figure it out," June cut in determinedly.

The intercom repeated itself before Jasper's features turned cold. "We'll kill him." June stopped, having to process what he stated so surely. She was positive this was a plan she could support, hell, would be glad to do herself, but was only surprised it was Jasper to suggest it.

A gunshot suddenly fires in a room, causing June to jump and whirl around. A woman cries follows, along with a man's deep voice shouting. "Move! Let's go!"

"Monty," Jasper gasped, breaking out into a run.

Bellamy tried to hush him, managing to catch up and hold his arm out in front of the three before they could get any closer. "Slow, slow," he warned in a whisper. He held up his handgun. "Be ready for anything."

Much more prepared, June straightened as she followed the others in quickly dashing down the hall. She could still hear people crying and shouting, whether it was in fear or grief, she wasn't sure. Until they reached an open door to see a woman's body sprawled on the ground, a bleeding hole in her forehead. "It's Mrs. Ryan," Maya gasped at the sight of her, dead.

"She was hiding the last twelve," Bellamy uttered in shock.

Stepping over Mrs. Ryan's body, June looked into the room to see it was almost empty. No one was inside. "No one's here," she informed the others.

"Where'd they take them?" Jasper questioned in a panic.

"Its got to be Level Five," Maya suggested.

All it took was Jasper taking one step for Bellamy to move fast and stand in his way. "No," he protested in one, simple, word as Jasper almost ran into his chest.

"Get out of my way," Jasper begged.

"Every person inside this mountain is on Level Five, every soldier," Bellamy argued before nodding to Maya. "Tell him."

"Jasper's right," Maya responded, not agreeing with Bellamy. "After the lockdown, it'll be impossible to get them out. It's now or never."

"Bellamy's right too," June said. "With every guard on Level Five, it'll be impossible to get them out either way."

Knowing the limited options they had, Bellamy waited for a better idea before starting. "So how do we even get - " Before he can finished, a loud thump coming from behind them sends Bellamy and Jasper cocking their guns and June putting an arm in front of Maya.

A head popped out from beside a piece of furniture. They held their hands up in surrender, slowly coming out of their hidden position. "Monty," Jasper whispered in astonishment.

"Monty?" June repeated, seeing Jasper was right. Monty was there, clearly shaken up by something.

"What is it?" Bellamy asked when seeing the frightened expression. "What's wrong?"

Lowering his trembling hands to the ground, Monty didn't take his stare off of Mrs. Ryan. "They know about the grounders. That's why I hid," he finally whispered. June feels her heart sink to her chest like a stone. "I... I didn't do anything to save the others," Monty stammered. "I let them kill Mrs. Ryan." June wanted to comfort him - tell him it wasn't his fault. It's just survival instinct, trying to protect himself. Monty wouldn't have been able to stop a group of Mount Weather soldiers anyways if they were wielding guns.

But Bellamy questions him before June can speak. "What do you mean they know about the grounders?"

"It was on a soldier's walkie," Monty said softly. "They're going for the harvest chamber."

"If they take it, we lose everyone," Bellamy panicked.

June's hand ran down her knotted hair before she shook her head in defeat. "That's not happening. Let's go!" Bellamy took the lead, bolting down the hall to show them the way as Jasper helped Monty stand, pulling him away from Mrs. Ryan.

Their long walk to the harvest chamber takes longer than June wanted. Her mind is running so fast it aches, every bad possibility that could happening flashing like pictures. The Mountain Men knew about their plan to prepare the grounders inside to make an army. That simple fact alone could help them win this war. June was terrified, her heart racing, trying to be hopeful for that once that this would be fine. That all their friends would return, the grounders would be brought to their land unharmed, and she could walk away and live a life of peace.

That all changes when the group of five do reach the harvest chamber.

Bellamy swings open the door, him and Jasper holding their guns up bravely. The action turns out to be useless. Because there is not a living soul besides them inside. The cages are completely empty, every single one like they were cleaned out.

And Vincent Vie, the very man who helped them, had paid the ultimate sacrifice for a good deed. He's laying on his back, head turned to show a prominent bullet hole on his forehead.

June's hand flies up to cover her mouth at the sight, Maya pushing past her, screaming. "No!" She crumpled to her knees beside her father, shaking his chest as she wailed in grief. "No! No!"

"No..." June whispered to herself, looking from Vincent's body to the empty cages, knowing now, they have lost.

━━━━━━━━

AUTHOR'S NOTE: one last chapter and we are done with season 2 + book 1!