─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

JUNE'S EYES IMMEDIATELY BURN WHEN HER EYELIDS FLY OPEN. She gasps at the feeling of a shackle locked tight around her neck, clutching it so tightly, she has to suck in deep breaths to breathe. Her blonde hair is wet, out of its braids and sticking to her skin, making her wonder how. The others, including Bellamy, were in the same state. She gives him a helpless look when their eyes connect for a second. June knew she'd be in deep trouble the second they were led through the door. Lincoln was right, she thought. We're all going to suffer.

June just doesn't know how right she is until the torture of their methods of cleaning starts.

It begins with a steam. It hits June so fast, her breath is lost in her throat. She chokes, lungs tightening from lack of air. Her skin itches; feeling like millions of little pins are pricking at her until there are goosebumps. June thought for a second it was something she could bear until a man in a gas mask brushes a white powder on her. She heaves a dry sob at the feeling when it hits her, feeling like she was suddenly set on fire. June can't scream, only letting out pain cries as the powder is dug further into her skin. A strong smell wafts up to her nostrils, making her head spin.

June would have taken the white powder again with cries if she didn't have to suffer through the water that sprays at her next. It's boiling, steaming as it blasts against her skin. She does wail this time, louder when it comes in contact with her scars. June sobs, hot water rushing into her mouth, making her cough and sputter as she catches her breath. Her body still feels like she's been dipped in lava, skin tinted a bright pink as her scars continue to blaze.

A needle pricks June's wet arm. She flinches as she feels something the size of a pebble squeeze under her skin. A gloved hand grabs a fist full of her long hair, tugged her head back so fast her neck cracks. Another hand pulled her lips apart, and a light is shone in her mouth. All she can see is a mask studying the inside closely, inspecting it. The hand lowers to June's jaw, holding it open as a metal tube is pushed into her mouth. It's deep, but not far enough for her gag reflex to go off.

Until a trigger is pressed, and some pill shoots into June's throat, giving her no choice but to swallow. She coughs, barely given time to catch her breath as a flip switches and water pours from the ceiling like a shower. It's just as hot as before, and June's wet hair falls over her face, masking her cries of misery. It gets worse when another masked man comes towards her with a long brush, the pricks rubbing at her skin in the least gentle way possible. June's scars from her torture weren't spared, and she thinks for a moment that her cuts splitting open again as they're viciously scrubbed at will be the least of her problems.

Gurgled screams of pain ring in June's ears. She isn't sure if it's the other men or Bellamy as she suffers, her skin being ridden of any dirt or dry blood. June's head hurts from the pain she wants to explode with, and eventually, she can't fight it back anymore. Her mouth falls open, head falling back and water cascading over her face as she screams in agony. It shreds June's vocal chords, the acid water splattering her heads and filling as mouth, making it turn into a gurgle.

Another needle is plunged into June's neck. A warm feeling spread through her and her knees buckle, suddenly feeling nothing but exhaustion. June tries to stay awake, but she can't, eyes slipping shut and being thankful before she slips into a blackness, that she can finally sleep without suffering in this pain.

━━━━━━━━

June awakens with her knees pressed to her chest. Her skin is still tingling, but the ache had faded to a dull pang. She blinks a few times to adjust her blurry vision, hands reaching to touch a few of her many scars. The injuries are still sealed shut, so she's not bleeding out, and she's back in her white undergarments. June looks away, finally realizing where she was and why she's curled up. She's in a cage, the wires forming a small box that she can't sit up in without her head hitting the top. Though she tries, sitting up with a grimace of pain.

"Bellamy?" June mumbled out thinly, eyes flickering around the room. She wasn't the only one in a cage. In front of her, she can see another long line of cages, and a familiar face in one.

June presses her palms against the door of her cage the second she sees Bellamy. He had been speaking to a girl beside him, who ends up spitting in his face. "I take it no one has told you we're not enemies anymore," Bellamy muttered, wiping the saliva off his cheek.

"Bellamy!" June repeats louder, giving the wire of the cage a shake to grab his attention. "Are you okay?"

On his knees, Bellamy leans forward in his cage, eyes widening when they land on June across from him. He nodded slowly. "You?" June nods back and he breathes in relief. "Good." He gives the door to his cage a shake, testing how tightly he was locked in. "We need to get out of here."

"Good plan," June commented with sarcasm. She knows it's useless to try, having already seen the lock holding her door shut. Not even Bellamy could break it by kicking at it.

"And then what?" The girl who had spit at Bellamy asks.

Stilling, Bellamy turns his head away from June to scowl darkly. "And then we're going to kill everyone in this mountain." With that, he returns to pounding at his door, prying at the lock, doing everything to try and open it with angered shouts.

"Bellamy, stop!" June exclaimed in a loud whisper. "You're just going to hurt yourself!"

The door to whatever room they were in buzzes before June hears footsteps. She freezes, prepared to tell Bellamy to stop again before the female grounder does. "Here they come, quiet!" She ordered. June craned her neck, trying to see as the doors shut and a man approaches the cages.

"This one'll do," he told the one behind him, pulling out keys and beginning to unlock her door. With one look to the grounder, June wondered if she could survive whatever treatment the Mountain Men use. Her hair is matted, fresh and old scars littering every inch of her pale skin, and deep bags under her eyes, making them look sunk in.

Bellamy reacts before June can. He thrashes in his cage, kicking furiously at the door with shouts. June wants to swear, call him an idiot for offering himself instead of the girl, but with one look at the man's keys, she knew it was one of the only ways to get free. June pounds her clenched fist at her cage, trying to remember the words Lincoln said when he was acting and threatened to kill Bellamy before it clicks. "Ponis un!" She screeched, hoping she was right and the others would think she's a grounder. (Back off!)

A sinister grin comes to the man's face. "We seem to have two live ones," he noted, taking the keys out of the grounders cage. He hands the keys to his assistant.  "Take her first. She's small, won't put up a fight."

June keeps her lower lip curled in fury, watching as her lock is clicked. Once she hears it, she kicks her feet forward and the door swings open, almost hitting the man in the face. June is quick to scurry out, throwing her weight on top of him to pin him down and grabbing him by the neck tightly. He thrashes around as she tightens her grip, seeing nothing but red from her rage as she tries to kill him.

The noises surrounding June sound like they are miles away, until she feels something poke her back. She gasps, hands flinging away from the man she attacked as electricity surged through her body, sending her falling to the ground. June's vision sways and her body is too limp to fight back as she's lifted, hardly remembering anything, until she's in control of her body once more.

It's not in a position June is used to. There's binds clasping at her ankles, and her sight is upside down. It doesn't register she's hanging by her feet until she sees a face in front of her, holding a needle. June flinched at the closeness, wincing when her head ached and needles in her skin protested. "Sorry," the girl apologized softly. "Are you - are you from The Ark?" She questioned.

It's quiet as June studied her from how close she was. The girl is pretty, with pale skin and black hair, her light eyes full of worry. "I am," June finally mumbled thinly. "I'm June Thompson. I'd shake your hand, but..." She opened her palms as a gesture to the situation she was in.

"I'm Maya," the girl introduced with a hint of a smile on her upside-down face. "Your friend is hanging beside you?"

June jerks, nearly hitting Maya with her forehead. "Bellamy?!" She panicked, remembering they were taking him as well. Her head turned, seeing Maya was telling the truth, and Bellamy was there, passed out and hanging by his feet too. "Can you wake him up? Please?"

"I'll get you both down," Maya promised, rising. June hears a tray rattle before Maya stands in front of Bellamy and he lets out a gasp of alarm. "It's alright," Maya whispered, calming him. "I'm Maya. I'm here to help you both."

Head whipping to the side, Bellamy's stare meets June. "What - what the hell is happening?"

"You know... Just hanging out," June muttered, her hanging body swaying as she held her arms out. Maya snorted, going to work at taking the patches off Bellamy's bare chest.

Suddenly, a familiar buzz goes off and the door swings open. June jolts, eyes widening as Maya whirls around nervously. "Lovejoy, hey," she greeted breathlessly.

"What are you doing here?" The man, Lovejoy, asked. "You're not cleared for this facility."

"I know, I'm sorry," Maya apologized. "I just wanted to see what was so special about them. But the boy... He's dead." June is puzzled, trying to clear her head before she catches on quickly. There was only one way out of this. June shuts her eyes, pretending to still be knocked out as heavy footsteps coming towards them.

A pause. And then; "So he is." June hears a few beeps before a creaking. "You're a brave girl coming in here - "

The guard is cut off with a grunt as June hears skin meeting skin. She tries to turn, hearing both men grunting as they fought one another. "Maya!" June called, pleading. "Help me!" Maya rushed to pull off the patches on her chest, yanking out the needle connecting her to a cord, making her wince. She grabs a lever and tugs it up, lowering June to the ground. Her head still hurts from hanging for who knew how long, but she sat up quickly. Maya rushed to Bellamy's aid as June's shaking hands went to work on undoing the clasps around her ankles.

"Stop!" Maya cried out. June managed to wrangle off the bound on her right foot as she looks up, seeing Maya with a gun pointed at the guard who had Bellamy pinned to the cages, choking him.

"Don't!" June shouted, trying to work on herself faster. "Someone will hear it!" Maya grew still, lowering the gun.

Just as June is able to free herself, her head shoots up to see the grounder girl Bellamy had helped was reaching through the holes of her cage, holding Lovejoy still as Bellamy now choked him. He didn't need her help anymore, the guard's face turning a bright shade of purple before he his body falls slack as he's released. June rises to her feet a bit unsteadily, having straggled as she finds her balance. Bellamy is panting, blood dripping from his mouth, and Maya looks like she's about to be sick.

"Thank you," June says softly to her. "Are you okay?"

Maya clears her throat, pulling herself together and nodding. "I'm fine," she responded, not sounding very fine at all.

"Help me get him undressed," Bellamy requested, interrupting the pair. "We need to get rid of the body."

Although Maya still seems green, she still helps June and Bellamy take off the guard's clothing. It was much easier to undress him than it was to drag his body into one of the cages. June can see the dead look in his eyes as it slams shut, leaving Bellamy to tighten the vest that looks a bit big. She eyes it carefully. "What about me?" She speaks up. "I can't exactly walk out like this."

"You're too young to be a guard," Maya answered, thinking. "But you could pass as a student. Hang on, I'll go grab some clothes from one of the patients." June nods. Maya turns, dashing out of the door.

"Yu laik Skaikru?" A timid voice called out. (You're Sky People?)

June turned, seeing the voice speaking was the grounder girl, leaning against the door of her cage hopelessly. She knew they couldn't let her out, had nowhere to bring her, had no way to get her out. "I am," June admitted. She could only guess the question by being labeled as Skaikru. "What's your name?"

It's quiet, and as June expects to be spit on like Bellamy, she isn't. Instead, she received a quiet reply. "Echo."

The door opens again, and Maya comes rushing in, putting their conversation on hold. "Here," she offered, holding out the bundle of clothing in her arms. "I also grabbed a blouse too. I figured it wouldn't be good if anyone saw your, um..."

"My scars," June finished for her, not cold, but agreeing. She assumed no one in Mount Weather battled for their lives with weapons every day. The clothes are softer compared to anything June had ever worn. She pulls on a light blue tank top, covering it up with a long-sleeved white button-up and finishes by buttoning her jeans. Maya holds out a pair of colored sneakers with white laces that June accepts, slipping on. "God, this is so uncomfortable..." She mumbled, feeling so out of place in such nice clothing.

"It'll be fine," Bellamy informed her before directing his attention to Maya, pulling Lovejoy's cap over his head. "You've done enough. You should walk away."

The suggestion made Maya shake her head. "You don't know where you're going," she pointed out.

"So draw us a map," Bellamy countered.

"No," Maya protested firmly. She sounded much more stubborn and determined now as she holds the gun out in Bellamy's direction. "I'm in."

Though neither of them like it, June knows they don't have much of a choice. They need the help. "Okay," Bellamy agreed. "I need to get to the radio so I can contact Clarke. We heard Jasper's SOS."

"I helped them set that up. I know where it is," Maya piped in.

"Good," June said in relief. "I was a hacker on The Ark, I'll need to go as deep as the guards can later. How far can you take us?"

Maya loosely shrugged. "My key card only gives me access to some levels, but you should be able to use Lovejoy's to delve deeper." She pauses, a sorrowful look crossing her as her tone lowered. "Your people are disappearing. Two so far, Monty and Harper..." June inhaled sharply. "I thought they'd be in here, but..."

"I want to see the others," Bellamy demanded, cutting her off. "Now."

"The dorm is on the way to the radio," Maya explained. "But everyone here knows everyone." She rips the name tag off Bellamy's uniform. "June, you'll have to play innocent. You're a student here, okay?" June nods in understanding. She had to now portray an innocent student, not a grounder. "Roll up your sleeves," Maya instructed as she picks up gauze and a scalpel on a nearby tray.

"What is it?" June questioned, taking the bottom of her shirt's sleeve and pulling it up to expose her arm, Bellamy following with his tan sleeve.

"Tracking chips," Maya answered. "They'll trip an alarm once we start moving. We have to take them out."

This'll suck, June thinks but holds her arm out. "Go ahead." She clenched her fist to prepare herself. Maya hesitated before pressing the blade of the scalpel to her arm, drawing it downward in a perfect line. June grits her teeth, remembering her time tied to a tree against grounders. The memory doesn't make it hurt as bad when she remembers the pain she endured then. Maya pinches her finger in the open wound, pulling out a small chip.

"Sorry," Maya apologized at the pinched up look June gave her. She presses the bandage against her injury, tying it tightly before motioning to Bellamy. June tugs her sleeve back down, seeing that he hardly flinched as a line of red appears before his chip is pulled out too. "Put these in your cages," Maya says, referring to the trackers, so they'd think they were still there.

Once the trackers were placed, and they braced themselves for whatever was beyond that door, Bellamy pressed his hand to Echo's cage. "I'll come back for you, I promise," he vouched.

June sent her a small smile to follow Bellamy's words before averting her focus back to Maya. "Alright, Maya," she announced, attempting to come off as brave and as bold as possible so it wouldn't show how frightened she was. "Let's get this little party started."