The gun had been fired too quickly, not leaving enough time for any of us to try and stop the attack.

Bullets flew in every direction as he walked toward us, a blank stare beneath his usually friendly eyes. 

It was Marcus Kane holding the gun, but there seemed to be no remnants of his previous self. He was chipped. 

I had ended up on the floor, I'm not really sure how. All I knew was that I was frozen in place, my eyes wide and breaths laboured as the gun fire finally stopped. 

Miller's face popped into my line of vision, his own eyes wild as he grabbed onto me, pulling me behind one of the walls. 

It was then that I felt the blinding pain, the shock finally beginning to subside...I had been shot. 

I looked down at my torso, my hands shaking more than ever as they reached up, feeling the hole in my abdomen. 

"Oh no." I whispered, pulling my hand back to see it covered in blood. 

My wide eyes looked around, taking in the scene around me and I soon realized it wasn't good. 

Bryan was propped up against the wall beside me, his own leg coated in blood from a bullet hole. Pike lay by the wheel, a bullet wound in his abdomen as well. And as much as I hated him, him being hurt really damaged our chances of pulling this thing off. 

"Back to the wheel!" Pike ordered, his voice laced in pain. 

Luckily, both Indra and Octavia were unharmed, and had managed to disarm and momentarily disable Kane. 

Unluckily, voices from deep within the corridor rang off, signalling that there were about to be more attackers making their way toward us. 

"We're about to have company!" Octavia announced, her worried eyes landing on me. 

 "You want to bet?" Bryan muttered, reaching behind him. "We need to seal the corridor!" he called, then passing a detonator to Miller, "Nate..."

Miller took it without any hesitation and instantly took off toward the entrance of the corridor. 

I let out quick, laboured breaths, doing my best to hold pressure to my own wound. I knew if I lost too much blood, I was as good as gone. 

"Hang in there, Avery." Bryan ordered, wincing from the pain of his own wound. 

I nodded, shifting slightly, "I will if you will." I bargained, giving him a pained smile. 

"Take cover!" Miller yelled as he threw the explosive down the corridor. 

Bryan wrapped his arms around me, hunching us both over to avoid any flying debris. 

Once the dust had settled, he pulled away, another pained look spreading across his face. 

I pressed my hand harder into my stomach, watching as Miller, Pike and Octavia began turning the wheel again. 

Hopefully, with the entrance to the corridor now blocked off we had bought ourselves some time. 

Indra arrived next to Bryan and I, her eyes scanning over both of our wounds. "Come on," she whispered, "Let's get you two up. We need to be ready to move."

She grabbed onto Bryan first, pulling him to his feet before leaving him leaning against one of the walls.

As she stood in front of me, I looked up at her through weak eyes. "I don't think I can." I admitted, feeling weaker and weaker by the second.

Indra ignored me, reaching out to lock her arms around me. "Yes, you can." she promised, wasting no time in pulling me up off the ground. 

The pain was excruciating the minute I moved at all, warm pain searing through my stomach. 

A shocked gasp fell from my lips as Indra leaned me against the wall beside Bryan, her arms stilled wrapped around me.

But her eyes weren't focused on me anymore. Instead, they were focused on the rubble that was piled up at the entrance, rather they were focused on the fact that it was currently moving.

"They're coming."

"They're at  the top!" Octavia yelled, all of them stepping back from the wheel. 

"Let's go!" Bryan yelled, holding out the bomb for Miller to take. "Set the bomb and let's climb!"

"30 seconds!" Miller yelled, rushing back to the wheel to place the explosive. 

Bryan grabbed onto me, both of us leaning on one another as we began making our way to the ladder. 

"Come on!" Octavia urged, reaching out to pull me toward the ladder, "We have to hurry."

"No." I panted, pulling out of her grasp. "Go. Start climbing."

Octavia's face fell as she shook her head. "Aves-"

"-Go!" I ordered, clutching onto my stomach. "You're not dying because of me. I'll be right behind you, I promise."

"Let's go!" Pike ordered, pushing past both Octavia and I before mounting the ladder. 

"Here." Miller announced, shoving me toward the ladder. "I'll be behind you the whole time, Avery. I won't let you fall."

As much as I wanted to argue with him, I knew we didn't have the time for that. So I grabbed onto the ladder, pushing past the horrible pain as I began to pull myself up. 

Each rung felt torture as pain ripped through my stomach. My arms and legs growing so weak I felt as if I was going to lose my grip at any moment. 

Miller all but carried me up, staying so close behind me that there was no way I could fall. 

If I remembered correctly, this was the second time he had completely saved my ass. The first being that night he had literally carried me into the Dropship after I thought I had lost Bellamy and Finn. 

Bryan and Octavia were right in front of us, the two of them following behind Pike who had been the first to start climbing. At least if there was an army waiting up there, he'd be the first to go. 

We were about halfway up the ladder when Octavia looked down, her eyes growing wide. "Indra, no!"

I turned my head ever so slightly, just enough to see that Indra had failed to climb up with us...she had gone back for Kane.

Not even five seconds later, an explosion boomed from beneath us, sending smoke and debris everywhere. 

I felt my breath hitch in my throat, my mind racing to Indra and Kane and whether or not they were alive. 

"Keep climbing, Avery." Miller ordered, his own voice plagued with distress. 

"Almost there!" Came Pike's voice from up above, "Just a bit further."

I took a moment, trying to steady my breath and convince myself not to pass out. Just a bit further, I could do this.

---

Turns out that a "bit further," feels a lot longer when you have a hole in your stomach. 

By the time we finally made it to the top, I was covered in sweat, my breaths becoming harder and harder to find. 

Octavia was waiting for Miller and I, instantly reaching out to pull me onto level ground. 

I slumped into her, feeling like I was going to be sick from how much I had just overexerted my already exhausted body. 

"This way." Octavia announced, nodding down the hall to where the rest of them would be. 

"No." I argued, taking a step away from her. "Don't take me to Bellamy."

Octavia looked over at me incredulously. "Aves, what the hell are you talking about?"

I let out a deep breath, steadying myself against the wall. "He can't know." I explained, closing my eyes as a wave of nausea washed over me. "He needs to be focused on stopping ALIE, okay?"

My best friend looked conflicted as she looked between Miller and I. "He'll wonder where you are, you know that, right?"

I nodded, "Tell him I'm keeping watch, tell him whatever you need, just don't tell him I'm hurt, please."

Octavia shook her head in disbelief "I-...o-okay." she finally conceded, not seeming happy with this idea.

"Miller," she began, nodding down the opposite end of the hall. "The Commander's chambers are down the hall to the right, take Avery there, please."

"I can take myself." I announced, trying to hid the wince as I pushed myself off of the wall, "Go help them...all of you." I ordered, brushing them off as they all looked at me with concern. 

"We'll come check on you once we know what's going on." Miller promised, his face written in conflict like Octavia.

I gave him a forced smile as I nodded, clutching onto my stomach as I began to slowly move down the hall. 

No movement was heard from my friends for a few seconds, and I knew they were all watching me in worry. 

"Go!" I called, not bothering to turn around. Not even a second after the words left my mouth I could hear them scrambling down the hallway in the opposite direction I was headed. 

I waited until I heard them enter the room down the hall before allowing myself to stumble toward the door Octavia had pointed out. My body was screaming in protest with each step I took. 

As I barged into the room, I barely had time to rush toward the couch as the entire room started spinning 

My body collapsed, just missing the couch which left me sprawled out on the floor. My eyes began to roll into the back of my head as I was now finding it too hard to even try and keep them open. 

I laid like that, puddled in my own blood for who knows how long, but each second that passed I felt weaker and weaker...If I could just close my eyes. 

"Aves!"

My eyes slowly opened to see Octavia kneeling in front of me, her face contorted in fear. She placed a hand on either side of my face, giving it a small shake. "Avery, stay awake." she ordered.

"We have to get her out of here!" Miller announced, he too now hovering over me. "She needs Abby."

I shook my head, swallowing to push the taste of blood out of my mouth. "I'm fine." I promised, my voice barely audible. 

"You're not fine." Pike cut in, looking down at me with what appeared to be sympathy. "You lose anymore blood and you're dead. You need to see Abby."

I glared up at up him, "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Octavia looked equally as angry as her eyes flickered toward Pike. "We need to move you, even if you're as fine as you say you are." she explained, her eyes softening as she looked down at me. "This is the only room we can't prevent them from getting into."

I let out a pained gasp as I forced myself into a sitting position. "What's going on out there?" I questioned, almost afraid of the answer. 

Miller, Bryan and Octavia shared nervous glances, Bryan being the first to speak. "They're climbing."

I felt my blood run cold as, for the first time since they all entered the room, I listened to something other than their voices. It only took me a few seconds to hear it...they noises of angry yells coming from outside of the tower. 

"Come on." Miller said, pulling me to my feet. He then looked to his boyfriend. "You too, Bry. You need to let Abby check you out."

Bryan's face contorted in objection. "I am not letting him fight alone." he argued, his eyes locked on Pike. 

"He won't be alone." Octavia announced, readjusting the grip she held on her sword. There was something in her eyes that told me fighting alongside Pike wasn't all she had in mind. 

"See," Miller muttered. "Let's go." he advised, allowing me to lean on one side of his shoulder as Bryan leaned on the other. 

It took us a while to actually make it down the corridor to the Throne Room, both mine and Bryan's injuries slowing us down substantially. 

Finally, we pushed through the doors, entering a scene that sent me spiralling into confusion. 

Abby, Murphy and Bellamy were all crowded around Clarke who seemed to be unconscious in the throne, her body hooked up to tubes that seemed to be transfusing blood. On a table not too far from them laid who I assumed was Ontari, her Nightblood flowing through the tubes into Clarke's arm. 

I didn't have any time to ask questions as within seconds of us entering, Bellamy was rushing toward us, his eyes ablaze. "What the hell happened!?" he demanded, instantly taking me from Miller's grasp. 

I felt myself stumble, only being caught as Bellamy pulled me close to him. "You're okay." he promised, his wide, worried eyes looking down at me. "Abby!" he screamed, turning his head toward her. 

Abby was beside us in a matter of seconds, leading us across the room toward where Murphy and Clarke were still stationed. 

I was set down on the ground, Bellamy's hand clutching mine as Abby examined my wound. He cold hands pressed into my abdomen, then coming to lightly touch my forehead. "She's lost too much blood." she explained, her voice distraught.

Bellamy's grip on my hand tightened as my eyelids began to feel heavy once again. "W-what does that mean? Abby, what-"

"Miller!" Abby called over her shoulder, "Keep an eye on Clarke!"

She then turned back to us, "It means she needs blood." she explained, giving me what seemed to be a reassuring smile. I think what she was really trying to say was that I was dying.

"I-'ll do it." Bellamy said instantly, pulling up his sleeve. "She can have my blood, any of it, all of it, I don't-"

I shook my head, giving his hand a light squeeze. "No." I argued, "You have more important things to do right now." My voice was weak, almost non-existent. 

"Abby, hook me up." he demanded, ignoring my protests. "Now!"

"Don't be an idiot." Came a new voice. 

I strained my eyes, looking up to see Murphy making his way toward us. "You need to fight the oncoming herds of brainwashed lunatics." he announced as if it were obvious, "She can have my blood."

"Okay," Abby conceded, grabbing her medkit, "It's settled then."

"I'm not leaving!" Bellamy snapped, panic and anger seeping through his words. 

"Yes." I ordered, my voice coming out more assertive than the last time I had spoken. "You are. Octavia needs you. She's in the Commander's chambers with Pike. Go." 

Bellamy looked more conflicted than I had ever seen him as he looked between me and the door. "Avery-"

I reached up, placing a soft hand on his face as I gave him a teary smile. "Bell, go. I'll be fine." I promised, not even sure if I believed my own words at this point.

His own eyes seemed teary as he finally nodded. "Murphy, you look out for her." he ordered, "Keep her safe."

Murphy saluted as he held out his arm for Abby to hook up the IV. "Considering we'll be attached, I don't think she'll be out of my sight."

I let out a small laugh as I looked back at Bellamy. He still looked like his heart was completely being pulled in half. 

Finally, he leaned forward before pressing a kiss to my lips, one so full of emotion and passion that it seemed to make up for all the time we had lost in the past few weeks. "I love you." he spoke, his eyes locked with mine. 

I nodded, finally feeling at peace. "I love you too."

I watched Bellamy go, felt as Abby inserted the IV needle into my arm, and then slowly, I let myself drift off. 

-an-

okay this chapter is really long but I just couldn't stop!! shit has really gone down uh oh!!! one more chapter for season 3 and then I'm going to be starting the sequel for season 4 +!!! comment your thoughts on this chapter and what you think will happen next hehehe

love you all 

-maddy xoxxo