I'd jump off and into your arms, but I can't trust the fall. Take my voice, I'm giving it though. I don't feel safe at all.

— The Fall, Half Alive

━━━━━━ September 13, 2149

CASEY KING HAD PRECISELY four hours until she was eighteen. Six before the artificial morning began. Twelve before she would leave the cell bed she lay in forever. The Guard had taken Matthison—her previous cellmate—a month prior, and she hadn't had another since.

⠀⠀⠀Eight taps echoed in the room as her finger met cold steel.

⠀⠀⠀That was until earlier that morning when Wells Jaha had been brought into Casey's cell. He stood stoic in the doorway before he was encouraged—not pushed or shoved—by the Guard to enter the room. No one would dare lay a finger on the Chancellor's son, even if his father was cruel enough to send him here. Wells would be with her for her last day, and he hadn't said a word. He stared at the metal plating of the wall for hours on end with a distant look in his eye.

⠀⠀⠀If it had been a few months before this day, Casey might have cared enough to ask if he was okay or what he'd gotten in for. But, in all truth, she didn't really care. All that mattered was that he was in the same box as her, and they would both be floated for their crimes.

⠀⠀⠀Eight more taps on the wall.

⠀⠀⠀The oxygen in her lungs would be ripped out the moment the airlocks released. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Her mother would watch behind glass as her daughter's lungs ruptured from the pressure. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tears would flow down her cheeks as the oxygen in the rest of her body would expand, tap, tap, tap, tap, ballooning her to twice her size, but she'd stay intact. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Any exposed liquid would vaporize simultaneously, tap, tap, tap, tap, her tongue and eyes boiling. Tap, tap, tap, tap.

⠀⠀⠀In fifteen seconds, she'd pass out.

⠀⠀⠀Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

⠀⠀⠀In ninety, she'd be dead.

⠀⠀⠀Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap—

⠀⠀⠀"Could you stop that?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey hit one last tap against the metal as it echoed through the room twice as loud as the others. It ended up making the number of taps on the wall twelve for her last thought and a total of fifty-six since she started. She had gotten used to being alone in the cell without anyone else there. Even Matthison barely commented on the repetitive noise. In the quiet, she had forgotten Wells was even there.

⠀⠀⠀"Sorry," Casey muttered. She turned on her side to face the room, her head resting on her right arm and her left supported against it so she could tap the numbers along her forearm until morning.

⠀⠀⠀The door to their cell squeaked on its hinges, and boots scuffing the ground alerted the pair of teens. No time had passed in Casey's head since Wells had asked her to stop tapping, and she wished it had felt like a lifetime. Now that the Guard was here, she realized with a strike of fear that she didn't want to die. She had become complacent to her demise, but now it felt real. Casey closed her eyes, unable to stand immediately as a warm tear trailed down her cheek. She took in a breath to stabilize herself.

⠀⠀⠀"Prisoner 275 and Prisoner 325, against the wall," Miller—one of the Guard and a close friend of her mother's—announced to the teens. However, his tone held no sound of comfort.

⠀⠀⠀Casey found serenity in herself and stood to her feet with her hands raised. Her knees didn't shake and her fingers didn't tremble. She was just numb. She could only hope that on her journey out, she would be able to catch sight of her brother.

⠀⠀⠀"Your arm," Miller requested as he stood beside her. Scott—the other Guard—stood by the door with a shock baton at his side crackling with electricity. This was not a request but a demand.

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded and held out her wrists for the cuffs. Although, Miller only had a lone wristband. He clamped it down, and she hissed at the sudden sensation of a hundred sharp needles sinking into her skin.

⠀⠀⠀Miller moved over to Wells and asked the same of him. Casey's brows furrowed. Do me and Wells share the same birthday?

⠀⠀⠀Scott turned his baton off and set it back into his belt. Then, he walked to stand behind Casey with a tight grip on her shoulder and led her out of the cell with Miller and Wells behind them.

⠀⠀⠀Outside, Casey realized that Wells likely didn't share the same birthday as her when she noticed the entire Skybox being emptied. In the far recesses of her mind, she considered that the situation had become dire enough on the Ark to kill them all. Her left hand tapped in fours against her right, brushing against the Guard's. If he noticed, he didn't mention it.

⠀⠀⠀"Are they killing... everyone?" Casey asked, unable to leave her thoughts unanswered.

⠀⠀⠀Wells turned to look at her.

⠀⠀⠀"No," he said, his tone solemn as the Guard moved them along. "We're getting sent to Earth."

⠀⠀⠀Casey didn't know how to respond or if she even believed Wells. Maybe he was trying to ease her mind until they were inevitably floated. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Maybe he didn't even know what he was saying, hoping for something better than all of them dying. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Or maybe he meant in the spiritual sense that their souls would return to the ground after they were floated.

⠀⠀⠀Casey and Wells were positioned in line alongside the other delinquents and waited until every child was accounted for. Despite her delicate headspace, Casey couldn't help but look for her brother. The line was long; around a hundred kids had been locked up in the Skybox, and if he was there, she didn't see him. It caused her heart to clench that maybe he'd done some idiot thing to get himself killed already.

⠀⠀⠀Then, the line started to move into the empty halls of B Dock. The usually bustling area was deserted except for a couple that stood with straight backs and neutral expressions. The woman was tan with thin lips and wiry brown hair. Casey vaguely recognized her as a doctor on the ship. She sometimes moved through the stations to check in on patients unable to get to Alpha Station. The man, however, was unknown to her. He had a regal disposition, brushed-back black hair, and a demanding look in his eye. However, when he caught Casey's, a weariness overcame him before returning to his dark stoicism.

⠀⠀⠀The Guard stopped their traveling at the east end of the Prison Station where emergency dropships had been docked. One of the Guard explained vaguely that the teenagers were to enter the dropship, first filling in the second level and then the third. They stepped aside and stood just outside the door as the teenagers filed in. Every once in a while, they would say a curt 'good luck,' but no one responded. None of them knew what was happening, but there was a vague idea in all of their minds that they were destined for Earth.

⠀⠀⠀Casey and Wells were escorted to a row of three. She took the end seat while Wells sat in the middle. One of the Guard climbed the ladder with a girl thrown over his shoulder, and another took her from him and set her down beside Wells. She was unconscious as her head lolled to one side, and Casey heard Wells let out a nervous breath.

⠀⠀⠀The Guard walked through the dropship and ensured all the teenagers were buckled. The situation was reminiscent of those Earth videos of people riding roller coasters. The attendants would always check so they wouldn't fly out of their seats halfway through the ride and splat a hundred feet down on the concrete. Casey bet it wasn't a painless death, but a hundred thousand-foot drop sounded even worse.

⠀⠀⠀The Guard left the dropship, the hatch slammed closed, and the teenagers were left in silence. The dropship powered on, the engines hummed awake, and it detached from the Ark. Casey's insides were shaking, the dropship unsteady in its descent. She slammed her eyes shut with a knuckle-white grip, tearing at the seams of her pants.

⠀⠀⠀A dreadful realization washed over her as Wells' claim returned to her mind. She wished he hadn't been right.

⠀⠀⠀Moments after they had broken into Earth's atmosphere, Chancellor Jaha appeared on the screens with a pleasant, calming smile. He looked happy as if they were embarking on a grand mission rather than children sent to die.

⠀⠀⠀"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now," he commanded in a tone that sounded like a call from the heavens. Which, in Casey's case, she supposed it was. "You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this not as just a chance for you but a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."

⠀⠀⠀Casey's fate was that she would die young, no matter what happened. Maybe she wouldn't be floated, but she would die in a tin can hurtling to Earth. Or, if, by some miracle, she survived, she would succumb to radiation or nature soon enough. A foundation of children and blood for the New World. A sacrifice for the others' survival.

⠀⠀⠀She only hoped that her death would be peaceful.

⠀⠀⠀"Your dad's a dick, Wells!" one delinquent shouted across the room, which caused other teens who weren't terrified out of their minds to laugh.

⠀⠀⠀"Those crimes will be forgiven. Your records wiped clean. The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years."

⠀⠀⠀"We're all going to die, aren't we?" Casey muttered softly. Her eyes planted firmly on the screen. The Chancellor's smile made her skin itch and her head incessantly demand numbers. Her finger subconsciously started to tap comfortingly against her thigh.

⠀⠀⠀"As long as we get to Mount Weather, we'll be fine," Wells said.

⠀⠀⠀Casey turned to look at him, and he looked back. A small smile twitched at the edges of his lips, an attempt to comfort her. It was sweet, but her stomach coiled into a snake pit inside her stomach and pumped poison into her veins. She could only return a dead stare.

⠀⠀⠀"Check it out," a boy called out. He was out of his seat and floated in Casey and Wells' direction with a wily grin. "Your dad floated me after all."

⠀⠀⠀"You should strap in before the parachutes deploy," Wells told him.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, you two!" the girl, who had been passed out beside Wells, suddenly shouted. Her voice was directed at the two other boys that followed in pursuit of the floating boy. "Stay put if you want to live."

⠀⠀⠀"Mount Weather is life," the Chancellor claimed. "You must locate those supplies immediately."

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," the floater greeted the previously unconscious girl. "You're the traitor who's been in solitary for a year."

⠀⠀⠀"You're the idiot who wasted a month of oxygen on an illegal spacewalk," she snapped, unlike Wells. He had been trained for years on how to hold his composure in the face of opposition.

⠀⠀⠀"But it was fun," he shrugged, his smile widening. "I'm Finn."

⠀⠀⠀"Your one responsibility is to stay alive."

⠀⠀⠀"Stay in your seats!" the girl shouted again.

⠀⠀⠀The dropship swung violently. It was likely releasing the parachutes and firing the retrorockets as it got within range of the ground. They were all caught by their seat belts except for Finn, who flew into the wall behind Casey, and the copycats, who flew into the pipes on the other side.

⠀⠀⠀Everyone started to scream, consuming the container, and in the end, Casey wasn't even sure if she had started screaming or if her heart was still beating.

⠀⠀⠀Then, the dropship impacted with the ground, and her body rattled so the blood in her toes shot into her head in a second flat. All was still and the power cut to a low hum, and then, nothing. The emergency lights turned on almost immediately, nauseously dim and blinking rapidly.

⠀⠀⠀Casey sat dazed. An indistinct murmur of voices echoed around her, but she didn't listen. Instead, she stared ahead at the pipes where the boys flung into them. She tapped her thigh four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four times.

⠀⠀⠀Someone stood at one boy's body, then someone at the other. There were only two when there had been three in the air. Casey didn't have the desire to look behind her to see if Finn had survived. She felt sick.

⠀⠀⠀She looked down at her harness, tapped the buckle eight times before she could release it, and launched down to the lower level. The rest of the teenagers crowded around the door, excited to be released. One of the Guard had stayed behind to join them at their doom and assured everyone that he'd open the door soon enough once they gave him some space. His hand resting on the lever was all Casey could see of him before someone shrieked behind her, "Stop!"

⠀⠀⠀Everyone turned to look at the unconscious girl, her blue eyes wild with fear. She pushed her way through the crowd and stood defiantly at the front where Casey could no longer see her.

⠀⠀⠀"The air could be toxic!" she claimed.

⠀⠀⠀The Guard, about ready to open the door, stood away from the lever and stated, "If the air is toxic, we're already dead, anyway."

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy?" a soft voice interrupted from the ladder opposite of Casey.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy. Bellamy. Bellamy. Bellamy?

⠀⠀⠀The fierce green of her eye caught Casey's only for a second, but it was enough to stuff cotton into Casey's mouth, making her into a doll on display. Casey watched as her dark hair whipped behind her with command, and her sharp features parted the room in half. Then, Casey's attention found Bellamy.

⠀⠀⠀Casey's skin burned as he talked, the deep gravel that haunted her nightmares. She couldn't focus on anything other than the sound of his voice, not even the words said. Her arms crossed as she tapped a rhythm of fours against her skin. She couldn't believe that Bellamy was here, reenlisted as a member of the Guard after everything that had happened the year before. Not even her mom had been reenlisted. There was a scowl on her lips, so repulsed and stuck in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the doors open.

⠀⠀⠀"We've dropped to Earth, the doors are wide open, and yet you're still standing inside?" his voice scraped against the sides of her brain like nails on a chalkboard. "Why is that?" he asked, as she turned to glare at him. A charismatic smile sure to pull her frown into even a tight smile reflected back at her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey didn't respond, and her expression seemed to affect Bellamy's mood just as quick because the edges of his lips started to dip.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm Bellamy," he continued, his smile forced.

⠀⠀⠀Casey walked past him and said simply, "I know."

⠀⠀⠀She stood at the edge of the dropship door to take in the bright green trees and excited chatter of her peers when she noticed a familiar face in the crowd. A face she worried had been floated, a face she thought she'd never see again.

⠀⠀⠀Casey jogged across the camp, away from Bellamy and the dropship, and toward her brother. Despite the Ark's strict rule about women having more than one child, that didn't stop friendships from developing into familial bonds.

⠀⠀⠀"John!" she crowed as she jumped onto his back, her arms tightening around his neck and legs wrapped around his hips.

⠀⠀⠀"Casey?" he whispered, voice breaking.

⠀⠀⠀The 'friends' John Murphy had garnered in the Skybox surrounded them and chuckled at the sight. They had known Casey for a short time until she was put on the B schedule to separate the two teenagers. Apparently, they were considered 'destructive together' a few weeks in together. The last time she had seen him was Visitation Day spent with her mom.

⠀⠀⠀Casey unwrapped herself from Murphy so she could look at him. She could barely take in his sharp nose or drowsy eyes before he pulled her into a back-breaking hug. One hand gripped her head firmly, and the other held her close at the middle of her back. His breath shuttered against her skin and she could feel tears against her cheek.

⠀⠀⠀"You were... I thought you'd be floated by now," Murphy whispered, his voice heart-breaking to hear.

⠀⠀⠀The teenagers that swarmed them had broken off as the conversation became too intimate to enjoy.

⠀⠀⠀Casey laughed, looked up at the clear blue sky, and said, "Happy birthday to me, right?"

⠀⠀⠀They pulled away, and a frown crossed her lips. She took in the bruise on his hairline. Her hand reached up and dabbed the injury with the tips of her fingers. Murphy flinched, then laughed when he realized what she was doing.

⠀⠀⠀"What happened?" she demanded.

⠀⠀⠀"Pike went psycho during Earth Skills yesterday," Murphy explained as he rolled his eyes. "I always knew he had it out for me."

⠀⠀⠀Casey's frown deepened, and the edges of her brows creased. Finally, she lowered her hand and asked, "Do you think he knew?"

⠀⠀⠀"Knew what?" he asked, mimicking her expression with a smile dancing on his lips.

⠀⠀⠀"That we were getting sent down here."

⠀⠀⠀"Nah," Murphy laughed and waved his hand. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as if he suddenly didn't believe himself. "I mean, no, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"He beat you up," she pointed out.

⠀⠀⠀"He's been wanting to do that since we started that stupid class," Murphy brushed her off.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Casey agreed. She knew most teachers wanted to strangle him. "But he actually did it."

⠀⠀⠀"Case, does it really matter right now?" Murphy asked her with a sigh. "Come on, let's just worry about us being down here for now."

THE ELATION OF EARTH and dirt and sky went downhill in less than an hour as teenagers swarmed the radius of the dropship as Murphy and Wells were readied to fight. Murphy was light on his feet as he danced from side to side with a cocky brow raised. On the other side, Wells stayed firm in his stance, a scowl on his lips. Murphy feinted blows in an attempt to get Wells to strike first.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy found Wells' weak point in his legs. He was too focused in his head that when Murphy locked his foot around Wells' ankle, the boy slammed to the ground with a dull thud. But Wells didn't stay down for long despite his ankle twisting on his descent.

⠀⠀⠀The teenagers around them watched eagerly, foaming at the mouth as they chanted wildly for a fight. They were eager for blood to spill, not bothered for whose, but Wells' would be a welcome sacrifice after all his father had done to them.

⠀⠀⠀Casey had heard the fighting from across the camp. She didn't want to know if it was Murphy in the middle of the ring. She hated the more volatile, disruptive side to him, even if it ate the most at the parts she knew. But, as the shouts got louder, she knew she had to see. After she forced her way through the crowd with sharp elbows, she stood at the edge to see the severity of the situation. It was seconds away from another 'fire in the arresting officer's quarters' that wouldn't end pretty.

⠀⠀⠀She stepped into the middle of the ring, about to drag Murphy out by the neck, but he was saved from the embarrassment. Finn had landed in between the two with a shaggy flip of his hair and a smile still gracing his face.

⠀⠀⠀"Kid's got one leg," Finn said to Murphy. His smile wasn't as carefree as it had been on the ship, but this time condescending. "How about you wait until it's a fair fight?"

⠀⠀⠀Murphy scowled but didn't antagonize Wells further. He knew the others would only see him as hostile and a threat if he did. Instead, Murphy clenched his fists and stormed out of the crowd passing Casey.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm fine," he claimed, a warning not to follow him before disappearing.

⠀⠀⠀Casey rolled her eyes but let him be. This was a change for all of them, affecting them all differently. She just hoped Murphy would calm down soon before they had him strung up by the neck.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, uh, Casey, right?" Finn asked suddenly. His smile returned to its more playful nature. He stood beside her with his hands in his pockets, waiting for an indication to continue. She raised a brow, and he nodded. "Noticed you were about to jump in to break the fight. Sorry to ruin your moment."

⠀⠀⠀"Not a moment," Casey willed herself to say. She didn't like his careless attitude. It would get them killed. "Keeping my brother in line."

⠀⠀⠀"Your...?"

⠀⠀⠀"Figuratively," Casey assured him with a slight quirk on her lips. Her eyes drifted to Bellamy and Octavia as they talked intensely.

⠀⠀⠀"Well, you seem smart and brave. Some of us noticed that, well, we're not on Mount Weather like we're supposed to be. We have no supplies. So, a few of us are going on a trip to get some. You wanna come?" Finn asked.

⠀⠀⠀Casey turned back to him, eyeing his relaxed body language and honest words. He was right. They had no supplies, and if there were some at Mount Weather, the least she could do was help out. She turned back to the crowd and found Murphy walking around with a pack, ready to pick another fight.

⠀⠀⠀"Not to split up the family, but Murphy's not invited," Finn added. There was a slight tension in the middle of his brow, worried that this would cause a similar reaction.

⠀⠀⠀"I'll go," Casey said, holding her hand out to him. Finn peeled his hand out of his jacket and shook hers warmly. "Anything to get out of here," she admitted. She loved Murphy, but she hated seeing him like this.

⠀⠀⠀"That's one," Finn exclaimed, dragging her toward the others venturing to Mount Weather. "Casey is joining the team!" he cheered. "Casey, this is Clarke, Monty, and Jasper."

⠀⠀⠀Clarke was the girl who sat unconscious next to Wells on the ship. She was a couple of inches shorter than Casey, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. She sent Casey a small smile to welcome her, then returned her focus to her map. She recognized the two boys from Farm Station. Jasper was lanky and sweet, with warm brown eyes and goggles he never took off. Monty was shorter and not as bony as Jasper, with dark, soul-searching eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"It's about time to head out," Clarke told Finn.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait, I need to tell Murphy," Casey said quickly.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke just raised a brow, but Finn nodded his head reassuringly.

⠀⠀⠀"Just... hurry," Clarke said.

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded, darted down the small hill, past Octavia kissing Bellamy's cheek, and skidded to a stop in front of Murphy.

⠀⠀⠀"Woah, Casey, what are you doing?" Murphy asked, holding his hands out in case he needed to steady her. His spirits seemed to lift quickly after getting called out by Finn.

⠀⠀⠀Casey stood, panting slightly with her hands on her thighs before standing.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm going... to Mount Weather," she explained, breathing heavily. "Shit, I really need to work out more."

⠀⠀⠀"You're going to Mount Weather?" Murphy asked with an unconvinced look. "No, come on, stay here. Like Bellamy said, let the privileged kids do it. They deserve it for what they've put us through!"

⠀⠀⠀"John," Casey sighed. "You know they won't be able to bring back food for all of us. I'm not asking you to go."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy frowned, readjusted his footing, and crossed his arms. His eyes darted down and noted her finger tapping against her wristband rhythmically. His features smoothed, and concern followed suit.

⠀⠀⠀"Fine, whatever," he relented.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, and save me a cot since we're obviously sharing a tent. Like old times," Casey grinned and pulled him in for a tight hug.

⠀⠀⠀"Um, what if I was saving that cot for girls?" Murphy asked, dramatically stepping away from her.

⠀⠀⠀"What girl would want to be with you that could be with me?" Casey retorted with a smug grin and a wink. She darted away before he could hit her upside the head and sprinted back to the Mount Weather team.

⠀⠀⠀"Ready to go?" Finn asked.

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded, and the group headed out of camp.

⠀⠀⠀"Before you get any ideas," Octavia spoke up, her green eyes cutting daggers while her smile hid venom. "Finn's mine."

⠀⠀⠀"Before you get any ideas," Clarke huffed. "I don't care."

⠀⠀⠀Octavia chuckled slightly as if she didn't believe Clarke, but she turned to Casey. She looked her up and down and then asked, "What about you?"

⠀⠀⠀"All I want is to get through this day without my head exploding," Casey answered, glaring at the girl, her jaw tightening. Octavia shuttered at her cold gaze, uncomfortable with the hollowness in her eyes. She turned away and continued the journey in silence.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello again, how many times will I restart this fic? Until I've finished it or I'm dead in the ground, THAT'S HOW LONG! Bellamy and Casey are my BABIES! And I need to finish this fic one day. Maybe this time is the time.

I'm going to be updating weekly as if this fic is something I just started writing so that I have time to edit Season 3 way more (because that original draft sucks) and to try and get far ahead with the other seasons. I was gonna wait until I finished to start posting but 1, if I'm doing once a week that's gonna take forever to post. And 2, I would like some validation for my writing efforts please!

I hope you guys enjoyed it! Not much has changed from the original plot other. Everything is still pretty much the same :3 but also better!

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 1, Episode 1: The Pilot

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So, even if you ghost read or comment on every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come to spend your time in this fic ♡

NEXT TIME: Casey and the others head to find Mount Weather, and find danger instead.