And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones. 'Cause most of our feelings they are dead, and they are gone.

— Youth, Daughter

━━━━━━ November 6, 2149

KEENAN WOKE UP WITH a start, disoriented by her strange surroundings. Then she realized that the ceiling above her was a bright blue and there were flowers all around her. She panicked, looking at her hands, but her skin was as clear as it had been the day before. She wore a hospital gown, the same one she had worn to get her blood filtered with that of the sky people.

⠀⠀⠀Casey King, her new friend, had specifically requested to donate her blood to Keenan. She had claimed it was to return the favor of everything Keenan had done for her. It was a sweet moment between newfound friends that was sure to grow.

⠀⠀⠀Although, now she was terrified. Keenan looked around the grassy field. Yellow flowers and green grass brushed against her bare legs. The feeling of the sun's heat pricked her skin, and... a camera was watching her. Keenan crawled forward, peering into the lens, hoping it'd give her answers. It had none.

⠀⠀⠀Nothing happened. She didn't feel the burn of exposure and suddenly she was met with a peace of being outside of the mountain. She moved away from the camera, feeling the grass between her toes and the petals against her fingertips. It was all so beautiful...

⠀⠀⠀Then, her skin ruptured into angry red patches along her arms. Her face felt like it was melting as rain fell in an attempt to soothe her screaming skin, but it wasn't enough. Keenan hobbled over to the door that led back into Mount Weather. It was weathered with age and even older than President Wallace. She tried to open it, but she was growing weaker and the door was locked. She cried, asking God or the person behind the camera—she wasn't sure which—why they were doing this.

⠀⠀⠀Keenan begged, pleaded, cried, screamed. Anything that would will the door to open. But it stayed locked, and she realized no one was LISTENING TO HER! She tried to get back to the camera, get close, make them look her in the eyes as she died in pain. But it was too late. The pain was unbearable, and she collapsed into a fit of pain as she realized she would never see her friends or family again. And they would never know what happened to her.

━━━━━━ November 7, 2149

CASEY SAT BETWEEN HARPER and Monty on his bunk, her head resting on Monty's shoulder, tired after her recent transfusion. She liked having Keenan be the person on the other side rather than some stranger she'd never met before. It felt like she was actually making a difference in the community, and she always loved seeing Keenan's smiling face in between the claustrophobic walls. She was always good at making this nightmare place brighten.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper kneeled beside Casey while Miller sat in front of him on a short stool. Just like Casey, they were all tired and pale, itching to get out.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm tired of puking," Harper complained.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm tired of being a human pincushion," Miller added.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Jasper muttered. He'd grown on edge, giving about as much blood as all of them. "I know this sucks, but as long as it seems like we're cooperating, we're buying ourselves time."

⠀⠀⠀"Time for what?" Miller snapped, glaring at Jasper. "I say, if we're going to die in here, we might as well die trying to escape."

⠀⠀⠀"We've been over this," Jasper sighed. "After Clarke left, there is no escape. We just have to... hold on long enough for her to find a way to get us out."

⠀⠀⠀They had been given about two days between each transfusion to recover before being taken in for another. Which had now put them on Casey's hard deadline of a week. Although, it seemed that fact had slipped Jasper's mind entirely. That, or he was actively avoiding taking matters into their own hands.

⠀⠀⠀"No, Jasper, it's been a week. We need to figure this out for ourselves," Casey sighed, lifting her head to look at him. "I mean, maybe she found her chance to get out and never looked back."

⠀⠀⠀"Or what if she didn't even make it out?" Monty asked, raising a brow. "What if this... this story they're telling us is to hide the fact that they killed her? Then no one's coming for us and we're doing exactly what they want us to do." Jasper's face hardened as he tried to keep back the tears. "Jasper. You know you've thought it, too."

⠀⠀⠀"Alright, then," Harper nodded, her mind made up. "We escape—"

⠀⠀⠀"No," Jasper whispered. He paused, shaking his head. "We find the truth."

⠀⠀⠀"What for?" Casey asked, exhausted of this back and forth with him. "Why not just high-tail it out of here?"

⠀⠀⠀"We need to know if Clarke is here, or dead, or gone," Jasper said pointedly.

⠀⠀⠀Casey rose her hands in defeat. He had a point and Jasper was surprisingly pushy with how he wanted to do things.

⠀⠀⠀"How do we find the truth?" Monty asked.

⠀⠀⠀"We're criminals, right?" Jasper asked, glancing between them with a smirk. "So, let's be criminals."

"HEY." 

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy looked up at John Murphy. His hands were in his pockets, bags under his eyes, and a thin frown pulled down at his features. He'd slung a pack over his shoulder and Bellamy waited for him to continue, but the words seemed to fall short.

⠀⠀⠀"Where are you going?" Bellamy asked, raising a brow.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy sighed. His lips puckered like something rancid and sour passed over his tongue before his blue eyes darted to meet Bellamy's.

⠀⠀⠀"With Jaha," he answered.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy scoffed. He'd heard Jaha's impassioned speech the night before about a better place to live, a place of people. The City of Light, he called it. Bellamy walked away before he had to listen to any more. It was like a man prophesying that Atlantis exists.

⠀⠀⠀"I know," Murphy muttered. "Look, I forced Jaha to stop back here because I needed to tell you something."

⠀⠀⠀"What?" Bellamy asked, narrowing his eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"Save my sister," Murphy begged, his eyes softening in that way he had only ever reserved for Casey. "I know you don't owe me anything and that she's an asshole and annoying as hell, but she's all I got..." He gritted his teeth like his next words annoyed him to even thing, before he finally spat out, "But if there was anyone who could save her, it's you."

⠀⠀⠀"Then why are you leaving?" Bellamy snapped. "Why are you leaving before you even know if she's dead?"

⠀⠀⠀Murphy stared at him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. His eyes darted to the surrounding crowd.

⠀⠀⠀"No one trusts me here," Murphy said in a low, exhausted voice. "They won't let me do anything. At least with Jaha and his City of Light bullshit, I can know for myself if there's somewhere safe we can go. Somewhere that when you and the others rescue them, I could take her to. Where we could be safe for however long it'd last."

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy frowned. If it was Octavia in that mountain, Bellamy would move hell or highwater to find her. But while Murphy was ruthless and headstrong, he was also a coward.

⠀⠀⠀"We'll save your sister, you have my word," Bellamy said, because what else was there to say? Murphy would still leave and Bellamy would still do whatever it took to save their friends. And if it all went to shit, Murphy would still blame him, anyway.

⠀⠀⠀"Would you give her this? When you see her," Murphy muttered. He held out his knife that he'd given her after his first banishment and a folded up piece of paper. Bellamy nodded, pocketing them.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy smiled one last time, giving him a two-finger salute, before he turned on his heel and walked back into the woods.

CASEY AND HER FRIENDS made it to the President's office without issue. Harper and Monty crouched by the door, working quickly to rewire the access pad. Meanwhile, Jasper, Miller, and Casey stood closer to the hall, keeping an eye out for passersby.

⠀⠀⠀"Today, Monty," Jasper whispered impatiently, his head on a swivel.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm going as fast as I can," Monty hissed back. His hands were steady as he used the pliers Maya had given him to snip the wire Harper held for him.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper rolled his eyes, then turned his focus to Miller, who stiffened as he glanced nervously at a nearby security camera.

⠀⠀⠀"Relax." Jasper grinned, rocking back on his heels. "Maya's decontaminating the surveillance room. No one's watching. We've got this." Turning back to Monty, Jasper narrowed his eyes. "If you can actually get that door open."

⠀⠀⠀"You're not helping by being an asshole," Casey said, irritated.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper raised his hands in surrender.

⠀⠀⠀Monty glanced over his shoulder, his lips spreading into a wide grin. "Ye of little faith," he said triumphantly, pulling the door open with a satisfying click.

⠀⠀⠀The group slipped inside, filing into the President's office.

⠀⠀⠀Casey had been in the President's office once before with Jasper, but it didn't change her curiosity. Especially now that she had free rein to look around the room without the President's prying eyes. She passed bookshelves that stretched floor to ceiling with hundreds of books that Casey doubted the President had ever read. Priceless paintings adorned the walls alongside vases and trinkets from a world long gone. Everything in the room was pristine, deliberate, and intimidating in its grandeur.

⠀⠀⠀Monty and Miller immediately headed for the President's desk, leaving Casey to stand awkwardly in the center of the room. After a moment, she gravitated toward the bookshelves. She tugged at random volumes, half-expecting to find a secret passage. Casey and Jasper had attended the movie night where The Addams Family had been shown and the father had done something similar.

⠀⠀⠀"Harper," Jasper said, his voice a low whisper as he glanced back at her. "Keep watch."

⠀⠀⠀"Why do I have to watch the hall?" Harper asked, folding her arms with a bemused smile.

⠀⠀⠀"Monty's good with computers, Miller's a thief, and Casey—" Jasper paused, glancing over at her. Casey had gotten distracted, twirling a ceremonial knife she'd taken off its stand. "Casey scares me."

⠀⠀⠀Casey turned at his comment, twirling the knife with practiced ease and flashing a sweet, almost predatory smile. "Why?"

⠀⠀⠀Jasper didn't answer.

⠀⠀⠀"Why can't you watch the hall?" Harper asked, raising a brow.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm the mastermind," Jasper claimed with a wide grin. "Just go watch the hall. Come on."

⠀⠀⠀Harper sighed, but followed his instruction as she stepped outside the glass doors.

⠀⠀⠀"What do we have here?" Monty murmured, catching Casey's attention. She turned to look as Monty pulled a laptop towards him. He opened the screen as Casey and Jasper moved to stand behind him.

⠀⠀⠀"It's password protected," Jasper said, his smile falling.

⠀⠀⠀"We'll see about that," Monty said smugly, cracking his knuckles as he typed code into a black box on the side of the screen.

⠀⠀⠀The room was quiet for a few minutes and Monty focused on accessing the President's computer and Miller searched the desk for any hidden papers. Casey returned to the bookshelf, seeing if there was a hidden entry point again.

⠀⠀⠀"Got something," Miller said, pulling out papers from the desk.

⠀⠀⠀"Me, too," Monty added with a grin. "Damn! I'm good."

⠀⠀⠀"I've got nothing," Casey sighed, walking back to the desk. "What's the point of me?"

⠀⠀⠀"You're the muscle," Monty joked, looking up at her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey chuckled before returning her attention to the screen. Monty hit a few more buttons before a dozen images flooded the screen. Her face fell within seconds as images of a camp made up of scraps from the Ark sat right in front of them. People stood in front of the ship, in Guard uniform and plain clothes. It was their people. People that had once been in space had now landed on Earth.

⠀⠀⠀Casey scanned each image but didn't recognize her mom among the crowds. She looked and looked and looked and looked until the images blended together into some sick joke and her head spun. Her fingers curled into fists, throbbing with the want to punch something, her chest needing to scream, her eyes waiting to cry. A few tears broke the surface and slid down her cheeks.

⠀⠀⠀"I can't," Casey whispered, unable to meet their gazes. "I'm going to wait in the hall with Harper."

⠀⠀⠀Without another word, Casey slipped out of the office. She found Harper standing near the hall, her posture tense as she kept watch. As Casey's footsteps sounded, Harper jumped, turned back to her, and let out a relieved breath. Casey sent her a faint smile.

⠀⠀⠀"Anything?" Harper asked.

⠀⠀⠀"The Ark came down," Casey said, her voice just above a whisper.

⠀⠀⠀Harper's smile faded. "Why do you seem upset?"

⠀⠀⠀"I just..." Casey sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I didn't see my mom. But they made it, and that's what matters," she said, trying to keep her tone lighthearted.

⠀⠀⠀Harper opened her mouth to respond when the sharp click of heels echoed down the hall, cutting her off. Both girls froze, their hearts racing as the sound grew closer. There was no time to warn the others. Thinking quickly, Casey grabbed Harper by the arm and began walking casually in the opposite direction.

⠀⠀⠀"Shit, Harper," Casey said loudly, ensuring her voice carried down the hall. "I think we got off on the wrong level."

⠀⠀⠀The footsteps paused.

⠀⠀⠀Casey glanced at Harper. Their wide, fearful eyes met briefly before a sickeningly sweet voice called out, "Ms. King. Ms. McIntyre." Dr. Tsing rounded the corner, her expression a mixture of feigned surprise and stern disapproval.

⠀⠀⠀"Dr. Tsing!" Casey greeted, plastering on an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry. Harper was walking me to Dr. Hassan's office, and we got lost. Would you mind showing us the way back? I had some questions for him about my... condition."

⠀⠀⠀Tsing's sharp eyes darted between them, clearly suspicious.

⠀⠀⠀"This level is restricted," Tsing said coolly.

⠀⠀⠀"We're sorry," Harper added quickly, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Someone must've pressed the wrong button on the elevator. We're completely turned around."

⠀⠀⠀For a long, tense moment, Tsing scrutinized them. Then, with a curt nod, she gestured for them to follow.

⠀⠀⠀"Come with me. I'll show you the way."

⠀⠀⠀Casey and Harper exchanged a brief look of relief. They had effectively kept Tsing from finding their friends in the President's office. As they entered the elevator, Casey noticed Tsing press the button for Level 2. Casey's relief evaporated and she shot Harper a worried glance. Neither of them had been to Level 2.

⠀⠀⠀When the elevator doors opened, Tsing stepped out into a cold, sterile hallway. Casey wanted to backtrack, but there was already a large man holding the elevator open for them, waiting for them to exit. Anxiety shot up Casey's spine as Tsing led them past a dozen doors to the very end of the hall. Inside was a surgical table and cages pressed against the walls.

⠀⠀⠀Casey's breath hitched, and she took two steps back.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't think this is the right room," Casey said, her voice trembling.

⠀⠀⠀Before she could react, a pair of rough hands shoved her forward and blocked the exit.

⠀⠀⠀"Put her in the cage," Tsing ordered. "We'll start with this one," she said, gesturing to Harper.

⠀⠀⠀"NO!" Casey screamed.

⠀⠀⠀Casey rushed forward, but was caught by the waist. She kicked the man holding her in the shin and elbowed him in the jaw, but his grip barely loosened. Casey dropped her weight, forcing him to hold her full body weight as tears streamed down her face.

⠀⠀⠀"Please," Casey begged. "Let her go. I'll do whatever you want. Please, just let her go!"

⠀⠀⠀Tsing raised a brow, considering Casey for a moment before nodding to the guard.

⠀⠀⠀"If she wants to go first, she can."

⠀⠀⠀Casey was dragged to the surgical table. Her shoes skidded against the floor as she was forced to stand.

⠀⠀⠀"Shoes off and put this on," Tsing said with a stiff smile as she raised a yellow hospital gown to her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey hesitated, glancing at Harper. Her eyes were tear-filled, silently pleading with Casey not to comply. Then she glanced at the guard standing only a few feet from her. She picked up the gown, but stilled, not keen to put it on with him watching.

⠀⠀⠀Tsing rolled her eyes. "Monaghan. I have this. Would you get Cage?"

⠀⠀⠀"Of course, ma'am," Monaghan nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

⠀⠀⠀Tsing watched the man go, her eyes lingering on the door a second longer before turning back to Casey. She raised her brow again, growing impatient.

⠀⠀⠀"Hurry up," she ordered.

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded her head, putting the gown on and removing her shirt with her back facing the two women. She kicked off her shoes, then removed her pants as she turned back to them.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay. I'm done," Casey muttered.

⠀⠀⠀"Wonderful," Tsing smiled. She opened a cage next to her. Her heels clicked as she walked over to Harper and dragged her forward. She snapped at Harper, "Get in."

⠀⠀⠀"Wait!" Casey exclaimed, frantic. "You said she could go!"

⠀⠀⠀Tsing smiled, giving Casey a look that read 'Oh, how naïve you are, child' before she pushed Harper's head down and into the cage. With the doctor distracted, Casey pounced, ready to pull Tsing limb from limb before two arms caught her again, and a faint chuckle lingered in her ears.

⠀⠀⠀"Cage! Right on time," Tsing said, unfazed, as she locked the cage for Harper. "Help me get her on the table."

⠀⠀⠀Casey tried to kick and punch her way out of Cage's grip, but he was surprisingly resilient.

⠀⠀⠀"Did you have to pick one so... temperamental?" Cage asked as he forced Casey down onto the table face down.

⠀⠀⠀"Soon, she won't be," Tsing assured him.

⠀⠀⠀They quickly tied Casey to the table before she could try to lunge at any of them again. Casey thought she might get Harper out, but she was too naïve to think these people were any less ruthless than the Grounder, than her own people.

⠀⠀⠀Tsing prepped Casey, moving the gown to the side, and Casey didn't know what was about to happen to her. A cold sheet of paper wiped over her hip and Casey shut her eyes tight, her lips trembling with fear for what was about to happen.

⠀⠀⠀"Please," Casey whispered. "Please, don't, I just... please..."

⠀⠀⠀"Don't worry, this won't hurt," Tsing commented before she dug a scalpel into her side. Casey wondered if Tsing had ever felt pain before in her life, because even the small blade had Casey grinding her teeth together in an attempt not to scream.

⠀⠀⠀"The hip has the largest marrow pocket. We'll begin aspiration there—"

⠀⠀⠀"I don't need to know the details. Just do it," Cage claimed, and he sounded uncomfortable doing this to her. Although, that meant little to Casey in the long run.

⠀⠀⠀"Your father will come around, Cage," Tsing assured him.

⠀⠀⠀Cage took a moment to consider her words, before asking, "And what if he doesn't?"

⠀⠀⠀Tsing stepped away, and her words made some sense. Casey and Murphy had watched a show—orphan something—from the early 2000s, where they took bone marrow from the hip. It was the most excruciating pain the character had felt and while it was just a show... Casey wasn't sure how much pain she could survive.

⠀⠀⠀"Please, I can't—I can't do this... I can't, please," Casey begged.

⠀⠀⠀"It'll be okay," Cage offered soothingly, walking toward her. His worn but well-maintained shoes stood beneath her briefly before he squatted down so they were face-to-face.

⠀⠀⠀Cage looked a lot like his father. Dark eyes, pale skin, same nose. But there was something malicious in this man, who strived only for the selfishness of himself and the ego of getting his people to the ground. Yet, he didn't realize that their safe society made them perfect meat for nature to tear apart. They would die within a day of just the elements, let alone the Grounders in their habitat.

⠀⠀⠀"We just want to go home, and you're helping us do that," Cage said. His expression formed into something sympathetic, but Casey could see through the mask.

⠀⠀⠀"W-We can volunteer," Casey said, barely a whimper as she pleaded with the man. "We can convince o-our people, just, please, let me leave..."

⠀⠀⠀"We can't do that," Cage whispered. A sad smile tugged at his lips as he wiped the tears from her cheeks before Tsing inserted cold metal into the cut and drilled.

⠀⠀⠀All Casey could manage was a scream.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Too many of y'all thought when I said I was "excited" for this chapter, that it meant this was a happy chapter, possibly even a Bellamy reunion. NO! It's an evil chapter and that's why I was excited!!! 👹👹👹 Also, I bet a lot of you finally remembered Keenan from the show. RIP my sweet girl, you will be missed.

The Murphy and Bellamy conversation is a little out of time since Bellamy goes with the group to meet Lexa while I think Murphy stays behind and doesn't decide to go to the City of Light with Jaha until later. But we're shuffling some stuff around because WHO CARES!!! It works better this way.

Also, put a pin in that knife...

FUCK CAGE AND DR. TSING FOR BEING MONSTERS TO MY BABY!!!!! (I definitely had no hands in this as an author, my pen was forced.)

I'm starting to get a little bit of burn out with writing :/ Thankfully I have drafts up to the season finale of season 5 so I can take a break yippee!!! 

Oh, and lastly, TikTok is going away for me (after I started to make videos again...) if everything goes as it seems. So... I guess go watch those before they're scrubbed from the internet forever? (peachpick.wp)

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 2, Episode 7: Long Into An Abyss

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: Jasper leads the charge to find his friends. Bellamy makes it inside Mount Weather.