Hands digging into her hips in a tight grip, Harley's bright eyes moved from the grounder prisoner, Echo, to Pike, who interrogated her harshly. Her mind was whirring with every possible thought, every ending that could happen with the admission. Her people were becoming the thirteenth clan, and this coalition was sacred to the grounders. Who could try to mess this up? She bit her lower lip, her palm reaching up to rub her forehead. A headache was growing in Harley's head from thinking so hard, wanting to know why someone didn't think peace was worth all of this. They've been fighting since they landed, and she wanted it to end.

"I was with the queen's army heading toward Polis," Echo spoke, her voice rough from the pain she countered but clear. She leaned back in the chair she sat at, and Harley could only imagine how uncomfortable she was. "The war chief talks too loud."

"You're one of them," Pike retaliated, his own voice equally low but from intimidation. Although only knowing him for a few hours, Harley could sense the hatred he had towards the grounders, as if they weren't people but ones that should be rid of on this Earth. "So why are you telling us this?"

Echo's face softened, if it could underneath all the blood. "We abandoned Skaikru in the battle for the Mountain," she responded. "It was wrong."

Harley didn't miss the way Pike's face hardened, continuing to question her as if she wasn't worth the time. She shook her head. "We should trust her," she cut in after Echo replied. It wasn't as if they had any other option. Regardless if she was lying, it was important to at least be sure everyone was okay. "We can trust her. Right, Bellamy?" Harley questioned, hopeful.

On cue, Bellamy nodded. "She saved my life," he insisted, putting his hand on Pike's arm to stop him from getting closer to Echo. "We can trust her." His leader mode suddenly kicked in as he turned around, noticing the small group was being joined by Gina, Raven and Sinclair. "Listen up! Okay, if we want to get to Polis before the attack, we have to move."

Surprised, Sinclair's forehead creased. "Attack?" He repeated. "Do we have confirmation of that?"

"They may already be dead, for all we know, and if they are, we need to be ready to respond," Pike insisted, speaking before Bellamy could.

Confused as to what he meant, Harley looked from Sinclair to Pike "What does that mean?" She questioned. Pike seemed so convinced and ready to retaliate for something that even happened yet. He was already planning ahead, and they haven't even been to Polis yet.

Sinclair was the first to catch on. He spoke in a low mumble, seemingly astonished by the suggestion. "Don't make this about the missiles."

Quiet footsteps tapped on the hardwood floor and Harley turned her head at the sound. Clover had joined them, her green eyes full of confusion from the eavesdropping from the last minute of arrival. "Missiles?" She repeated. "What, another war?" Harley thought the same, letting her mind wander back to their time at the dropship, and then Mount Weather. War hadn't needed to be the option, this world could be a better place without it.

"This is about survival," Pike argued strictly. Harley felt sick from her stomach churning. "We don't have the numbers, but the missiles in this mountain even the playing field. And you know I'm right."

Uncomfortable, Harley crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't speak, not wanting to suffer through another war, especially one with missiles. "Even if I did agree with you," Sinclair began. "We still don't have the launch codes."

"No," Raven added. "But we have me."

That seemed enough to convince Pike. He grabbed Echo by her arm roughly, forcing her to rise and tugged. "Let's go," he demanded. With sad eyes, Harley watched the gesture be so hostile. She could hear Bellamy say a quick good-bye to Gina, but her mind was beginning to be made up, knowing that the tug in her heart told her to tag along. Even if Harley was a burden, a weight they had to carry, this peace treaty meant the world to her, and she couldn't let Pike or an assassin ruin it.

A soft and warmness enveloped into Harley's hand, pulling her from her peaceful thoughts. Clover was there, a curious look in her face, surrounded by her blonde curls. "Are you alright?" She asked, worried. Harley nodded. "Are you thinking about going?" She asked next.

Harley nodded again. A more concerned look washed over Clover's face, but before she could speak, Harley did. "It's - Clover, it's the peace treaty. It's Skaikru becoming the thirteenth clan, stopping this war with the grounders, what I've wanted to do since... Since we found out about them," she began to insist. "I have to be there. You know I do." She looked over Clover's shoulder, seeing Pike pull Echo through the crowd and to the exit. "And I don't trust him. Not yet, anyways."

Pausing to look over and catch the sight of Pike, Clover looked back, unsure of how to respond yet. "I know he saved your family, your friends, kept Farm Station alive," she continued. "But, the missiles... Just another war? I can't - won't - let that happen. Not again." On instinct, Harley's hand lowered, brushing over the now healed scar on her side that she received from the dropship war with the grounders. She couldn't feel it, not through the layers of her jacket and shirt, but she knew it was there. But she wasn't like the others. Harley wouldn't let the scars from her past define the actions she made in the present.

"You don't have to trust him," Clover finally said. "You don't have to trust Farm Station. You don't even have to trust me." She paused before speaking sincerely. "I want you to trust yourself," she insisted, warming Harley's heart and making her smile as she swung their enveloped hands. Clover looked up, seeing Bellamy finally prepared to go. "Looks like they're leaving," she noted. "Want me to come with you? I can grab my gun."

The offer had Harley shake her head. She understood how long its been since Clover's seen her family and friends from Farm Station, every second mattered, and she was sure they could handle this without another guard. "No, it's alright," she answered. "It's just going to be a quick check in. I'll be back before you know it, and hopefully, we'll be the thirteenth clan," she stated, tilting her head with a look or adoration.

Clover smiled back. "I'll see you then," she spoke, soft and almost like a promise. With one last quick embrace, Harley finally released her and turned to follow the others. As she neared the exit, she hesitated for a moment. There was a pulling in her chest, and she managed to glance at Clover one last time before she disappeared into the crowd of the mess hall, to be with her family as Harley made her choice.

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The echo of the rover's door slamming shut rang in Harley's ears as she swung it back after hopping out. Instead of meeting completely solid grass, her boots had dug into the piercing feeling of rocks. She frowned, shaking it off and trudging through with crunching noises but noticing the others stopping and scanning the area like something was wrong. It was quiet in Polis though, at least here, in the woods. "What is it?" Harley spoke up, confused at the way they were all on guard.

"The guards," Bellamy answered. "Protocol would be to leave someone behind."

Following Octavia on the left side of the stationary truck, Harley looked around, searching for their guards Bellamy spoke about. Her eyes darted to look past the trees surrounding them, but it was Octavia's shocked gasp that turned her attention around. "They did!" She exclaimed, her sword unsheathing and being held in defense.

As Harley turns, she suddenly comes face-to-face with the open front windows. She gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she stumbled back. Two guards left behind had their throats slashed, and blood running down like a cascading river. She felt weak and small compared to the others who waved their guns as she reached for the handle of the knife tucked into her belt. The familiar feeling or terror was back, and Harley's hand shook as she gripped it and held it pointed upward.

Overcome with anger, Pike stormed towards Echo with his gun pointed at her. "This was your people," he accused furiously.

Echo replied calmly, but her words venomous. "Jok yu." (Fuck you.)

"Put it down, please," Harley suddenly pleaded, putting her hand on Pike's gun and pushing it down. "She was with us when this happened." The guards deaths were tragic, but Echo hadn't done them, and to wave a gun in her face in threats wouldn't bring them back.

"Harley's right," Octavia cut in, composed. "She warned us and this proves she was telling the truth." Pike still held the scowl on his face, yet he backed down and left Echo alone.

"We don't have time for this," Bellamy declared, stopping them all. "The attack is at sundown." He was right, Harley knew. Echo told the truth about an assassin, and they were running out of time. She swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking to get the image out of the deceased guards out of her head. She wasn't on time to save them, but she could help stop everyone at the summit from dying.

Octavia nodded to a sign, stopping them from continuing for a moment. Harley glanced to see what she was pointing at. There was a wooden slate that had the words NO WEAPONS BEYOND THIS POINT above a signed out picture of gun and knives that were crossed out. "I'm not leaving my blade here," she stated in fear.

"Is that a good idea?" Harley asked wearily. "What if we don't need them?" She held the knife up as an example. Or, they could get caught, but she hadn't added that.

"No," Echo answered before Octavia could. "None of us are. We go in through the tunnels, the entrance is this way." She motioned for the group to follow her with a wave of her hand. She disappears behind the sign, and it didn't take Harley even a minute to think about following her. She only didn't want anyone else to die, and wasn't considering the consequence of her good intentions.

The last time Harley walked through a long tunnel, she was under Indra's command in opening the Mount Weather's door to set their people free. She couldn't help but remember as they crossed through, for the same reasons as before. To save their people. As she heads in deeper, she notices just how underground they are. The cave walls are damp, it was so dark that the lights had to be flickered on and there's an unexplained wet smell drafting her, but she doesn't comment on it despite her skin itching.

A loud noise of wood being grated filled the silence and Bellamy held his arm out protectively, stopping them all from continuing as he peered over a corner. Harley's eyebrows creased in confusion as he explained in a hushed voice. "Two guards."

As if she expected this, Echo nodded. "They raise the lift," she explained quietly, to not be heard by the pair. "The elevator shaft is our only way in. We have to climb."

There was a pause as Harley glanced from Echo to Bellamy. "So what do we do?" She asked in a whisper, figuring that killing the grounder's guards couldn't be an option.

Leaning over the corner as well, Pike answered what Harley wasn't expecting with his gun raised. "I got left," he declared shortly before taking off from his spot. Harley's jaw dropped, unable to stop him, but watching in horror as Bellamy followed with no hesitation. Before she can make a shout of protest, there is the sound of muffled fighting and flesh squelching until silence.

Stunned, Harley turned the corner. Her blood runs cold at the sight of the two grounders on the ground, dead, as if their lives meant nothing. She knew sacrifices could sometimes be necessary, needed even, but this wasn't right. "What is wrong with you?!" Octavia demanded to know, stomping towards her brother. "You didn't have to kill them!"

"Yeah, I did," Bellamy argued, leaving the conversation at that.

Clearing her throat to speak, Harley's voice breaks with overwhelmed emotions. "You can't just kill everyone who's in your way." She wasn't sure if Bellamy heard her, or cared at all, instead, he led them as if they were soldiers to the elevator shaft.

Harley's hands continued shaking as she climbed the ladder behind Octavia. She was the last one to do so, hardly believing where they had come. She tried not to think about how high the shaft was, and one wrong step could send her tumbling to her death, instead feeling the sickness of the earlier killings. Harley wanted to save everyone, and Clover's statement from months ago when Murphy went rogue rang in her head as a reminder.

You can't save everyone.

Once they were up the ladder and Harley was pulled onto the solid top level of Polis, she steadied herself. Clover's words continued to repeat in her head as she bolted down the hall. She can't save everyone, but maybe she could save the ones here from an assassin they were warned about.

Bellamy and Pike were the ones to bust open the doors to the throne room. The wide, wooden double doors swung to the side, allowing the group to make their appearance known with a loud bang. Harley practically flew in, eyes wild as she studied their surroundings. Everyone in the room was bowing, and Commander Lexa was the center of it all. However, their entrance left everyone startled to the point they rose, staring in surprise at the intruders.

"Bellamy?" A soft, and recognizable voice, spoke up. It was Clarke, Harley noticed, but not like she had seen her before. Her hair was in braids and twists, she was in a long dress, and she had grounder facepaint masking her eyes. But Harley tried not to focus on her, instead looking around. Everyone seemed astonished, no one looked like a threat. She suddenly felt more sick, this time with uncertainty of what they've done.

"What is the meaning of this?" An unfamiliar man demanded to know, his voice deep.

Bellamy seemed just as unsure as Harley as he kept his stare held with Clarke. "The summit's a trap, we need to get you out of here," he declared, yet sounded weak.

Clarke was the first to break her and Bellamy's stare, turning to Lexa. "What the hell is going on?" She asked, suddenly sounding angry.

"I don't know," Lexa responded sincerely.

"It's the Ice Nation," Bellamy tried again.

However, he is left unbelieved as a grounder pointed at them. "These allegations are an outrage. The Ice Nation never stormed into this summit with weapons, breaking our laws. That was Skaikru," he accused sharply.

"N-No, you don't understand!" Harley said, her hands held up in defense, like the grounder was accusing only her. The knife in her hand hadn't helped. Pike was speaking over her, to Kane this time, but her mind was whirring, unable to process this.

Lexa's commanding presence and voice filled with authority interrupted the panic. "How did you come by this information?" She questioned, surprisingly calmed.

The name Echo hit Harley hard. She spun around, scanning the circle for the missing member she hadn't noticed abandoned them. "Where the hell is Echo?" Octavia snapped, her head turning the same way.

Harley felt a wave of dizziness at the realization Echo was long gone. "She.. She was right behind me on, on the ladder," she stammered, sounding more unsure with each word spoken, but she knew she was wrong. Echo had to have left them right when Harley started climbing.

At Harley's words, Octavia took a deep breath. "Bellamy, maybe we were wrong about this," she mumbled, suddenly uncertain by the unfortunate situation they were stuck in.

Kane took slow steps to Bellamy before holding his hand out. "Stand down." The order was clear and not giving them an option. Bellamy had to swallow his pride and hand him his gun. Harley couldn't make sense of this, but she complied, sticking her knife back in her belt.

Maybe they could make sense of all of this by calmly talking, Harley thought for a moment, that is until Bellamy's clipped on radio began to express static before Raven's voice filled it. "Bellamy," she cried. "Bellamy, come in. The grounders attacked Mount Weather."

Slowly, Harley turned her head. Her heart was picking up, and a vile feeling was beginning to spread, but she waited silently as Bellamy unclipped the radio and lifted it. "What are you talking about?" He asked, muffled and alarmed.

"It's gone." Harley's knees grew weaker. "It's gone, they're all gone." Harley began shaking her head, refusing to believe it. "Sinclair and I are the only ones left. I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Harley's voice broke wetly as she finally found the words. "No... No..." Nothing seems real at first, except for the way her lungs tightened painfully. There were people in Mount Weather, innocent people.

Clover was in Mount Weather.

With her lower lip trembling, a shattered sob makes its way out of Harley's mouth. Tears sprung in her eyes before streaming down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, praying that none of this was real. She wanted to be back in space, back in The Ark where people may have been killed, but it was nothing like this pain blossoming in her chest.

But Harley was stuck in this reality. This horrible real life, where death overpowered love, and peace was beginning to seem like only a dumb dream. She grew too weak and unsteady to stand, leaving her knees to hit the ground hard as she cried out again. "No!" It was the only word she could say. Raven was telling the truth, Clover and everyone there were gone.

As Harley's head fell forward and she cried louder in agonizing pain. The stabbing pang had once more begun leaving a few words to torture Harley for what felt like would be forever.

You can't save everyone.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE.

i do not CONTROL THE SPEED in which my CHARACTERS DIE
nah but rip clover bb u were real. it was
not a fun decision to make but
u gotta do what u gotta do.

just gotta pay a short tribute to her...

a kind, ambitious, bold and selfless girl, willing to fight anyone who dared look at her baby wrong.

thank you for letting me create you.

we will always miss you, love. ❤️