─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

'Mount Weather was founded in 1959. On May 10th, 2052, nuclear bombs were launched, only 93 years later. Everyone thought it was because of the country, China, and a war with them. Now, we know that's not true. The first commander, Becca, was a genius who created an AI named ALIE that had caused the nuclear apocalypse because she thought there was one thing wrong with the world.

Too many people.

She took care of that problem. But now, she has arose again, and we have to stop her with the Flame; ALIE 2.0. The chips created, inspired by this, would merge with a human mind and make them all into one, under her command. Becca put the first Flame inside herself after altering her genes, so her body wouldn't reject the implant, making her blood black, and the first true commander. "Bekka Pramheda." A nightblood, something that became hereditary.

With all the nightbloods around here dead, there is only one far enough away that lives. And to put a stop to ALIE 1, only she can tell us with the Flame how to stop her with ALIE 2. This is how we save the world; again?'

"I'm sorry, am I speaking too fast for you?" Raven spoke up, nudging Riley's leg with her foot in a joking manner.

Stopping her quick scribbling, Riley glanced upwards and shut her book. "No," she responded. "I think I got it all." This was something new. It was the biggest, whatever it was, that she's ever faced. Fighting against Pike was one thing. It wasn't something that would be legendary and passed down into stories. This was something new, it was the explanation as to everything that had ever gone wrong in the world. If ALIE was still around, they had to stop her.

Riley figured she was done, and put her stubbed pencil and thin book away, back safely in her jacket where they always were. She leaned back, pressing her back against the rumbling rover in between Raven and Monty as they neared Arkadia. All they needed was Lincoln's book, so they could find Luna and put a stop to ALIE.

"Eyes sharp," Bellamy announced from where he was behind the wheel. "Weapons high. We're almost home." Riley was tired of using weapons, but he was right. After seeing how Raven reacted to the chip, there could be more waiting for them. She had carried around a handgun around everywhere since the incident when Azgeda after the first time she left Arkadia, but left it in her holster. Bellamy lifted the radio, keeping his eyes focused as to not crash. "Miller, come in."

Miller didn't respond. Him, his boyfriend Bryan, and Harper had been left behind at the cave until they were given the signal to follow them to Arkadia. They should still be there, Riley thought to herself, leaning forward. The radio speaker didn't fill with a voice, only a crackling silence. "Harper, you there?" Bellamy asked next, but the same silence was the only response.

"Great," Riley mumbled under her breath, concerned about her friends, as she leaned back once more. Anything could have happened. From grounders who hadn't heard about the blockade being lifted, to the chipped people finding them.

Monty frowned, attempting to stay optimistic. "They should be fine," he suggested. "We can try radioing in later." Bellamy nodded back, agreeing, as he pulled into the front gate of Arkadia.

Stepping out of the rover, Riley took a quick glance around, her eyes squinting against the sunlight. She was surprised to see Arkadia was completely deserted. After Jasper and Clarke's story of how they got away, she would have assumed they left some people behind incase the group trying to stop them. The others were all on guard walking through the gate, holding their weapons high. Cautiously, Riley drew her handgun out, holding it forward and grasping her wrist with her other hand. The feeling of her bandaged hand dug into her skin, but she ignored it, focusing forward incase someone was hiding.

Bellamy began speaking into the radio in his hand again, asking for Miller as the group walked through. Riley lowered her guard, and after a quick scan, realized it was just a deserted deadzone. "I don't like this," Bellamy stated after receiving no answer from Miller yet again.

"Maybe they got chipped," Jasper suggested. "Maybe they saw the open gate, went in for Lincoln's book.."

"Maybe you should stop saying maybe," Octavia snapped. Everyone followed in lowering their defense when realizing she had come to a stop. Riley followed her gaze, seeing what she was looking at and biting her lower lip at the sight. It was a small pool of blood, from when Pike had shot Lincoln. Riley shook her head, swallowing thickly and setting her sight fixedly straight once more. "Let get his book and get the hell out of here," Octavia declared, attempting to sound firm, but her voice breaking with emotion.

Clarke looked confused by Octavia's outburst of hurt, and Bellamy shared a look with her for a second before explaining with a simple name. "Lincoln." Before pressing a button on a control to open the bay for the rover. Monty drove the rover inside and they all followed quickly under Bellamy's quick command. "Close it up and turn it around. We need to get out of here quickly!" As the bay's doors slid shut behind them.

Riley put her gun back in her holster, scanning the area she was in. There were tables of uneaten food and paper cards sprawled out, as if the people here had just got up and walked away without cleaning after themselves. It was too odd for them and only had meant one thing; that everyone who was once here was chipped.

"We're in and out," Bellamy declared to the others. "Put as much gear as you can into the rover," he ordered.

"I'll get the map," Octavia offered, taking off with her sword.

"I'll uh... Go with her," Jasper added. "Probably shouldn't be alone."

Before Jasper dashed after Octavia, Riley called out to him, putting her palms flat on the table. "Hey!" He stopped, looking over her shoulder at her shout. "Be careful." At her caring request, he nodded back before finally leaving.

"There shouldn't be a rush," Raven spoke up, shifting her arm that was slung into a cloth into a more comfortable position. "They won't be coming back. ALIE's mission is to chip everyone, it wouldn't make sense to return to a place she's already took."

"I'm going to stock up on medical supplies, then," Riley suggested, slinging her kit's strap over her shoulder. Wherever they went from here, it could turn into an all out war. She was practically useless with a gun, making her useful skill nursing people's wounds. She wasn't too low, but it wouldn't hurt to stock up. Bellamy gave her a nod of permission, making Riley's lower lip curled, as if she needed his okay to do so.

"Wait." Riley stopped, turning on her heels at Bellamy's request when seeing her look disgusted. "I'll come with you. The armory is close by."

Protesting, Riley tried to wave it off. "I can take care of myself, Bell - "

"I'm coming," Bellamy cut her off firmly before she could finish and not giving her an option. He held his gun to his chest, picking up an empty shoulder bag and leading the way. Riley watched the back of his head move towards the exit, considering staying and avoiding him, but figuring she needed the medical supplies, she reluctantly followed him.

The walk between them was full of a heavy, tense silence. Riley remembered the time they were close friends, during and after Mount Weather, but before Pike. As Riley came across the medical room, she put in the passcode that would open the doors, waiting for Bellamy to leave, but he didn't. She hesitated to walk inside, looking over her shoulder to face him. "What?"

Bellamy hesitated, seeming to think over his words, before finally speaking. His voice was low and full of regret. "I'm sorry."

"For Pike?" Riley questioned, coming off more harsh than she had meant to. "I think it's a little late for that." People died, and Bellamy was on the wrong side. While it may not have been entirely his fault, he had a hand in it, and she knew an apology wasn't going to fix it.

"Yeah," Bellamy agreed. "For Pike. And for Mount Weather, for your family, for Maya, and your people. I'm sorry." His voice broke when saying Maya's name, along with Riley's heart. Her stone like face softened, out of her control. She didn't want to forgive him, not for Pike yet anyways, but the sincerity in his voice had made her want to have a change of heart.

Hesitating, Riley tucked her braid behind her ear before nodding and ignoring the tears building up. "I've already forgiven you for Mount Weather, Bellamy." He looked relieved, thankful even, but still unsure. "You don't have to apologize anymore," she added. "Not for that." Bellamy nodded, ducking his head. Riley didn't have to say goodbye, neither did he, as he took off to the short direction to the armory as she headed into the small medical facility.

Riley slipped the bag's kit off her shoulder, setting it on a counter. She unzipped it, before opening cabinets and grabbing certain supplies she figured she might need. It ranged from bandages, antibiotics, alcohol wipes, stitching utensils, a few plasters, painkillers, and also having to tuck a bottle of Monty's moonshine for sterilization into the side. Riley picked up two boxes of bandages in the back, checking the labels to choose which was best.

Sighing, Riley decided on the second box and shoved it in the now full bag before zipping it shut. She wished she had more time learning in Mount Weather, finishing her lessons and stepping up from being an assistant to a doctor. It was all she wanted. When helping Abby out, the doctor had supplied Riley with old fashioned textbooks that would help, but it wasn't the same. She didn't know if she'd ever step up.

"Hey, look," a voice from behind Riley spoke up. She tensed, but calmed when turning and realizing it was only Bellamy in the entrance, holding a bag of armory supplies. It was just as full as hers, making her give him a hesitant smile. "We caught a lucky break. There's more, though, we might need the others."

Nodding, Riley slid the heavy bag off the counter and slung it on her back. "Radio in the others, so we can load the rover," she advised.

Agreeing, Bellamy lifted his walkie talkie. Riley followed him back to the armory as he spoke into it, ordering the others. "Everyone finish what you're doing, meet me in the armory."

"Why?" Clarke's voice radioed back. "What's going on?"

"You'll see when you get here," Bellamy urged her. "We just got lucky."

Waiting as patiently as they could, Riley and Bellamy wandered outside, just outside the armory door. The others were across the field, in the other building, where the bay was. As they waited, Bellamy's eyes averted to Riley's hand, that was hanging by her side, and noticing the plastered bandage she had on it. "I'm sorry for hitting you."

The apology wasn't as sincere as the one before, but it made Riley pick her head up to look at the taller one with her eyebrows raised. "I hit you first."

"With reason," Bellamy argued.

Shrugging slowly, Riley looked back off into the distance, lingering in anticipation for the others. "I'm sorry too," she admitted. "For headbutting you in the face." The lightness in her tone made Bellamy break into a small smile, reassured and glad, but ending their conversation.

It was a few minutes later when someone finally appeared, but leaving Riley in confusion. It was Clarke, racing towards them while coughing into her arm before shouting; "Bellamy!" Worried, the pair ran towards her, meeting her in the middle.

Clarke stumbled, nearly falling, as Bellamy quickly caught her. "What is it?" He asked, rushed and alarmed. "What's going on?"

Looking up, Clarke panted, staring straight at Riley with wide and agitated eyes before uttering one word that sent a shiver up Riley's spine.

"Emerson."