#medkit is the down to earth guy to keep him in check... maybe. if he feels like it

[cometshift]

predisasters

[fanaticartisan]

He’d never slipped in a trial before.

He faced seemingly endless terrains, in the eternal darkness of The Entity’s realms. Snow and grass, concrete and stone, slick with rain or sticky with blood, none of them had ever made him so much as falter, in trails past. He paced over them all, his booted stride unstoppable, as steady as a wave cutting through an endless ocean.

But today it was mud, and as the survivor he’d been hounding flailed over the stone ledge and he followed, his boot hit something hidden in the sludge. His foot slipped, and between the weight of his metal head and the shiver of something spiteful in the air, he wasn’t able to keep himself from falling. He hit with a splat of hollow iron on wet earth, stars bursting before his vision as the wind left him in a gurgling rush. 

For a moment he lay there, stunned. Rain pattered down, cold against his iron face, cold against his blood-caked skin. And then, finally, he choked in a breath of moist, muddy air, and stirred, trying to rise. His body hurt. The mud was slick under his hands as he attempted to push himself up. Worst of all, his face was well and truly stuck - one of the large, planar sides sunk an inch or two into the muck.This was a punishment, he was sure. Small, petty, cruel - something more subtle than The Entity’s usual means, but frustrating enough nonetheless. Unless - and the thought chilled him more than the cold water seeping into his clothes - unless he was just losing his edge, like a blade hammed too many times against a hard, dull surface.

Impossible. He sank down again, a low growl rumbling from his throat. He’d never faltered in his duty. He was the Executioner - the punisher of the guilty, inflicting pain upon those who had caused pain, and torment upon those who had tormented. He’d pursued such foes long before The Entity had brought him here, and he’d performed with righteous determination, even to the degree of ignoring his new master’s will when necessary, to get the job done.

Maybe that was why...

Something flashed out of the corner of his eye. He stopped struggling, falling still as steps and whispers drew closer, just outside the field of his vision. A snarl of anger coiled in his chest: the wicked dared approach him! He needed to stand, to run them through with his blade and punish them for their countless days of wrongs and cruelty; pallets smashed against his face, blinding light shined into his eyes, sharp stones driven into his flesh. He wanted to hack them all to pieces, Entity and its hooks be rotted.

But he was still stuck - still aching and short of breath. It would take too much struggle to get up and after them, even assuming he could free himself on his own. Rather than hear their mocking laughter at his torment, he lay in silence, waiting for them to pass, hoping that his stillness and the filth that covered him would be enough to hide him from their prying eyes and shining lights.

He should have remembered that The Entity glutted itself on hope. And despair.

“Hey, guys! Look...”

A light shone against his back. 

“Is that..?”

“It is! But what’s he doing?”

“Is he alright?”

“Hey….” someone nudged his boot, and he growled in warning. If only his blade were in his hand….

“Don’t touch him!”

“Is he hurt? I’ve never seen him fall before.”

“Scary…”

“We should finish up the gens and get out of here.”

A silence as the rest of the group considered this. Yes, he thought bitterly, finish your tasks and be returned again. He would fell them like the rotten trees they were. He strained to reach his blade, but it was too far, several inches out of his reach.

“Careful, he’s moving!”

“I think if he could hurt us, he would have done it by now.”

“Maybe his back is broken.”

A thrill of fear went through him at that idea. He didn’t feel broken, but…

“The entity will take care of him. Just leave him be, and let’s get out of here.”

“You guys go.”

A silence. Out of the corner of his vision, The Executioner could see their forms, all as dirty and worn as himself, turn and look at the speaker.

The Executioner didn’t know their names. He didn’t know anything about them at all, he realized, not their faces nor connections, or even what crimes had brought them here. The visage of the speaker was dirty, scared, but determined, even when greeted with the accusing stares of their teammates.

“You’re crazy.”

“Always crazy.”

“You can use my medkit.”

The namecallers fell silent, staring at the forth survivor. A small, metallic clank of red metal hitting the ground filled the space between them. The crazy survivor smiled, a small, grateful thing, and for the first time, in years of violence in cold, The Executioner felt something new.

A seed of doubt, lodged deep in his core.

 What had the survivors done, to warrant the punishment he inflicted on them?

The others moved off, their feet sucking and splatting in the mud. He was left with the crazy one, who remained behind him, opening the medkit, presumably checking its contents.

“I’m going to touch your back, and look for damage” they said.

The Executioner rumbled a threat, but didn’t move, even as the survivor bent over him and he felt gentle, warm fingers probing his spine.

“All this blood,” the survivor murmured. “Is it yours?”

It was, for now. The corners of his face were iron and sharp, and every time a pallet slammed into him, they cut deeper into the flesh of his shoulders. He couldn’t explain this to the survivor, though, so he said nothing.

“I don’t know if spines should bend this way,” the survivor said, lingering somewhere at the small of his back. “I don’t feel anything broken or swollen, so I assume it’s just how you are. Or how you’ve become.” The survivor shifted a bit, looking at the blade lying just out of his reach in the muddy grass. “You wear that metal thing, and drag your sword around. I’ve seen you prop it up, when you think no-one is looking. Even one of them would be heavy, on their own, but you always have both…well. It’s enough to explain your back, anyway.”

He growled a little. Of course they were heavy - heavier with each death he caused. Just as he punished the damned, so too he was punished, in turn, for the pain he caused. But he wouldn’t expect a human to understand that.

The hands remained on his back a moment, warm against the chill of the weather and damp. “Are your legs hurt?” the survivor asked. “Your neck?”

The Executioner hesitated a moment. And then he sighed, the noise wet with mud and rainwater. He shifted his weight, slowly, so as not to startle the crazy one, and made a show of pushing against the ground, unable to budge his suctioned-down face.

“Oh, I understand. Okay, just...hold still a moment, and I’ll see what I can do.”

The survivor changed their position, working their hands - fingers worn and calloused from endless hours working on generators - into the muck, and under the edge of his triangular face. “On three,” the survivor said. “One...two…”

They both heaved on three, The Executioner groaning as he shoved with all his might. Slowly, with a great sound of squelching, his face came free, and eventually they both fell back, shaken but victorious. The Executioner was on his feet in an instant, his entire right side coated with muck, a grumble of relief escaping his chest.

The survivor had scrambled up too, and took a step back. “Forgot you’re so tall,” they said under their breath, casting him a furtive glance.

He gave them a look, and bent again, pulling his blade free with another squelch.

An echoing clang made them both jump. The forest blazed with light - three generators completed at once. The Executioner rumbled with displeasure - The Entity was going to punish him for this failure, he knew. But the trial was already lost, on his end. Even if he went after the survivors with full force, he doubted he’d finish them in time.

And anyway…

He looked at the crazy one - the one who still lingered near, knowing full well that he was put here to punish them. They looked back at him, clearly nervous, but hoping for...something.

“You can keep this,” they said, setting the red medical kit at his feet. “Maybe you can use it for your shoulders. I don’t know if it can help you, but-”

Another flash and clang, further away now. Four generators done.

The Executioner stared at the little red box. It didn’t make sense. He was supposed to punish the wicked, but this survivor clearly ...wasn’t wicked. Wicked people didn’t help fallen enemies.

If this survivor wasn’t wicked, how did he know if the others were?

Was everything he had done until now...a mistake?

Or perhaps it wasn’t a mistake. He looked at the survivor - dirty, but uninjured, and he looked at himself, his tunic soaked in his own blood. The Entity fed on hope and despair. Perhaps it was not only the survivors it was feeding off of. Perhaps the bulk of its nourishment came from himself, and the others like him - the ones who were eternally in pain, with no tools or allies to heal them. He thought of Evan’s hooks, and Spirit’s severed limbs. Sally’s ruined face,  Lisa’s...everything. The entity had broken them all - far, far more than it had broken the survivors.

The last generator clanged into light. The Executioner gave a rough sigh, and turned, marching towards the gate as the crazy survivor followed.

He didn’t look at them as he opened the gate. Didn’t look at any of them as they ran past, unharmed and unable to believe their good luck. He knew the crazy one lingered, wanting to meet his gaze, but he didn’t give them the satisfaction.

At last they were gone, and he strode through the grass with The Entity’s displeasure heavy on his bleeding shoulders and the trial-realm collapsing in sparks and ash behind him, taking the offered medical kit with it. Only once they were all back around their fire, and he lurked in the shadows, watching, did he look at their faces, and let himself wonder. Why had the crazy one helped him? Why had the other left their precious kit, to possibly aid in his recovery? Would they even remember, in the next trial, that they had done these things?

Would he remember?

Not once in past trials had he questioned the world he found himself in, in all the endless days of work and violence. But now, for the first time, he found himself wishing for more knowledge. Wishing for a way to escape this world, as killer or survivor.

Or, failing that, for a way to forget the questions that now hung over him like dark crows. The Entity fed on despair. Now more than ever, he didn’t want to give it what it wanted.

[slytherinbarnes]

Sub Rosa [45]

xvi. perverse instantiation, pt 2

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 6.0k

Warnings: mentions of wounds, fighting, blood, language, choking, angst, death. 

Summary: The Battle of the City Light begins, with Clarke leading the charge, while the rest of you battle an army of chipped people and keep her safe.

a/n: THE FINAL PART OF THE SEASON THREE FINALE IS HERE! IF YOU WANT SEASON FOUR PLEASE LET ME KNOW! IT HELPS ME A LOT TO BE ABLE TO GAUGE INTEREST TO SEE IF WE SHOULD CONTINUE! the taglist for this series is open! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!!!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

Reality sets in quickly, and within moments, Octavia and the others come bursting in. Bellamy immediately leads them all away, taking Jaha and the other guards with them, leaving you and Clarke alone. She looks up at you. “Do you still have the EMP?”

“Yes.”

“If Ontari’s brain is dead, it’s useless on her. We can use it on mom instead.”

You hold her head and help Clarke carry your mother towards the throne, so she can get better light from the windows. You take your backpack off and pull out the EMP, passing it to her as she lays your mom's head in her lap. You sit beside her as she takes the device and connects it to your mother, flipping a switch to activate the EMP. Your mother wakes up, crying out in pain, before passing out again. The new device that Raven made automatically sucks the liquefied chip out of her head, so neither of you have to worry about that. As soon as the chip is out, Clarke smooths back your mom’s hair and whispers, “Mom? Can you hear me?”

She doesn't move, and Clarke starts to tear up. You shift closer as she says, “I know you're in there. Come back to us, we need you."

Her eyelids flutter open, and you and Clarke let out matching laughs of relief. Clarke whispers, “Hi. You're okay, you're okay.”

You both help your mother sit up, and as soon as she does, her eyes land on the cut marks on Clarke's chest. You don't have to ask, because you already gathered that Alie used your mother to torture Clarke, the same way she used Raven to torture your mother. But your mother bursts into tears as soon as she sees the wounds, and she rasps out, “I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Her voice breaks as she repeats, "I'm so sorry." 

Her head drops, her crying growing harder, and Clarke reaches out to lift her head again, gently scolding, “Hey, stop. It wasn't you."

She mutters, "No, no, no, no, no."

Clarke grows insistent, "No, it wasn't you.”

And as her cries start to die down, she adds, “Mom. I need your help."

Before Clarke can tell her why, the doors to the throne room burst open, and Bellamy, Murphy, and Pike come running in. As soon as Bellamy sees your mom awake and nearby, he lifts his gun, but you and Clarke put your arms up to shield her. “Wait, no!”

“I used the EMP. She's back."

Murphy turns to look at Ontari, still bleeding out on the floor nearby. "Well, what about Ontari? I thought you said we had one shot with that thing."

"I told you, Ontari is no longer an option for the Flame. She's brain dead." She turns to Bellamy. “Is the floor secure?"

"For now. Jaha and the guards are tied up in a bedroom."

Pike adds, "We took out the elevator and the ladder as we climbed. The stairs are collapsed. No one's following us."

"Good. Then we have time."

You pause, then look her way. “Wait, time for what?”

"An Ascension Ceremony."

Murphy gives her a look of bewilderment. "Ascension? You just said Ontari wasn't an option. Besides, she's still chipped, and we no longer have an EMP."

"We're not putting the Flame in Ontari's head. We're putting it in mine."

You and Bellamy both give her matching looks of disbelief, and you shake your head. “What? Clarke, that thing killed Emerson in seconds, liquified his brain."

"Emerson wasn't connected to a Nightblood."

Pike steps closer, asking, "Transfusion?"

"Not exactly."

And you think of the only other place on the Earth that connected people and filtered their blood through another person. "Connected like Mount Weather."

Clarke nods, confirming your guess, before turning to look at you mom. "Everything we need is in your medkit."

She abruptly stands up, already shaking her head. “No, it's too dangerous, and there are too many variables."

"But no options."

Your mom doesn't get the chance to counter the argument, because Octavia runs into the room, slightly panicked. "Whatever you're doing, you'd better do it fast."

Bellamy turns to look at his sister. "Why? What happened?"

"They're climbing."

As soon as she says the words, you all turn and run outside, stepping out onto the balcony and looking over the edge to see Grounders and Sky People alike scaling the building to reach you. And as if it just further proves her point, Clarke turns back to your mom. “I have to do this."

"Okay. I'll help you."

Your mom turns and disappears inside, and Clarke turns to you and Bellamy, wanting your approval too. You sigh, already knowing your answer, but you turn to look at Bellamy. He thinks it over, considering the options, or lack thereof, before nodding at her. “We’ll buy you time.”

She squeezes your hand in thanks, and turns to follow your mom back into the throne room. Bellamy turns to look at the others. “Gather all the lamp oil you can, and grease every entry point on this floor. It might not stop them forever, but maybe we can slow them down.”

They nod and run off, leaving you and Bellamy alone. You glance down at the rising line of people, climbing their way up to you, before locking eyes with Bellamy. “Are you ready for this?”

“As long as I have you by my side, I’m ready for anything.”

You smile and pull him into a kiss, letting him know that you feel the same way. When you pull away, you nod towards the door. “Let’s go save the world.”

You both walk back into the throne room, before grabbing one of the jugs of lamp oil and running from the room. You manage to grease the windows and floors of three rooms, and Bellamy picks up where you left off and greases the other three rooms on your hall. You go and check the other rooms, surveying the work of the others, pleased to find that all of the rooms are protected, save for one: The Commander’s Chambers. 

Miller walks out of the room beside the Commander's room and up to you, Bryan's arm wrapped around his shoulders, carrying his weight. He nods to the still ungreased room, “We had enough lamp oil for every room except that one.”

You watch as Bryan limps along and your eyes drift down to his leg, where blood is dripping from a sloppily tied bandage. You ignore the room, and look between them with concern, “What happened?”

“We got ambushed trying to get you guys to the top. Bryan took a bullet to the leg.”

You glance back towards the direction of the throne room. “We should try to bandage it better. We might not have time to fix you up just yet, but we can at least slow the bleeding.”

They nod, and you lead the three men back to the throne room, making a beeline for your backpack and grabbing one of the medkits. You pass Clarke, who is sitting on the throne, getting hooked up to Ontari by your mother, and she gives you a weak smile. You smile in return before turning back to Miller, motioning for him to put Bryan down on one of the steps. As you’re bandaging his leg and cleaning the wound the best you can, Pike comes in from the balcony. 

"Balcony's greased. No one's getting in through here."

Bellamy nods at him. “Good. We had enough lamp oil to cover every window and floor except in the Commander's chambers."

"Then that's where the fighting starts. We'll dig in there."

He immediately heads that way, and as soon as you finish fixing Bryan’s bandages, he’s reaching out for Nate. “I want to help Pike.”

Miller helps him to his feet, and you give him a serious look. “Try to keep him off that leg. He’s gonna give himself an infection if he keeps this up.”

Miller nods and mutters, “I’ll try.” 

They leave the room, following Pike, and Octavia turns to join them. You watch as Bellamy turns to watch her, calling, “O.”

She turns to face him, and he gives her a concerned look. “Be careful.”

She nods, and then glances at you, meeting your eyes before turning back and heading out the door. You stand and move closer to your twin as your mother announces, “We're all set."

She turns to look at Clarke, who has a look of worry on her face. You think of the watch on your wrist, and you quickly pull it off and attach it to her wrist. She looks down at it then back up to you, and you whisper, “For strength.”

She nods, and you can see some of her worry melt away as your mom asks, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

She flips the switch on the tubing connected to Clarke’s arm, and you all watch as Clarke’s blood flows through the tubing and into Ontari. And then she walks over to Ontari and flips the switch on her tubing, releasing Ontari’s blood. Clarke lets out a shaky breath as the dark Nightblood flows through the tube and towards her arm, and she is tense with anxiety as she watches the blood flow into her body. Bellamy senses her unease and jokes, “Try doing that hanging upside down."

She smiles a little, before turning to your mother who is hovering nearby, looking just as anxious. "This will work."

"And if it doesn't?"

Murphy walks over to your small group, answering your mother’s question. "If it doesn't work then she dies. If she doesn't try, then she dies with the rest of us when the climbers get here.”

He reaches for Clarke’s hand, where the Flame is clutched tight in her grip, but your mother stops him. He turns to her and says, “If we're gonna do this, I'm going to need the Flame."

"Mom, please. He knows what he's doing. You have to let me go."

She releases Murphy, who takes the Flame from Clarke’s grip, and then he comes to stand behind her. “Lean forward.”

She does as he says, but you see her hand anxiously reaching out for you. You take it, giving her a reassuring squeeze, and you reach out for Bellamy, who takes your hand to reassure you, the three of you forming a small chain of comfort.

"You ready?"

Clarke nods a little, glances at the watch on her wrist, and then tells him, "Do it."

Murphy lifts the Flame and mutters, "Ascende superius."

You watch as the Flame activates, growing a bunch of tiny tendrils that slither and move. Murphy moves the Flame closer to Clarke’s neck and the tendrils reach out for her, latching onto her. The Flame buries itself in her neck and Clarke squeezes your hand as she lets out a cry of pain. A second later, her head lulls to the side, unconscious. You look between your mother and Murphy, panicked. “Is she okay?”

Your mom reaches up and checks her pulse. “Her heart's racing. Get that thing out of her head!"

You look at Murphy and he shakes his head. Your mom spins towards him and yells, “I said, get that thing out of her head!"

Murphy straightens up, walking behind Clarke again, and as he reaches for her, she wakes up as if nothing happened at all. “No, no, not yet."

"Are you in any pain?"

“No, I'm okay.” She turns to look at you and Bellamy. “I know how to stop Alie. I have to take the chip."

You and Bellamy both look at her in confusion and ask, “What?"

"I have to go into the City of Light and find the kill switch."

Your mom turns Clarke’s head back towards her, forcing her to look at her. “Clarke, listen to me, Alie wants the Flame. If you take the chip, you're giving it to her. The second someone sees you, Alie is going to know you're there, and she'll kill you. If your mind dies, you die."

Clarke shakes her head. "The Flame will protect me. I don't know how I know...I just know."

You and Bellamy exchange a look, both of you confused by the situation, but trusting of Clarke. You nod at him and he walks away, quickly grabbing a chip from one of the discarded bags of chips on the table nearby. He comes back to your side, and holds the chip out to her. “We believe you."

Your mom, however, still has her doubts. "Do you even know what you're looking for?"

"I'll know when I find it."

Knowing that there’s nothing else that she can say to stop her, she leans forward and kisses Clarke, whispering, “May we meet again."

Clarke is confident when she answers, "We will."

She turns towards you and Bellamy, taking the chip from his outstretched hand, and you smile at her. "We'll keep you safe, shining star."

“I know you will. You always do.”

And then she lifts the chip to her mouth and swallows it, leaning back into the chair and closing her eyes, looking eerily serene. She reminds you of the people that were kneeling outside a few hours ago, and you realize now they must have been in the City of Light. You feel a pang of envy, because they really do seem at peace, but you’re quick to remind yourself of the shit Alie has put you and your friends through just to get people to join her.

As soon as you realize Clarke is going to be out for a while, you turn to Bellamy. “We should check on the others, see if anyone’s made it up yet.”

He nods and you turn to look at your mom. “Call if you need us.”

“I will.”

You and Bellamy turn to leave the room, both of you walking down the hall side by side as you head to the Commander’s chambers nearby. As you’re walking down a straight stretch of hallway, Miller and Bryan come around the corner at the end, Miller practically carrying Bryan. You can instantly tell that his wound is infected, because he is covered in sweat, his skin pale. You’re about to scold them, but then you have a rushing realization of what it means if Miller and Bryan are here with you. Octavia and Pike are alone. 

You look at Bellamy and he comes to the same conclusion, giving the two men an incredulous look. “You left her with Pike?"

Miller nods and you and Bellamy exchange a look, knowing that’s not a good sign. Because even though you want Pike dead, you told her to wait until he is no longer useful. Right now, given the low numbers on your side, he’s still useful. You and Bellamy rush past the couple and towards the chambers without another word, coming around the corner and into the doorway to see Pike on the ground between two men, getting his ass kicked. Octavia is a few feet away, just watching. Bellamy yells at his sister as soon as he sees her, “O! What are you doing?"

She turns around in surprise, and Bellamy runs into the room, towards the small group. Octavia reaches out for him as he nears them, desperately crying, “Bellamy, no!"

But he pulls himself from her grip and lifts his gun, shooting one of the men immediately. He falls to the ground and Bellamy turns to shoot the other, only managing to catch him in the leg. It doesn't matter though, because it gives Pike the upper hand, and he reaches out and twists the man’s head, breaking his neck. 

Bellamy reaches him and pulls him to his feet. “Can you stand?"

"She cut me!"

Bellamy looks at his sister in shock, but your eyes are glued to the window, watching as more heads pop into view. “Bellamy, we’ve got company!”

He turns towards the window and sees the rush of people, before yelling out, “Come on, we gotta go!

Pike yells, "We can't give up the room!"

You back up towards the door, as they run your way, and you yell back, "We already have!"

You watch a few Grounders drop into the room, and just as Octavia and Bellamy swing the doors closed, you spot Kane, pulling himself over the windowsill. You feel your stomach lurch, but you have no time to process him being chipped, because Bellamy starts tipping over furniture nearby, sliding it towards the door. “Help me!”

You help him push the dresser closer, barricading the door, and as Pike and Octavia add a bookcase to the mix, Pike tells her, “I told you. You need to get yourself under control if we're gonna survive this."

You turn and lean up against the bookcase, glaring at Pike as he does the same. “Shut up, Pike.”

Octavia and Bellamy lean against the barricade between you and him, and Octavia bangs her head against the wood a few times, frustrated. Bellamy whispers, “O, listen to me, I know how you feel. I let the need for revenge put me on the wrong side. I don't want that for you."

You can see her fighting back tears, and a sudden lurch at the door lets you know that the chipped army has arrived and they’re ready to take the door down. They hit the door in a steady beat, one after the next, all of you lurching each time. She tucks away her sadness and tells him, “You keep it closed. We'll get more for the barricade."

She reaches out for your hand and pulls you away, and as she does, you can hear Pike talking to Bellamy. “It wasn't the wrong side. If the Grounder army was still there when Lexa died, they would've attacked and you know it."

Octavia continues to pull you down the hall, and Bellamy’s response gets quieter and quieter as you move further away, but you’re able to catch most of it. "I wanted to see things like you. I needed that, to believe that they were bad and we were good. I don't know what I believe anymore, I just know that I have to live with what I've done."

You smile, proud of the progress he’s made, and allow Octavia to pull you into the first room she sees, looking around for the biggest pieces of furniture. She spots a table nearby and heads straight for it, and you grab the other end. As you’re both taking it back down the hall, she avoids your eyes, knowing that she acted prematurely against Pike. You scold her anyways, “I said after he stopped being useful, Octavia. I know you're mad, that you hate working with him, but having him around right now is one more body between us and the chipped army. We can sacrifice him before we have to give any of ourselves up.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Don't be. Just, please, wait until this is finished. He tried to kill me, and I want him dead just as much as you do. But right now, Clarke is more important than anything else. We have to keep her safe.”

She nods, just as you come around the corner, passing the table to the others. By now, Miller has returned from dropping off Bryan, and he’s leaning against the barrier, helping Bellamy and Pike. You tell them, “There’s more furniture in other rooms. One or two people stay on the door, the rest of us bring back more furniture.”

Everyone agrees and starts to rotate, leaving one person holding the barricade while the others run off. During your rotation at the door, Bryan comes limping down the hall, and you start to give him a scolding look, but a particularly hard crash hits the barricade, and you lurch forwards, losing your footing. He rushes forward and scrambles to hold everything back and you pull yourself to your feet and lean against it with him. You nod, “Thanks.”

When everyone returns with more furniture, tossing it against the growing barricade, Bryan shouts, "This isn't gonna hold for long!"

To prove his point, another large bang hits the door, and you both shift forwards, until the others run forwards and lean against it with you. Miller looks over at Bellamy, “Sounds like there's a lot of 'em! Maybe it's time to go to guns."

Pike comes around the corner, holding up a handful of shock batons. "We've got something better than guns."

He runs over to you and Bellamy, whispering his plan. “The hallway around the corner drops down, making it perfect to hold water. We wait for them to stand in the water, and then we drop the shock batons in. There’s not enough electricity in them to kill them, just knock them out.”

You nod, “We’ll get it set up, hold the barricade.”

He takes your place at the door, and Bellamy runs after you as you run to the hall in question. You stop and look around, trying to find a water source, and Bellamy puts a hand on your shoulder, urging you to turn around. He points to an old rusty pipe, half hanging out of the wall. He hands you his rifle and you use the butt end of it to hit the pipe over and over until it bursts, spilling water all over the floor. You step back as it rushes over your shoes, soaking your socks, and you and Bellamy watch the water flow out of the wall until it stops, nothing left inside. 

Bellamy climbs the stairs and runs into one of the rooms, grabbing a bunch of crates and tossing them to you one by one, for all of you to stand on. You place them strategically around the exit to the hall, back towards the throne room, before you each give a satisfied nod and run back to the others. As soon as you see them, you turn to look at Miller. “You and Bryan go first, stop just on the other side of the hallway.”

They nod and quickly move that way, leaving you, Pike, Bellamy, and Octavia behind. After waiting a minute, you turn to Pike and Bellamy. “Someone needs to be the bait to stop them in the hall.”

“I will.”

You all turn to look at Octavia, and you nod, accepting her volunteer. You look back at Pike and Bellamy. “You two go next, me and Octavia will be the last two.”

They run off, following Bryan and Miller’s path, and you and Octavia lean against the door, keeping the increasing strength of the group at bay for as long as possible. “Get as many of them as you can into the water before you call out to us. There are boxes on our end of the hallway for you to jump on so you won't get shocked.”

“Okay.”

You wait a minute longer before looking over at her. “Ready?”

She waits for the next hit to bang against the door, and based off the rhythmic flow of the banging, you know you only have a few seconds to get away from the barricade, down the hall, and into position. As soon as you lurch forward she mutters, “Let’s go.”

You both tear away from the door and run down the hall, round the corner into the waterlogged hall. She pushes you ahead, knowing you need to get to the other side, and you splash through the water quickly, reaching Bellamy and Miller as they wait for you. Bellamy hands you two shock batons, before grabbing two more, and Miller takes the last two, all of you clustering together at the end of the hall, just out of view. Octavia comes to a stop in the water, right beside a crate, and Bellamy motions to each of you, telling you which crate to aim for so that none of you end up on the same one.

You only have to wait a second before you hear the crash of the barricade hitting the ground the next hall over, and seconds later you see a charge of chipped people enter the space, Kane at the lead. Octavia lifts her hands in surrender as soon as she sees them. “Wait, Kane. I give up, I'll take the chip."

Kane steps towards her, entering the water, and the others step in behind him. "Good, no one else has to die, ever. Maybe you can convince your mentor of that."

Octavia tenses up, dropping her arms to her side. "Indra's alive?"

He nods, walking even closer to her, allowing the rest of the group to follow him into the water. "Yes. On the cross, suffering needlessly."

As soon as she sees the last man step into the water, she yells, "NOW!" 

You, Miller, and Bellamy jump into action, lighting up the shock batons at the same time as you come around the corner. You see Octavia jump onto her box, to safety, and you head straight for the box on the right side, the one Bellamy pointed you towards. He runs to the one beside you, and Miller takes the one on the left. As you all jump onto your crates, avoiding the water, you toss the shock batons into the water, watching as they fall straight into your plan. You see realization cross Kane's features just as the batons make contact with the water, and there is a loud collective groan as they shake with shock, before dropping to the ground, unconscious. The shock batons automatically shut off after contact with the water, making it safe for the rest of you, and you jump down as Pike comes around the corner. "Hurry up. Let's get their weapons."

You all run towards the group, stripping them of every weapon you can find: guns, knives, pipes, tools, leaving them with nothing other than their fists. As soon as they’re disarmed, you head straight to the throne room, dumping the weapons into a corner, out of everyone's reach. As you walk back to the middle of the room, you realize the scene in front of you, Clarke and Ontari, is different from before. Clarke now has Nightblood around her nose, obvious that something has gone wrong. Ontari’s chest is cracked open, and Murphy stands there, manually pumping her heart. 

You turn to look at your mother, concerned, but she gives you a reassuring smile. “Ontari was crashing, and Clarke wasn't getting enough Nightblood. But with Murphy pumping her heart, there’s no need to worry.”

You glance at Bellamy as he closes the throne room doors. “Actually, there is. We bought you as much time as we could, but the chipped army is going to be here soon.”

Bellamy and the others barricade the door with as much furniture as they can find in the room, piling it high and deep, hoping to slow down the group that is now on the other side, banging against the doors. You all come to a stop in the middle of the room, spreading out, and Bellamy yells, “This is it! We need to keep Clarke safe, give her time. They're unarmed and they won't feel pain, and they won't stop until they're out cold."

Miller tosses him a lead pipe, and answers, “Copy that. Go for the knockout."

Bryan passes you the leg of a chair, made up of thick wood, and you nod in thanks. Bellamy comes to a stop slightly in front of you and Octavia, protective, and Pike stand on his left. Miller and Bryan are to your right, guarding Murphy, and your mother stands in front of Clarke, gun cocked, ready to shoot anyone who gets past the rest of you. There is nothing for the rest of you to do now, but wait as the chipped army gets the doors open, inch by inch, pushing through the barrier. As soon as it’s open, chaos reigns supreme.

Two men run straight for you and Bellamy, and you each take on one. You hit the man in front of you in the stomach, and he instantly doubles over, giving you the opening to hit him in the head with the chair leg, knocking him out. As soon as he hits the ground, another man takes his place, this one from Arkadia. He swings a punch towards you, but you duck beneath it, using your low advantage to swipe at his feet and knock him on his back. You stand and kick him, hard enough to knock him out, before the next group descends upon you. One man and one woman, both Grounders, head straight for you. The woman swings first, and as you’re dodging her, the man hits you across the face. You taste blood in your mouth, and you run your tongue over your bottom lip, discovering that the hit split it open. You swing at him with the chair leg, hitting him across the face, before turning and kicking the woman, your boot connecting with her chest and sending her backwards. The man lets out a cry of rage before running at you, but he never reaches you, because he falls to the ground, knocked out by Bellamy. 

You look up at him and smile, before turning back to the entrance, watching Kane stroll in. You and Bellamy both run towards him, and he hits Bellamy first, knocking him onto his back. You run forward, swinging the chair leg towards him, but he lifts an arm to block it, knocking the weapon from your hand. Before you can react, you are pulled backwards, a strong pair of arms locking around you, and you kick and scream as a chipped Grounder turns and tosses you on the ground. You look over and see Bellamy and Kane fighting, matching blow for blow, and you look back to the Grounder in the nick of time to see his shoe hurtling towards your face. You roll away, just in time, before rolling back over and swiping at his legs with your hands, tripping him. The force of the fall cracks his head against the floor, knocking him unconscious. 

You turn back towards Bellamy, who is now pinned beneath Kane, getting punched over and over. You run at them with a cry of anger, knocking Kane off of Bellamy, sending you both flying. When you finally roll to a stop, Kane is already up and descending upon you, his hands instantly finding your throat and squeezing. You try to keep yourself from panicking, wanting to preserve your air. He loosens his grip slightly when a shot rings out, someone killed at your mother’s hand, but the relief doesn't last long. You look around, searching for Bellamy, eyes finding him as he runs towards Kane. Your expression must give him away, because Kane reaches down and pulls the knife from the holster at your thigh, plunging it into Bellamy’s side.

You let out a cry of anguish as you watch him look down at the knife in shock, blood instantly blooming from beneath his jacket, dripping onto the floor below. You reach up and smack Kane across the face, while using your weight to throw him off. You crawl towards Bellamy, reaching out for him, and your hands touch just as a hand closes around your ankle. Bellamy looks at you and whispers, “I love you, blainen natshana.”

Radiant moon. Your eyes well up with tears at the Trigedasleng nickname, but you have little time to process it before you are yanked backwards by the ankle, towards Kane. He reaches up and begins to choke you again, and you look over at Bellamy, watching as a chipped Grounder gets on top of him and starts to choke him. He turns towards you, reaching out for you, and you reach out for him, your fingers separated my inches. Still, your eyes never leave each other as the air is squeezed from both of you. You watch as Bellamy's face turns pink, then purple, his body struggling for oxygen. You’re sure that you must look the same, black spots now dancing at the edge of your vision, your body starting to twitch as you fight for air.

And just when you think it’s over, you’re done, Kane releases you. You take in a deep gasp of air, drinking in the oxygen for the second time in the least few hours, relieved that you’ve been spared from death by choking once again. You hear a collective cry of pain as the chipped army returns from the City of Light, feeling their injuries for the first time. But you ignore it, looking at Kane, who has rolled off you, sitting frozen in shock. His hands hover in the air between you, unsure whether he wants to reach out to you and comfort you or shrink away, ashamed that he almost killed you. 

You reach out and grab his hand, muttering, “It wasn't you, Kane. It wasn't you.”

You’re not sure he’s processing your words, as he stays frozen in place, but you get distracted by someone dropping to their knees beside you. You turn and look, coming face to face with Bellamy, and you scramble towards him, pulling him into a hug. He pulls away just enough to kiss you, strong and fierce, and you can feel tears rolling down his face, pressing into yours. You pull away, smiling, mostly in disbelief. “Blainen natshana, huh? Who taught you Trigedasleng?”

“Same person who taught you: Lincoln.” You feel a rush of sadness, but he smiles at the memory. “He was teaching me a few things, before...everything. I wanted to surprise you.”

Your smile grows wider, “Your timing is impeccable.”

“Shut up.” He lets out a little laugh, and pulls you in for another kiss, making you forget everything from the last 24 for a few seconds, until you pull away, remembering your twin. 

“Clarke!” You jump to your feet, and Bellamy follows suit. You look around the room for a second, and both of you see Octavia on the other side of the room, standing, looking fine. Bellamy nods at her, happy to see her alive, and she nods in return, before the two of you jog over to Clarke. You pass your mom on the way to the throne, and she squeezes your hand as she passes, but she only has eyes for Kane, who is still where you left him, crying softly. 

As soon as you reach Clarke, you pull her into a hug, and she hugs you back, squeezing you tight. You pull away and help her stand, and she looks out at the room, nodding. “Alie’s gone.”

You follow her gaze, watching the various reunions. And though they’re sad and so many of the others are feeling pain, you feel relief that everything is fixed. You smile, “We figured.”

You turn back to you twin, but are surprised to find her face solemn. Bellamy notices too, and he remarks, “You're not acting like someone who just saved the world."

She turns and looks between you both. "Because we didn't. Not yet."

Neither of you get to question her further, because you suddenly hear a grunt of exertion, followed by a soft groan of pain. All three of you abruptly turn towards the noise, and find Octavia standing in front of Pike, her sword stuck in his side. She pushes against the blade until the sword moves all the way through him, and out the other side. She pulls the blade out and he sways on his feet before falling backwards, dead before he hits the ground. She stares at him for a second, confirming that he’s gone, before she turns and glances at you, confirming that it’s done. Then, without a word, she walks out of the room, leaving everyone else staring after her in shock, Bellamy among them.

-

next chapter

[maris457vbucks-blog]

15 Unusual Hobbies That'll Cause you to Greater at ways to get v bucks without cost

Players, younger kinds in any case, don’t look to notice these factors. They’re after assault rifles (if possible the Famous SCAR), pump shotguns, bolt-action sniper rifles (the scope is a boon), chug jugs, slurp juices, bandages, medkits, and protect potions. They see, and covet, skins that glance neat but haven't any bearing on activity Participate in; for 20 bucks, you can don the Leviathan or maybe the Raven. Or they fixate on dance moves, the so-identified as victory emotes you can have your avatar perform, in the warmth of struggle or after a kill. The Floss, the Clean, the Squat Kick, the Wiggle—these have spilled out into the entire world. Chances are you'll recognize people today all around you, or Skilled athletes on Television set, breaking into Unusual dances. The 1 generally known as Go ahead and take L is large these days during the Bundesliga and at Moment Maid Park.

VBUCKS IN FORTNITE

Plenty of completed players appear down their noses at Fortnite, the best way, perhaps, that some jazz and blues diehards, in 1964, dismissed the Beatles. The dances, the alliterative put-names, the dearth of true postapocalyptic menace: these can point out an absence of seriousness that to some would seem spell-breaking. A classmate of Gizzard Lizard’s, ZenoMachine, a gamer for more time than looks plausible (he began taking part in Crew Fortress 2 in kindergarten and now develops his have game titles), is the eighth grade’s resident Fortnite Scrooge. “To begin with, I’m not a fan with the polygons,” ZenoMachine instructed me. We had been on a park bench, immediately after faculty—a exceptional hit of sunlight. “It's a Hello-res texture but minimal-res polygons.” Gizzard Lizard experienced warned me that I wouldn’t understand ZenoMachine, but I gathered that he was critiquing the game’s aesthetics. He preferred a realer search. He objected to selected inconsistencies. The pickaxe, for example, which players use to demolish partitions and buildings, triggers Pretty much no harm to other players to be a weapon. “How can that be?” he reported. “I see why a great deal of folks like Fortnite. It targets gamers who aren’t seasoned. But it surely violates the legislation of consistency.” He reported that the first time he played he received—by hiding out right up until Every person else had essentially been killed off. This is named tenting, and is also frowned upon by common gamers. “If something so simple as participant preference impacts the other players’ practical experience, you’ve bought a style flaw,” ZenoMachine stated.

ZenoMachine develops his personal video games using a System known as the Unreal Motor. Fortnite, as it takes place, is crafted within the Unreal Motor, as well. The sport would be the creation of a business referred to as Epic Video games, based outside Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1998, Epic released a first-individual shooter called Unreal, which loved only moderate results but which, Practically accidentally, had an enduring influence within the evolution of online video online games. Epic utilized Unreal’s underlying architecture, plus some of its sections, to produce what arrived to become often called the Unreal Motor, a basic platform that supports all method of game titles, be they shooters, brawlers, platformers, or sandbox R.P.G.s. It’s essentially a suite of equipment that builders can use to style and Create games and other simulations. Rather than starting from scratch in, say, C++, the popular graphic-coding language, unbiased developers as well as other firms utilize the Unreal Motor to create their particular video games. (The licensing of the engine, subsequently, offers Epic the funds flow to commit time and means to the development of hit games like Fortnite.) On a yearly basis, Epic works by using current online games, some of them all but forgotten, to soup up the Unreal Engine, to make sure that it could possibly tackle an ever much more sophisticated assortment of requires. Fortnite was the main Unreal Motor four release. Among other matters, Epic needed to adapt the engine to help you its servers accommodate the massive quantity of details that must be processed instantaneously when a hundred players are competing in a single Struggle Royale spherical. The dilemma of which actions affect Many others, and from what length, on this huge storm-sieged island—the outdated if-then dilemma—is far more challenging than it would seem.

“Imagine Fortnite as a visual method of media,” Jamin Warren, the editor of your lifestyle-and-gaming journal Kill Monitor, informed me. What ever Fortnite’s allure as being a activity to Enjoy, It is additionally evidently the most beguiling 1 to view. As movie-match spectatorship fills arenas, and siphons a technology faraway from genuine sports, Fortnite is becoming quite possibly the most considered activity on YouTube—by March, there had been Nearly 3 billion sights in the an incredible number of classes that gamers had uploaded—and the top match on Twitch, the streaming platform. Viewing isn’t only for spazzes any longer. “It’s created A sort of world arcade,” Warren stated. “Rather than a few Children hunting in excess of the shoulder of the new-shot more mature brother or regardless of what, down at the shopping mall, you may have numerous persons watching, and the individual playing the sport is a millionaire.”

The medium’s breakout star is recognized as Ninja. He is a former Experienced Halo participant named Tyler Blevins, who's got said that he helps make over half a million dollars per month by streaming his Fortnite periods, and his free-associative commentary, on Twitch (that's owned by Amazon). His YouTube channel has in excess of 10 million subscribers. Last thirty day period, he hosted a Fortnite Event in Las Vegas, in an e-sports activities arena, and Just about 7 hundred thousand people tuned in to his Twitch stream. I’ve listened to a lot of teenagers make reference to him as The united states’s most significant entertainer—which isn't as hyperbolic as it sounds. In April, Ninja rated higher than any athlete on earth in “social interactions,” a measure of social-media likes, responses, shares, and what to spend v bucks on fortnite views. Cristiano Ronaldo was No. 2. In March, Ninja consented to a Fortnite session with Drake.

Blevins, that's 20-6, emanates from outside Detroit and lives near Chicago (he won’t say where) with his wife, who handles his company affairs. He streams ten to fourteen hours per day, typically from about nine A.M. to 3 P.M. then from 6 P.M. till When. All advised, he logs about 300 hrs a month. What 1 sees is his recreation display, together with his avatar in no matter what skin he has decided on, and, in an inset, a perpetual shot of Blevins himself. A ninja headband girds a Bieber-ish shock of hair that he dyes unique colors: emerald environmentally friendly, platinum, yellow. He’s a lean, boyish guy who seems to make an work to take care of some semblance of a smile constantly. His spiel is goofy, caffeinated, and reasonably cocky. He does impressions. In March, he was mumbling some rap lyrics as he played, and someway the term “indica” arrived out as being the N-word. Amid the backlash, he apologized, kind of, and, when it came time for me to speak to him past 7 days, his manager’s 1 problem was that I not check with him about it, as he’d previously claimed what there was to mention, which was, partly, “I assure that there was no mal intent (I wasn’t even looking to say the term—I fumbled lyrics and received tongue-tied within the worst possible way).” A scrupulous journalist may have named off the job interview, but the teens I’d been speaking to about the match have been so impressed that I'd talk to Ninja that I caved. At the last minute, while, Ninja bailed, declaring ailment. Melt away! (“I’m quite absolutely sure which was BS,” one of those teens texted me. “I think he was streaming now.”) At any level, Ninja’s sensitivity is an indication that gamers like him are moving into the mainstream. They've got to observe what they say.

Onscreen, the millionaire maintains the environs with the gamer boy. The digicam normally takes in an acoustic-tile ceiling, wall-to-wall carpeting, bare drywall, and also a fourposter mattress. There’s a framed Detroit Lions poster propped towards a wall, alongside a mini-fridge stocked with Pink Bull. Ninja is really a lifelong gamer, but he can make a degree to remind his lovers, lest they get the fall-every thing bug, that he did perfectly at school, performed soccer along with other athletics, concluded college or university while holding down a position at Noodles & Firm, and even appeared, together with his loved ones, on “Household Feud.” The sport skill is legit. He wins a little something like fifty percent from the hundreds of video games he performs each individual 7 days, against all comers. He’s a crack shot and it has a nose to the substantial ground. As typically as not, It appears he’s hardly paying attention. He’s reading through followers’ messages out loud, similar to a talk-radio host, or jabbering with Yet another Fortnite star, which include Dr. Lupo or KingRichard, should they’ve teamed up for any video game or two: “The recoil on this matter is stupid”; “You stated you experienced a complete defend, ass”; “So keep my dick”; “That person was seeking to consume a chug jug. What a noob.” All accompanied by occasional bursts of gunfire. “To any person watching the stream, I hope you men are enjoying the information, person.”

Gizzard Lizard’s shoot-out in Tomato City befell on the last evening of April, which was the last evening of Time three. Anticipation was operating high. Among the ingenious innovations of Fortnite should be to introduce seasons of about two months, as on the cable-television sequence, and also to combine new plot and video game features. (Final week, within a crossover masterstroke, Thanos, the indestructible villain of The brand new Avengers Motion picture, dropped in on the game—that is definitely, gamers could undertake a Thanos skin—and so, for quite a while, the Fortnite set gleefully schooled various Thanoses in a way which the Avengers couldn't.) On April 30th, a comet that were hovering in excess of the island was purported to strike following midnight. For times, meteors had been showering the game. Teasers—the most recent currently being “brace for impression”—had impressed a raft of speculation and conspiracy theories. At first, men and women predicted the comet to hit the crowded city placing known as Tilted Towers, but some clues led Other folks to forecast, effectively, which the comet would wipe out Dusty Depot, which was thereafter to get known as Dusty Divot.

It absolutely was hard to do homework on a night like this; Gizzard Lizard returned to the sport. He played over a Computer system he’d designed at school. It didn’t Possess a graphics card. He’d never ever been a giant gamer—his parents were being relatively stringent about screens and experienced never ever consented to an Xbox or perhaps a Wii—while he’d performed Minecraft for a while. This standard of obsession was some thing new. He noticed on his obtain-your-pals bar that lots of schoolmates were participating in, so he FaceTimed a person who goes by ism64. They teamed up and hit Blessed Landing. Gizzard Lizard wore an earbud below a set of earphones, so that he could talk to ism64 while listening with the seem of approaching enemies. From a length, it appeared that he was conversing with himself: “Let’s just Develop. Be careful, you’re gonna be trapped under my ramp. I’m hitting this John Wick. Oh my God, he just pumped me. Appear revive me. Build close to me and come revive me. Hold out, can I've that chug jug? Thanks.”

I’d been struck, observing Gizzard Lizard’s game titles for a few days, by how the spirit of collaboration, amid the urgency of mission and danger, seemed to carry out some thing approaching gentleness. He and his buddies did favors for one another, watched one another’s backs, supplied encouragement. This was a thing that I hadn’t witnessed Considerably of, say, down on the rink. A person could argue the outdated arcade, Along with the at any time-current menace of bullying and harassment along with the challenge of professing dibs, uncovered A child to the globe—it’s character-making!—but there was a thing to generally be explained for this kind of refuge, although it did entail assault rifles and grenades.

Then the John Wick was on him. “Oh God! Oh God!” Foiled all over again.

A John Wick was an achieved participant who experienced attained a skin that bears a resemblance to your character performed by Keanu Reeves in the “John Wick” films. (Officially, the pores and skin is called the Reaper, presumably in order to avoid licensing charges, but gamers contact it John Wick.) It absolutely was available to anybody who experienced attained all hundred tiers of the sport in Year 3—a mix of accomplishment and expertise which would have demanded playing for involving seventy-5 and 100 and fifty hours.

As the final hrs of Season three expired, players scrambled to reach Tier a hundred, and acquire their John Wick skins. Gizzard Lizard was nowhere near. He’d commenced the year for a noob. Arrive the next early morning, Working day Among Time 4, he experienced a want to put from the hours to get to Tier a hundred. It would consider major determination. For The very first time, he purchased a thousand Fortnite V-bucks, for $9.99, with which to obtain skins. He went Along with the Carbide, a smooth one that introduced to mind a wetsuit. This was The 1st time he—or, a lot more to the point, his parents—experienced at any time invested something but quarters with a activity.