Atlantis

Chapter Twenty

"There are 382 people inside this mountain. If any of them realize you're not one of us, you're both dead."

"Fantastic." Faye said dryly, taking the name tag off her white coat and throwing it in the trash.

"We're on level two. The dorm's on five. There's a camera in the upper right-hand corner. Keep your heads down."

They followed Maya into an enclosed room. Faye was the last to go in. She had left all her knives outside the mountain, and had no weapon of any kind to defend herself.

"Hold the elevator." A man said, running to stop the doors. "Hey, Maya." He said, pressing a button. "You know I missed you in me Expressionist class."

Maya folded her arms. "Yeah, I...I had some work to do."

"I'll get you the notes." He told her, as if it was a big secret between the two of them.

When Maya looked over, Bellamy had his hand resting on his gun. She tried to shake her head just enough for them to see.

The elevator stopped again Faye started sinking between Bellamy and Maya. Bellamy pulled down his hat when more people came in.

Their disguises only got them so far. One look at their faces, and it was over.

The elevator stopped again, and Maya led them both out. Faye tried not to rush, but had to get out.

"Hey, you're bleeding. Are you okay?" The man asked Bellamy, noticing a small patch of red on his white shirt.

"You were exposed. We need to retrace your steps and find the breach." Maya took the man's handkerchief from his coat pocket, giving it to Faye.

Maya herded them back into the elevator. Faye pressed the cloth to Bellamy's neck, pulling him into the elevator with her.

"You better go." Maya told the man.

"What about you?" He asked.

"This is our jobs. We'll be fine." Maya assured him.

"Keep the handkerchief." She man said, nodding as he left the elevator.

Faye watched the doors closed. Something in her expected the doors to open, men standing outside, already knowing their not one of them.

"Your hands are sweaty." Bellamy said.

Fay's pulled away. "And your shirt is bloody. You almost got us caught." She said, moving to the other side of Maya.

"But I didn't." Bellamy looked past the girl.

They walked through the halls, following Maya to the dorms. They were about to turn a corner when Maya stopped them.

When it was clear she continued.

They passed by little kids going to school. They had childish drawings hung on the wall.

Faye stopped. Based on the drawing, the kids didn't know what a real tree looked like. Faye realized that the kids would never see a real tree in person.

But to make sure she got back to the trees, she couldn't fail because of some drawing.

Faye turned to walk again, only to run into Bellamy. He was stopped by a little boy.

"Mister? Are you on a ground unit? My dad's training for a ground unit." The little boy said, struggling with some letters in his words. He wasn't even old enough to have all his teeth.

"It's pretty cool up there. I hope he makes it." Bellamy said.

The kid smiled and walked to his class. Faye pushed the boy to the back of her mind. It was better for the boy to die innocently rather than grow up into a monster.

"They're just kids."

"What did you expect to find here?" Maya asked, noticing the sudden change on Bellamy's face. Maya started walking again.

Faye stopped Bellamy.

"Those kids are being raised by monsters. They'll grow up to be just like their parents." Faye could see it on his face. He couldn't do what had to be done.

"Not if we just killed his father. A father he clearly loves." Bellamy said. "Not everyone has to grow up like their parents." He said, walking after Maya.

They followed Maya down every hallway.

"There they are." Maya said.

A set of double doors was open to reveal a group of kids among bunk beds. Everything was alright until an alarm went off.

The doors started closing and everyone cleared out of the hallway.

"What the hell's going on?" Bellamy asked Maya.

"I don't know. It's not a breach, but it can't be good."

"For now, they're fine. Let's get to the radio." Faye said.

They followed Maya again, down more and more hallways, getting deeper into the lion's den.

"In here." Maya said. She led them through a dark room with shelves filled with paintings.

"What is here?" Faye asked, looking through the frames.

"President Wallace keeps them all here. The radios back there." Maya pointed to the back wall.

Bellamy ran to one of the paintings hung on the wall. "This one?" Maya nodded. Bellamy moved the painting and found a hole in the wall.

He didn't take long to figure out how to work it.

"Cap Jaha, this is Mount Westher. Does anyone read me?" He asked. No one answered so he tried again.

"Bellamy?"

"Clarke?"

"Are you guys all right?" Clarke asked.

"We're fine. But that's it for the good news. We have to talk fast. Something has changed. Jasper, Monty, everyone is locked in the dorm."

"But they're alive? All of them?"

"I think so. For now. Maya says they're already using their blood. Things will get ugly in here real fast." Bellamy explained.

"Maya's with you? What about Faye?"

Faye stopped looking through the paintings when she heard her name.

"Yeah. Both of them. And I'd be dead if not for them. And Clarke, there are kids in here. We need a plan that doesn't kill everyone. Please tell me we have one."

Faye stopped looking. It was too late now for her to do anything, Bellamy had already told Clarke.

"I hear you. But we can't do anything until you disable to acid fog. Raven's gonna help you."

"Got it. What else?"

"You have to figure out a way to free the Grounder prisoners. There's a whole army inside that mountain and they don't even realize it."

"A Trojan horse. Good plan."

"What do Maya and Faye think? Is that doable?"

Maya stood uncertain, shaking her head.

"They're weak, but they can still fight." Faye said.

"She says it's not a problem." They both looked at Maya. "Clarke, if we're gonna pull this off, I need you to buy me some time. It won't be long before they realize I don't belong here. And if that happens—"

"That can't happen. I'll come up with something."

"Come up with something quick."

"Copy that. And Bellamy?"

"Yeah?"

"You came through. I knew you would."

"All I've done so far is not get killed."

Faye rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out, quickly tiring of their conversation.

"Keep doing that. You're up." Then they were in silence.

Bellamy looked back at Faye, who quickly wiped the mocking look off her face.