GRIM REAPER¹, bellamy blake

095 ━━ the soldier

━━━✦━━━

WHEN IONA finally submitted, it was like a weight was lifted off of Alie's shoulders. The woman's body- although reluctantly- awoke later that day, responding to Alie's orders just like she was supposed to.

Still, Iona wasn't allowed to do much. She could occasionally watch herself take action, but she'd been banished to the so-called city of light as she'd heard her neighbors say before. She was stuck there, unable to escape.

Every time she even attempted to do something that wasn't what the people around her wanted, her stomach would throb with pain and memories of her daughter getting her throat slit would flash before her eyes.

Thus, Iona was left helpless.

Even in this imagination world, she wasn't able to control her outcome. She had to comply with whatever someone asked of her, or else she'd be punished by Alie for her behavior.

She was getting sick of it.

Sighing, Iona slid on the dress that appeared in front of her. She let it envelop her body warmly, hugging her tightly, as she prepared to head to yet another party she'd been invited to- and later forced to attend.

Iona just couldn't catch a break.

━━━✦━━━

"I am Roan, King of Azgeda!" Roan announced, dragging a bound-up Clarke by the hands. He glanced around, slightly alarmed at the sight of countless grounders on the floor, all meditating. He outstretched his hand, revealing a small chip, "And I have what the Commander seeks."

At once, everyone meditating began to wake up. Their eyes opened as they slowly got up and off the ground, rising- robotically- to their feet. They all stared at him, unblinking, and it made Roan shift uncomfortably.

He tried to keep them all in his sights, but he couldn't- there were too many, and they all started to surround him.

Roan narrowed his eyes, "I don't like what I'm sensing here, so if the Commander wants it, I'd suggest she comes and gets it from me."

At once, Jaha approached, followed closely by three grounders. Two of them were men, clearly brainwashed by the chip, their faces blank as they stared emotionlessly forward; as if their one true purpose in life was to follow Jaha.

The third grounder was what alarmed Roan the most.

There she stood, as daunting as the day she first tackled him to the ground.

Her long hair had been tied back in a smooth ponytail, sloshing behind her as she approached him. Her commander's gown was clean, suiting her well, and her face wore her beautiful black teary makeup- it made her dark eyes even scarier.

Her katana was, as always, present at her side. It was sheathed, but he could sense it radiating off of her; how she wished to grab it and hold it in her hands.

It was as if she was still there- she, aside from Jaha, appeared the least robotic. Jaha, who had been spared of Alie's mind control because he genuinely supported the woman wholeheartedly, was his normal, typical self.

Iona, however, seemed to be fighting herself. Her brows would furrow sometimes, her eyes going hazy as if she was in some far away land, and her hands would sometimes twitch along with random, stuttering movements from her arms.

He looked taken aback as the four of them approached.

"It's Jaha," Bellamy muttered, staring at the small group through the lens of his sniper scope. Then, his eyes travelled to the figure standing beside the man, and he felt his heart plummet into his stomach.

"And... Ona?"

He knew she ran off. Harper hadn't failed to mention that part, despite her panicked haze, pacing back and forth in the small cave.

She blamed herself for the woman leaving, but Bellamy knew she couldn't have controlled the woman even if she tried. Once Iona has her mind set, she can't be stopped, and that was something he'd learned from experience.

Still, he expected her to be long gone by now, settled into some grounder camp far away from Arkadia- the image broke his heart at first.

Now, though, he much would've preferred that.

"Hello, Clarke," Jaha smiles. The woman couldn't speak- she was gagged- and merely stared at him angrily. "Your mother will be so pleased to see you."

Roan narrowed his eyes, shrugging, "Who are you, exactly? Where's Ontari?"

"She's not coming out," Jaha added blankly. Then, he outstretched his hand, looking expectantly at the small chip he held between two fingers, "But you can give the Flame to me. I'll make sure she gets it."

Roan only held the Flame tighter, closing his fist around it.

Jaha sighed, "Your friends in the tunnel can't help you. Now give me the Flame."

Roan instantly twirled Clarke into his arms. He held a knife to her throat, eyes narrowed- daring anyone to step closer, "Back up or she dies."

"Save the theatrics," Jaha shook his head, "we all know you're together. We know everything."

"Then you know she's the only one that can activate the Flame," Roan said lowly.

"You're right," Jaha nodded. "We need her alive."

At once, Iona stepped forward, her katana raised. She stared at the man blankly before a small smirk crossed her lips. Her eyes dropped to the tip of her katana, nearly pressing into his neck, before they found his eyes again expectantly.

"You, however," Iona shrugged, a small laugh escaping her lips, "are not needed."

━━━✦━━━