Book 1: We are grounders - The 100 (Raven Reyes x reader)

Episode 7 - Contents under pressure

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Riley moved cautiously toward Clarke, her heart hammering in her chest. The air inside the dropship was thick with tension, the steady pounding of rain against the hull only amplifying the sense of confinement. The delinquents huddled close, trying and failing to keep the rain from seeping through every crack. The storm outside was unrelenting, lightning slicing through the sky, followed by the bone-rattling roar of thunder that seemed to shake the very earth beneath them. Riley shivered, not just from the cold but from the unfamiliar, raw power of nature around her. She had never experienced a storm like this before—the thunder sounded almost alive, a beast growling in the distance.

Standing a meter away from Clarke, Riley tried to steady her breath, joining her in watching the tempest. The droplets racing down the window blurred the outside world, but Riley's focus kept shifting to the chaos unfolding inside the dropship. Further in, Raven was hunched over the radio, her fingers trembling as she worked frantically, trying to reach the Ark. Desperation clung to her every move as she called out into the void, her voice breaking through static.

"This is Raven Reyes, calling Ark station. Come in, Ark station." The words, heavy with urgency, fell into the rain-soaked silence. Riley glanced at Raven and couldn't help the bitter scoff that escaped her lips. She didn't pity her—didn't care for her frantic efforts or the people she was trying to save. In truth, she didn't even care for Finn, lying wounded and barely conscious, his life hanging by a thread. As crazy as it sounded, Riley felt nothing for him.

Her gaze lingered on Raven for a moment too long, her mind swirling with thoughts she couldn't untangle. Clarke, always loyal, was by Finn's side, tending to him with a quiet determination, her hands stained with his blood. Riley swallowed hard, then took a step closer. "I don't like the space boy, not at all," she said, her voice low but firm. "But I'll help you, Clarke. For you. And, I guess, for him." She tried to meet Clarke's eyes, hoping for some acknowledgement, some connection, but Clarke remained focused on Finn, only offering a faint nod in response.

Riley pushed down the knot in her chest and set to work, grabbing a clean towel and gently wiping down Finn's sweat-covered skin. She could feel Clarke's gaze on her, softening for a moment. It wasn't much, but when Riley glanced up, Clarke offered her a small, grateful smile. "I can't stay mad at you, Riley," Clarke said her voice barely a whisper, thick with exhaustion. "Thank you for being here. No matter how much you hate Finn."

Riley returned the smile, even as her insides twisted. "Well, what can I say? If space boy's important to you, he's no good dead to me."

The tension in the room crackled like the storm outside as Raven's voice once again rang out through the static. "Calling Ark station! This is Raven Reyes!" She was shouting now, her desperation rising with each failed attempt. Riley's brow furrowed as she glanced at Clarke. "Do you think the storm's blocking the signal?" she asked, her voice tight with frustration.

Clarke shrugged, too focused on Finn to offer more than that. The storm raged on, rattling the dropship as if it might tear apart at any moment. But then, out of the static came a voice—a man's, sharp and crackling with interference. "This is a restricted channel. Who is this? Please identify yourself."

Everyone froze, the weight of that voice cutting through the chaos. The delinquents pressed closer, bodies cramped together, straining to hear. "This is Raven Reyes! I'm transmitting from the ground. The 100 are alive! Please, you need to get Dr. Abby Griffin. Get her now!" Raven's voice cracked with urgency, her words spilling out in a rush.

On the other side, there was a flurry of movement, and then the unmistakable voice of Abby Griffin broke through. "Raven, are you there?"

The dropship fell eerily silent as Clarke stepped toward the radio, her face drawn with emotion. "Mom?" Her voice was small, vulnerable. "Mom, it's me. We need your help. Finn's been stabbed by a grounder... we don't know if the blade was poisoned." Her voice wavered as if the weight of it all was finally crashing down.