Winwolfa (A Roan x Female OC Fanfic)

Chapter 19

"Hey. Astrid, hey. You're okay." He whispered to her gently, but his words were just distorted echoes to her. Quickly, his hands fumbled with leather straps around Astrid's head, then her torso, wrist and ankles. In one fell swoop, her knees buckled from exhaustion, and she collapsed into his arms. Bellamy held her close, feeling her head roll back against his chest.

She felt so weak. So tired. But it was done. The worst, she thought, was finally over for her now. But the fate for the people from the drop ship was still hanging in the balance. 

"What... What happened? Where were you?" She asked against her scratchy throat. She could feel the blood leaking from the back of her head but couldn't find the energy to touch it. To see how bad it truly was. Instead, she leaned into Bellamy's warmth like a crutch. 

"President Cage's son took over the operations. They locked everybody from the Ark in the mess hall, but we got them out." Bellamy explained as he carried Astrid in his arms towards the open air vent she assumed he crawled out of.

"Where... where are they?"

"For now, they're hiding." Slowly, and so gently, he lowered her bare body against the cool metal of the shaft. Astrid groaned with pain at the movement. Her body couldn't decide if it wanted to quiver at the sensation or go limp. She watched as he looted the deceased doctor's body, followed by guards. He stripped her of her coat, which confused Astrid, until he slung it over her shoulders at an attempt to bite back the chill against her exposed skin. Her eyes lingered to the crimson stain along the collar for a moment before returning to Bellamy's face.  

"Can you move?" He asked, and remorsefully, she shook her head no. "C'mon, Astrid, you're gonna have to."

"Bellamy... I can't." She choked back tears forming in her eyes. Her fingers sinched around the hem of the coat, pulling it closer to her body. Bellamy, refusing to believe this, shook his head firmly before grabbing her hands.

"No. No. I don't believe that for a second. You are the mighty Winwolfa. Grounders, as scary as they are, cower in your presence. You are unstoppable. Don't let this stop you." Tears rolled down her face. Uncontrollable, but filled with hope. She was surprised she had any left. Finally, she gave a shaky nod, then began crawling through the shaft.

Her arms were weak, and barely held her up long enough to slither in the cramped corridor, but using her legs sent a wave of sharp pain all the way up through her spine. She bit the inside of her cheek just to suppress her yelps of pain. Astrid pushed forward. It was all she could do. Every so often, Bellamy thrusted her forward by the soles of her bare feet, giving her the extra inches until they reach the center air vent. 

"Okay, you stay here. Get your strength. I'll come back for you." He informed her before moving towards another air vent. But the firm grip on his wrist halted him.

"Where are you going?"

"To destroy the acid fog." He explained as he crouched beside her. "It's the only way we win this without killing everybody."

A scream, guttural and panicked, bounced off the walls of the shaft. With panicked eyes, she looked towards Bellamy for an explanation. No comfort came to Astrid as she met his guilt filled eyes.

"They're using the Grounder's blood to treat the people within the Mountain. They can't live with the radiation like we do. That's why..." He swallowed thickly, looking away for a moment with disgust, "That's why they were harvesting your blood marrow. It's happening to the rest of the people from the Ark, too.

Bile surged into Astrid's throat. Even with her back against the metal wall, the sudden news had her bracing herself against the wired floor.

If she didn't act fast, the people from the Ark, along with hundreds of Grounders, were going to be massacred. All for their blood.