SOLDIER; the 100 (1)

1.34

Chapter thirty-four:
Contents Under Pressure
(Part 2)

VIVIENNE didn't know how long she'd been sitting alone and silent on the second floor of the dropship. The faint noise of Clarke scrambling to save Finn's life drifted up, mixed with the crackling voice of her mother on the radio, struggling to break through the static as the storm intensified outside.

The skin around Vivienne's fingernails was torn and raw from relentless picking, her fingertips angry and red. Slouched against the back wall, knees drawn up tightly to her chest, her gaze was cold and unyielding, locked on her battered hands.

Suddenly, the hatch to the bottom floor creaked open, dragging Vivienne from the fragile solace she'd found. She straightened up, her gaze shifting as Bellamy's head appeared through the opening. He climbed up the last few steps, followed by Miller, Dax, and two other boys, their clothes soaked and leaving a slick trail of water on the metal floors.

But what seized Vivienne's attention wasn't their worn expressions or the storm-drenched state they were in—it was the unconscious Grounder they dragged between them, his limp form hitting the floor with a heavy thud as they shoved him to the opposite side of the room.

Vivienne stood, her movements sharp and defiant, as thoughts of her father were swiftly pushed aside. Her focus shifted entirely to the scene unfolding before her. The boys, without hesitation, hoisted the Grounder upright, his limp body sagging as they fastened his wrists to ropes secured on either side of the ceiling. He dangled there, strung up like a puppet, his head lolling to one side.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vivienne's voice cut through the tense air. Miller, startled, paused mid-knot, his hands tightening the final loop around the Grounder's wrist. All heads turned towards her, as if they had only just realized she was there. The weight of the unconscious Grounder had consumed their focus, and Bellamy's anger had clouded his judgment, blinding him to anything outside his own fury. His expression hardened, but there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he registered her presence.

Now facing Vivienne, Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest, lifting his chin in a show of confidence. But Vivienne saw right through it—she always had. "We're getting answers," he stated, his tone firm as his eyes narrowed. Behind him, the other boys stood silent, their gaze shifting uneasily between Bellamy and Vivienne, as if awaiting the inevitable clash.

"Answers?" Vivienne challenged, her expression twisted in disbelief and anger. "You think keeping him here is going to save us? You're going to get us all killed! And for what? Revenge?" With each word, she took a step closer.

"He has intel we need to survive down here," Bellamy replied, stepping forward to meet her gaze, the challenge between them palpable. "Intel that could help us against the rest of them. And so what if I get a little justice out of it?" His eyes burned with intensity, his voice laced with an unsettling determination.

"You don't deserve justice," Vivienne spat, her voice low and sharp as they stood toe-to-toe. "Even if you did, stringing him up like some animal... that's hardly it."

Despite her shorter stature, reaching only to his shoulders, Vivienne refused to cower. She was no longer afraid of Bellamy Blake or the implications of losing his protection. He might have the rest of the camp wrapped around his little finger, but he didn't have Vivienne Kane. Not anymore.

"I'm doing this for all of us," Bellamy insisted, his tone defensive. "We can't protect ourselves if we don't know what we're up against."

Suddenly, the Grounder thrashed against the chains, his strength nearly ripping them from their hinges with a single tug as his muscles strained. His eyes burned with fury, dark and menacing, his face streaked with dried blood from the harsh beatings he'd already endured at the hands of Bellamy and the others.

Vivienne flinched, instinctively stepping back from Bellamy as the Grounder wrestled against his restraints, her pulse quickening. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from below; Octavia was climbing the ladder, pushing open the heavy metal hatch at Vivienne's feet, her wide eyes fixed on the Grounder that had saved her life.

"Tie them tighter!" Bellamy barked, his eyes never leaving the Grounder. Octavia stood at Vivienne's side as he continued, "Last thing we need is this bastard getting free because you screwed up."

The Grounder went still, his piercing gaze locking onto Octavia. The room quieted, every set of eyes shifting to her. Bellamy's jaw clenched, fury flashing in his eyes. Beside him, Vivienne lowered her head slightly, though her eyes darted up, watching the tension mount between the Blake siblings and the restrained Grounder. She could see the struggle—Bellamy's resentment, Octavia's unspoken conflict, and the silent understanding passing between her and the Grounder.

"Octavia, get out of here," Bellamy commanded, his tone leaving little room for argument. He didn't take his eyes off the Grounder, his stance rigid.

Octavia limped forward, still sore from her injuries, which she knew would've been much worse if it weren't for Bellamy's prisoner. "I told you he was protecting me," she retorted, stepping up to her brother. "You didn't have to do this."

"This isn't about you," Bellamy responded, looking down at her. "I'm doing this for all of us."

Vivienne scoffed, rolling her eyes as she lifted her head, crossing her arms defiantly. "Keep saying it as much as you want, Bellamy, but no one's buying your bullshit," she retorted, her tone sharp. "You didn't do this for us." She gestured to herself, Octavia, and the other boys, her expression daring him to argue.

"No!" Bellamy's voice rose, defiant. "I did this for Finn. And Jasper. And Diggs. And Roma." Each name he listed came louder, his voice growing sharper, his gaze hard on Vivienne before snapping back to Octavia.

"It wasn't even him," Octavia countered.

"You don't know that!" Bellamy snapped, his voice raw as he leaned in, his boots nearly touching Octavia's. His eyes bore down on her, while she looked up at him, hurt and anger simmering in her tear-filled gaze, the fresh cuts across her skin a reminder of what she'd been through.

"We need to know what we're up against," he continued, voice low but firm. "How many there are, why they're killing us. And he's going to tell us—" Bellamy's fist clenched, his jaw set like stone. "Right now."

Bellamy strode purposefully toward the Grounder, who remained eerily silent, eyes locked on him, betraying no fear or weakness. Octavia's heart raced as she desperately grasped his arms, pleading with him to reconsider. "Bellamy, don't do this!" she urged, tugging at him, but he remained resolute, brushing her off as Miller stepped in to pull her away at Bellamy's command.

"Get off me!" Octavia shouted, struggling against Miller's grip. Vivienne stepped in, placing a firm hand on Miller's chest to lightly push him back, while her other hand rested on Octavia's shoulder, gently guiding her away.

As the two girls approached the metal hatch, Octavia hesitated, pausing just before Vivienne heaved it open. "I don't even think he speaks English," she remarked, glancing back at the Grounder with a mix of frustration and concern.

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A/N: sorry for such a slow update, life's been hectic. Also sorry if this one sucks, I wrote half of it a couple weeks ago and the rest late at night :))