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

Episode 15 & 16 - Blood must have blood: Part 1 & 2

This is one long chapter.. Sooo good luck.

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Bellamy and Riley pressed on, the narrow steel corridors of the vent system stretching endlessly ahead, each sharp turn and metallic clang amplifying their sense of urgency. The air was stifling, filled with the tang of rust and the faint smell of chemicals, and each breath felt heavy. Crawling through the confined, shadowy space, they moved with silent determination, both of them feeling the pulse of the mountain around them. Beneath it, their mission loomed like a heartbeat—they had to reach the heart of Mount Weather's blood supply, the imprisoned grounders who were being harvested like cattle.

At last, they reached an exit. Bellamy went first, dropping down from the vent with practiced quietness. Riley followed, landing lightly behind him. The dim, grimy room was lined with rows of iron-barred cages. Inside, the frightened and weary eyes of grounders blinked back at them. A faint shuffling sound filled the air as those in the cages took notice, their once-strong spirits dulled by fear and fatigue. The flickering lights cast shadows across their faces, illuminating the haunted expressions of people who had been drained—literally—of their strength.

Riley's eyes swept the room, assessing the area with sharp precision. Bellamy seemed focused on a single goal, his hand dipping into his pocket. He pulled out a key, and Riley's brows knitted in confusion.

"What the hell are you doing, Blake?" she whispered, her voice firm. Her instincts screamed at her to stay alert and keep moving. They were in enemy territory, and stopping to release grounders posed a serious risk.

But Bellamy ignored her, his expression resolute as he moved toward one of the cages. Inside was a grounder woman around his age, her face gaunt but her eyes sharp. As he unlocked her cage, he spoke with quiet urgency, "This is Echo. She helped me before. I told her I'd come back."

Riley's gaze flicked between them, but she held her stance, keeping watch while Bellamy helped the weak woman out. "Come on," he urged her. "Our people are marching on Mount Weather right now. It's time to go." He then moved to another cage, hands steady but swift as he worked the lock.

The teenager inside recoiled as the door swung open. Echo placed a calming hand on Bellamy's shoulder, her voice low. "Slow down. They just bled him," she murmured, glancing up at the boy, whose hollowed cheeks and trembling body showed the toll of the mountain's brutal experiments.

Bellamy turned to Echo, his gaze hardening. "Listen to me. There's an army in this room," he said, gesturing toward the cages, where other grounders now looked on with wary eyes, some glimmers of hope beginning to pierce their fear. "I need you to help me get them ready to fight. Can you do that?"

Echo met his gaze, and though her body was weak, her expression held a glint of fierce determination. She nodded, saying simply, "I can." Without another word, she turned to the teenage boy, supporting him as he tried to stand.

As the cages began to stir with life, voices rose, their whispers growing louder, rippling out like a wave. Riley clenched her jaw. "There's too much damn noise," she muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. "Shut them up, or we're done for."

Echo nodded, and in a sudden, powerful voice, called out in the grounder tongue, her words sharp and commanding. The effect was immediate—silence fell over the room like a blanket, the grounders' wary eyes trained on her with newfound respect and obedience.

She turned back to Bellamy and Riley, her voice low but steady. "What's the plan?" she asked, ready to follow them into whatever chaos lay ahead.

Bellamy nodded, outlining the grim reality. "There's an army coming for the main door. When they break through, all hell will break loose. That's the signal for my friends to move in. But we need to be ready." His voice held a steely resolve, every word carrying the weight of a man who knew they had only one shot.