The Boy from the Bunker - Season 3

Episode Two, Part 1:

Episode Two, Part 1: 

B o u n d   T o g e t h e r 

When you're in the half light, it is not you I see. 
And you'll live a half life, but you'll only show half to me.
Can you shake it off? Can you shake it for me? When 
you're in the half light, I don't like the half I see. 

Noah walked up to where Rhea stood, tugging on a rope that had to it a girl chained up. When Sol was finally able to peel her eyes away from Noah, she realized that it was Bess who was being held hostage: a girl similar to her age who had been in the running for Sovereign, but had disappeared a year ago and been presumed dead ever since. 

She looked terrible and exhausted, swaying like she could barely keep herself standing up, but Sol knew that Noah didn't bring her here without a reason. 

"What are you doing with them?" She spat, figuring out that there had to be some sort of alliance between Blood Riders and the City of Targo. And greater still, it was the first time she had seen him since he announced war. 

"We know about the war Noah is sending your way. We've made a deal with Blood Riders in case you wouldn't hand Elara over." Rhea stated. "And since it's come to that..." She trailed off. Next thing Sol knew, Rhea was shoving the hostage into her and Dreea. 

The Sovereigns caught her, keeping her steady until Joren and Bas moved her away so they could work on taking the restraints off from her. 

"Noah, can I have moment alone with you.. Please." Sol spoke. 

Both Wynn and Dreea glanced over at her, not understanding what she was up to, or even thinking that what she was asking was a good idea. 

Noah seemed surprised by her request, and he tried to keep his guard up - act tough and unmoved by the emotion that was beginning to spill out of her, but it was falling out of him, too. 

Noah nodded, retreating through the trees to the right of him, completing careless to how it seemed to enrage Rhea. 

As Sol also ignored the pleas from her people, she passed the gun from her hands into Wynnlow's as she walked past, confident that Rhea wouldn't attack without her and Noah around. 

As she moved among the bushes, pushing her way through the grass, the hard glare on her face resolved when she saw Noah waiting for her. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked, demanding an explanation. 

"What part are you talking about specifically?" Noah mocked. "The march, or this, here, with Targo?" 

"All of it." She laughed bitterly. "The last time I saw you, you were carrying me out of the DeadLands and waiting for me at the Bunker until morning. Then all of a sudden, as if nothing ever happened, your people shoot Kodiak and tell us you're coming for war." 

"You left me with no choice.." Noah's voice was deep and hoarse, coated thick in pain, but Sol couldn't understand what she had done wrong. 

"What?-"

"I see you've got Lyra's brother with you." Noah continued, pointing back in the direction they had just came from. "Tell me, did she bring everyone back from the Bunker Clan to Basilisk, or was it just her brother? Did Olympia and Zaiden not feel the need to be a part of that?" 

"Noah..." Sol sighed. Everything was now making sense, but it was too late. The damage had already been done, Noah was full of rage, and Sol's friends were already gone. 

"I know you sent them in to spy on us. That's why I had them both executed." 

Sol shook her head. He was only saying this to get to her. To make her angry, too. "No. You're lying." 

"You left me with no choice." He repeated his words from moments ago, emphasizing them more clearly. 

"You killed my friends!?" Sol yelled at him, moving closer and closer forward. "After everything we've been through, after every time you told me you didn't want us to end up like our fathers, and you still killed them!" 

"What do you think would have happened to me if I didn't? Do you think my dad would have let it go? I'm sorry that you made the choice to put your friends in that position, but I have people of my own I need to look out for. If anything to happened to me, Jonas would have to take my place, and I can't put him through that." 

Sol's head dropped down as her fingers grazed through her hair. She was overwhelmed, her mind busy spinning thoughts about how to fix things. 

"I know. I'm sorry." She looked up at him, eyes glistened over with tears, begging that he wouldn't take her vulnerability to his advantage. And he didn't. Instead, Noah softened at the sight of her, an urge to reach out and take her hand, but he held back. 

"But you didn't have to and do this." She told him. 

Noah gulped, the guilt rising up into his throat. "I didn't know what else to do. They came to us, and it was either they'd help us in the war, or they'd disappear back to where they came from if they got that kid they wanted." 

"Your dad isn't around, Riv. Mine is, and he expects me to follow after him." 

"You're the King, not Rogue. You are the one who can fix this, if you meant what you said about us being different." 

Noah nodded desperately, assuring her that he did mean it - every word. He had lost count of the amount of times throughout the years where they had bumped into each other in the woods, and instead of attacking like was expected of each other, they grew an alliance with each other that had sustained everything. 

"You have to fix this." Sol told him. "Otherwise you'll take us to the point of no return, and we'll never establish peace between our Clans." 

///

Noah and Sol walked back to the two Clans, hoping that it would be just as they left it, when they returned.

Sol immediately went to reclaim the gun from Wynnlow's possession, not wanting him to have the pressure of needing to use it. She bypassed the disapproving look he was shooting at her, not wanting to deal with the emotional consequence it would bring.

Meanwhile Noah stood back in line with Dreea, shielding away all his emotion, deceiving her from the fact that he had promised Sol that he would work things out. For now, he needed Targo on his side.

"I think we've made it pretty clear that Elara isn't going anywhere. So we'll be on our way. Noah can vouch for all the shooters we have surrounding you, ready to attack. If you want to live, you leave her alone."

As Rhea looked over, Noah nodded, agreeing with Sol's plan which caused Rhea to back down.

"Fine. You'll get away with her today. But the prophet doesn't lie; Elara will agree to become Commander. We'll be waiting until then... But you might want to consider hurrying up in sacrificing her over. War is coming after all." 

Two // Part One

You left me with no choice.