A/N: My first story for The 100 hope you all enjoy.
Metal against metal screeched through the air, the guards barked orders at the inmates. The inmates were riled up as usual, they were fighting amongst each other and the guards were trying to break it up when it had gotten too far. Among the inmates that were fighting was Jackson Morrows, Jackson was a member of the guards and he used his position to host underground fights. He was the king of the underground fighting rings before he was finally picked up. Now he was the top fighter in the prison arena and the one the guards always bet on.
Jackson was pounding on the inmate that tried to harm someone under his protection, and he didn't take it lightly when someone did that. The guards were trying to peel Jackson off the other inmate who was bleeding and unconscious. It took four guards to finally restrain Jackson and put him in his cell. He was still fuming when he was thrown into the cell, and he started kicking and punching the wall to let his frustrations out.
"I see staying in this cell hasn't cooled you off." A familiar voice said as Jackson turned to his cell door to see Abigail Griffin.
"Abigail I'd say it's nice to see you again, but frankly it's not." Jackson snapped and sat down to cool off. "What do you want?"
"The council has decided to send 100 inmates to the ground to see if it's livable."
"That's a long shot, is it the council's last ditch effort before they start killing thousands of people off."
"I'm not going to let that happen." Abigail responded "I need you to go to the ground to protect her."
Jackson shook his head and yelled, "This is your fault, your husband died trying to tell the Ark the truth, Clarke was imprisoned for knowing the truth, and I was imprisoned for helping him. Before he was spaced I made him a promise, I promised to protect Clarke in prison and that's what I've been doing. Anyone who tried to do anything to her, I put a stop to it. I keep my promises. I'll go to the ground not for you, for the promise that I made and for her."
Abigail nodded, "Thank you." Abigail moved toward Jackson with a needle. "I need to sedate you now, and then you'll wake up on the drop ship heading toward Earth." Jackson felt the needle pierce his neck and he felt himself falling into unconsciousness. "I know it's my fault and I can't take what I did back." Abigail whispered.
Jackson awoke on the drop ship and looked around getting used to his new surroundings. He was strapped to a chair and saw himself surrounded by his fellow inmates. He tried to find Clarke in the mess of people. He saw people panicking, a few of them started to cry.
He didn't care about any of them, it's not like he didn't have friends. He just didn't trust anyone of them. When he was in the guard he started a ring of underground fights, not to be a criminal but to control the soon to be criminals. The fights were his way of controlling those that would act out. And the money that he got from the fights would be given to the clinic. Those that he associated with would stab him in the back if he let his guard down. In the prison it was the same, he controlled the chaos through violence. There was one person he did care about and that was Clarke, she didn't know it was him protecting her in the prison.
Jackson finally spotted Clarke sitting next to Wells, the chancellor's son. The two of them were best friends until the chancellor floated Clarke's father. Clarke blamed Wells for her father's death when it was not his fault. Jackson spotted an empty seat near Clarke so he got up and headed there. At the same time another person stood up and it was the spacewalker Finn. Probably the most idiotic crime a person could get locked up for, he wasted months of oxygen to go for a walk in space. Jackson sat across from Clarke and buckled in.
Wells looked at Jackson and he sat down. He was shocked and a little frightened to see the Animal of the Ark sitting with Clarke. From what he heard from his father and rumors around the Ark, Jackson was cruel and a monster. "What do you want?" Wells asked trying to sound brave.
Jackson fastened his belt and looked over to Wells, "I'm sitting, you got a problem with that." Jackson made a move towards Wells and he jumped back in his seat. "Relax Wells I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not the animal that I've been made out to be." Jackson's eyes moved over to Clarke who had her arms crossed. "Got something to say Clarke?"
"You're not an animal? I saw what you did to that poor guy, you beat him unconscious and you kept beating him. You're a monster just like the rest of the murderers here with us." Clarke replied with judgment in her voice.
Jackson shrugged his shoulders and laid back in his chair, "He deserved that beating; he tried to go after someone under my protection. I made sure that he wouldn't go after her again." Jackson stopped realizing what he had said.
"Did she ask you to do that for her? You think whoever you're protecting wanted you to do that." Clarke snapped back.
Jackson was shocked to hear that, it had never occurred to him that Clarke wouldn't want his protection. "I made a promise to protect her and I keep my word."
All of a sudden the TV screens lit up with a message from Chancellor Jaha.
Prisoners of The Ark, you hear me now. You have been given a second chance. And as your chance, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If The Ark were surviving better, we would have sent others; frankly we're sending you because of your crimes have made you expendable. Your site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather is a military base built within a Mount is to be start with enough non-parachutes to sustain 300 people.
Finn was floating upside down and everyone was cheering for him. Wells told Finn to strap in, but Finn just ignored him and kept on going his merry way. Jackson was watching Clarke even though she was mad at him, all of a sudden the drop ship jolted throwing Finn and two others that decided to follow his example.
"Finn! Are you ok?" Clarke screamed over the chaos that was happening. The whole ship was rattling and everyone was screaming. Jackson watched as Clarke and Wells were yelling at each other about Clarke's father. The drop ship continued to rumble some more until it slowly stopped.
It all seemed fine as people began to release themselves from their belts. Clarke went to check on the other two that were thrown when the drop ship jolted. Jackson followed her to make sure she didn't do anything that would endanger her.
"The outer door's on the lower level! Let's go!" Someone yelled.
"We can't open the doors." Clarke yelled and raced down to the lower level to head people off, but a guy in a guard's uniform stood in front of the door.
"Just back it up guys!" He said as he held his arms out blocking people from getting past him. Jackson looked at the guy in the guard's uniform and recognized him. Bellamy Blake, only thing was he wasn't a guard so why the uniform?
"Stop!" Clarke yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at her. Clarke began pushing her way through the group of kids. "The air could be toxic!"
"If the air is toxic, we'll be dead anyway." Bellamy replied. Jackson made his way to where Clarke was moving passed the crowd because none of them wanted to be near the Animal.
"Bellamy?" A younger girl said as she was hanging off of a ladder. Bellamy looked at her with a smile as she reached him.
"My God, look at how big you are." He said with a smile as she threw her arms around him and hugged him.
"What the hell are you wearing? A guard's uniform?"
"I borrowed it to get onto the drop ship." Bellamy replied "Someone has got to keep an eye on you."
Clarke spoke up, "Where's your wrist band?
The girl turned around and said, "Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." Jackson looked on at the scene and it finally made sense, this girl was Octavia Blake.
"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden in the floor." A girl in the back of the crowd yelled. Octavia then launched herself at the girl, but Bellamy grabbed her before she could attack.
"Octavia, Octavia, no, let's give them something else to remember you by." He said.
"Yeah, like what?" She responded.
He smiled, "Like being the first person on the ground in 100 years." He then turned to open the door and he yanked down the lever and the door flew open.
Light filled the doorway and it was bright. Everyone was speechless at what they saw. Green trees were all around, and Jackson could feel the sunlight on his skin. It felt like freedom, like everything in the world was theirs for the taking. He stepped out onto the ramp and breathed in the air. Octavia walked down the ramp and jumped off of it and screamed, "We're back bitches!"
Everyone raced off into the forest to enjoy their freedom. To be the first humans back on Earth for 100 years, it was an amazing feeling. Jackson couldn't believe that it had actually worked; he thought for sure they wouldn't have made it. He looked over to Clarke who just jumped off the ramp and the look on her face was of pure happiness and amazement. Jackson couldn't help but stare and when Clarke's eyes met Jackson's her face turned from one of happiness to one on a mission.
Jackson watched her as she made her way to a cliff out looking the forest and cliffs. She had a map in her hands and looked to be in serious thought. Jackson watched from afar as Finn made his way towards Clarke making sure he wouldn't try anything. He was sure that Finn wouldn't dare hurt Clarke, and if he did he would regret it. Jackson looked over at the other inmates enjoying their freedom, and he smiled. It was his first smile in what seemed to be forever. He was happy to be free, but on the other hand these inmates being free meant more dangers towards Clarke and himself. Jackson may have had some control in prison, but this was new territory, things would be different. First thing he needed was a weapon of some sort; while the others were distracted he made his way back inside the drop ship to find one once he was sure that Clarke would be okay for the time being.
Clarke laid out her map and began to trace their location and how far they were from Mount Weather. Wells approached Clarke, "We've got a problem. The communications system is dead. I went to the roof, a dozen panels are missing. The heat fried the wires."
Clarke frowned the replied, "Well, all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather. See? Look this is us, and this is where we need to get to if we want to survive." Clarke and Wells were silent as a guy with goggles walked up. He smiled and looked over Clarke's shoulder to see the map.
"Ah, cool a map. They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer." Wells got irritated and started to push the kid back.
"Do you mind?" As the two were about to fight, a group of guys walked up.
"Hands off of him, he's with us." One of the guys said. Wells looked and could see that the group was serious.
"Relax; we're just trying to figure out where we are." Wells said as he stepped back holding his arms up.
"We're on the ground." Bellamy said as he entered the conversation. "Is that not good enough for you?" A bunch of people were gathering around to listen.
Wells responded trying to get some of the others to listen to him, "We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority." Jackson had just exited the drop ship to see the scene happening. He quickly made his way towards Clarke in case anything happened.
"Screw your father!" Octavia yelled "What, you think you're in charge her, you, your little princess, and her Animal." Clarke turned around to see who Octavia was talking about and her eyes landed on Jackson. She thought was the girl Jackson protecting her; she couldn't hide the shock on her face. "Oh didn't you know he was the one making sure no one messed with you in prison." Jackson was sick of hearing Octavia talk and started to walk towards her to be stopped by Clarke's arm. Jackson looked at her and she mouthed no. Now that she knew she was going to give him orders, Jackson pushed her arm down slightly and stayed.
"Do you think we care who's in charge?" Clarke began "We need to get to Mount Weather, not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get, and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a 20 mile trek, okay? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave now."
Bellamy responded, "I've got a better idea. You three go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." Jackson looked at Bellamy with distaste did he really believe that he was one of the privileged and did he really believe that he was going to be the one in charge?
"You're not listening." Wells started "We all need to go." Then one of the guys pushed him from behind. Jackson looked at who did it and knew it was John Murphy, he was always one to pick on others in lock up.
"Look at this everyone the Chancellor of Earth." Everyone laughed as Murphy kicked out Wells' leg out from under him. Clarke tried to help him up, but one of Murphy's men grabbed her stopping her. Jackson grabbed the guy's arm and broke it. The guy screamed in pain, and Jackson gave the other guys a look that told them to stay away.
"You alright Clarke?" Jackson asked as he helped her up.
"I'm fine go help Wells." She responded as she shook her arm free from Jackson's grasp. Jackson made his way towards the fight, but Finn dropped down in between Murphy and Wells.
"The kid has got one leg. How about you wait till it's a fair fight?" Finn said.
Octavia then stepped forward, "Hey Spacewalker, rescue me next." Finn smiled and a couple other people laughed though Bellamy didn't look to happy. Clarke went to tend to Wells' leg along with Jackson.
"So Mount Weather when do we leave?" Finn asked.
"Right now." Clarke stood up and looked towards Wells. "We'll be back tomorrow with food."
"How're the two of you going to carry enough food for 100?" Wells asked.
"Make it four." Finn replied as he grabbed Goggles and an Asian kid. "Can we go now?"
"Sounds like a party." Octavia said as she walked up. "Make it 5." Bellamy followed her and grabbed her arm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Going for a walk." She responded.
"Don't tell me you all forgot about little old me?" The others turned to see Jackson standing against a tree. "It'll be 6."
Clarke ignored Jackson for the time being and noticed scratches on Finn's bracelet. "Were you trying to take this off?"
Finn shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah so?"
"So, this wristband transmits all your vital signs to the Ark. Take it off and they'll think you're dead."
"Should I care?" Finn replied.
"Well I don't know, do you want the people you love to think you're dead?" Finn stared at Clarke as he lectured her "Do you want them to follow you down here in two months? Because they won't if they think we're dying." Everyone was silent unsure of what to say at that moment. "Okay, now let's go." Clarke said.
As the group headed off into the forest Jackson knew that Clarke was going to confront him about what Octavia said. He had tried so hard to make sure Clarke didn't know that it was him protecting him and within the first ten minutes on Earth it was out in the open. Things were going to get more complicated now.