Here is Chapter 2 of the Volunteer. Will is now leading the 100 and has managed to keep everyone together, reunite with his best friend, and contact the Ark to let them know they're alive to save a lot of people. Now, they deal with the elements, an uneasy truce with Trikru and the looming threat of marauders to the North. It's up to Will to keep 100 together and turn them from teenagers into warriors. Enjoy!

The Volunteer: Earth fights back

The aftermath of Raven's descent to Earth did a lot to boost morale with the 100. With her coming down, Will was reunited with his best friend and knowing that she was safe was a good thing for him, mentally. And with her came down a radio that allowed them to contact the Ark and save 320 people from being killed. It also let the Ark know that the earth was habitable, and they could start coming down. It was great for most of the 100 who had parents or friends on the Ark as they now were going to be coming down soon. But to Will, it was as much a blessing as it was a curse.

Raven coming down and saving the Ark was the blessing, but Lincoln's information was the curse. If Immortan Joe sent 10 scouts this far south, he was definitely going to be making a move for Trikru territory and kill anyone who got in his way. And right now, the dropship and the 100 were closest to the border which meant Joe would attack them. If any rogue hunter or warrior from Trikru didn't try first. A war was coming, and Will knew he had to be ready. Everyone in the camp was sleeping as the moon shined high in the sky, it's light and the stars the only source of visibility at night. Will was in his tent which was by the dropship and where Ace was saddled. Clarke and the others had made him a tent when he went to visit TonDC before the whole Charlotte incident. Will was sleeping in a makeshift bed with the fur blankets to keep him warm and a small coal fire to heat the tent. Octavia had come when most of everyone was sleeping to join him.

Will laid back and he stared up at the ceiling to his tent, unable to sleep. Octavia was cuddled up next to him, lying down on his bare chest. Will smiled as he looked down at her, her hair covering her face. Will knew he wouldn't fall asleep, so he carefully and slowly got up and laid Octavia on the bed. He put on his shirt, armor and grabbed his gear to do some training. He put another log on the fire in his tent to keep Octavia warm and then left. He walked through the empty camp and went into the woods to do some training. He stretched and then began to climb the nearest tree. When he found a sturdy enough branch, he began doing pull ups.

After some pull ups and upside-down curl ups, he went for a run through the woods. He jumped from tree branch to tree branch and when he was out of space, he jumped to the ground and ran through the woods with the skill and grace of someone who has done so all his life. He vaulted over a log and rolled to his feet when he stopped, his hearing picked up the sound of footsteps. Three sets of footsteps to be precise so Will slowly unsheathed his sword and held it at his side. Will then ducked as a circular throwing blade whizzed past his head and hit the tree. Will threw two of his throwing stars behind him and he hit someone from the shout of pain he heard. Will then ran forward and rolled to avoid a spear as he then engaged two dark figures with swords. Will blocked a sword to the gut and kicked his attacker back. He then disarmed the other fighter, did a scissor takedown placed his blade at his attacker's throat when he noticed it was a Trikru warrior based on the clothing.

Will then looked up and saw it was Tristan, another of Trikru's leaders who he kicked away, and another warrior was limping up to them with Will's throwing stars in his leg. "What the hell are you doing here, Tristan?" Will asked as he got off the warrior.

"A simple training exercise. What are you doing here?" Tristan asked.

"The same." Will said.

"Ah, I guess Yao Fei did instill some warrior traits in you…before you couldn't save him." Tristan said as Will glared at him. When Will was taken in by Indra, Tristan was one of the few people who didn't like him and even though he proved himself a warrior and valuable ally several times, his opinion didn't change.

"What do you want?" Will asked.

"What makes you assume I want anything?" Tristan asked.

"You always want something. If it's a fight, then let's continue and I'll beat you again." Will said, causing Tristan glared at him.

"I've heard more of your people have come down. I came to see if it was true." Tristan said.

"And if it was?" Will asked as Tristan held up his sword.

"To take care of them." Tristan said. Will pointed his sword at him, ready to kill him if necessary.

"If you want them you go through me. Indra and Anya promised me a truce for the moment." Will told him.

"So, they have. But Indra won't be able to protect you forever." He said.

"I don't need her to protect me. I can take care of myself and until the day when Indra herself or the Commander tells me otherwise, Skaikru are under my protection." Will warned him.

"Bold words from a single warrior." Tristan said as Will twirled his sword in his hands.

"A warrior who can take you on. Now leave, Tristan. If anyone of Skaikru so much as gets a paper cut from you or anyone you send, then they won't live to see winter." Will warned him. "Jus drein jus daun." (Blood must have blood)

"You'd better pray that the Commander heeds Indra's tale. Or your blood will flow with Skaikrus." Tristan said and he and his men left.

"Dammit." Will cursed himself. He figured something like this would happen. Now he had to worry about a possible attack from a bloodthirsty warrior like Tristan on top of Immortan Joe's war hounds. Will needed to shore up the defenses of the camp. He grabbed his gear and went back to his home in the old RV. He dropped down and grabbed all the extra rope, spikes, snare wires and explosive pouches he made over the years in a bag to make traps around the camp. Will put them in a bag but stopped when he saw an old drawer. He knelt and opened the draw to see an old sight he hadn't touched in two years. It was the drawer that held the weapons he took from the Mountain Men. The 5 assault rifles and pistols along with the belts of ammo, an old breathing mask he took off one of the dead bodies, a belt of 5 smoke grenades, a belt of 6 explosive grenades, and two knock-out gas grenades. He picked up one of the assault rifles and they were caked in dust. He blew some of the dust off as he pulled the slide back and pulled the trigger, hearing an old clink of the firing mechanism. To his surprise it seemed to be working but with the dust and years of not taking care of it, he doubts it would function.

There were only three intact rifles, the other two he took apart for building parts or components for his trick arrows. Will moved the rifles away to reveal an oil-coated clothed package and opened it to reveal two pistols. The oil was an attempt to see if it could keep the guns intact, but he wasn't a weapons engineer, so he had no idea. He took one pistol and put it in his belt and grabbed the belt of smoke, explosive and knock-out grenades along with one belt of ammunition. He also grabbed a spare quiver filled with his unique trick arrows. It was time to do some creative tinkering and lay some traps.

Will spent the next several hours through sunrise making rope snares, spike traps, and trip wires within a 3-mile radius of the camp with a heavier focus in the Northern area. The rope snares would dangle people in the air while the spike traps and trip wires would take them out. Will felt kind of like an evil genius as he laid out the traps, but he had to take measure to make sure that the others were kept safe.

After hours of setting up the traps, he returned to the camp to finished building the smoke house and the food storage hut along with a small vegetation garden in the corner where they'd plant food seeds for herbs, vegetables, and fruit. He went hunting and returned with a nice size deer that was grazing and placed the meet in the smoke house. He'd set up another hunting trip later, but they were fine for a few days. Will sat down by the fire and saw the sun just start to peak out beyond the horizon. He took out the old topographical map that he had drawn over. He marked the dropship and the northern border to the Dead zone and then began marking all the places he made traps. All in all, he laid about 50 traps in total through a 3-mile radius of the camp with the majority focused to the North, but he'd have to try and make more.

Will kept looking over the map when he heard movement behind him. "Couldn't sleep?" Will asked as the person sat down next to him and it was Clarke.

"No. A lot on my mind. What about you?" She asked. "Where's Octavia?"

"She's sleeping. She looked too comfortable to move." Will said as he marked another spot on his map.

"How long have you been up?" She asked.

"Long enough." Will said as she looked at him. "I couldn't fall asleep, so I spent my time doing something useful. I finished the smoke house, the storage hut, and the garden. The deer meet should almost be ready soon. We'll have enough food for a while."

"How did you do this without any rest?" She asked.

"I was motivated." Will said and he marked another spot on the map that he could place a trap. Clarke looked over and saw him marking his map with a giant circle around the camp with the primary focus being to the north.

"What is all that?" She asked.

"Precautions. Traps set up around the camp." Will said.

"I thought you said that there was a truce with the people here." Clarke said as he looked at her.

"For now. But some of them aren't too fond of following those kinds of orders. And they're not the only threat." Will said, looking at the Dead zone marker on his map.

"What's wrong?" Clarke asked as Will sighed.

"When I didn't come back with Octavia, I said I had to talk to a Trikru member, right?" He said as she nodded. "Well, he had some disconcerting news to tell me."

"What news?" They heard. They turned to see Octavia walk over with the blanket around her shoulders.

"Octavia, I thought you were sleeping." Will said.

"I woke up to get a drink when I noticed you weren't there. What news?" She asked as she sat down next to him. Will then took out his notebook and turned to a page with a unique skull image on it.

"The Trikru member told me that ten war scouts crossed the northern border. Warhounds of Immortan Joe." Will said like it mattered but they were confused.

"Who's Immortan Joe?" Octavia asked.

"A man who has escaped death countless times that people thinks he can't be killed." Will said and they could hear the fear in his voice. "A man who was cast out from his village at a young age for his crimes and banished to the Dead Zone. A desert that stretches for miles around where people go to die. But instead of dying, he banded all the marauders, bandits, and wanderers of the Dead Zone to form a fierce army. Even before I arrived, he's attacked the surrounding nations dozens of times to take food, weapons, resources, and slaves. I fought against his raiding party once and saw him. I shot an arrow in his head and saw him get up like it was nothing."

"I didn't think you were afraid of anything." Octavia said as Will looked at her.

"There are few things in this world that I'm afraid of. Immortan Joe is one of them." Will said and they realized that is Will was afraid of this man, he was someone to be feared. "If he sent ten war scouts down south then he's planning something big. And my guts tells me that he's planning to storm through the entire area and take it for himself."

"And I'm guessing that's not the only bad news." Octavia said.

"If he does march south, the dropship is the closest settlement to the border at 13 miles." Will said.

"Jesus." Octavia said.

"So, that's why you couldn't sleep, and you were up all night making those traps." Clarke said as she looked at his map.

"Surviving is no longer the issue. Immortan Joe isn't someone who can be reasoned or bartered with. He'll just march his warhounds through the area, kill anyone and enslave the ones he doesn't." Will said. "And he's not a simple maniac with an army of men with swords. He has cars and vehicles."

"Vehicles? How?" Clarke asked.

"My best guess. Immortan Joe stumbled on an old military base in the Dead Zone and eventually learned how to use the damn things." Will told them as he remembered when he fought against Joe's raiding party. He was shocked to see actual cars and trucks drive through the Dead Zone and into the area. The only reason they pushed the raiders back was that Will used his explosive trick arrows to destroy the vehicles but nearly got himself killed in the process. "Those vehicles alone make him deadly and dangerous but if he's planning on massing in force against us, he'll steamroll us in a traditional fight."

"So, what do we do?" Octavia asked.

"Indra, the head of my people is on her way to speak to the Commander. Hopefully, the Commander will muster an army to face against Immortan Joe. The Commander understands the threat he presents. Time will tell but I'm not sure time is on our side." Will said as he stared into the fire. "We have to be ready."

"Well, now that the radio is up and running, the Ark is coming down. Maybe that'll even the odds." Clarke said as Octavia stood up and walked back to Will's tent.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Will said. "In the meantime, we reinforce our position here. We'll let the others wake up later but starting tomorrow, the real training begins."

"How about now?" Will heard as he turned to see Octavia dressed with her sword on her back. "Let's get started."

Clarke chuckled and Will smirked. He stood up and put his book away. "All right. Let's me show you how to use that thing." Will said as he looked at Clarke. "You're not out of this either, Clarke. The real training begins now. Your teacher, the Nat Pakstoka slayer."

Will trained Clarke and Octavia in hand-to-hand combat and to say he was rough was an understatement. Morning came as some of the 100 began to wake up and were greeted with the sounds of clanging metal and groans of pain. Raven and Finn were among the people who woke up and when they walked out of their tent they saw Octavia and Clarke fighting against Will. Both were using weapons as Will instructed them on their use and how to fight.

Octavia rushed forward to stab him, but Will knocked the blade forward and pushed her to the ground. Will then turned and blocked three sloppy strikes from Clarke's sword, disarmed her, grabbed her arm, and threw her onto her back. Octavia got back up and charged at him but Will ducked her under swing and kicked her feet out from under her. Octavia groaned in pain as Will sheathed his sword and helped her up.

"Never charge in a fight like that. You charge like that, it makes it easier for your opponent to target your legs and if you lose those in a fight, you're done for." Will said as she nodded.

"Got it." She said, stretching her body and feeling the bruises from the training. Will then helped Clarke to her feet as she tried to catch her breath.

"And you? You need to stop hesitating. Hesitation gets you killed." Will said as Clarke looked at him. "Kind and caring won't work in a fight, Clarke. You strike hard, strike fast, and without mercy because the person you're fighting won't show you any."

Clarke nodded as she managed to get to her two feet. Will saw how tired they were from the two hours of training and decided to give them a break. "Grab a weapon and come over. Combat training starts now." Will said and some of the 100 grabbed weapons and joined the training while Octavia and Clarke sat down and rested. Finn walked over and handed Clarke a canteen.

"Clarke, you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She said as she took the canteen to replenish her fluids and then handed it to Octavia.

"I can't believe Will did that to you two." Finn said.

"I asked him to." Octavia said as she gulped down the water and then stood up. "Its combat training. We all need it."

"Now we don't. We're fine here and the Ark is coming down. Not everything in this world has to be settled by violence." Finn told her.

"Moving speech." Octavia stood up and sheathed her sword. "But not everyone thinks like you do, Finn."

Octavia walked back over to training as Clarke stood up and walked away when Finn walked in front of her. "Clarke, come on. You've got to agree with me here. Fist fighting was one thing but with the weapons. Will's taking things too far." Finn told her.

"He's just trying to be prepared. There's a lot of threats out there." Clarke said as Finn looked at her.

"Clarke, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, Finn." She said and walked away.

The rest of the hundred began to wake up and went through their morning rituals and began to settle in their roles. Guards were set up along the wall at their towers and sections while Will organized people to move the meat from the smoke house to the storage hut. He then had people collect berries, roots, and nuts that Will showed them were edible and safe to eat and they began organizing them into ration packs. Will had Miller organize a hunting party to go get fish from the river and any other meat they could hunt along with setting up the animal snares as well. Another group went to the waterfall to get more water for the camp and Will had Clarke lead a group to get everything they could from the bunker Finn showed her. When they came back, Will wanted to meet with Miller, Monty, Octavia, Clarke, and Raven in the dropship to talk about the camp.

"Ok, so what's the situation with the camp?" Will asked.

"The wall's completely built and we've started digging tunnels and bunkers around that will let us in and out." Miller said.

"Nice. Food stock?" Will asked.

"After our trip to the river, we've got enough meat for a few weeks if we ration. We have a crew storing nuts, roots, and berries. Not exactly tasty but they'll keep us alive. We've also started planting the seeds but it'll be a while before they start growing. We're stock up on water for now." Monty said.

"Ok, we'll set up another fishing trip and I'll have Murphy take out a hunting expedition later. The more we hunt, the more we can smoke and stock for later. Clarke?" Will asked.

"We managed to bring some extra clothes and blankets from the bunker that Finn found. We shared it equally among everyone and the furniture that was there was put in some of the tents. The food was bad but there was a lot of other supplies we have now that will help, including an old medical kit. The medicine is bad but it had some bandages and other things. We'll make do." Clarke said.

"All right. Clarke, I want you on the next fishing trip. Red Seaweed grows in the rivers and once it's turned into a paste it's a very useful ointment for healing. Along with some of the other native plants once dried or turned into liquids. I'll give you a list later." Will said as she nodded. "Raven, how's everything with the Ark?"

"Radio silence at the moment. Not a peep. Guess the council has their hands full with the revelation that the earth is survivable. The only thing that they've been transmitting is crappy music." Raven said.

"Right. Keep watch over it for the time being. Something tells me we'll be getting a call from them soon." Will said as she nodded. "Ok, now that the logistics are taken care of, we need to think about the security of the camp."

Will took out a makeshift map of the dropship and its surrounding area where all his traps were marked. "I set up a perimeter of traps, snares, and wires within a 3-mile radius of the area. It's for our protection so let everyone know that. No more wandering out into the woods unsupervised. It's likely to get them killed." Will said.

"Why would it get them killed?" Raven asked.

"Because the traps I set aren't the maiming kind, they're the killing kind." Will told them. "This is serious. If anyone wanders out the wrong way pass the perimeter, they're likely to get a spike into their side or an arrow in their leg. No more unsupervised journey's outside the perimeter. Just because I managed to negotiate a truce, doesn't mean every single hunter or warrior is going to honor it."

"Would they really do that even though your leader said there was a truce?" Octavia asked.

"The more bloodthirsty ones yes, but it would be a few. Some of them aren't as fond to outsiders so we can't take any chances. If any of the 100 wander too far from the camp, they won't be so lucky. So, from now on no unsupervised trips out there. We move out in groups to hunt and gather food but that's it." Will said as everyone agreed.

"What about when the Ark inevitably sends down more people?" Clarke made a valid question.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Something tells me that when more people from the Ark come down, the rest of the Coalition won't take kindly to the new visitors. They'll be gearing up for war when that comes." Will said.

"So, what are our options?" Raven asked.

"Depending on how things go with us, I might be able to talk to the Commander of the Grounders. She likes me so I might be to get her to listen but it'll take a hell of a lot of convincing." Will told them. "All right, that's it for now. Get back to what you were doing before."

Miller and Monty left the tent while Octavia, Clarke and Raven stuck around. Raven looked at Will and saw him staring intently at the map of the surrounding area. "Will, what's wrong?" Raven asked as Will looked at her.

"Nothing right now. I'm just waiting for the pin to drop. Raven, let me know if the Ark calls for me. Something tells me they're gonna want to talk to me." Will said as she nodded.

"Right." Raven said and walked over to the radio console that now had a video interface she managed to rig up.

"Everything ok, Will?" Octavia asked but he shook his head no. .

"Three years I spent here, and I knew Joe would try and make war. Three years I've waited for him to march his army across the Dead Zone and begin his war that everyone said was coming. And now here it comes, and he has to do it when the people I care about are here." Will said as Octavia walked over and rubbed his shoulder. He reached up touched her hand.

"Hey, you couldn't have known this would happen." Octavia told him.

"Octavia's right. It's not your fault." Clarke told him.

"Well, I'm promising you both and everyone here that I'll make sure you're all safe." Will told them as they smiled. "Clarke, tell Miller to keep everyone here in camp."

Will walked over to the wall to grab his bow. "Where are you going?" Clarke asked.

"Back to my home. There's some things I need to get. I'll be back." Will said as he walked out of the dropship and out of camp. Will walked through the woods and when he got to the perimeter where he set up the traps he took some careful steps to avoid setting them off. He stepped over the last trip wire when he heard some movement behind him and turned to see no one there. "Octavia, you can step out now. I know you're there."

She stepped out from a tree and walked over, her sword strapped to her back. "What? Do you have eyes in the back of your head?"

"No, just really good ears. And your footsteps are loud. If you want to make it on the ground, you have to be invisible." Will said as she smirked.

"Guess we haven't gotten to those lessons yet." She said. She walked over he motioned her to stop. He walked forward and took some careful steps to avoid the traps. She gasped in shock as Will picked her up, carried her bridle style and walked through the trip wires, ensuring that neither of them was killed. "Oooh, I could get used to this."

Will chuckled as he stepped over the last wire and was about to put her down when she cleared her throat. "Think you could keep this up for a little longer?" She asked.

"I could." Will said as he put her feet back on the ground. "But you're gonna have to earn it."

Octavia looked at him as Will smirked and pulled her close and kissed her as she kissed back. "How about now?" She asked.

"You're getting closer. Come on." They continued to walk through the woods and enjoyed the peace and quiet. They moved through the woods for about half an hour until they came to Will's home. He popped open the door and they jumped down into the RV.

"So, what's the plan?" Octavia asked as Will walked over and grabbed a bag.

"I just came to get everything else that I need to bring to camp." Will told her and began putting stuff into his bag. Anything he could spare in his home, he put in the bag including extra weapons and materials from cloth, leather, animal skins and furs along with the medicine and extra food. Octavia grabbed a bag and began putting stuff in as well. Will grabbed an extra bag and opened the compartment where the guns were stored and put them in.

Octavia was putting some extra clothes into a bag when she saw a wrapped parcel. Her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it to reveal a necklace. The necklace was made of metal with a small chain to wrap it around your head. Octavia lifted it up and saw the symbol was a large circle, with two smaller circles inside that overlapped each other like a Venn diagram with a dot in the center. Will finished packing his gear when he saw Octavia holding a necklace. (1)

"I haven't seen that thing in a while." Will said as Octavia turned to him and put it back in the piece of cloth.

"I'm sorry, I got curious." Octavia said as she handed it to him.

"It's all right. I would have done the same thing." Will replied. He opened the cloth to see the necklace there and remembered when he got it two months ago on a visit to Polis and the events that led him to getting it.

"Will?" Octavia saw him staring at the necklace for a while. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Will decided to take it and put it around his neck. "Let's finish up here."

They continued packing up everything around the RV they could spare as Octavia finished with the supplies and Will grabbed some stuff from his bedroom. He grabbed some spare blankets and clothing and put them in a bag. He took the fur of one of the Nat Pakstoka he killed when he first arrived and put it in a bag as he looked around at what had been home for the past three years.

"Hey." Will turned his head and saw Octavia by the doorway. "I got just about everything you could spare packed up."

"Me too." Will said as he put the furs in the bag. "I'm gonna miss this place."

"It's not like it'll be the last time you'll see it. If you come out for a hunt and need a place to stay, it's right here." Octavia said as she walked over and sat on the bed, feeling the fur blanket. "Plus, if we need some quiet time we could always come here."

Will chuckled as he saw Octavia smirk. "I'm not sure your brother would like that." Will told her as she scoffed.

"Well, he doesn't control me. Besides, he's been keeping to himself lately." Octavia said.

"He's probably thinking up of an escape plan. He knows once the council comes down here they'll kill him…but I'll think of something to get Jaha off his back." Will told her causing her to smirk.

"Always saving people, aren't you?" She asked.

"I've spent years fighting and killing…saving people feels better." Will said as she remembered how much Will has been through and still continues to go through.

"Well, you have us now." She told him which made him chuckle.

"Yeah, a hundred more butts to save on a daily basis." Will joked. He looked at her with a smirk and motioned her closer. "Come here."

Octavia got up, walked over and kissed him as Will kissed back. Octavia kissed him moved her left arm up to his neck while the other slipped down to her pocket and pulled out a small knife. She raised it to his neck but Will caught her arm before it got close.

"Not bad for a newbie, huh?" Octavia asked with a smirk causing him to chuckle.

"I'll make a warrior out of you yet." Will said as she threw the knife away, grabbed his face and kissed him. The kissing got intense as Will pulled her close and snuck his tongue in which she was eager to reciprocate. Octavia moved her hands down to his jacket and unzipped it as Will carefully took it off, so he didn't accidently drop a throwing knife. He put his jacket and sword on the ground so Octavia then helped him take off his shirt to reveal his toned and fit body that was marred with scars and tattoos. The scars from swords or the Nat Pakstoka claw marks. There were also the tattoos on his body including the Trikru tattoo on his left shoulder, the claw tattoo on his right, a star tattoo on his chest where his heart was along with words written along the right side of his stomach. Once Will's shirt was off, Octavia took off her jacket and tossed it to the floor when Will reached his hands down and picked her up, his hands on her rear as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Will walked them forward and gently laid down on the bed, laying Octavia down on a fur blanket as Will looked down at her and she looked at him. Will held her hand and interlocked her fingers with him. Will leaned down and kissed her, then moving to her cheek and neck causing her to moan in pleasure. Octavia then pushed and rolled them over so she was on top, straddling him. She reached her hands down and pulled her shirt and bra off as Will marveled at her beauty. Will then leaned up and kissed her softly as Octavia kissed back, her hands roaming along his shoulders and arms. Will kissed her neck and then moved to her chest which made Octavia let loose a gasp of surprise and moan of pleasure. She pulled Will closer to her body and clawed his back. Will spun them around so he was on top as Octavia pulled him up and kissed him and he kissed back. For the new few hours, it was only the two of them…no more worries or responsibilities…just them.

Line Break xxxxx

Flashback 2 months ago

Will was currently outside of Tondc, training by himself in the woods as a way to vent his frustration and anger. It's been two weeks since his encounter with the Azgeda hunters and Yao Fei's sacrifice to save him. Will still blamed himself for what happened even though everyone told him Yao Fei died an honorable death but he still wasn't happy about that. When he returned to Tondc with Yao Fei's body, he had a blank expression on his face as everyone could tell he wasn't happy. After Yao Fei's body was put to rest, Will was ready to go straight into Azgeda territory and kill Queen Nia himself and would have if Lincoln hadn't come up behind him and knock him out.

Ever since then, Indra kept him in Tondc because she couldn't risk him going into Azgeda territory and getting captured or starting a war. Will was one of Trikru's best warriors and Indra needed him. Will was swinging his sword against 6 wooden training dummies, going through another tedious practice session as it was all he could do here in Tondc. He swung and spun his sword with expert skill and grace that showed just how much training he has undergone and how much he's changed since he's been on earth. Will then swung his sword and took off the heads of all the training dummies before one final downward slash sliced one of the dummies clean in two.

Will dropped his arms to his side, his breathing heavy and labored from the long and intense training session. He heard some twigs snap and movement behind him so he quickly spun and threw his sword through the air. His sword flew through the air until it impaled a tree next to Indra's head.

"Indra." Will dropped to his knee and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"It's quite all right." Indra spoke, impressed with his accuracy and pulled his sword out of the tree. "Stand up. You are one of us now and don't need to bow."

Will got back up as Indra walked over and looked at his handiwork. "It seems that Yao Fei's teaching did not go to waste. He was a noble warrior and a good friend." Indra handed Will his sword.

"Yes…he was." Will said as he sheathed his sword on his back. "What did you need, Indra?"

"I will be leading a group to Polis. The Commander will be conducting a summit with the heads of the 12 clans to discuss the issue of the Mountain Men. She has asked me to bring you." Indra told him, causing Will to do little double take.

"Me? Why does the Commander want me?" Will asked.

"Because of your pre-existing knowledge of the Mountain as well as the fact that you are the only person in the history of our people to fight against the Mountain Men and live to tell the tale. She'll want your input." Indra told him.

"Of course. I'm honored to accept the Commander's invitation." Will said as he bowed his head.

"We leave at dawn." Indra told him.

Will went back and got Ace ready for the journey. He got his saddle fitted with everything from food to extra weapons. Will wasn't going to take any chances so he fitted Ace's saddle with a spare bow and three extra quivers along with a bandolier of knives and throwing stars. Will sharpened his sword and made sure his bow blade was ready. He was near the smith, using a sharpening rock to make sure the edges of the blades on his bow were sharp as Lincoln walked up to him. He was one of the people coming with Indra as well.

"You won't need that in Polis. There are no weapons allowed there." Lincoln told him.

"We'll see." Will said as he put his bow on his shoulder and adjusted Ace's saddle.

Indra and the group left soon after and made the trek to Polis. It was a short one day trek on horseback down one of the main roads to the north east. Once they arrived at the main gate Will saw some guards waiting for them. Indra rode up first and spoke with one of them as Will looked around and saw a sign that showed a gun and knife in a red circle with a line going through it along with the words, No weapons allowed beyond this point.

Indra nodded to everyone as the others got off their horses so Will followed their example. Guards then walked forward with metal crates and all the warriors gave over their weapons.

"Like I said there are no weapons allowed in Polis except for the guards." Lincoln told Will as he handed over his knives and spear to the guard. A guard walked over to Will who nodded so Will unsheathed his sword and gave it to him. Will then took out all the throwing stars in his jacket, the extras in his belt, along with his two knives hooked behind his back. Will then took off the knife and throwing star bandoliers and handed them to the guard along with the spare knife in his boot, the small throwing dart around his left ankle, and the hidden blade in his boot heel. Indra and the others sighed as they saw Will had essentially made himself a one-man armory. The guard sighed in relief thinking that was it when Will reached into his hoodie and pulled out another throwing star and then into his sleeves to pull out the last two knives.

"There." Will said as he put it in the crate which was now full. The guard walked away and the others just looked at him. "What?"

More guards appeared and took their horses as Will pat Ace on the head before he and Indra were escorted through the gate and into Polis and what Will saw left in him in awe. He saw lush green trees and vegetation along with crumbled down and old buildings that were being used by the residents of the capital. With this being the capital of the Coalition, it was busy with activity and trade. They walked through the capital and Will was in awe at what he was seeing. Tondc was one thing but this was another. It's what people always hoped life would be like on the ground. Vendors were selling their goods, food stalls were cooking food for hungry travelers, and art and tapestry were all over unlike anything he'd ever seen. Ever since he came down all he knew was the fighting and war of the Grounders, but this showed that there was a lot more than meets the eyes with them. At the center of the capital was a skyscraper with a burning pyre at the top, taller than anything he had ever seen before. Somehow the skyscraper must have survived the impact of the nuclear missiles a hundred years ago. Not a bad place for the Commander to live.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Indra had a smirk on her face as she saw Will's reaction.

"It's incredible. All my life I wondered what life would be like on the ground…but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be like this." Will said as Lincoln pat him on the shoulder and they kept moving through the capital. Indra motioned her traders to go ahead and begin moving some of their trade goods which consisted of a lot of clay items to their stands and as soon as they did, a lot of people came over to trade.

As they walked through the capital, Will noticed that a lot of people were looking at him funny and he was confused. "This is the first time the people have seen the Skairipa in person." Indra told him.

"Death from Above? Not bad for a nickname." Will said to himself.

"Word has spread of your origin and your feats. No warrior has killed three Nat Pakstoka singlehandedly or faced the Mountain Men and lived. They both fear you and want to kill you for your power." Indra told him.

"Great. Which one can I expect to happen here at this summit?" Will asked.

"You're under the Commander's protection. You have nothing to fear." Indra told him as a little girl came up and grabbed his hand. She pulled him away and took him to a food stand where her mother was cooking some kind of seafood. Will smiled at the two and it smelled delicious.

"I would like one, please." He spoke to her in Trigedasleng as she smiled and nodded. She took a grilled piece of squid and chopped off a piece and handed it to him as he took a bite and liked the taste. "Delicious."

Will ripped a black piece of cloth off his shoulder and handed it to her as trade as she smiled and thanked him for the payment. Will moved along the stalls, looking at what they sold and saw an old pair of glasses when someone bumped him from the side.

"Watch it, Trikru scum." Will heard as he turned and recognized the man's garb as Ice Nation.

"Azgeda." Will seethed in anger and was about to start a fight had Lincoln not walked up and grabbed his arm.

"Don't do anything foolish my friend. Any unsanctioned fight in the capital will send you to the dungeon." Lincoln told him so Will calmed down and saw the man meet up with an Ice Nation woman.

"Who are they?" Will asked.

"The man is Prince Roan, son of Queen Nia. He is in line for the throne of the Ice Nation. The woman is Ontari, the Queen's personal guard." Indra told him.

"Queen Nia is here?" Will asked as Indra nodded.

"She's here for the summit about the Mountain Men. They've taken her people as well so she has a right to speak at this summit." Indra told him. Will began to have a sinking feeling that this entire summit was a powder keg.

"Indra kom Trikru." They heard and saw a bald man in robes walk up to them. "The Commander would like a word."

Indra nodded and turned to her party. "Get settled and wait until I get back." She said as they nodded. She walked up to Indra when Titus motioned her to stop.

"She also requests the presence of one William Detmer." Titus said as they looked at Will.

"Me?" Will asked and Titus nodded in response. "Of course. Whatever the Commander wants."

Titus led Indra and Will into the tower and up to the top floor where the Commander's throne room was. There was a makeshift elevator system on an old system of pulleys that took them to the top floor. They were escorted by guards and Titus into the Commander's throne room where they saw Lexa sitting in her chair. Funny how the first time he saw her she was sitting in a chair in Indra's command tent and now she's sitting in her chair in the capital.

"Commander, I've brought them as you requested." Titus told her.

"Thank you, Titus." Lexa said as she stood up and walked down from her throne.

"Heda." Indra and Will bowed their heads and took a knee in respect to Lexa. Lexa then motioned them to stand up.

"William, it's been a long time." Lexa said as Will nodded.

"Yes, it has Commander. The years have been kind to you. Polis is incredible and I can only imagine the peace here is thanks to the Commander. It's unlike anything I imagined." Will said to her as she cracked a small smile.

"Thank you, William." Lexa said and looked at Indra. "Indra, is everything prepared for the summit tomorrow?"

"Yes, Heda." Indra replied.

"Excellent. Perhaps now we can finally prepare against the Mountain Men and end their threat. William, your knowledge of the Mountain will be needed tomorrow." Lexa told him.

"Of course, Heda. However I can help, I will." Will replied as Lexa nodded.

"Excellent. I've arranged for rooms in the tower for the two of you during the summit. Your belongings have been taken to your rooms. We shall reconvene tomorrow." Lexa said as Indra and Will bowed their heads and left with Titus escorting them out. "William, I would like to speak to you in private."

"Of course, Heda." Will said. Titus escorted Indra out of the room, leaving Will, Lexa, and her guards.

"Leave us." Lexa ordered her guards and they left the room. Lexa walked over to the balcony as Will walked over to her. "Thank you again for coming, William."

"It was my pleasure, Commander. It's the least I could do." Will told her as Lexa looked at him.

"You've changed since we last met." Lexa said.

"That I have. When we first met…I would never have imagined this is where I would be now. And it's all because you decided to give me a chance. I will always be grateful for that, Commander." Will told her as Lexa nodded.

"You have nothing to thank me for, William. You're here now because of the path you took." Lexa told him.

"And I only took that path because you decided to spare me. Any other commander would have killed me on the spot or kept me as a prisoner but you didn't. You let me prove my worth." Will said.

"And you have. Trikru is surging and doing better than ever thanks to what you've shown them. I've also gotten word from Anya and Indra that you've become one of our finest warriors. I'm impressed." Lexa told him.

"Thank you, Commander. I had an excellent teacher." Will told her as she looked at him.

"Indra informed me of what happened to Yao Fei. He trained with me as well. I'm sorry." Lexa said and Will nodded in response. "The Azgeda have taken a lot from us but rest assured that it won't go unanswered."

"What do you mean?" Will asked as Lexa walked away from the balcony.

"Tomorrow, during the summit I will be discussing the threat of the Mountain Men and our best plans to move forward. However, before we can establish solid battle plans and move forward…all transgressions of the past must be dealt with." Lexa said when Will noted her expression and the way she spoke and realized he wasn't the only one who lost someone to the Ice Nation.

"I'm sorry for whoever they took from you." Will said as she nodded. "Who else have they wronged?"

"The Boudalan and Podakru." Lexa told him.

"The Rock line and the Lake people." Will said. "Commander, if the Ice Nation are such a problem…why let them join the Coalition?"

"Sometimes facing a bigger enemy means working with a common one. The Ice Nation is ruthless and a problem as you said…but have their uses. When I started the Coalition to bring together all the clans and establish some semblance of peace and order against a common enemy, Azgeda was the last to join. Queen Nia puts her people above all else and believe Azgeda shall rule over all. All-out war would have cost more lives than the ones I'm trying to save. Sometimes sacrifices must be made to stop a bigger enemy." Lexa said.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Will said as Lexa looked at him. "And old earth proverb that I believe explains your choice. But another one that often follows that is, speak softly and carry a big stick."

"What does that mean?" Lexa asked.

"Negotiate for peace while keeping your strength ready for a fight." Will told her.

"Accurate words to live by." Lexa said as Will nodded. "I assure you William that justice will be done for Yao Fei."

"Thank you, Commander. But it would seem I'm not the only one who has suffered at their hand. I'm truly sorry for whoever they took from you." Will told her as she nodded and looked at the symbol of Azgeda on the wall.

"Her name was Costia. She was captured by the Ice Nation because Queen Nia thought she knew my secrets…because she was mine. They tortured her…killed her…cut off her head." Lexa told him.

"I'm sorry." Will replied.

"I'd never thought I would get over the pain…but I did." Lexa told him.

"How?" Will asked.

"By recognizing it for what it is…weakness." Lexa said. Will took a breath as he looked at her and realized that once felt the way she did when his parents died. So much pain and anger that dying would have been a better fate and it wasn't until Raven reminded him to keep fighting that he managed to put himself back together.

"I know that feeling as well." Will told her as he took out his old pocket watch that belonged to his mother. "My parents were taken from me at a young age. Dying of sickness and they easily could have been saved with more medicine but instead all I got was an earful of excuses on why they couldn't. For so long, all I knew was anger and hatred and grief that consumed me to the point where I nearly took my own life. I was ready to end it there."

"Why didn't you?" Lexa asked.

"Because a friend reminded me that day that life works in mysterious ways. We can handle only as much as it throws our way and that for most…it's too much. But our greatest moments are defined by our crucibles. She reminded me that even though they were gone I still had much to live for and more to do…even if I didn't know it. Perhaps it's what led me down here to this moment to tell you the same." Will told her as she looked at him. "And I think she was right. I've helped a lot of people and so have you. But with respect, I have to disagree with you on one thing."

"And what would that be?" Lexa asked.

"Thinking that love is a weakness." Will said and Lexa was interested in his reason. "It's true that love and compassion are the most powerful emotions and when we lose someone we love…it feels like a part of us goes missing, but it's also the greatest strength we have as humans. Our love and compassion drive us forward to do better…to be better. The love you have for your people is one good example. No other commander has united the clans like you have and you've done it to stop the Mountain Men. Yes for practicality so there is no more fighting amongst one another but also because you care about your people. Costia's death while tragic…pushed you to be better."

Lexa looked at him as Will clicked open his pocket watch to see the photo of his parents. He then put it in Lexa's hand as she looked it over. "Love is a double-edged sword…it's up to us to figure out which side we keep close." Will told her and bowed his head. "With your leave, Heda."

Will walked out of the room, leaving Lexa to ponder what he said as she looked down at the pocket watch that held the photo of Will's parents. She looked at the door, thinking about how much William has changed since she last saw him two years ago. The once mysterious and potentially dangerous member of Skaikru has turned into Trikru's best warrior. But what he said struck a chord in her for some reason and she didn't know why.

End Flashback

Line Break xxxxx

The sun still shined in the sky but had moved and started to dim, indicating that some time had passed and it was in the afternoon. In the bedroom of the RV, Will's and Octavia's clothes were scattered all on the floor and by the foot of the bed. The subtle movement underneath the furs meant only one person was moving and it was Octavia. She was awake and had carefully and quietly moved her body so she didn't wake up Will. She leaned up on her side, her hair flowing down her back and the fur blanket covering her modesty as she looked down at Will's sleeping face.

He looked so peaceful when he was asleep and she felt he needed it given how much he's been pushing himself. Ever since they came down, he's been watching over the 100 and doing everything he can to keep them safe. He deserved a bit of rest. Octavia looked down at him, watching his chest go up and down a little with every breath he took. She looked down and saw the scars and marks that littered his body, wondering in her mind how he could have gotten them. She traced her finger along the tattoo of what looked like a claw mark of an animal on his right shoulder. She moved her hand down his side, tracing three distinct claw marks before she saw mark on his left hand. She looked and saw a scar in the palm of his left hand that was a small straight line, maybe about an inch in length. She thought it was from a slash but when she looked closer she saw it was on his palm and on the back of his hand meaning that something stabbed straight through his hand. She also noted that the scarring seemed fresher than the others on his body. The scar was healed over and from what she saw before, he still could use his hand properly but the scarring didn't look as old as the others.

Before she could look any closer, she felt him shuffle in the bed. Octavia looked down and saw Will's eyes flicker open. Will opened his eyes and was greeted to the familiar sight of the ceiling in his bedroom and felt someone next to him. Will turned his head slightly and saw Octavia there lying on her side, smiling down at him.

"Hey." Octavia said with a smile as Will smiled back.

"Hey, yourself." Will reached his hand up and moved some of her hair behind her ear. He cupped her cheek as she leaned into his hand and kissed it. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A few hours. I figured you could use some rest. You've been running yourself ragged for a while." Octavia said with a smile.

"Thanks." Will said as looked at his pocket watch on the ground. "Is it still light out?"

"Yeah, which means we still have some time together. So, are you up for a round two?" Octavia asked with a coy smile causing him to chuckle.

"Technically it would be a round five." Will said as he leaned up and kissed her as she kissed back. She reached her hands up to his shoulders and traced a few of his scars. "And as much I treasured what just happened…we should get going."

Octavia pulled back as he took her hand and kissed it. "Do we have too?" She asked.

"We've been gone for a while. The others are probably wondering what happened to us." Will said and she nodded. He leaned up and kissed her and then moved to her neck and playfully nipped at her skin causing her to moan in surprise. "But whenever we need some time to ourselves…we'll come back."

"I like that idea." Octavia said as she held his hand and looked down at the scar. Will saw her looking at it and kissed her hand.

"Don't worry. My hand's fine." Will told her and he kissed her forehead.

"What happened?" She asked as Will sat up and put his feet on the ground, grabbing his socks and boots.

"It was about two months ago. One very important fight at the capital." Will told her as she was confused. He looked back and saw her face. "Right, sorry. Polis is the capital of the entire Coalition. It's where the Commander resides. I was there two months ago for a summit. Anyway, I had a fight with an Azgeda warrior to get justice for Yao Fei. I won…but he did get some good shots at me first."

Will clenched his fist and looked at the scar, remembering how he got it and the time it took to heal but now it was completely fine. Will felt Octavia hug him from behind and kiss his shoulder. "I'm ok, I promise." Will told her as he held her hands.

"I can't imagine everything you've been through." Octavia traced some of his scars with her finger.

"Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger." Will said as he looked back at Octavia. "Don't worry. With my help, you'll get there too."

"Looking forward to it." She kissed him and the two got dressed. Will grabbed his sword and sheathed it on his back as he adjusted his jacket so his necklace didn't get caught in the zipper. He strapped on his quiver and bow and grabbed some of the bags of supplies. Octavia walked out of the bedroom, dressed and her sword strapped to her back as she adjusted her hair.

"Ready?" Will asked as she nodded. "Let's go."

Will helped Octavia climb out of the hatch first and handed her the bags of supplies. He then climbed up and the two made their way back to the dropship. At the dropship, it was busy with activity as more tents were being built, the smokehouse was filled with meat ready for storage, the crew by the rations station was busy putting nuts, berries, and roots into bags for later and small foxholes and tunnels were being made around the wall. Clarke was by the dropship, feeding Ace an apple and talking to Monty about how things went on the fishing trip. More food to be smoked for later and the copious amount of red seaweed were put in a bag ready for Will to turn it into a jelly.

"Clarke!" Miller called as he walked over. "We're almost done with the first foxhole and tunnel and we've started on the others."

"Excellent." Clarke said as Miller looked around.

"Where the hell is our fearless leader?" Miller asked.

"Still gone." Clarke said.

"He's been gone for hours. What the hell could he be doing?" Miller asked.

"Octavia's not here as well and I can figure where she is." Monty told them.

"Great…they're in pound town while the rest of us work." Miller told them as Clarke looked over and saw Bellamy over by the weapon station.

"I'd be careful how loud you say that." Monty said, gesturing to Bellamy.

"It's not like Octavia didn't go willingly. Besides, Will's not scared of Bellamy." Miller replied when Raven walked out of the dropship. She looked around and then walked over to Clarke.

"Have any of you seen Will?" Raven asked as they shook his head no. "Where the hell is he?"

"With Octavia." Monty said, causing her to sigh in exhaustion.

"He has great timing with that, doesn't he?" Raven said as Clarke looked at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The council's been wanting to speak to him for the last hour. They're getting pushy and want to know what he knows." Raven said as looked at the wall. "We should go find him."

"Will was pretty adamant that none of use leave camp." Monty said.

"He said he didn't want us wondering out alone but in groups. Besides, he's been gone for hours. He might need our help." Raven said.

"From what I've seen, if something bad did happen to him then we'll all need help." Miller said as Clarke agreed with Raven.

"All right. Grab a weapon. We leave in five minutes." Clarke said as they nodded. Clarke walked over to the work bench and grabbed a knife.

"Clarke, what's going on?" Finn asked as he walked over and saw her grab a knife.

"Will's been gone for hours so we're going out there to find him." Clarke said grabbing a pack and putting a ration pouch in it and then walked over to grab a water canteen when Finn stopped her.

"Whoa, Clarke. It's dangerous out there. Besides, Will can handle himself." Finn told her as Clarke just walked past him.

She walked over to Miller and the others who were ready to leave. "Are you guys ready?" Clarke asked as they nodded.

"Guys, this is ridiculous. Will can handle himself." Finn told them.

"I've got movement!" One of the delinquents on the wall shouted as he readied his spear. The other teenagers at the wall got ready as everyone was concerned they were being attacked.

"Is it the Grounders?" Bellamy asked as the teenager looked and saw movement by the trees.

"Don't know!" he shouted back. He saw more movement and was ready to hurl his spear when he saw Will and Octavia step into view carrying bags of gear. "It's just Will and Octavia!"

Everyone calmed down and relax, grateful they weren't under attack. The two teenagers by the gate pulled it open so Will and Octavia could walk through and everyone saw them carrying a total of 9 bags of gear. "Nice attentiveness. But for the future, don't shout at the top of your lungs." Will told him as he nodded. "Here, Monty."

Monty walked over and was handed two bags. "What's this?"

"Extra food stuff both dried and fresh. Put it with the rest." Will told him as he nodded and walked over to the foot storage hut. Octavia walked over and put the bags of furs, clothes and blankets down and began handing them out and walked over and put the bags containing extra weapons onto the work bench.

"Will, where the hell were you?" Raven asked, both angry and worried about him.

"I told you that I was going to get some supplies." Will told her, holding up a bag that had some medical supplies he was going to show Clarke so she knew what they did.

"For over seven hours?" Raven asked.

"The time got away from us." Will told her. "Why, what's wrong?"

"The council's been wanting to talk to you." Raven told her as he nodded.

"All right, if you get them on now I'll talk to them." Will told her and she went to contact them. "Clarke!"

Clarke walked over as Will showed her a bag fill with dried plants, vials of liquids and small jars. "What's this?" Clarke asked.

"Medicine. I'm friends with two healers of Trikru so I'll show you what all this does in case something happens. Just organize it for now." Will told her as Clarke nodded and took the bag. "Everything ok here while I was gone?"

"Yes, everything's fine. We've got one of the foxholes and tunnels dug and we've got more meat smoking. The red seaweed's here as well." Clarke said and Will nodded.

"All right, I'll show you how to make it a jelly later." Will said when he noticed the look on Clarke's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Clarke told him but Will wasn't convinced.

"Nice try but I can tell your lying. Is it about your mom?" Will asked as Clarke didn't need to answer for Will to know he was right. "Look, if you want you can go talk to your mom."

"No. I don't want to talk to her." Clarke shot back as Will raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I don't want to talk to her right now."

"What's going on, Clarke? Your mom and you have always been close but now it's like you want to spite her." Will said as he saw how conflicted she was. "It might make it easier to talk to someone."

"Will!" They turned their heads to the Dropship as Raven stood by the door. "They're ready for you."

He nodded as he looked at Clarke. "Just something to think about. You know I was a good listener on the Ark…and that hasn't changed." Will told her as he walked over to the dropship.

He walked over to Raven's work station where she had turned the radio and Monty's makeshift area into a full communication station with a video interface so Will could see them. "Impressive as always, Ray." Will said, causing her to smirk.

"Of course because I'm awesome." She said as Will sat down in the chair and put on the headset. Raven pressed a few keys and the monitor then showed an image of Chancellor Jaha.

"Mr. Detmer." Jaha greeted him.

"Jaha. I'm guessing the rest of the council is there as well." Will said as Jaha nodded. "Right, well you wanted me and now I'm here."

"We've been trying to speak to you for the last hour. Where have you been?" Jaha asked.

"Otherwise occupied. There's a lot that requires my attention." Will told him as Jaha nodded.

"I just want to say how grateful the council is for your efforts in keeping the 100 alive as well as in contacting us. It says a lot about you that you've managed to survive down on the planet for the last three years." Jaha said to him.

"I've proven to be difficult to kill. Just glad you decided to go along with my idea three years ago or things would be a lot worse for you." Will said as Jaha nodded.

"Thank you for all that you're doing. I want you to know, Mr. Detmer that I truly am sorry for what happened to your parents all those years ago." Jaha told him and Will just closed his eyes and took a deep breath, realizing that Jaha was just trying to clear any animosity. "If there was a way to save them, we would have taken it."

"I know what you're trying to do, Jaha and let me just stop you there. My parents are dead and I've made peace with that. Bring them up again and I shut the video off." Will warned him as Raven saw how he still had some resentment towards the council for not saving his parents. "Let's focus this meeting on the important things like getting the rest of the Ark citizens to the ground."

"We've already begun plans for that." Kane spoke as the video switched over to show him. "We're constructing shuttles similar to the one that sent the Hundred to the ground. They'll be retrofitted to carry more supplies and carry more people down to the planet's surface."

"With the supplies we have here, we estimate that we'll launch the first Exodus shuttle in two weeks' time to match with the launch window closest to your location." Jaha told him. "How the situation on the ground?"

"As best it can be. The 100 are safe and secure in their camp. We have enough food and water to last for a while and they're keeping busy with their duties. We've lost some along the way but we're staying strong." Will told them as everyone nodded.

"Mr. Detmer, you told us that the ground is survivable but there's something else as well." Jaha said.

"The ground is survivable for sure. Granted, a lot of things will kill you if you're not careful but that was to be expected." Will told them.

"What things?" A councilman asked.

"Well, the weather for sure. Exposure to too much heat or cold will kill you along with any storms that run past here and the winters are brutal as well if you're not prepared. Plus, any hostile predatory animal that wants to make you his lunch is also a threat." Will told them.

"Mr. Detmer, you said something about other survivors in our previous communication. Are there other people down there?" Jaha asked.

"Yes. The earth wasn't devoid of life as you originally thought. All your speeches about humanity returning to the ground were a lie because in truth they never left it. The native inhabitants must have developed a natural resistance to the radiation here and they've been thriving ever since." Will told them.

"You speak of them as if you know them." The camera turned to show a woman Will wasn't familiar with.

"Who are you?" Will asked.

"This is Councilwoman Diana Sydney. She was recently put on the council." Jaha told him.

"Ok. And yes, I do know them. I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for them. They're a little rough around the edges but the only difference between us and them is that we grew up in space and they grew up here. Things are different on the ground." Will told them.

"Different how?" Sydney asked and Will didn't feel comfortable with her. He felt something off.

"They follow a different set of beliefs and ideals, for one. And they're untrusting of outsiders but I've managed to earn their trust. The only reason the 100 aren't under attack is because I managed to negotiate a truce." Will told them.

"What can you tell us about their society? Their weapon capabilities? Troop numbers?" Sydney asked but Will kept his mouth shut on that.

"I'm not going to answer that question." Will told her.

"That was an order from your Council, Mr. Detmer." Sydney told him.

"A council that was ready to kill me three years ago and thought that I've been dead. I'm not a member of the Ark anymore so take that high and mighty attitude and go float yourself, Councilwoman." Will shot back at her which made Raven chuckle as she bit her cheek to keep from making a sound. "Keep that in mind, Diana because as of right now, I'm not one of you, I used to be. And the only reason you know that the ground is survivable and you'll live past a month is because I told you. And I didn't do it for any one of you, I did it to help the people of the Ark, not the people on the council who control them. I'm the one who has spent the last three years on the ground and knows everything there is about how to survive and how to avoid a massacre because if you do come down with that kind of attitude, I guarantee that is all that's going to be waiting for you when you touch down. You need me and the hundred more than we need any of you. Sleep on that tonight."

Will shut the radio off and put the headset on the table. "Wow. Guess the earth has made you badass, Will." Raven said as he chuckled.

"That's been bottled in for the last three years. Nice to finally tell them how I really feel." Will said. "And give them a reminder that the power balance has shifted. They need us more than we need them."

"You sure about that?" Raven walked over and sat down on the edge of the table next to him.

"I've been down here for three years, Ray. I know every inch of this area, I know how to track, how to fight, what to eat and what to avoid. The Grounders here treat me as one of their own and I've always done good by them. I wasn't lying about what I said before…I'm one of them now." Will told her as he stood up and walked over to the door to the dropship and looked out into the camp. "But that doesn't mean I don't help my friends."

Raven smiled and walked over next to him. "I don't know if I said it enough but I'm glad you're here, Ray." Will smiled at her as she smirked.

"Aww, you did miss me." She said, causing him to chuckle. "I missed you too."

"One step back...two steps forward…" "And kick anyone's ass who gets in our way." Raven finished their old saying as they clapped their hand and crossed them in an X, doing their old handshake.

"Come here." Will told her as they moved back into the dropship and he showed her the only bag he was still carrying. He reached into the bag and pulled out an oil-coated piece of cloth. "Keep this close with you, always."

Raven was confused as she moved the cloth apart to see it was a pistol. She was shocked to find that Will had one and hadn't used it. He then opened the bag to reveal three assault rifles, another pistol, dozens of ammo clips with a few hundred bullets and a bandolier of bullets as well. "Where the hell did you get all that? I thought it was all lord of the flies, medieval warfare down here?" Raven asked.

"Not exactly and it's a long story but the short version: Mountain Weather isn't empty and its occupants aren't friendly." Will told her as she pulled the slide back on the gun and chambered a bullet. "I did the best I could to look after them but I'm not a weapons engineer."

"Not bad. They still need some maintenance." Raven said. He handed her the bag and checked to see the rifles were caked in dust and would need the most work.

"Don't tell anyone about this yet. And keep that pistol close to you, always. You're the only one I trust with this." Will told her as she nodded.

End of Chapter 3

1). His necklace is the symbol of the Coalition.

Here is chapter 3. Sorry it was shorter than a normal chapter I write but I just wanted to get it out before the end of the month and I had a serious case of writer's block with this story but I think I worked it out. I'm saving some important stuff for next chapter so look forward to that. Again, sorry it was short but I wanted to get a chapter out for people since I haven't updated this story in a while. This chapter, Will's bolstered up the defenses of the camp and we've gotten some look into his past before the 100 arrived along with his interactions with Lexa.

Next chapter, another move by Immortan Joe sends Will on a scouting mission and he learns some interesting information about his plans. He has to contend with that along with dissension from the Ark and one group that sees him as a threat. Being in charge also means having a target on your back. Until next time.

William Detmer (Age 20):

Appearance: Stephen Amell from Arrow/Season 1 build, hairstyle, and scars.

Outfit: Prometheus's from Season 5 with greasepaint/warpaint over his eyes and a facemask covering from the nose down.

Weapons: Prometheus's sword and throwing stars. Recurve bow from Arrow season 6 and arrow. Trick arrows including smoke, grapple, and explosive. Smoke and bomb pouches.

Pairings: Will x Octavia

Maybe: Clarke, Raven, Lexa.

Changes to the canon:

Sending Will down two years and 8 months before the 100.

Raven and Will grew up together and she dated Finn shortly before Will was sent down.

In this story before the 100 came down, the reapers only attacked at night. It's only after they came that they started to attack during the day.

Indra and Trikru (Grounders) aren't immediately hostile to the 100.

Will leads the 100

The Marauder's in the Dead zone to the North of Trikru territory banded together to form one giant war clan under their leader, Immortan Joe.

I'm not sure about the area and spacing, because it's not explicit on the show, but the dead zone and the city of light, should be north of Trikru territory. And the dropship is the closest settlement to the northern border. Azgeda is Northwest, just skirting the Dead zone border. Again, the locations and maps aren't the best for this kind of thing.

Will and the 100 manage to contact the Ark and prevent the sacrifice to extend oxygen

Disclaimer: I don't own the 100 or any other properties mentioned in the story. I'm just a big fan.