My vision returned slowly, like a fog lifting after a restless sleep.
The metal around me vibrated faintly. Cold. Sterile. My fingers twitched as I blinked away the blur. I sat up—head pounding—trying to gather my thoughts. A dull ache pulsed at the back of my skull. I looked down. A metal wristband was clamped around my arm.
Just like everyone else.
So... it's started.
I glanced to my left. Fox lay slumped against her restraints, still unconscious. Her chest rose and fell steadily. On my right, Sterling hadn't stirred either. I turned toward the rows ahead and spotted Troy—my only real friend here. He was two seats ahead, slightly turned to the side, his ponytail dangling behind the seat like a golden thread.
Beyond him, I spotted Clarke and Wells. They were still out too. But their presence grounded me—reminded me exactly when and where I was.
This was the beginning.
The beginning of the end for some of us.
I'd seen this in the show. I knew what came next. Two deaths.
Sterling stirred beside me with a soft groan. I leaned toward him.
"You alright?" I asked, voice low but steady.
He rubbed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah... I think so."
"I'm Aiden," I offered, holding out a hand.
"Sterling," he replied, shaking it with a curious look. "Were you the first to wake?"
I nodded, then scanned the rest of the dropship. One by one, the others began to wake—blinking groggily, tugging against their restraints, groaning in confusion.
Fox jolted next to me, breathing fast. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Easy. You're safe—for now."
Across the ship, voices rose. I heard Clarke and Wells talking. Something about Abby.
And then, the monitor flickered to life with a sharp buzz.
Chancellor Jaha's face appeared on the screen.
"Prisoners of the Ark… you have been given a second chance..."
His speech continued, but I only half-listened. My eyes stayed on Troy, who had finally stirred. He looked dazed but alive. I caught his eye and gave him a subtle nod.
Just then, while Chancellor Jaha was still speaking through the monitor, cheers erupted inside the dropship. I looked up and saw Finn floating in the air, arms raised like he was some kind of hero. The others laughed and joined the fun. Amid the noise, I leaned toward Sterling beside me.
"Hey, Sterling, right?" I said.
He looked over, still a bit groggy. "Yeah?"
"Listen, why don't we stick together once we get out of here? Strength in numbers. Safety too. You in?"
Sterling gave me a firm nod. "I'm with you, man."
From my other side, Fox stirred, her eyes blinking open as she overheard us. "Can I join too?"
I smiled and nodded. "Of course. That makes three… including Troy, that's four. I plan to form a group—train, protect, help each other. More than ten would be ideal, but we'll start here."
I already had people in mind. People with potential. People I could mold. I'd find them once we hit the ground.
Just then, Clarke's voice cut through the cheers. "Hey! You two, stay in your seats if you want to live!"
I turned and saw the two idiots—you know the ones—unbuckled and floating like it was all a game. I knew this moment. I remembered how it played out. They never listened.
I leaned toward Fox and Sterling. "Just follow my lead. Stay buckled. Don't move."
They both nodded.
Seconds later, as we began our descent, the two fools were thrown across the cabin like rag dolls, hitting the walls hard. Finn managed to grip onto a nearby handle. Clarke was yelling, the ship rattling violently.
Fox gripped my hand tightly. "Sorry," she whispered.
"It's fine. Hold on as much as you want," I replied calmly.
The dropship eventually stabilized. Once the shaking stopped, Fox let go of my hand. I stood up and rushed to check the two who had flown. Finn and Clarke were already moving.
I crouched beside one of them, checking for a pulse.
"Are they breathing?" Clarke asked Finn.
I answered before he could. "They're dead."
I made sure my voice carried, letting everyone hear it.
Clarke looked at me with a mixture of surprise and grim realization. Finn just stood there quietly.
No one else said anything as we opened the doors to the lower hatch.
I turned back to Fox and Sterling. "Follow me."
I made my way to Troy and pulled him into a hug. We embraced for a full minute. Then I introduced him to Fox and Sterling.
"These are my people" I told him.
We waited for the crowd to go down first. Clarke led the way, naturally, and then the others followed.
By the time we reached the lower hatch, Bellamy was already in front with Octavia, her face glowing with excitement.
Bellamy pulled the lever.
Octavia stepped out slowly, breathed in the fresh air, and shouted, "We're back, bitches!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. They rushed out into the light, laughing and celebrating like the ground was a playground.
Sterling tried to follow, but I held out my hand and stopped him.
"Wait. Let them have their moment."
We watched them pour out before stepping forward ourselves. As I reached the hatch, I noticed a girl sitting alone at the back—nervous, eyes wide with fear.
I stopped.
"Hey," I said gently. "Why don't you join us?"
"Can I?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course you can. I'm Aiden. What's your name?"
"Charlotte," she said.
I smiled. "Stick with us, Charlotte. Just follow my lead, alright?"
She nodded.
The others introduced themselves to her, and just like that, we were five.
Now I needed to find the rest.
We then headed outside, taking in the open sky for the first time. The others were cheering, running around, playing with the dirt, some even tasting the air like it was fresh water after a drought. Well... they're still kids, after all.
I noticed Clarke standing off to the side. Finn was approaching her, trying to strike up a conversation. Looked tense. Typical.
"Alright," I muttered, turning to Sterling beside me. "Follow me."
"Where are we going?" he asked, tilting his head.
"We're going to recruit people."
"Recruit?"
"Yeah. We're not surviving this place alone. We need numbers—and I'm picking who I trust."
He nodded. "Got it."
"Wait here," I told them.
I walked through the scattered crowd until I spotted Connor leaning against a tree, watching everyone with cautious eyes. I approached him.
"You planning to survive down here or just wait around for someone to lead you?"
He gave a half-smirk. "Depends. Who's offering?"
"I am," I said. "You follow my lead, stick together, train together—we live."
He looked at me, then nodded once. "Alright. I'm in."
One down.
Next, I found Myles sitting on a rock, then Derek and Monroe talking quietly near the edge of the clearing. I approached each of them, laying out the same offer. Survival, unity, and strength in numbers—under my lead. One by one, they agreed.
Roma was hesitant at first but eventually nodded. Paul and Tomas didn't need much convincing. They already looked like they were searching for someone to follow.
By the time I returned, my small group had nearly tripled.
Troy, Fox, Sterling, and Charllote were all waiting. I brought the new recruits over and introduced everyone quickly. Names, nods, handshakes—it was enough for now.
"Well," I said, standing in front of them, "we're all we've got. Watch each other's backs. We'll train, hunt, and move as a unit. When things go south—and they will—we survive. Together."
"You're pretty charismatic, aren't you?" Troy muttered with a chuckle.
I smirked. "Aren't I?"
They laughed lightly, but I could see the respect growing in their eyes. That was what I needed.
Then we all noticed the shift—voices quieting, attention turning toward the dropship. Clarke and Wells were standing near the ramp. Something serious was brewing.
"Let's see what this is about," I told my group.
We moved as one.