Pilot ~ Part 15

On Earth, Clarke, Octavia, Monty, Jasper and Finn were by a river again. Clearly deciding to have some fun on their way to Mount Weather. Jasper and Finn stood at the top of a banking, a thick rope covered in dead twisted twigs hanging down from one of the trees. Finn tugged on it, testing his weight against it to make sure it wouldn't snap.

"You wanted to go first. Now quit stalling." Clarke called up to the boys. "Mount Weather awaits." Clarke said softly. Though it did look fun to swing across a river on a rope, they had a job to do. "Just hang on til the Apogee, and you'll be fine." Jasper said to Finn who was holding onto the vine. "The Apogee like the indians, right?" Finn asked, both boys having a small smile on their faces. "Apogee, not Apache." Jasper confirmed.

"He knows. Today, Finn." Clarke said. Finn nodded. "Aye, aye, captain. See you on the other side." He said making a finger salute to Clarke. He leaned back, ready to push off for the landing but Jasper tapped him slightly. "Wait." He said quickly. "What?" Finn asked. Jasper looked down, seeing Octavia looking up at them with an admiring smile, Jasper wanted that look to be for him, and not for Finn, he wanted her to think he was brave for going first. "Let me." Jasper said softly. "I can do it." Jasper said. Finn glanced between him and Octavia and nodded, smiling a little, for a somewhat seemingly nervous kid, he did have some courage in him and Finn could respect that.

He stepped back slightly and held the vine out to Jasper. "Knew there was a badass in there somewhere." Finn complimented as he tapped Jasper's shoulder. Jasper let out a small but nervous chuckle, his hands grabbing the rope in front of him. He reached up with one hand, getting a tighter grip on it. He glanced down at Octavia to see her smiling and he looked out across the river once again. Finn saw the hesitation and he glanced out to where he was looking before he looked back to him and leaned forward slightly. "Hey, it's okay to be afraid, Jasper." He said softly to him. "The trick is not fighting it." He gave him a nod, Jasper slowly nodding back to him.

The smile quickly grew on Jasper's face as he grew the confidence, his hands gripping onto the rope tightly. He looked down seeing the others smiling up and waiting expectantly at him. "See you on the other side." He said with a grin. He took a deep breath in, giving the vine a quick tug before he took a few steps back, he ran forward, launching himself off the edge of the rock and held onto the vine as he went across the river. Octavia and Clarke spun around quickly to watch him as he went. Jasper cheered loudly, his legs being slightly to his chest as he swung across. Clarke's face one of awe as she watched him to across, they could never have done anything like this on the Ark, much less in solitary.

Jasper let go of the rope, dropping quite a way to the ground and landing flat on his front but quickly flipped himself over. The others rushed to the edge to make sure he was alright quickly seeing him now on the ground. Clarke and Finn stayed up on the banking standing beside each other, Finn now grabbing onto the vine as they waited for Jasper. Jasper stood up, his arms outstretched as he cheered loudly. "We are Apogee!" He screamed loudly. Finn, Clarke, Monty and Octavia quickly threw up their hands into the air and screamed loudly, cheering and celebrating with him, a huge smile on each of their faces. The cheers went on for a good few seconds, congratulating him, proud of him for making it to the other side and all in all, actually having fun. "You did it, Jasper!" Clarke yelled over happily.

Finn laughed softly, as did Clarke. He took a small step back. "Let's go, princess." He said holding the rope out for Clarke. "You're up." He said with a slight smile. Clarke stared at Finn for a moment, narrowing her eyes at him but seeing the rope slightly pushed towards her she grabbed it quickly, feeling slightly nervous about doing the same thing. "Come on, Clarke! You got this!" Jasper shouted excitedly from the other side, still celebrating by himself on the other side of the river. "Whoo! Apogee!" He cheered happily, Monty watching his friend with a smile. Finn glanced out to Jasper with a small chuckle before he turned and gave another nod to Clarke.

Jasper had a look around where he'd landed, he saw something metal in the dirt and he glanced down, it was a rustic metal sign that looked like it had been there for years, the edges worn down and blunt, the metal having several holes in it. He smiled to himself as he read the words on the sign as he lifted it up. "We did it!" He shouted loudly, looking back over to grab the others attention. "Mount Weather!" He shouted loudly as he held the sign above his head with a cheer. Mount Weather was on the sign, it's letters faded but still there, burn marks across some of the other words, no doubt damage from the radiation.

Monty let out a cheer and a quick fist bump to the air, Clarke and Finn smiled happily, and Octavia let her head drop back as a sigh of relief escaped her. They'd made it. Jasper cheered still from the other side, the sign held above his head proudly. Jasper's face fell slightly as he saw something speeding towards him but before he could react it struck him in the chest. The metal sign dropped from his hands to the floor with a loud thud as he was thrown from his feet, flying backwards against the tree behind him.

"Jasper!" Finn called out worriedly as they'd all seen it happen, no one expecting it. The cheers died down immediately, seeing the pole piercing their friends chest as it knocked him against a stone so his back was against it. Finn turned around, trying to see where it had come from while Clarke didn't draw her eyes away from him. "J... Jasper!" She called out worriedly. Monty did the same. Jasper looked down, a large metal pole, probably about the same length as him was sticking out of his chest, one end, the end inside him, pure metal, the edges having been cut to a serrated blade, self made wrappings for grip were around the end of the blade and further up. Gurgled breaths left him, unable to breathe properly as he stared at the weapon sticking out of him, blood already beginning to seep through his green shirt and zipped up jacket.

"Jasper!" Clarke yelled taking a step forward. "No." Clarke resisted as Finn had grabbed her arm and pulled her back slightly. "Come on!" Finn said quickly and urgently. He warned the others to get down, each of them ducking behind the raised edge of a rock beside the river, Finn slightly looking over it trying to see where the weapon had been thrown from and by who. There were twigs snapping all around them, but they couldn't spot anyone. One thing Clarke knew, was that no one from the Ark could have thrown something like that such a distance or with such power.

"We're not alone." Clarke breathed out shakily.