Chapter 31: Breaking into the Mountain!

'Thinking'

"Talking"

[System]

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- Mount Weather | Level 3 -

- 3rd Person -

*HISS*

The door into the quarantine cell opened and in walked President Cage Wallace carrying a platter of food. He ignored the man with medium black hair, green eyes, with a set of magnetic cuffs on. He walked over to the man that is sitting on the only couch in the room staring blankly at the ground and placeed the platter on a small desk next to him.

"You haven't eaten in two days Jet. I brought you your favorite, back when we were kids." Cage said as he moved to sit on the nearby bed.

"Kool aid, and Mac and cheese? With a side of asparagus. Really?" Jet asked, looking up and staring into Cage's eyes with fire in his eyes.

"Well, yeah I mean-..."

"Cut the shit. Why are you here?" Jet asked angrily.

"...I need you. Look, it's gotten bad. They're going after our power, and I don't know if we'll be able to hold them off at the main door." Cage said worriedly, scared even.

"Did you send a team out to the dam?" Jet asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"Who did you send?"

"... The new recruits."

"You fucking idiot! You sent amateur soldiers out to protect one of our most valued and required utilities? Are you stupid?" Jet asked shocked and angry at his once friends' stupidity.

"No! They were the most promising of them! They'll get it done. Besides, I wouldn't have had to do that if not for you and my father. You pushed me to this; I hope you know that. We lost fifty-six good soldiers taking you down. All that's left is the twenty something soldiers guarding the door and the new recruits that are fumbling to even fire a weapon." Cage said exasperated.

"What do you want me to do? What do you think I will do?" Jet asked annoyed.

"Fight for us. Fight together with me! Besides lieutenant Emerson you're the most militarily talented individual in this entire mountain! Help us reclaim our birthright and live on the ground together." Cage pleads while extending his hand out in mock friendship.

"... For all my life, I've waited to hear that word. Together. When we were kids, I was always second fiddle, despite us taking the same classes, doing the same hobbies or activities. 'Cage played the violin like a master, so why can't you do it?' I was told. 'Cage got 98% in all of his courses why didn't you get a 98%?' I was asked. 'Cage is a master in art why can't you be as good as him?' I was told again and again, not just by my parents but others as well. Due to me being close to you I was constantly compared to you, and subsequently shunned when they realized I wasn't as good as the 'Great Cage Wallace!' It didn't help that I was a scrawny weak kid and the bigger kids thought I was stain on you, one that needed to be removed." Jet said as he began to pour out his built-up frustration and anger.

"Y-You said-..."

"Yeah, it was nothing, I just bumped into a wall. I know that we were kids but how stupid are you! I had a broken arm, a limp, and a black eye for god's sake! That wasn't even the worst of it. Over time I grew to accept the fact that you were better than me in everything, except one. Being a soldier, I knew how to be a soldier, follow orders, as well as give them. While you didn't even understand the concept. I felt happy for the first time in my life I felt happy, but that's when I discovered your sick pet project. The-..."

"Reapers."

"Yeah, the reapers. I was horrified that a person could even do something like that. You made living people into mindless cannibalistic dogs! For what? So, you could get some more of that precious grounder blood? I wasn't having it, so I went to the command center, and I told your father."

"Y-You did!?" Cage asked stunned.

"I did, and he told me, 'I know, he came up with that project himself. It should show those savages their place.' I was stunned to say the least. Thinking that he didn't understand I went into detail about what you were doing, and he said the same thing. So, I threatened to make it public that their ever so precious Cage Wallace was not perfect, and that in fact he was a monster. Your father didn't like that and not only threatened my life but also denied any military promotions from there on. That's why I've been a sergeant for the past fourteen years ever since we were sixteen."

"I never knew." Cage said in a whisper.

"Of course, you didn't. That's why ever since then I've barely been able to be in the same room as you or your father. But your father grew to hate it over the years and as he did, I slowly forgave him and when he finally broke and called on me to support him, I did."

"So, support me now! Tell me how to stop it! Tell me how to save our people! Your people need your help!" Cage shouted as he got up off the bed and began pacing back and forth.

"...You're not my people. You're the people that have abused and mistreated me for the entirety of my childhood and sub adult life. I'll never help you, not even in your dreams." Jet said as he grabbed a spoon of mac and cheese and took a bite.

"They'll destroy everything. You know that right?" Cage asked after calming down.

"There's nothing here for me anyway." Jet answered, causing Cage to start walking towards the door.

Cage opens the door, but simply stands there. He doesn't walk out and finally after standing there for a minute he turns around and looks Jet in the eyes. "You'll regret this."

"No, I won't." Jet responded.

As Cage turns around to leave the lights turn off and the magnetic cuffs on Jets wrists deactivate and fall to the floor.

*CLANG!*

"AHH!" Cage yells as Jet rushes him through the darkness and shoves him up against the wall in the hallway.

"Looks like it's too late." Jet says into Cage's ear.

"Mr. President, sir! Where are you!" Jet and Cage hear down the hall.

"OVER HERE!" Cage screams out in pain, as Jet slams his knee into his back.

"Shit!" Jet hisses under his breath before throwing Cage to the floor and running off down the dark hallway.

"JET! GET BACK HERE!" Jet hears Cage yell after him, but he's already gone.

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- Mount Weather | Level 1 -

"Bloka wo! Nau!" I yelled as the incoming bullets from the Mount Weather soldiers became too much to handle even for my armor. (Shield wall! Now!)

The grounders grouped themselves up into a wedge formation before raising their shields blocking the entire entryway hallway. And at this point my mana was almost refilled and the torches were still blazing outside, so once again I channeled the torches' flames and sent a massive wall of fire up above the shielders heads and into the remaining Mount Weather soldiers.

[-3,400 MP]

"AHH!"

"AHH!"

Once again, the screams of men that had their flesh set ablaze rang out, I ignored it and pushed forward, jumping over the shield wall, I activated [Lunge] and restarted the massacre.

[Level Up!]

After killing one of the soldiers, I slid underneath a hail of bullets and slashed another one of the soldiers' legs off.

"AHH-!" The soldier's scream was cut short as my sword pierced his throat, killing him.

Two of the few remaining Mount Weather soldiers turned to me and opened fire. I instinctively rolled to the left and grabbed a shield up off the ground. I raised the shield and felt the bullets impact on the shield as well as the dents that the bullets were causing.

Realizing that the soldiers had figured out how to get through the shield's thick protective steel layer, they began focus firing on one specific location on the shield. I quickly cast [Enchantment] onto shield before rushing towards the soldiers, taking them by surprise.

The soldiers attempted to move out of the way but one of them was too slow and the shield bash connected directly into his chest sending him crashing to the ground. Ignoring him I activated [Lunge] on the soldier that had successfully moved out of the way. In his eyes I practically teleported in front of him, making his eyes go wide. Before he could fire a single round off my blade was already pressed up under his chin into his head.

Pulling the blade out, I turned back towards the man still trapped underneath the solid steel shield, struggling to get it up off him. I walked over to him and swiped my blade across his neck, opening his throat. The cut was deep and began spewing dark red blood, all the while the soldier struggled to breathe and continuously gasped for breath. Realizing that I had not given him a quick death, I crouched down and shoved my sword into the side of his head killing him.

[Level Up!]

I looked back over my shoulder towards the battle and watched as the Mount Weather soldiers ran out of ammunition and without enough time to reload, they sprinted back towards the stairs leading deeper into Mount Weather. The shield wall parted revealing a firing line of guardsman in firing position.

*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*

Each guard fired two to three shots each, killing the fleeing soldiers and snuffing out their retreat.

"Heda!"

"Heda!"

"Heda!"

"Heda!"

Lexa walked through the parted shield wall with an entourage of her personal guard as well as Icarus and Agni, both had subtle grins on their faces.

"Well done, Arthur." Icarus complemented.

"Truly a spectacular use of your fire magic, well done." Agni commented approvingly.

"Yes, well done Arthur, now we must root them out from the source. Their command center." Lexa spoke up.

"Agreed. I was thinking that you, me, and some of your honor guard could make our down there while the rest of forces made a distraction."

"What kind of distraction were you thinking of?" She asked.

"I know we said no killing innocents but if a good section of our force made its way down to some of the lower levels and caused some mayhem it would be a perfect distraction."

"I'm up for it, Commander!" Agni spoke up.

"So am I.," said Icarus.

"Then that is the plan. Arthur, my personal guards, and I will make our way through the floors as fast as we can, only killing whoever is required of us so that we may sneak past. After we pass the floor, you will enter and attack that same floor, allowing us to continue on unhindered." Lexa said summarizing our plans.

"Correct except for one thing, we don't have to run all the way to the command center. We couldn't even if we wanted to, we need to make our way to an express elevator on level three that leads directly down into the command center." I inform her and the others.

"How do you know this?" Icarus asked curiously.

"When Clarke was here, she copied down the map of Mount Weather and was able to bring it back to camp with her when she escaped." I tell them.

"Impressive, you're lucky to have her." Agni comments.

"I know. Now back to the plan. Agni and Icarus select what troops you want with you when you attack the lower floors and Lexa pick which personal guards that you would like to accompany us." I ordered them.

All three of them, including some of the personal guards that had overheard me, all looked at me as if I had grown a second head, some of the guards even had anger festering within their eyes as they glared at me.

"Y-YOu!" Agni stutters.

"You just gave us and the commander orders." Icarus spoke calmly.

Taking a step towards me Lexa leaned up and hissed into my ear. "You called me by my name in front of my troops!"

"Oh! Shit, sorry." I say sheepishly.

After Lexa pulls back, she coughs to get her guards and the generals under control. "I do agree that we should get moving." With that said Lexa walked over to her personal guard and began picking people.

The same happened with Agni and Icarus, both walked away from us and back past the shield wall. Walking past him was one lieutenant Miller, who walked straight up to me and asked about what our next plan of action was.

"The Commander and I are going to make our way down to the command center and kill Cage and any other members of their leadership. Meanwhile our main force will distract the remaining forces of Mount Weather by attacking level two, three, or maybe four."

"What are we to do sir? I'm sure that a few of the rangers can accompany you." Lieutenant Miller said worried for my safety.

"I do appreciate that lieutenant Miller, but I will be fine. I need you and a small detachment of the guards to go with either Agni or Icarus when they attack the lower floors, that way they'll believe that I'm down there leading the charge."

"Understood, sir!" he said saluting before making his way back outside.

'When did I ever make them salute?' I asked myself as Lexa made her way back over to me and informed me that she and her guards were ready. As we were walking towards the first set of stairs, I thought to myself, 'Time to conquer a mountain!'

[Leveled Up! - Active:]

[Fire Magic] (Active) - Lvl. 23 {Adept}

[Spells Unlocked!]

[Fireballs/Fire-Jabs]

[Fire Daggers]

[Leveled Up! - Active:]

[Holy Magic] (Active) - Lvl. 61 {Proficient}

[Spell Unlocked!]

[Radiant Aura]

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- Mount Weather | Reaper Tunnels -

- 3rd Person -

*Drip, Drip, Drip*

The cave was dark and dreary where the only sound that could be heard was the drip, drip, drip of water from the stalactites. The air is thick with humidity, and the darkness is so thick that without the overhead mining light it would've been impossible to see.

Octavia, Indra and their mixed group of grounders and rangers carefully traversed the Reaper infested mining system that led to the back door of Mount Weather.

"According to Lincoln's map, we're getting close. It's hard to tell it's a maze." Octavia said to the group as they rounded another bend.

*CLANG!*

They heard a massive sound come from behind them, like that of a metallic object being thrown onto the ground. One of the newer inexperienced rangers that went with them began firing into the cave tunnel behind them.

"Stop shooting!" Octavia yelled.

"The Reapers are not the enemy!" Indra yelled out as she quickly made her way to the ranger and shoved him into the nearby cave wall, stopping his incessant shooting.

"I thought Arthur's rangers would have been better than that. Now, we don't kill them unless we-..." Octavia was cut short as yelling and shouting was heard ahead of them in the darkness.

"AHH!!"

Five Reapers armed with weapons made of bone jumped out of the dark crevices of the cave and ambushed Octavia and her group.

"NOW!" Dr. Jackson yelled as he and one of the rangers both pulled out sonic tone generators that Raven had been able to create off the one Lincoln brought back to camp. The devices activated and the Reapers were immediately brought to their knees screaming and clutching their heads in pain. "Tranquilizers! Go for the jugular."

Dr. Jackson, Octavia, and two of the rangers sedated them and began to secure their hands and feet.

"Well done, they'll be out for a while." Dr. Jackson commented. "We'll come back for them." He said as Indra turned over one of the Reapers and a look of shock passed over her face.

"You know him? He'll be okay, Abby will help him." Octavia said as she finished securing the hands of feet of one of the Reapers.

Indra stood up and pulled her sword out of its sheath and began to walk back down the path towards the door. "Let's go. We have to find that door."

The group quickly reformed around Indra and Octavia and continued down the mine shaft path.

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