Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 6

The dropship had been separated into two. Ethan's side consisted of those wanting to protect Jasper, were sleeping, or simply didn't give a shit.

Murphy's half, though, was a collection of people tired of the moaning and groaning, siding with him because of his position as Bellamy's right hand.

It didn't matter though, the latch was locked, and both sides were keeping to themselves.

The fighting had stopped, both Ethan and Murphy sporting a few extra bruises from their tumble. It wasn't much of a fight, backs slammed up against metal, tripping over bodies, panting, yelling words he can't even remember.

Minutes later, Ethan takes the opportunity to collapse on the hard, metal floor, leaning against the ladder to breathe in the fresh air. For someone who hated confrontation, it seemed to be a constant in his life since landing on the ground.

Ethan drags his dirty fingers through his tangled hair. He was normally one to tie the annoying bits back, but his hairband had snapped the day before and he didn't know who to ask for a new one. He brushed it back out of his eyes and latched onto a part by his ears, plaiting and unplaiting restlessly, elbows sitting against his knees.

The hair on the back of his neck rises.

He glances to the left and meets Murphy's eyes, firmly fixed on his braiding fingers. 

Dropping his hands to hang them off his knees, Ethan tilts his head. Green-ish-brown finally meets blue and the latter glares harder, arms tucked under his head, chest rising and falling more calmly than before. 

They pull away simultaneously, yells of Bellamy's name catching their attention. Murphy throws himself from the hammock and ducks under the curtain blocking the dropship off from the outside. Ethan grins and yanks himself up to a stand, knocking thrice against the hatch. "Hey, it's Ethan. Clarke's back."

He sees Monty's smiling face as it swings open, and then Octavia's beside his and everything is okay again. Ethan swaps with Octavia so she can catch up with her brother, sighing in relief once he relaxes against the chair. Monty shuffles back towards Jasper and echoes his sigh.

"Earth makes us crazy." Ethan breathes out, feeling around his face. The slice against his jaw still stings with every smile, covered in a patch of white thanks to Clarke, who was worried it might need stitches. Bellow his right eye and towards his ear, blue and yellow, is where Bellamy knocked him flat onto his behind - ouch, by the way, that guy was all muscle - and just below that was the reddening of Murphy's attempt moments ago.

Monty smiles lightly, "We're the hundred. We were always crazy."

A huff of laughter and a nod of the head, "Yeah. Good point."

Clarke comes up next, Octavia and Finn right behind her and finally, they have the medicine. Jasper settles down a bit more, less groaning with every sip of tea. Clarke looks at Ethan's cut again, even though he insists it's fine and then she leaves, looking for Wells. Finn watches her go, a knowing look in his eyes.

The four remaining delinquents drop into their selected seats and it's like they're dead, completely still, dark bags hanging under their eyes. Finn shares a story about the automobile they found, buried under the soil, and how they used it to hide from - get this - a toxic fog that tore through the area. Bellamy and his hunting party came across it as well. Atom wasn't lucky, and Ethan dropped his eyes when he heard. Octavia was more than upset, and she graciously took the alcohol Finn offered.

They pass it in circles.

Monty coughs, Ethan winces, Octavia takes a sharp breath "Disgusting. Love it." and before Finn can take his own drink, someone else is talking. Someone other than the four sitting down.

"Can I- uh," Jasper coughs into the open air, "get a hit of that?"

And in seconds, they're bolting from their seats.

"Let's start with the soft stuff." Finn chuckles, swapping the alcohol for water at the same time as Monty scales the bed to get to Jasper. "Welcome back, buddy."

"Was that a dream or did I get speared?"

Ethan laughs, leaning over the boy's head to meet his eyes, "Would it make you feel better if I lied?"

Jasper lazily rolls his eyes in response, but the smile would not leave his lips.

Five advances to six when a smiling Clarke pops through the hatch, eyes wide when they land on Jasper. It worked. Getting the seaweed was worth it. "You'll have a very impressive scar to prove it." She says.

Jasper excitedly lifts his head, "My saviour!"

Clarke drops down by his side, her smile slowly falling. "Thank you for not dying. I don't think I could have taken that today." Her tone was nothing but sincere.

"I'll try not to die tomorrow too if that's cool."

Laughter echoes between them.

This was good.

Ethan's asked to retrieve more water for the tea that was doing wonders and does so without arguing, no longer cautious about going down to the level below.

He lowers the bottle into the water and waits patiently, whistling lowly into the brisk air. When he closes the cap and looks around, something catches his attention. Something shiny. He walks up to the largest tree beside the dropship, curling his hand around the metal sticking out of it. It's a knife, a familiar knife, he thinks. He doesn't pry much more because a little girl is standing beside him now, watching the blade with a weird look in her eyes.

"That's mine."

He pulls a face, brows shooting to his hairline. There's a quirk of his lips as he lifts the knife, "This? Yours?"

She shuffles on her feet, "Bellamy gave it to me when we were out hunting, so I can protect myself."

Ethan bites at the tip of his tongue and looks around. It does sound like something Bellamy would do. But should he give the dangerously sharp weapon back or?

The girl pulls up an impatient brow, hands curling in her sleeves.

He shrugs and holds it out by the blade, "Just be careful with it, okay? It's not a toy."

Ethan watches her go, dread pooling in his stomach. What the hell are they doing, giving weapons to little kids?

It turns out to be the worst decision in his life.