Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 42

"We're going to Mount Weather. A scouting mission."

Ethan swings his head from a game of chess to the door shoved open, moves his piece without looking and grins at a frazzled Clarke. Finally.

He makes to stand but a hand clutches at his wrist, yanking him back down with more force than Ethan was expecting. He lifts a brow at his mother.

"You're not going anywhere," Lorelai says, placing her pawn further on the board.

"Uh," He huffs, crossing his piece over subconsciously before spinning in his chair to grab his bag. "It's just a scouting thing, I'll be fine."

For the first time, Lorelai looks directly at Clarke. "Leave."

Ethan jerks around, "Ma!" He glances at what he thought was his supposed saviour from another boring day stuck in the Ark. "I'm coming."

"Who do you think you are?" Reaching over the table to snatch the bag from his hands, Lorelai launches it against the furthest wall, causing both teenagers to flinch in surprise. "You're not going, and that's final. Try it and I'll cuff you to this damn table."

I can't believe this.

Ethan sticks his tongue between his teeth and bites down, face falling from determined to upset. He knows Clarke's looking at him but he can't seem to meet her eyes. He nods at his mother.

"The Chancellor's leading the team, I swear that Ethan won't leave her sight if th-"

Lorelai swings her flaming eyes at the blonde and hisses, "No."

Clarke's determined, and getting more frustrated. "You don't understand. He's been out there for far longer than you have -"

"Get out."

Clarke clenches her jaw.

Ethan mouthes an apology and watches her slam the door on the way out, hoping she doesn't hold it against them after today.

He slumps in his seat, eyes following Lorelai's final move. She takes his king.

Checkmate.

Ethan attempts to leave an hour later, his only opening being when Lorelai leaves for work. This section of the Ark remains incapable of employing locks to their doors, thankfully for him, and he doesn't hesitate to escape the second she's gone.

He hates being cooped up with nothing to do. Especially when he's alone.

He looks both directions through the next hallway and swiftly takes a left, sweeping past people he doesn't and wouldn't know for the life of him. If he stays away from Factory Station, he'll be free.

Ever since Factory Station's fate has been revealed, pressure and demand have been hammering at Lorelai. Being a long-standing worker, she had atepped up, managing what was left of the station. It's why she's so stressed, he reassures, but it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

Ethan grins when he steps down from the Ark's entrance. It's not outside the gates, but it'll do.

Ever since they snuck out the first time, the gates have been heavily guarded, eyes on every possible exit. He knows he's not gonna make it to the scouting mission even if Raven was here - not that she'd help him.

For a long, long time, it was the hundred and only the hundred. Everything started with them, everything ended with them.

And now he's forced to watch them leave, without any clue what's happening to his friends in Mount Weather. All this because Lorelai still thinks he's that thirteen-year-old boy from before the SkyBox.