Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 55

Bellamy and Ethan examine the second gate, locked up just as tight as the first. 

"You're strong. Kick it."

"There's no way anybody's kicking this down," Bellamy rolls his eyes and glances down at Ethan, "How're you feeling?"

"I spat it out so I think I'm fine. Not foaming at the mouth yet." Ethan skims a hand against his lips, then grabs the lock and jiggles it. "Would a hair clip work? I've read it in books."

Whack!

They spin around to see Clarke hunched over, holding her face in shock. The culprit of her pain is Raven, her fist lowering as she yells, "You're the only murderer here!"

"Raven!" Ethan ducks down the short set of steps, right behind Abby, and blocks Raven from getting any closer. "What the fuck?"

Clarke looks up, past Raven's shoulder. She's seeing something they aren't. Ethan has a nagging suspicion, confirmed when she hisses, "Leave me alone. You gave me no choice."

Ethan's eyes flicker toward the wall. He looks at Bellamy, face set in stone with the same understanding.

"Why'd you turn yourself in?"

Abby twists in front of Clarke, blocking her vision. "Baby. . ." 

But Clarke shrugs her hands off, twisting away to sit down by herself, back facing them. Her shoulders droop, elbows curling towards her chest.

Ethan sets Raven with a hard glare, knocking into her shoulder when he moves past. He drops onto the set of stairs by the gate, palming a hand over his eyes. Crossing his arms over his knees, he listens half-heartedly to Lincoln and Octavia, talking like every minute counted.

When Kane walks past, Ethan speaks up quietly, "Since when did you become the good guy?"

Kane stops his pacing, hands on his hips. With a short smile, "Since I realized peace was our only answer."

"Still don't like you," Ethan grumbles.

"I'm not here to be liked." Kane leaves with his answer and sets a path toward Clarke. 

Abby's on the other side of the room, head in her hands and not looking at her daughter. Their conversation wasn't any good.

"Who would want Lexa dead?"

Lincoln stands up, "Too many to count. Forming an alliance with you was a risk. Especially after what Finn did to this village." He explains.

Octavia stares intensely at the ground, thinking, "So it had to be someone trying to break the alliance."

Ethan abruptly looks up.

Someone brave enough to try and break the alliance. Someone so against Skaikru they'd do anything to change the outcome, even if it means death.

The gate swings open. 

Nyko and Indra enter, the other warriors hanging behind.

"How's Gustus?"

"He'll live."

Indra barks out an order, warriors pushing past each of them in response to reach Raven. Ethan stands, moving closer. Bellamy protests, shoving one of them back until the weapon threatens him to stop.

"I argued that all of you die." Indra lifts her head, "But the Commander is merciful. She wants only one."

Lincoln hides Octavia behind him and nods his head at Raven. "She's innocent."

"I don't care." Indra hisses between gritted teeth.

Ethan steps calmly in front of Raven. Doesn't think he should, after what she'd tried to do to him and Murphy. But he's not willing to let her be tortured like Finn almost was.

"They move, they bleed."

The threat comes through true, the knife at his neck a warning. He can't do anything but watch until Raven's dragged out against her will.

"The rest of you are free. Once she's dead, so is the alliance."

Ethan bites his tongue until the remaining warriors leave. He tugs a hand through his hair, pacing the floor.

"You should run," Indra warns, turning around to follow her soldiers.

But Ethan's feet are glued to the ground. He doesn't follow the others outside. Can't.

The one closest to the Commander, Gustus, had spoken of Skaikru many times on the way to TondC, through conversations he couldn't follow, always spat the name like it was coated in venom. It's obvious enough that some of her own warriors don't agree with the alliance.

Would they go as far as killing their own to stop it?

If the poison was in the bottle as they've blamed. . . Then the guilty party wouldn't have chanced giving Clarke a cup. If both leaders had died, which side would be guilty, right?

So what if the poison was only in Lexa's cup?

The cup of which none of Skaikru handled.

Ethan stands, releasing his lip from the confines of his fingers. He ignores Clarke, talking to herself on the other side of the room, ignores the screams outside to move faster, his eyes locked on the chalice Kane had taken from his hands.

Still brimmed to the top with alcohol.

If he's right, it'd be clean from the toxin and they wouldn't be guilty. Raven would be free.

Ethan takes a sharp breath, heart racing.

If he's wrong, the village wouldn't help heal him. He'd probably die. He picks up the chalice, liquid swishing from side to side.

Only one way to find out.

Ethan taps his forefinger against the metal.

"Ethan, what-" Clarke pulls herself from her delusions, taking a step back inside the room.

He throws the cup back.

"Ethan!"

Clarke rushes over, twisting around the table, cradling his trembling face in her hands, "No, no, no- why would you-"

With his uneven breaths, Ethan swipes a tongue across his lip, widened eyes searching between Clarke's. The countdown is clicking like a clock in his ears.

Any minute now.

Any second now.

Exhaling rigidly, Ethan grins in the face of the threat.

Clarke brushes her thumbs against his cheeks and glances wildly between his eyes until the understanding hits her like a bat. She blinks, her gaze darting towards the chalice filled with the same alcohol as Lexa's. From the same bottle. Different cups.

"It wasn't in the bottle." Clarke breathes out.

Ethan presses his face further into her hands to re-catch her widening eyes, "Which means we're innocent and we can prove it."

"Nyko took the bottle."

"Let's get it back."