Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 83

It wasn't exactly the most wonderful thing being lead out of the cave to see an army of grounders guarding the area and scouting the trees. Ethan could only think they were here for war. Again.

He assumed wrong.

Indra's warriors are protecting the Ark from the Ice Nation. He's surprised the alliance is still running strong - but he bets after this, it won't be. He trusts Indra, in some sort of odd way, for rescuing him, for letting him take the kill.

His limbs are jelly. Seria's still there, sticking shoulder by shoulder, helping him into warmer clothes as he stands, unresponsive, just staring at nothing.

Indra's indecisive about how to proceed. On one hand, her mission was to protect the Arkers, on the other hand, they were her people that Pike's soldiers had killed. She'll have to relay this to Kane.

She doesn't tell the awaiting warriors. Lest she risk the alliance.

Ethan blinks, hard, and stumbles. He hadn't been. . . there. Hours passing by in waves of dissociation. He sucks in a sharp breath and tightens his hands around the tent fabric he was helping set up. Seria steadies him without looking, and knowing that she's still by his side allows him to take another breath.

Good things never lasted, right?

It took two days, this time. Only two for shit to hit the fan.

Ethan was asleep beside Seria - must've conked it on Indra's hide carpets when they were trading information.

It isn't a gradual fade into consciousness.

It's gunfire and screaming that has him jolting up, barely a second after Seria lurches onto her feet, blade already in hand.

Indra stumbles inside, past the tent's opening, and there's blood, blood, blood soaking through her shoulder garments. She collapses to her knees.

"Indra!" Sucking in a sharp breath, Ethan darts over and slides down to her side. "What the fuck happened-"

Seria stands at the flap, peeking through to watch the slaughter happen. Her breath hitches, eyes wide and frightened.

For a moment, Alessia's face replaces Indra's. Same situation, but further chance of survival, so Ethan slams his hands down against the wound.

Indra yells through gritted teeth but doesn't pull away. Instead, she snatches his wrist in a tight grip, almost painful. "You hide. Both of you. Now!"

"What? No!" Seria immediately protests, kneeling by their sides.

"Someone needs to report this to Heda." Indra grits out, eyes in slits. She manages to heave herself up against the makeshift bed, and shoves Seria away from reaching out to her. "Go!"

Ethan obeys, clenching his jaw. He grabs Seria, tugs her forcefully towards their only chance of cover. He has to shove back against her every protest, "We just got out, we are not dying now." He grabs her by the shoulders, fingers digging in hard.

Seria glances over at Indra, then at the shadows seconds away from entering the tent. She curses something in trig and follows his pointed finger at the weapon cabinets. Ethan yanks the doors open, "It's our only option." He shrugs, and hunches over to shimmy in.

Seria follows, pulling the doors shut behind her.

The shouting gets louder. A distant fwip of fabric, and they know the tent has been breached.

Ethan desperately wants to know by who. He only has two guesses.

Ice Nation, or Pike's people.

The conversation spat between Indra and an unknown man is muffled to their ears. It's too dark to peek through the gaps of the cabinet. He can feel Seria's legs twisted within his own, the space between them too stuffy to do much else.

Thud, thud, thud.

They share a wide-eyed look. Ethan holds his breath. Seria clutches her dagger closer to her form.

Someone's fingers twist around the handle.

They're done for.

Ethan shudders out a breath, dangerously close to sob, and helplessly watches the door creak open. Seria, too, freezes in place, fear grabbing hold of them.

He sees a fluff of dark hair. A strong jaw. Olive skin and scattered freckles.

That face -

That's Bellamy.

Brown eyes meet his, and widen, "E-" He clamps his mouth shut, glances briefly over his shoulder, then back. For a second, they just stare at each other. Ethan wants to grin, run and attack all at the same time.

Bellamy spends a moment studying his friend, from his cut hair, to his bruises, to the eye bags.

It'd been months.

What the hell was Bellamy doing here?

Ethan catches Seria's hand before it lands, clamped around a dagger's handle. He yanks it back down. Bellamy's eyes follow the movement and narrow. Seria clenches her jaw.

There's an abrupt thought screaming at Ethan, and now he can barely breathe now. Too hard and too fast.

What if Bellamy hands them over?

Ethan shakes his head, slowly, desperately. His eyes are wet. He's so sick of this shit.

Bellamy leans back on his heels, breathes out, and parts his lips.

Ethan squeezes his eyes shut.

Then, "All clear here." The door falls shut with a small creak.

They leave.

And still, they spend a few hours curled up, claustrophobic and awfully reminiscent of their time in cages. With his head leant back against wood, staring at nothing, Ethan strains his ears for anything from Indra.

"Kler."

Simultaneously, they burst from hiding, stumble to regain the feeling in their legs and slide over to Indra. She's still alive, gasping quietly and clutching at her shoulder.

Ethan silently yanks her armour off to assess the wound, "The Ark?" It comes out as a statement, less of a question.

Indra nods, slowly, glaring at the roof. "He called himself Pike."

Ethan shares a glance with Seria, "Same people that took us." Why was Bellamy with them? He gathers her armour into a pile and doesn't meet her eyes, leaving Seria to bound her shoulder as he moves towards the tent's opening.

He has to take a breath to prepare himself.

It's mindless slaughter. The whole field filled with unmoving bodies. They'd come while they were asleep.

Ethan sighs through his nose, brows knitted. Hands trembling in fists by his side. His view on who was good and who was bad had been completely shattered,

and maybe it had been like that for a long while.

0o0

Ethan and Clarke+Octavia
meet-up next chapter
felLAS I'M SO EXCITED