The First On The Ground

The Dark Year

(AUGUST POV)

"Bellamy, kom op in taim yu na sen in ai," Echo's voice comes through Bellamy's radio. Bellamy, come in if you can hear me.

"Echo," Bellamy responds.

"Wait. She's speaking trig for a reason," I tell him.

"chomouda ste oso speaking trig? chit ste wrong?" Bellamy questions her. Why are we speaking trig? What's wrong?

"emo get in yu ste coming," Echo answers him. They know you're coming. "yu don drop of de shivoff." You've lost the element of surprise.

"Great. They know we're coming," I say as I roll my eyes.

"Clarke?" Monty asks.

"It had to be," Bellamy answers him. I honestly wouldn't put it past Clarke, especially if she thinks it will help keep Madi and Mika safe.

"Echo, sen in gon ai..." Bellamy starts. Echo, listen to me.

"Bellamy, if Clarke's on their side, she speaks Trig, too," Harper reminds him.

"Bellamy, yu don gon bak op," Echo responds. Bellamy, you have to go back. "oso don de mavrick, den yu ste klir gon nau. ba yu na nou kom op hir." We have the pilot, so you are safe for now. But you can't come here.

"nou possible. en's a long sontaim, ba oso na nou bak op en oso na nou hod op. oso ste ive yads out. yu don dei de long gon fig au osir a klir edei in. pas dei de, oso buk au out of dina," I explain to Echo, having taken the walkie from Bellamy. Not possible. It's a long story, but we can't go back and we can't stop. We are five days out. You have that long to find us a safe way in. After that, we run out of rations.

"We're on it. Be safe. Over and out," Echo responds.

"Bellamy, August, and Indra want to talk. I don't know what it's about, but we disarmed them," Miller tells Octavia before motioning is forward:

"You're marching us into a massacre," I tell Octavia.

"We'll see," Octavia retorts.

"Echo radioed. Your enemy knows you're coming. We don't need to worry about the missiles, but they're moving their weapons into position," Bellamy starts explaining to her.

"It's safe to assume that since there's only three realistic ways into the valley, that all three will be heavily defended," Indra continues.

"Echo's scouting now, looking for the best way in. But since we can't go back because you burned the farm, and since we can't stop because we'll starve, we thought we should let you know that you've killed your people," Bellamy tells her.

"Bellamy," Indra warns.

"Enjoy your walk," I tell Octavia before me and Bellamy drop back to Harper and Monty.

We finally got word back from Echo that they may have found a way in.

"We need to see her now," I tell the guard outside of Octavia's tent.

"Let them in!" Octavia orders.

"You don't need that," Bellamy tells her.

"The spy found us a way in?" Octavia asks.

"Yes," I answer her.

"Everybody out," Bellamy orders before Octavia motions for them to go. "Before I tell you this, we need to set some things straight."

"I'm listening," Octavia states.

"This war that you're so anxious for is about to be fought on the last survivable land on earth. That is monumentally stupid. But it's here, and in 4 days, when we march on that valley, we are gonna fight this the right way," I explain to Octavia as Bellamy nods in agreement.

"Does the right way end up with us winning?" Octavia asks.

"It ends with us accepting the other side's surrender. Once they lay down their arms, we share the valley with them. No executions. No fighting pits. Real peace," Bellamy answers her.

"Believe it or not, I want that, too," Octavia tells him.

"I wish I believed it," Bellamy responds.

"Fine. I accept your terms," Octavia tells him. "Now, tell me how to win this war."

"Indra has the details," I say as I grab Bellamy's arm to leave.

"Bell, Aug. This is how it was meant to be. You two and me. Fighting side by side," Octavia responds.

"I'm not fighting for you. I'm fighting to get back to my family," Bellamy tells her before we leave the tent.

(BELLAMY POV)

As much as I hated myself for it, after the war is over, I plan on breaking up with Echo. It has became very clear to me that I can't live my life completely happy without August by my side. I fooled myself into thinking I was happy with Echo because I thought August was dead.

"Bellamy," Monty says breaking me out of my thoughts as he sits beside me. "Last of the rations." He splits his rations with me. "Look if you want us with you at the front..."

"No. We got this," I tell him. "You stay. They're leaving the tents here. Once the fight is over tomorrow, you'll come and join us." I glance over at August, who is smiling and laughing with Harper.

"As much as I like Echo, you were only ever truly yourself and actually happy when you were with August. You two just always clicked so well," Monty says having followed my gaze.

"I still love her, Monty," I tell him.

"Then do something about it. If I know Echo then she will understand," Monty responds. "And since I know August, she's still in love with you too." I look down with a small smile, with hope that he is right.

"I told Octavia we're taking 80 acres, on the eastern edge of the valley. Grow something other than algae," I tell Monty causing him to laugh.

"I will as long as you tell her the truth."