Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 84

"Over here!" Ethan throws an arm above his head, waving down the warriors he could see peeking over the hilltop. 

Letting loose a small gasp, Seria yanks him back down to the grass, "They could be fake." She shields Indra's body with her own, protecting her front with a stone dagger.

Ethan knows this. Double-checking every detail had been ingrained into his brain since Pike's people had taken him dressed in grounder gear. It's as easy to pretend to be good as it is to be bad.

"They don't have guns." He hisses back, yanking his arm free. Sending her a look that screams trust me, he stands back up and shuffles nervously from foot to foot as he waits.

He has to force himself to look calm when they rush over mounds of dead bodies to get to him, because he'd rather them not know he's one of the same people that killed theirs.

When the grounders see Indra, they're quick to gather around.

"We need to change the bandages," Ethan says, to no one in particular but he does see Seria nod before he ducks through the tent's opening.

When he comes back out, none the wiser, he doesn't even glance at the women - even though they should've rung bells in his head - hovering over Indra.

"Got it." Ethan kneels beside the blond, a familiar colour, and waves her hand away, "Excuse me."

There's a sharp inhale. Static in the air.

The small hand catches his before he can untie the old wraps, tightening around his wrist.

"Do you mind-?" Ethan's narrowed eyes swing upwards.

"Ethan?"

He almost falls back when he feels his heart slam against his ribcage.

Ethan looks at Clarke motherfucking Griffin with shaky huff of air and doesn't waste a second tackling her into an earthshaking hug. She has to catch herself against the ground to fully take it.

Everything he's forced back behind a wall of numbness slams through the blockade at double speed and Ethan's already holding back furious sobs.

"Ethan?" Clarke whispers, again, against his ear. As if unsure. Her hand falls atop his head, smoothing down the unnatural shortness and random waves.

Clarke is here.

He's not alone anymore.

She's alive and after all these months -

They pull back, Ethan biting the inside of his cheek so hard it hurts. 

The thing is, Clarke looks confused. And hurt, but he doesn't know why. Unfortunately, their reunion is short-lived when the Commander demands attention.

"This is your Reassurance?"

"What is with everyone calling me that?" He asks under his breath, handing Clarke the bandages he'd gathered from inside.

Clarke looks from Lexa to Indra then back to him. "How are you here?"

Ethan's tense expression clicks back into place, knees shuffling against damp grass. He meets eyes with Seria on the other side of Indra and nods at her. "Pike." His teeth grind together when the name escapes his lips.

This time he looks at the Commander. "He's been taking grounders ever since he crossed the border. Torturing them for information and disposing of them when they extend their use." Ethan licks his lips, already trembling.

His hands twist into fists against his knees.

He can feel every burn, old and new, flare up as though the guards were right there with him.

Seria takes over, sharp brown eyes flicking between people. Clarke tending to Indra's wound but listening intently, and the Commander, stare unwithering. "We were his latest." She explains, shortly.

Clarke's head snaps up, eyes scanning Ethan.

"I was. . . I was with Murphy." The name almost gets stuck in his throat. Ethan forces himself to clear it. "And a friend, Emori. She found us warmer clothes, you know, grounder gear. Pike's people mistook me for Trikru and wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted. Names, villages, farms, weapons."

He can feel Clarke's heavy gaze on the sliver of his exposed neck.

It burns like the baton.

His hand moves before he can think about it, readjusting the collar of his given shirt to hide the mark he hopes Clarke doesn't see.

"We escaped. Indra found us." Seria says, holding Indra's hand in her own so the former could squeeze at every pain-inducing touch of Clarke's working fingers. "Helped."

Clarke ducks her head to see Ethan's eyes. "Are you okay?"

He twists his lips, struggling to find an answer. He settles for a shrug.

Ethan could say a lot. He's angry. He's in pain, physically and emotionally. He wants to know everything that's happened in the months he was away. He wants Murphy back. He wants to mourn those at Mount Weather.

But his lips refuse to form the words. And the matter at hand demanded their attention.

"Pike let me live to deliver a message." Indra grits out.

Clarke looks back down, "What message?"

"Skaikru rejects the coalition. This is their land now. We can leave. . . or we can die."

0o0

I know it's a short chapter but I wanted to split the two reunions, and also I've been a bit busy ;-;

LET'S GOOOO, THEY'RE FINALLY BACK TOGETHER, two of the delinquents - there seems to be a bit of tension 👀

Octavia soon!