Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 97

"It's a total mindfuck is what it is." Ethan stands in front of the fire, one of Jaha's chips twisting between his fingers. Hidden far, far away at the bottom of his bag.

He cocks a brow, sighs, and flicks it into the fire. "'bout time I burnt this shit." His eyes spark with orange, locked onto the melting of plastic.

Sitting across the fire, Miller kneads at the space between his brows. "Okay, you wanna say everything you just said again. . . but a bit slower?"

Ethan shoves his hands into his pockets and shares a look with the rest of the group, back in the safety of their cave. He's aware of Octavia packing her bag to the side, but knows she'll stay for the explanation.

"Okay, uh," He releases a sputtering sigh, grasping for words. "Me and Murphy, okay, Jaha blackmailed us into coming to the City of Light-"

"You and Murphy?" Bellamy interrupted, brows furrowed and his arms crossed.

Angles of his face darkened by the fire, Ethan cocks his head. Of course Bellamy's more fixated on Murphy. Not the obvious evidence of his own forced departure.

"Didn't even know he was missing," Harper whispers to Miller. Back to her, he replies, "How could you not? Smelt like sunflowers and roses without Murphy's usual shit."

"Can you shut up about Murphy right now?" Ethan snaps. He can feel his fists curled beside his thighs, and it takes effort to loosen them. He wets his lips and glances away, "Jaha found ALIE."

Monty nodded, unfazed by Ethan's defensiveness. "Jasper mentioned her."

They'd just gotten off the radio with the boy, sounding worse for wear. He and Monroe are the only ones Ethan's yet to reunite with. He wonders how the latter is going in Medical.

Ethan nods, kicking at a few of the fallen sticks. The fire sparks in reply. "An AI built before the radiation. She's a raging psychopath. You take the chip, she's in your head. Controls everything you do. She tempts you by getting rid of your pain. Your fears."

A blanket of unease falls over them. Even Harley, leant against the far wall to keep an eye on them.

"The reason you didn't see me sooner is 'cause Jaha spent those months trying to force us to take it." Irritated, Ethan adds, "I didn't leave. You know, if that wasn't clear."

And apparently, it wasn't, because a few of their heads duck to look away.

Octavia on the other hand, "Didn't doubt you for a second." She says, turning back to her bag.

Bellamy won't look up at all.

"ALIE wants to create an army." Ethan continues, crossing his arms. "It started with Jaha. Then Emori's broth-"

"Emori?"

"Met her on the road." He's gonna stop at that. "She helped us."

Everything about her theft and inability to tell them about the land mines was gonna stay between him and Murphy.

"ALIE. . . ALIE's nothing to be messed with." He twists his lips, staring into the fire. "She set the world on fire ninety-five years ago."

And like all the air was sucked out of the cave, they held their breath. Everything clicked into place.

To hear why they spent their teenage lives on the Ark was like a sucker punch to the gut. Hearing she was back, is only worse.

"She said there were too many people." Ethan's fingers twitch, his lips parting in remembrance. He and Murphy, sharing a bottle of wine over the audio of ALIE's voice. "Stole the nuclear launch codes. And now she's planning to do it again."