ATLAS

four

  It had become Andromeda's duty to look after Bellamy. In the days following Octavia's arrest, she kept herself as busy as possible. The night that Octavia was taken, Bellamy walked her home and tucked her into bed. He apologized again, though she refused to accept it. He was not at fault; she'd reminded him of that repeatedly in the days that followed.

  Aurora had been floated. She wasn't present for it, but she saw it on Bellamy's face when he came to visit her. He sought her out immediately after. He was broken; a mere shell of the man she knew so well. She could barely stand to look him in the eyes. She only hugged him; wrapped him as tightly as she could manage. He guided her back to his quarters, desperately needing comfort. He put his arm around her shoulder, leaning on her for support the entire way there. When they reached his quarters, Bellamy immediately changed into sleeping attire and settled himself on the bed. He slumped, defeatedly, into a sleeping position on the small bunk. She waited for him to speak, though he only stared blankly at the bunk above.

  "Bell..." Andromeda whispered uncertainly.

  She was unnerved by the silence and had an uncontrollable urge to fill it. She thought that if Bellamy could express his feelings to her, she could offer him support. She wasn't sure how else to help, but she was desperate to alleviate this burden. He had always taken such good care of her, and she felt incompetent for floundering when it was her turn to do the same for him.

  "No words, Andromeda," he whispered tiredly, "just come lay with me."

  She obeyed instinctually, removed her jacket, and climbed over Bellamy to situate herself on the bed with him. She laid her head on his chest, and he placed his hand on the back of it, pressing her as tightly as possible to him.

  She'd stayed in his quarters almost every night after. Each evening after work, Bellamy would stumble lifelessly to her door, knock three times, and wait for her to come through carrying her overnight bag. It became a routine. They needed each other to cope. Bellamy couldn't stand the silence in his room. Each empty corner taunted him with memories of life before he'd failed everyone he loved. It was unbearable.

  In the days that followed Aurora's death, he'd been demoted, moved to janitorial duties as a punishment. His heartache was visible. She saw it in the way he carried himself, no longer the confident man she once knew. He was worried about Octavia. He clung on to the only hope he had, that she was too young to be floated yet. He thought that maybe there would be a chance of an appeal in a few years' time. That glimmer of hope kept him moving forward. He felt helpless, still, but he would not cease to fight for his sister.

  Shumway was well aware of Bellamy's protective instincts. He saw it in the way he handled his sister and the commander's daughter at the masquerade ball. That is why he knew Bellamy was best suited for his plan. He'd intended to assassinate the chancellor under the expectation that it would make way for him to rise in rank. He thought, for certain, that people would vote him in as chancellor once Jaha was dead. He'd diligently cared for ark residents, ensuring their safety, so he was sure they'd see that he was best suited for a leadership role. He'd been preparing for years, making connections with powerful families, and gaining support from citizens. He only needed someone who was either desperate or brave enough to do the dirty work for him. Bellamy was the person. His sister would be sent to the ground with the other prisoners, and he was sure that Bellamy would do anything to ensure he was there to protect her. He offered him a spot on the drop ship in exchange for assassinating the chancellor. Bellamy agreed, so he gave him a gun and detailed instructions. He repeated the instructions three times to ensure that everything was completely understood. He refused to allow the plan to fail after so much work had been poured into it.

  Bellamy didn't have time to consider the implications of his actions. Shumway told him Octavia was being sent to the ground the day before it was set to happen. He didn't have a chance to weigh the options before he agreed. His sister, his responsibility. He'd lived by that for sixteen years and he intended to continue with the same dedication as always. He listened to the plan and ran it over in his head a few times before retreating to his quarters. He didn't pick up Andromeda that night. He couldn't stand to see her, to lie to her, to look her in the eye right before he planned to leave her. He was a coward for that, and he thought about it all night long. He pictured her pretty face all distorted and glistening from her cries. He knew she'd be a mess when she learned that he was gone and that he shot the chancellor. His family had been her primary support system. It was another failure on his part that he ripped it all away from her so abruptly. It unnerved him to imagine her all alone, especially after everything that she'd had to endure. He fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning with her teary-eyed face painted tauntingly on the inside of his eyelids.

  The next morning, he dragged himself from bed melancholically and got dressed for the day. Shumway had given him a gun and a guard uniform. He put on the uniform and tucked the gun into his waistband, out of sight until it was necessary. He had only a short window of time to shoot Jaha and make it to the drop ship. He hadn't ever handled a gun before; Ark guards were armed with shock sticks and handcuffs only. He wasn't worried, however. He would figure it out because he had to. Any shred of doubt that arose was snubbed out immediately by flashbacks of Aurora. She'd continually reminded him that Octavia was his sister, so her safety was his responsibility. The reminder reinstated his determination, and he left his quarters for the last time, prepared to set Shumway's plan into motion.

  Bellamy paced quickly through the ark hallways, intent on finding the chancellor. Shumway informed him that he would be leaving his quarters, so he made his way to Alpha station. He checked his watch, noting that he had exactly sixteen minutes to finish the job and make it to the drop ship. He hurried his pace, making it to the chancellor's quarters with ten minutes to spare. He met Jaha as he left his room. Jaha noticed him and gave him a confused look. He didn't recognize the guard and he intended to ask for his identification card. Before he could speak, Bellamy removed the gun from his waistband, raised it, and shot the chancellor. He didn't check to see if he was still alive, he took one glance down the hallway and hurried his way to the drop ship. He had six minutes to make it across the ark unnoticed. A nervous pit wormed its way into his stomach. He persisted despite it and made his way onto the drop ship just seconds before it departed.