OUT OF MIND² ━━ Bellamy Blake

𝐈𝐈. Caught

Yeah, he'd been able to see it on her face. It was rough. No matter how she tried to sugarcoat it. And it sort of made Bellamy feel sick.

What makes it even worse is how happy Lyra had always been. Even on the ground after Bellamy almost got her dad killed, she managed to smile. Then again, Bellamy supposed that's always been his favorite thing about Lyra. She's like happiness in a bottle.

Noah ambles briskly forwards in Kane's direction, probably to start a fight with him or something. That sort of thing usually makes him feel better. Bellamy watches with some tight feeling in his chest. He's not quite sure what to think after that conversation, but it turns out he doesn't have to, anyways. Barely half a beat later, Pike is crossing the wild grasses towards Bellamy in several great strides.

"Ask you a question?" Pike says, then does not wait for a response. "Last report we got on the Ark, you were under attack by Grounders. What changed?"

"Turns out we had a common enemy."

"What happened to them?" Pike asks.

Bellamy's jaw tightens at the memories. "We won."

"Quiet," Indra order suddenly, raising a hand in command for everyone to halt. "Listen."

Footfalls thunder in the far, far distance. Above that is the furious beat of something Bellamy has become all too familiar with at this point.

"War drums," whispers Kane.

Indra is stiff. "Azgeda."

"You can tell it's Ice Nation from the sound?" Monty asks.

"No. From them."

Following Indra's line of sight, Bellamy nearly blanches. Two corpses are crumpled against the dirt just a dozen feet away from them, blood salting the earth. They're Grounders, he can tell from their thick animal pelts and crude armor, though he has no idea how Indra had deduced that they are Ice Nation.

Noah and Kane fall into similar defensive stances, both back-to-back as they raise their rifles apprehensively.

"We need to get those bodies off the field," says Pike lowly to Kane. "Unless you're good with them thinking we did this."

"Go," orders Kane. "Hurry."

Motion stirs in Bellamy's peripheral and he pivots. "Wait - three people at twelve o' clock."

Raising his rifle, he peers through the scope. Three indistinct figures march through the long grasses, and for a moment he thinks they are all Grounders. Each is wearing similar Grounder garb, the smallest female in a rough, leathery sort of jacket. Then as they traipse closer and her head swings around, mouth stuffed with a gag, her wide and unblinking doe eyes raking her surroundings.

Bellamy's heart almost ceases.

"It's Lyra!"

Without a second thought, he bursts forwards. Only before he can get more then half a dozen yards, someone barrels into him and it takes him a moment to realize who's holding him back ━━ Pike.