Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 25

Ethan and Octavia share a similar glance. 

Something is off, this isn't Bellamy's usual anger, no, this is him having a breakdown. Judging by the way he's panting between sentences, he's scared as well.

And he thinks the others are dead - Ethan has to convince him that they're not. They can't be.

"This camp," Bellamy sucks in a sharp breath, exhaling in a misty cloud, "is the only thing keeping us alive. . . Get back to work!"

And then he leaves.

Ethan releases a long breath and stares at the sky, watching it fog up. He doesn't like the guy, but -

"I can't believe I'm doing this." He decides, and after one final consideration, he follows Bellamy all the way to the dropship. He waits until Jasper is done yelling at him - something about Monty - and watches the boy leave. In some way, he's glad jasper isn't looking at Bellamy like he's hung the fucking moon anymore.

Ethan pushes through the curtain, hands slapping awkwardly against his legs.

"What do you want?" Bellamy grumbles, sorting weaponry on the table.

Ethan pulls his eyes away from Myles, the boy currently struggling to breathe, and looks up at Bellamy.

"Uh, listen." He huffs, sticking his tongue in his cheek. "I know I'm the last person that should be talking to you about this, I just wanted to say that it's okay to be spooked. . . about this whole thing."

Bellamy stops fiddling with the gun, but he doesn't lift the glare.

Ethan steps further inside and leans his hip against the end of the table, crossing his arms. He peeks over his shoulder at Bellamy and assesses him. "I mean, hell, we're up against an army of grounders. Our people are missing, and we haven't slept. I can keep going but -"

Bellamy's no longer fiddling. His head is lowered, and he's leaning forward, hands splayed against the wood.

"Just try not to take it out on the kids outside. It isn't gonna help." Ethan exhales slowly. "We'll get Clarke back, safe and sound, and then you can spend your time worrying about something else."

These words don't feel weird coming from his mouth, but they do feel weird going to Bellamy.

Bellamy turns to meet his flickering gaze, and for the first time, Ethan doesn't see the glare aimed at him. He takes it as a win.

Before Bellamy can put together the words, or any sort of response really, Myles is calling out for water. He sounds desperate. 

They share a gaze and nod. 

"We'll get you some," Ethan says, walking through the exit.

He feels Bellamy following and it's a different sort of experience.

"I just think if you try to, uh, keep the camp busy instead of terrified, they'll be less likely to waste bullets on any shadow that moves." Ethan steps over a bit of scrap metal, and glances at Bellamy. "They're already afraid of the grounders, you don't need them to be afraid of you. Give them one of your magic speeches, Chief. Lift their spirits, or whatever."

He doesn't know why he's rambling. Perhaps it's because this is the first normal conversation he's had with the man beside him. 

Combined with his and Murphy's interactions yesterday, Ethan's starting to think this whole rival thing might turn into tolerance.

Bellamy scoops the cup into the water, "And how do you suggest we keep 'em calm?"

Ethan blows a raspberry. His eyes take in the camp, from wooden fences to the metal gate, from the dropship to the different shacks and tents they've placed about.

"Uh, well, I guess. . . I dunno, don't forget to tell people what they're good at. Praise is good motive. You don't just need shooters. You need hand-to-hand, you need defences. Front lines, traps, mechanics, snipers. Like Raven, for example. She isn't a soldier, but she's the main reason these guns even work." He looks away, at the people walking around them.

Bellamy glances up at Ethan and lifts a brow, locking the information away for later.

"Some of us just don't vibe with guns, and you can't scare us into fixing that. Give them something they can be confident in, instead. We can build blockades and hidey-holes, and you need a plan because it's stressful enough trying to improvise." Ethan clears his throat, filling a cup of water for himself.

Together, they start making their way back. "It sounds to me like you should be planning our defences," Bellamy says. His voice is low, and he's not looking at Ethan.

Ethan narrows his eyes. "Says the same person that made me stay behind while you went and looked for Clarke."

"Look, you knew how to sneak Lincoln out. Almost snuck Murphy in."

"Dumb luck."

Bellamy stops in the middle of the path, turning around to face him fully. "You knew where to hide and you know where to defend. I think it's your turn to share your secrets."

"Whatever you say, Chief." Ethan waves him off. "I'll help, but I'm not good at telling people what to do. That's your job."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Bellamy's walkie-talkie starts going off. At first, it's just static, forcing them to strain their ears and glance at each other in confusion.

Then, "-you know what'll happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

It's Murphy.

Bellamy jerks the device up to his mouth. "Tell Bellamy what?"

For a moment nobody answers and Ethan's already holding his breath. He hopes to whatever higher force that this isn't going where he thinks it's going.

"Murphy has a gun, he killed Myles!" Jasper yells, words rushed and stringing into one. 

The static cuts off. Ethan snatches the radio and clicks the button, panic pushing his legs to move faster. "Murphy, what the hell are you doing?"

The radio remains silent. 

He'll never know that on the other side of the device, Murphy had paused in his pacing, glancing at the radio. The pinch of his eyebrows is new. 

But he still pulls the lever for the dropship doors.

Bellamy chucks the now useless cup to the ground and runs as fast as he can to make it there. Ethan's close behind, knuckles white around the radio. What he lacks in a fight, he makes up for in speed.

"Murphy? Murphy!"

"Open the damn door!"

A voice shouts past the hissing of hydraulics, coming from the first floor of the dropship. Murphy, in all his glory. "If you try to be a hero, Jasper dies!"

Ethan's hands land uselessly at his hips. He stares, wide-eyed and lips parted, not quite believing what's right in front of him.

Murphy had betrayed them.