Clarity || John Murphy

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Desperate Measures

I think I just about had a heart attack today... I was reading a Luke Hemmings fanfic, and I was looking at the author, and it took me a second, but I was like "WAIT A MINUTE". So I came back to this story and saw that one of the readers was this author, who is also the author who has written some of my favourite fanfics: simplyhood. I would remommend any of their stories. :3

So. Yeah. They are AWESOME. :3 But just so you know, reading your stories and then finding out that you read mine is the most amazing feeling ever. ^.^ Thank you so much!

The song for this chapter is "In The End" by Black Veil Brides. :3 

I would also like to sadly say that this is the second last chapter of Clarity. There will be no sequel. So, make the best of it and hit the goal quickly, people. :) This is the beginning of the end.

Goal: 55 reads, 6 votes.

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Chapter Thirty-Seven

The two of them walked in silence for a few moments, before Jack came to a halt about ten feet away from their destination. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Murphy paused, parting his lips as he stared at the large steel door then nodding. "Yeah... Yeah, I want to."

Jack bit his lip. "Murphy, you don't have to let him go free."

"Jack, everyone makes a big mistake in their life. I've made a lot of big mistakes, and you forgave me. Why not do the same for him?" He said, an eyebrow raised.

Jack clenched his jaw, then sighed. "I just don't want him to make this mistake again."

Murphy nodded. "He won't. I'll make sure of it."

Jack stared at him in silence for a second, then sighed and nodded. He walked up to the door, the two guards moving to the side when he did so. He pulled the key ring from the loop on his belt, and shoved the correct key into the lock. He pushed the door open, and allowed Murphy to go first.

Bellamy was sitting on the small cot in the far corner of the room, leaning over with his elbows on his knees and his eyes directed right at the grey, tiled floor below him. He slowly moved his head up when he heard the door slam shut, Murphy and Jack now standing inside.

"We're letting you go." Jack said.

Bellamy's eyebrows furrowed, and of course, the one thing he seemed to get out of his mouth was "Why?"

"You were a leader for the 100, Bellamy. I hope you can be that leader again. That's why we're letting you go."

Bellamy blinked profusely, then slowly nodded and stood up. He glanced around at them, before slowly moving towards the door.

Murphy stopped him by slamming his hand into the middle of Bellamy's chest, causing him to freeze in his tracks. "But if you ever touch Eve again, you won't be back in this room. You'll be stuck in the woods, and this time, if the cannibals want you, no one will save you. Not like they saved me." He said, the look in his eyes cold and dark.

Murphy sighed, praying that he was making the right decision. 

*

Murphy led Anya down the streets, keeping his hand near his knife absentmindedly. He was giving her a chance, but that didn't mean that he fully trusted her.

"Do you think it might be possible..." Anya said from behind him. Murphy turned to face her, an eyebrow raised. "That I could talk to the other leaders?"

"The other leaders?"

"Of the grounders, as you call us."

"There's others?" He said, his lips parting. He thought that Anya's group were the only ones around. Maybe he was wrong.

Anya raised a brow at him. "You're the one who said we're not that different. It took me a while to get it through my head, but I've realized you're right. One of those reasons is that we both have different groups, different areas where we are most seen. Just like you."

By the way Jack had spoken, he had only ever heard about Anya's group of grounders. The other leaders of the four other colonies hadn't even seen another grounder.

Murphy fully stopped, making somewhat exaggerated hand gestures. "So you're saying that your grounders aren't the only ones? There are more?"

The ends of Anya's lips twitched upwards into a small smile. "Thousands."

Murphy's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but smile. "Anya, you have no idea how much this helps us."

*

"Jack, think about it! If we get all of the other leaders together, that means that we can enlargen every colony." Murphy argued, leaning on the table and glancing around at the rest of the anxious-looking team.

Anya was standing beside him on his left, and Eve was sitting down on his right. The team was staring at Anya with unsure looks in their eyes.

"Look, Murphy, I know that you want to get more people on your side, but you have to realize that even Anya didn't want to work with us. She has said that she could very well be the most laid-back and accepting leader, so just imagine what might-"

"No, Jack!" He said, biting his lip. "I just... I need you to trust me on this."

"Why are you so passionate about this?" Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't look even the slightest bit angry, just curious and somewhat relaxed.

Murphy paused, before sighing softly and shaking his head. "Jack, in the years that I was on the ark, I saw hundreds of people die because the people and the government running it couldn't agree. That's the problem." He said.

"We need to work together, or no one will win in the long run. We'll be right back where we started, in the middle of a war that won't end unless someone drops a bomb. Specifically a nuclear one." Murphy mumbled the last sentence, then sighed softly. "I just... I can't let that happen. Not like it did to my father. He was caught in the crossfire. We need to stop that before it happens."

Jack stayed completely silent for a few moments, then nodded. "Fine. We'll talk to them. But we're only going to talk. I don't want anyone getting stabbed, shot, or hurt in any way unless they shoot first. Alright?" He said, looking at the team then landing his vision on Anya. "Hopefully you will give us a little leverage in the argument."

Anya gave a slow nod of her head, and at that moment, Murphy knew that the next things that happened to this colony and the leaders would change everything. Literally everything.

*

Murphy let out a sigh of relief when he saw Eve with Lena. He jogged up to them, looking directly at Lena. "You need to come with us. You, James, and Eve." He said.

Lena furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"

"We're talking to them. All of them."

"Who? Eve asked.

"The leaders. All of the colonies, and the grounders too."

"I thought the leader of the grounders was with us right now."

Murphy nodded. "One of them. They're exactly like us. They have leaders, just like us. They have groups, just like us." He paused. "We're so similar."

"How many other grounders are there?" Eve asked.

"Thousands."

Eve couldn't help but grin, and Lena did the same. "Looks like we still have things to learn down here." She said.