Bittersweet ━━ Bellamy Blake

𝟬𝟱. hate cannot drive out hate

     "Why not?" The woman retorted, which made Elliot clench her jaw from frustration. She really didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment.

     "I'm leaving anyway," Elliot muttered, pouring liquid medicine over her wounds like it was no big deal. Pain is weakness, and weakness is death. She repeated like a mantra in her head.

     Grabbing a new cloth from a wooden box she hid under her bed, Elliot hastily put it over her body and grabbed the rest of what she needed. The red parka and the scarf she uses as a mask that covers the hideous scar on her face that she doesn't want the others to see.

     "Goodbye, Echo," Elliot muttered and walked out of the hut.

     Echo, the Azgeda spy, could only sigh in defeat and watched her leave like she does every time.

     There were a lot of things that Elliot had to leave behind in the past and Echo was one of them. Love was a curse. Everyone she ever loved either got hurt or died. But then again, maybe it wasn't love to blame. It was her. Elliot wasn't just a curse. She was poison, and everyone around her just simply dies.

     Octavia did a good job doing what she told her to do. Everybody was messed out of their mind when she arrived at the dropship. Nobody even paid her any attention as she walked among them. Well, she did scare one of them when his eyes found her scarred face. Elliot ignored him and made her way inside the dropship where Octavia was waiting for her by a ladder that led upstairs. That led to Lincoln.

     Elliot was furious at what she saw when she came upstairs. Lincoln was tied on both hands, and there were inflicted wounds on his body. It was everywhere. Octavia threw a bunch of clothes on the floor and went to free him. Elliot began to do the same, ignoring Lincoln's watchful eyes. He obviously didn't agree with her being there and risking her life.

    "We need to go," Octavia said hurriedly. With one swift slash from her knife, Elliot cut the binds that kept him there. "Now."

     As soon as he was out of his binds, Lincoln stumbled forward but Elliot was there to hold him up. Octavia picked up the clothes and started to help him cover up as quickly as they could before anybody could notice them.

     "Why are you doing this?" Lincoln gasped, the pain still taking a toll on his body. His dark eyes flickered towards Elliot, naturally switching to Trigedasleng to speak to her. "You shouldn't be here."

     "Just get dressed," Octavia muttered, helping him put on a jacket she stole from somewhere.

     "They'll know you helped me," Lincoln grunted.

     "They'll suspect her," Elliot corrected as she collected his things that she found strewn all over the floor. The vials. His drawing book. She found it with a page opened. Her own face looked back at her with a smile she didn't recognize. She shook her head inwardly. "But they will think of me."

     "Especially my brother," Octavia mumbled with a slight scowl. "Why does he hate you so much?"

     Maybe because he couldn't accept the truth. That Elliot, a Grounder, actually saved his life a couple of times now. Instead of saying all of that, the warrior just remained silent as she packed up the rest of Lincoln's things.

     "Even in these clothes, I'll be seen," Lincoln said between painful breaths.

     Elliot rushed to his side, muttering: "People are seeing a lot of things right now, brother."

     She let him take his moment with Octavia before they left the dropship. The two shared a longing kiss before parting ways. At least Lincoln had found his peace with her. Elliot was content with her bows and arrows and swords for now. And the need to protect him and everything else that needed protecting.