[just FYI, Bellamy does NOT hook up with Raven like he does in the show. He loves Loxy too much for that.]
"You're outside the wall with no gun," Bellamy stressed, strolling to her side. Their shoulders brushed lightly from where they stood.
"Well you're here now, so I got my gun," she clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth before giving the gun in his arms a light nudge. "Fourteen graves." She pointed out, showing vague emotion.
Bellamy paused for a moment, soaking in the silence as if he were listening for the dead. "We need to talk about Murphy."
"There's always a problem with that jackass. He was right about the bridge, though," she reminded him, shoving her hands into the warm pockets of her red jacket.
"We'll see." Bellamy exhaled slowly before speaking again. "Octavia says the mountain men are pissed. Whatever that means."
"I think it means we need as many soldiers as possible," she looked up at him. "And one girl who has no problem telling the Grounders to shove it."
"Please don't tell me you're considering using your powers in the battle," Bellamy gave her the look, meaning whatever she was about to say couldn't convince him what she was doing was wrong.
"If it means helping keep people safe," she shrugged, keeping her eyes glued to Wells's grave. "I'm not making anymore mistakes," she uttered as a pang of grief hit her heart.
"One day you'll accept that none of our people's deaths were your fault," Bellamy shook his head, shifting on his feet.
"Today is not that day," she mumbled before slowly creeping back into camp.
That morning, however, Loxy found herself back outside camp. It had been days since she'd daydreamed, considering she'd become so caught up as one of the leaders of delinquents. Her eyes mindlessly wandered around the undergrowth, losing herself to her thoughts.
"Anything?" Bellamy groaned as he stopped himself right next to her.
"Nothing. It's been two days," she informed him. "I would say the bomb could've scared them off for good, but I'm not going to waste my breath on things I don't believe."
His hand slowly wrapped around hers, their fingers lacing around each other. "Remember what you told me yesterday? There's always hope."
She smiled and gave his hand a tight squeeze before letting it fall back to her side. Only then did his place his arms on her shoulders, spinning her around to face him. Their lips met for the first time in days, and she felt the same passionate touch as the other times.
They broke apart at the sound of cries coming from camp. Loxy was first to jump back on her feet, rushing into camp to meet a blazing fire. "No. Octavia!"
Her hands wrapped around the girl's elbows and dragged her away from the fire. "You okay?" She muttered, nodding her head as if to answer herself.
"Yeah," she wheezed, her face covered with light hints of smoke.
"This is all your fault!" an enraged Murphy yelled, lunging for a boy named Del. "I told you it was too much wood!"
Punches began to be thrown, the two boys erupting into a violent fight. Right in front of the flames as well, which still ate away at the smokehouse. "Stop it!"
She crammed herself between the two boys, landing a punch to Del's cheek and kneeing Murphy in the stomach. "Safe that for the Grounders," she hissed through gritted teeth.
"Well what the hell are we going to do now?" Octavia spat, her stormy eyes landing on Loxy. "That was all the food!"
"Calm down," Loxy hushed her, turning her back to the flames. Their warmth tickled her back slightly. "We'll figure something out. For now we let the fire die out, repair the damage, and then we can discuss hunting parties."
Bellamy's eyes locked with hers, and he nodded his agreement.
The fire took only ten minutes to burn out with the help of the others. Now all it left was light grey ashes and the charred bones of their food sources. "How did it happen?" Loxy demanded, turning to Bellamy who was stooping over the direct starting point of the fire.
"Murphy said Del kept feeding the fire," he inhaled through flared nostrils. "Mostly because Octavia told him it was bad idea."
"Are we gonna believe Murphy?" She pursed her lips in disappointment.
"I am." Bellamy lifted his chin slightly. "For once."
"Clarke and I checked. We have some wild onions and nuts on the drop ship. It'll last us maybe one or two weeks." She stepped back, scanning the perimeter of the damage. "Looks like everything's been burnt here."
"What are we gonna do?" Bellamy asked, rising to his feet to hover over her a few inches. His brown eyes looked desperate, meaning he needed ideas.
"We hunt, of course," she answered. "Anyone we can spare goes out."
"With an entire Grounder army out there?" Bellamy cocked an eyebrow, grabbing her wrist before she could walk away.
"We can't defend ourselves if we're starving." She simply uttered before calling out to the hundred. "I need anyone strong capable of going out for hunt to meet us in the drop ship!"
At least thirty delinquents piled into the lower deck, forming lines to grab equipment. "I want each group to have five. One person brings a gun, but they are for the Grounders! Use the spears to hunt and save the ammo." Her voice was firm as she barked orders to them, giving them space to file out.
Bellamy pushed his way through the assembly lines to stand next to her. "Didn't know you had it in you," there was a light tease in his voice.
"Lies," she responded with a delicate smirk.
"Hey, Loxy?" A scrawny, brown-haired boy named Miles approached her. "You going with Clarke? Maybe I can come?" His green eyes lit up with excitement at her shrug.
"Why not?" She offered him a smile. Her eyes trailed down to the gun he gripped nervously. "Wait here while I go get Clarke and a weapon."
She made her way to the row of spears, not hesitating to grab one. "Miles is coming with us," she murmured to Clarke as the blonde fell in line with her. "He suddenly seems really interested in 'hanging' with us."
Her best friend let out a light chuckle at her words. She stopped whenever Finn approached them.
"Ready to go you two?" Finn fastened his hold on the spear.
"Actually it's three with Miles, but, I don't think you should go," Clarke responded for her.
"Why not?" Finn's eyebrows pressed together. "I'm a good tracker, Loxy can kick ass, and while your aim isn't too good your pretty sneaky. We make a good team." His toothy smile landed on Clarke as she nodded slowly.
"Hey partners," Miles chirped excitedly. "We're wasting daylight." He turned to face Finn and offered him his boyish smile. "Finn. Joining the band?"
"Sure," Finn murmured with a glance at Clarke.
"Awesome!" Miles exclaimed cheerily, turning around and leading the way out the drop ship. "I've never had the chance to hang out with you yet," he spoke. Even though he was with the three of them, he said you, which made her heart shudder. "Did I ever tell you why I was arrested on the Ark?"
"Dying to hear about it," Loxy piped in, matching the boy's stride as they trekked across camp. She couldn't deny the feeling of two brown eyes boring into her back.
Most of the hike out into the woods consisted of Miles's endless chatter, and his horrible attempts to flirt. While Loxy was dying from the awkward atmosphere between them, Clarke and Finn were laughing behind them.
This is the first time I've had a boy like me. Other than Bellamy.
"Look," Finn stooped down, pointing at tracks embedded it the soil. His eyes scanned over it warily.
"One of those scaly panther things?" Miles asked, the grasp on his gun becoming tighter.
Loxy shook her head and pointed at it with the tip of her thumb. "See the two toe prints? It's the hoof of a boar." She didn't need to look at Finn for clarification. Although she wasn't as good as him, she'd pick up a few skills.
"Oh, good," Miles chuckled nervous, suddenly seeming much more anxious. "That panther meat is nasty. I could eat a whole boar myself, no joke."
"C'mon," Loxy lashed out and grabbed his hand, pulling him so he wouldn't get left behind. "Keep up, will you?"
His green eyes wavered and met hers with surprise. She looked into them, trying to read his emotions. Only then did she realize she was still holding his hand, and let go quickly.
"Look at these tracks," Finn whispered, running his fingers along them. "They're perfect."
"Too perfect," Loxy bent down next to him and Clarke. "We're the ones being hunted."
Just as they came to the realization, two arrows cut through the air. Miles let out a screech of pain and collapsed as they hit him in the chest and the leg.
"C'mon, we gotta leave him," Finn scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked out by a Grounder.
Clarke was struck down as well, leaving Loxy cornered. "I'm assuming Anya's here too? You really wanna get me for a third time?" She snarled, readying her hands.
Before she could react, a knife was pressed against her neck and slit across the throat. She shouted a colorful string of words before falling next to Miles.
The third time she awoke in the Grounder camp was different. She wasn't accompanied by a single Grounder. In the center of the room, cuffed to a wall, she was utterly alone.
Something about this made anxiety spark in her chest. They grabbed Finn and Clark too, and left Miles laying on the forest floor. He was probably dead by now, depending on how close the arrow struck to his heart.
Pain filled up inside her gradually. She could've saved her friends today, but she failed as always. The door jammed open, four muscular Grounders piling in.
Anger coursed through Loxy's veins as she laid eyes on Anya, who held a long knife in her gloved hand. "What the hell do you want this time?" She spat, scrambling to her feet to glower in the eyes of the Grounder queen.
"This time we won't make the same mistake," she growled. "We injected you with a heavy dose so you can't use your demonic powers on us. We're going to get the answers we need."
Loxy huffed, her eyes finding the ground. "The best thing for you to do right now is kill me. I'm not telling you anything." She held back a flinch as Anya grabbed her forearm roughly.
"What a shame," she scoffed as she rolled up the red leather sleeves. "It seems that all that's left are two precious scars."
"Yeah," Loxy snapped. "A real shame."
"I will ask you first," Anya drew back to fully glare at her. "What is your battle plan? How will you attempt to defeat us?"
Loxy pressed her lips into a tight line, letting silence wash over them.
Anya clenched her jaw before pressing the tip of the knife against her neck. "You will answer me or you will feel my wrath."
"Or," Loxy raised her eyebrows, "you'll feel mine."
In a matter of seconds, she used her powers to turn the knife around and drive into Anya's chest, watching her limp body fall. She snapped her cuffs off, breaking them into metal shards before shoving the huge Grounders against the wall. All with her brain.
"You dumbasses need to realize a stupid shot can't keep me from rescuing my friends," she growled with hostility as she stepped over the unconscious body of one. "I'm getting Finn and Clarke."
"I don't think so," a low voice hissed before something sharp pierced Loxy's leg. The Grounder sharply pulled the knife out, leaving a huge puncture wound in her thigh.
"Dammit," her words became soft whispers as the full effect of the vaccination kicked in. I'm sorry. She sent her silent thought out to Finn and Clarke, who she was failing at this moment. And Bellamy.
Loxy expected to meet another stone ceiling when she opened her eyes again, but she staring up at the night sky. A guttural animal sound made her roll to the side and get ready to use whatever energy she had left. "Miles?" She gawked, keeping her voice quiet.
He was still clearly alive, but in an immense amount of pain.
Why did they let me go?
Careful footsteps sound from behind her, and she instantly crept back onto all fours. For some odd reason, the metal clanging of guns made relief spark inside her. If it was guns, surely it had to be...
"Loxy?"
"...Bellamy?"