─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
THE SOUND OF RAVEN SCREAMING IN AGONY PIERCED JUNE'S EARS, MAKING HER WANT TO COVER THEM, BUT SHE ONLY KEPT HER ARMS CROSSED AGAINST HER CHEST. Her tan skin sizzled underneath the glowing blade, just above her leg, the bullet hole bubbling shut almost directly on her hip. Raven's head is thrown back as she tightly clutches Finn's hand when Clarke pulls the knife away. The damp cloth that June had been holding is lowered, and she keeps it on the injury as instructed.
"That should stop the external bleeding," Clarke says with a short sigh, setting the knife down on a tray. June doesn't want to consider how much worse it can get, she only keeps her hand pressing the damp rag still despite Raven's squirming.
"I don't understand," Finn muses, looking up to Bellamy and June on the other side of Raven. "How did Murphy get a gun?"
Sharing a brief glance with June, Bellamy shakes his head. It's too long of a story to tell, and they didn't have the time. "Long story," he decided to reply with.
"We got lucky," Raven tells them, panting. June frowns and pulls the cloth away once she deemed it clean, making her sigh in relief. "If Murphy hit the fuel tank instead of me, we'd all be dead."
Clarke's blue eyes flicker up in wonder. "Wait, there's a rocket fuel down here?" She questioned eagerly. "Enough to build a bomb?"
"Enough to build a hundred bombs," Raven responded breathlessly. "If we had any gunpowder left."
"Bombs aren't an option anymore," June cut in, tossing the cloth on the same tray as the knife. "How do we stop the attack?"
A heavy silence tense enough to slice a sword through falls over the small group. The only noise loud enough is Bellamy, from where he's flipping through Lincoln's journal before stopping at a page. "Let's get back to the reapers. Maybe they'll help us," he suggested. June stared back in wonder, curious, but her breath hitching in her throat when Bellamy flashes them a sketch. The man in the drawing is bald, skin coated in bumps, a face covered in piercings and a vicious scowl that makes her feel uneasy. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"
"Not this enemy," Clarke insisted with a shake of her head. "We saw them," she nodded to Finn who gravely stared back in agreement. "Trust me, it's not an option."
Growing agitated from their limited options, Finn interrupts, speaking a bit harshly. "There's no time for this. Can she walk or not?" He demanded, gesturing to a very weak Raven.
It didn't take a genius to know that wasn't a decision. "Look at her," June shot back. Raven's chest was still heaving with each breath, forcing her to wince, and with the bullet in her hip, she wasn't walking anywhere any time soon. "Absolutely not."
Clarke nods in agreement. "We have to carry her," she adds.
"The hell you will." Raven drew in a deep breath before trying to pull herself up, her face twisting in pain. "I'm good to go!" She declared through gritted teeth.
"Hey, listen to me," Clarke ordered, pressing her hand on Raven's hand. Her tone is bold but gentle, like a doctor giving very strict instructions. "That bullet is still inside you. If by some miracle, there's no internal bleeding, it might hold until we get somewhere safe. But you are not walking there. Is that clear?"
Although she doesn't like it, Raven caves. She gives Clarke a nod, resting back once more. "I'll get the stretcher," Finn offered, releasing her hand and rushing for the open dropship door. He doesn't make it, not before Bellamy stops him.
"Can't run away fast enough, huh? Real brave." Bellamy tacks a scoff at the end.
Finn whirls back around. June saw the way he tensed like he was insulted. "Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave, Bellamy," he countered. "It's stupid." June couldn't help but agree. This was their home, but they didn't have much of a chance. All they could do was hope, and the way it looked, they didn't have much of it.
"Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight," Bellamy retorted sharply.
"Alright, enough! Put the rulers away!" June cuts in, making the pair of boys stop their mini fight momentarily. "There's no time to argue. Are we leaving or not?"
Stepping away from Raven, Clarke answered simply. "It's time to go."
"If they follow?" Bellamy pointed out with an edge in his tone. "It's a one-hundred twenty mile walk to the ocean."
"Look, we're wasting time!" Finn exclaimed in frustration, fed up with Bellamy's need to stay and fight in a war they most likely couldn't win without a firm plan. "If he wants to stay, he can stay." Clarke tries to stop him, but Finn is gone before any of them can blink, brushing aside the red curtain and storming outside to retrieve the stretcher for Raven.
Hand rubbing her forehead, Clarke takes a deep breath. "We can't do this without you, Bellamy," she whispered, striding forward and holding a more private conversation at the door of the dropship. June assumed that Clarke was going to try to convince him to leave, as all the delinquents followed and believed in him.
June remained put, standing beside Raven, keeping a hand rested on the wounded one's shoulder. A hand resting on top of hers softly had her head turning, lowering her gaze until it landed on Raven who stared back tenderly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking from weakness with an equally feeble squeeze on June's hand.
Almost immediately June understood what Raven was apologizing for. She had almost forgotten, but when remembering, she realized she wasn't as hurt over it. Maybe it was because she almost just lost Raven, or maybe she forgave so easily. But June nodded with a timid smile, telling her without words they were okay. Her head turned back to Clarke and Bellamy when Clarke's voice raised, overhearing the last words passed to one another.
"I gave them an easy choice!" Clarke exclaimed. "But five minutes ago, they were willing to fight and die for you. You inspire them," she encouraged him in a more softer voice. "I'm afraid we're gonna need that again before this day is through."
Silence fills the air. Bellamy is still, mulling over his options silently before he gave Clarke a curt nod. It was just a small action, but June smiles despite him marching out of the dropship. "We're leaving?" June questioned her friend.
Clarke nodded in confirmation. "We're leaving."
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A decently weighted bag's strap hung low on June's shoulder. She could have upgraded the attire, but the bag was the first one made on their third day on Earth by Wells, and she wasn't ready to part with it just yet. The now empty tent she and Clarke shared was long behind her as she crossed the field, seeing the other delinquents filing out of the gate in small groups. June could see Bellamy and Clarke through the crowd, being the last ones as they watched everyone else leave before them.
"June," Bellamy called her name non-loudly, holding a gun out in her direction. June picked up her pace, joining the two and taking one of the firearms he was holding, nodding back in thanks.
It's somehow quiet, especially when the delinquents are almost gone. "You did good here, Bellamy." It's Clarke speaking, telling him softly when noticing the pained expression on his face.
"Eighteen dead," Bellamy mumbled back, guilt laced in his tone.
"Eighty-two alive," Clarke corrected. "You did good."
"We keep the eighty-two alive by doing this," June uttered. "Including us."
With a small hum of acknowledgment, Bellamy picked up a large barrel of water beside him. He steps around them, throwing it forward without letting go, making water fly out. It lands on the last remaining fire, causing it to die and evaporate into a white smoke that blew directly up in the air. June's head tilted back, observing, thinking of the color white. It was like a sign to the grounders they were surrendering, letting them win this war.
The fire's continued to sizzle away as June followed the two out of the camp without another look back. She knew she was emotional, leaving the camp and everything she had known for almost a month. In the short span of time, so much had happened, beginning with losing her best friend, ending with being held hostage by Murphy who shot the girl she was fond of. June felt more powerful when realizing how much she survived as she left it all behind, her chin up bravely as she left her home behind.
As quiet as the woods were, June could hear the small murmur of the crowd speaking to one another. Twigs and leaves crunched under her boots as she marched, but she paid the plants no mind, her head turning left to right as she scanned the area. June knew she was looking for grounders hiding in the whistling trees, but they were masters of disguise. They could blend into nature so easily, she knew she wouldn't see any of them until it was too late. Still, June couldn't fight the creeping feeling chilling up her neck like they were all being watched closely.
Unsure of how far they've been walking, but figuring it had only been a mile if a bit more, June craned her neck when they came to a stop. As far as she knew, Octavia and Jasper were up front, leading the crowd out of the camp through the woods. Neither of them would have stopped unless it was important. Trusting them both, June tightened her grip on her gun, prepared to cock it upward if she'd have to. A sharp sound flies through the air, but she can't see, only hearing multiple people gasp in fear.
Then Jasper screams.
"Grounders!"
The single word triggers a deeper terror through the crowd, including June. She panicked alike to the others, unable to comprehend so many questions, beginning with what the hell just happened? Her boots feel heavy, like stone, stuck to the ground. She's soon realizing people are running back to the camp, shouting indistinctly, far away from the attackers. June reacted quickly, snapping out of her daze to spin around and bolt back to the camp's gate that she thought would be left behind for a long time.
In a matter of minutes, everything changed. They make it back to the camp quicker than they left, and she can't deny the relief at the sight. She dashes through, being one of the last few, as when she whirled back around, the gate is slamming shut. June lifts her gun, peering through the scope and looking at the trees. They were shifting due to the wind, but if there were grounders hidden in them, she couldn't see.
"Why aren't they attacking?!" It was Bellamy's shouting from his gunner position, down to the rest. He was standing correctly, holding the gun straightly, but June could see how he was stiff.
June shook her head. "This isn't right," she whispered under her breath, taking a few steps back. Grounders struck without thinking, they could kill them all if they were here. Something was wrong.
On the other side of June, Clarke took brave steps forward. She pulled herself up the gate, standing on the ledge and carefully peering out before murmuring to him. "We're doing exactly what they wanted us to do."
"What are you talking about?" Bellamy questioned.
"Lincoln said the scouts would be the first to arrive," Clarke responded without looking his way.
Octavia strode forward, her jaw clenching as she held the handle of a sword. June couldn't deny she was slightly amazed at the weapon and the way she wielded it. "If it's just scouts, we can fight our way out," she declared. "That's what Lincoln would do."
"We're done doing what that grounder would do," Bellamy stated, lowering his gun to glare down at his sister. "We tried it and now Drew is dead. You want to be next?"
"That grounder saved our lives!" Finn called back desperately. "I agree with Octavia. For all we know, there's one scout out there."
Tucking her hair behind her ears, June agreed with them both. It could be one scout, it could be a few. They could fight their way to freedom. Either way, there was going to be a fight. "Clarke," she spoke out to her friend to give her own opinion. "We should do this."
Clarke doesn't turn. Her sight is locked to the woods, but June quiets down, knowing she's thinking intensely and pondering deeply over the limited options they had. "Looking to you, Princess," Bellamy implored her. "What's it gonna be? Run and get picked off out in the open, or stand and fight back?"
Finally, Clarke spun around. "Lincoln said scouts. More than one," she said before quoting. "He said, get home before the scouts arrive." This was the last thing Clarke wanted to do, make a harsh decision, but her eyes are pleading for the rest to follow her. "They're already here." She leaps off the ledge before speaking directly to Bellamy, almost harsh. "Looks like you've got your fight."
June had been ready to leave, but this was what Clarke thought was best. She believed her best friend and trusted her judgment. June bobbed her head to her, showing she was standing with her while Bellamy began barking orders to the delinquents preparing themselves. "This is what we've been preparing for! Kill them before they kill us!" He waved his hand. "Gunners, to your posts! Use the tunnels to get in and out!" He sent one last gaze to the gate. "From now on, the gate stays closed."
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Being back in the dropship was the last situation June wanted to be in. She thought they would have been to the sea by now, clean with the saltwater, and more importantly, so much safer away from this war. She wasn't sure when the dropship didn't feel like a home anymore, but maybe it was when the war began. Bellamy even had a map of his plans spread on the table, more prepared than any of them. June studied the paper, the little figures on top, deep in her whirring thoughts. She wanted to speak, come up with some type of plan that could save them all, but nothing was coming to mind and they were running out of time.
"We've got twenty-five rifles with twenty rounds each, give or take. Roughly five-hundred rounds of ammo," Bellamy spoke. "While you two were gone - " He gestured to Clarke and Finn. "We made some improvements. Thanks to Raven, the gully is mined."
"Partially mind," Raven droned out in correction. The gurney she was propped on shifted as she sighed. "Thanks to Murphy." June rolled her eyes at the mention of his name, thinking if the grounders didn't take care of him and they somehow crossed paths again, she would do so herself.
"Still, it's the main route in," Bellamy said pointedly. "If the grounders use it, we'll know. She also built grenades," he told Clarke.
The box beside Clarke was taken a closer look at before she doubtfully shook her head. "It's not many."
"Again, thank you, Murphy," Raven repeated.
"It's better than nothing," June after a moment. "And, at the moment, they're the strongest weapon we have."
Bellamy nodded. "We'll make them count. If the grounders make it through the front gate, guns and grenades should force them back," he decided.
"And then?" Clarke urged for a little more.
"Then we close the door and pray," Raven replied for Bellamy. Even she was in a state skepticism that it would actually work.
"And pray what?" Clarke questioned harshly. "That the ship keeps them out? Because it won't."
Crossing her arms over her chest, June cocked her head. "That's sort of what praying is. We don't have any other solution, Clarke."
"We won't let them through the gate, then," Bellamy spoke over them. He lifted his walkie, speaking into it to instruct the ones on guard outside. "All foxholes, listen up. Keep your eyes and ears open. Inflict casualties, as many as possible. You can hold them off long enough to make them turn back." He paused to share a knowing look with the small, circled group before finishing. "That's the plan."
"That's always your plan," Finn said with a short scoff. "Just like the bomb at the bridge."
Narrowing his dark eyes to Finn, Bellamy snapped back. "Damn right. You got a better idea?" Finn went quiet, but the irritating heat still radiated off him.
Ignoring them both, Clarke whispered under her breath. "It can't be that simple." She shot her head up to Raven. "You said there's fuel in those rockets, right? Enough to build a hundred bombs?"
"I also said we've got no gunpowder left," Raven answered slowly.
"I don't want to build a bomb." Clarke grinned. "I want to blast off."
A slow smile drew up on the corner of June's lips like the prayer for a new idea had been answered. She couldn't explain the excitement swelling up in her chest, finding her full confidence that they can win this now. Even Raven smirked, her eyes lighting up. "Draw them is close," she mused in amazement. "Fire the rockets. A ring of fire."
"Barbecued grounders," Bellamy affirmed. "I like it."
Finn's forehead creased. "Will it work?"
"Raven can do it," June advised, positive the mechanic could pull it off despite the bullet wound. "We'll help her."
Like her injury wouldn't slow her down, Raven nodded. "You give me enough time," she agreed. "I'll cook them real good."