#we have. very similar paths ahead of us. it's always intertwined n connected in some way. we're never really far.

[noxtivagus]

TODAY

[slytherinbarnes]

Sub Rosa [16]

iii. reapercussions

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Violence, death, mentions of blood.

Summary: how far will you go to find out what happened to your friends? your twin? how far will Finn go?

a/n: I hate summaries I am sorry. The taglist for this series is open!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

The walk through the woods is strangely relaxing. 

As night turns to day and the sun starts to warm your bones, the tension in your body melts away, and you can almost forget why you’re hiking along behind Bellamy and Murphy. But then your thoughts drift to your sister, and the war with the Grounders, and all of your earlier stress returns in a rush. 

You try to push it away again as Bellamy stops the group and turns to Murphy. “Alright Murphy, where to now?”

He lifts his still cuffed hands. “What do you say we lose these first, huh?”

Bellamy deadpans, “No.”

“If we get attacked out here, I have nothing to defend myself with.”

“I don't care.” And you know he really doesn’t, because Bellamy’s face is settled into a “so what” expression. It almost makes you laugh, despite the topic.

Finn spins around from his place in the lead, pulling a small pair of pliers from his bag and cutting Murphy free. You and Bellamy both turn to him with matching confused expressions, but he’s already turned away and walking on. 

Murphy shrugs, “Thank you.”

Bellamy jogs to catch up to Finn, ignoring Murphy, and you join him. His voice is hard when he reaches him. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?”

“It was your idea to bring him.”

“Yeah, because he's the only one who's seen where the Grounders keep their prisoners.”

Finn glances at him over his shoulder, “Then we probably shouldn't let him be defenseless out here. We can handle Murphy.”

“Better hope so,” Bellamy mutters to Finn’s retreating figure. Murphy jogs between you two, smirking at Bellamy. “So, do I get a gun now?”

Bellamy shoves Murphy ahead, annoyed. You walk side by side in silence for a minute before he exclaims, “Oh, almost forgot.”

You turn to him and he reaches into his pocket, pulling out the knife you found during the battle. The one you killed two Grounders with. You shake the thought loose, and take it as he offers it to you. “Thanks.”

You turn the knife over in your palm, looking at it for the first time. It isn’t big; large enough to be effective, but small enough that you can safely slide it into the waistband of most of your pants. The handle is made of wood, smooth and polished, save for the rows of notches along it. Tallymarks, 16 in total. You hold the knife up, showing Bellamy. “What do you think it means?”

“Number of kills, maybe?” His eyes search yours, before dropping to the landscape around him, looking for Grounders. “Lincoln had something similar with the scars on his back.”

“Maybe.” You brush a thumb over the marks, and muse, “It’s missing two notches then.”

Bellamy looks at you, confused, as you slide it into your belt. You clarify, “From the two Grounders I killed.”

He nods once, but doesn’t say anything for a long moment, before dropping his voice lower. “We never got to talk about it, but you saved my life. Just like with Atom, you did what needed to be done. You did what you had to in order to survive.”

Your voice is a quiet whisper, “I feel like a monster.”

“Who we are and who we need to be to survive are very different things.”

Your eyes search his face for any signs of being disingenuous, but you find none. “It doesn’t feel like that sometimes.” You pause, turning to look at the woods around you before turning back to him. “Aren’t the Grounders just trying to survive too? We landed in their territory, launched flares that burned down a village, kidnapped one of their own…”

You see his face fall, and you reach for his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. “I know why we made the choices that we have, to survive and protect our people. I’m just saying that maybe, that’s what the Grounders are doing too. And that doesn’t make anything that we’ve done or they’ve done right or wrong, it’s just...something I’ve been thinking about, I guess.”

“And you think that because we look at the Grounders as monsters…”

He trails off, and you finish for him, nodding. “That others will look at me the same.”

He shakes his head, “That’s not what people think of you. Our people see you as a leader, someone who keeps them safe, helps them survive. They’ve seen you vulnerable and they’ve seen you strong. They see you as what you are: human. You’re a good leader and you’ve had to do some things that no person should ever have to do, but you are not changed because of that.” He turns to you, and you see him hiding a smile. “You’re still the same stubborn, hot headed girl that I met in the halls of the Ark.”

You let out a quiet laugh and punch him lightly on the arm. “I’m stubborn? That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

His mouth drops open in mock offense, and you grin at him, which he returns. But the moment is cut short by Murphy grabbing you both and pulling you to the ground behind the cover of trees. “Everybody down! Now!”

You look up and for the first time notice the village in front of you. You got so wrapped up in Bellamy that you didn’t even notice the changing terrain or the buildings that climb and connect to the trees around them. 

“This is it. Told you I'd find it.”

Bellamy lifts his gun to look at the village through his scope, and you swing your rifle around and do the same. Bellamy mutters, “I see nothing but Grounders. Our people aren't here.”

You start to nod in agreement when Finn counters, “Wait a minute, they've got stuff from our dropship.” He’s quiet for a minute before he whispers your name and adds, “Son of a bitch.”

You lower your gun and turn to him. “What is it?”

“The guy with the one eye. Around his neck.”

You lift your gun again and scan the Grounders until you find him, and then you lower the scope to his neck, gasping when you see it. Bellamy, still confused, whispers, “What am I looking at?”

You drop the gun again and turn to look at him. “Clarke’s watch. It was our dad’s, she would never take it off.”

Bellamy lowers his gun and meets your eyes, understanding your fear. “She wouldn't give that up without a fight.”

Behind you, Finn quips, “Neither will we.”

“Okay.” Bellamy turns away from the village and towards the group. He nods at you and Finn, “You two are with me.” 

You both nod in confirmation, and he looks at Sterling and Monroe. “You two stay here. If this  thing goes south, take out the other Grounders, but don't shoot the Grounder with the watch. Copy?”

“Copy.”

“Copy. And what about Murphy?”

Murphy turns to Bellamy expectantly. “Yeah, do I get a gun now?”

“Something like that.” He grabs him and pulls him up, pushing him ahead. You leave Sterling and Monroe behind and head deeper into the trees on the other side of the camp. Bellamy explains the plan to Murphy, who immediately disagrees. “No, no way. I’m not going to be Grounder bait.”

“Yes you are.”

You smirk at him, “Besides, we’re gonna be in the trees beside you the whole time.”

Murphy sighs, realizing that he doesn’t have any other option, before turning on Bellamy, pushing a finger into his chest. “Fine, but if I get one scratch on me from that Grounder, I’m taking your gun and shooting you.”

Bellamy rolls his eyes and you suppress a laugh, as you all reach a small clearing to use. Murphy gets set up along the edge of a clearing, hidden behind a tree, and you, Bellamy, and Finn all sink into the brush surrounding him, hidden from view. You slip the knife from your waistband, figuring that it’s better for close quarters combat, and lie in wait as Murphy clacks together two rocks. 

From your place amongst the vegetation, you can see the Grounder turn, looking around with suspicion. After a moment, he sneaks from his spot and heads towards Murphy, eyes always scanning the trees around him, vigilant. Just when you think he’s going to stumble upon Murphy, the delinquent slips into the bushes, and the Grounder steps into the clearing, looking around. He’s facing towards Finn, so Bellamy rises from the brush slowly, moving without making a sound. The Grounder starts to turn when Bellamy lifts his gun, sensing the movement, but his eyes never reach him before he’s knocked out cold. You all stand from your places and move to the Grounder, and Finn reaches him first. His hand closes around the watch hanging from his neck and he pulls, yanking it free. He reaches over the man to hand it to you, and you smile in appreciation. You slide the watch over your wrist, latching it into place as Bellamy looks at Finn. “We need to take him somewhere quiet.”

“I know just the place.”

Bellamy nods and they pull the man to his feet, tossing the Grounder’s arms around their shoulders so they can drag him away. Bellamy looks back at you. “Can you go get the others? Meet us at the split in the path.”

You slip away and run towards the pair, letting out a low whistle as you approach so they know it’s you. They still spin towards you, guns raised, and you lift your arms in surrender. They drop the weapons quickly, and you motion for them to follow you. 

You make it back to the boys quickly, and Finn says, “Let’s go.”

-

It’s not long before Finn pulls to a stop, motioning for Murphy to grab the man. When he slips free from the Grounder’s weight, he bends down and pulls open a door, revealing a ladder that descends into darkness. He slips down first, and you can see lights come on in the space before his voice drifts up to you, “Okay, bring the Grounder next.”

Bellamy and Murphy maneuver him down, followed by Monroe and then Sterling. You’re the last to descend, taking one last look at the woods around you before swinging the door closed and dropping to the floor below. When your feet hit the ground, you look around, taking in the small bunker. There’s a bed in the corner, large enough for two, and supplies are scattered around the space. Art kits, toys, a few canned goods, lanterns. You note that the space seems used and you glance over at Finn, who moves around the bunker comfortably. You tuck the information away for later, just as Finn smacks the Grounder on the face. “Wake up!”

The Grounder’s head rolls and then lifts, a groan pushing past his lips from the pounding in his head, no doubt. His eyes grow wide in alarm when he realizes he’s tied up, and he tugs against the restraints once he lifts his head and sees you all standing around him. Finn wastes no time reaching out for you and pulling you forward, lifting your arm to put the watch on display. “Where did you get this watch?”

The Grounder glances at it, but says nothing, and you’re reminded of Lincoln. Bellamy steps forward, voice hard, as the others slink back into the shadows. “Where did you get the watch? Where are our people?”

When the Grounder offers up nothing other than silence, you see Finn and Bellamy exchange a look over your head. Bellamy’s hand reaches out to give you a squeeze, and a second later, Finn hits the Grounder across the face. You flinch at the sound of the impact, cringing at the use of torture, despite it being the only way to find Clarke. And you know that, you really do, but it doesn’t make the act any more comfortable. “Where did you get the watch?!”

They receive more silence, and Finn hits him again, growing angrier, more erratic. “Where is she?”

The next round of silence sets him off, and he delivers blow after blow, blood blooming beneath his fists, and you step back a little, shielding yourself from the view by moving behind Bellamy. Finally, the Grounder breaks. “I found it outside your camp.”

Bellamy’s voice is annoyed, “You really expect us to believe that?”

He says nothing, and you start to feel the anger rise in your chest a little. “Clarke would never take this off. Where is she?”

You glance over at Finn as he hits him again. “Tell the truth!”

“I told you, I found it outside your camp.”

Finn grabs your wrist again, pulling you closer. “Where is the girl who was wearing this watch!?”

“I never saw a girl.”

From behind you, Murphy’s voice floats towards you, bored. “Another lie. Maybe you should stop asking him nicely.”

Bellamy sets his jaw. “Shut up, Murphy.” He looks down at the ground, thinking, before glancing at the Grounder again. “Where are our friends? You took them, we know you did, just tell us where!”

Finn drops your arm, and reaches for the gun in his waistband. “Murphy's right, we're wasting time.” He pulls his arm back and strikes the Grounder in the head with the gun, screaming, “Answer the question!”

You reach forward, grabbing Finn, trying to keep his arms pinned down. But he’s too strong and shakes you off easily. You descend on him again, Bellamy now at your side, and the two of you pull him back. “Finn! Finn, stop!”

Bellamy tightens his arms around Finn. “You don't want to do this, trust me. There are some lines you can't uncross.”

Bellamy’s face falls a little when he says it, his eyes full of regret. When he feels Finn’s breathing start to calm, he releases him and steps away. You drop your arms and he turns to look at you, grabbing your wrist, hard. “She’s your sister. Your twin.”

You glance down at his hand and try to shake him off, failing, before meeting his eyes again, your voice hard. “Exactly Finn. She’s my twin. And that’s how I know she wouldn’t like this.”

He squeezes harder as he grinds out, “She would do anything to get you back.”

You let out a squeak of pain, and you see Bellamy step toward you both, voice a low warning. “Finn.”

He drops your wrist and takes in a shaky breath, before turning around suddenly and hitting the Grounder again, over and over. “Where is Clarke!? Where is she?!”

“Finn!” 

Bellamy runs towards him, grabbing him and pulling him back, but Finn shoves him and lifts the gun towards him. “Back off!”

Bellamy glances at the gun and then to his friend. “Put down the gun, Finn.”

He keeps the weapon aimed there, breathing hard, and you whisper, “Finn. This isn’t you.”

Bellamy nods his head in agreement and you see Finn’s teeth clench before he swings around and cocks the gun, aiming at the Grounder. “Three seconds!”

His hand shakes, and you and Bellamy exchange a worried glance. “Two!”

His voice drops down to a whisper, and his finger slides towards the trigger. “One.”

Just before you think he’s going to shoot, the Grounder breaks. “Okay, okay! I'll tell you. Your friends are East of here, the village where we take our prisoners of war.”

“East, where? How do we get to them?”

“I can draw you a map. But you should hurry, soon they'll outlive their usefulness.”

Finn lowers his gun, and steps away. “Get him something to draw a map.”

Monroe steps up with a piece of paper and a pencil, and Murphy walks by Bellamy. “You thought I was the crazy one, huh?”

Bellamy turns and looks at Finn, still in shock, before grabbing your hand and leading you to the back of the bunker, away from him. He pulls up your sleeve, revealing small fingerprint shaped bruises that are already forming, and you see the muscle in his jaw twitch. You put your hand over his, reassuring him, before tugging your sleeve down when you hear Finn approaching you from behind. He hands you and Bellamy the map, which you both look over in silence, studying it. 

Bellamy starts to fold it up and turns to the others. “Gather up the gear. We're leaving.”

Sterling turns and gives the Grounder a wary look. “What about him?”

Bellamy glances over at the man, tied up and now gagged, “For now, we leave him. We’ll deal with him when we're done.”

“And what if he escapes? He knows exactly where we're going.”

Bellamy turns and glares at Murphy, his tone final. “We're not killing him!”

“I don't really see another option here. If we don't take care of this now, it'll blow back on us and you know it.”

“He's unarmed, Murphy.” He glances at you, and you know he’s thinking of your earlier conversation, about the Grounders doing what they need to survive, too. You give him a nod, a show of support, as Murphy argues his point. “He's a Grounder.” 

He turns and looks between Sterling and Monroe. “Really? Come on, tell him.”

“I don't know.” Monroe’s voice is quiet, and Murphy turns on her. “You don't know what? He's gonna tell his people everything. We're as good as dead. Our friends too.”

Bellamy grabs him. “We're not doing this, end of discussion. You want him, you gotta go through me.”

Murphy steps towards him and spits out, “What exactly happened to you, huh?” He glances over at you, realization crossing his features, and then back to Bellamy. “You're acting like you've never killed a Grounder before.”

“That was in battle. This would be an execution-”

He’s cut off by a gunshot ringing out, too loud in the small space. Your stomach sinks, afraid of what you’re going to see when you turn to look, but you force yourself to look anyways. 

Your eyes land on the gun first, smoke still curling out of the barrel, and then to the ground, where the prisoner now lays dead, blood spilling out of his wound and onto the floor. Finn lowers the gun, and you follow the action before looking up to meet his gaze. “Let's get moving.”

He reaches out and grabs the map from Bellamy and brushes past, climbing up the ladder quickly. Murphy recovers from his shock first and follows after, and Monroe reaches down and grabs Bellamy’s gun, passing it to him. He takes it as Sterling passes you yours, and they both follow the other two men. You and Bellamy still stand frozen in place, your gazes both turning and dropping onto the now dead Grounder. 

“Bellamy…” You whisper, trailing off, unsure what to say. That was an execution. What have we done? Finn is losing it.

Bellamy’s voice answers you, agreeing with all of your thoughts. “I know.”

And then he steps away from you, heading towards the ladder and onto the surface. You follow, taking in a deep breath of fresh air, wishing that it was enough to erase the memory of this bunker from your head.

-

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