Raven's screams ripped through the air as Clarke held a scolding hot blade to her wound. Her hand was gripped tightly around my brother's as she withered in pain.

"I don't understand," Finn spoke once Raven had stopped screaming, "How did Murphy get a gun?"

Bellamy and I shared a brief look before he spoke, "It's a long story."

Finn still didn't know what truly went down with us and Murphy and at this point, it was probably better to keep it that way.

Raven let out a grunt, "We got lucky, if he had of hit the fuel tank instead of me we all would have been dead".

A look of shock clouded over Clarke's face, "Wait, there's rocket fuel down there? Enough to build a bomb?"

Raven was pale and covered in sweat, her breathing still ragged, "Enough to build a hundred bombs, if we had enough gun powder".

Bellamy switched topics, moving onto our next order of business. "Let's get back to the Reapers, maybe they'll help us. The enemy of my enemy is my friend right?" He was referring to another group that Clarke and Finn had encountered with Lincoln. In his hand was one of Lincoln's sketch books which contained dozens of pictures of terrifying looking men- even more terrifying than the Grounders.

Clarke and Finn both had scared looks on their faces, "Not this enemy. We saw them, trust me it't not an option".

"There's no time for this." Finn announced, turning to Clarke and dropping his voice, "Can she walk or not?"

Clarke's eyes flickered over to Raven, with a shake of her head she sighed, "No, we'll have to carry her".

Raven instantly rebutted, "Like hell you will" she grunted as she attempted to push herself up off the table.

Clarke held her down, "Listen to me. That bullet is still inside you. If my some miracle there's no internal bleeding it might hold until we get somewhere safe but you are not walking anywhere is that clear?"

I knew Raven as well as I knew myself and I knew for a fact that admitting weakness was not something she did easily, but today she succeeded to Clarke, giving her a small nod.

Finn took this as a sign to get going, "I'll go get the stretcher" he announced, turning towards the exit of the ship.

"Can't run away fast enough huh? Real brave" Bellamy piped in from beside me. I sent him a disapproving look as Finn spun back around.

"Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave Bellamy, it's stupid" Finn shot back.

Bellamy took a step towards him, "Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight."

I let out a puff of air, stepping in between the two boys, "Cut it out" I ordered, my eyes locking on Bellamy who was the instigator of this little disagreement, "We don't have time for this, we need to get going".

Bellamy shook his head, "If they follow, it's a hundred and twenty mile trek to the ocean".

Finn jumped in, "Look, we're wasting time. If he wants to stay, he can stay" he gave me one final look before storming from the ship.

I instantly turned to Bellamy, "You're not staying".

Bellamy's jaw was locked as he looked down at me, "What do you want me to say, Avery?"

I let out an exhausted sigh, "I want you to say that you'll come with us. We-I can't do this without you. Please Bellamy."

"They listen to you" Clarke piped in from behind me, "Those kids, they look up to you".

Bellamy looked over my head to meet eyes with Clarke, "They're lined up out there, they listen to you more."

Clarke shook her head, "I gave them an easy way out. Five minutes ago they were willing to fight and die for you. You inspire them, and I'm afraid we're going to need that again before this day is through" She left it at that, letting those be her final words before following after Finn.

Once she was gone I spoke again, "Please Bellamy". At the sound of my voice he looked back down at me, "I need you" I whispered.

Conflict covered his face as let out a breath, "Avery, I don't-"

I cut him off, "If you're staying then so am I".

Bellamy was taken aback by my statement, "No, you aren't. You really think your brother would let you stay?"

I threw my arms up, "I don't care what Finn says. You have been protecting me and everyone else in this camp since day one, whether you realized it or not. So, it's my turn to protect you. I'm staying by your side Bellamy, no matter what you choose."

---

I watched as everyone began filing out of the front gates. We had packed everything we deemed necessary as quickly as we could, knowing we didn't have much time. The minute everything was packed kids were moving through the gate, Octavia in the lead.

Bellamy stood beside me, watching as everyone left. It was obvious he wasn't pleased with his decision to join us, but nonetheless he agreed to make the trek to the ocean.

"You did good here Bellamy" I said softly.

He looked over at me, letting out a sigh, a look of regret covering his face, "18 dead, Avery"

I gave him an encouraging smile, "82 alive"

He didn't say a word, but instead turned and gave one last look around camp before turning and throwing water over the fire that was left burning in the pit. In a way, the fire resembled our time in this camp, it burned strong for as long as it could but sometimes it needs to be put out for the safety of everyone, burning fires lead to destruction and that was something we were all trying to avoid.

---

"You know what I'm gonna do once we get to the ocean?" Nathan Miller ask from the front of the group.

Bellamy and I were in the middle of the group, near Finn who was carrying Raven along with another boy. Bellamy held his gun, ready to fire as did several others in the group.

"What?" Drew asked from beside from beside Miller.

Nathan threw his arms out, "Imma go surfing".

Drew nodded in agreement, "No more trees just pale blue water." His description of what was to come made me smile slightly, it would be nice.

Jasper turned to them with a glare, "Quiet, keep your eyes open."

Suddenly, Octavia stopped moving causing the rest of us to come to a halt. She held her hand out, telling us all to be quiet for a moment.

I tried to see why she had stopped, but could see nothing but forest for miles ahead, "What's going on?" I asked quietly.

Bellamy shook his head, beginning to push through the group to get up to the front, "I don't-"

He was cut off as a blade came whipping through the forest, lodging itself directly in Drew's head. He fell to the ground as everyone around him jumped back in terror. A gasp caught in my throat as I stared with wide eyes at Drew's body . He was the first victim to fall in this war, and he was sure not to be the last.

"GROUNDERS!" Jasper screamed as pandemonium set in.

Bellamy spun around, running back towards where I was, grabbing my arm as everyone began running. He held a firm hold on me while he searched for Octavia among the crowd of terrified teenagers. Once she was beside us the three of us took off.

Footsteps and ragged breathing was all you could hear as all 82 of us ran for our lives-literally. I kept my eyes locked on Finn and Raven who were not too far ahead of me, him and the other boy now carrying her having ditched the stretcher.

"Where did that come from?" I asked through laboured breaths as I turned my head slightly to ensure there was no Grounders chasing directly after us.

Octavia clenched her jaw, "I'm not sure, but I'm sure there's much more to come"

I let out a scoff, "You're trying to tell me that was just the warm up?"

Bellamy pushed me in front of him, "Less talking, more running please."

-an-

uh oh here we go