▎DEATHS FINGERTIPS ▎
»»————　act one. the ground
CHAPTER THREE ━━ not alone

— THE MOST DANGEROUS PERSON IS THE ONE WHO LISTENS, THINKS
AND OBSERVES »»———

Audrey huffed as she wiped the back of her hand against her forehead, throwing down the makeshift shovel to the ground. She pulled on her tank top slight, letting a draft of air hit her sweating body. She had her jacket tied around her waist, looking down at the graves her and wells had filled in with dirt.

She turned to see wells pick up the clothes, Aubrey grabbing the shoes to help him out. "Thanks." He mumbled, making her nod her head. The two walked away from the graves and back into camp, dodging the chaotic kids that were playing chase.

"Hey, where'd you get the clothes?" Audrey turned to see atom, who was looking at wells.

"We Buried the two kids who died during the landing." Wells told him, stopping in his tracks, making Audrey stop also.

"Smart. You know, I'll take it from here." Atom went to take the clothes out of wells hands but he was pushed back by wells.

"We share based on need, just like back home." Wells argued as he pulled his hands back, still holding onto the clothes.

"You still don't get it, do you, Chancellor?" Audrey looked up to see a topless Bellamy, who now has curly hair, not his slick back style. She rolled her eyes as she looked at the gun that was on show for everyone to see. "This is home now. Your father's rules no longer apply." Bellamy walked towards wells and grabbed the clothes out of his hands. Wells wasn't having it as he went towards Bellamy but atom grabbed him, making Audrey grab a hold of wells, pulling him away from him.

"You lay your hands on him again and I swear to god I will shove this shoe so far up your ass!" She hissed at him, making atom glare at the girl, making Bellamy hold his hand out.

"Oh, no, no, Atom. Atom, hold up." Atom turned to Bellamy, who held one of the tops in his hands. "You want it back? Take it."

Wells glared at Bellamy and Audrey was going to grab the top back but wells shook his head, pushing the girl back gently and throwing the clothes on the floor, making kids scramble towards them.

"I am not going to cower under your command, blake. I'll give these boots to people that actually need them." Audrey shook her head, challenging Bellamy, who couldn't help but smirk at the girl.

"Is this what you want? Chaos?" Wells asked as he pointed towards the kids fighting over the clothes.

"What's wrong with a little chaos?" Bellamy smugly replied- pulling the top on, but he was cut off by a girls screaming, making Audrey snap her head towards the noice, dropping the boots and going towards the screaming, Bellamy behind her.

Audrey's eyed winded as she looked down to see Murphy holding a girl against the fire, face close to the flames. "Bellamy." Murphy called out as they came close. "Check it out. We want the Ark to think that the ground is killing us, right? Figure it'll look better if we suffer a little bit first." Murphy chuckled as he looked up.

Wells shot past her and Bellamy, pushing Murphy to the ground, making him let go of the girl. "Let her go!" Wells yelled. Audrey went to go towards the girl, but was stopped as Bellamy held his arm out.

She rolled her eyes as she pushed his arm away, going over towards the girl. "Are you okay?" Audrey asked as she helped the girl stand.

The girl nodded her head as wells turned to Bellamy. "You can stop this." He sighed as he pointed to Murphy.

"Stop this? I'm just getting started." Bellamy grinned as he looked over at Murphy, who wells didn't know was up.

Wells frowned but then he was punched by Murphy, making Audrey pull herself and the girl away from the scene. People started to cheer for a fight as Audrey watched with wide eyes. She wasn't getting in in between that. She was stupid sometimes, but not that stupid.

Murphys tackled wells to the floor, throwing punches but was defeated when wells turned them over, him on top. After punching him a couple of times, wells grunted as he got off of Murphy and stood up, turning to Bellamy. "Don't you see you can't control this?" Wells breathed out heavily, pointing to Murphy, who was on the floor.

Audrey then noticed murphy pull out his knife, making her eyes widen. "You're dead." Murphy spat as he stood up, making wells turn to him.

"Wait." Bellamy stepped forward, making Audrey sight slightly. She didn't want to see either of the pair hurt, but she wasn't doing to stop it herself- she could if she wanted to. "Fair fight." Bellamy said, making Audrey frown as he pulled out a knife for wells to take. Wells stood there as Bellamy threw the knife at his feet. Bellamy stepped back as wells picked up the knife. 

"Are you joking? How insane are you?" Audrey hissed as she stood beside him, eyes not leaving the two kids who circled around each other.

"Murphy won't kill him." Bellamy shuck his head.

"Murphy set fire to a guards home with no remorse. If he wants to kill wells, he will." Audrey glared up at Bellamy.

"This is for my father!" Murphy yelled as he went to attack wells but wells was quicker as he spun Murphy around, pointing his knife at his neck.

"Wells! That's enough!" Audrey stepped forward, eyes remaining on Murphy.

"Drop it!" Wells yelled at Murphy, signalling to his knife.

"Wells!" They all turned to se Clarke and Finn walk towards them. "Let him go!" Wells did just that as he threw Murphy to the floor.

Murphy wasn't having it as he sprung back up, making Bellamy grab him. "Hey! Enough, Murphy." Bellamy grabbed the boys shoulders as Audrey grabbed Murphys arm, pulling him away from wells. Bellamy turned his head as he saw Octavia walk towards them with monty.

Audrey frowned as she realised the younger blake was injured. "Octavia. Are you all right?" Bellamy rushed over to her, talking her out of montys grip. "Where's the food?" Bellamy asked.

"We didn't make it to mount weather." Finn sighed as he sat down on a log, making Audrey raise a brow.

"What the hell happened out there?" Bellamy questioned as he held his sister.

"Where's the boy with the goggles? Jasper?" Audrey questioned as she realised they were down one person.

"We are attacked." Clarke breathed out, a terrified look on her face.

"Attacked? By what?" Wells asked as Clarke turned to him.

"Not what. Who." Finn corrected as Audrey tilted her head, confused. "It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the ark, he wasn't the last grounder."

"It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us." Clarke explained as Audrey sighed

"Yeah, the bad news is the Grounders will." Finn muttered.

"And jasper was hit." Clarke turned to Audrey, a frightened look on her face. "They took him." She turned to wells as she looked down at his arm, frowning. "Where is your wristband?" She asked him, grabbing his arm. Audrey didn't even realise he didn't have his wristband off, making her turn to Murphy.

"Ask him." Wells shot a look at Bellamy, making Audrey turn to him.

"How many?" Clarke hissed as she stepped forward.

"Twenty four and counting." Murphy answered smugly, making Audrey elbow him in the side.

"You idiots." Clarke shook her head as she stared at Murphy. "idiots. Life support on the Ark is failing. That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again, and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them. You're killing us!" Clarke then turned to Bellamy as he looked down momentarily.

"We're stronger than you think. Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm? It makes you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore! They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're not criminals! You're fighters, survivors! The Grounders should worry about us!" Bellamy yelled to them as the kids started to cheer.

Audrey watched with annoyed eyes. They weren't going to survive with pointy sticks. "We don't know anything about the grounders. They could be stronger than us and we have nothing to defend ourselves with! We only have hand made fucking knifes-like that's going to do any good. We need actual weapons and food if we want to survive. So what's your big plan?" Audrey fired at Bellamy, talking the younger blondes side.

"We'll figure it out short stack." Bellamy replied with a grin on his face, making her roll her eyes. Clarke shook her head as she walked past Bellamy and the cheering kids, making Audrey follow her.

"What do we do now?" Monty asked as he fell in line with the two girls.

"Now we go after jasper." Clarke answered straight away.

"Count me in." Audrey sighed as she walked into the drop ship.

"You have a gun? Right?" Clarke asked Audrey as the girl threw her pack over her shoulder. Audrey frowned as the blonde sighed, lifting up Audrey's tank top to reveal the gun. "Finn spotted it when you followed me and monty."

Audrey went to open her mouth but no words came out, so she nodded. "It has a couple of rounds."

"You a good aim?" Clarke asked her as Audrey smirked, nodding her head. "Good. We need that." Clarke sighed as the two walked out of the drop ship, wells behind them. The three walked towards Bellamy and Octavia, making her frown slightly.

"You could have been killed." They heard Bellamy tell Octavia as he cleaned her wound.

"She would have been if Jasper didn't jump in to pull her out." Clarke sighed as she stepped towards Bellamy.

Octavia snapped her head up as she looked at the three. "You guys leaving? I'm coming, too." She tied the rag around her thigh.

"No, no. No way. Not again." Bellamy shook his head as he made her sit doen again.

"He's right. Your leg is just gonna slow us down." Clarke said, truthfully. "I'm here for you." She turned to Bellamy, making Audrey and wells frown.

"Clarke, what are you doing?" Wells questioned.

"I hear you have a gun." Clarke sighed as she ignored wells. Bellamy looked down as he pulled his top up, revealing his gun. "Good. Follow me."

"And why would I do that? Short stack here has her gun- why do you need me?" He pointed over to Audrey, who rolled her eyes at the annoying nickname.

"Because you want them to follow you, and right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared. And besides, the more guns, the more protected we are." Clarke tilted her head to the side slightly as Bellamy sighed, watching the blonde turn around, Audrey following behind her.

"Those guys aren't just bullies, Clarke. They're dangerous criminals." Wells ranted nervously as they walked out of camp.

"I'm counting on it." Clarke told him.

"This is going to be fun." Audrey muttered sarcastically as she tied her jacket around her waist.

"Hey, hold up. What's the rush? You don't survive a spear through the heart." Bellamy said as he waved his gun around, making Audrey roll her eyes. It was clear he had never had a gun once in his life.

"Put the gun away, Bellamy." Wells told him as they carried on walking, making Murphy grab a hold of wells.

"Why don't you do something about it?" Murphy challenged ad Audrey groaned, pulling Murphy back by his collar.

"I'll do something about it when I shoot you three idiots in the head. Now will you girls stop throwing tantrums so we can find this kid?" He gave Bellamy and Murphy a pointed look, making Murphy sigh, letting go of wells.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him. If the spear struck his heart, he'd have died instantly. It doesn't mean we have time to waste." Clarke added, standing beside Audrey, the blonde went to turn around but Bellamy grabbed her arm.

"As soon as you take this wristband off, we can go." Bellamy pointed to the object around her wrist making her pull her hand out of his grip.

"The only way the Ark is gonna think I'm dead is if I'm dead. Got it?" Clarke hissed at Bellamy, making Audrey grin slightly.

"Brave princess." Bellamy nodded his head.

"Hey, why don't you find your own nickname?" They all turned to see finn walking towards them. "You call this a rescue party? Got to split up, cover more ground. Clarke, come with me." Finn told them as he started to walk ahead.

"Oh yes and leave me with the three imbeciles." Audrey groaned as she eyed the three of them, watching as Clarke and Finn walked in front of them. "I swear to god if I hear one word from the three of you I will find these grounder people and hand you all over to them." She glared at the three, fed up of their constant bickering.

"Ouch." Murphy faked to be hurt, making her hit his chest. The girl started to walk the opposite way to Clarke and finn.

"Guess we got more in common than meets the eye, huh?" Bellamy spoke to wells as wells watched Clarke walk away with Finn.

"We have nothing in common." Wells breathed out as he shook his head.

"No? Both came down here to protect someone we love. Your secrets safe with me." Bellamy told wells as Audrey turned to the two.

"You have a thing for blondie?" Audrey cocked a brow with a playful look on her face-walking backwards- making her bump into Murphy. "Ow." Aubrey turned to him with a frown.

"You walked into me." Murphy defended himself, pushing her shoulder slightly.

"Well you was in the way, I was trying to talk to your fighting buddy." She pulled a offended look as she pointed to the two behind her. "And you need to go easy on wells. He isn't his father, y'know."

Murphy gave her a side glance as he hummed. She sighed as she shook her head. He was always stubborn.

Audrey and the three of them had been walking for a while, not ringing anything useful. She had now fallen in line with Bellamy as they continued to walk.

She felt him look at her every now and then, making her quietly groan, turning her head at him slightly. "Can I help you? Or are you going to continue to stare at me like your planning my death?" She joked, a half smile on her lips.

"Maybe," Bellamy responded sarcastically as she adjusted the pack on her shoulder. "How come you're helping to find this kid?"

She looked up at him slightly before turning straight forward. "Because I have basic human decency, something you lack." She hummed as he let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"You really have a way with words short stack." Bellamy spoke as she frowned.

"What's with the nickname, I'm literally not even short." She glared at him making him laugh slightly.

"But you're smaller than me, so-" Bellamy was cut off at the sound of someone running, making Audrey grab her gun, Bellamy doing the same.

They both lowered their guns as they saw Clarke and Finn. "We found something." Finn told them as the four followed the two.

After a while they were on a rocky path, small ponds around them. "Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" Murphy asked as they walked in a line.

"We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker." Bellamy sighed as he walked behind the rest, pointing at Finn.

"It's called cutting sign. Fourth-year earth skills. He's good." Wells responded as Finn crouched down as he examined their surroundings.

"You want to keep it down or should I paint a target on your backs?" Finn asked sarcastically as he stood up, Clarke standing behind him.

They watched as he picked up a leaf of a branch, looking at the blood on the leaf. He then dropped to the floor once more, looking at some blood that was on the rock, Clarke crouching at his side.

"See? You're invisible." Bellamy muttered to wells, making Audrey raise a brow. They all looked up when they heard a groan in the distance.

"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked as he spun around.

"Now would be a good time to take out your guns." Clarke told the two eldest of the group, making Audrey pull out hers with one swift motion.

"You know how to use a gun?" Bellamy questioned the brunette, making her cocky a brow as the walked.

"Do you? You've only shot a gun like, what- once?" She tilted her head slightly, whispering the last bit, making sure nobody heard them.

"And you've fired a gun more than once?" He asked her but frowned as she gave him a single shrug, turning her attention to the front of her, pushing any branches out of the way.

They all came a to holt as they saw jasper tired to a tree like bait, making Audrey's eyes widen. "Jasper." Clarke sighed.

Audrey placed her gun in her waistband, being the first one to walk towards jasper. She didn't expect for the ground to fall, making her fall into a hole.

She felt someone grab her arm as she sighed, looking up to see Bellamy. She looked back down to see multiple spikes underneath her, making her panic slightly.

She felt him pull her up, with help of the rest, Murphy grabbing her other hand. She breathed out heavily as she sat down on the grass, staring down at the hole she just fell into. "You okay?" Clarke asked as she crouched beside the girl, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Didn't see that coming." Audrey shook her head as Clarke helped her stand up. She turned to Bellamy, nodding her head. "Thanks." She sighed, Bellamy sending her a nod also.

"We need to get him down." Clarke turned to jasper, her arm still on Aubrey's.

"I'll climb up there and cut the vines." Finn added as he looked up at jasper.

"Yeah. Im with you." Wells went to follow Finn but Finn stopped as he turned around. "No. Stay with Clarke and Audrey. You." He pointed his head at Murphy.

Aubrey's frowned slightly as she turned to Finn. Why couldn't she help? "There's a poultice on his wound." Clarke realised as Murphy walked past them and towards Finn.

"Medicine?" Wells frowned slightly. "Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" Wells questioned as Audrey hummed.

"Maybe it's a trap." She offered, making the three turn to her. "What, there was conveniently a trap that I fell into. This whole thing might be one big trap."

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing." Bellamy cleared his throat, trying not to think about Audrey's comment.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us." Finn added, agreeing with Audrey.

"See." She mumbled slightly, lowering her head down to the hole she almost died in. "Fucking trap." She scoffed.

The two climbed up the tree, helping to cut jasper free. Audrey sighed as she looked up, covering her eyes slightly due to the sun in her eyes.

"Hurry up, Murphy." Finn grumbled as he started to finish cutting the ties around jaspers hands.

"Be careful." Clarke called up to them.

"Don't fall." Audrey added slightly, signing as she saw the look Murphy gave her. "Trying to help here."

"Don't." Murphy called down to her, making her scoff.

"Fine, fall." She shrugged her shoulders. "I ain't going to be the one carrying you back to camp." She hummed as he shook his head, continuing to concentrate on the ties.

They all spun around as they heard an animalistic growl, making Audrey grab her gun. "Grounders?" Bellamy asked slightly.

"I don't think grounders growl like bloody lions blake." Audrey slightly scoffed, raising a brow a him. They all turned into the forest, eyes widening as they saw a black panther make its way towards them. "Oh fuck." She muttered as the animal growled loudly, running towards them.

"Audrey, Bellamy, guns!" Clarke called to them, making Audrey un-lock her gun and aim at the panther, firing the gun and hitting it in the side.

She expected Bellamy to also fire but she turned to the sound of the other gun to see wells. The panther ducked down slightly, making Audrey move in front of Bellamy, aiming the gun at the moving grass.

There was silence as Audrey spun around, trying to find the source of the small footprints. She turned left slightly, looking at the moving grass.

She jumped slightly as she heard the animal roar but didn't hesitate for a second as she stood in front of Bellamy and aiming for the animals head, successfully hitting the animal down. She sighed as she stood back slightly, the animal falling in front of her, making Bellamy grab her arms so she didn't fall back.

Audrey's heart raced as she locked her gun, turning to see wells still holding bellamys. "How the fuck did you get his gun?" Audrey breathed out heavily, trying to catch her breath. "And you're welcome." She turned to Bellamy slightly, who was startled. "There's our food." She muttered as she pointed to the dead panther.

Audrey sighed at the familiarity of the walls of the camp. Her, Murphy and Bellamy were holding onto the dead panther, wells and Finn holding jasper. "How did you learn to aim that good?" Bellamy asked her, making her bite her cheek.

"Uh, lucky shot?" She lied, shrugging her shoulders. But she could tell he didn't believe her, making her lower her head down as they walked back into camp.

"They're back!" Someone yelled as Clarke walked in front. Audrey sighed as she and the two others dropped the panther on the floor, Octavia coming to their side.

"Dre!" The girl cheered as she threw her arms around Audrey, startling the girl at first but Audrey hugged back.

"Who's hungry?" Bellamy asked as the kids started to cheer. Audrey was definitely hungry.

Bellamy pulled Octavia into a side hug as as Audrey looked down at the dead animal. She better be getting credit for killing this animal. Wasted two bullets.

Audrey had helped Murphy prepare the panther, she certainly was getting the first piece of food. She watched as people started to like up as Bellamy said only people without a wrist band could eat.

She grinned as she grabbed a stick, placing a long piece of meat. She turned back to the drop ship and she couldn't help but think about jasper and monty. She sneakily grabbed two other pieces of meat, but she sighed as she saw Bellamy raise a brow at her.

She pointed into the drop ship, hoping he head some heart in there. She watched as she thought for a second before nodding, making her smile brightly, sending him a thumbs up. She did save his life and she wasn't going to let him live that down.

She quickly jogged into the drop ship, the sticks in her hand. She climbed up the ladders as she softly knocked on the trap door, hearing montys voice.

"I come bearing gifts." She smiled slightly as she held out the two sticks for monty to take. "You can't tell anyone because I stole them." She winked at him as monty laughed slightly.

"Thanks you. I appreciate it." Monty smiled as Audrey sat beside him, looking at jasper.

"He doing okay?" Audrey asked slightly, her eyes softening at jasper and his state. She nibbled on pieces of her meat.

"He's gonna pull through but Clarke said he needs medicine." Monty told her, making her look at him with apologetic eyes.

"Cant we try and make some? With leaves-I don't know you're the plant expert, right?" Audrey asked as Monty slowly nodded his head. "I can go and try find things tomorrow. Just draw what you'll need and I'll get it for you."

- MADDIES NOTES
14th may 2023

WAY LONG CHAPTER BICTHES!!
currently listening to sick ass songs as a write this chapter so yes yes.

4170 words!!