Nefarious

2246 words

"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!"

Bellamy shut his eyes with a deep breath, ignoring the shouts and protests of Murphy and a few other campers who declared blood for blood. As soon as I cut Murphy down, people grew angry and switched their target from Murphy, to Charlotte; wanting someone to blame.

Bellamy, Clarke, and I stood in Bellamy's tent, along with Charlotte, containing her from the people outside who wanted her head on a stake.

"Why, Charlotte?" Bellamy turned to the guilty girl who's face was ridden with guilt.

"I was just trying to slay my demons, like you told me!" She defended herself with a frown.

Clarke furrowed her eyebrows, stepping forward, glancing over to Bellamy, "What the hell is she talking about?" She questioned the boy who was caught off guard from Charlotte's response.

"She misunderstood me-" Bellamy clarified, grabbing onto the little girl's arm, "-Charlotte, that is not what I meant."

"Bring the girl out now!" My head snapped up at the yelling coming from outside the tent.

Bellamy turned to Clarke and I with a clenched jaw. No matter how hard he tried to put on a poker face I could see underneath that he had no clue what to do and he was scared. "If you guys have any bright ideas, speak up."

"She needs to be punished." I stated, earning a disapproving glare from Bellamy's direction. I shrugged, elaborating, "What, you'll let them string up Murphy for a crime he didn't commit but protect Charlotte because she's a little girl? She's guilty and needs to face the consequences- not death, of course- but it's only fair."

Charlotte ran over to me, clinging onto my clothing with a pleading look, "Please don't let them hurt me!"

Clarke gave me a clueless expression that read, 'what the hell do we do?'

I sighed, crouching down and holding onto Charlotte's arms, looking into her eyes, "Charlotte- you're going to be okay. Just stay with Clarke and be very quiet, do you understand me?" I rose an eyebrow.

The girl nodded slowly without saying a word. I nodded, standing up and turning to Clarke, "Get her out of here, I'll handle Murphy."

Clarke nodded, taking Charlotte while I exited the tent, walking up to the rest of the campers that awaited for Charlotte's arrival- Murphy standing in the front of them all. He twirled his knife in his fingers, watching as I walked up to the crowd.

"Dial it down and back off." I told him sternly, standing face to face with the male before he began to laugh sarcastically, shaking his head.

He paused for a moment, staring into my eyes with a glare until he grabbed my arm abruptly and tightly, pulling me towards him, "I'm getting really sick and tired of you thinking you get to make demands around here, Claudia." He spoke through gritted teeth. "You really think I'm going to stand by and let a bag full of crazy tell me what to do?" He scoffed, "Over my dead body."

I glared at him, grabbing onto his hand that was latched onto my arm, turning to flip his body over my shoulder, watching him land with a thud, dropping his knife. I placed my foot on his chest before flashing a small smile, "You said it, not me."

"Claudia." I looked up to the person calling my name, seeing Bellamy step out of the tent. He gave me a look causing me to roll my eyes before removing my foot from Murphy's chest.

The boy sprung up from the ground after retrieving his knife, standing in the middle where Bellamy and I stood, "Give the people what they want, Bellamy." He spoke angrily, turning to the rest of the campers, "Who here wants to see the real murderer hung up?" He raised his hand, looking around for others to do the same but only four of them did.

Murphy swallowed, letting his arm fall to his side, glancing over the campers with a glare, "I see. You want to hang me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses, you'll let her walk? Cowards! All of you are cowards!" He exploded, screaming at the people with clenched fists.

"Murphy!" Bellamy grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around, "It's over." 

Murphy stood quiet before nodding slowly, raising his hands in defense. "Whatever you say, boss." He spoke quietly.

I knitted my eyebrows together, know that Murphy wouldn't give up just that easily. Bellamy nodded in satisfaction, turning to walk back to the tent until Murphy grabbed some wood we were using to build the wall, slamming it onto Bellamy's head causing to him fall to the ground.

"You son of a bitch!" Octavia yelled, jumping out from the crowd until Miller, one of the campers who had voted for Charlotte to be executed, held her back tightly while she kicked.

"Get the hell off of her!" I shoved him back, watching his grip on Octavia release. I felt two hands yank me back, pulling me to the ground where my head landed on a rock.

I groaned, shutting my eyes in pain but once I opened them my surroundings were blurred but I could only take a guess on who it was.

"Come on, let's get the girl." I heard Murphy say before footsteps could be heard.  

I continued to blink until my vision began to clear up. I reached for my head that was throbbing, wincing once I found the beginning of the wound and feeling the blood that had run down my face.

I looked over, seeing Jasper on the floor with a bloody nose and Octavia by his side. "What happened?" I asked Octavia, lifting the boy from the ground.

"Murphy happened." Octavia answered with a shake of her head before mumbling, "That dick!" She scoffed, looking towards me with a frown, "Claudia-"

My head snapped up, "What?" I asked cluelessly.

"Your head.." She trailed off, pointing to where my head was impacted by the rock. 

I shook my head, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. We should help Jasper-" I brushed off her concern until she grabbed my hand, causing me to look up at her.

"I'll take care of Jasper. Just stay here with my brother, okay?" She rose her eyebrows and I knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Besides, I wouldn't leave Bellamy regardless. I nodded, agreeing with her decision as she helped Jasper up, leading him back to the dropship.

I walked over to Bellamy's unconscious body, crouching down beside him. I turned him over so that his face wasn't glued to the ground. I tucked my hair behind my ear before reaching over and shaking him in the slightest, "Bell.." I called. I wasn't sure why I thought this would work, but I did it anyway.

I shook him again, "Bellamy." I tapped the side of his face but didn't receive a reaction. I sighed, glancing around and seeing a water pouch nearby. I grabbed it quickly, returning to my position beside Bellamy, pouring a little on his face until he jolted up with a gasp.

"What the- Claudia?" He questioned in confusion, wiping his face and seeing the deserted camp sight. Campers were either in their tents, in the dropship, or out trying to stop Murphy. "What's going on? Where's Murphy?" He interrogated, standing up on his feet quickly.

I grabbed his arm, making him turn to me, finally. His face fell, forgetting his questions and reaching for my face, studying my wound, "Claudia, you need to get that taken care of." He muttered before looking into my eyes.

I almost forgot what I was going to say until I snapped back into reality, "It's nothing. Just stupid Murphy. I'm fine, I promise."

He clenched his jaw, retracting his hand, which I oddly missed the feeling of, turning on his heel, "I'll kill him." He declared, walking with a mission.

"Wait, stop." I grabbed his wrist. He paused, looking down at my hand wrapped around his skin then looking towards me. "Why are you defending me?" This was probably the worst timing in the world but it was a question I've been meaning to ask for a while.

"Because you're not crazy, Claudia. What happened to you wasn't your fault." He pulled back his wrist, marching towards the forest of trees in search for Murphy.

"You seem a little too accepting of what I've done." I commented, not getting his attention as he walked with his eyes set forward. I ran over, stepping in front of him, blocking his way every time he tried to move past me. "What are you hiding, Bellamy Blake?"

He sighed in annoyance, looking down in debate before finally looking back to me. "I shot the chancellor." He confessed, throwing his hands up with a shrug, "You're not the only killer. Happy?"

He brushed past me while I stood in shock. It explained why Bellamy wasn't giving me the cold shoulder for the crimes I've committed. He killed Jaha.

I turned, jogging up to him, changing the topic. "I'm coming with you." I walked beside him until he stopped abruptly, grabbing my arm.

"No. You're not." He objected immediately, staring into my eyes with a look that told me he wasn't going to take no for an answer. It must've been a Blake thing.

"Why the hell not?"

"They need you here at camp. Besides, things are going to get ugly.. and I'm not letting you get hurt." He told me, making me shut up for the first time in shock. It almost sounded like Bellamy cared for me.

 We stood for a while until I nodded, accepting my defeat. "Fine. Be careful, would you?" 

He nodded, "You too."

...

"How you doin', Jas?" I asked the boy, sitting down across from him and Octavia once I entered the dropship. I pulled my knees to my chest, tucking them underneath my arms.

"Better now, thanks." He gave a small innocent smile, holding up the rag he held against his nose.

I nodded, turning to Octavia who had been asking for updates since Bellamy had left searching for Murphy who was hunting down Charlotte. "No one's returned, yet." I informed quietly.

Jasper removed the rag from his face, glancing between the two of us. "How long has it been?"

I shrugged, "Couple hours. Three, maybe." I answered, resting my chin on top of my arms.

It was silent for awhile until Jasper spoke up again, "What do you think's going on out there?"

I stared at the ground in silence, not wanting to let my imagination run wild. Luckily Octavia chimed in before I could,

"Don't know. Bellamy wants to protect this.. kid at all costs and I'm worried it might just be the death of him." Her words hadn't helped what I was already thinking. 

I shook my head, "I should've gone with him." I muttered to myself.

"Don't beat yourself up, Claudia." She mumbled, and I broke my glance with the floor to look up at her. She flashed a small smile until a yell diverted our attention.

"They're back!" I heard a camper announce outside of the dropship. I didn't waste time to spring up from my position, walking out with Octavia and Jasper following my lead.

I witnessed Clarke and Bellamy returning with frowns, along with the four guys that had gone out with Murphy to attack Charlotte- but Murphy and Charlotte were nowhere to be seen.

I furrowed my eyebrows, jogging up to Bellamy, grabbing his arm, "What's wrong? What happened?" I asked, questioning his disappointed expression.

He didn't answer, merely glancing at me before addressing the rest of the campers who I hadn't noticed gathered behind me, "Murphy's gone. He's been banished." He announced loud and clear, "And anybody who's got a problem with that, can join him."

Nobody objected, in fact, it was eerily quiet. The only sound that could be heard were the cackles of the fire.

"Good." Bellamy mumbled, pushing past me while I walked beside him, still confused.

"Where's Charlotte?" I asked, struggling to keep up with his fast pace. I could tell something was bothering him by the way he was walking.

"Charlotte's dead." He grumbled, stopping suddenly in his tracks, staring down at the ground. I didn't know what had gone on out there but I didn't need to. I could tell that he blamed himself.

My mouth fell open slightly, stunned, and not knowing what to say. I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and embracing him in a hug. I knew he wouldn't like this from the type of person he was, but it was what he needed right now. Even if he tried to deny it.

I felt his body tense up before he relaxed. We stood like that for a while until his body shifted to which I thought he had grown tired of my action but to my surprise, his arms wrapped around me, too.

I smiled to myself slightly before pulling him in closer.

-

A/N: 

This chapter is my least favorite so far because it's kind of boring but it'll get interesting soon I promiseee. Also I've been busy but I really wanted to update so 🤷🏾‍♀️

side note: btw I was gonna make Bellamy and Claudia kiss in this chapter but I thought it was too soon lmaoo