8 - SURVIVAL

[ SURVIVAL ]

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Murphy enters the dropship calmly, careful not to raise suspicion. He approaches where Myles lay peacefully with his eyes shut in pain.

   Poor kid was shot with some arrows while out hunting with his group that consisted of Clarke and Finn. . . who were conveniently missing.

   Murphy knew that grounders probably had them both, and he felt bad for them. Not everyone will get saved by a beautiful and friendly guard that will steal them food and show them the stars.

   Murphy hates to admit it but. . . they were both most likely dead by now.

Murphy realises Myles must've heard his footsteps and he croaks out one word at the sound. "Water,"

He hesitates for a moment, giving Myles one look over in sympathy before covering his face harshly with the plastic bag. Myles struggles and claws at Murphy's arms but Murphy doesn't give up.

"This is for tying the noose that they hung me with," Murphy mutters, ignoring Myles' muffled pleas.

Then the shouting stops. And so does Myles' heart. Murphy lifts the bag off his face and suddenly hears a clank of metal from behind him. He turns his head and widens his eyes.

Jasper clings to the ladder, frozen. Murphy glances between Myles and Jasper.

"He stopped breathing. . . I was just— I was just trying to help him," Murphy stutters. He subconsciously presses his thumbnail into his index finger.

Jasper nods but Murphy can tell he's uneasy. He doesn't know how much Jasper saw but he knows he saw something. Jasper continues climbing down the ladder and Murphy watches him glance towards the gun that sits on the far table. Jasper saw everything.

   Murphy makes his move, racing towards it just as Jasper jumps down and goes for it as well. He's too slow and Murphy grabs the gun, pointing it up at him.

   Jasper raises his hands in surrender. "Murphy, just put the gun down."

   Murphy glances towards Myles. Why didn't Jasper understand? "He tried to kill me." Murphy tells him. Wasn't he there? Didn't he see Myles tie the noose? He deserved what he got. Why didn't Jasper understand?

   Jasper takes a step back. Murphy points the gun at him again. "Hey, don't move."

   "Okay, okay." Jasper repeats, holding one hand up at Murphy. "It's cool."

   "No it's not." Murphy shakes his head. "You know what'll happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

   A crackle of static fills the room and Bellamy's voice says, "Tell Bellamy what?"

   Jasper closes his eyes, knowing he's been caught. Murphy glances down to see Jasper's other hand in his pocket. He had a radio.

   "Give me the radio, Jasper." Murphy demands.

   Jasper puts his other hand down and slowly takes the walkie-talkie out. As soon as he does, he speaks as fast as he can into it. "Murphy has a gun. He killed Myles—"

  Murphy moves forward and hits him in the head with his gun, effectively knocking Jasper out.

   "Murphy, what the hell are you doing?" Bellamy's voice comes through the radio. Before Bellamy can wait for a response, Murphy already had pulled the lever that closed the drop-ship door.

   "Murphy! Murphy! Open the damn door!" Bellamy's voice calls from outside.

   "You try to be a hero, Jasper dies." Murphy calls back just as the dropship door closes shut, locking Jasper in with Murphy and a gun.

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Sayah was worried. She knew the plan, but she was worried. Their previous plan for leaving was on pause at the moment, and instead they decided to well. . . be heroes. Finn must've noticed Sayah's concern because he clears his throat loudly, grabbing her attention.

"He'll be alright," He tells her, referring to Lincoln. "He'll be here soon."

"And what if he doesn't have Clarke?" Sayah turns to him. "What will you do then?"

He looks down at the ground. "I don't know. But this plan will work. The signal fire worked easily."

Sayah nods, admiring his never-faltering hope. He shifts uncomfortably in his position. "I want to say thank you."

"What for?"

"Saving my life. You and Lincoln."

Sayah gives him a short nod. "Well, I think its the least he can do for stabbing you." She replies. Finn chuckles and the corners of Sayah's lips turn up in amusement.

   "Can I ask you a question?" Finn suddenly asks. Sayah nods.

   "Why are you helping us? I mean— shouldn't you be against us? Lincoln is helping because he cares about Octavia and I assumed it was because Lincoln is your brother that you were helping too. . ." He pauses. "But that's not all it is, is it?"

   Sayah grinds her teeth together before staring at the large fire in front of them. "No, you're right. There is more to it."

   Finn watches her patiently, waiting for to continue. "I know Murphy." Sayah admits as she meets his gaze, expecting a harsh reaction from Finn. He doesn't say anything for a moment.

   "You know him. . .?" Finn furrows his brows.

   "Well enough to risk my life for him." Sayah cuts him off. Her chest tightens at the sudden confession. She had never admitted it out loud. She swallows the lump in her throat.

   "You care about him." Finn murmurs, brows knitted in interest. Sayah bites her lip.

   "Something like that." She speaks quietly, giving him a sad smile. Before he can reply, the sound of hoofs reached them, interrupting their conversation. "He's back." Sayah says, standing up. Finn follows her.

   Lincoln jumps down from his horse, grabbing Clarke after and then cutting the ropes around her wrist. Lincoln then turns her towards Finn. Sayah stands behind Finn quietly.

   Clarke's eyes widen. "Finn?" She sprints over and embraces him. "Oh my god. Oh my god." She repeats in shock. She pulls away and looks him over once. "I don't understand how. . ."

   Sayah takes that as her cue to step forward and Finn glances behind him. Clarke looks around him and sees Sayah. Sayah nods to Lincoln, who takes off his mask to reveal his face.

   "Lincoln and Sayah saved my life." Finn tells her as Sayah approaches Lincoln and hugs him. "They killed one of their own people to do it." Finn adds.

   Clarke pulls away from Finn and walks over to the siblings. "Signal fire?" She questions. "That was you two?"

   "We needed a distraction." Lincoln tells her.

   "I'd say it worked." Finn says. Sayah glances towards the responding fire where Anya and her warriors were. It suddenly goes out.

   "Not well enough." Sayah says, narrowing her eyes.

   "What's it mean?" Finn questions.

   "It means Anya knows Clarke's not dead." Lincoln says.

   Sayah clenches her jaw. "We need to move. Lincoln, the horse."

   Lincoln obliges and smacks the horse. It whinnies and gallops in another direction. "Let's hope they follow the horse."

   Lincoln follows Sayah who moves quickly pass the fire. "Hey, what do we do now?" Finn asks.

   "We run." Lincoln calls back as he and Sayah begin to move faster. Clarke and Finn glance at eachother quickly before following after the siblings.

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   "Come on," Sayah encourages as they rush through the forest. "It's right up here."

   "What is?" Finn questions. Sayah almost laughs at how many questions Finn asks. It reminds her of John.

   "Somewhere they won't follow." Lincoln answers.

   The four reach the entrance the tunnels and Clarke hesitates. "Wait, where does it lead?"

   "Everywhere." Lincoln replies. "There's a tunnel to your camp."

   "If we make it through, we should get there before Tristan." Sayah adds, hearing a horse neigh in the distance. They were close. She spots the glow of a light.

   "We need to move." Sayah tells them. "Go, Go!"

   Finn and Clarke enter, Sayah following behind them. She hears Lincoln rush in behind her.

   "Lincoln! Sayah!" An echo reaches them. Anya.

   Sayah hears arrows fly past her. "Lincoln—"

   "Keep going!" He replies. Sayah doesn't stop.

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   "Murphy!" Octavia's voice calls out to him from outside the dropship and Murphy rolls his eyes. "Murphy, if you even touch Jasper, I swear to God, you're dead." She yells.

   "Murphy," Bellamy's voice comes through the walkie-talkie. Murphy picks it up lazily. "I know you can hear me." Murphy covers Myles' body over with a tarp as Bellamy continues talking.

   "All our ammo and food is in the middle level, you know that. You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack—I can't let that happen." Bellamy says.

   "Yeah well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now." Murphy replies through the radio.

   "Come on, Murphy. You don't want to hurt Jasper. You want to hurt me." Bellamy says. Murphy glances at a tied up Jasper. Jasper's eyes have tears in them and the rag in his mouth keeps him quiet.

   Murphy wants to laugh. Bellamy was right. Murphy did want to hurt him. Murphy wanted to hurt every single person who had a hand in nearly killing him.

   "So, what do you say?" Bellamy's voice crackles through the radio. "How 'bout you trade him for me? All you have to is let him go and I'll take his place."

   Murphy looks over to a tied up Jasper, who's eyes show nothing but fear. Murphy's lips turn up at the corners for a moment. "How?" He questions Bellamy.

   It's a few seconds until Bellamy replies. "Simple. You open the door, I walk in, he walks out."

   Murphy seems to consider it for a moment, gaze going up from the floor to a fearful Jasper. Soon, the dropship door creaks opens.

   "Just you, Bellamy. Unarmed." Murphy yells out. "Ten seconds, or I'll blow one in Jasper's leg." Murphy grabs Jasper by the collar and lifts him up, standing over near the entrance. He begins to count.

   "One. . . Two. . . Three. . . Four. . . Five. . ." Just as he reaches five, Bellamy calls out. "I'm here."

   Bellamy enters and locks eyes with Jasper but before any words can be exchanged, Murphy shoves Jasper out of the entrance, not caring if he falls. Murphy closes the dropship door straight after.

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   Lincoln struggles to start a fire. He tries again, but only a spark appears and then quickly disappears again. Sayah rolls her eyes in the darkness at his third attempt.

   "Useless," She mumbles teasingly before grabbing the stones off Lincoln and trying herself. She gets it almost instantly and a small flame appears, the glow reflecting on everyone's faces.

   She glances at Lincoln who looks at her unimpressively. "You needed some help, I helped." She raises her eyebrows.

   Finn gets up and checks behind them, the way they came. "You were right. No one followed us."

   He comes back and crouches down beside Sayah. "Reapers use these tunnels." Lincoln tells Finn and Clarke.

   Sayah purses her lips. "Tristian wouldn't risk running into them; personally I wouldn't either."

   "'Reapers'?" Finn repeats, confused. "What the hell's a 'Reaper'?"

   "Pray you never find out." Sayah replies truthfully as Lincoln lights the end of a long, thick stick to make a lantern of some sort. "We have to keep moving." Sayah adds.

   Lincoln gets up with a groan, catching Sayah's attention. "Hey," Sayah grabs his arm.

   "Lincoln, you're hit." Finn tells him. Sayah furrows her brows until she notices it. An arrow is deep in Lincoln's back.

   "Silly boy. You should have said something earlier." She mutters. Lincoln tries to keep moving. "No, no moving. Clarke?"

   Clarke nods and approaches him while Finn takes the stick off him to hold. "I've fought battles with worse wounds than this." Lincoln argues.

   "Shof op, let her do her job." Sayah tells him. He rolls his eyes at his sister.

   "We're not in a battle right now." Clarke says to him.

   "Yes, we are." Lincoln replies. Clarke pauses and looks between Sayah and her brother.

   "Why are you two helping us?" She questions. Sayah is beginning to think she'll be asked that question a lot more in the future.

   "This can't just be about Octavia." Finn adds, eyes glancing away from Sayah to Lincoln. Sayah waits for her brother to answer. He doesn't.

   "Fine. Don't tell us. Give me your knife." Clarke tells him. He gives it to her and she passes it to Finn. "Heat the blade."

   Clarke sighs before speaking to Lincoln. "You might want something to bite down on."

   Lincoln scoffs. "You people are so soft. If you don't learn to be more— Agh!" He groans in pain as Clarke suddenly pushes the arrow through more deeper. Sayah winces then smiles.

   "Who's soft now?" She raises her eyebrows. Lincoln rolls his eyes once more. Clarke chuckles at the interaction.

   Lincoln hisses before grunting and snapping the arrow in half. He pants and turns to look at Clarke. "What our people are doing to yours is wrong." He answers their previous question. "Sayah and I both knew this before we even met Octavia or. . ." He glances at Sayah for just a second. ". . .Or any of your other people and realised you all are not a threat."

   After a moment of silence, Clarkle takes the blade from Finn and takes a deep breath before placing it directly on Lincoln's wound. It hisses loudly and Lincoln groans in pain at the feeling.

   Sayah walks away and approaches Finn, grabbing his arm lightly. "I need to ask something now that I couldn't before, and you can't question it, okay? Just answer it." She says lowly.

   Finn glances between her and Clarke with Lincoln. He nods. "What is it?"

   "I must know. Is John Murphy still alive?"

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   A gunfire rings out. "That's good, then do what I said." Murphy tells Bellamy as he points the gun at him.

   "Bellamy? Bellamy, are you okay?" Octavia's voice comes through the radio. Murphy reaches into his pocket to grab it.

   "You want her to know you're alive?" Murphy questions. "Start tying."

   Bellamy clenches his jaw but obliges. "Bellamy, do you copy?" Octavia asks again.

   "I'm fine." Bellamy reassures her as he begins tying. "Just a misfire. Now stop worrying about me and get back to work, all of you. . . and tell Raven to hurry her ass up."

   "All right, that's long enough." Murphy puts the radio down. "Tie those two ends together." He orders.

   Bellamy does as he says, glancing up at Murphy when he's finished, waiting for more directions. "Alright, now get up and toss it over." Murphy tells him.

   Bellamy stands up and tosses it over easily. Murphy smirks a little. Bellamy sighs. "What do you want me to say? You want me to apologise? I'm s—"

  Murphy points his gun higher and Bellamy stops and sighs. "I'm sorry." He says to Murphy gently.

   Murphy's gaze falls to the floor for a moment as he thinks. Was this what he wanted? An apology? For Bellamy to understand how it made him feel?

   Then he realises. He did want Bellamy to understand. Just not with a sappy apology. Even if he did mean it.

   Murphy glances back up to Bellamy. "You got it all wrong, Bellamy." Bellamy doesn't respond so Murphy continues. "I don't want you to say anything. I want you to feel what I felt, and then. . ." Murphy pauses.

   "And then I want you to die."

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   Bats squeak loudly as they fly past Sayah and the others. She feels the wind hit her cheek when one of their wings flap. She shudders. She hated bats.

   Lincoln stops, turning around to face Finn and Clarke. He passes the stick with the flame they used for light to Finn so Lincoln could pull out his notebook. Sayah knits her brows, recognising it from earlier years. She didn't he had kept it for so long. "You still have that thing?" She questions him. Lincoln gives her a look. She raises her hands in surrender.

   "Wait. If you never been down here, how'd you map it?" Finn asks as they both examine Lincoln's map of the tunnels.

   "Spoils of war." Lincoln replies. Clarke takes a few steps forward, away from the trio.

   "What is that?" She questions, catching their attention. Sayah glances up, spotting a glow of light in the distance. It can't be.

   Distant shouting confirms her thoughts. "Reapers." Sayah rushes, quickly taking the stick out of Finn's hands and dipping it into a puddle of water. The flame goes out with a hiss.

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   Bellamy drags a stool over to where the noose hangs, Murphy watches him intently, his gun still pointed up.

   "Stand on it." He tells Bellamy. Bellamy, with a sigh, does what he says.

   "Put it over your head." Murphy orders. Bellamy swallows hard.

  "This is insane. The grounders could—" Bellamy argues. Murphy doesn't let him finish, lazily pointing the gun and firing. The bullet ricochets off the wall.

   "Put it over your head." Murphy repeats, wrapping the end around his hand.

   Bellamy grinds his teeth but obliges anyway. "Happy now?"

   Murphy slightly pulls the end he's holding, causing Bellamy to raise up in the air a little. Bellamy grips the rope quickly and glares at Murphy.

   "You're so brave, aren't you?" Murphy begins. "I mean, you came in here thinking you're just gonna turn this whole thing around, that you were stronger than me, and maybe that one of your friends would come and help you." He smirks. "Well, what are you thinking now, Bellamy? Hmm?"

   Bellamy pauses before answering. "I'm wondering what that grounder girl would think of you if she saw what you were doing right now." He replies tauntingly.

   Murphy's face falls slightly. "What'd you just say?"

   "That girl. . . Yeah," Bellamy smirks slightly. "Octavia mentioned a little something about you and her," Bellamy begins. Murphy clenches his jaw. "What was her name? Sarah, was it? No, that's not it. Ahh, I got it. It was Sa—"

   "Don't you dare say her name." Murphy spits angrily. Bellamy only glares. "Don't you dare even speak about her!"

   "What would she think of you right now, Murphy?" Bellamy pushes Murphy even more. Murphy in a fit of anger, pulls the rope harshly and Bellamy lifts higher, choking. The tip of his toes struggle to stay on the stool.

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   "This can't be the only way. Check the map." Finn tells Lincoln as the four reach a corner.

   "If you want to get home before Tristan slaughters your people, this is the only way." Sayah tells Finn, following Lincoln as he crouches low and sneaks around the corner to have a look.

   A group of Reapers shout and grumble, some jump around and some eat. "Clarke," Finn grabs Clarke's attention. "The carts."

   Sayah look over to where Finn is referring to, to see a body inside, it's leg hanging over the edge. There are probably many more inside.

   "What the hell is this?" Clarke whispers to herself. Sayah chooses not to answer. She despised Reapers.

   "The tunnel on the right will lead you through the woods into your camp. Take this," Lincoln passes his notebook to Finn who places it inside his jacket.

   "What are you two gonna do?" Finn questions.

   "What we have to," Sayah says — not entirely comfortable with the idea — she looks over to Lincoln.

   Lincoln sighs. "We're gonna lead them away."

   "Wait until they follow us, then run." Sayah tells the couple. Lincoln passes his sword over to Finn. "For Octavia." He tells him.

   "Wait a second," Clarke stops the siblings. "If they catch you two, they'll kill you."

   "They'll have to catch us." Sayah replies, trying to lighten the mood.

   "Worry about yourselves." Lincoln tells them. "Most of Tristan's rangers will be at your gate by nightfall, but he'll send riders ahead, scouts."

  "All of you have to be gone before they arrive." Sayah adds.

   Before Lincoln can continue talking, Finn cuts in. "One of them's coming." He whispers. Sayah turns her head to see that one was indeed approaching them.

   "Where are we supposed to go?" Clarke questions quickly.

   "In my book, there's a map. Chart a course to Eastern Sea. There's a clan there, led by a woman named Luna, a friend. Tell her we sent you."

   Sayah swallows before pulling out her larger blade, Lincoln doing the same. Before they leave, Finn stops them. "Thank you." He says to them.

   "Just get Octavia out of there." Lincoln replies. The couple turns to Sayah who nods and adds, "Good luck."

   They nod in return and Sayah and Lincoln look over at each other. "Are you ready?" He asks.

   "Not at all, brother. I hate Reapers, you know that." Sayah furrows her brows.

   Lincoln smiles sadly. "You never take anything seriously."

   "Ai hod yu in seintaim." She smirks, gripping her blade tightly. Then they run. Lincoln attacks the approaching Reaper, slitting his throat easily. "Run, Sayah!"

   She doesn't hesitate. She sprints down the tunnel to her left, hearing Lincoln run after her and then several footsteps following. Whoops and shouts echo all through out the tunnel and bounce off the walls.

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   "You know, I gotta hand to you, Bellamy." Murphy begins. "You got them all fooled. They actually look up to you, almost as much as they look up to Clarke," He sighs. "Yeah, well, we know the truth, don't we?"

   "You're a coward." Murphy states. "I learned that the day you kicked out the crate from beneath me. What was it you said? You were just giving the people what they wanted, right?" Murphy continues.

   "I should've stopped them." Bellamy admits.

   Murphy's eyes well up with small tears. "Yeah. . . well, it's a little too late for that now."

   "You think they're just gonna let you walk out of here?" Bellamy questions him. Murphy nearly chuckles.

   "Well, I think the princess is dead, but I know the king is about to die, so who's really gonna lead these people, huh? Me, that's who, and, yeah, maybe I'll have to kill your grounder-pounding little sister—"

   Bellamy grunts and tries to kick him but Murphy takes a step back quickly. Bellamy, filled with anger, can't hold his tongue. "Like you can talk," He mutters.

   Murphy wants to shoot him. He knows nothing about Sayah. He knows nothing about what goes on between Murphy and Sayah and if he did, Murphy is sure Bellamy wouldn't recognise him. He'd wonder who that boy was, laughing and smiling and looking at that girl like she was the only person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

   Murphy roughly pulls the rope again, and just like before Bellamy struggles, letting out a grunt. A yelp interrupts Murphy's actions. A yelp from beneath his feet. In the floor. Murphy glances between the floor and Bellamy, who holds an expression of a deer in headlights.

   "I'm guessing that's your little sister right now." Murphy says to Bellamy before grabbing his gun and shooting at the floor.

  "No!" Bellamy yells out, struggling to escape.

   The gun clicks after a few more shots. Out of ammo. Murphy tries to reload it and notices Bellamy trying to struggle out of the rope around his neck.

   Murphy, in a state of anger and annoyance, kicks the stool away from beneath Bellamy's feet. Bellamy hangs in the air and begins to choke, his body flinging around in hopes of grasping something.

   He claws at the noose and Murphy hates it. He hates it because Bellamy doesn't deserve to try and break free. Not when Murphy couldn't. "Using your hands is a cheat. Mine were bound, remember?"

   Murphy pushes Bellamy's hands away from his neck but Bellamy delivers a harsh blow to Murphy's face. Murphy falls to the ground, and it only angers him more. Getting up, he grips his gun harshly and begins to hit Bellamy in the stomach with it, over and over again.

   Then he hears it. The dropship door is opening.

   "Raven, you did it!" He hears a voice, probably Jasper but he doesn't care because he has to get away. He has to escape. With one last look at Bellamy, he rushes up the ladder to the middle level.

   Once he gets in, he pushes a metal bar between the handle of the hatch and a bar of the ladder so no one can get in. He looks around nervously. He spots ammo. But nothing good. All duds. Keep looking. He tells himself. So he does. He searches, and searches. . . His frustration builds up even more. "Come on!" He yells, throwing away an empty ammo box.

   Then he sees it. A good bullet. Perfect. He lets out a sigh of relief. "Murphy!" He hears a deep voice bellow. No. It can't be Bellamy. He should be dead. Murphy glances around, looking for a way out. Bellamy will kill him, Bellamy's going to kill him.

   Where does he go from here? What does he do? Where can he go?

   "Murphy, it's over!" Bellamy yells as Murphy reloads his gun. He swallows the hard lump in his throat.

   The hatch opens but the metal bar does it's job well. Bellamy keeps pushing. "Murphy!" Murphy can hear him pushing his whole body upwards, trying to get the hatch open.

   "There's only one way out of this for you now!" Bellamy yells. Murphy looks around once more. His eyes stop on something interesting.

   A tin with the label "GUNPOWER. THIS CRAP WILL BLOW YOUR FACE OFF!!" sits on a far end table.

   Murphy smirks. "You want to bet?" He questions, aiming his gun at the tin.

   And he shoots.

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   Bellamy breaks through. Murphy knows it because he can hear his voice yell out his name again. He'll give him points for that one. Maybe he was stronger than Murphy.

   He turns around one more time to see the look on their faces. And boy, does he enjoy it. Expressions of defeat. Murphy sniffles, wiping his nose with his sleeve and smirks before sprinting off again.

   John Murphy is gone once more.

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a/n

whew what a chapter. tried my best with this one, mostly just murphy... being crazy :/there may be lots of mistakes in this chapter i was lazy to edit :)

TRANSLATIONS:

SAYAH: Quiet.SAYAH: I love you too.

^ murphy when he spots jasper on the ladder, unsure whether or not if he saw him just murder myles

^ jasper just tryna come down the ladder n live his life but ending up witnessing murphy murder someone instead

^ myles this whole chapter