By the time Clarke, Finn, Murphy, and Lincoln reached the outskirts of the camp, the dropship clearing was hyper with activities.
Shouts and running footsteps along with the metallic clatter of weapons being prepped faster than hands could manage.
Everywhere they looked, people were scrambling and dragging one thing or another, reinforcing barricades and others were sharpening what looked like spears.
But the group didn't charge in, they didn't dare. The perimeter was lined with an ugly number of Jason's traps from the tripwires, deadfall spikes to silent alarms made from broken metal and cord.
Lincoln raised a hand, stopping them just before Murphy nearly stepped on a camouflaged wire.
He stared down at it, a flicker of respect crossing his usually unreadable face.
"Impressive," Lincoln murmured. "I wasn't expecting traps of this level."
Murphy scoffed while Finn and Clarke exchanged tense glances. Lincoln crouched down while examining another trap, one that would've sent sharpened stakes swinging at throat-height from what he saw while looking up at the camouflage death trap.
"What else are your people preparing?" he asked quietly. "When the Grounders invade?"
Murphy snapped before Clarke could answer.
"Why? So you can go back and warn your friends?"
Clarke hissed, "Murphy, stop."
Finn added sharply, "He's on our side."
Clarke looked directly at Lincoln, searching his eyes. "Aren't you?"
Lincoln exhaled slowly, "I don't want blood spilled," he said softly. "That's why I'm helping you."
Murphy stepped in close, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Right. And I bet this doesn't have anything to do with a certain sweet blue-eyed girl, does it?"
Lincoln's expression darkened at that. "Octavia is definitely one of the reasons I don't want you all dead." Then he leaned forward, just enough that Murphy stiffened.
"But you're making me rethink that choice." His voice dropped lower. "I'm already considered a traitor to my people. I've risked everything. What more do I need to do to prove where I stand?"
Clarke raised both hands. "Okay, that's enough. Murphy, stop antagonizing him."
Murphy backed off while muttering to himself.
The group pushed forward and finally crossed into the camp. Instantly, the guards with Bellamy infront of them aimed their rifles until Bellamy saw who it was. "Clarke?!"
He waved the others down. "Stand down! Stand down, they're ours!" Clarke and Finn stumbled through the entrance as Bellamy rushed over, weapon lowered but with their eyes wild.
And then someone shouted "Lincoln?!" Octavia sprinted past everyone and she nearly crashed into him, arms wrapping tight around his waist. Lincoln caught her gently with one arm.
"I'm fine," he whispered into her hair.
Bellamy reached Clarkeqnd Finn in three long strides. "Where're the others? Where's Jason? Where's—"
Clarke cut him off with trembling breath.
"He stayed back." Bellamy froze mid-step at that and Clarke swallowed before continuing, "John, David, Ryan were they were taken and Jason went after them."
The blood in Bellamy's face drained.
"He what?"
Clarke nodded weakly. "He said he wasn't leaving his men. And… he told us to get back here and prepare for war."
Finn stepped in, "The Grounders are mobilizing Bellamy. Some commander named Tristan is coming."
The entire gate seemed to go silent. Bellamy stared at them with a focused readiness Clarke hadn't seen before.
He slowly turned to Lincoln. "Is it true?"
Lincoln met his eyes and didn't hesitate.
"Yes, the commander has declared open war on the Sky People."
Bellamy's jaw clenched and Lincoln continued with a grim face.
"Many of my people voted for this after the flares destroyed the village… the bridge explosion… and the sky crew's invasion into our territory."
Octavia swallowed, stepping closer.
Lincoln's eyes hardened and he continued, "Your camp is now marked for death."
He looked around the camp and at each and every of of them, "You will be surrounded soon."
The moment Lincoln's warning settled over the clearing, a heavy silence rippled outward.
Then fear, real fear gripped the kids who had been arguing moments ago and they froze mid-sentence.
Guards gripping rifles felt their hands become sweaty as it started to tremble. A few of the younger delinquents instinctively stepped backward, as though distance could save them. A death sentence hung in the air and above their heads.
Bellamy cursed under his breath.
Before he could speak, Raven pushed through the crowd with her eyes wide the moment she saw Clarke and Finn.
"Thank God…"
She pulled Clarke into a fierce hug. And Clarke hugged her back. But then Raven looked around, scanning the space between them, behind them and confusion crept in.
"…Where's Jason?"
Clarke's throat tightened as she saw the look on her face.
She swallowed, but Finn answered first.
"He stayed behind."
Raven stepped back as if struck, Her eyes widened in disbelief then her expression twisted into horror and anger. "He WHAT?!"
Murphy scoffed loudly.
"Relax. It's not like he asked anyone for permission before running off."
Finn shook his head, rubbing his face.
"He's going to get himself killed."
Lincoln stepped forward, voice cold and firm.
"No. Tristan will kill him." Everyone turned to him at that .
"You don't understand," Lincoln continued. "The commander doesn't take prisoners. He isn't expected to. That is why he is replacing Anya in dealing with this camp."
Raven's fists clenched so hard her knuckles whitened.
"Then somebody better start planning something," she snapped, "because I'm not letting him die out there."
Bellamy rubbed his temples, trying to think past the chaos.
"We're not letting him die Raven but we can't go after him either."
"What?" Raven snapped.
Bellamy met her eyes. "He wouldn't want us leaving the camp now. You know that. And besides—" He exhaled, the truth heavy. "If anyone can pull this off and bring our people back… it's him. You of all people know what he's capable of."
Raven's jaw tightened.
Finn glanced at her, surprised by how deeply this was affecting her and how scared she looked but he said nothing.
Finally, Raven breathed out sharply. "Fine. Shit." Bellamy nodded once.
Then he turned toward the crowd, toward every frightened face staring at him for answers he didn't fully have and he raised his voice.
"Alright! Listen up, everyone!" The camp stilled, "We don't have time, the grounders will be on us soon with a real army."
Murmurs broke out, panic growing again, but Bellamy slammed his voice over them.
"Jason is buying us time right now."
That shut them up fast, "So we use every second of it, we reinforce this camp, we set more traps and we fortify the dropship."
He pointed to the barricades. "We're running out of daylight. They could be here any minute, tonight, tomorrow morning, we don't know."
Clarke stepped forward as well and spoke up to support Bellamy. "Then we work twice as fast."
She looked around the camp and at the people she'd sworn to protect till the real ark comes down and after.
"Jason bought us that time. The least we can do is use it."
The fear in their eyes go away even after what they just said, but it finally pushed them into motion.
People jogged around, sprinted, shouted for tools.
More traps were dragged out into the forest to be set up, the dropship surrounding environment were being reinforced.
Everyone understood one thing:
The Grounders were coming.
And people were going to die, that much they were painfully aware of.
Off to the side, Raven lingered at the camp's edge.
Staring out at the darkening forest Jason had vanished into.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Please don't die, Jason… not now."
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