A Whole New World | Octavia Blake [1]

Chapter 51

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Addison

Night had fallen fast. Addison stands where Clarke and Bellamy were standing when she and the rest of the delinquents retreated back to camp. Peering over the wall, her trigger finger lays on the thin, curved piece of metal, ready to squeeze it at any moment. Could she handle killing again, even if it was an enemy? Maybe. Could she kill the enemy to protect her people? Yes. If not for her people, then for the few in camp she cares about: Liam, Octavia, Raven, Clarke, Jasper, Dawson, Harper --her dear acquaintance-- and even Bellamy, to name a few.

She moves her stare away from the tree, sweeping her eyes around the forest. The only thing that seemed to somewhat keep her nerves calm was Liam.

Addison's mind wandered back to what Dawson had asked the evening Monty disappeared. She sucks in a sharp breath; how could she forget about Jasper's other half? With war around the corner and Raven hanging onto her life, that's all that's been clouding her mind. She suddenly felt guilty.

Shaking her head, she forces herself to think back to Dawson's words, ignoring the heart string that pulled from Monty's disappearance--she's just glad he's not fighting. Even a blind man can see he's not equipped for this scene.

"He's acting weird, though."

"'Weird'?" Dawson nods, Addison's brows scrunching even more. "How so?"

"Just different. Off, I guess. You should talk to him."

Addison never did get the chance too. That night, she did notice Liam's posture and body language was weird before she, Raven and Octavia grouped together to find Clarke, Finn and Monty. After Murphy and the dropship incident she got herself into with Jasper, she noticed Liam hanging around some girl she'd only seen around a few times. Even marching away from camp, she saw the two never leaving the other's side.

Addison found it odd, but she was happy for Liam. It still didn't explain why Dawson had said he'd been acting weird.

"You've been around Liam lately," Addison started. "Has he been acting weird?"

From her side, Callie has her own rifle aimed over the wall and answers quietly, "Weird as in oblivious? Yes."

"Oblivious?" Most of Addison's attention is now diverted to Callie, the Grounders non-existence for a split second.

Callie's lips part to answer, but she's interrupted by the rhythmical sound of beating drums. "War drums?" she asked, Addison's rifle snapping to the trees.

She swallows the nervous lump in her throat, "Yeah, I think so . . ." her heartbeat quickens that no longer matches the Grounder's war drums.

"Addison," Bellamy called under his breath from below her, Callie and two other gunners.

She briefly turns her attention to him, holding her rifle to her chest as she crouches behind the wall. "What is it?"

"I need you to come with me," he said. Getting a nod from Callie that she and the two gunners are good, Addison slides off the ledge to join Bellamy.

Once she was at his side, he hopped into a swift jog that she was quick to copy, ducking after him in one of the foxholes. Addison's soon able to fully stand, her rifle raising as she re-joins Bellamy, along with Miller and Monroe.