AMNESIA - BELLAMY BLAKE

꧁Chapter Three.꧂

❝I'm over this.

I'm tired of living in the dark.

Can anyone see me down here?❞

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Phoenix wished he were back in the semi-comfort of his bed. He didn't want to have to watch Kane possibly die, but that's exactly what he has to do. The things he himself has had to do to survive... he wasn't sure he even wanted his memories back anymore. What if he had done something even worse than what he had to endure in the bunker? He wouldn't be able to handle it.

Kane knelt down in the bloody arena, shaking his head as he turned to look up at Octavia. "I will not kill this man. Somehow we allowed justice to become vengeance and vengeance to become sport, and I allowed that.. That darkness to rise..." Octavia had opened the door which separated her from the arena, entering as Kane continued his speech. "But my complicity ends today."

Phoenix and Miller entered behind her, his gun hung loosely in his arms. It was easy to say he didn't want to be a part of this, but he had no choice. If he refused, he'd die alongside Kane. Octavia stared him down.

"You are wonkru, or you are the enemy of wonkru," Octavia said, staring at him coldly. "Choose."

"I already have," Kane stated simply, meeting her cold gaze.

Phoenix barely could watch as Octavia ripped a sword from the wall, storming over to Kane before kicking him in the chest. Kane went sprawling to the ground. She kicked his leg, demanding for him to get up. He stayed where he was on his back. Phoenix had to physically fight back the urge to stop her. She might trust him more than most, but even he wouldn't get away with openly challenging her in front of everyone.

"Come on, Kane," Octavia was saying as she circled the man on the ground. "Where is your survival instinct?"

"Saving my people is about more than keeping them alive," Kane panted, slowly getting to his feet. "It's not too late," he said against the cheering of the crowd.

Phoenix couldn't look away as Octavia informed Kane that for him it was too late. She reeled back her sword, getting ready to strike, before they all heard a loud rumble coming from the ceiling. Rubble began to fall from it, little beams of light shining through the otherwise dark bunker. Indra shouted for them to clear the arena and take the prisoners to the cells, Phoenix moved forward along with Miller, each grabbing Kane's arm to pull him to his feet and towards safety.

Phoenix allowed Miller to keep hold of Kane, moving back towards the arena to try and get Octavia to listen to him and step back. Just as he went to reach for her, she moved forward out of his grasp shouting no. Suddenly, a rope fell towards the arena, a man sliding down it. Octavia took one look at the stranger, her sword clattering to the ground as she raced forward and threw her arms around him. Another figure climbed down another rope, landing near the man and Octavia.

The dark eyes of the stranger locked on to Phoenix, his intense stare unwavering as he moved out of Octavia's grip and towards Phoenix. He barely had time to process Miller telling him the man's name was Bellamy, before he was pulled into an awkward bone-crushing hug. Bellamy's hand went on the back of Phoenix's head, while the confused man's hands stood loosely at his sides.

Phoenix was both confused and content in the man he has no memory of's arms. He was also conflicted about why he felt the way he did, a warmth in his chest that he couldn't quite identify. Bellamy, having realized that Phoenix wasn't hugging him back, stepped backwards with noticeable confusion.

"Um," Phoenix stated, at loss for words. "I don't.. I'm sorry," he whispered, eyes apologetic.

Bellamy opened his mouth to speak, understandably probably having questions, but their attention was pulled back to the circumstance at hand. Two more strangers came down the rope.

"Who are they?" Octavia questioned, looking towards Bellamy, who had finally opted to turn away from Phoenix for the time being.

"Well," Phoenix drawled, having recovered from the awkward hug. "I take it they aren't part of our group."

"We're here to rescue you," the strange woman told Octavia, ignoring Phoenix.

"Why are you armed?" Octavia questioned, bringing Phoenix's attention towards the fact that they did, in fact, have weapons. He reached down for his discarded gun, keeping it at his side but holding it nonetheless. Bellamy put a hand out to his sister, telling her it was okay, but Phoenix still had an uneasy feeling.

"Before we get to that," the blonde interrupted, standing to face Octavia. "Where's my mom?"

Indra offered to take the blonde, who Phoenix soon learned to be Clarke, to her mother. Octavia only giving a nod in response.

"So," the strange woman said, eyes on Octavia as she smiled - though it lacked warmth and didn't quite reach her eyes. "I take it you're his sister."

"Yes," Bellamy said for her. "Sorry. Octavia, this is Colonel Diyoza."

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The ground was unlike anything his friends described. The fire had completely destroyed the city, the sky clouded over from the ashes. Phoenix wished he could remember what the world looked like before it burned. His eyes took it all in, finally free from the untold horror from the bunker. He felt the sun on his face, but he didn't smile. Phoenix shook his head to adjust to the sudden light, turning to stand by Miller who had just finished talking to Bellamy.

"Was it always like this and you guys made up all that other stuff or...?" Phoenix couldn't stop himself from muttering. Miller let out a chuckle.

"Nix, it's been six years," he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"No, yeah, I know," Phoenix responded. "It's just not as pretty as I pictured."

It was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The pain of living with things he couldn't even remember, the hauntingly beautiful destruction of the world reminded him that he survived. That he continued to survive against all odds. Even if he couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards Octavia for the things that happened, he couldn't deny that she kept them alive. Forced to do things that made her into what she was.

“Phoenix,” Clarke breathed as she pulled him into a hug. “I'm glad you're okay,” she said before taking a step back from him.

“Do I need to expect hugs from everyone or is that it?” Phoenix asked, genuinely confused. He felt more guilt each time someone hugged him. He cleared his throat awkwardly as the blondes face fell. “I'm sorry.. Clarke, right? I don't remember much. Your mother thinks the ice bath to get the chip out fried parts of my brain. Or whatever technical term she used.”

It pained him to say it, and pained him even more at the look he received. If there were something he hated more, it would be pity.