𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

80. directions

It was the next morning by the time I finally pulled myself towards the tech room. Overnight, Clarke had released the Mount Weather prisoner, sending him with a message for his people. Beyond that, she had apparently been keeping tabs on Bellamy, having him check in with them every three hours.

I hadn't spoken to him since yesterday afternoon, but I decided to stop pouting and go help Raven and him work to disarm the acid fog. Raven had apparently had some guy named Wick helping her out, but I had yet to meet him.

When I entered the room, Raven glanced up at me from what she was doing, "Look who it is." she grinned, giving me a playful shove as I sat next to her.

I let out a small laugh as I looked over at the radio, then analyzing the maps of Mount Weather she had drawn and the equipment she had built, "Look at you go" I commented, my eyes still travelling around the room.

Raven shrugged, "I've had some time to kill."

That made me look over at her in slight worry, "Has he called?"

She nodded, continuing to work, "Called a few minutes ago. We're making him mobile, so we can talk to him at anytime."

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding, lightening up slightly at being able to speak to Bellamy whenever.  "Is everything good?"

Raven's hands stopped moving, signalling that something was wrong. I sat up straighter as I looked over at her, "What happened?" I demanded.

She let out a shaky breath, "Bellamy said they're starting to take our friends one by one. He isn't sure where, neither is Maya, they were taken to a restricted area."

I let out a curse as I slammed my hand against the table, "We can't let anything happen to them. If we don't get in there soon and they don't come out-" I cut myself off, not wanting to say what came next in that sentence.

Luckily, Raven didn't make me, "I know," she whispered, resuming her work, "That's why we're going to get them out."

I looked over at her, tears trying to fall from my eyes. If we didn't get our friends out of there, I knew what would happen to them, and there was no way we could let that happen.

---

Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of Raven's map, radio in hand as I directed Bellamy through the air ducts. Clarke had joined us, opting to stay here instead of making the trek to Tondc.

"Okay, where are you now?" I asked, my eyes scanning the layout on the board in front of me.

"At an intersection...which way?" Bellamy questioned, his breathing heavy.

Raven gestured towards her drawings, "He just passed the air filtration system on this floor, which puts him about...here." she announced, pointing to the map.

I nodded as I pressed down on the button, "Bell, we think you're close. The lab should be up ahead."

Bellamy was quiet for a moment before he radioed back, "Any chance you can be more specific?"

The other two girls and I shared confused looks as we all examined the map, trying to find a way to further help Bellamy.

Before we had a chance to try and figure something out, an odd noise flooded from the speaker. Bellamy let out a small grunt, "Never mind, I've got this."

"Bellamy, be careful." I pleaded quietly, my hands shaking on the radio as I listened to his laboured breathing. The sound of the drills was getting louder, meaning he was getting closer.

He must have been right outside the lab at this point, as the noise was now louder and clearer than ever.

"Is that a drill?" Raven asked, her face scrunching up in confusion.

Clarke's jaw dropped slightly as the realization hit her, "Bone marrow extraction."

My face paled as I stared down at the radio in my hand, the noise still filling our ears. I felt like I was going to be sick as the noise stopped, followed by Dr. Tsing's voice. She was telling someone that it would be the last treatment they ever needed- meaning this bone marrow treatment was a permanent solution for prevention against radiation-unlike our blood which was only temporary.

When the man responded, Clarke's eyes grew wide, "Emerson." she whispered.

I glanced over at her, "The guy you let go?" I asked in clarification.

She nodded, all of us listening as another voice came into play, I recognized it as Cage Wallace's. He was asking Emerson about what he learned from his little stint here, questioning him about some secret army Clarke claimed to have.

The next few minutes went by in a blur. There was mention of window of extraction after death, of Mount Weather finishing the job, and of an attack on a village where a war meeting was being held tonight- Tondc. Finally, the world missile was spoken, and I felt like I was going to pass out.

All of our eyes were wide as we listened, fear seeping onto our faces.

"Please tell me you heard all that." Bellamy mumbled as he seemingly moved away from the lab, the sound of him shimmying through the vents coming through the radio.

I rose a shaky hand to my lips, radio in hand, "Yeah." I whispered, almost wishing we hadn't.

"We have to warn them." Raven announced.

"Did Kane take a radio?" Clarke questioned.

Raven shook her head, "No, this is the only unjammed frequency- we have to leave it open for Bellamy."

We all stood in silence for a moment, waiting for an idea to come to us, and finally one did, "I'll go." I announced, surprising all of us.

I was immediately met with opposition from all ends, "No way, Avery." Bellamy argued from the radio, Raven and Clarke mirrored his reaction.

Clarke pushed further with her argument, "You're still too slow with your leg, you won't make it, and if you do it will be just in time to get blown up. And besides, Raven needs you here." she stared at me for a moment, waiting for me to oppose, but this time I didn't, "I'll go." she finally decided.

I heard Bellamy let out a small sigh from the other end, I couldn't tell if it was one of relief or frustration.

"When I get back, I want to know that our friends are safe and that the acid fog is down. Can you handle that?" she asked, looking between Raven and I.

We both nodded, "Yeah, we've got this. Now go." Raven instructed.

Before Clarke had a chance to leave, Bellamy spoke, "Clarke, Octavia was in Tondc when I left is she..."

Clarke kept her eyes locked on me as she took the radio from my hand and spoke, "She's here, she's safe."

Raven shook her head after Clarke's hand was off of the button, "Octavia's in Tondc for the meeting...why did you lie?"

"Bellamy can't be distracted right now." she answered, "It helps no one."

With that, she turned to leave, only stopping when Raven surprisingly pulled her into a hug. I sat back, my hand clutched on the radio as I met eyes with Clarke, "Be safe." I ordered, hoping for her safe return. She nodded as she left the room, and what for what felt like the hundredth time, I feared it would be the last time I would see one of my friends.