A/N: Enjoy Everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own the 100. The story is rated M for adult themes and will feature spoilers.
I Found by Amber Run
And I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense, then you'll lose your mind
And I'll use you as focal point
So I don't lose sight of what I want
And I've moved further than I thought I could
But I miss you more than I thought I would
Oh I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense, then you'll lose your mind
And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be
Right in front of me, talk some sense to me
Resolutions- Chapter 24- Wounded
Clarke's feet pounded against the ground. Branches snapped under her as she crashed through the forest with each step. Her heart raced wildly in her chest as she pushed to run faster.
Bellamy was right on her heels. She could practically feel the heat of his body press against her. Instead of finding comfort in his nearness like she normally would, his presence amplified the panic she felt. Each panting exhale from him was a warm and frightening reminder on her neck that they were in immediate danger from something that they couldn't see. They couldn't stop, couldn't plan.
They were helpless and defenseless.
Clarke could only focus on the path in front of her. Her vision narrowed as she ducked under low-hanging branches and jumped over fallen tree trunks. After a few minutes, Clarke was beginning to feel like they had outrun the thing that was chasing them.
She was about to suggest to Bellamy that they stop, but the loud, piercing screech of a wild animal sent her feet careening forward. She felt Bellamy's hands grappling at her hips, trying to steady her, but her shoes managed to catch the small knobby wood of a borrowing root.
Bellamy wasn't able to stop her, and his momentum caused him to fly forward and slam into her body. Her legs became tangled with his, and they both crashed down onto the floor in a tangled mess. The air whooshed out of her chest as she felt her body smack the ground.
"Bell," she groaned. She rolled to her side, trying to ignore the way her breath painfully wheezed out of her body.
Bellamy was already trying to stumble to his feet. He reached out and clumsily grabbed her shirt and forearm and began heaving her to her feet. Clarke scrambled up. She clung to Bellamy's hand and started to move forward again.
"Stop, Clarke!" Bellamy called. Clarke could hear the twinge of discomfort in his voice. Her head whipped around. "I can't run."
"Why?"
"Ankle. You need to go. I need you to run back to camp." Clarke began shaking her head. "I'm serious, Clarke. My ankle is twisted. I won't be able to keep up, and something is hunting us."
"Then we face it together."
"No," Bellamy half-shouted, half whispered in reply. Clarke flinched back and shook her head more vehemently.
"You said we had to work together. I'm not leaving you again. Ever!"
Bellamy limped forward a step. He placed his hands on her face so that they were cupping her soft, rounded cheeks. He forced her to look him in the eye.
"This is different, Clarke."
"It isn-,"
"Stop! You need to go now. I am not letting you get hurt."
"No," Clarke whispered stubbornly. The agitation on Bellamy's face was building. The slim time frame for escape was getting smaller.
"I can't focus on keeping me alive if I am worried about you, Clarke."
"If you die, I die. So make the choice. You either need to ignore the pain and try and run with me, or we face that thing head on."
She looked at Bellamy so fiercely that he knew that he was going to lose the argument.
"Fine, but you run ahead of me, and if we are close to the camp, you run towards it and get help for me."
Clarke opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut with an audible click and nodded her head. She watched him take a small step and knew that they were in trouble.
"Go, Clarke."
Clarke turned and began to run. Her steps were loud, but Bellamy's were much louder. He was trying to keep pace to stay alive and keep her alive, but in reality, she knew that he was drawing the beast towards them with greater accuracy. Clarke blocked out the noises and focused on drawing air into her burning lungs
Clarke ran for a few more minutes without hesitation. She recognized some of the landscape. They were a few minutes from camp. Relief burst in her chest.
She turned around rapidly searching for Bellamy to tell him the good news. She was greeted with the stillness of the forest. Clarke's heart stuttered painfully as she darted back a few steps and sought after Bellamy.
She couldn't hear or see anything.
"Fuck!" She screamed. She broke into a sprint, retracing her steps. Panic welled up inside her.
Where the hell was he?
She thought he was right behind her. She needed to calm down. Clarke's feet slowed down. She closed her eyes and listened to the surrounding noises. She was just about to give up hope when she heard the pained grunt of someone.
She knew it was Bellamy.
Clarke followed the sound at a breakneck speed until she was crashing through foliage into a small wooded ravine. Her heart dropped as she looked in front of her to see a large man covered in blood and dirt and other vile materials cornering Bellamy. The man's brutishly large forearm was wrapped around his neck.
"Bellamy!" she screamed again.
His brown eyes met hers.
Clarke's heart dropped as she analyzed that one look. It was a look of fear and helplessness. It was a look that she recognized in his but hadn't seen in a long time. It was the look he gave her after Dax had attacked him and he had confessed his sins to her.
Clarke hesitated as she tried to figure a way to help him. She had no weapons and knew that she wouldn't be able to use her own strength to bring the man down.
No, not a man; he was a Reaper, she realized. The blood stained eyes and crazed motions showed her exactly what he was.
A choked gasp sent her running at the man without a plan.
There was no time for plans. As she ran, she scooped down and picked up a long, thick, straight branch. Instead of swinging that stick at his head, Clarke used her speed to leap on the man's back. She threw the stick across the Reaper's neck and beginning pulling back with all her strength. If she could get him off balance, both she and Bellamy could finish the job.
Her distraction worked, and she watched with relief as Bellamy fell to the ground untouched. He clutched at his throat and coughed before stumbling to his feet.
Her relief was short-lived as the Reaper began to claw at her hands wrapped around the stick. She cried out as his jagged, blood stained fingernails drew blood on the backs of her hand. She refused to let go though and held on tighter, using jerking movements to throw the Reaper off balance.
The Reaper stumbled backward a few steps, nearly falling to his knees. He gained his footing again and began to take purposeful strides backs.
Both Clarke and the Reaper flew into a tree. Clarke felt as if her body was being slammed by a truck. The force of his body on hers and the sharp angle of the knolled tree sent the air rushing out of her.
Clarke's grip weakened on the branch. The Reaper took advantage of her surprise and used his beefy arm to swing her around and throw her body to the ground. She hit the ground with a huge thump. Her head hit the flat, hard surface of a rock. Darkness and bursts of light clouded her vision, and a quiet groan escaped her mouth as she tried to reassemble her thoughts.
A loud roar of rage flowed into her ears causing her to cringe to the side. Clarke rubbed her hands over her eyes, clearing the specks of stars. As her vision cleared, she rolled onto her side and slowly pushed her way into a sitting position.
She turned around looking for the fight, but all she saw was a beaten, bruised, and bloodied Bellamy standing over the fallen Reaper. A large stone was clutched in his hand and a look of pure shock on his face.
Clarke stumbled to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness and nausea, and reached for Bellamy. Her hand grazed his hand. Bellamy flinched back from the touch.
"Bel," she asked softly. Her hand reached again for the hand that held the heavy rock. She wrapped her hand softly against his.
"Is he dead?" Bellamy muttered in a gritted voice. Clarke stared down at the body and noticed the deep rise and fall of his chest even from where she was.
"No," she whispered.
The stone dropped out of his hand, and Clarke saw his shoulders descend in relief.
"What happened?"
"He cut me off. I didn't expect him." Clarke looked down at the body curiously. She looked again at Bellamy's shell-shocked expression. Dropping his hand, she knelt next to the body. She reached out and hesitated. Her fingers were a hairsbreadth away from the man. She steeled the anxiety building in her chest and gently pushed the man's shoulder until he rolled onto his side.
Clarke's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the man's face.
Her eyes shot to Bellamy then back to the man.
"Lincoln."
A/N: Very short chapter. Please review. I would love to hear your feedback!