This is pretty much a semi slow-burn. A lot of this story is figuring out just who Echo is, putting together a backstory to learn why Echo is who she is. This chapter is a stepping stone to their relationship. I'm gonna take my time with this story and stay as true to both Echo and Bellamy's characters as possible and keep their relationship development as natural and realistic as possible. We'll watch them grow as nemesis to allies to friends and eventually to lovers.

Bellamy

"Bellamy!" Echo, with Roan right behind her, flew through the door. Roan had his sword out and Echo's knuckles were white from her death grip on her bow.

"We heard shouting and shots," Roan growled. His gaze shifted and he saw the body on the ground. "Oh."

"Azgeda isn't welcome here," Indra hissed. She turned to her remaining guard. "Frag em op."

Before I could even think about what she said, Roan's sword was flying through the air and burying itself in the guard's chest.

"Was that necessary!" Kane shouted, shielding Indra in case Echo decided to let her arrows fly.

Roan nodded briskly and, staring at Echo, replied "she told that warrior to kill Echo."

Echo

"Echo. Echo! Where are you going?" I huffed and ignored the Sky Boy. I needed to get as far away from those people as I could. I needed to get as far away from Polis as I could. I just needed to get away from everything. He caught up and grasped my arm, swinging me around to face him. "Echo. Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Home."

"Where is home?"

I averted my gaze. "Azgeda."

"Echo, the radiation storm is in six days. If you leave…"

I swallowed hard. "I know."

"Echo…" he was pleading. Begging me to stay. Begging me to live.

"Look, Bellamy. They won't let Azgeda in the hole if I'm alive. They think Roan and I are too strong together."

"Together?" I saw a hint of dejection. I didn't understand these feelings.

"Yeah…they think that Roan and I would make a big power couple. Too big. Trikru won't risk it. But Bellamy, we aren't. Roan and I aren't like that! We clash way too much anyways."

"But…" he was trying to think this through quickly. I could almost see the gears in his head working. "If you aren't together…then maybe they won't care if both of you are there."

"Yeah, like they'd believe an Azgeda Spy," I mumbled.

"Hey," he put his hands on my shoulders. I tensed and he hesitated but left his hands, lightly massaging my shoulders. I involunteeringly relaxed. Damn it. "We can show them."

"You mean pretend that we are together?"

He looked genuinely hurt when I said pretend but he quickly masked it. "Yeah." I wanted him, I did. But I'd never been with someone that way. It was forbidden. Having fun as one thing, according to Nia, but falling in love, that was another. Hodnes laik kwelnes. Love is weakness. I wasn't so sure I believed that anymore.

But it was the end of the world, and we had things to do.

"Okay."

He reached out hesitantly. I hesitated before taking his hand in mine. He led me back to the temple. Roan looked more than relieved when we entered. The Chancellor stepped forward—Kane, I think his name was.

"Bellamy, Echo—we've come to a…understanding. Indra is worried that you, Echo, are in a relationship with the king and could plan to overthrow Trikru once we're in the bunker. Roan denied any relationship beyond King and War Chief. We need to hear it from you."

I drew in a breath. "Roan and I have no romantic relationship. We are no coup plotters. We just want to survive like you."

"Can you prove it?" Indra growled. She didn't believe us. To her, we were just Azgeda scum.

"I can," Bellamy spoke up, standing tall. "Echo and I…we have a romantic relationship. It started shortly before Arcadia blew up. We kept it a secret because we didn't think it was safe." He looked at me, passion burning in his eyes. "I love her."

And I knew he wasn't pretending.