─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT, JUNE REALIZED SHE COULDN'T REALLY AVOID RAVEN. She still had to work with her, especially on the mines they were putting in the ground for preparation. The hole near the tip of her boot was small but powerful. Raven was the one directing the delinquents, watching them with close eyes so no one would blow up, but it was Bellamy really in charge. He had been pacing with a gun cocked, looking from the ones digging and back to the woods. June knew he was thinking about Clarke, Finn, and Monty. Everyone was, ever since they brought Myles back, harmed.

"Come on," Bellamy's low voice fell over the crowd. "These foxholes aren't gonna build themselves." He took a few steps forward until he stopped in front of Raven. "Better hope those landmines work. All the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be making more grenades."

Through the dark, June could see the way Raven's eyes flickered up in anger. "You want to come over here and test one?" She challenged.

"I need this entire section mined by morning," Bellamy continued in order, ignoring her. "Then you finish the south field."

June's head shot up. "Hey, no," she protested, handing the shovel to Monroe to dash forward. "When we brought Myles back, we agreed we're going after Finn, Clarke, and Monty in the morning."

"Nobody leaves this camp," Bellamy stated without refusing to meet June's eyes.

Gritting her teeth, June stormed closer, grabbing the sleeve of Bellamy's jacket and tugging him back. "I'm talking to you!" He finally turned, looking at her with regret, but refusing to cave. "We can't abandon them. Monty is gone because of me, I left him alone," she began in a whisper. "So we are not leaving them out there." June gestured to the others who were listening closely. "If you want to lead them the right way, show them that you give a damn."

Before Bellamy could respond with more protests, a gunshot suddenly goes off in the distance. June snapped out of the stare held with him, drawn towards the sound. As Bellamy takes off, she's on his heels, her head whirling with every possibility, beginning with the grounders already attacking. However, as she arrives on sight, she only sees a blonde boy with a frightened look slumped against the tree. June breathes in relief, but Bellamy storms towards him up the slope and gives him a shove. "Hey, what the hell is the matter with you?!"

"I'm sorry, man," the young boy - Sterling, if June remembered right, apologized. "I fell asleep, I've been on watch all day."

"We've all been on watch all day!" Bellamy shouted roughly. "That bullet was one less dead grounder!"

"Bell." Octavia came up behind June, talking softly to her brother. "You're scaring people." When looking over her shoulder, June sees she's right. Every delinquent is actually holding a terrorized expression, worsening when Bellamy went on.

Whirling around, Bellamy's voice rises as he delivered a speech. "They should be scared!" He countered. "The bomb on the bridge bought us some time to prepare, but that time is up! The grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do!" He declared, gesturing to the trees violently. "Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone, probably dead, and if you want to be next, I can't stop you, but no guns are leaving this camp!" June feels sick, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. "This camp is the only thing keeping us alive!"

June is full of nothing but hurt. She wants to shout that Bellamy is wrong, that none of it was true, and she'd leave herself if she had to, gun or not. But the silence is too heavy, along with the images of the three gone forever. June watched, quiet, as Bellamy ran a hand down his face before waving it and stomping away with one last shout. "Get back to work!"

In distress, June figures the next person she wants to be far away from is Bellamy. She excuses herself from bomb duty, heading straight for the furthest place she could be, inside the dropship. The first person she bumps into is Jasper, his favorite goggles hung over his eyes as he messes with the gunpowder leftover that they hadn't used for the mines. Myles was laid on the table, cloths over his arrow wounds, fast asleep. June hesitated at the entrance, unsure if he'd want to see her because of what had happened to Monty, but she's greeted with a wide grin.

"June!" Jasper exclaimed. "Heard some shouting. Is everything alright?" He asked, slipping his googles back up his head to meet her eyes.

"It's just Bellamy," June replied, a sigh falling from her lips as she walked further inside. "The search for Clarke, Finn, and Monty isn't happening on his order." The wide smile on Jasper's face fell and his eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Jasper," she continued softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. June knew Jasper cared about Clarke and Finn but had known Monty since birth. His disappearance was much more personal.

However, Jasper shook his head before tilting it to meet her remorseful and guilty gaze. "Don't apologize," he denied. "It isn't your fault. Monty told you to leave him."

"Yeah, but..." June started, prepared to argue that it was her fault. Monty only had a radio. He shouldn't have been left alone.

June's words came to a halt when the sheet behind them swung to the side. She turned her head, breath hitching at the sight of Bellamy. She turned back around, biting her lower lip, uncertain if he'd overheard them. The question had been answered when Bellamy asked them in a low mumble; "Don't you think I want to go after them too?"

"Well," June started, finding her voice. "If it was you out there, lost in the woods, kidnapped, God knows what, you think Clarke or even Finn and Monty would hide behind the gate?" She countered, finally turning to sharply narrow her eyes.

"No. They'd go after me," Bellamy agreed. "Then they'd be dead too."

"Funny," Jasper scoffed quietly. "You didn't think that way when Octavia went missing." June tipped her head to the side, eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer.

A sad look plastered on Bellamy's face. "I am doing what I think is right for the group," he defended softly.

Jasper threw down the remaining bullets, pushing past June and storming for the ladder. "Where are you going?" Bellamy questioned.

Throwing his right hand up in a mocking salute, Jasper retorted; "More gunpowder for your minefield, Sir!" Without another angry word, he climbs up the ladder, leaving a stunned Bellamy and June alone.

"Well, then," June muttered under her breath, rubbing the back of her neck. "This is awkward."

A faint smile appeared on Bellamy's lower face before it was gone and he was clearing his throat, slowly appearing to Myles's side. "How is he?"

"Good, for someone shot with too many arrows," June replied. "But I'm not Clarke. I don't even want to remove them, it could be threatening," she explained, her sight meeting the broken arrows sticking out of his skin. She had done her best to wrap clean cloths around the injury, but they were starting to blot with his blood. June couldn't imagine the pain he was in, but Myles' eyes flew open as he let out a few groans of pain.

"Water," Myles requested in a moan. "Please..." June reached for the cup they kept next to him but noticed there's it's completely empty.

"I'll get it," Bellamy offered. "We should talk about taking the arrows out when I get back."

June nodded, handing him the cup. "Thanks, but we can talk about searching for the others when you get back," she offered stubbornly. Bellamy seemed amused, but he hid it another an annoyed facade before he was leaving. June watched for a moment, before crouching back to Myles. "I'll be right back, alright?" She informed gently, brushing his damp hair away from his sweaty forward. "I'm going to get new rags and clean your wound." Myles winced and nodded, giving her the permission to climb up the ladder after Jasper.

As June expected, Jasper was screwing off the top of a metal container. When June got closer, she could see it was labeled with capital letters; "GUNPOWDER. THIS CRAP WILL BLOW YOUR DAMN FACE OFF!!!" She lets out a snort, standing beside him. "Raven's writing, I'm guessing?" June suggested, almost able to hear Raven say the words.

"Yeah," Jasper responded with a small sigh as he started loading the shells.

Noticing how tense Jasper was, June frowned sympathetically. "Hey, I know this is hard," she says. "But I'll convince Bellamy. We're not leaving them out there," she finished firmly. Jasper looked up and paused his actions as she swiped up a few clean rags. As June straightened back up, she noticed he was smiling in content, like her words easily swayed him into believing they would find the missing three and bring them all home safe.

A sudden clang from the level below them is so loud it echoes and interrupts them. "That must be Bellamy, then. He went to get water for Myles." Jasper nods back, waving her away.

June swings the rags over her shoulder so she can climb down the ladder with ease. "Wow, that was fast," she commented, hopping off the last rung. "Did you - " June freezes as soon as her boots hit the ground, eyes going wide in shock at the new view, because it's not Bellamy standing there with a cup of water, helping nurse Myles back to health.

It's Murphy. And he's leaning over Myles completely still body with a plastic bag forcibly over his face. June can't hear him crying in pain anymore, because he's gone. Murphy killed him. For a few seconds, nothing happens. She just stares at him in shock, her mouth agape as he stares back with a look of surprise that she caught him. June can't figure out so many unanswered questions - why he had done this, for example. But she knows Bellamy set his gun down before he left. Her brown eyes dart to the firearm, Murphy's blue ones following it. June lunges first, but he's much closer.

Without given as so much of a chance to even touch the weapon, Murphy has it loaded in his murderous hands and is swinging it over. June cries out in pain as the butt of the gun strikes her in the temple, sending her toppling to the floor with a head rush. Sprawled on the ground, June bites back her sobs and cups the bleeding wound on the side of her head, weakly turning over only to see Murphy bearing the barrel straight at her.

"June?" Jasper calls down from above them. "Are you okay?"

Mouth falling open, prepared to scream until she was blue for help, Murphy beats her to it. "Say anything, and I'll kill you," he hisses lowly, pulling his lower lip back until he's sneering. June could feel her heart pumping, afraid for a moment it'd drive through her chest. She doesn't move, only keeping her hand completely still against the wound Murphy caused, not even breaking their stare.

There's a few small thuds like footsteps. June and Murphy's heads snap to the sound, seeing Jasper climbing slowly down the ladder, staring at Murphy in shock. He slowly raised his hands in defense, speaking calmly and breathlessly. "Murphy.  Put the gun down..."

"They tried to kill me," Murphy snarled in defense. June had to blink a few times, willing the ache to fade as she tries to remember the point in her life where she really tried to kill Murphy before it clicks. Connor egged on the crowd to hang him, she was the first that had punched him in encouragement for everyone to kill him, and Myles tied the noose.

"So now you're gonna kill me?" June asked gravely, lowering her hand to reveal the hit she had sustained. She sits up, starting to push herself up with her hands. "What? Do you want me to apologize? I can do it without a gun pointed at me."

Murphy cocks the gun up further. "Don't move," he warned.

"Okay, okay!" Jasper exclaimed, holding his hand out to help steady June until she was on her feet. "It's cool."

For the first time, Murphy looked scared. "No, it's not," he argued sharply. "You know what'll happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

"Tell Bellamy what?"

June shuts her eyes for a second, relieved to hear Bellamy's voice coming from a walkie. But the thankfulness fades when she sees Jasper mouth a curse word, his hand shifting in his pocket where he had been holding the button down. Murphy grips his weapons tighter. "Give me the radio, Jasper," he demanded.

Slowly, Jasper pulls the walkie out, pretending he was going to comply. Before June can blink again, he informs Bellamy as fast as lightning. "Murphy has a gun. He killed Myles - "

As he had to June, Murphy swings the gun again, the butt hitting Jasper and knocking him out cold with the direct force. Murphy is more full of adrenaline from knowing Bellamy knew now, but it doesn't stop June was lurching forward and swinging a closed fist at him. The punch connected with his nose, but it doesn't slow him down, almost like he's used to it. If Murphy really had wanted to shoot June, it could have been his chance then. But he doesn't.

Instead, Murphy reacts be raising the gun over his head and lowering it again harshly. June isn't given a chance to block it, and it hits directly in her chest. She gasped this time, the wind completely knocked out of her as she falls beside Jasper, desperately trying to catch her breath and fill her tightening lungs with air. Murphy jumps over June, racing to the lever and pulling it. She watched in horror, panting, with one hand on her chest as the door rises, trapping her and Jasper inside.

"Murphy! Open the damn door!" June faintly hears Bellamy shout in command right before the door seals shut.

Whirling around, Murphy pointed his gun at June again, this time with his finger on the trigger as he hollers back. "You try to be a hero, Jasper and June die!" 

━━━━━━━━

The two injuries June sustained from the killer are the worst of her current pains. Her temple is still aching, cracked dry blood sticking to her skin, and she felt the large bruise on her chest every time she breathes. Her hands had been tied tightly behind her, arms pulled back uncomfortably with her back to the wall in a sitting position. Jasper was in the same state, more teary, on her left side. June hadn't allowed her eyes to fill with tears, no matter how scared she was at the moment. She only kept a dark glare kept on Murphy, unable to speak any hateful words from the gag in her mouth.

All June knows is that she has to believe Bellamy is trying to figure this out. She trusted him to come up with a plan to get them out of this alive, but she wasn't sure how long it would take him. She wasn't even sure if it was daytime yet, uncertain of the time Murphy had been holding them hostage. June's head lets out a thud as it falls back, feeling tired, terrified, and angry, all at once.

"Murphy!" A sudden faint screech from outside fills the silence. It's Octavia, her voice muffled from the separation. "If you even touch either of them, I swear to God, you're dead!" She threatened. Murphy only snorts, rolling his eyes as he paces back and forth, keeping the gun held straight.

Once Octavia's voice fades, Bellamy's comes from the walkie on the table. "Murphy, I know you can hear me. All our ammo and food is in the middle level. You know that." Murphy is seemingly listening as he covers Myles's body with a blanket. "You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. I can't let that happen." It's fair Bellamy is worried about an attack, but June can't help but be slightly stung he didn't mention either her or Jasper's safety.

Murphy swipes up the radio, lowering his gun to reply. "Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now."

"Come on, Murphy," Bellamy urged him. "You don't want to hurt them. You want to hurt me. So what do you say? How about you trade them for me?" It's quiet as Murphy mulls over the offer before Bellamy continues to sweeten his deal. "All you have to do is let them go, and I'll take their place."

Eyes narrowing in June's direction, Murphy says otherwise. "June stays," he orders without room for argument.

June suddenly leans forward, the fury fading and being replaced with desperation. She didn't care if Murphy wanted to kill her, hell, maybe she even deserved it. She was sure she was one of the reasons he had been hung after all. "Just let Jasper go!" June feebly tries to exclaim through the gag, her words muffled, but clear to Murphy.

"Wow, pathetic," Murphy snorted. "Seems like she's fine with it. Anything to be a protector, right?" He shoots at her, this time with a smirk.

"Okay," Bellamy finally agrees. "Let Jasper go, and I'll take his place. Open the door. I walk in, he walks out."

Instead of responding, Murphy lets Bellamy knows he agrees when he strides forward and pulls up the lever. Sunlight pours in as the door falls open with a hiss, and June's blind for a moment, but she remained still as Jasper is yanked up by his arm. "Just you, Bellamy, unarmed!" He commanded.

Jasper's head turns to look at June, frightened features also full of sorrow. "J...June..." He quietly mumbled, but she shakes her head, telling him without needing to speak to just let this happen. Murphy wasn't giving them a choice.

"Ten seconds!" Murphy called out. "Or I'll put one in Jasper's leg! One..." He continued counting, reaching five when Bellamy stops him.

"I'm here!" Heavy footsteps hit the door, climbing upward until the red curtain is brushed back and Bellamy steps in. Murphy heavily shoved Jasper, who falls over and rolls down to the outside. June is relieved to see him safe, but she can't speak for herself and Bellamy, as the lever is pulled back down and the door shuts once more. Bellamy is slowly raising his hands, sounding too calm for a man with a gun pointed at him. "Murphy," he greeted. "We can talk. You don't have to hurt June for something I did."

"You think it's just you?" Murphy jeered harshly. "Connor suggested it, Myles tied the noose... But June provoked them. I told her I didn't do it, that I was innocent!" His voice rose accompanied with a snarl. "She punched me. So it's..." Murphy briefly glances over Bellamy's shoulder to glare at June. "It's personal. She might as well have kicked the crate underneath me too." June knew it was wrong to do so, and she wishes she could have apologized for it without a gag in her mouth and a gun pointed at her.

"June had just lost Wells," Bellamy defended her. June's head bows, knowing fully what she had done was no excuse. "She doesn't deserve to be killed for wanting justice for her friend's death."

Murphy shook his head. "No," he disagreed in a low drawl. "June loaded the gun, and you pulled the trigger. So now, you'll pay." He gestured to the supplies thrown around the room. "So get a seatbelt and tie a loop."

It's then that Bellamy becomes tense, unmoving. Murphy notices, and he points the gun at the other's feet before pulling the trigger. Bellamy darts back as June violently flinches at the noise, seeing the bullet had narrowly missed Bellamy. He finally complies, snatching a red belt. "Good," Murphy praised mockingly. "Now do what I said."

"Bellamy!" A pitched, worried voice comes from the radio's speaker, recognizable as Octavia. "Are you okay?!"

"You want her to know you're alive?" Murphy questioned. "Start tying."

"Bellamy!" Octavia repeats. "Do you copy?"

Watching in horror, June is shocked that Bellamy suddenly does so. He crouched, tying the belt until it created a loop. Satisfied, Murphy pressed the walkie button and held it forward so Octavia can receive some comfort. "I'm fine," he confirmed. "Just a misfire. Now stop worrying about me and get back to work, all of you..." He paused before adding. "And tell Raven to hurry her ass up."

Despite the situation, June perks up at the mention of the mechanic's name. She and Monty would be the only two people at the camp who could use their heads to work this out. She wants to cry in solace, but Murphy switches off the walkie. "Alright, that's enough," he decided. "Tie those two ends together." June's chest heaves a painful breath of air as Bellamy did so, knowing she was powerful now to stop it. "Now get up and toss it over."

"What do you want me to say? You want me to apologize?" Bellamy says softly, full of regret. "I'm..." He takes a step forward, but Murphy shoots the gun up again in warning. He sighs. "I'm sorry."

"You got it all wrong, Bellamy," Murphy elaborated. "I don't want you to say anything. I want you to feel what I felt, and then..." He tilts his head. "Then I want you to die."

The strangled cry that comes from June isn't what she's expecting, along with the shaking of her head in protest, desperately begging without words for Murphy not to do this, knowing that she cannot loose one more person.