14: S h o o t i n g S t a r





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[PREVIOUSLY: Finn and Octavia share a moment. A tragedy strikes, leaving Bellamy's right-hand-man, Atom, near-on-dead. The Blake siblings' relationship spirals downhill; ending with Octavia's disownment of her brother].


Night had fallen on the eve of our third day on the ground. Our patrol guards were out, guarding the base of the camp. Everyone else was either snuggled up asleep in their tents or doing a certain activity with another member of the Ark.

It was Monty and Bryce's turn to look after Jasper, who's immune system seemed to be having a hard time fighting the infection in his body. However, since Atom made an appearance to the medical suite, Clarke decided to stay up with the boys, in case things turned sour during the night.

Bellamy was sound asleep, probably with a girl hanging off either arm. He had not a single worry in the world. The guilt that should've been on his mind was non-existent. He hadn't spoken a single word to me since I disowned him, and I was making sure to avoid him at all costs.

At that moment, the only person who could truly sympathise with and comfort me was Finn.

I shared a tent with Charlotte and another girl called Zoe Monroe. But that night? I wasn't in a very good frame of mind. So, I had slipped out of my bed, unnoticed. I went into Finn's tent and snuggled up with him under the covers.

My head was on his chest and his chin was resting on top of my hair. He had his arms wrapped around me and I had my legs tangled up with his.

"What are you thinking about, Princess?" Finn whispered softly as he pressed a light kiss to the top of my head.

"How happy I am to be here with you," I mumbled sleepily in response.

"Anything else on your mind?"

I slowly opened my eyes and shifted my body so I was looking up at him. "You know what I'm worried about, Spacewalker," I sighed. "My brother's a tyrant and I can't do anything to make him see otherwise."

Finn bit his lip and nodded. "I know, Princess, I know," he comforted me, running his fingers through my thick dark hair. "Let's just hope that he'll get himself together soon otherwise we're gonna be stuck here with no food, no water, and no supplies; surrounded by a bunch of angry grounders."

"It's not ideal."

"Not at all."

"Don't worry your pretty head about it, Spacewalker. He's my brother. I'll take care of him. Get some sleep."

Finn smiled and leaned forward to give me a quick kiss before settling back against his pillow. With a deep sigh of contentment, I lowered my head back down onto his chest and slipped an arm around him.

My eyes flittered shut as my mind wandered into the land of unconsciousness.


"Octavia! Wake up!"

The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake. Confused and surprised, I opened my eyes and groaned at the sudden burst of light that filled my vision. I swatted my intruder away and groggily rolled over.

"What?" I groaned into my pillow.

"It's your turn to take care of Atom and Jasper," the voice urged me. "Clarke and the others have been up all night and they need someone to relieve them. C'mon."

"Why don't they get Bellamy to do it?" I snapped. "The asshole doesn't do anything but strut around looking important."

"Octavia!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming."

Turns out, it was Monty who, after his shift had ended, had located me and Finn fast asleep in his tent. He shook us both awake, although I wasn't a morning person and found it much harder to crawl out of bed than Finn did.

After chucking on my combat boots and shrugging on my thick leather jacket, I followed Finn out of the tent and started off in the direction of the drop-ship. I dragged my fingers through my scraggly hair, trying to brush out all the knots, when suddenly, the sound of someone's stifled sobs arrested me. I stopped stock-still and turned in the direction of the noise. Funnily enough, it seemed to be coming from my tent!

"Hey Finn, I've gotta go check up on something," I called out after him. "I'll be at the drop-ship in a minute."

Finn gave me a grin and a thumbs-up before trudging off.

I strode over to the tent and flicked up the canvas flap hanging over the opening. I stepped inside and glanced around the area.

Charlotte was curled up on her bed, her head buried in her knees, her shoulders shaking with suppressed cries.

"C-Charlotte?" I gasped as I hurried over to her. Squatting down in front of her, I grabbed her by the arms and asked worriedly, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Charlotte slowly lifted her head up and gazed at me. She swallowed hard before glancing up at the tent opening. "Are - are you alone?"

"Yes, darl, I am," I assured her. "What's wrong, honey? You can tell me."

Charlotte sniffled and wiped at her nose. "You - you won't believe me."

"Of course I will!" I said, nodding my head vigourously. "In the situation that we're in right now I'll believe pretty much anything. Go on. What's happened?"

Charlotte hesitated before heaving a deep breath and complying. "It - it happened when you, Clarke, Bellamy, Wells and Finn went after Jasper," she stuttered fearfully. "I - I ... well ... that is..."

"What?" I gently prompted her.

"It - it was Murphy!" she blurted out. "I - I dunno how many times he's done this but - but it was so scary!"

My brow darkened as I stared at her, a flicker of suspicion in my gaze.

"He - he made sure no one was nearby ... then - then he came into my tent ... when I was all alone ... and - and he did stuff to me that I - I didn't want him too ..." Charlotte burst into tears. "He - he told me not to tell anybody ever b-but ..."

"Come here!" I wrapped my arms around Charlotte and pulled her in for a big, tight hug. My entire body was shaking with rage but I had to put my emotions aside for the moment. Charlotte needed me. I had to remain strong, for her sake. "It's okay, babe, it's okay. I'll take care of this alright?"

After Charlotte's tears had subdued, I led her out of the tent and put her under the watchful care of Zoe. I briefly explained what had happened and put much emphasis on the fact that she was never, at any time, to leave Charlotte alone unless another girl was with her.

Then, my teeth gritted and my fists clenched, I stomped over towards the drop-ship where Bellamy and Murphy were sure to be.

I slammed through the door, making everyone that was present inside jump in fright. My gaze scanned the room. I had been right. Bellamy and Murphy were there, as well as our two patients plus Finn, Bryce and some random blonde-haired girl.

"Geez, Octavia," Bellamy complained lousily. "Please keep it down."

"Yeah, you could wake the sleeping beauties over there," Murphy sniggered as he pointed to Atom and Jasper.

"You - you son of a bitch!" I screamed. I lunged at Murphy and swung my fist at him, putting my whole body weight behind it.

PAM.

I socked him right in the face.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, w-what the hell?" Murphy screeched as he tumbled to the floor, bringing me down with him.

I straightened up, pinning Murphy's arms down below my knees. I grasped him around the neck and squeezed tightly. Murphy began gasping for breath.

"Octavia! What are you doing?" Finn yelped. "Get off him! You're gonna kill him!"

"That's what I'm planning on doing," I growled as I glowered down at a struggling, flailing Murphy.

Strong arms encircled my own and yanked me up and away from Murphy. I kicked out at whoever was behind me, shouting profanities and screaming for them to let me get at Murphy, that disgusting, revolting shell of a person.

I was set down hard on the floor and when I tried to get up again, I wasn't very successful. Bellamy blocked my path to Murphy and Finn tried to soothe me down by pulling me down and holding me close to him.

"What the hell was that?" Bellamy boomed. "Octavia! Answer me!"

"He - he ..." I gulped, tears suddenly stinging my eyes. "He sexually assaulted Charlotte, Bellamy, that son of a bitch! He needs to be punished!"

Finn jerked away from me, his face one of rage and horror. "Is that true?" he yelled at Murphy as he leaped to his feet and charged at him.

"Whoa, calm down alright?" Bellamy placed a restraining hand on Finn's chest. "Let's just all take a chill pill and relax, okay?"

"Relax?" I yelled. "Bellamy, you don't seriously think I'm lying ... ?"

"Hold on!" Bellamy shushed me. "Do you hear that?"

For a moment, everyone within the drop-ship quietened down enough to hear the commotion that was waging outside.

"What is it now?" Bellamy groaned as he stomped past me and flung open the drop-ship door.

People were yelling and crying and panicking and scrambling all over the place. They were all looking up and pointing towards the sky, their faces a mix of terror, confusion and shock.

Bellamy exchanged quizzical glances with Finn and I. Without a second thought, the three of us trundled outside.

"What's going on?" Finn demanded, grabbing a nearby boy by the shirt and looking him square in the eye.

"Something's happening up there!" the boy returned, nodding up towards the sky. "I mean, what even is that? A shooting star?"

Finn, Bellamy and I all turned and looked up in the direction the boy was pointing at. We all widened our eyes and gasped at the same time as we realised what the cause of all the chaos in the camp was.

An explosion of fiery sparks had erupted in the pale blue canvas up above us. A thick, yellowed cloud of smoke was pummelling through the air, following the direct orbit of an unrecognisable, metallic object that was sailing through the atmosphere.

"Oh my god. T-that's not a shooting star," I whispered. "That's another drop-ship!"


Gif: Octavia punches Murphy. *The Author smirks evilly*



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