─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

AS EXPECTED, THE GROUP WAS IN A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH ABBY WHEN THEY RETURNED. Once word got out about what Finn had done, she was more lenient about it. June couldn't tell what Abby thought about it, but she must not have been as horrified, as she let Finn roam around the camp. She was slightly bitter as two days pass, remembering being locked up for just punching Murphy. Finn slaughtered eighteen unarmed people - men, women, children - and he was pardoned. June shifts on the barrel on Clarke's other side, uncomfortable, as she tried to ignore every feeling about him and focus on the task in front of her.

"Okay... Tell me again," Bellamy requested, squinting as he studied the sketch on the tabletop for the three of them to see. Clarke had drawn it herself, memorizing Mount Weather and the tunnels that led into it. It was easily one of the best maps June had seen drawn by hand.

While pointing to places with her pencil, Clarke speaks in simpler terms. "It's a Labyrinth. We got to the damn through this tunnel." She dragged the tip down the drawn slope. "It's all connected to the mine system. That's our way in."

"Are you sure we can get past the reapers and the Mountain Men?" Bellamy asked pointedly. Clarke loosely shrugs, making him sigh, knowing they'd need more of a plan than sneaking through the tunnels with guns and blades.

June makes a small noise of a hum, tugging the corner of the paper towards her to study the tunnel. With the reapers and Mountain Men inside, it wouldn't be easy to get past. "Mount Weather has a technology system like The Ark," she mumbled, pondering in thought. She spent so much time studying, working on the high tech, working her way to the top until she was one of the best at such a young age. June tilted her head, thinking deeper, more to herself. The tunnels would be difficult to get through, sure, but once inside...

"June." June snapped out of her thoughts by Clarke saying her name. "Don't get excited. That technology won't help us right now. We need to worry about the tunnels."

"I swear to God, if your mom doesn't sanction the mission soon, I'm going by myself," Bellamy declared once June nodded hesitantly.

With a short pat to Bellamy's arm, Clarke promised. "You won't be by yourself."

Paying attention now, June shared Clarke's smile. She felt comforted, safe in content even, until her friend's smile faded when her stare lingered into the distance. Lost, she turned to look past Bellamy's head to see Finn of all people casually walking out of The Ark's entrance. Like each time she had seen him, June was hit with an emotion of disgust when the memories flooded through her mind.

"I guess the inquisitions over," Bellamy uttered dully. June snorted, flexing her fingers. Her knuckles were still a faded mix of blue and purple, making the skin pang when doing so. "How's Finn doing anyway?" He asked.

Hesitating, Clarke bowed her head in discomfort. "I haven't talked to him since we got back," she admitted. "I don't know what to say... He just kept shooting."

"Clarke..." June whispered, noticing the pain twisting on her best friend's features. "I know this is hard, but..."

"We're at war," Bellamy interrupted, cutting June off. "We've all done things."

A bit sharply, June warned him. "We haven't shot innocent, unarmed people, Bellamy," she reminded him, knowing that wasn't the best way to comfort Clarke. Maybe what June said wasn't the easiest, either, but before she can backtrack, Finn approached behind Clarke.

"Hey." Finn's greeting had June biting at her lower lip. She could still see the mark on his jaw, his more yellow and blue compared to her hand.

Neither June or Clarke respond. Bellamy does, nodding curtly in Finn's direction. "Hey."

The awkward silence that follows can practically be felt. June shares a quick look with Bellamy, silently signaling they should leave and allow Clarke to talk to Finn alone. He caught on too fast, standing and lifting his cup. "Next rounds on me."

"I'll help," June inputted, rising and rushing to follow after Bellamy. As she walked alongside him, she paused briefly to look over her shoulder to see Finn had taken one of the empty seats beside Clarke. June was too far to hear what they were discussing, but if she had to take a wild guess, it'd be what happened days ago. She shook her head, snapped back to the real world when Bellamy is putting a half-full glass in her hand. "Thanks."

"So," Bellamy began, taking a sip before continuing. "You seem interested in the technology system in Mount Weather."

Tilting her head, June brought the rim to her mouth and drank. The alcohol didn't taste strong, because Bellamy probably watered it down due to her age. "Of course I am," she confirmed as they slowly walked through the chattering crowd of people eating and drinking as to give Clarke and Finn time. "Mount Weather is a bunker that survived the end of the world. The technology in there compares to The Ark in ways I need to see if we want any chance."

Suddenly stopping, Bellamy made sure to stand in front of June to stop her with a concerned look. "Need?" He repeated, sensing the emphasis in June's tone. "What, you want to sneak in? Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Alright, mom, I got it. Yeah, we can sneak a guard in," June mused. "But can you imagine having someone that can hack into their system?"

"Monty's there," Bellamy argued.

"And if he's being held hostage?" June retorted. She hates the image that pops in her mind of her friend, hurt, but she knows she's right. "Monty's absolutely brilliant, but he's one of the forty-eight delinquents that were kidnapped. I can be the backup plan," she desperately explains.

Bellamy crossed one arm over his chest, his grip tightening on his cup. "You done?" He questioned. "You're not going on a suicide mission."

Raising her arms in defense, June urged him. "Stop me."

"I won't." Bellamy cocked his head to match hers, narrowing his eyes. "Because you won't be going alone."

━━━━━━━━

Although Abby let the teenagers off the hook for sneaking out, she wasn't about to let them out of her sight. When the journey to scoop out Mount Weather's radio was ordered, June and her friends were invited straightaway. Leaves crunched and twigs snapped underneath her boots as she followed the line being led by Clarke and Abby side by side. She didn't feel comfortable traveling through the woods without a gun in her hands, but the guards that had come along were armed. June still wasn't at ease, knowing Finn was not too far from her.

"I can't believe they let Finn come." Octavia somehow read June's mind and voiced their shared thoughts to her brother.

"Best tracker we've got," Bellamy pointed out in a mumble, going unheard by Finn.

June scoffed quietly. "Good for him. He still massacred innocent people." She couldn't wrap her head around how Abby trusted him, but she knew she couldn't say anything to change the chancellor's mind.

A sigh drew from Bellamy before he announced. "Don't forget to look up. The grounders use the trees," he informed the rest. "That's how we lost John Mbege." On instinct, June's head tilted back as she walked at a faster pace, studying the branches. She remembered that day when they turned their backs for one minute and lost a delinquent.

The walk to Mount Weather was taking much longer than June formerly anticipated. She was growing more tired quickly, despite staying alert as Bellamy had said to keep an eye out for grounders. After what Finn did, she could only guess they were only at more risk now. Awhile later, June was pulled out of her thoughts when a flash of movement caught the corner of her eyes. Her head snapped to the sight, seeing both Bellamy and Octavia diving for the trees. Lost, she squinted, her eyes momentarily catching Bellamy's.

Bellamy froze, hand on the trunk of a tree. June pieced together what the siblings were doing quickly. Abby wouldn't let them out of her sight, and all they wanted was to find an opening into Mount Weather. She wished she could go, but she was too close to Abby. She pressed her lips tightly together and nodded faintly, only so Bellamy could see, giving him silent permission to leave while saying without words she wouldn't tell Abby. Then, he's gone.

June can only continue walking ahead and hope that Bellamy and Octavia do find a way in. She couldn't see much, but there was some tall bunker just peeking over the trees. To get a closer look, she nudged her way through the guards to reach the front of the group. Abby was just stopping in an open field, Raven beside her with binoculars held up. Clarke was behind them, completely still, a simple sign to June that she knew Bellamy and Octavia had disappeared from the group.

"There," Raven announced. "I see it." She got Clarke's attention, passing her the binoculars.

After a quick look, Clarke nodded. "It'll be dark soon, we'll never spot the traps." She handed the binoculars to her mother who lifted them. "We should set up camp here, leave at first light," she suggested.

As June, Clarke, and Raven turned to prepare themselves for camp, Abby called out. "We're missing two." June freezes, knowing how bad she is at feigning innocence, as is Clarke who Abby can see right through. "Where the hell are they?" She doesn't receive a response as the guards call out for the siblings. "Clarke, we're in enemy territory and their lives are my responsibility," she uttered seriously.

Clarke presses her lips together before whispering; "They went to find a way in."

"A way in," Abby repeated in disbelief. "That's not what this mission is about."

"It is for them," Clarke explained apologetically.

"You don't understand, Abby," June cut in, desperate for the chancellor to get why they had to do this. They felt like the delinquents were their responsibility, and the bunker they were stuck in, Mount Weather was their enemy.

Abby shakes her head. "I do, understand," she said unconvincingly, turning to command the guards. "Find them, bring them back!"

The Sargent nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He gestured to two of his men. "You two with me! Let's go!"

Unexpectedly, Finn picked up one of the guns. "I'm going with them," he declared.

"Clarke," June spoke up, catching her attention, her gut telling her that she may not want Finn here, but out there he was much more of a threat.

"Finn, wait." Clarke stopped him in his tracks with her hand out.

Even Raven stepped in, standing from where she was tightening her brace. "We need you here," she tried to protest.

"Why?" Finn questioned harshly. "So you can keep an eye on me?" He sees Clarke is gazing to the gun instead of him. "You'd have to be able to look at me to do that." Finn looks up, his eyes landing on June, who on instinct looks away. She knows he isn't wrong. None of them had been able to stare at him since they returned. Raven attempted to softly say his name, but Finn pushed her away, making her violently flinch as he shouted. "What do you think I'm gonna do?!"

Nobody answered. Finn was a time bomb that would explode if someone had. He scoffed, storming away while throwing the gun back in the pile. "Finn!" Clarke called after him, but she was ignored as he disappeared in between the trees. Raven looked distressed, trying to take a step forward, but wincing at the pain in her leg from moving too quickly. June put her hand on her shoulder, stopping her as Clarke reassured her. "I'll go get him."

June is surprised when Abby doesn't react or argue, only watching as Clarke takes off after Finn, arms at her side. It's quiet between them and the guards before she breaks the silence. "She shouldn't be alone with him."

"Finn would never hurt Clarke," Raven defended him, her dark eyes narrowing pointedly to the other.

"Would he?" Abby asked them, sounding more like a statement than a question.

Mouth shutting, Raven realized they were both right. She turned, swinging her bag and zipping it open. June can sense they hurt her, and she wants to apologize. Finn was important to her, and it was hard seeing the person he'd become, but before June can say one word, the radio clipped to Abby's belt makes a static noise before Clarke's panicked voice filled their air. "Acid fog! Mom, if you can hear me, use the tent!"

June cursed under her breath. Raven moves before she can, quick despite her leg, flinging a tent out of her bag. The guards who didn't chase after Bellamy and Octavia do the same, setting it up as fast as possible. June rushes to help the mechanic, her hands shaking in alarm as it's unfolded and dug into the ground perfectly. As she opens the flap for Raven to get in first, the technological supplies in hand, her head picks up, seeing the familiar yellow fog. It's creeping through the trees, deadly as it comes closer to their field. Her eyes widen as she waves to Abby. "Hurry!"

The tent is small, but not tiny enough to be crowded uncomfortably as the three squeeze in. Abby zips the opening shut just as the acid fog passes, enveloping the tent, but they were perfectly safe inside. Raven sets up her radio system as Abby speaks into her radio, trying to reach Clarke to know if she was safe. "Clarke! Clarke, do you read me?" June presses her palm to her forehead when she hears nothing but a blank buzz.

"We're closer to the source," Raven explained, referring to the setting of their tent. "It's swallowing short range now too." Abby shakes her head in disbelief, lowering her radio. "Clarke and Finn know these woods," Raven continued.

"She left her pack," Abby countered. "And her tent is in it."

"Abby, they'll find shelter," June says. "They're smart."

Nodding in agreement, Raven stays silent as she played with the knobs on her radio system. A quiet stutter fills the air. June shared a look with her at the sound. "What is that?" Abby interrogated, forehead creasing as she stared down the radio.

"Noise?" June guessed.

"No, I don't know what it is," Raven replied in confusion. "But it sounds like they're jamming every frequency but this one." She turns the knob further, and this time, the noise is louder despite it not being clear enough to understand. "You hear that?" Raven grinned. "This one's clear!"

"That sounds clear to you?" Abby asked.

Raven nodded. "Will be once I crack the encryption," she declared, unzipping a pocket in her bag to pull out a notepad.

"Okay, English, Raven," Abby requested. "What does that mean?"

Pausing her movement, Raven's head shoots up with a determined look, but it's her words that stun June. "It means we'll be able to listen in on Mount Weather."