week two, thursday afternoon

[jettisons]

[Bellamy practically tears his way down to the beach from the oasis, heart in his throat. He's forcing himself to cling to the fact that it's too early for this, that Haru's body didn't disappear, that it doesn't make sense for this to be so different, but that doesn't wipe the image of Raven, throat slit, red bleeding into the rocks, out of his head.

It doesn't matter. He hasn't been this blind with panic since Roan took Clarke, since Octavia was locked out of the bunker. He's almost dizzy with it.]

Raven!

Comments

[hydrazine]

I think I'm immune for a reason.

[She looks down to the ground.]

...He told everyone there was a role responsible for making sure someone dies each week, no matter what. Remember?

[jettisons]

[The correct thing to do here would be to respond immediately, to say something calming or comforting or both, but Bellamy can't. He just stares at her for a long moment.]

I remember. And that's you? Did you know from the beginning?

[hydrazine]

[She takes her own pause, shaking her head.]

Not from the beginning.

[Something about her tone suggests she didn't just find out, though.]

[jettisons]

How long?

[hydrazine]

...The Monday after we all got here.

[Almost unconsciously, she crosses her arms.]

[jettisons]

Why didn't you tell me?

[hydrazine]

I wanted to make sure with that nothing would happen to either of us if I told you. It took time to get that answer out of them.

[She sighs.]

[jettisons]

[He can't even fault her for that, but still.]

Raven, how are we supposed to watch each other's backs if you aren't telling me everything?

[hydrazine]

[She's sure she would be frustrated in his situation, but it doesn't stop her from getting defensive.]

How are we supposed to watch each other's backs if we both got killed because I didn't make sure it was safe?

[jettisons]

And if someone else found out and announced it at the trial before I knew? Then what?

[hydrazine]

[She shakes her head.]

I wouldn't have let that happen.

[jettisons]

How many times have we said that and had things go south anyway?

[hydrazine]

[An irritated noise, before she looks back to him.]

Too many times. That's exactly why I waited to tell you until I knew it was safe. What do you want me to say, Bellamy?

[jettisons]

I want you to tell me next time. Don't worry about protecting me from this. Knowing what you're up against is more important.

[Or, if she reads between the lines: Keeping you safe is more important.]

[hydrazine]

[Her voice softens a bit. She hears that.]

...Of course I'm going to worry about protecting you.

[jettisons]

[He can't even really argue against that.]

I don't want you putting my safety before yours.

[hydrazine]

I wasn't. I didn't know if it would be safe for me, either. I know you wouldn't tell anyone, but... It's in the rulebook. Don't reveal your role.

[She exhales, a stressed noise.]

[jettisons]

[Bellamy scrubs a hand over his face.]

Alright.

[He's giving in. It's clear he's not happy about it, but he gets why she did it.]

Tell me exactly what you have to do.

[hydrazine]

...Until we find a way to stop it, every week we pick someone and kill that person to stop the volcano from blowing.

[jettisons]

"We"? Who's "we"?

[hydrazine]

...I can't tell you that.

[A sigh.]

They told me it was fine if I told you what I'm doing, but they didn't want me to tell you who they are or how many of them there are.

[jettisons]

So what can you tell me, Raven?

[He's frustrated, even though he knows it isn't entirely fair to be.]

[hydrazine]

You're the only one I've told! You're the only one I trust enough to tell.

[She rakes a hand through the loose hair of her ponytail.]

I can tell you he told me if I don't cooperate, he's going to send me back to a world with no other inhabitants. I can tell you that I ran out of time and ideas and someone else is going to die in a few hours. What do you want me to tell you?

[jettisons]

[It's a very good thing he's gotten adept at shoving his fear aside, because that's pretty terrifying.]

That's a start. What are the other roles? Are they the same?

[hydrazine]

I don't know. So far, he's only given us information we absolutely need, and apparently we don't need to know about the other roles yet. I could probe more when we have our meeting next week.