❛ just another day on the ground, ❜ he counters to her sly warning of the suicide mission ahead. there was a chance that she was right, he knew, but would it have been better to sit and wait for who knew what to come ? where else was there to go ? and anywhere seemed better than there.

hands grip to the strap of the gun that hung to his shoulder, taken slyly under the noses of those in charge when he'd escaped from captivity. tattered boots carry him forward, the suspicion on her visage ignored and met with seriousness masked as carelessness. i'm his mother, she says, and murphy nods. they'd get him back. he knows that if it were him out there, his father would burn the forest to the ground to find him. knows that vesper wasn't any different.

❛ better than here. ❜ he notes as he passes her, venturing away from alpha station and further into the darkness. he might not know exactly where he was headed - other than toward the mountain - but having his share of being held captive in earth - born camps, he at the very least knew where not to go.

eyes cast back toward her, her clothes contrasting his patched and pieced together items from what they could scrounge up from the stations. she seemed all the more prepared than he, in more ways than one. ❛ do you have a plan ? ❜

she takes a breath, grounding herself in the present. "i have ideas," she replies, her voice steady despite the flutter of anxiety in the cavern of her chest. the weight of responsibility feels heavy upon her brow, but it's nothing compared to the fear of losing her son. and now, she's realizing, the fear of losing murphy too. "we'll scout the area, look for any signs of him. if we can slip past their patrols and get to the base of the mountain, we might have a chance. clarke said something about an underground tunnel."

there’s a silent understanding—both of them aware of the dangers that lurk in the dark, the uncertainty that hangs thick in the air. but she can see a spark in his eyes, a flicker of resolve that matches her own.

vesper's comment draws attention, a soft smirk threatening the corner of his lips. she was right, they had faced worse. instincts were the only thing they had - the only thing he could trust. it's what would get them past their guards, and through those tunnels. a feat that while difficult, wasn't impossible. this feeling was mirrored in the way she spoke then, raw fight and determination behind her words. beside him stood a mother, willing to do anything to protect her son. she wouldn't go down without a fight, that much murphy knew for certain.

❛ we'll get him back. ❜ he says then, and while there was no way to know for certain, murphy really believes it. knows that worrying about the alternative would be energy wasted. it simply wasn't an option, anyway. not if it were up to them.

❛ what do you know about these tunnels ? ❜ he asks, offering a change in subjects as a way to keep her from spiraling into the what if's. the weight of their mission wasn't lost on murphy, and he knew that having knowledge of what they were up against was going to ensure their success.

murphy can't help the breath of relief taken when vesper agrees. with gun shoved back into the waistline of his pants, murphy's quick to follow her lead. the time was ticking, the crowd gathering at the base of the tower as he takes vesper's hand to help hoist himself over the edge.

breathless now, there's a silent nod of appreciation... a thank you of his own before he's assisting in the barricade. and only when the room is cleared with every towering and heavy object pushed against the entrance does he hear vesper's whisper. there's a softness that crosses scarred features, bruises and dirt contrasting pale complexion. leave her behind ? it wasn't something murphy had given much thought to, and though he didn't seem to have a clear answer as to why, the idea of not leaving her seemed like a no brainer to him. maybe it was because then he'd have to admit that he cared for her. that the importance of his own survival had grown to mean as much to him as her own. for him, and for her child.

❛ please, ❜ he breathes and with the barricade they'd built offering them a moment of peace, there's a ghost of a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. ❛ 's not like you needed me, ves. ❜ and it was true. he'd seen how far she'd come... how strong she was. ❛ i should be thanking you. ❜ another truth. having been outcasted from the hundred, murphy didn't know where he belonged, or who he was. vesper didn't outcast him though, and he was beginning to find a purpose through it all... another thing he didn't know how to admit.

❛ thank you... for trusting me. ❜

"trust goes both ways," she replies softly, her timbre steady despite the tempest swirling within her. the truth of her words settles around them like a warm embrace, blanketing them with a promise of something that will wait for when the war is over. they are bound by more than just circumstance; they share an unyielding determination to reclaim what has been lost.

the shadows cast by their makeshift refuge feel heavy, yet she draws strength from his presence. vesper knows the stakes are high, the dangers lurking just beyond the door, but with murphy at her side, she feels fortified as if they are both made of steel. she shifts her gaze to the barricade, the piles of furniture and debris a stark reminder of the world they’re fighting against.

the air thickens with their resolve, and in that moment the gravity of their mission crystallizes around them. they are not just fighting for survival; they are fighting for each other, for the future she longs to reclaim for her son. "i've got your back." with a deep breath, vesper steadies herself and feels the adrenaline coursing through her like a wild river. the thought of her child pulls her forward, and unwavering beacon in the darkness, and she's relieved to know that murphy stands resilient at her side.

i've got your back, vesper says, soft words lighting a flame of confidence and determination in place of the growing dread. if it were anyone on murphy's side - standing beside him in battle - he wanted it to be vesper. the two had grown to be quite the pair, a wonder as to how the two of them were still breathing... but with one cockroach protecting the other, he knew the opposing side hardly stood a chance. despite their numbers.

enveloped by the weight of their situation and oncoming war, murphy hadn't expected the brush of gentle lips against his cheek... a warmth blooms within him then, softness settling between the two as eyes study candle - lit features. it's not often that murphy is speechless, but he couldn't find words to explain just how much she'd grown to mean to him. ( felt as though she'd already known. )

an attempt is made then, lips parting to verbalize that he wouldn't let anything happen to her - that murphy cared for vesper... but words are cut short by the sound of clamoring outside, the mindless army hitting on their barricade and threatening the idea or more peaceful days ahead.

murphy's looking at vesper now, the softness on his features hardening into determination. he gives her a reassuring nod then, a silent promise that he's going to fight for her... that they were going to get out of this, together.

his voice is a rallying cry, and vesper follows with her heart racing as they weave through the chaos. vesper watches breathless, as he uncovers the glimmer of glass beneath layers of grime, the revelation sending a thrill through her, a glimpse of salvation buried in the earth.

murphy’s command is urgent and fierce as he extends his hand for her to take and without hesitation, vesper grasps it, the warmth of his grip anchoring her as she slips into the car’s embrace. as he clambers in behind her, she feels the weight of the world pressing in, the fog nearly enveloping them but with a steely resolve, murphy pushes the window shut with a finality that reverberates in her bones. the yellow mist kisses the glass, acrid and insistent, a reminder of how close they’ve come to oblivion.

vesper’s question trembles upon her lips, worry threading through her words as she searches his face for any sign of injury, her chest heaving as the adrenaline ebbs, leaving a taut silence in its wake. he assures her though his fingers are a stark red, a vivid reminder of the danger they’ve narrowly escaped. she nods though the concern remains, a flicker of unease in her gut. she nearly stills at his question probing for her wellbeing, and she grips at various parts of her limbs to see if there are any malice done to the surface of her armor. there's a silent exchange of understanding and vulnerability that seeps into the air between them, within the dim light of their temporary sanctuary.

he's catching his breath now, eyes falling from her face and down to limbs of his own. for what ? he didn't know. perhaps to make sure that they really had made it out alive.

a soft whisper pulls murphy back, a reassurance that he hadn't realized he'd actually needed. we're going to be okay, she says, and murphy finds that he believes her. he can see the seriousness etched into vespers face, and can hear it in the promise she makes. he nods then, knowing as well as she that there really wasn't another option. they were going to make it, no matter what. it was something that murphy always knew for himself, but was slowly finding vesper to become an extension of that.

warmness envelops murphy's cold hands and a deep exhale escapes from chest that he hadn't realized he'd been holding captive. he welcomes the touch for a moment, a nice sensation in contrast to the dull sting where skin was stained red. only does murphy subtly withdraw when he sees earth colored hues studying his fingertips... feels a seed of insecurity bloom in his gut as he thinks of his fingers; nails are jagged, some in the early stages of regrowth from time spent imprisoned. a sight to see, really.

a grin lifts easily at the corner of his lips at her quip, a breathless chuckle falling from his lips. silently appreciates not only the distraction, but that even in moments like this, she somehow makes it feel a little easier. lighter. comforting, even.

❛ i don't know, that was badass. ❜ he muses, a playful glint in murphy's eyes and woven into his tone. ❛ i actually think we should do this more often. ❜ another gentle chuckle and the tension riddled in his bones is beginning to thaw. finds that the quietness in the air and rumbling of the fog above them is becoming a little less menacing.

stumbling across a dead body is perhaps the most familiar thing that's happened to echo in the six months that they've lived in space. it took nearly a week for her to reliably open the doors and turn on the artificial lights. even now, she finds herself spending the bulk of her hours aimlessly wandering the ring, waiting for raven to ask her to move heavy boxes or hold equipment, her strength one of the only useful skills she still has on a floating piece of tek. but this...

the leathered skin of the desiccated corpse is no different than that of the pour souls who'd found themselves lost in azgeda's caves, caught in the frozen wasteland of winter and left to rot. with one knee up, one leg stretched out in front of him, murphy's comment is a real possibility. whether he was left behind or stayed by choice, it's easy to imagine why someone here alone would sit down and never get back up again.

there's a soft nod in agreement, echo's comment pulling him from his thoughts. there's a ghost of a grin that pulls at the corner of his mouth at her question. she certainly was not wrong about monty and raven's near often freak - outs.

" we float 'em. " murphy says. the same fate that'd met his own father, along with countless others on the ring. of course, that was execution. murder.

" I don't need anyone's help. " Octavia’s utterance, razor - rough in the back of her mouth and thick with exhaustion, almost fell flat against the unrelenting whir of alpha station's abused hydraulics and air scrubbers.  Sounds she'd never thought, in a hundred years, she'd hear again after so long on the ground.

In the aftermath of their struggle up into space, she could hardly shield from Murphy the truth. That she hurt. That, under the thin carapace of her spacesuit, her skin chafed with fresh radiation burns and cuts and deep, aching bruises: all markers of the ill fated conclave, of a lengthy and unforgiving war — of wounds garnered in a battle of honor that Jaha's deceit had dashed in a moment of selfishness, and rendered utterly futile.

No abundance of still - shining stars outside the airlock or clean, repurposed air could pull her from the memory of the sound Roan had made when he'd drowned. Couldn't block out the thought of Indra, down there in the crypt of the first commander, awaiting a certain death she could've saved her from.

Jaha deserved her sword as much as Pike had.

there's a damp rag in his dry hands, and murphy takes a step toward the window. a soft, relenting scoff rolls off his lips at her remark, and murphy knows the feeling. hell, he'd probably say the same.

i should've gone down fighting, she says. there's a soft silence that hangs between the two for a moment, eyes still on the sight of the earth now engulfed in flames. again. their lives and everything they'd dreamed of . . . fought for.

" why ? " he asks, gaze shifting to the girl warrior beside him. " so you can be dead, too ? " he shakes his head, looking back to the irradiated planet. he agreed, jaha didn't deserve to live . . . not after alie, and certainly not after casting them out. again.

" 've got nothing but time now . . . " he trails. " give it five years and we'll be back. " attention shifts back down to the rag. then to octavia. " you'll get your revenge. " and of that, he had no doubt.

❛  are you always so competitive?  ❜ ❛  are you okay? are you hurt?  ❜ ❛  are you sure you can do this on your own?  ❜ ❛  are you thinking what i'm thinking?  ❜ ❛  can you go take care of this, please?  ❜ ❛  can you show me how to fight?  ❜ ❛  can you tell me more about your adventures?  ❜ ❛  do you believe in ghosts?  ❜ ❛  do you ever think about anyone other than yourself?  ❜ ❛  does it really have to be like this?  ❜ ❛  don't you think you've already done enough damage for one day?  ❜ ❛  has no one ever given you a compliment before?  ❜ ❛  have i ever told you how beautiful you look in the glow of the moonlight?  ❜ ❛  have you noticed anything different about me lately?  ❜ ❛  haven't you ever wondered why i never talk about my childhood?  ❜ ❛  how can you just go to sleep like nothing happened?  ❜ ❛  how many more people have to suffer before you realize your madness?  ❜ ❛  is there anything else i can do for you?  ❜ ❛  is this really how you want this to end?  ❜ ❛  isn't it ironic?  ❜ ❛  what are your plans for today?  ❜ ❛  what else do you want me to say?  ❜ ❛  what else have you hidden from me?  ❜ ❛  what happened here? where is all that smoke coming from?  ❜ ❛  what has happened in your life that made you like this?  ❜ ❛  when were you going to tell me?  ❜ ❛  where are we supposed to go from here?  ❜ ❛  who will be able to stop them now?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just act like a normal person?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just leave me alone?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just stay focused?  ❜ ❛  why does everything always have to be so complicated?  ❜ ❛  why should i believe you now when you've told nothing but lies?  ❜ ❛  why won't you just tell me what i did wrong?  ❜ ❛  will it ever stop hurting so much?  ❜ ❛  will you go out on a date with me?  ❜ ❛  will you just shut up and kiss me already?  ❜ ❛  will you please text me when you get home safely?  ❜ ❛  you're completely out of your element here, aren't you?  ❜