Chapter 5) The Panther

 ~Season 1 - Episode 2 - Earth Skills~

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" Murphy asks as they stop once for so Finn can inspect a broken tree branch.

"We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker" Bellamy comments.

Law does hear the rest as he pushes on pass everyone, the tracks are fresher and closer in number. They are close to Jasper and Law doesn't want the kids death on his mind because he let someone else take lead.

Swiftly following the tracks, he ignores the others chasing after him and their questions. And soon they hear a moan, a human moan and who ever it is, is in pain.

Law is first to break into the small clear and see Jasper hunt up upon a tree, "Fuck"

"Jasper. Oh, my God" Clarke says coming beside Law, but she continues on towards Jasper.

Finn also having suspicions warns the blonde girl, "Clarke, be careful"

Law follows Clarke as she heads towards Jasper, "Jasper? What the hell is this?"

Clarke suddenly begins to fall, there's a trap. Law reacts instinctively and catch's one of her arms as Bellamy grabs the other. Clarke dangles above the spiked trap, Law can feel the strain of holding Clarke up as Bellamy loosens his grip before he snapped out of it due to Finns voice.

"Clarke! Get her up! Pull her up! Pull her up! Get her! Pull her up" The other three boys rush over and help pull Clarke up. "You Okay?"

"Yeah" she answers panting, "We need to get him down"

Finn nods, "I'll climb up there and cut the vines"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm with you" Wells agrees moving to help.

But is denied by Finn, "No. Stay with Clarke. And watch him" he gestures to Bellamy. "You help me" he finishes pointing to Murphy, deciding it best to leave Law on the ground he after all didn't hesitate to help Clarke.

Clarke inspects Jasper "There's Poultice on his wound" she points out.

"Medicine? Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?"

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing" Bellamy comments.

While Law begins to look at the surroundings, something is off about this whole thing and it bugs him.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us" Finn says from the tree.

Law nods both are possible and neither are good, "Could be either, keep an eye out"

Law can see Bellamy nod, which is who he was warning after all Bellamy has a gun making him the first line of offence. It's then Law picks up faint sounds from the bush's and over grown grass.

"Do you hear that?" He asks.

"Hear what?" Bellamy asks in return.

But Law doesn't answer he's too focused, it's faint but he can see it. The grass ahead of them is being moved ever so slightly and there's faint, very faint growls and snarls.

"There's movement in that grass" Law whispers harshly pulling out his knife.

"What?" Someone asks Law isn't too sure.

"There's someone or something in that grass" Law points in front of them, "Bellamy gun" he looks a the man only to see him searching for it but finding nothing.

Law takes a deep breathe, Bellamy's lost his gun so Law with just do it himself. It's then the rest start to hear the growls. "Bellamy gun" Clarke says, and Law can hear the panic in her voice.

"I can't, I don't-" Bellamy doesn't get to finish as a black cat like creature burst from the grass.

*Gunshot*

Law glances to the side seeing Wells holding the gun, the bullet hits but doesn't kill only redirecting the beast.

Wells keeps shoot missing nearly all his shots, Law doesn't count the shots fired or the shots hit. He's focused ready to pounce just in case, it's then he sees where the beast is heading towards an unarmed and frozen Bellamy.

Wells continues to fire but Law blocks it out, he grabs Bellamy's jacket and pulls him back and takes his place.

Then the beast collides with him and they go tumbling.

The group remains silent holding their breath as the beast begins to move, it seems to struggle to stand before it flops onto its side.

But the Law shoots ups taking a deep gasp of air, "Law!" He hears turning he sees most of the group heading his way.

Looking down at the beast he sees his knife rammed into its neck, a kill strike. He quickly pulls it out and goes to get to his feet.

Bellamy grabs his arm helping him up, "You good?" He asks looking at all the blood.

"Yeah it's not mine, it was dead before it hit me" Law tells them easing their worry, Wells especially. "Got dinner though"

"Now she sees you" he hears Bellamy whisper to Wells.

The group begins cracking smiles at his light hearted tone, before a groan from Jasper takes their attention. They rush to his aid seeing that he's almost cut down,

All except Law.

Law looks at his shoulder seeing a bite mark that's covered by his shirt and then to his waist spotting a claw mark. He sighs but he's used to dealing with his injures on his own his father wasn't exactly gentle.

Together they load Jasper on the stretcher Wells made, then using fines Law, Murphy and Bellamy tie up the panther onto a long branch and begin carrying between them.

It takes them most of the day to get back to camp, due the extra weight load of Jasper and the Panther.

"They're Back" A guy yells getting all the Delinquents attention.

Clarke and Wells don't stop and immediately take Jasper to the dropship so Clarke can treat him.

Bellamy and Murphy on the other head towards the middle of the camp, showing off the Panther, "Who's hungry?!"

The Delinquents begin cheering and Law uses this to slip away towards his tent. He grabs the water collector he set up and brings it to his tent. Filling his metal bowl with water he enters his tent and begins to clean his wounds.

He takes his shirt off and uses it to wipe away all the blood as it's already destroyed. It takes a bit but soon Law has cleaned most of the blood and can see his wounds.

They are still bleeding but it's not bad, nothing he couldn't handle. The Claw marks on his side are too deep and are going to scar he'll have to bandage them and keep movement to a minimum, the Bite on the other hand does look to bad but will probably scar faintly.

"Hey, I just wanted to- Your injured!"

Law snaps towards the voice seeing Clarke march towards him. "I'm fine" he tells her but she doesn't listen.

Clarke is soon close enough to see the wounds properly, "No your not" she quickly inspects Bite wound "This will need bandaging"

Clarke can see the Claw wound as she steps closer to Law, he doesn't move but tenses slightly, but he just watches, it's been awhile since someone has cared that he's injured he's kind of in shock. "This will need stitches"

"Sit" she demands pointing to the makeshift bed. Normally Law would refuse on principle but something about her eyes makes him sit without complain.

He watches as Clarke puts out a sewing kit he suggests. But he can see it looks to wire from the drop ship and some sort of needle. "This will hurt" Clarke tells him but doesn't make a move to start stitching, Law soon see she's waiting for permission.

"It's fine" he tells her and she gets to work. It definitely hurt Law it stings quite a bit but Law only lets a hiss or two escape his mouth.

"Bellamy called you Law, I don't remember any one on the Ark called Law is it short for something?" Clarke asked trying to distract him.

"Yes" Law's one word answer gets a raised eyebrow from the blonde and she awaits for him to continue. He sighs before answering again, "Lawrence"

"Lawrence" Clarke whisper to herself, "as in Lawrence Hart the Earth Skills genius"

"Ah you've heard of me"

"Yes, Wells wouldn't stop complaining about not beating your score" Clarke tells him.

"You two were close?" Law asks.

"Were" Clarke emphasises. "It was a nice thing you did for him today"

"What?" Law asks confused.

"Letting him think he killed the Panther" Clarke clarifies.

"He did" Law say nonchalantly.

"No he didn't" Clarke states like it's a fact. "And you save my life, Bellamy's too"

"Not bad for a criminal eh?" He responds light heartedly, getting Clarke to laugh.

"Yeah not bad, not bad at all" She whisper in reply but mostly to herself. There's a brief silence that's ended with a clap of Clarke hands. "There all done"

Law looks done in shock, there is was the three claw marks a stitches shut and he didn't even feel it. He looks back a Clarke who's smiling at him, "Thanks...Blondie"

"It's Clarke" she reply's.

"I know" Law shrugs.

"Goodnight....Lawrence"

"Night"

~End~