Chapter Three
**Logan's POV**
Logan stood outside the dropship, directing the flow of kids as they packed up what little they had.
The 100, they called themselves.
Except they weren't 100, not anymore.
At least ten had died in just the first few days. Some from the landing. Some from those damn mountain men's acid fog. Some from who or whatever the hell had attacked them before Logan showed up.
Logan's brow furrowed, and he found himself glaring up at the sky, up at the Ark, almost visible as a distant point of light even in daylight.
When he'd learned they'd been dumped on the planet with nothing but the clothes on their backs, he'd been pissed.
What kind of people sent children, and they were children, no matter how tough they tried to act to the surface of a hostile planet with zero supplies, zero training, zero support.
These kids were the canary in the coal mine, perhaps never expected to survive. Whoever was in charge, they wanted to see how long if at all the radiation would kill the kids, to see if who came after with supplies would live. They had done remarkably well but they had not accounted for
weather, animals, and the people, and culture that they knew nothing about.
He held the anger in, though buried it deep where it could simmer and wait.
There would be a time and place to vent. Venting on these kids would do no good. They hadn't asked for this. They were just trying to survive.
So, he'd get to work instead.
*How did I end up a babysitter? * He thought, not for the first time.
He watched Bellamy and Clarke organize the chaos into something resembling order. They worked well together, Bellamy with his command presence, Clarke with her practical thinking. Between them, they got the kids sorted into groups:
supply collection, camp breakdown, water detail.
Raven was off to the side, hunched over the radio equipment, muttering to herself and occasionally cursing at whatever wasn't cooperating working with if he remembered right an asian kid named Monty, a good, and kid smart.
Meanwhile, Lincoln with the Sky girl, Octavia were practically glued to one another.
He could see what the boy saw in her. She had an adventurous spirit, a need to prove herself. There was fire there, barely contained, just waiting for the right spark. Then he just shook his head *that girl has him wrapped around her finger. *
He also noticed how Octavia's brother's eyes followed them. Bellamy watched every interaction like a hawk, jaw tight, posture protective.
*Ehh, I'll talk to him about it later, * Logan decided.
As the last of the kids loaded into the dropship, the ramp was raised and sealed against the coming storm. Clarke caught his eye and gestured a need to talk.
Logan made his way through the sea of teenagers, all of whom fell into hushed whispers as he passed. Some watched him with fear. Some with curiosity. Some with something that might have been hope.
He tried to look friendly.
It probably didn't work. He was shaggy, rough around the edges, his hair long and disorganized, beard long and unkept, baggy old leather coat he had made himself, and he had the kind of face that had seen too much to ever look completely approachable.
*Guess I need a trim, * he thought absently stroking his beard with his hand.
---
The medical area was cramped but functional.
Raven sat beside Finn, who'd woken up for a few minutes and was talking quietly, a good sign he would check on the kid in the morning when they needed to clean the wound.
Around the makeshift meeting area stood the core of their little group: Bellamy, Clarke, Raven, two boys called Monty and Jasper, Lincoln, Octavia, and the still-sleeping Finn.
Bellamy came in hot. "Okay. Who or WHAT are you, how are people alive down here, and why are your people killing us?"
Clarke made a quiet comment about maybe being nicer about it.
Logan looked Bellamy in the eyes and spoke plainly.
"Name's Logan as for what, that's known of your fucking business. People never completely died out down here, we survived, adapted, built new societies from the ashes." He crossed his arms. "As for who's hunting you kids, it's probably the Trikru. This is deep in their territory, and you found yourselves trespassing."
He sighed.
"Now, as for why they resorted to killing, I don't know. But I'll send Lincoln out once the storm clears. I'll call for a meeting with Anya, their leader. She'll see me."
He pointed at Clarke and Bellamy.
"I'll need you two to come with me."
They both looked uneasy.
"Don't worry," Logan said. "With me there, she'll be civil. Well... mostly."
Clarke frowned. "What does 'mostly' mean?"
"Means she won't kill you on sight," Logan said flatly. "Which are better odds than you'd get on your own."
Bellamy opened his mouth to argue, then apparently thought better of it.
They asked questions back and forth—about the Grounders, about survival, about what the hell they were supposed to do now. Logan answered what he could, kept his responses short and practical.
That's when Raven let out a triumphant shout.
"Got it! The radio's working!"
The kids erupted into excited chatter, crowding around Raven as she made contact with the Ark.
Logan simply grabbed Lincoln by the shoulder and steered him toward the upper level, away from the noise.
"Come on," he said. "Let them have their moment. We need to talk strategy."
They climbed to the far upper level—quiet, away from the crowd, where they could think.
Lincoln settled against the wall, and Logan did the same.
"I wish you were not sending me to Anya" Lincoln said quietly while frowning.
"She still bitter?" Logan asked. "She lost the match to be your second 7 years ago. Yet she still claims it was a fluke and that I don't deserve my position," Lincoln explained. Looking down at the ground with a troubled look on his face.
"Do you agree?" I asked
"Of course not, it's just....I.."
"Don't think too much of its son, just know that I am proud of you."
Both were used to the silence neither much a talker.
"She won't accept meeting here," Lincoln pointed out.
Logan was quiet for a moment.
"No, no I don't suppose she would. Have her meet at the old bridge in 2 days," he laid down with his pack behind his head. "Get some sleep kid you got a hell of a hike tomorrow."
He closed his eyes, letting the sound of rain on metal lull him into something resembling rest.
He had a feeling the next few days were going to be very, very busy.
And he was going to need all the energy he could get.