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chapter twenty-two, Ice Nation Is Not Afraid

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"ROVERS ALMOST CHARGED. We need to pack up. We'll be home soon" Bellamy states as Nova and Fio sit down next to each other on a log they found. "Then what? Run away?" Clarke asks with a slight attitude.

"We're not running away, Clarke. We need to regroup with the others and find another way to defeat--" Bellamy begins. "There is no other way. We need to find a Night blood. We need to unlock the Flame. It's the only way to stop A.L.I.E." Clarke interrupts and Nova sighs.

"Clarke, there's not much we can do anymore unless we start barging into people's villages begging for their night bloods" Nova says and Clarke shrugs her shoulders.

"If that's what I have to do, then so be it" Clarke states and Octavia steps up to Clarke getting annoyed by her choices. "No, Clarke. If A.L.I.E. can find us on Luna's rig, then she can find us anywhere. I won't help you destroy another innocent Grounder village" Octavia argues and Clarke furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"If we don't find a Nightblood, there won't be any Grounder villages. Or a home for us to go back to." Clarke argues back before she walks off alone.

"Just let her cool off, she's on edge... we all are," Nova said, trying to calm the group as they waited for the rover to charge. The tension was palpable, everyone on high alert.

Suddenly, they heard Clarke shout in the distance, "Please just stop!" Nova shot to her feet, drawing her sword instinctively. "Bellamy, you have a gun. Come with me to check it out," she suggested. Bellamy grabbed his weapon and followed her.

They moved quickly and quietly through the trees, stopping when they spotted Roan and Iris together. Nova tightened her grip on her sword as she watched Iris, the woman who had tried to kill Clarke, now talking to her.

"Because of you, Ontari never ascended. So, no, I won't stop. Not until the Ice Nation has its Commander," Roan declared, his voice filled with determination. Nova and Bellamy exchanged a glance, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"No! You can't give it to Ontari, I deserve it. She didn't even train with us at Trikru," Iris argued, her tone desperate. Nova and Bellamy stepped into view, Bellamy pointing his gun at Roan while Nova held her sword ready, eyes locked on Iris.

"Nova!" Iris exclaimed, taking a step toward her. Nova thrust her sword out, the blade stopping just short of Iris's neck. "Back the hell away from me," Nova commanded, her voice icy. Iris halted, her eyes flicking over Nova before she reluctantly stepped back.

"Hands where I can see them, both of you!" Bellamy shouted. Roan sighed, raising his hands, and Iris followed suit. "You okay?" Nova asked Clarke, who nodded, still shaken. "Then let's go," Nova said. Bellamy kept his gun trained on Roan and Iris as they slowly backed away.

"They're coming with us. I'd prefer Roan by himself, but Iris is Fio's sister, so I guess she can join for the time being," Clarke stated. Nova scoffed, shaking her head. "No. She's not coming. Roan, yes, but Iris, no way," Nova argued, her voice firm.

Clarke sighed in exasperation. "Roan and I want the same thing: to put the flame in Ontari," she explained. Iris scoffed in disbelief.

"Ontari ate that chip your leader has been handing out. He has half of Trikru wrapped around his finger," Iris said, her tone dripping with disdain.

"So, we make a plan to get it out of her and put the flame in her head. At least I know after I save her life, she won't try to shoot me," Clarke replied, determination in her eyes. Nova's eyes widened in surprise at the plan, the reality of their precarious situation sinking in even deeper.

"I mean are we positive she won't? Her and Iris are on the same level of crazy" Nova states and Roan clears his throat and stands up tall. "I will make sure she won't" Roan states and Nova shrugs her shoulder.

"How do you know one of them is not chipped?" Bellamy asks and Clarke sighs. "If they were they wouldn't have tried to save me" Clarke says and Nova looks over at Iris and she catches Iris staring at her but she quickly looks away. "We need to be sure" Bellamy says as he shoots Roan in the arm and he screams in pain. Nova walks up to Iris and pulls a small knife out her boot and slices Iris arm and she groans in pain while she holds the cut.

"They're good" Nova says as she turns her back on Iris and walks away. Clarke and Bellamy walk back with Iris and Roan and Iris is shocked to see her brother and she rushes up to him hugging him tightly. Fio clears his throat and pats her back slightly before pushing her away and following Nova into the rover.

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JASPER, CLARKE, NOVA, FIO, OCTAVIA, AND BELLAMY are returning to Arkadia with Iris and Roan. Monty, Harper and Raven come outside after hearing the rover pull up and wait for them all to exit. Nova keeps an eye on Roan and Iris as they exit the rover.

"Glad you made it back" Monty greets and Clarke sends him a smile. Raven furrows her eyebrows as she looks around. "Where's Luna?" Raven asks and Clarke clears her throat.

"She said no" Nova answers for her and Raven sighs in defeat. "Who the hell are they?" Raven asks pointing to Iris and Roan. "Roan, he's Ice Nation and Iris, she wants to be commander but we won't let her. Oh, shes also Fio's sister" Nova answers pointing to each of them as she introduces them.

"King of the Ice Nation actually. And he's our way into Polis and I guess Iris is too" Clarke says sending Iris a deadly glare before looking back to Raven.

"Wait, if Iris is a night blood why not give her the flame?" Raven asks and Nova chuckles humorlessly.

"She tried to kill Clarke and me. If she gets that much power, there's no telling what she'll do" Nova answers and Iris scoffs. "Ontari tried to kill you as well, what's the difference?" Iris asks and Nova looks over at Iris.

"She tried to kill me for a reason. You tried to kill me for... nothing" Nova states and Iris swallows a large lump in her throat and turned her head away from Nova.

Bellamy, Jasper and Fio takes Iris and Roan to lockup and Harper looks at Roan walking away.

"What happened to his arm?" Harper asks as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Bellamy shot him" Clarke says casually and Harper nods her head slowly.

"Good luck getting him to cooperate" Monty mumbles under his breath as Clarke, Octavia and Nova follow Bellamy and the rest of the guys inside to lockup to see Roan and Iris.

"Like it or not, we need each other" Clarke says as she looks at Iris but quickly looks away. "Can you just cut to the chase because I'm really getting sick of these dirty looks" Iris states and Clarke sighs as she looks to Roan.

"You said we wanted the same thing. I want an Ice Nation Commander." Roan says and Iris rolls her eyes at his comment.

"And we can give you one with this" Nova states as Clarke pulls out the flame. "And why would you do that, when you know she's vowed to wipe you out?" Roan asks curiously.

"We don't have a choice. This isn't just our war. The enemy we're up against is after everyone. Including the Ice Nation" Nova begins and Clarke nods in agreement.

"The only way to stop her is to get the information off the Flame. And the only way to do that is to put it in Ontari's head" Clarke says and Nova sighs but as much as she hates the idea of Ontari having the flame she knows it's better than Iris having it.

"Well, The Ice Nation isn't afraid" Roan warns and Nova tilts her head. "You should be. This thing isn't a clan, it's a robot who controls people and can make them do horrific things to themselves or others" Nova states and Roan looks away trying to process the information.

"And it will take over the Ice Nation, just like it took us over. One person at a time, until there is no one left" Bellamy states joining the conversation.

"Well, this thing already has Ontari. So, she's unfit. Give it to me" Iris begs and Nova scoffs. "We need to disconnect her before she gets the Flame. Or we'll be giving A.L.I.E. exactly what she wants. To do that, we have to abduct her from the center of a city filled with thousands of people whose minds are linked. All of them thinking as one. Whatever one sees, they all see. Whatever one hears, they all hear" Clarke states and Iris furrows her eyebrows.

"It means you're not getting the flame" Nova says it in a way Iris can understand.

"I get it. So, when do we leave?" Roan asks changing the subject.