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chapter three, No Animals, Huh?

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NOVA AND CLARKE STOOD TOGETHER looking at her map and looking at the peak for mount weather to see how far it would take to get there before Wells fell from the top of the drop ship and landed behind Nova and Clarke. Nova wasn't a big fan of Wells father, but she couldn't blame Wells for what his father did to her and her father.

"We got problems. The communications system is dead. I went to the roof. A dozen panels are missing. Heat fried the wires" Wells says wiping his pants and letting out an exhausted sigh before it became clear Clarke wasn't worried about contacting the ark.

"Well, all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather. See? Look" Clarke brings up the map and starts pointing to where the group is at.

"This is us. This is where we need to get to if we want to survive" Clarke says pointing farther away from there spot. "Wow" Nova shockingly lets out as a boy with goggles on the side of his head walks over.

"Ah, cool, a map. They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you two a beer" Jasper says looking between Nova and Clarke, about to wrap his arm around them. "You mind?" Well says rudely to Jasper before grabbing the rim of his jacket and pushing him a few steps back.

"Hey, hey, hey, hands off of him. He's with us" A boy with slick brown hair walking up defending Jasper. "Relax. We're just trying to figure out where we are" Wells says letting go of Jasper.

"We're on the ground. That not good enough for you?" The boy questions tilting his head slightly walking up to Wells. "We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority" Well defends and the boy scoffs.

"Screw your father. What, you think you're in charge here, you, your little Princess and who are you?" The boy says looking to Nova at the last part and Nova clears her throat.

"Uh- Nova" Nova answers and the boy smirks "John but call me Murphy. What did you get arrested for?" Murphy questions and Nova tenses up putting her hands in her jacket pockets again.

"Okay- Do you think we care who's in charge? We need to get to Mount Weather not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be" Clarke speaks up and Murphy rolls his eyes as if he's annoyed.

"Then I say you three go and find it for us" Murphy says pointing to them as the other delinquents start cheering after listening to the heated conversation. "You're not listening. We all need to go" Wells speaks up looking to the crowd.

"Look at this, everybody... The Chancellor of Earth".

"That's funny?" Wells questions angrily before pushing Murphy back causing him to grunt at the force. Murphy swings his fist hitting Wells across the cheek while the other kids cheer them on and Murphy pulls out his knife.

Nova widens her eyes at the knife as Murphy and Wells circle each other.

Murphy swings his knife and slices Wells in the leg "Ah.. ahh" Wells groans in pain holding his bleeding leg and Murphy tries to go in for another attack when the long-haired boy from earlier, Finn, jumps down from the drop ship and faces Murphy head on, stopping the altercation with one swift move.

"Kids got one leg. How about you wait until it's a fair fight?" Finn orders and Octavia, the younger sister of Bellamy Blake, runs up and looks to Finn in awe. "Hey, spacewalker, rescue me next" Octavia says with a sly cute smile on her face causing the boy to let out a laugh.

"He's a criminal" Bellamy says looking to Octavia who shrugs "Aren't we all" Octavia defends with a shrug while Nova looks at her from a distance and when Octavia catches her stare, Nova turns her gaze immediately to Finn, the spacewalker.

"So, Mount Weather. When do we leave?" Finn asks.

"Right now. We'll be back tomorrow with food. Nova, do you care to join?" Clarke asks and Nova nods not minding joining along since she doesn't have anything to do.

"How are the three of you going to carry enough food for a hundred?" Wells questions and Finn sighs looking around when he pulls 2 boys who were standing closest to him. One of them being the boy with the goggles on his head, Jasper. Nova recognized the slightly tan boy Monty from farm station where she visited from time to time.

"Sounds like a party. Make it six!" Octavia calls out, her hand raised, before walking over and joining the small group which causes Nova to become slightly happy.

"Great, let's go" Clarke orders as they begin to follow Clarke, who seems to be the leader of this little band of misfits, deeper into the woods. "Before you both get any ideas, Finn is mine" Octavia whispers and Nova chuckles slightly.

"All yours" Nova states and Octavia let's out a chuckle eyeing Nova sweetly. "Yeah, before you get any ideas, I don't care" Clarke says as she holds onto her backpack straps while Octavia starts walking ahead but not before looking back at Nova with that same sparkle in her eyes.

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WHILE WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS, Nova ended up walking next to Octavia, Jasper, and Monty. Jasper picked a flower from a bush and put it behind Octavia's ear earning a smile from her before she walked a few feet ahead of them.

"See my friends that's game" Jasper whisper to Nova and Monty as Octavia walks a little ahead. "That, my friend, is poison sumac" Monty says and Octavia whips her head around, shocked at the word poison, and swats the flower out from behind her ear.

"Don't worry, I don't think the flower is actually poisonous" Nova reassures taking out a piece of flower that was stuck in her hair while Octavia looks at Nova in her eyes at the same time.

"Hey, guys, would you try to keep up?" Clarke urges and Nova starts walking slightly ahead, not wanting to get called out again. "Come on, Clarke. How do you block all this out?" Finn questions, his arms spread out as he takes in all of his surroundings, and Clarke sighs.

"Well, it's simple. I wonder, 'why haven't we seen any animals?' Maybe it's because there are none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us. Sure, is pretty, though. Come on."

"Someone should slip her some poison sumac" Octavia jokes making Nova let out a laugh.

"I got to know what you two did to get busted and you, Miss Nova" Finn says making Nova tense up at the conversation that has now sparked up. The one she'd rather not talk about.

"Sumac is not the only herb in the garden, if you know what I mean" Monty tells, almost proud of what he had discovered, and Jasper elbows Monty, recalling the memory. "Until someone forget to replace what we took" Jasper adds.

"How about you, Nova? What'd they get you for?" Finn questions and Nova shrugs "Uh- Nothing important" Nova lies as she walks ahead going to stand next to Clarke when Clarke kneels down, Nova slightly confused but she lifts her head and sees a deer standing in front of them but farther away.

Nova tugs a smile on her face and kneels with Clarke.

"No animals, huh?" Finn remarks.

EDITED 7/9/2024