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chapter forty-nine, Be Better Than Me

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PRESENT

Nova, Theo, Octavia, Echo and Diyoza walk into the room as ordered and remove their helmets seeing Clarke and some of their people standing before them. As much as Nova wanted to run up and hug Clarke she couldn't. She had to keep up the act. Had to fight the last war like she promised she would.

"Theo!" Raven calls out but Theo doesn't acknowledge her no matter how much he wanted to... he didn't. Nova and the others kept a straight face. A determined face and Clarke looked to Nova with such happiness in her eyes but Nova didn't look back. "Let them go" Clarke begs as she holds a gun to Cadogan's head.

"They're not my prisoners, Clarke" Cadogan states and Clarke sighs. "Great. Then here's the deal. I'll use the key to help you but only after you let my people return to Sanctum, all of them" Clarke demands and Cadogan nods his head as he looks to Echo, Octavia, Nova, Diyoza, and Theo. "You're free to go with her" He volunteers and Nova hears Theo take a step but she quickly but secretly places her hand on his arm making sure he stays back.

"We're not going anywhere. We have a war to fight" Echo states with a smirk on her face. "We fight the war first" Nova states and Clarke furrows her eyebrows at Nova's words. "Let's go" Nova whispers as she and Theo walk out together and out their helmets on their head and wait outside the room. Nova lets out a sigh of relief as she saw Clarke standing in front of her very much alive.

Clarke then makes a deal with the shepherd that if they can talk to their friends alone she will definitely help them but Cadogan has to stay with them and Anders agrees and walks out the room to his disciples in the hall and they all turn on their heel and follow him down the hall. "Why'd you stop me. That was our chance" Theo whispers over to Nova. "There's a plan. You follow my lead and you get to live" Nova states as she and Theo are taken to their rooms.

After Nova removed her suit and put on her training clothes she left her room and went to Theo's to grab him so they can go to Octavia's. Once they arrived at Octavia's they seen Diyoza pacing back and fourth in the room. "Is she okay?" Theo asks as him and Nova walk further into the room. "When somebody hands you a one-way ticket out of here, you take it and you had the nerve to go along with it" Diyoza argues and looks to Nova.

"Because there's a plan set in place. I don't know what it is but I don't really believe in this crap so calm down an-" Nova rants and suddenly Octavia's bed room door opens behind her and she moves out of the way as Clarke, Raven and Miller slowly enter the room. "Whoa" Octavia breathes out as she quickly stands to her feet.

"Clarke" Nova says as she rushes up to Clarke and wraps her arms around her and Clarke does the same. "Nova, I missed you so much" Clark mumbles as she pulls away form the hug and places her hands on the sides of Nova's face. "Theo! Oh my god!" Raven cheers as she rushes up to Theo and wraps her arms around him as he picks her up making her wrap her legs around his waist.

"I knew you'd come" Nova breathes out as she looks into Clarke's eyes and can't help the tears that cloud hers. Clarke chuckles softly and pulls Nova closer and places her lips onto hers. The kiss was passionate and it was very needed for the both of them. "I love you" Nova confesses as she pulls away from the kiss and lays her forehead on Clarke's.

After Clarke and Nova's greeting Nova looked over at Miller who nodded his head and pulled Nova in for a hug despite what happened with them in the bunker. "How you doing?" Miller asks as he hugs Nova tighter. "Better" Nova answers as she pats Millers back assuringly.

"No guards?" Diyoza asks after everyone greeted each other. "Clarke threatened not to help with the flame if they got in her way. Thanks for playing that one cards down, by the way" Raven answers as she looks over at Octavia who smiles. "I thought it was good leverage, knowing you would eventually show up. We're glad you did" Octavia says as she looks to Miller who tries his hardest not to look at her. Octavia walks up to Miller and wraps her arms around him and practically begs for him to hug her back which he does.

Hope rushes into the room and Clarke, Miller and Raven draw their weapons. "Wait! She's not one of them" Diyoza states and Clarke furrows her eyebrows as she looks to Clarke. "That's Hope. Diyoza's daughter" Nova answers and Clarke and the rest of them slowly put down their weapons.

"How'd you get out?" Diyoza asks and Hope sighs. "Doesn't matter. Right now, we need to get ourselves to the stone room and get out of Bardo. We can get acquainted later. Let's go" Hope states before she rushes out of the room and the rest of the group follows her. "Hey. Where's Echo?" Raven asks as she grabs Hope's arm making her stop.

"She'll catch up" Hope says and Nova furrows her eyebrows. "She will, huh? What's going on? Hope" Diyoza demands and Hope still doesn't answer. "Bellamy. She's getting revenge" Theo answers as he walks up behind Raven. "All I know is that we have... 45 minutes to get you off this planet" Hope states not giving anyone a direct answer. "Why 45 minutes?" Nova asks as she pushes past Clarke.

"I don't know. Really. Levitt helped her with something, and she didn't tell me what it was because she knew you'd get it out of me and try and stop her" Hope states and Octavia scoffs and shakes her head. "Levitt wouldn't help her. What did she do to him?" Octavia asks and Hope sighs, "He's alive, ok?" Hope answers and Nova widens her eyes.

"Let's move" Octavia demands and Clarke, Raven, Miller, Nova, and Theo waste no time in following Octavia to wherever she's going.

Octavia leads the group to Levitts room and sees he's been beaten up badly and tortured with a gag in his mouth. Octavia quickly rushes over to him and removes the gag. "Levitt. Hey. What happened?" Octavia asks as she lifts his head since he's too weak to do it himself. "I failed. She killed two people in front of me, and... I broke" Levitt admits and Nova shakes her head as she walks to Octavia to help her untie Levitt from the chair. "Echo been on some horrible rampage lately" Nova mumbles before Clarke steps forward not wanting him untied yet.

"We need to find out what Echo's planning" Clarke states and Nova and Octavia back away from Levitt keeping him in his restraints. "What did Echo make you do?" Octavia asks as she steps in front of him. "I helped her get it. GEM9" Levitt confesses and Nova looks to Theo with wide eyes and shakes her head. "What is that?" Clarke asks as she notices Nova's facial expression. "It's a bioweapon" Nova answers while Theo clears his throat. "It's the reason the species that was here before they arrived isn't here now" Theo finishes as he looks around at the group. "How's she deploying it?" Diyoza questions.

"Central humidification system, the machine level. I told her how. I'm so sorry" Levitt apologizes as blood leaks form his face. "So I'm guessing it spreads through water. Humidification would make it airborne" Raven says as she narrows her eyes at Levitt. "Raven Reyes. Of course you'd know that" Levitt breathes out as a smile slowly spreads on his face. "Airborne means it's a suicide mission" Clarke determines and Theo and Raven both nod their heads.

"No, no, not necessarily," Raven states. " It will take time for the compound to go from its entry point to the vents" Raven states and Theo sighs, "Which means Echo will make a run for the stone room" Theo explains. "Which is what we should do. She gave me an hour to get you all out. We still got time" Hope urges trying to get everyone to the stone room so they can get back to sanctum.

"That means we can still stop her. Untie me, please, so I can get help" Levitt begs and Hope is determined that the people of Bardo will kill Echo when they get the chance. "She'll kill us all" Levitt says and Nova and Clarke lock eyes before them and the rest of the group leave the room. Leaving Levitt so they can save one of their one, Echo. "Octavia! Octavia, no! Help!" Levitt shouts as Octavia rushes out of the room leaving someone she cares about behind.

The group finds the room where Echo is trying to destroy everything and quickly rush inside. "Echo, no! Stop!" Raven begs and Echo turns around looking to Hope with anger. "You were supposed to get them out" Echo states and Octavia steps forward. "It's not her fault. We wouldn't leave without you, Echo. You don't have to do this. I get it. Everything they took from you they took from me, too, but there are good people here" Octavia says trying to reason with Echo who holds the serum over the water ready to kill everyone on this planet.

"Who? Levitt? The man who stole your memories and gave them to the enemy? All of this happened because of him. Way to honor your brother's memory" Echo argues and Nova knows she's doing all of this for Bellamy. "Echo! I've lost so many people so trust me when I say this. You have to get the hell over it or it is going to kill you in the end. You won't be killing just one person or five you would be killing a whole planet. Ending the human race on this planet. You can't do this" Nova states trying to calm Echo down but Echo has the face of someone who's determined. Determined but hurt and Nova knows she can stop this but the right person has to step up and do it.

"This is vengeance pure and simple" Echo says as she looks around the group. "Echo, stop. This is not what Bellamy would have wanted" Clarke states and Nova sighs knowing that's going to hit a nerve. "You have no idea what Bellamy wanted! If they killed me or you or you, Octavia, he would be standing right where I am" Echo argues and Raven steps up and approaches Echo slowly.

"Stay back!" Echo shouts and Raven stops in her tracks. "The Bellamy who helped massacre a sleeping army that was sent to protect us maybe he might be there, but not the man we spent six years on the ring with, not the man you fell in love with. Echo, you're my sister, and my sister wouldn't do this" Raven begs and Echo shakes her head as tears clouds her eyes. "You're wrong" Echo cries out softly and Raven looks to Echo and Nova knows Raven was the right one to do this. "I'm not leaving, Echo. If you drop that, I am staying right here. You will have to kill me, too" Raven states and Echo slowly walks towards Raven and Raven nods her head. "It's ok. It's ok. We're here now. Come on. Let's take you home, ok? We're gonna go home" Raven assures as she pulls Raven in for a hug and Diyoza gently takes the serum out of Echo's hands.

"Good choice" Anders says as he walks into the room. "We had a deal. I told Cadogan if I saw any of you, I wouldn't help him" Clarke states and Anders looks over at Clarke. "That was before we knew that one of you killed three more of us, torturing another just to get him to give you a weapon with which to commit genocide" Anders taunts and Nova eyes him up and down. "The man makes a good point. Let's call it even" Diyoza suggests as she walks up to Anders trying to hand him the serum which he takes.

"Even? I just told you three Disciples are dead. You people disgust me. Look at yourselves. Raised in the wild" Anders says as he goes on and on to let Nova and her people know how vile they are and that there way of leaving is disgusting. "Brave words coming from a man standing alone in front of a pack of armed beasts" Miller states as he cocks his gun back and points it at Anders. "Miller. I don't think he's alone" Nova states and Anders smiles as his disciples come out of ghost mode and point their guns at Nova and her people. "Probably not a good idea to fire lasers in a room with a WMD" Diyoza advises.

"Echo will be sent to Penance for 20 years, but she'll be back before you know it unless by then the code hasn't been entered to begin the last war in which case, she dies there" Anders states and Nova furrows her eyebrows. "I have a better idea. You die here" Hope states as she rushes to Anders and slices his throat.

"Hope!" Nova shouts as she watches Hope take the serum out of Anders hands and watch his body drop to the floor.

Hope pushes past everyone with the serum in her hands and rushes to put it in the water like Echo was going to do earlier. "No! No!" Nova screams as she tries to stop Hope but Clarke grabs her arm and holds her back. Hope pushed the serum out of syringe and watched it slowly start to fall in the water until Diyoza put her hand right under it. "Diyoza..." Nova breathes out as she widens her eyes seeing crystals start to form on Diyoza's skin.

"No, mom!" Hope screams and Diyoza shuts the lid of the large container. "Get her out of here!" Diyoza begs and Octavia rushes to Hope and starts killing her away from Diyoza. "Raven, come on!" Theo shouts as he grabs both Raven and Echo and drags them out of the room.

"Nova!" Clarke shouts as she drags Nova out of the room. "No. No, mom! No!" Hope begs as the crystals slowly but surely start to grow bigger
and bigger.

"Hope, we have no choice!" Octavia screams as she drags Hope further and further out of the room. "I cannot lose her, not-- not again!" Hope begs as the crystals slowly start surround Diyoza's body.

"Don't waste this, little one! Be better than me" Diyoza advises before the crystals take over her whole body. "Get the door!" Octavia shouts and Clarke presses the button that closes the door shut before the crystals can invade outside. Nova covers her mouth and watches as Hope begs and pleads for her mother.