~ ✮ ✮ ~

chapter forty-three, Brother

--

"Ugh!" Nova breathes out as she comes up above her water and gasps for air. She looks around and soon enough Hope, Echo, Theo and Gabriel rise from the water as well. "Welcome to sky ring" Hope says as she looks around. Nova furrows her eyebrows as she gasps for air and looks around this so called sky ring. "Great name" Nova says looking up at the blue sky. "I named it when I was three" Hope answers before the 5 of them swim to shore and walk onto land letting the water fall off their bodies and make there clothes slightly heavier.

"My gun-- I lost it coming through" Echo states as she arrives on shore. "Mine too" Theo says as he shakes the water out of his hair. "Let's hope you don't need it" Gabriel says and Nova sighs as he wipes her face, "You'll always need a gun" Nova mumbles before she looks ahead of her and sees a whole wilderness which Hope starts running towards. "Hope, slow down. Where are you going?" Echo asks as the group starts running after Hope trying to see where she is leading them.

"Damn, that girl is fast" Theo mumbles as he runs, trying to pick up the pace. They then arrive at a cabin with a garden surrounding it. It looks lived in but the garden doesn't look tended to. "What is this place?" Echo asks as she looks around. "Did you live here?" Nova adds while also catching her breath. Hope smiles and looks to Nova, "Octavia said you were smart. You too Echo" Hope states and Nova furrows her eyebrows and looks over at Echo before Hope rushes into the cabin in which they follow her.

Nova looks around and sees a bed, a table, and a few toys around the home. Hope rushes to the corner of the house looking through a wooden stand for something. Theo chuckles as he lifts up a doll off one of the tables in the cabin. "Woah, is this yours?" Theo asks showing Hope who shakes her head. "Is this your house, or not?" Echo asks as she removes her jacket and Hope frantically checks though the cabin. "I was with you on Sanctum for, what, a day? Given the time differential, I haven't been here for hundreds of years" Hope states and Nova scoffs while widening her eyes, "Hundreds?" Nova whispers as she looks around the cabin once more.

"Enough! We need answers, starting with where the hell is Bellamy?" Echo shouts walking towards Hope aggressively. "Once they got here, they used the bridge to take him to Bardo" Hope answers turning her attention to Echo for a few seconds. "What the hell is Bardo and who the hell is they?" Nova asks as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"They are the disciples, the guys that were chasing us in the woods. Anders said if I tagged Octavia, they would let my mother live" Hope explains sadly. "And Anders is?" Gabriel wonders. "Head of the disciples" Hope states as she pulls something out of a metal cup and shows it to Echo. "Now. I'm gonna go to Bardo and make sure he kept his word" Hope states as she pushes past Echo and walks outside.

"What? You traded Diyoza's life for Octavia's?" Nova says as she stomps towards Hope and grabs her arm spinning her around, Hope swings her arm and tries to punch Nova but Nova catches her fist and tilts her head, not even flinching. "I was not trying to kill her. I told you. It was a locator tag. I didn't have a choice. She understood" Hope says as she roughly pulls her fist away.

"Oh, She understood?". "Yes. My mother, my responsibility" Hope says repeating what Bellamy always said to Octavia. "You said they used the bridge. Well, I'm assuming that's what we call the anamoly, a bridge between worlds. Is there a way to control it here, too?" Gabriel asks and Theo steps forward intrigued and wanting to know also. "Yes. She's standing on it" Hope says pointing to Nova and Nova looks down and steps off the rug which Hope pulls off, revealing a passage way to a bunker.

They enter a bunker that is located under the floor and Hope lights a torch so the group can see. Once they get closer they see a large circle with symbols on it. "Woah" Theo chuckles as he pushes past Nova and him and Gabriel walk up and admire it up close. "I used to play down here as a kid. Little did I know it was a bridge to the stars" Hope explains and Echo sighs, "So how do we get to Bardo?" Echo asks and Hope pulls a small piece of paper from her pocket. "'Trust Bellamy.'" She states.

"Of course. You have the code" Gabriel says as him and Theo turn there attention to hope who begins opening the small piece of paper. "A friend on the inside gave it to me. No, no, no. The code, it's washed away" Hope states frantically as she soon realizes, "Great, We're not going anywhere" Theo adds as he shakes his head in disappointment and shock.

"I can't stay here" Echo says shaking her head as she leaves the cabin while Gabriel and Theo sit at the table trying to figure out the code together. "Echo-" Nova calls out but Echo is already on her way out. "Where are you going?" Hope asks as her and Nova follow Echo outside. "To the anomaly at the bottom of the lake. Where do you think?" Echo answers as she continues walking. "Trust me when I tell you it is too deep. The dive will kill you" Hope says making Echo stop in her tracks.

"How long did you expect us to stay?" Echo asks throwing her arms in the air. "What is it about Bellamy that has otherwise sensible women willing to die for him?" Hope wonders and Nova scoffs, "I ask myself that everyday" Nova mumbles and Echo narrows her eyes at her. "Octavia tried for six years to get back to her brother" Hope states and Nova widens her eyes. "You're saying you were here for six years?" Nova asks as she crosses her arms over chest. "I was here for twenty years. She was here for ten, six of them spent trying to reach the pretty light at the bottom of the lake" Hope explains and Nova sighs as she looks over to Echo trying to let her know it's no use.

"Hey! Guys!" Theo shouts from inside the cabin and both Nova and Hope run back inside together, Echo joins shortly after. "Once it dries, I'll use the charcoal to bring out the indentations in the paper" Theo states and Gabriel pats his back, nodding his head. "Now tell us about the code" Gabriel adds looking over at Hope who takes a seat across from him.

"Told you. It operates the bridge" Hope states and Gabriel snaps his fingers, "Right. Like the, uh, one on Octavia's back" Gabriel points out and Hope sighs shaking her head as she removes her jacket and takes a seat across from Gabriel. "No. That was for me. From what I gather, every mind has it's own unique code. They call it a-- a biometric--" Hope confesses and Gabriel smiles and nods his head since he knows what she's talking about."Signature. Heh. A consciousness code. Of course."

"When you put mind in on Sanctum, you pulled me over" Hope informs. "And sent Octavia to the other side" Gabriel notes and Nova furrows her eyebrows as she looks over to Echo who's just more annoyed. "No. I did that. You can pull someone through by entering in their code, or you can tag them with a tracker. It's got to be in deep, or they could end up inside out or something" Hope explains and Echo walks towards them. "That's why you stabbed her" Echo states and Hope nods her head. "So... is Octavia alive or dead and did you know these people were talking Bellamy as well?" Nova asks as she walks to the other side and stands beside Hope as she sits down in a chair.

"I don't know and Of course not. No. Octavia loves him. I made a deal to save my mother. The plan was for me to jump back in, rescue her and Aunty O, and kill anyone who got in my way" Hope explains as she rises to her feet in rage. "Ha! You? A killer?" Nova asks as Hope turns around to face her making Nova chuckle even more. "You got the training I'll give you that but you're no killer" Echo says and Hope turns around to face her causing Hope to feel pressured by both women on both sides of her. "Well, considering her mothers past... who knows?" Nova asks as she looks Hope up and down and eventually meets her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm here now, and if they have Bellamy, then kill them all sounds about right" Echo states and Nova furrows her eyebrows. "Killing for Bellamy is a debatable topic for me but yeah, kill them all sounds amazing" Nova agrees to disagrees as she takes Hope seat. "We'd have to get there for that and I- I can't see any codes on this paper" Theo states as he tosses the paper down on the small table and Gabriel gets a good look at it and sighs as there's no code to see. "We are not going anywhere, not with this anyway" Gabriel states as he rolls his eyes and rests back in his seat.

"Great! Let's hope we can all dive" Nova jokes as she rises to her feet. "Looks like we're swimming to the anomoly after all" Echo states as she throws her arms in the air. "I told you. It's not an anomoly. It's a bridge, a transit system. The one on Sanctum leads here, and the one under the lake leads to Bardo" Hope explains and Nova rolls her eyes. "I don't care where it leads. I'm not staying here with you!" Nova argues as she slowly walks towards Hope.

"The stones are connected. Each one must have a unique code" Gabriel says as Echo rolls her eyes. "Glad that's exciting for you, but we're still stuck here" Echo mocks before she rests her hands on the fireplace and suddenly pulls back in confusion. "It's warm" Echo says and Jane scoffs as she and Theo walk to the fireplace and place their hands on it feeling that it is indeed warm. Echo places a stick in the fire place and sees the logs were recently burn and turns to face the rest of the group. "There's someone here. Bellamy?" Echo questions as she tosses the stick and looks around in worry and hope that he could be here.

"I told you. He's not here" Hope says as Theo begins to help Echo search for Bellamy and pulls open a curtain and a man rushes out of the hiding spot and tackles Theo to the ground. "Get out of my house!" He screams as he pulls out a knife and swings it down at Theo but Nova grabs the man's arm, pulls it behind him and snatched the knife out of his hand before pushing him off and away from Theo.

The man runs into Echo and Nova tosses Echo the knife which she catches and points it at the man's neck as she holds the man's arm and looks down at his arm with such curiosity. "Hope, I'm sorry. I'll come back for you!" The man promises as he stares down at the doll from earlier because snatches his body away from Echo and running out the house in fear. "Why did he call the doll, Hope?" Nova asks as she grabs Theo's arm and helps raise him up to his feet.

"There were numbers on his arm that were counting down" Echo states as she slams the knife down on the table. "It's how long he's a prisoner here. Five years. That is how long I expect us to stay" Hope informs and Nova furrows her eyebrows as she, Theo, Gabriel and Echo look to Hope in confusion before she walks out the cabin in which everyone follows her. "You said prisoners. You don't mean this is a prison?" Gabriel asks. "I did mean. Skyring is the place where they send people to atone for their sins. This garden is one of his. We have to start planting soon if we want to harvest before winter" Hope says as Theo looks around at the gardens with such confusion.

"Come on. We need to find him" Hope states as she walks ahead of the group and Theo rushes to her side. "No! I'm not staying here five years!" Theo shouts and Hope looks Theo up and down. "Funny, I've never heard any stories about you so I don't think you get a sa-". "I don't care what you heard about me or if you heard anything at all. That man is crazy and tried to kill me" Theo argues as he motions to the woods where the man has ran too.

"From the looks of our new friend, he's surviving on jellies alone. Eating like that, he won't make it five years, and we need him to" Hope states as she pushes past Theo and begins walking through the woods. "Why?" Nova asks making Hope stop in her tracks yet again. "Because he's our way to Bardo. When the timer on his arm hits zero, the disciples come for him" Hope explains and Nova chuckles humorlessly. "And they'll what? Just take us with them?" Nova asks as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Of course not. No. We kill them, take their suits, jump to Bardo" Hope says and Nova shakes her head. "You and this kill talk again" Nova mumbles as she lets out an annoyed sigh. "I could say the same for you considering the stories I've heard" Hope taunts and Nova slowly looks over at her.

"There's no way you.. Nova Bailey could be afraid. Even my mom said you were a bad ass" Hope states and Nova tilts her head to the side looking at Hope with her eyebrow raised. "I still am a badass I just don't want to waste five years of my life" Nova states as she shrugs her shoulders and Echo looks over at Nova, "I mean you spent six in a bunker. What's a few more?" Echo says and Nova scoffs not meeting Echo's eyes which were on her.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll swim to that anomaly, bridge.. whatever! I'm not staying here" Theo says before he separate's himself from the rest of the group and rushes off towards the large body of water. "I'm guessing you'll go check on him" Hope says before Nova pushes past her and Echo and follows Theo trying to catch up with him.

"Theo!" Nova calls out as she rushes towards the small beach and sees Theo walking further and further into the water. "Theo!" Nova groans as she rushes to the water and walks over to Theo which causes her body from her knees under to be under the water. "Stop" Nova states as she places a hand on Theo's arm who tries to walk further away. "I'm not staying here" Theo determines as he turns to look at Nova. "You're not going down in that water either so you have no choice. Let's go" Nova says as she tries to drag Theo out of the water but he stays in the water.

"Damn it Theo! You'll die!" Nova shouts and Theo locks eyes with Nova who lets out a breath of relief before shaking her head and turning back towards land and places her wet feet on the sand. She turns around and sees Theo has exited the water as well and has plopped a seat down near the water. "What are you doing?" Nova asks as she looks down at Theo. "I'm passing the time" Theo says as he looks upon the horizon and soon Nova takes a seat next to him.

"I care about you, you know?" Nova con fesses as she fidgets with nails and looks down at them, not wanting to meet Theo's eyes. "I care about you like- like a brother. And I don't want you to die so I'm sorry I made you come to this.. skyring but I care about Octavia and as much as I hate the thought if not seeing Clarke for five years I need to help" Nova confesses as she finds the courage to look over at him.

"I had a sister once. Brielle" Theo says as he looks down looking like he's reliving a moment in his head. "Um, she had the blood of the primes and it was time for her ascension and- my family knew what the primes were doing with these people. They were killing them and turning them into people they weren't. My family and I were against what Russel was doing but we stayed loyal because we didn't want to take our chances with Gabriel" Theo explains as he lets out a shaky breath and lifts his head to look at the horizon.

"My parents were never fond of my sister because of the blood she had and they knew she'd have to become one of those monsters at a certain point in her life". "You really don't have to explain this to much it's obvious it's hard and I don't want to pry" Nova states as she locks eyes with Theo who sends her a sad smile. "You care for my like a brother, right?" Theo asks and Nova nods her head and Theo let's Nova he wants her to know this part of his life and what he's lost just like Nova has confided to him about certain things.

"Basically, my parents killed my sister. They said since she was going to in the mind space she can just die in real life. They felt that they were doing her a favor. Me a favor" Theo rants and Nova tilts her head slight as she looks over at Theo and rests her hands on her knees. "That's why you were screaming mom back at Sanctum.. not because anything happened to her-". "Because she did something to me and you remind me a lot of Brielle. Willing to do anything for her people, even die" Theo finishes and Nova places a hand on Theo's shoulder and shakes her head.

"There was a time where I would die for my people but I questing it a lot recently but- thank you. Brielle sounds... amazing" Nova says as she looks down at the sand underneath her and Theo. "You can say it" Theo chuckles as he nudges Nova's shoulder before she looks up at him in confusion. "You're my sister, Nova" Theo confesses and Nova let's out a breath of relief as she thinks back to the time Fio told her that and hugged her tightly. The last person who called her sister died and she had yet to recover but...

"You're my brother" Nova confesses. Nova can't lie and say she wasn't terrified to say but she did. Theo has done so much to help her people just for her and just so she can live because he felt bad her. He genuinely felt bad for her. He didn't comment on her old ways and her past that defines who she is because he doesn't care. Nova wishes she's not cursed and is never allowed to have a brother because she sure see a lifetime with this one by her side every step of the way.