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chapter seven, Don't Be

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OCTAVIA, NOVA, AND INDRA stayed in another tent until they heard thunder outside. "Something is coming!" Someone shouted and Nova gripped her sword as her, Octavia and Indra rushed out of their tent meeting up with Clarke and Bellamy confused at what they were seeing.

"Clarke, what is that?" Nova asks and Clarke breathes heavily before looking to Nova,

"Sandstorm" Clarke answers and Nova widens her eyes and looks at the sandstorm in the distance.

"It's blocking the way back" Bellamy mumbles as he looks at it in shock. "Can we outrun it?" Indra questions, "As long as it keeps moving laterally from east to west, we shouldn't have to" Clarke answers and Nova nods her head slowly.

"The winds might shift-" Clarke begins to explain as Nova and Octavia step up. "The wind hasn't met Wonkru" Octavia states as her and Nova lock eyes. "Now there's no choice. Keep moving" Nova says as she takes a step forward, but Clarke and Bellamy rush up and stop Nova from taking another step.

"Keep moving? Thanks to you, we're stuck between razor-blade winds and burrowing, parasitic bugs" Bellamy argues and Nova scoffs, "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be having this war right now" Nova states as she pushes past Bellamy but Clarke once again steps in front.

"Nova! I know you have changed but you could die! You don't have to kill yourself to show you're powerful" Clarke says trying to reassure Nova but Nova shakes her head slowly.

"I have to do this..." Nova mumbles as she slightly chokes up her words. "Nova please-". "Fight or die. That's all there is, Clarke" Nova argues as she turns to face Bellamy and looks between Bellamy and Clarke.

"You don't get it because you're not one of us" Nova states meeting eyes with Bellamy.

"Is Obika one of you? Hm? Because you're about to end his life like he means nothing. I understand that" Bellamy argues as Kara lunges towards him but Indra stops him.

"Respect Keket" A large man behind Bellamy whispers. "I'd stop if I were you. No one here is afraid to take off your head" Nova says stepping towards Bellamy.

"Not even your sister" Nova states, sending a defeated smile to Bellamy who looks down to her shaking his head slightly before Obika begins screaming in the distance making everyone turn their heads.

"He's awake" Clarke says as she rushes to the tent. Nova follows behind and everyone rushes in to help him down Obika until his stomach starts moving faster and eventually explodes causing blood and black worms to pour out.

"Everyone out! Now! Go!" Bellamy screams as Octavia and Kara grab ahold of Nova to drag her out of the tent and when they do they fall down to the ground. "I want that tent burned to the ground! Now!" Nova screams as she crawls backwards away from it and Indra grabs a torch and lights it up in the fire before tossing it to the tent making it expand in flames.

"Ah!" Octavia shouts and Nova looks over at her and widens her eyes. "Bloodreina! Help!" Nova screams as she bends down beside Octavia and holds her head up. "We have more tents!" Nova shouts as she helps Octavia to her feet and takes her to another tent with Clarke, Indra, Kara and Bellamy rushing behind.

"I can't feel my legs" Octavia mumbles as Nova helps Octavia to a seat and slowly backs away as Clarke begins examining her. "It must be venom. Put her arm on the table. We can't let it get into her torso," Clarke states as Nova stays out of the way and takes a deep breath. "I need you to make a tourniquet out of whatever you can find. And get me a med kit" Clarke orders and Bellamy begins to get to work on helping out.

"There were dozens of those worms. They must lay their eggs--" Kara states and Nova lifts her head as an idea struck in her head after hearing they lay eggs. "Thank you! Go!" Clarke shouts.

"Octavia, you are gonna be fine" Nova reassures as she walks up to her and looks down her. Octavia manages to open her eyes and send Nova a slight nod. "Clarke, Whatever you're going to do, do it" Nova states and Clarke nods as a knife is handed to her and she begins to cut into Octavia arm making her let out a painful groan. Clarke begins to dig her fingers into Octavia's arm and try to take the work out herself. "Clarke, you're gonna lose it" Bellamy warns and Clarke shakes her head, "Like hell I am. I got it".

"Just pull it out!" Octavia shouts as she bites down and closes her eyes to help with the excruciating pain. "Please, if you can hear me, this is an emergency." Someone says from Bellamy's radio. Nova looks down at it and notices that voice as Monty's and can't believe it. "I got this. Take it" Clarke states as Bellamy begins to speak to Monty on the radio. Nova listens in and they begin to talk about an eye in the sky and Monty tells them they should watch out for it leaving everyone in the room confused.

"We're in the middle of a wasteland. There's not much places to hide from a large missile ready to attack!" Nova shouts looking to Bellamy. "If they see us retreat, they'll stand down" Clarke says as she finally takes out the worm and tosses it to Kara quickly.

"We're not retreating! We're fighting this!" Nova states looking to Clarke in confusion. "You will retreat if you wanna live" Bellamy says and Nova sighs as she pats Octavia's shoulder reassuringly.

"Now is not the time for a debate. Even if we did retreat, the path home puts us in the middle of a sandstorm" Indra points out and Nova sighs shaking her head, "Those ruins aren't our home" Nova states. "That valley is, and we're taking it back" Octavia mumbles looking up at Nova who sends her a nod as Octavia stands to her feet holding Nova's hand for support.

"Octavia, easy. The venom 's still in your system" Clarke warns and Octavia gently pushes her away as she walks past her as she lets go of Novas hand and grabs onto Indra and starts exiting the tent.

"Get ready to understand" Nova states as she following behind Octavia and Indra and leaves the tent. She may putting her people in danger but it's for there own good. Nova has to do this. Times have changed and so has she.

"Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold!" Indra screams as all of Wonkru huddles in a circle around Octvaia and Nova protecting them from the sandstorm. Yes, you heard that right. Nova took her people in the middle of the sandstorm so they didn't die in the explosion. Nova closes her eyes and tried not to breath through her mouth. She felt small shards of glass hit her arms but it was nothing.

It was the next morning and the sandstorm had passed. Wonkru went back to there wasteland and rested in the sand. Nova and Octavia rested beside each other while Clarke was over examining Indra who didn't look so well.

"What's wrong with her? Is it a worm?" Octavia asks and Clarke shakes her head. "I don't think so. I'm guessing there's glass in her lungs. We gotta get her back to Polis" Clarke states and Nova sighs as she sits up and looks down at her arms with slight cuts on them before Miller walks up.

"Keket, there's 11 dead. Twelve including Obika" Miller states and Nova nods her head slowly pretending she's fine on the outside but inside she can't believe it. "Take their weapons and their armor. Leave the bodies" Nova states and Kara furrows her eyebrows. "Leave them?" Kara questions.

"There's not much time and the enemy can see us. Sound the retreat now" Nova states as stands t her feet. Nova sighs as leans back into the sand looking over to Clarke. "You okay? Let me see those cuts" Clarke says as she gently leaves Indra and walks over to Nova, bending down beside her.

"I'm fine. She needs help" Nova states pointing to Indra while Bellamy walks up to check on Octavia. "You didn't have to do that. You killed 11 of your people" Clarke says grabbing Nova's arm and looking at the cuts. "I didn't kill them. The sandstorm did and I already told I did have to or we all would've died in that bombing. I rather 11 dead than 800" Nova states looking up at Clarke who looks at her like she barley recognizes her anymore.

"Clarke, ever since you've got here.. you have doubted me and talked about my leadership skills" Nova says sitting up and slowly snatching her arm away from her.

"If you do it again I'll kill you myself. Because if you speak out against me, you are speaking out against Wonkru and if you're doing that...you are an enemy of Wonkru. That means you are my enemy. Don't be" Nova states patting Clarke shoulder before she stands to her feet and hears a vehicle approach in the distance. Nova sees a little girl exit the vehicle ad begin running towards her. Clarke stands to her feet and rushes towards the little girl hugging her.

Nova looks between Clarke and the little girl then looks back at the vehicle and sees Monty slowly walk out of the car. He lifts his hand looks to Nova. Nova sends him a tight lipped smile and lifts her hand waving to him also until Harper jumps out the car and looks to Nova immediately but Nova is quickly caught off guard by Echo rushing out of the rover and running to Bellamy and placing her lips onto his.

Nova scoffs and rolls her eyes as she watches the scene unfold. Nova then looks back down at the little girl who is staring at her. "You are.. Nova" The little girl says and Nova nods her head slowly as the little girl pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket and hands it to Nova.

Nova grabs the paper and unfolds it seeing a picture of her drawn on the paper. "Clarke drew it. She told me to always keep this one because this was the person she cared about most" the little girl explains as Nova looks down at the picture Clarke drew of her. "What's your name?" Nova asks, "Madi" She answers and Nova nods her head slowly. "Madi.." Nova repeats as she looks over at Clarke who sends her a smile. "It's a great picture" Nova says looking to Clarke as she hands the picture back to Madi.