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chapter two, Goddess of Darkness

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46 DAYS AFTER PRAIMFAYA

"NOVA! IT'S JAHA!" Indra calls out for Nova, rushing into her office after dinner time and after hearing these pleads, Nova furrows her eyebrows and begins to follow Indra into the bunks and sees Octavia holding her sword towards a grounders throat and Miller holding his gun to the man's head.

"What is going on?" Nova questions, walking in and looking at what seems like a massacre waiting to happen. "We secured the hallway. Everyone's alive" Miller breathes out and Nova places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"They were talking about taking back the farm" Niylah says coming out from under the bed along with Ethan. "Taking back the farm?" Nova wonders, realizing she has no idea what is going on and desperately looking to Indra for answers.

"Yes. Skaikru sealed the door and our fate. Still... you will die for this" Indra says looking to the grounder at the last part while Nova is filled with anger at what she heard about Skaikru.

"This is not like stealing blankets" Indra states and Octavia steps up.

"They're scared, Indra, hungry. Tell your friends that we will find a way to take the farm back" Nova orders to the grounder, who has no hesitation in rushing off after the weapons drawn to him are removed.

"We should've killed him" Octavia mumbles, "This is going to get back to the clans and everything will be even more divided" Nova informs, looking to Octavia who was only trying to help.

"Safe to say Skaikru's screwed" Miller voices and Nova turns her head to face him, "Very" Nova adds. "Our other bunk rooms will be the first place they look" Jaha states and Nova sighs knowing that she has to fix this problem now before it gets even worse.

"Then go room to room and take everyone you can find. Then, bring them to the rotunda. We can protect them there" Nova gives out orders so naturally, looking to Miller who nods and goes to do as he is told. Jaha then takes a step forward like he's going, but Octavia takes it upon herself to stop him and Nova naturally steps back as if she had no desire to be near him.

"Not you" Octavia states and Jaha looks to Nova, who shakes her head. Jaha nods and looks down to Ethan and kneels down to his level.

"Look, I need you to go with Nathan, okay? I'll see you as soon as I-" Jaha tries to let out and Ethan shakes his head. "No. I want to stay with you" Ethan begs and Nova looks away from the little boy and Jaha.

"You'll be okay" Jaha reassures as he hugs Ethan tightly.

"Uh- Niylah, I think you should go with them. You'll be safer" Nova says and Niylah scoffs, "Safety's overrated. I'm with you" Niylah states and sends Nova a smile before she looks away from her.

Jaha stands to his feet and looks to Nova who can barely look him in the eye. "What? You can't even look at the boy because you got his father killed?" Jaha wonders and Nova tilts her head and looks at Jaha.

"I didn't get him killed, that list did" Nova states as she grabs the blueprints from Jaha.

"I'm guessing you need me to open another unopenable door" Jaha states and Nova shrugs, " If you can't, we're all dead. Your choice" Nova states as she looks to Jaha putting a lot of pressure on him at this moment.

_______

JAHA SITS AT HIS DESK IN HIS BUNK and looks over the blueprints, but Nova has been waiting forever and is starting to pace back and forth around the room while Octavia hovered over him and Indra stood outside, keeping everything under control.

Indra enters the room with Gaia by her side, drawing everyone's attention. A sense of unease settles over the group.

"Is everything okay?" Nova asks, her gaze fixed on Indra.

"It's not good," Indra replies, her voice heavy with concern. "The rest of Skaikru is safe for now, but the violence is spreading. Boudalan now controls levels E and F, and Ouskejon has taken over medical. The weak are barricading themselves in, but it's only a matter of time before the strong break in, desperate for anything to help them survive."

Nova pushes her hair back, the stress etched across her face.

"Hell breaks loose, and it breaks loose fast," Niylah says, her voice laced with resignation.

"This isn't hell. It's who we are," Gaia interjects, her tone cold and detached.

"You're wrong, Gaia. We are Wonkru," Octavia retorts, her voice firm with conviction.

Gaia scoffs, dismissing Octavia's words. "Easy to say for those who faced death in Praimfaya, but without a true commander to unite us, we're just warring clans. It's how it's always been, and how it always will be."

Nova rolls her eyes, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Things have changed, Gaia. If you hadn't noticed."

"Enough," Indra interrupts, her voice cutting through the tension. "Hunger will make things worse. If the people who took the farm don't make their demands soon-"

"There won't be any demands," Jaha cuts in, his voice strained. "They have everything they need to survive, except for me. Look here," he continues, pointing to the blueprints. "Level C contains the farm-"

Nova's eyes narrow as she notices the sweat on Jaha's forehead, the way his words falter at the end. She glances at Indra, both of them realizing something's wrong. Bloodstains smudge the bottom of the blueprints, a silent alarm.

Indra's eyes lock onto Jaha's. "Are you hurt?" she asks, her voice tense.

Jaha lets out a nervous chuckle, shaking his head. "Just a scratch," he says, brushing off her concern. "As I was saying, level C is self-contained, with the farm and water recycler. Even if the rest of the bunker fails, level C will remain operational."

"I'm not hearing any good news, Jaha."

"If I can reroute the electricity from the generator on the level below, I can use the metal walls as giant conductors. Enough of it should reach the door and short out the locking mechanisms" Jaha states and Nova furrows her eyebrows looking to the blueprints.

"Okay, well- look, is this level D clear?" Nova asks looking to Jaha.

"No man's land, 5 different clans looking for someone to take their anger out on. The second they see him, he's dead" Indra warns and Octavia and Nova lock eyes, "Then let's make sure they don't see him. Niylah, can you make him look like a grounder?" Octavia asks and Niylah smiles and nods as she pats Jaha's shoulder, motioning him to follow her.

"I think that's too dangerous" Indra warns once more, and Nova's smiles quickly fades. "No, that was a good plan. He'll be fine. We split up. You draw as many people as you can from level D, and Octavia, I want you to get Jaha to that generator" Nova orders and Octavia pats her back leaving the room to meet up with Niylah and Jaha.

"What will you do?" Indra asks and Nova sighs. "I'll stay here and think of something. Go" Nova says and Indra and Gaia nod as they leave the room leaving Nova alone in the room with guards outside the door. Nova sits down at Jaha's desk with the blueprints and lays her head down setting her sword down on the desk taking a break from this crazy reality. It's only day 46 and things have gone to shit, and everything is dividing.

"I need you Fio..." Nova mumbles to herself as a tear slides down her cheek thinking about the night of conclave when she had to watch her own brother die.

There has to be something I can do. These are supposed to be my people. How did I get like this? I used to be happy... on the ark before my arrest. Staring out the window out the earth below me and the stars above me. I'm surrounded by darkness now... I am the darkness. I am killer but I'm also a leader. I can't let one clan ruin everything for everyone in this bunker because there is still 5 more years to go... maybe more. Nova thinks in her head as she looks down at the blueprints. How do I save 1,200 people? Nova asks herself as she continues to look down at the blueprints.

"Fight..." Nova says as she stands up out of her seat and walks out the door with her sword in hand, walking down the halls by herself, being her own self trying to make it to the door Skaikru has locked themselves in.

As Nova reaches the doorway, she hears the thudding of grounders trying to break it open. In the shadows, she spots Indra and Gaia, standing off to the side, unseen by the others. They turn their heads as Nova approaches, noticing her shrugging off her jacket, leaving her in a sleek black top.

"What are you doing?" Indra asks, grabbing hold of Nova's jacket, concern etched on her face.

Nova meets her gaze with steely resolve. "You want me to lead them? Fine," she declares, her voice steady as she steps into the light, revealing herself to the grounders who have been hammering at the door.

"Hey!" Nova shouts, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. The grounders slowly turn to face her, their expressions shifting from aggression to surprise.

"Well, well, Thanatos comes to the rescue," one of the grounders sneers, eyeing Nova with a mix of wariness and respect. She meets each of their gazes with a deadly calm, her eyes burning with a quiet fury.

"How about you open the door?" the man demands, stepping forward as if to challenge her.

Nova tilts her head slightly, a faint, dangerous smile playing on her lips. "And why would I do that?" she asks, her voice laced with cool defiance.

"So, we can rid ourselves of your honor less people once and for all and besides these are your people!" He states and Nova sighs. "Sadly, they are my people, but so are you, all of you. We will take back the farm, for Wonkru, and that includes the innocent people on the other side of that door" Nova speaks up as the man shakes his head.

"I am not Wonkru. I will not be led by you," the man declares, his voice filled with defiance. Nova swings her sword in a fluid arc, her eyes locked on him.

"I thought you might say that," Nova replies, taking a deliberate step forward. Her grip tightens on her sword as she moves swiftly, grabbing the man by the shoulder and rushing him into her blade. She leans in close, her voice a deadly whisper in his ear. "But in this world, you either stand with me, or you fall by my hand."

She pulls her sword free as the man crumples to the ground, his eyes wide in shock.

Two more grounders rush at her, weapons drawn, their faces twisted in rage. Nova charges towards them but suddenly drops into a slide, slipping beneath one's legs and slicing his leg in a single, swift motion. He collapses to the ground with a cry of pain.

Nova springs to her feet, spinning around with lethal precision. Her blade finds the neck of the second grounder, slashing it open in a spray of blood. He collapses, his life draining out onto the earth.

The first grounder, still alive, staggers to his feet, desperation in his eyes. Nova grabs the back of his jacket, yanking him close. She seizes the opportunity, her sword flashing as she decapitates him in one clean stroke. His body crumples, lifeless, while Nova stands tall, holding his severed head in her hands, her gaze cold and unyielding.

"Like I said," Nova growls, her voice dripping with lethal intent. "You either stand with me, or you fall by my hand. Choose." She hurls the severed head to the side with a sharp flick of her wrist as three more grounders charge at her.

Nova ducks under the sweeping arc of three swords that slice through the air where her head had been. Without missing a beat, she springs up, her movements a blur of deadly precision. She doesn't waste time-her fists and feet become weapons of destruction, each strike more brutal than the last. In seconds, two of the grounders are dead, their bodies crumpling to the ground, leaving only one gasping for breath.

"Thanatos is weak..." the last man wheezes, his voice trembling with defiance. Nova tilts her head, a wicked smile spreading across her lips.

"You got the name wrong," she purrs, leaning in close. "It's Keket, Goddess of Darkness... and it's time for you to sleep."

With a feral scream, Nova channels every ounce of her strength, driving her blade straight down into the man's skull, splitting it clean down the middle. Blood sprays across her face and hands, but she doesn't flinch.

She stands amidst the fallen, her presence commanding and unyielding. Her eyes gleam with dark amusement as she swipes a finger across her blood-soaked sword, then licks it, savoring the taste of her victory. A mischievous smile plays on her lips as she surveys the remaining grounders, daring any of them to challenge her.

"Keket! Keket! Keket!" The grounders chant, their voices echoing through the blood-soaked room as Nova surveys the carnage. Bodies lie strewn across the floor, the walls painted with the crimson aftermath of her fury. The air is thick with the metallic scent of blood.

Octavia steps into the center of the room, her eyes locking onto Nova. She pulls out her radio, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "It's over. Open the door," she orders, glancing at Nova-this version of her she's never seen before, covered in blood, eyes burning with a dark, unbridled intensity. But Octavia isn't afraid; instead, she's awestruck.

The lights flicker, casting eerie shadows over the scene, and the door clicks open.

"Open," Nova commands, her voice low and dangerous. A grounder hesitates, then rushes to comply, slowly pushing the door open. As the door swings wide, the people on the other side freeze in terror, their eyes widening at the sight of Nova, her face streaked with blood, her expression cold and unforgiving. Panic erupts; they scatter like frightened animals, trying to escape.

The other grounders charge in, seizing the moment. Nova steps forward, her voice dripping with malicious intent. "I want the guilty... and I want them alive," she says, her tone sinister. "I want to play a little game."

The screams of the terrified crowd fill the room as they scramble to escape the wrath of Keket. Nova's cold, calculating smile grows as she watches the chaos unfold, the grounders hunting down those who dared defy her.

"Nova! Kara, she ran" Octavia informs and Nova begins to follow Octavia into the farm and sees Kara holding a gun to her head.

Octavia whips out her blade and swings it at Kara's head, making her drop the gun. Kara lets out a loud scream and Nova sends her an evil smirk. "You don't get to go out that easy" Nova declares harshly as Octavia walks over to her and drags her out of the room and Nova stays behind, helping Abby and Kane out of the room.

_______

NOVA HAD EVERYONE IN THE BUNKER gather in the main room and had the guilty people right in the middle so everyone could see them under the light. Nova was finished wiping her face in her office and walked out see the scared look on everyone's faces.

"Why so scared, Kara? You weren't scared when you hit me in my own office!" Nova shouts as she walks up and down the catwalk looking down on them. "Now, I know there are too many people in this bunker...and if we don't do something about this...none of us will survive to see the sun, the sky, the ground, and I won't let that happen" Nova reassures as she pulls out her sword and drags in along the railing.

"Each of you have committed crimes against Wonkru, and the punishment for this...is death. No more... Skaikru, Trikru, Azgeda only Wonkru!" Nova shouts as she bangs her sword on the railing.

"There is only Wonkru and the enemies of Wonkru. Would you like to join them? Their blood just stained my face a minute ago, but I assure you I would love some more" Nova says as she smiles.

"I'm giving one of you a chance," Nova declares, her voice cold and commanding as she leaps down to the bottom floor, landing with a grace that belies the danger she represents. She strides into the center of the circle formed by the guilty, her presence radiating authority. "An opportunity to fight for your freedom. Same rules as the Conclave. Win the fight, save your life."

She drops her sword onto the ground with a heavy thud, the metallic sound echoing through the room. Her gaze sweeps over the crowd of fearful faces. "Who's ready to play?" she challenges, her tone dripping with dark amusement. She steps back, her posture relaxed but every bit as menacing.

Silence. No one moves.

Nova arches an eyebrow, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement. "No one wants to play?" she questions, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Alright then. More fun for me."

With a sudden, fluid motion, she steps behind one of the guilty men, grabbing his hair and yanking his head back. Her knife flashes in the dim light as she drives it into his throat with ruthless efficiency. Blood sprays as he gasps for air, the life quickly draining from him. She pushes his body into the center of the circle with a forceful shove, then retreats, her gaze cold and calculating.

"Every minute that passes and no one picks up the sword," she continues, her voice echoing ominously, "I kill one of you. And I'll keep going until there's no one left." She twirls the knife in her hand, the blade gleaming with the promise of more violence.

Kara's eyes flash with determination. In a sudden burst of action, she lunges for the sword, dispatching anyone who dares come near her with swift, decisive strikes. Within moments, she stands alone, the last one remaining.

"Kara!" Nova exclaims with genuine surprise, a smirk creeping onto her face as she approaches her. With a fluid, practiced movement, she snatches the sword from Kara's hand, holding it up with a sense of triumph. "Keket-Goddess of Darkness has risen!"

From above, Octavia raises her sword high, her voice ringing out with fervor. "Keket-Goddess of Darkness!" she shouts, her words igniting a roar of approval from the rest of the bunker. The cheers and roars reverberate through the space, a cacophony of acclaim for Nova's brutal display of power.

Nova takes a deep breath, the weight of her actions settling in. She glances around at the chaos and the adoring crowd, swallowing a lump in her throat. The realization hits her-there's no turning back now.