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⁽ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ ⁻ ᵉᵃʳᵗʰ ˢᵏⁱˡˡˢ⁾
Nova sat on a log beside Wesley, her fingers idly tracing the smooth skin of her bare wrist, where the metal bracelet had once been. Her gaze drifted up as Wells approached, holding a stack of clothes and a pair of boots. She and Wesley exchanged curious looks, wondering how he had gotten them.
"Hey, where'd you get those clothes?" Atom asked, noticing the items in Wells' hands as he approached Nova and Wesley.
Wells' somber expression deepened. Letting out a sigh, he answered, "Buried the two kids who died during landing." Nova felt a pang of sadness, even though she hadn't known the two teens personally. The thought of them losing the chance to experience Earth felt bitter.
Atom, on the other hand, seemed unaffected as he reached out to grab the clothes. "Smart. You know, I'll take it from here. There's always a market for..."
"We share based on need, just like back at home," Wells interrupted firmly, stepping back to avoid Atom's grasp.
Before anyone could respond, Bellamy's voice cut through the air. Nova looked up to see him walking toward them, shirtless, with a brunette girl trailing behind. He stopped briefly to kiss her before sending her away, a gesture that made Nova roll her eyes.
"Man whore," she muttered under her breath, thinking he couldn't hear her. But Bellamy's glare made it clear that he had. He turned back to Wells.
"You still don't get it, do you, Chancellor?" Bellamy taunted. Gesturing around, he declared, "This is home now. Your father's rules no longer apply."
Nova watched as Bellamy grabbed a jacket from Wells. When Wells made a move to stop him, Atom stepped in, holding him back with a firm hand. Bellamy called out, "Atom, hold up."
"You want it back? Take it," Bellamy challenged, throwing the jacket on the ground. Within moments, the delinquents rushed forward, grabbing at the discarded items.
Nova coughed to hide her muttered insult."Dick."
Wells, frustrated, demanded, "Is this what you want? Chaos?"
Bellamy smirked. "What's wrong with a little chaos?"
Nova crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. Wesley sighed, his tone flat. "This is pointless."
Nova nodded. "Seriously, Bellamy. I mean, I'm not Wells' biggest fan either, but taunting him every second? Seriously, grow up," she snapped, stalking closer to him. "I already have a headache, and the day's barely started."
Their back-and-forth was abruptly cut short by a piercing scream. Everyone turned to see Murphy holding a girl dangerously close to the fire.
"Bellamy! Check it out," Murphy called, a twisted grin on his face. "We want the Ark to think the ground is killing us, right? Figure it'll look better if we suffer a little first."
Nova rushed forward. "John, stop being Bellamy's bitch. Let her go!" she shouted, trying to pull him away.
Her voice clashed with Wells', who yelled over her, "Let her go! You can stop this," he said, looking directly at Bellamy.
"Stop this? I'm just getting started," Bellamy replied smugly.
The crowd around them erupted into cheers of, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Nova bit her tongue, tempted to join the chant but knowing Wesley would scold her. Instead, she stayed quiet as Murphy and Wells exchanged blows until Clarke's voice broke through.
"Wells! Let him go!"
Nova turned toward Clarke's voice, sighing when she saw her. But her annoyance quickly shifted to concern as she noticed Octavia's state. Rushing to her side, Nova asked, "Octavia? You okay?"
Octavia nodded weakly, and Bellamy stepped forward, his focus shifting to his sister. "Where's the food?" he demanded.
Finn, sitting nearby, replied, "We didn't make it to Mount Weather."
Nova frowned, scanning the group. "Where's Jasper?"
But before anyone could answer her, Bellamy cut in. "What the hell happened out there?"
Clarke responded quickly. "We were attacked."
Nova froze. Attacked? Her mind raced. By what?
"Attacked? By what?" Wells asked, echoing her thoughts.
Finn's answer sent a chill down her spine. "Not what. Who. It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last Grounder."
"What the hell," Nova muttered under her breath, running a hand through her hair as panic set in.
Clarke continued, her tone grave. "It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here. Survivors. The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us."
Finn added grimly, "Yeah, the bad news is, the Grounders will."
Chaos erupted as the delinquents panicked. Nova's focus, however, remained on Jasper. "Where's goggle boy?" she asked again, louder this time.
"They took him," Clarke said, and Nova's heart sank. Her hands instinctively fidgeted, a nervous habit she couldn't shake.
Clarke's sharp question pulled her from her thoughts. "Where's your wristband?"
Nova glanced at her bare wrist with a small smirk but was cut off before she could answer.
"Ask him," Wells said, nodding toward Bellamy and Murphy.
"How many?" Clarke demanded.
Murphy, looking smug, answered, "Twenty-five and counting."
Clarke's frustration boiled over. "You idiots. Life support on the Ark is failing. That's why they sent us down here! They need to know the ground is survivable again, and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them. You're killing us!"
Nova stiffened at Clarke's words. Life support is failing? Her earlier defiance now felt petty. She looked to Bellamy, searching for any sign of remorse, but he stood firm.
"We're stronger than you think," Bellamy said confidently. "Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm? It makes you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore! They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're not criminals! You're fighters, survivors! The Grounders should worry about us!"
Nova blinked in disbelief. "The Grounders should worry about us?" she repeated, her voice incredulous.
Bellamy turned to her, his expression hardening. "Whose side are you on, Blondie?"
Nova hesitated. She didn't want to align with Clarke or Wells, but Bellamy's arrogance was infuriating. "Who says I have to pick a side?" she shot back.
Grabbing Wesley's arm, she stormed toward Clarke and Monty.
