Clova *COMPLETE*

Chapter 24- Peace or War

Later that afternoon, the apes held a meeting. All members of the Ape Council attended to discuss the matter of the humans they presumed extinct. Koba had returned after spying on the humans and found out their location.

Maurice sat in the meeting, very intrigued with a sketch book he found inside the bag and scrolled through the pages as he admired the art. Whilst Maurice was interested in the book, the angered and scarred bonobo took hold of the meeting and gave his opinions.

"Must attack now!", he demanded. "Before they attack us!"

Maurice lowered the book and turned to Koba, wanting to reason the situation. "But we don't know how many there are, how many guns they have?" Luca also sided with Maurice.

"Or why they came up here?"

Caesar sat in the middle and listened intently at everyone's opinions. Maurice stopped at a certain page, it was a sketch of a young woman with the real photo glued to the top side of the paper. He presented the image to Caesar who looked at it without a care, meanwhile a certain ape became more and more aggravated.

"Come on, Rocket!", he burst out. "They shot your son, don't you want to fight?!"

Rocket though just as angry as Koba that his son was injured, shook his head in disagreement.

"I follow Caesar. Whatever he says goes.", he stated. Koba snarled in annoyance at his loyalty and looked to Blue Eyes, hoping to get someone on his side.

"Koba's right.", agreed Blue Eyes, much to Caesar's disbelief.

Maurice also frowned slightly at his words, even though Clova was also human, Blue Eyes now saw a side of humans he didn't like. He still loved Clova and didn't even think of her as one of them, only as an ape and his dear, little sister but quickly grew a strong grudge against other humans who tried to harm his friends and family.

"They almost killed you, Ash!", Blue Eyes signed angrily as he pointed to his friend's wound on his upper arm.

Ash just shrugged like it was no big deal. The meeting quickly turned into a riot and all of them recklessly started hooting and yelling over each other. It was madness. Caesar sat there and listened to the arguement, his patience wearing thin and growled lowly.

 "NO!"

The noise suddenly stopped at Caesar's command and some looked down in shame. He gave them all looks of disappointment at their behaviour and slowly shook his head.

"If we go to war...", he started,"...we could lose everything we have built.", he explained. Caesar looked at them, checking to see if they understood what's at stake.

"Home.", he reminded as he signed.

"Family.", Caesar turned to Koba and lifted his chin that hung low in discontentment. 

"Future.", he finished. He stood up from the gathering and called the meeting to an end.

"I will decide by morning."

Koba was tempted to follow Caesar out and give his opinion personally but held back and growled slightly in frustration.

"The humans must pay!"

Blue Eyes held up his hand. "I agree." Maurice gurgled sadly at Blue Eyes' sudden lack of emotion and tried to change his mind.

"But Clova.", he reminded. Blue Eyes looked at his uncle with a blank and dry expression. "She's your sister, family."

Blue Eyes inhaled deeply and sighed. "I know.", Maurice's face showed extreme dissatisfaction. 

"That's why they have to be stopped, for Clova's safety."