Lexa and Clarke journey towards Arkadia with a few of Lexa's people to present Queen Nia's corpse to the Sky People. They happily discuss the peace they secured for their people.

Pike, Bellamy, and the rest of Pike's people return to Arkadia, looking bloody.

Pike gives a speech to the Sky People about achieving the creation of a self-sustaining, prosperous Arkadia, riling them up. Lincoln, Octavia, Abby and Kane looks concerned. Abby wonders how there could have been 10 Sky People against 300 Grounders and none of their people have come back wounded.

Lexa and Clarke come upon the site of the slaughtered Grounder army and are horrified. Lexa and Clarke inspect the dead and Clarke notices that all of the wounds are inflicted by bullets.

They find Indra, badly wounded, who reports to them that Pike and his men attacked, cold-blooded, while the Grounders slept, executing the wounded and slaughtering all in sight. She tells them that she survived because Bellamy (who wanted to spare the wounded) convinced Pike to let her live in order to deliver a message: Skaikru rejects the coalition, this is the Sky People's land now, and the Grounders can leave or die.

Lexa orders her warriors to call upon the armies of the twelve clans to attack Arkadia, to kill all inside its walls in retribution. Clarke convinces Lexa to allow Clarke to contact Kane to bring him to them and figure out what happened, so that she can resolve the situation without further bloodshed.

Kane secretly meets with Octavia, noting that she tried to leave camp and warn Indra the previous night when Pike was elected and reporting that Indra radioed and wants to meet. Kane helps Octavia sneak out (in his stead), ordering her to find out what happened and report back to Arkadia.

Pike gathers his people to strategize for erecting a wall around Arkadia and establishing land and water for them to use to be self-sustaining, wiping out a nearby Grounder village in the process. Pike clears the room and talks with Bellamy when Bellamy is shocked at Pike's order to clear the Grounder village. Bellamy voices that he believes they went too far. Pike justifies the killings, telling Bellamy it was necessary to protect their people because survivors would have come back to kill them. Bellamy agrees and accepts his guard jacket back from Pike.

As Bellamy exits, he encounters Kane and Lincoln. They ask him what happened. Bellamy tries to justify the attacks as doing what needed to be done, parroting Pike's rationale. Kane tells Bellamy that he has started a war that will kill them all. Bellamy retaliates by saying that even Trikru killed 37 of his people before Kane reached the ground. Lincoln is angered over Bellamy's generalizations

Raven confronts Abby over Abby not having medically cleared her for work, effectively costing her her job. Abby explains that Raven's leg will never heal, and pushing herself will only make her pain worse. 

Jaha, ALIE and Emori's brother Otan arrive at Arkadia. The guards attempt to prevent Otan from entering since Grounders are prohibited from entering Arkadia per Pike's orders. In the struggle, Otan is shot. Abby is called over to help him, but Jaha whispers to Otan to go to the City of Light instead, where ALIE will be waiting for him. Otan dies.

A traveling Grounder with a wagon comes upon a shirtless and apparently unconscious Murphy. When he goes to take Murphy's shoes, Emori holds a knife to his throat. She knocks him out. Emori and Murphy flirt and then kiss, taking the man's wagon with them and heading along.

Jaha tells Abby that Murphy will be fine and she shouldn't worry about Murphy. Kane joins the two and reports that Pike relieved Kane and Lincoln of their duties. As Jaha explains that he found the City of Light and what it is, Kane and Abby are increasingly disbelieving and alarmed by Jaha's proclamations. Monty's mother Hannah calls Jaha away to go speak with Pike.

Pike and Jaha happily greet one another. Pike asks why Jaha has returned. Jaha insists that he wants to save his people. ALIE, visible only to Jaha, counsels him not to tell Pike about the City of Light for fear of Pike thinking him a fool. Jaha explains that he wants to save their people by freeing them of their pain (spiritual and physical). Pike, clearly not believing Jaha's words, brushes him off by telling him that so long as he stays out of Pike's way, he can save whomever wants saving.

Octavia comes upon the slaughtered Grounders, horrified. She enters the tent where Clarke and Lexa are treating wounded Indra. Octavia explains that the Sky People voted Pike in, which angers Lexa. Clarke cannot believe that her people voted for this, but Octavia criticizes Clarke for not having been there for months. Clarke convinces Lexa and Octavia that she must get into Arkadia and talk to Bellamy before the Grounder army arrives at Arkadia in a day, reasoning that if she can get through to Bellamy he can in turn get through to Pike. Octavia agrees to get Clarke into Arkadia secretly. Lexa reluctantly agrees.

Emori and Murphy camp out in their cave. Emori tries to convince Murphy to come with her to Arkadia to help her rescue her brother Otan. Murphy refuses.

Pike and Bellamy tell Abby that the sick Grounder patients are being interned. Lincoln arrives and furiously attempts to stop Pike's men from moving the sick Grounders. Gillmer pulls a gun on Lincoln and Lincoln punches him. The other tries to stop him, but he only stops when Pike holds a gun on sick Danae. Pike has Lincoln imprisoned as well.

Jaha (with ALIE in his ear) tries to recruit Raven and others to his City of Light cause. Raven blows him off, saying that there is no simple way to eliminate pain. ALIE notes that Raven is suffering and that if they get her, others will follow. Jaha shows Raven the chip and says that it is the key to salvation and relief. Raven shames him for leading the others on.

Octavia walks in as Lincoln is being imprisoned. Octavia yells at Bellamy for his actions and having chose to ally with Pike. Bellamy warns her to stop "playing Grounder." She leads him off so he can rendezvous with Clarke secretly. Octavia leaves them alone.

Bellamy accuses Clarke of turning her back on her people and choosing the Grounders over her own. Clarke tries to convince Bellamy to avoid war and back down, to help her make things right. Bellamy unloads on her about the choices she'd made leading to the deaths of their people. Clarke tears up and apologizes. Bellamy moves to comfort her but ends up tricking her, handcuffing her and taking her into custody.

Jaha attempts to convince Raven that he can help her. Raven breaks down, frustrated at everyone who has told her to just change and accept her disability. Jaha leaves her with the chip.

Bellamy tries to take Clarke into custody. Octavia intercepts them and Clarke tases Bellamy while he is districted. The two escape Arkadia with Abby and Kane's help. Octavia suggests that they offer up Pike to the Grounders, but Abby refuses that, saying they cannot get close and that that isn't how the Sky People do things. Clarke tries to get her mother to come with her, but Abby cannot.

Emori finds Murphy making himself look dead, having returned to Murphy until she can convince him to join her in retrieving Otan. The approaching Grounders recognize Murphy as a thief and hold a knife to his throat. While one Grounder is rifling through his bag, Jaha's ALIE chip falls out. He recognizes it and calls the symbol on it "the sacred symbol." They take Murphy away as Emori remains hidden.

Miller pretends to be with Pike's men in order to sneak antibiotics to Lincoln, for Danae.

Back at Lexa's tent, Indra suggests that the Grounders may not be able to compete with the Sky People's guns unless they themselves use guns. Clarke arrives and successfully convinces Lexa to end the ceaseless retaliations, despite Indra's disapproval.

Raven limps off on her own, crying. She ingests Jaha's chip. As she walks, her limp suddenly improves, to her shock. A.L.I.E. appears before her, telling Raven it's time to get back to work.