Chapter 7: She finds herself a prisoner

The first thing Morgan noticed was the light. It was bright, too bright, almost blindingly bright. Her eyes, barely open, were letting in too much of the painful white. She closed them, shutting herself back into blackness. The next thing she noticed were the sounds. They started muffled at first, as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. There were voices, rapid footsteps, sounds floating up and around and mixing in her head. She barely processed the sounds when the pain exploded, wrapping around the side of her face. She let out a hiss, grimacing, the movement of the muscles in her face causing more pain to shoot across her skull. She opened her eyes, pupils dilating with the light, blinking a few times to focus in the scene around her. She felt the side of her face throbbing. It was if someone had driven a hammer into the side of her head. When she finally focused her vision, she could see that she was being watched.

The Gale Force was standing around her, all faces and eyes fixed upon her. A taller man, once she did not recognize, was standing between her and the rest of the soldiers. His arms were crossed, his face a mixture of irritation and intrigue. Morgan tried to move, and then realized that she couldn't. It took her another few seconds to determine what was going on. She was sitting on a chair, her arms yanked behind the chair, bound tightly with what felt like rope. The pain pulsed through her skull again, the image of the sergeant's fist sailing towards her face flashed through her mind. She struggled a bit, pulling against the restraints, but it was no use. She felt her heart begin to race, the anxious energy racing underneath her skin. She turned her head. To the right of her, she saw Sayer standing among his fellow Gale Force. He had an incredibly worried look upon his face, his expression making the fear flutter in her chest. He had warned her that something bad would happen if they caught her, and now she was caught.

Morgan glanced up, her eyes catching the clock on the wall. She noted the time, and laughed to herself.

I have half an hour left in my shift, and here I am.

She forced herself to meet the gaze of the man before her. He was very tall, dark eyed, brown hair pulled back into a slick ponytail. He was clean-shaven, the only hair on his face were his dark eyebrows, still furrowed at the sight of her. He tapped his chin with one finger, deep in thought, his eyes burning into her. His stare sent a shiver up her spine.

"So," he finally spoke. Morgan recognized his voice from earlier, when she hid with the buckets. This was the Captain of the Guard.

"So what you are telling me is that this girl here hid from us, evaded capture, somehow snuck down here, armed herself, ambushed and stabbed Corporal Braxton, and injured four other soldiers?"

Morgan was proud of herself for a moment. Wow, that sounds way cooler than it felt.

"She also spit on me," growled the sergeant.

The Captain sighed. "You probably deserved that one."

The guards laughed, one of them playfully shoving the sergeant. He did not smile. Sayer faked a smile and a laugh, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions. He made eye contact with Morgan, mouthing words to her.

'What were you thinking?'

Morgan replied with a shrug.

To be honest, I have no idea.

The Captain, who had been leaning on the bench that Morgan had hid under, shifted his weight forward, standing up straight. He took a step towards Morgan, his eyes never leaving her.

"Some of my men think you are a spy, but I seem to doubt that. You look nothing like a spy."

He tilted his head again, this time the other way.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Despite the throbbing in her temple, despite the fact that she was bound and surrounded, Morgan felt a spurt of defiance.

"I should be asking you the same thing."

The Captain raised an eyebrow.

"I believe I asked first, and I also believe that you are not really in a position to be asking questions."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who broke into my shop."

"Oh, so this place is yours then?"

"No, not really, I just work here. I was finishing up, and I just wanted to go home, and then you people show up and ruin everything."

"So you've been here this entire time?" the Captain asked, puzzled. "My scout said that this place was abandoned." The Captain's face, along with all of the others, turned towards Sayer. Sayer shrunk down, his face turning red.

"Captain, when I checked the place, I saw no sign of an occupant," said Sayer quickly. "I did multiple rounds of checks. I believed it to be empty."

"Well, private, it seems you've made an error," The Captain's steely gaze could have bore a hole in Sayer. "We now have a situation. We have a witness, one who attacked and injured some of my troops. That is unacceptable."

Sayer looked down, saying nothing.

The Captain returned his focus to Morgan.

"You wear clothing that bears the name of this place," he noted. "Although, it could be a disguise. You were hiding, and you were armed. You did not run away, which makes me believe that you had ulterior motives."

"Seriously?" Morgan spat. "I was hiding because I didn't want you to find me! Do you really think I would have just waltzed down the stairs, announcing myself to you, 'Oh hey random soldier men, it's so nice to meet you! Let's be friends?'."

Morgan saw Sayer moving. Her eyes flickered to the side. Sayer was shaking his head, mouthing the word 'No' over and over. Apparently, her sarcasm would not be appreciated.

The Captain seemed to have ignored her comment.

"You were hiding? Upstairs?" He had been leaning over while talking to Morgan, but now he had shot back up to his straightened posture. He was glaring at Sayer.

"Forsmyth, You were upstairs, yes? And you somehow did not see her?"

Sayer faltered. "I…I wasn't canvassing sir…I was…I was…indisposed."

"Indisposed?"

The sergeant let out a laugh. "Captain, you missed it. After you interrogated the witch, he bolted up to the bathroom. You could hear his yacking from down here."

Morgan didn't think Sayer could turn any redder, but he somehow managed.

"Captain, you know it happens," another soldier piped in. Morgan recognized his voice from upstairs, when he was talking to Sayer in the bathroom. "Interrogations can be nasty if you don't know what to expect. He'll get a handle on it."

"He better," growled the Captain, the tone of his voice causing Sayer to jump. "He had two chances to find this girl, and he failed both of them. We will need to have a conversation later."

"Yes, sir," replied Sayer meekly. Morgan felt bad for him, the kid who was forced to be a soldier and do things against his own moral code. Part of her wished she could help him out, but right now, she couldn't even help herself.

"I do believe that I asked you your name." The Captain was speaking to Morgan again.

"And I do believe that I also asked you yours."

"Fine." The Captain was close to Morgan again, too close for comfort. With her bound to the chair, he towered over her.

"I'm Captain Whitearrow, the head of the Gale Force, the highest military squadron in the Emerald City and all of Oz."

"My name is Morgan, and I think you're full of shit."

"Oh really?" the Captain chuckled. "How is that so?"

"You are telling me that the Emerald City and Oz are real places. They aren't real, they are fiction. They are silly stories meant for children."

The captain nodded to himself. "Ah, I see the Wizard was correct. Your people do not believe in us or our world."

"Well of course," spat Morgan. "You actually expect me to believe that Oz is real and everything that happened there actually happened? You're nuts. You're all nuts."

The soldiers were looking back and forth at each other, muttering amongst themselves.

"Captain, there is no way she could be a spy." Sayer, finding some bravery, had spoken. "Like you said, she is obviously from this world. Our women don't dress like that, nor are they tattooed. She is of no use to us."

The Captain was deep in thought again. He tapped the side of his chin, making no sound. It was a while before he spoke again.

"The Wizard is on his way. He will be able to tell for sure and know what needs to be done. In the meantime, I want to make sure that she's not part of the Resistance."

"The Resistance?" Morgan asked. "Who are they? Who are they even resisting? Are they resisting you? Because if they are, they have my full support."

Sayer had resumed mouthing the word 'No' to Morgan. It seemed like her attitude could not control itself.

"Bring me the witch," said the Captain. "We'll see if they know each other or not."

A few of the soldiers exited the workroom, heading into the front. There was a lot of movement and shuffling, as if there was a struggle. The guards returned a minute later, dragging the prisoner with them. Morgan could not see her face, for they had thrown a linen bag over it. She could hear muffled noises from inside it. They threw the woman on the ground in front of where Morgan was bound. The prisoner wore a black dress, hanging off of her thin frame. A black cloak was clasped around her neck, billowing out around her. Her arms mimicking Morgan's, yanked back and bound behind her. Despite the black material of her dress, Morgan could see that something dark had stained it all over. Morgan felt herself tense up. She was almost positive as to what it was. She had, in fact, heard the screaming herself.

The one of the soldiers walked towards the prisoner, giving her a swift kick in the side. She doubled over, a growl escaping through the blind. The soldier grabbed onto the linen covering her head. The soldiers stared, waiting on bated breath. Morgan felt her heartbeat start to go out of control. The soldier pulled the bag off, and Morgan finally met face to the face with the person she had been trying to rescue.

Morgan couldn't speak. Her mouth was open, but no sound was coming out. She could barely handle the shock that had taken her over. She could not take her eyes off of this woman, trying to process what was happening. The prisoner was young, maybe Morgan's age or a bit older, just as Sayer had said. She had dark brown eyes, which were looking at Morgan with their own form of surprise. She had black hair, almost the same black that Morgan dyed her own, tied back in a bun at the base of her neck, half of it pulled out and flying away due to her head being covered. But that was not what really caught Morgan's attention.

Morgan couldn't get words out for some time.

"That…that is a green person."

The prisoner sighed and rolled her eyes. "How observant. Oh look, you've discovered I am green. Congratulations, your eyes work."

"Wait…"

Morgan was hit with a realization so intense that it felt like she had been punched a second time.

Morgan sat up straighter, her eyes widening. Her thoughts were swirling so fast that she could barely breathe.

"Okay, so, you are all telling me that you're the Gale Force and you are from Oz. And you are here and you know the Wizard…"

Morgan paused for a moment, her eyes flickering from the Captain to the prisoner and back.

"Are you seriously, honestly telling me that this is who I think it is?"

The prisoner had readjusted, now kneeling on the floor. Arms still bound behind her, she bowed dramatically.

"That's right, I'm the Wicked Witch of the West, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sayer's words ripped through Morgan's brain.

""You may not believe it's real, yet you know about Oz and about the goings on in the governorship in Munchkinland. You know more than you think you do. You aren't putting two and two together."

She had most certainly put two and two together now.

Morgan's wild eyes met the Captain's.

"Are you serious right now? Is this…what is…oh dear god…is this seriously happening right now?"

"Oh, most definitely." The witch's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "This is most certainly happening. See, I'm so incredibly dangerous and evil that these wonderful examples of the male species had to capture me and bring me here, wherever this place happens to be."

The witch turned towards the Captain, a scowl crossing her face.

"It wasn't enough for you to have me, so you had to capture an innocent person as well? And by the looks of the bruise on her face, it seems like you really can't resist hitting a woman. I didn't think you could sink any lower, but you surprised me yet again."

"She's not innocent," stated the Captain frankly. "She was armed. She gravely injured one of my men and wounded four more."

The witch looked at Morgan again, her face changing, the edges of her mouth curling into a smile.

"You took down five members of the Gale Force by yourself?" she asked. "Not bad, not bad at all. You did better than I did."

"Do you know this girl?" the Captain asked the witch.

"Do you think I would tell you if I did?"

"From your reaction and hers, it seems that you do not. We just want to make sure she's not a Resistance spy."

The witch shook her head. "No, I'm afraid you are out of luck. I don't know her. Although, if she can take out that many of your soldiers, I might have to put in a good word for her back at the base."

The Captain huffed. "Then you are not helpful to us now."

A soldier grabbed the witch, dragging her to the side of the room and dumping her against the wall. She didn't fight back; she merely shot daggers at the one who put his hands on her. The rest of the soldiers weren't going to bother with her now. They were still focused on the mysterious girl covered in the blood of their comrade.

"Tell me this." The Captain's tone of voice was strained. He had not got the answer he wanted, and he was starting to lose his patience. "There are only three doors in this building. We were guarding the two down here, but there was one upstairs. I had two of my men guard it for a little while, but they were not there long. If you were here from before the moment we arrived, you would have had ample time to escape. Instead, you hid, got a weapon, snuck down here, and attacked. If you are not connected to the Resistance, then what exactly were you doing?"

Morgan faltered. There was no way she could tell them the truth. Her plan had failed miserably, spectacularly going down in flames. She was now injured, bound, their prisoner. If they knew, she would be dead, or worse.

"I…I had to hide…" Morgan stuttered, the words coming out in pieces. "I…I was afraid…I grabbed the clippers…just in case…I didn't know what to do…"

The Captain stormed over, grabbed a fistful of her hair. He wrenched her head backwards, his face up against hers. She closed her eyes, grimacing at the sensation.

"You're lying!" the Captain roared. "You're lying! You're hiding something! I want to know what you're hiding! Are you really a spy? Did the Resistance send you? Who sent you?"

"Nobody sent her." The witch was sitting up. Morgan could swear that she looked concerned. "She isn't one of us. Leave her alone."

The Captain let go of Morgan's hair. He reached around, the sound of a blade unsheathing reaching Morgan's ears. Before she could form a thought, the blade was in her face.

"Tell me what you were doing or I will cut you from ear to ear!"

Morgan shook violently, the fear completely taking over. Even if she wanted to talk, she couldn't. She felt the tears stinging her eyes. She blinked, a few of them escaping down her cheeks. The blade danced over her cheek, violent thoughts of it ripping her skin tormented her. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sayer, standing behind the rest of the Gale Force, his eyes huge and his hands over his mouth.

"Okay…okay…" Morgan's voice was barely a whisper. "Please…I'll tell you…"

The Captain lowered his knife, stepping backwards and standing up straight again. The knife reentered the leather sheath at his side. He crossed his arms.

"Go on."

Morgan breathed in deeply, trying to steady herself enough. She knew that once she spoke, there was a good chance that she would meet the same punishments as the wicked witch. The fear had fully engulfed her, reducing her to a shivering mess. She took another breath, doing her best to be strong and be brave.

"I…" Morgan took a final inhale. There was nothing else she could do, so she might as well tell the truth.

"I was hiding. I was hiding right at the top of the stairs. You had soldiers at the upstairs door, and I was trapped. I couldn't get out. I grabbed the clippers just in case. It was just instinct, really. I heard you down there. I heard you bringing in the prisoner. I heard everything you said, and everything you did to her."

For a moment, Morgan's eyes met the witch's. The witch's hardened scowl had softened, looking back at Morgan with sadness and concern. Sayer was right. The three of them were just kids really, wrapped up in a war that they weren't meant to fight.

"I saw my chance to run," Morgan continued. "I got all the way to the door…and then I heard screaming. I couldn't do it. I couldn't run away. I had to do something."

"So what then," spat the sergeant, appearing next to the captain. "You heard her screaming and thought you burst in and rescue her?"

"Well…I mean…'burst in' wasn't really what I was going for."

The Captain spoke next. "Your intention was to help Elphaba escape, then?"

Morgan blinked, taking in the name she heard.

Elphaba…Nessarose…Captain Tygelaar…of course…two and two together…now I really get it.

Turns out, much to Morgan's surprise, Oz was, in fact, real.

Morgan bit her lip, answering the Captain with a nod of the head. The witch—Elphaba—was now looking at Morgan with an expression of confusion.

"Helping a prisoner escape is considered treason," stated the sergeant.

"Maybe your rules don't apply here," Elphaba interrupted. "We don't know how things go here. We're invading. We are in her world, after all."

The soldier guarding Elphaba struck her in the back of the head. Again, she said nothing and did nothing other than glare.

"Treason is usually grounds for execution, but I assume that the Wizard, being also of your world, would want to meet you himself," said the captain. "You will be staying here until he arrives, and then he can decide whether you live or die."

What.

"Until then, you will still need to be punished," he continued. "And I believe I know a fitting punishment for your crime."

Morgan felt a tremor shoot through her body so hard and fast that she spasmed.

This cannot be good.