A/N: Thank you for sticking with me and this story. Much love to all of you.
Chapter 7 – The Treachery of Hope
The familiar rolling hills and forests that covered the landscape outside of Campus came into view, and Franny carefully dropped their transport below the detection level of the State's aircraft sensors. It wasn't advisable to fly this low, but Franny was a good pilot, and she skillfully weaved in and out of the obstructions to land them near the coordinates of the presumed Extraordinary camp. When they had disembarked and their craft successfully concealed, the three Rebels set off for the camp.
Unlike the one that had been carefully concealed in the mountains, this camp had been built to stand out and send a message. Razor wire, grey bricks and concrete came together to form a monochromatic and imposing structure that loudly spoke of the oppression, punishment and pain that resided within its walls. Rapunzel, the most kind-hearted of the trio, shivered when she saw it, but Franny's scowl darkened into one of pure hatred, and Elsa's infamous icy gaze crystalized into frigid rage. Franny and Elsa looked at one another, and with a nod of consent, they marched towards the outer wall.
"Wait!" Rapunzel whispered loudly, her voice frantic. "We don't know what their defenses are! You can't just attack it because you are pissed!"
"Says the woman who was captured by Enforcers because she ran into the middle of them by herself," Franny retorted, not looking back.
"And I was stupid! Very stupid!" Rapunzel pointed out. "Please don't do this!" she pleaded. Neither woman was listening to her, so Rapunzel tried something else. "Elsa!" she called out. "What about Anna? This is not keeping yourself out of danger! Goshen! You promised Anna you'd bring Elsa home to Peanut!"
Elsa's steps faltered at that, as did Franny's, and their anger subsided somewhat. They both took deep breaths and turned back towards Rapunzel. "You're right," Elsa said simply. "Let me see Leader's specs and blueprints." Rapunzel handed them over, and Elsa went to work. Normally, Elsa would have had something like this planned far in advance, but the decision to rescue Anna's mother had been spontaneous, so Elsa had done none of her usual preplanning. Elsa studied the specs and blueprints with her usual attention to detail, and within a few moments, she had found a way. "This way," she directed, guiding her two friends around the side.
A small, hidden grate revealed itself when Elsa moved a particular thorny bush, and Franny took care of the plant by blasting it off of its roots. She also took care of the security camera that was scanning from the corner. When these two things were done, Elsa froze the grate, shattering the brittle metal with ease. She climbed in first, and Franny and Rapunzel followed. After several meters of crawling punctuated by several turns, Elsa stopped. She peered through the grate they had stopped at, and seeing no one, she kicked the grate off and jumped to the floor, stepping out of the way as Franny and Rapunzel did the same.
A quick inspection of the hallway yielded no people, neither prisoners nor guards, so the trio carefully and quietly walked down the hallway. Elsa consulted the map Leader had given them, and after frowning slightly, she led the other two down the hallway to a door. Seeing the security panel, she sliced it open with ice and froze its inner components, making the door slide open. A guard turned around in surprise, but before he could do anything, a thick spray of ice knocked him out cold both literally and figuratively.
"This doesn't look like living quarters," Franny observed wryly.
"It's not," Elsa confirmed. "This is the security room. Belle didn't give us specifics about where Anna's mother might be, so we'll have to look for her. We can't destroy every camera in this place, so taking over this room was just easier."
"No wonder you never got caught," Rapunzel said admiringly. "Less than five minutes inside, and we've taken over the cameras." Elsa shrugged modestly, and Rapunzel grinned. Even when she was being badass, the Ice Queen could still be shy. Rapunzel looked around the room, trying to find anything else that could help them, when she saw a computer terminal. "Hey ladies," she called. "There might be a way to save ourselves some searching," she announced, going over and sitting down. The terminal came to life when she sat down, but with no cuff, it remained locked. Seeing the problem, Franny hoisted the unconscious guard up his feet, and Elsa sent ice under his cuff. It slid off easily, and she handed the cuff to the seated Rapunzel. When the computer sensed the cuff with proper security clearance, it opened up the menu for Rapunzel to use.
Rapunzel took the tablet that Elsa was using for specs and scrolled until she found the information related to Anna's mother. Rapunzel typed the prisoner number into the computer, and within milliseconds, a file popped up on to the screen. Rapunzel accessed the photo, and all three of them were unsurprised to see a redheaded woman looking back at them. She even had the same blue-green eyes that Anna had. From what Elsa, Rapunzel and Franny could see, the only difference between Anna and her mother's appearance were freckles. Where Anna was covered in them, her mother's skin was speckle-free.
Rapunzel clicked another link, and a description of her Extraordinary powers popped up under the picture. "Extraordinary can use her voice to draw people in and force them to do her bidding. Nicknamed 'Siren' by her peers. Attempts to rehabilitate have been unsuccessful, and the preventative cuff was of unexpectedly limited usefulness. After much experimentation, powers were only curtailed by the surgical removal of her vocal cords and voice box," Rapunzel read, stopping with a gasp at the barbarous "treatment" described in the last sentence. Her hand went to her own throat in sympathy, while Franny growled in anger, and Elsa made the room temperature plummet in her rage.
"Bastards," she spat, and the ice slowly started radiating from around her. "Can you heal her if we find her?" she asked Rapunzel in barely-controlled rage.
"I don't see why not," Rapunzel answered after a moment's consideration, and that seemed to calm Elsa down.
"Where are her quarters?" Elsa asked. "The sooner we find her, the sooner we can help her and then get her out of here."
"One second," Rapunzel answered. One more click got them the numbers 1216, so after a quick glance at the blueprints to figure out where that was, the three women left the room. To prevent anyone else from entering, Franny melted the control panel while Elsa froze the door over, and when they were done, they made their way down the hallway.
As they walked, Franny pondered the information about Anna's mother. She thought about Freckles, and Freckles' personality, and suddenly a thought occurred to her. In spite of the somber mood and the seriousness of their mission, Franny couldn't help the small snort of wry amusement that escaped. "What is it?" Rapunzel asked.
"I'm wondering if Anna's uncanny ability to make practically everyone and everything fall in love with her instantly is just her personality or is a consequence of being her Extraordinary mother's daughter," Franny explained, and Rapunzel nodded after realizing Franny's point.
"Anna being half-Siren would explain some things," she concurred agreeably.
Elsa, still angry but still listening to the conversation, smiled just a bit in spite of herself and her mood. "There might be some Extraordinary power at work there, but Anna is my Anna regardless of her biology," she stated. "She could charm anyone or anything even if Patrician Scribe was her father."
Evoking the name of the least charming and unfriendliest Patrician got Elsa's point across, and the other two ladies smiled. "True," Rapunzel agreed. They all fell silent after that, but Franny's hypothesis had lifted their spirits, and the mood was a little lighter as they continued to search. They passed by prisoners, but no guards, and like the other facility Elsa and Franny had rescued Rapunzel from, these prisoners were docile and obviously drugged, including the few children Elsa saw. The fact that the children were drugged was disturbing to Elsa, and not just because the bastards had drugged innocent children. It made Elsa wonder why Laura had been lucid when they found her, and her instincts kept telling her something about Laura and Rapunzel's rescue had been off. There was little she could do about it now, but when they had secured Anna's mother and were back on their transport, Elsa was going to contact Belle as soon as possible.
1216 turned out to be a relatively easy living space to find, and Rapunzel used the security guard's cuff to unlock the door. The door slid open as it was supposed to, and the three women walked into the room, only to find a bare bed with no linens and bare walls with no coverings.
"Are you sure this was the right room number?" Elsa demanded, her tone growing tense as her previous unease about Laura collided with her unease about this unexpected development.
"We all saw it, Frosty Pants, so stop asking stupid questions," Franny snapped, growing uneasy herself. "You know this was the right number."
"Then where is she?" Elsa shot back.
"Not here, obviously," Franny retorted shortly, and Elsa glowered at her.
"It looks like no one has been in this room for a while," Rapunzel observed, taking in all of the details. "Then why was this room listed?" she wondered.
"Most likely because you walked right into a trap," a calm voice informed them from the doorway.
The three woman turned to see a lone Enforcer standing just inside the room. He was large and grizzled, obviously older but still muscular and trim. Unexpectedly, his weapon was holstered, and the look he gave them was tinged with curiosity and affection, not malice, so they were confused as to his intentions. "Are you here to arrest us?" Elsa asked, bringing up her hands defensively.
The man smiled with wry sadness. "No, Ice Queen," he said, shaking his head. "I've come to fulfill a long-held promise." He held out a simple brown satchel, and Elsa cautiously took it, opening it up. She drew out a fork first, and she looked at the Enforcer quizzically. "Dinglehopper," he said with an enigmatic smile and little other information. Elsa gave him a look, but didn't reply, instead putting the fork back and continuing her search ultimately revealing more trinkets, along with pictures, a letter and a small music box. Putting everything back, she said nothing but waited for the Enforcer to explain.
"You are looking for the Apprentice's mother, correct?" he asked. "Somehow you found information that told you she was here?"
"Yes," Elsa confirmed.
"Then you are too late; many, many years too late," he said simply. Elsa frowned, her heart aching at the thought of Anna's disappointment. "There was nothing you could do, Ice Queen," the Enforcer assured her. "The Apprentice's mother was taken many years ago. Her name was Ariel, and she was born in Old Atlanta," he offered. "I moved into her neighborhood when I was eight, and she was the only one who wanted to be my friend. I couldn't help falling in love with her, but I was always just her friend. I was her best friend though, and she wanted me to come with her when she went to Campus."
"How did she know she was going to pass the Test?" Franny interjected.
"From the time she was born, Ari could sing, and she sang better than anyone else," the Enforcer replied. "It was a given she was going to be a Plebe. But, like I said, she wanted me with her, so she made me study music too. She made me study day and night for two years. And damned if I didn't pass and go with her. The only problem was that while the Test assigned her to Performing Arts, it assigned me to be an Enforcer. That was okay with her Dad, though; he liked the idea that I could protect her, and he made me promise to do so."
"Then how did she end up here?" Elsa asked, trying not to be unkind.
"Well, she turned twenty-five, and they took her away to fulfill her 'duties'," he said. "Matched her up with some random other Plebe so she could be an incubator for the next generation. But, my Ari never really liked to follow the rules, and she ended up falling completely in love with her baby. Truth be told, I did too." His eyes teared up a little before he found the strength to continue. "Whenever the baby would start moving, Ari would grab my hand," he said haltingly. "I felt her kick and tumble, and oh, how I wished she were mine. And after a while, I loved her so much she did become mine. Mine and Ari's. Neither one of us wanted to give her up. So many times we dreamed of running away, but we just couldn't find a way, and our failure caused Ari to be discovered."
"How?" Rapunzel asked gently.
"The anesthesia they used to knock her out didn't work correctly, and she was awake after she gave birth. She saw her baby, and that was it. She used whatever she had at her disposal to get her baby back, including her powers, but the State still won," he said. "They took the baby away and then banished Ari here. I spent the next two years bribing, sleeping with, and kissing the ass of anyone with power so I could get a transfer to where she was. By the time I got here, they had already figured out that the preventative cuff didn't work. A few months later, she was taken to surgery under the orders of the Plebe that would eventually become Patrician Historian. Once she lost her voice, she lost the will to live, and I lost my Ari. One night, she gave me the satchel and made me promise to give it to her baby; I said no at first, knowing what she was planning, but she refused to let me say no. I eventually agreed, and just like I had suspected, we found her dead in her room the next day. She had hanged herself." He stopped to gather himself, and Rapunzel reached out a comforting hand. He smiled sadly at her, and with a brief sigh continued. "I had no idea how I was going to keep my promise, but then years later, the State feed showed the trial, sentencing and planned execution of an Apprentice," he explained. "I knew the moment I looked at her that she was my Ari's, but it was too late, or so I thought. But we all know how that ended," he said, smiling gratefully at Elsa.
"What's your name?" Elsa asked unexpectedly. "You were born Proletariat; you should have a name."
"Sebastian," the Enforcer answered.
"Come with us, Sebastian," Elsa demanded, using his real name emphatically to separate the man devoted to Anna's mother from the embittered Enforcer he had become. "You lost Ari, but Anna, her daughter; no, Anna, your daughter, is still alive. Not only is she alive, she is expecting your granddaughter, and they both would love to know you. Come with us," she repeated. "Become a part of our family, a part of our world. Help us make sure we make a place where the State doesn't control us."
The world-weary Enforcer looked at her, and it was clear he was struggling with an internal conflict. After many emotions crossed his face, it finally settled into resignation, and he spoke. "No, Ice Queen," he said reluctantly. "Like I said before, you have walked right into a trap. Your information was planted, and the State is coming for you. You need to get out of here as soon as possible, and I need to stay behind to make sure you get back to Ari's girl."
"I will do that regardless if you stay behind or not," Elsa stated coolly but firmly. "I made a promise to Anna, and I will never break that promise. Your sacrifice would be pointless."
Sebastian's face grew stony with his displeasure, and Rapunzel winced at Elsa's bluntness. "What she means to say, Sebastian, is that she, along with our friend Franny here, are pretty powerful Extraordinaries," she explained. "They are really good at getting out of traps. It would mean a lot more to us, and to Anna, if you came with us and became part of our lives."
Sebastian still didn't look convinced, so Elsa tried one last thing. "Here," she said, pulling a piece of paper out from the bodice of her Ice Queen uniform and handing it to Sebastian. "It's the latest picture we have. See if that's enough to convince you to come with us."
Sebastian looked down, and the image of Ari's beautiful unborn granddaughter broke his resolve instantly. "What's her name?" he asked softly.
"Anna and I are still deciding," Elsa answered, "but her nickname is Peanut. It came courtesy of the Physician who told Anna she was pregnant, and it pretty much stuck." Elsa mock-glared at Franny, and Franny grinned.
"What? You know me and my family don't do real names," she protested with a smile. "I had no idea it would last this long."
Sebastian looked up. "I take it you were the Physician?" he asked drolly.
"Yeah," Franny confirmed. "I used to be the Patricians' personal Physician. Anna was a high-profile prisoner, so I treated her too. Then they tried to execute Frosty Pants, and I had to out myself as an Extraordinary. Stuff led to other stuff, and now I'm here," she shrugged.
"I see," Sebastian said noncommittally. He handed the picture back to Elsa, and she tucked it back in its place. "I would like to meet Anna and Peanut," he decided, allowing himself to hope for the first time in a very long time.
"I thought you might," Elsa said with a satisfied smile, shouldering the brown satchel that Sebastian has given her. "Now let's get out of here."
EEEEEEEEEEEEE
In a faux-dilapidated cottage deep in the woods of Dunbroch, Belle was having one of the happiest days she could ever remember having. Her daughter was finally by her side, and together they were exploring and learning all about what Belle did as Leader. Laura was interested in all of it, which pleased Belle to no end, and hours passed at Belle's console with the two of them talking and enjoying each other's company. Anna and Cornelius would add to the conversation here and there, and it was all so warm and familial that Belle hoped that it would never end.
After lunch, Anna went to take a nap on the couch. Peanut was still making sleep fitful for her, so she was hoping to get at least a few minutes of rest to help out her exhaustion. Just as she lay down though, Cornelius' console started to beep. It wasn't a pleasant beep; in fact, it sounded a great deal like an alarm. Anna sat up in concern, and about the same time, Belle stood up from her console and went over to investigate the beep.
"What is it, Hacker?" she asked.
"Our sensors are detecting massive energy signatures entering the outskirts of Northeast airspace, Leader," he answered, typing. "The signatures are identical to the State's largest troop and artillery carriers."
"Check out our video feeds from Campus," Belle ordered. "See if they've moved anything."
Cornelius did as he was asked, and much to Belle's consternation, the video feed of the military complex showed the aircraft hangar was completely empty. "Open the air traffic control systems," Belle said. "See if the signatures belong to the carriers, and see what their flight pattern is."
Cornelius nodded, typing and clicking furiously. A few seconds later, he had some answers. "They are carriers, their flights originated on Campus, and their current trajectory puts them over the Woodcarver's hut in approximately sixty minutes," he said, quiet alarm implicit in every word he spoke.
"What does that mean?" Anna asked in concern.
Belle stared at Cornelius' screen for a moment, and then her shoulders slumped. "They've finally found us," she concluded quietly. "With the amount of man and weapon power those things hold, not only are they coming, they are coming to destroy us."
"But how?" Anna asked, her arms instinctively surrounding Peanut in a protective embrace. "And what are we going to do?"
"How indeed," Belle mused, her eyes circling the cottage until her eyes fell on the one person who had never been to the cottage before and who had only just escaped State custody. The mother in her hoped it wasn't true, but the realist in her knew that it would be just like the State to use her own daughter against her. "Laura," she asked in the calmest voice she could muster, "did anything unusual happen at the facility before Miss Elsa and Miss Franny found you?"
Laura looked at her mother, and her newfound happiness crumpled and horror took its place as she realized why Belle was asking her that. She was the reason the State knew where the Rebellion headquarters were; she was being used by them to destroy everything she had come to love. Laura swallowed, trying to keep the tears away. She needed to answer her mother, because it might be the only way she could help. Laura thought, and she realized that there were two things. "They stopped giving me drugs," she said. "After they gave me a shot of something."
"Where did they inject you?" Belle asked, coming over to her.
Laura indicated a place on her neck. "Right here," she said, pointing right behind her ear.
Belle grabbed her tricorder and scanned the area. Nothing showed up to begin with, but Belle knew it would be hidden from normal medical scans. The State wasn't that stupid. She changed frequencies and scan parameters, and a signal started to register with the device. Within seconds, the machine had identified it as a homing/tracking signal. Belle cursed and scowled, but after she saw the fearful look on Laura's face, she softened her expression and went to grab another piece of equipment. She directed its emitter towards the area under Laura's skin and pushed the button, causing it the tracking signal to die instantly. When Belle turned to put the device away, Laura shrunk back, sitting on the couch and cowering in fear. She brought her knees up to her chest and started sobbing, rocking herself back and forth in her grief.
"Mama, I'm sorry," she cried. "I never meant to put any of you in danger. If you want to leave, I'll stay. I'll use my powers, and I'll keep you safe. Please don't hate me, Mama."
Even with as angry and distraught as she was, the sheer terror in her daughter's voice caught Belle's undivided attention. She gave the device to Cornelius and quickly went to the couch, sitting down beside her daughter. Laura tried to pull away, but Belle would have none of it, and she firmly pulled Laura into a hug. "None of this is your fault, Laura," Belle whispered as Laura sobbed into her chest. "None of it. They wanted to get me, so they used you; it's what they do, and it's been what they've done since they came to power. There was nothing you could have done to prevent any of it."
"But I put you in danger, Mama," Laura protested, still crying. "And I put Miss Anna and Peanut and Mr. Cornelius in danger too."
"But see, sweetie, you really haven't," Belle said reassuringly, thinking logically now that the initial shock had passed. "We have been preparing for the State to find us ever since we built this place. You leading them here changed a few things, that's true, and now I think we are going to move a little faster than I planned, but I know the State too well, and I always knew they would find us, even way out here."
"So you aren't mad?" Laura asked meekly.
"Mad at them, baby, but never at you," Belle answered, wrapping her daughter up in a tight hug.
"So what's the plan?" Anna asked, coming to sit down on the other side of Belle.
"I need to send a communication out to all of our generals," Belle said decisively. "If they have sent the majority of their forces up here, then Campus is as ill-defended as it will ever be, and we need to launch our attack on it now. They want to bring the fight here, but we are going to bring it to them instead. As soon as I send that message, we are evacuating. Without the Ice Queen here, I need to get you someplace safe so she doesn't kill me. Laura will join you, and then Cornelius and I will join the Generals on Campus."
At the mention of Elsa, Anna's face grew thoughtful. "Do think the information about my mother was a part of the plan?" she asked hesitantly. "Did the State plan for Elsa and me to be separated?"
"I wouldn't put it past them," Belle said, and she frowned regretfully when Anna's face fell. "But we'll have to see," Belle backtracked hastily. "I definitely want to talk to Jane about where she got her information. We also need to contact the rescue party as soon as we possibly can."
Anna nodded, and Belle offered her a small smile of reassurance. She gave Laura one last squeeze and then got up from the couch, moving quickly to her computer station. She sent out the emergency alert signal, and within seconds, all of her General's faces popped up on the screen. "Good evening, everyone, I have some news. Some of you will welcome it; others will not," Belle said, her face stoic and determined. "The State used my daughter Laura and her rescue to ascertain the location of the Woodcarver's Hut. The tracking device located in her has been deactivated, but the State had ample time to determine our coordinates. As this very moment, an invasion force of considerable proportions has been detected as moving toward the area of the cottage."
Belle gave everyone a moment to digest that information before she continued. "Obviously, we will not stay here to be slaughtered, and the size of the force headed here gives us a rare opportunity as the Campus defenses will have to be considerably diminished," she stated. Belle looked at every one of her Generals, and she saw the light of understanding dawn in each of their eyes. "I am proposing that we take this opportunity and launch a full-scale attack on Campus. Each of you will bring most of your troops to the attack, leaving only a small defensive force behind to guard against unexpected State attacks. With the depleted forces on Campus, I believe this represents our best opportunity to gain our freedom," Belle concluded. "Are there any objections?"
Her Generals took a moment to consider, and Belle would have expected nothing less from such intelligent, thoughtful people. Then one by one, they gave their answers, and to a person, there were absolutely no objections. "Dunbroch is with you, Leader," Fergus said proudly.
"The South is with you, Leader," Eli stated immediately after.
"The Rockies are with you, Leader," Kim followed.
"California is with you, Leader," Fa Zhu assured her.
"As the representative of General Elsa, I say that Arendelle is with you, Leader," Kristoff concluded.
"Then we are agreed," Belle declared. "Please prepare your troops. Cornelius and I will be in contact." Everyone nodded and signed off.
With that done, Belle stood up. "Pack a few things and find your 'big kitty'," she told Anna. "We need to be out of here as fast as we can." Anna nodded and went off to her and Elsa's bedroom.
EEEEEEEEEEE
Elsa, Franny, Rapunzel and Sebastian moved through the corridors of the Extraordinary facility, opening doors and freeing people as they went. Ice, plasma or the security clearance of a longtime Enforcer worked wonders, and the doors stood little chance. At last they got to the entryway, and Sebastian put in the correct code to make the door slide open. The door did as he asked of it, but instead of opening up to freedom, the door opened up to reveal a squadron of heavily-armed Enforcers.
"Well, well, well," a pompous voice oozed. "The brilliant Ice Queen was stupid enough to fall in the State's trap after all." A redheaded Enforcer with pronounced sideburns came to the front, and it was obvious that he was the squadron's Commander. He also looked familiar to all of them in a way that was troubling. "Your Apprentice slipped through my fingers because of your damnable cat and those freaks she calls friends, but you will not be so lucky," he snarled.
Elsa stilled, and the stone-cold visage of the Ice Queen slipped into place. "You were the Enforcer that killed Ray," she realized, her emotions carefully concealed. "You tried to kill Marshmallow, but you killed Ray instead. You devastated my Apprentice and caused her more pain than a wonderful person like her ever deserved." Elsa's hands came up then, and it was only the quick thinking of Rapunzel that spared the Enforcer's life.
"Aren't you supposed to be in jail for killing Ray?" she asked, distracting Elsa before she could freeze him solid.
"Well, yes, but with the war, good officers are few and far between," the Enforcer answered. "The Patricians decided that one insignificant life was more than a fair trade to have a commander that had captured the Apprentice."
"Almost captured," Franny mockingly corrected. "Until her cat kicked your ass."
The Enforcer scowled and stepped up to Franny. Franny stepped up to meet him, but a body stepped between them before they could engage one another. The Enforcer commander stopped in surprise at who it was, but then surged forward again. "Stand down, Captain," he ordered.
"No," Sebastian replied succinctly, standing his ground. "Not until you answer my questions. Did you try to capture the Apprentice? Did you kill her friend and cause her pain?"
"What business is it of yours?" the Enforcer said dismissively.
"It is every business of mine," Sebastian replied menacingly. "Did you hurt the Apprentice?"
"No, I arrested a Traitor and eliminated the man who was trying to prevent that arrest," the Enforcer stated coldly.
Sebastian glowered, and all of his anger and bitterness at what the State had done to him focused itself on the Enforcer commander who with his words became a living symbol of its oppression. In the blink of an eye, Sebastian had un-holstered his weapon, and before anyone could stop him, he shot the Enforcer commander point-blank in his skull, causing blood and cerebral tissue to soak the Enforcers behind him. "No one hurts Ari's daughter," he seethed. "No one."
Everyone excepting Sebastian, both the Enforcers and the rescue party, froze in shock at the unexpectedly violent outburst. Elsa was the first to recover, and she instantly constructed an ice wall between the Enforcer squadron and herself, her comrades and the mortally-wounded Enforcer commander. "Try to heal him," she requested of Rapunzel quietly. "Not for his sake, but for Sebastian's." Rapunzel nodded and started singing, but even with her tears, it was no use. Sebastian's shot had been instantly fatal, and Rapunzel's powers were unable to resurrect.
At the sad shake of her head, Sebastian seemed to snap out of his rage. He looked at the dead Enforcer, and a brief moment of regret passed over his face before it hardened back into resolute non-emotion. This scum had hurt Ari's daughter; he would never be sorry for exacting his revenge. It was just the part of Sebastian that was still the most human that wished he had chosen another way.
A clamor from the other side of the ice wall let the rescue party know that the Enforcers had snapped out of their shock as well. "The only way to free this facility is to engage the Enforcers," Elsa said, looking at everyone.
"Then drop the wall, Frosty Pants," Franny replied. "We can take them."
"Try not to kill," Elsa requested, and everyone, including Sebastian, nodded. Elsa held up her hands and the wall disappeared. True to Franny's prediction, though, one squadron was no match for the Ice Queen and her companions, and the battle was won with only marginal effort and minimal time.
The rescue party gathered up all of the prisoners, and some of them started to come out of their drug-induced stupor. Elsa left them in the care of Rapunzel, Franny and Sebastian as she left the facility to return to their vehicle to call Tiana. Their transport wasn't big enough for all of the prisoners that they had freed, and Elsa needed at least one more large ship from the closest base to get them safely away from there.
"El!" Tiana exclaimed as her face came into view. "Thank the Pillars! We have been trying to reach you for a while!"
"What's going on, Tiana?" Elsa asked, alarmed.
"The State bastards used Laura to find Leader," Tiana informed her. "They sent a huge invasion force up to the Woodcarver's Hut. After Leader got everyone's agreement, she ordered all of the militias to attack and invade Campus."
"Where's Anna?" Elsa said immediately.
"She, Leader and everyone else in the cottage evacuated. Last I heard, Ginger is on her way to a safe house, and Leader and Hacker will be joining us the Campus attack," Tiana answered.
Elsa frowned, thinking. "If you have a man to spare, please send him or her to my coordinates with a large transport," she said. "We'll leave someone here to make sure the prisoners we've liberated get someplace safe. The rest of us will come to Campus and help, but I need to find out where Anna is."
"Leader is out of communication range right now, El," Tiana said carefully. "But, I will do everything I can to make sure we know where Ginger is. In the meantime, you know Leader will do everything to keep your girls safe."
"I know, but it doesn't make being away from them when all this is happening any easier," Elsa stated, her nightmare chasing itself round and round in her head.
"I know, El, I know," Tiana said soothingly, seeing the subtle panic on her friend's face. "We will find Anna as soon as possible. I'll get a transport departing to your location right now, and after that's done, I'm heading to Campus myself. I'll keep trying to contact Leader, though."
"Thanks, Tee," Elsa said gratefully.
"What else are best friends for, sugar?" Tiana said with an affectionate smile. "Keep in touch, and I'll let you know how it goes." Elsa smiled briefly and cut off the transmission.
On the way back to the rest of the group, Elsa did her best not to let her fear and panic overtake her. Anna and Peanut being anywhere near a potential battle terrified her, and it was only the knowledge that panicking would accomplish nothing that kept Elsa from losing her shit completely. Rapunzel, ever empathetic and intuitive, saw Elsa's distress as soon as she walked in the door. "What is it?" Rapunzel asked.
"Tiana told me that the State found the Woodcarver's Hut using Laura, and Belle ordered all militias to attack Campus," Elsa summarized. "Anna is in route to somewhere, but no one can contact her right now."
Franny and Rapunzel instantly saw the issue. "So, what's the plan?" Franny asked.
"Someone needs to wait here for the transport Tiana is sending," Elsa answered. "The rest of us are going to Campus, and I am most likely deserting the moment I find out where Anna is if she's not safe."
"Well, doy," Franny responded. "But Leader will keep her and Peanut safe. Who's going to stay behind?"
"I will," Sebastian said. "I know this facility better than anyone, and I can make sure that it is completely evacuated. I also know how to destroy it when we leave."
"But you need to meet Anna," Rapunzel protested.
"When the people here are safe, I will find a way to join the battle," he assured her. "And I will meet her when we are victorious."
They all looked at each other, and by common consent, they all agreed this was the best plan. Elsa concentrated for a bit, and then handed Sebastian a small ice medallion. "Show this to the person flying the transport," she said. "It will let them know that you are a friend."
Sebastian took it before clasping Elsa's hand. "Good luck, Ice Queen," he said.
"To you as well," she said, returning the clasp. After removing his hand and briefly touching the brown satchel resting at Elsa's hip, Sebastian shook hands with Franny and Rapunzel. Rapunzel supplemented her handshake with a hug, and after she had let Sebastian go, the three women left the facility and headed for their vehicle.