A/N: Hey Everyone! Just wanted to say thanks for reading. :)
Chapter 8 – Inevitable Consequences
"I wouldn't touch me if I were you," Elsa warned the Constables in a voice that was neither angry nor loud, but that echoed with an authority that no Thinker would dare disobey. Wisely, the Thinker Constables stayed motionless and looked at the only other Master in the room.
"Perfect!" the Master Detective cackled. "Now I get to add resisting arrest to the existing charges."
"I'm not resisting anything," Elsa contradicted. "I am just invoking the law and you know it. Only Masters may arrest Masters. Besides, I don't like being touched by anyone I don't know, and the State does allow me to express that discomfort." She turned to Anna, who was quietly watching everything from behind Elsa. "I won't allow you to go out in public looking like that," Elsa stated firmly. "Go into the master bath and get cleaned up. I have a spare uniform that you can wear so that you look presentable. I'll lay everything out for you when I finish cleaning up the kitchen."
"Yes, Master," Anna said automatically, letting her hands fall from Elsa's waist and heading for the bedroom.
"Now wait just a damn minute," the Master Detective protested, but Anna ignored her and disappeared behind the bedroom door. She turned to glare at the Master Architect, but Elsa held her gaze with no fear. Angered, the Master Detective stepped up into Elsa's private space. "What do you think you are doing, Plebian?" the Detective demanded. "This is not a request for an interview; you are being arrested. You don't have any power or authority now."
"Oh but I do," Elsa countered, her voice icy and menacing as she unexpectedly stepped even closer to the Master Detective. "I outrank you, and you have made at least two career-threatening mistakes by coming into my quarters unannounced and bringing Thinkers to arrest me. So with that in mind, I suggest you leave me alone so that I can finish what needs to be done or this experience will not be pleasant for either of us."
The Master Detective scowled, but the mix of arrogance, authority and implicit threat coming from the Architect was a potent one, especially since the Architect was correct in her interpretation of the law. "Fine," the Detective spat, backing off.
Elsa didn't say anything but looked at the Thinkers including Hua Ping who were still in her kitchen. With that frigid glare, they quickly excused themselves and went into the living room. Satisfied at her success at making the IRB back off, Elsa turned to the task at hand of cleaning up the kitchen. The batter and the bacon were wrapped up and put into the refrigerator, after which all of the ingredients were put back into their cupboards. The few dishes they had generated were rinsed and put into the dishwasher, and finally the counters were wiped down. With Elsa's efficiency the whole process took about five minutes, and when she was done, Elsa headed towards her bedroom, purposely ignoring the people watching her from her living room.
After the bedroom door slid closed behind her, Elsa gave a small, frustrated sigh before relaxing slightly. Now feeling a little calmer, she went over to her closet, finding her spare uniform and its accompanying blouse. She studied the blouse for a bit, and after contemplating what they were being brought in for, discarded it in favor of the uniform turtleneck so that some evidence would remain hidden. She brought both pieces out and laid them on the bed before scanning the bedroom floor. Spying what she was looking for, she picked up Anna's bra and put it by the uniform. Anna's panties were in no condition to be worn again before washing, however, so Elsa dumped them in the laundry hamper and went to get a new pair of hers, hoping the size and style would be acceptable.
Still trying to clear her thoughts through organization and cleaning, Elsa picked up the rest of the clothes off the floor, rescuing her own bra before dropping the pile into the laundry hamper. Seeing nothing else to distract herself with, Elsa sighed, peeled off the V-neck shirt and shorts, put those in the hamper and headed towards the bathroom. She quietly opened the door and slipped in, not wanting to startle Anna. She paused, not knowing if joining Anna was truly a good idea or not, but then she heard the soft sobbing. "Anna?" Elsa said, loudly enough to be heard but not loudly enough to startle. The shower door opened slightly and Anna's distraught face peered out, causing Elsa to forget about everything except comforting her.
Elsa slid the door open further and slipped in, the hot water cascading down her back as she turned to face Anna. Elsa closed the door before taking a step closer to Anna and wrapping her Apprentice in her arms. "Shhh," Elsa soothed, rubbing Anna's back gently. "I've got you."
Anna cried against Elsa's chest for a few seconds more before looking up. "You're not mad at me?" she asked hesitantly.
"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?" Elsa asked, perplexed.
"Because I messed up your perfect life and I got you investigated and I make you do stupid things and your cat likes me more and I can't cook and I got you arrested, and…" Anna babbled, stopping only when Elsa grabbed Anna's face in her hands and kissed her passionately.
"My life was miserable before you became my Apprentice," Elsa growled after she had kissed some sense into Anna. "I will never regret anything that I've shared with you or done because of you. You are my life now, Anna; nothing the State does will ever change that."
Anna looked at Elsa and sighed. "I know all that," she admitted, finally calming down. "But a part of me still believes that my becoming your Apprentice put your life in danger somehow, and I guess seeing the IRB in the living room brought all that guilt back."
"I don't care who is in my living room," Elsa stated, "and because of who I am, my life has been in danger from the moment I was born. Your being a part of my life doesn't change that one way or the other."
"I know, I know," Anna assured her. "I'm being stupid."
"Not stupid, just scared," Elsa said sympathetically, and drew Anna in for another kiss. The kiss escalated rapidly, surprising them both, and their bodies merged together. After a few moments, they broke apart panting, the water still coming down around them as their breaths mingled. "We're being arrested for this," Anna protested, even as Elsa's lips found her neck. "There are IRB people in the living room."
"And?" Elsa murmured, her mouth going lower.
"Let them wait," Anna decided with a gasp.
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Hua Ping idly tapped buttons on her tablet, trying to do something as the awkward silence in the living room grew more and more uncomfortable. She glanced at her cuff and scowled. If the damn thing had been working, her texts would have gone through and she would have been able to warn Ginger and her Master that the IRB had figured out what they were doing and were coming to arrest them. Sighing softly, she glanced back at the tablet, and her brow contracted as it started blinking with an Interface alert. She accessed the Interface monitor, which was set to follow Ginger and her Master because of their current assignment, and scanned their biometrics to see what had instigated an alert. Her eyes widened as she easily picked up a tell-tale pattern, and she glanced towards the bedroom door with a slight blush. It was clear now why they were taking so long, and she hoped this last act of defiance wouldn't come back to hurt them both.
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Anna emerged alone from the bathroom, tightening her towel around her as the cool bedroom air made her shiver slightly. She saw the clothes laid out on the bed, but she ignored them in favor of the vanity which held toiletries and a hair brush. She brushed her hair and braided it, eschewing her usual two braids for one braid that she secured into a bun in the hopes it looked more refined. She used Elsa's body cream to moisturize and just a touch of her makeup to accentuate things here and there before going back to the bed to start dressing. She was thankful for the clean underwear; she hated going commando in the uniform because the pants tended to be itchy. She snapped off the tags and put the underwear on before reaching for her bra and securing that as well. She slipped the turtleneck carefully over her hair and face, pleased with how much evidence it covered before putting on the pants and blazer. The only thing remaining was her boots and socks, but she had left those in the living room, so she straightened up her shoulders, took a calming breath and left the bedroom. Everyone looked at her when she walked in, but Anna just focused on finding her boots. She found them sitting by the couch with her socks tucked in them, so she had a seat on the couch and put everything on, lacing up her boots and pulling her pant legs over them.
"Where's your Master?" the Master Detective asked abruptly, startling everyone by breaking the pervasive silence.
"She is still getting ready," Anna replied, getting up off the couch. Unnerved by the creepy awkwardness, she walked into the kitchen, getting several bottles of water from the refrigerator. She offered one to Hua Ping, who took it with a small, grateful smile. She also offered some to the other two Thinkers, who looked at her in surprise. "You guys have been here a while," she explained, her face open and honest as it always was. "I thought you might be thirsty."
One of the Thinkers, the shorter one, glanced at the Master Detective, before reaching out and taking a bottle. "Thank you, Miss," he said, with a kindly nod. Anna smiled at him and he blushed. Seeing her smile, the other Thinker gave in and wordlessly reached for a bottle herself, which Anna happily gave to her.
Elsa shook her head as she quietly observed from the doorway. Leave it to Anna to completely charm the people who were coming to arrest her. She watched for a couple of seconds more and even the Master Detective took the proffered water. Elsa smirked before putting her Ice Queen mask on and striding into the living room. All heads turned, and Elsa just barely managed to keep her icy mask in place when Anna's mouth opened of its own accord, and the rest of them just stared. Apparently her choice of apparel was having the desired effect.
The Master Detective stared in spite of herself at the authoritative figure that had emerged from the bedroom. The Master Architect, unlike her Apprentice, was not wearing the Architecture uniform. Instead, she was wearing her formal State uniform, its clean military lines sharp and its medals gleaming. The Master Architect's whole Plebian life was displayed on that uniform; her rank insignia, her Thread and Pillar and her numerous accolades and commendations were represented by medals and patches that were meticulously placed into their proper positions. The sheer number of them spoke to her importance, and she had finished off her imposing look with mirror-shined boots and a bun where not a hair dared be out of place.
"I'm ready when you are," Elsa stated, snapping everyone else in room out of their trance. The IRB team gathered themselves quickly, but Anna was content to stand and stare for a few moments longer, her eyes unabashedly admiring Elsa in her well-tailored uniform. It was only when her eyes wandered up to Elsa's face and Anna saw the chiding look there that she blushed and started following everyone else out of the living space.
Because of the lockdown, Campus was very quiet and few people, mostly Enforcers, were around to witness the odd spectacle of two impeccably-dressed Plebes being escorted across the square by an IRB detail. The few who did see stopped and stared briefly before either the Master Architect or the Master Detective's pointed look caused them to continue with what they were doing. They reached the IRB headquarters without any trouble, and when they arrived, the group separated. The Thinker Constables were dismissed, Hua Ping took custody of Anna and led her off in one direction while the Master Detective took custody of Elsa and led her off in the other.
Their separation didn't surprise either Elsa or Anna; the IRB was more likely to get more useful information if they divided to conquer. That was why, after Anna had stopped whimpering Elsa's name in the shower, Elsa had gently insisted they discuss their testimony as Anna rested in her arms. They had strategized, they had argued, but ultimately they had decided their best plan was to claim Elsa was abusing her Master's authority by pressuring Anna into the illicit relationship. It happened all the time, unfortunately, so it was a reasonable explanation, and the consequences would befall Elsa, whose lofty place in society was better able to handle official Censure. Anna was a bad liar, though, so she hoped she could answer how she was supposed to. Hua Ping stopped at a door and Anna followed suit, waiting until Hua Ping entered a code and the door opened. Hua Ping indicated that she should enter, so Anna did, noting with subdued relief that the room was empty, meaning that Hua Ping was most likely going to be her Interrogator. Seeing two chairs, she went and sat down in one. The door slid shut behind Hua Ping as she took the remaining chair and Anna looked up, waiting patiently for the first question.
On the other side of the building, Elsa calmly followed the Master Detective down the deserted hallway. They started down one hallway, but stopped when the Detective received a message on her tablet. The Detective paled and instantly turned around, leading them to a different room. Elsa was intrigued but said nothing as she entered the room after the Detective had opened the door. Elsa waited for the Master Detective to join her, but a second door opened on the side of the room and two completely unexpected visitors joined her instead. Elsa's eyebrow quirked involuntarily, but there was no other reaction as the two older women came into the room and seated themselves. After they were comfortably settled, Elsa bowed deeply as protocol deemed she must. "Patrician Solver and Patrician Historian, you honor me with your presence," she said formally, her hope fading as she stood before two of the most powerful women in her world.
Hua Ping and Anna both looked up when the door opened to reveal the Master Detective. "There has been a change of plan, Thinker," the Master Detective told Hua Ping. "Please escort the Apprentice to room AFL45."
"Of course, Master," Hua Ping answered. Anna looked at her questioningly, but Hua Ping slightly shook her head. She had no idea what was going on either. Hua Ping gathered up her things and the three of them went to the room where Elsa was being held. The door opened and Anna followed the Master and Thinker into the room.
Anna's eyes widened as she saw who was sitting calmly in the chairs in front of Elsa, and the looks on the faces of the ladies she had come in with indicated they were just as shocked. They all bowed as decorum demanded, and being the Master, the Detective was the one to speak. "You honor us with your presence, Patricians," she said reverently.
"Let the Apprentice step forward and take her place beside her Master," the Historian, a heavy-set woman with white hair and oddly-purplish skin, ordered. Anna swallowed nervously, but did as she was told. As a mere Apprentice, she couldn't speak to a Patrician unless spoken to directly, so she stood beside Elsa and waited, her head bowed. "Please be seated, all of you," the Historian stated, and all four of them sat in hastily-arranged chairs.
The two Patricians studied Elsa, the one person who was looking directly at them with no fear. If the both of them had not been following both this case and the Master Architect's career very closely for a very long time, they never would have guessed that their treasured Architect was the one being questioned. She sat at attention proudly in an impeccable State uniform, her features sharp and radiating an intelligence and beauty that was virtually unmatched by anyone in the State. Her attitude was one of respect, but not fawning, as if she considered the Patricians greater than her, but only just barely.
Unbeknownst to Elsa, these Patricians had been following her progress throughout her entire Plebian life. With her near-perfect test scores in most disciplines and relentless ambition, she had attracted their attention immediately as she seemed to be the perfect candidate for their plans. As her career had skyrocketed and her reputation crystalized into a cold infamy, she had only heightened her candidacy with them and now her destiny was set; she would become the first Patrician to be come from the Proletariat. As such, she would be the living embodiment of the ideals of the State, that anyone with intelligence and ambition, no matter how lowborn, could rise to the very top. Neither one of the Patricians present was going to allow this trivial incident to derail their long-held plans or alter that image, so they had taken charge of her questioning themselves.
"Why are you here, Architect?" Patrician Solver, the head of the Mathematics Thread asked, her piercing green eyes shining under the stripe of white prominent in her upswept grey hair.
"I am accused of having an unsanctioned relationship with my Apprentice," Elsa answered in an even tone.
"And are you?" the Solver prompted.
Elsa considered this. "No," she decided.
The Historian smirked at the simple answer. As befitting her reputation, it seemed the Architect would offer no additional information unless asked. She consulted her tablet, looking over the case file. "You were questioned a week ago about this very issue, were you not?" she questioned.
"We were, yes," Elsa confirmed.
"Then why are you being brought in for it today?" the Historian continued.
"I am not privy to the IRB's methodology, but I would assume it would be because the Interface calculated that we were having sex," Elsa said matter-of-factly. Anna couldn't help the light blush that suddenly graced her cheeks.
"And were you?" the Historian asked.
"Yes," Elsa answered, still emotionless, as the color on Anna's cheeks darkened.
"How long have you two been in an intimate relationship?" the Solver asked, joining the conversation again.
Elsa glanced at the clock behind the Patricians. "About twelve hours," she calculated.
The Patricians glanced at one another before turning their attention back to the Architect. "So you initiated a sexual relationship after you had already been warned by the IRB that you were under investigation?" the Solver asked with mild incredulity.
"Yes," Elsa answered.
"Why?" the Historian demanded.
Elsa shrugged. "I wanted her," she said. "I've wanted her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I held myself back in the interest of being a good Master, but the IRB decided my actions meant love and questioned me. That made me realize being a good Master was overrated and I took what I wanted."
The Historian chuckled, unable to stop herself. "So that's why the Apprentice is wearing the turtleneck on a beautiful day like today," she hypothesized with a smirk. As there was no question, Elsa didn't answer, but the Historian knew that she was correct. "So why did you wait another week?" the Historian questioned. "Why not the night after you were visited?"
"I was still attempting to be a good Master," Elsa replied. "Then I saw her away from work for the first time two days ago, and I decided I was through with doing the right thing."
"I see," the Solver commented, studying the Architect before looking at the Apprentice. "What is your side of this story, Apprentice?" she asked, and Anna looked up. "Did your Master initiate the sexual aspect of your relationship or did you?" the Historian asked.
Anna thought carefully and realized this question was easier than she expected it to be. "My Master initiated our intimate contact, Patrician," she answered truthfully.
"In what way?" the Solver questioned.
"She kissed me first, she was the one who invited me to dinner two nights ago and she was the one that convinced me to stay last night even after I said I had to go home," Anna explained.
"Why did you want to go home? Were your Master's advances making you uncomfortable? Was she forcing you to do something you did not want to?" the Historian asked, with an accusing edge to her voice and an angry look at Elsa.
A potential rape charge against Elsa had been Anna's biggest reason for disliking this plan, so she refuted this thought immediately. "Of course not, Patrician, she would ever force me to do anything I didn't want to. She isn't that type of person," Anna said emphatically.
"Then why did you want to leave?" the Historian persisted.
"I didn't want to leave," Anna contradicted. "I wanted to give myself to her in every way I could. But, I knew we were being investigated and I didn't want her to get in trouble over something as trivial as sex."
"Then why did you stay?" the Solver cut in.
"She's my Master and she asked me to," Anna said simply, hoping that answer would be enough.
The Solver didn't comment but turned her attention back to the Architect. "According to the Interface, you two had another intimate encounter this morning after the IRB had come to arrest you. What was the meaning of that, Architect?" she asked, hoping to shock the Architect into revealing something.
Elsa's face remained impassible even as she cursed her fucking implant. She should have known the chip would have reported on that as well. "My Apprentice was wet and naked in the shower, and apparently my desire had not been satiated the night before," she said with the same emotionless inflection she had used for the entire interview. "To her credit, my Apprentice did attempt to dissuade me by pointing out that we were being arrested for just such an occurrence and that there was an IRB contingent in the living room, but I found those factors did little to discourage me."
"Hm," the Solver said noncommittally. "Is this true, Apprentice?" she inquired. "Did you attempt to stop anything from occurring this morning?"
"Yes, Patrician, I did," Anna confirmed.
The two Patricians looked at each other and nodded. "We need time to confer," the Historian announced. "Master Detective, Thinker Detective, please escort these two next-door. We will contact you when we are ready to render a decision."
"Yes, Patricians," the Master Detective said, immediately rising. Hua Ping, Elsa and Anna did the same and the four of them left the room. The Master Detective punched in a code for the room next door, and after the door slid open, the four of them entered. There were more chairs in here, so they all sat and waited in awkward silence. Finally, after only a few torturous minutes, the Master Detective's tablet peeped an alert. She rose and they all followed suit, returning to the room next door. Elsa and Anna went back to their chairs in front of the Patricians while Hua Ping and the Master Detective retook their seats.
Once everyone was seated, the Historian spoke. "It is obvious from the testimony here and the evidence that the Interface has gathered that there is no unsanctioned relationship going on here," she declared, and the Master Detective's face glowered. "In fact, we are not sure why these two were questioned at all," she added pointedly, causing the glower to disappear as the Master Detective paled in fear. "However, now having questioned you both in person, it is also obvious that while there is no relationship at present, the potential is there, and so you two are to be separated. As of now, Master, you no longer have an Apprentice."
Elsa felt her heart breaking, but she remained stoic. "May I ask what influenced your decision, Historian?" she asked.
"Your sudden disregard for your own future," the Historian replied sharply. "You were everything the State could want in a Plebe until she became your Apprentice. Now, you are making ill-advised late night off-Campus visits, you are being questioned by the IRB and you are openly admitting to being unable to control yourself around her. This is not how Plebes should act, and you are ruining everything that you have worked so hard for. You have a destiny, Architect, and neither she nor even you will get in the way of that."
"I thought my destiny was my own," Elsa countered, fighting to keep her anger in check.
"For most in the State, yes, it is," the Solver agreed. "But not for you. You are far too special, Architect, and the State has decided your future for you. After I am no longer fit for service, you have already been chosen to replace me. You will become the next Patrician Solver, head of the Mathematics Pillar, and when you do so, you will become the Proletariat's Patrician, an everlasting symbol of the wisdom and power of the State."
There was a stunned silence in the room at the Solver's proclamation. The other three women were merely shocked, but Elsa was numb. Only one thought kept repeating itself in her head: they were taking away the one thing that she loved more than anything so that she could become the one thing that she hated more than anything. They were going to take away her Anna so that she could become one of them. As the rage started to build, the temperature started to creep downwards, and the encroaching cold snapped Anna out of her shock. Their chairs were close enough that she could reach Elsa, and Anna reached for one of Elsa's hands, unsurprised that it was ice cold. Anna moved her chair closer and began to chafe the hand gently as she kissed it. "Master, look at me," she whispered, ignoring the shocked looks of the Patricians. Elsa reluctantly did so, and she felt her rage melt away as Anna held her gaze. Much to Anna's relief, the hand warmed up and she knew the danger had passed.
Both of the Patricians looked at the Master Architect critically. Her expression never changed, but something had happened when the Solver had told the Master Architect of their plans, something that her Apprentice had picked up on almost instantly, something that had caused the young redhead to comfort her Master. Neither one knew what it was, but they knew it was significant. One thing that they were sure of, though, was that the Master Architect had lied to them. The emotion they had seen pass between the two women was not lust. This was love, and it was clear it ran deeply, much more deeply than either woman's love for the State. That kind of love was a threat, and it had to be neutralized, especially when it jeopardized the State's plans. They shared a look and the Historian sent a message from her tablet. Within seconds, the door opened and an Enforcer strode into the room.
"How may I be of service, Honored Patricians?" he said, with a low bow.
"The Apprentice Architect has been found committing crimes against the State," the Solver said, and all the women looked up in alarm. "Take her down to the lockup and await our further instructions."
Elsa frowned, the first time through all of this that her expression changed, and she stood up slowly, using her body to shield Anna's. "Please move aside, Master," the Enforcer said as he turned to her, and Elsa was stunned to see Beast's crystal blue eyes looking at her. She didn't move, however, until she felt a hand on her arm.
"I'll be all right, Master," Anna promised her, turning Elsa around and hugging her. "Don't do anything stupid," Anna whispered into Elsa's ear. "Find the rest of the Club and plan something to rescue me. Trying to save me here all by yourself is only going to get us both killed."
Elsa didn't like it, but Anna was right. "I will and I'll see you soon," Elsa swore, also in a whisper. "I love you." Anna smiled, and Elsa stood aside, allowing Beast to take Anna's arm. They left the room and Elsa turned her attention back to the Patricians.
"Now that we know you love her, Architect, her future is up to you," the Solver warned. "You know your destiny and if you do not fulfill it, she will pay the consequences."
"If anything happens to her, I will so thoroughly destroy you and your plans for me that you will be forced to execute your beloved 'Proletariat Patrician' in the Campus square," Elsa counter-warned with such icy conviction that the Patricians shivered in spite of themselves. "Am I free to go?" she asked coldly.
"Detectives, escort the Architect back to her quarters," the Historian ordered, and Elsa swept out of the room as Hua Ping and the Master Detective scurried after her.
The Patricians watched them go. "I never would have suspected such emotion out of the Architect," the Solver commented to her colleague.
"She's in love for the first time, Tremaine," the Historian said. "But, she'll learn, as we all did, that love has no place in the State. And when she learns that, she'll embrace her destiny."
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Elsa sat on her couch gently stroking Olaf's soft fur, desperately trying not to break down and cry. It was all her fault, every bit of it. She had thought disabling the cuffs would be enough to keep them safe, but it hadn't been. The IRB had tracked them anyway and she had prevented Hua Ping from being able to warn them. She hadn't been able to keep her anger in and her powers had started to show, forcing Anna to comfort her in front of the Patricians, causing their obvious love for one another to be on display. She hadn't even been able to save Anna as she was being taken away, because Anna had been right; she would have only succeeded in getting them both killed. She had fucked up in every way that she could, and now Anna was in prison and the only way to save her was to let her go forever. The tears started to flow and Elsa let them, stopping only when her communications panel flickered to life unexpectedly, displaying the Patrician symbol.
"Attention, all Campus personnel!" a booming voice announced. "All cuff-based communications have been restored and the daytime lockdown has been lifted. The Ice Queen remains at large, but one of her co-conspirators has been captured for the crime. The execution of this domestic terrorist will happen tomorrow in the Campus Square at 18:00 hours." A picture of Anna flashed on the screen and Elsa's heart stopped. "All Campus personnel not in essential roles are required to attend," the communication continued. "Screens off."
Elsa stared at the black panel before gently placing Olaf on the ground. She felt the rage building again as she stood and paced. Those fucking bastards had lied to her. They weren't going to use Anna as leverage; they were going to frame her and murder her to teach Elsa a lesson. She took a breath to calm the rage and then reached for her shoes. She needed to get to the Library.
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The Philosophy Club room was in chaos as all of its members paced, cursed and/or came running into the room breathless at the announcement of Ginger's imminent execution. Even the usually-unflappable Leader was tense, snapping at people when they interrupted her in her frantic search for information. The room was so loud that they didn't notice Elsa's presence as she quietly slipped in and sat in Anna's wingback chair. It was only as things began to calm down and Leader started looking around to see who was there that she noticed the pale blonde.
Leader scowled and she stood up from her desk, coming around from behind it before walking over and glowering over Elsa in the chair. Her actions alerted everyone else to Elsa's presence and the room went silent immediately. "What are you doing here? How dare you even come here?" she asked, her voice outraged and accusing.
"I need help to save her and I promised her I would come here," Elsa replied quietly. Stunned by this admission, Leader remained silent and Elsa took the opportunity to stand up. "I know this is all my fault," her voice quiet as she tried to control her emotions. "Everything that I did to protect her ended up only putting her in harm's way and now she is going to be executed because I fucked up everything. But, I love her too much to let them take her away from me. I will be there tomorrow and the State will know who the Ice Queen is; I will fight until my dying breath to make sure she lives. But, please, I need your help. I need to know that someone will protect her after the State kills me." She sat back down heavily, her eyes falling to the ground.
Leader looked at her, her anger ebbing at Elsa's heartbreak. "If I hadn't seen her be humble with my own eyes, I never would have believed it," she muttered. "Who wants to help her?' she asked resignedly, knowing how her good-hearted people would most likely respond.
"I'll help her," a quiet voice from the back said immediately, and Leader knew Hua Ping would be always be first to help Ginger. She had been in love with Ginger for years and even though Ginger had fallen in love with Morgan, Hua Ping's devotion hadn't faltered.
"We'll help her," Debutante said. "We're suckers for a good romance," she said, smiling an encouraging smile at Elsa.
"If she can throw ice like she throws snow, I'm in," Troll said cheerfully. "I probably won't have to do much," he joked.
Elsa looked around gratefully as more voices chimed in offering their help, and pretty soon everyone had offered except for Leader. "I told you that if you got one of us arrested or executed I would kill you myself," Leader said, and Elsa nodded.
"I remember," Elsa said.
"Don't make me have to keep that promise," Leader warned her.
"I won't," Elsa stated with certainty.
"That's all I needed to hear," Leader responded, her eyes warming. "Besides, this is all my fault too. For the love of the fucking Pillars, why did I assign Ginger to you? If I'd never assigned Ginger to you, none of this would have ever happened," she said in exasperation.
"I'm glad you did," Elsa said, with just a hint of a smirk.
"Yeah, so am I, in a weird way. It means we get to try out all of our emergency evacuation protocols," Leader admitted with a wry grin. She turned around and started doing what she did best: leading. "Rider and Blondie!" she barked.
"Yes, Leader!" they responded.
"You need to do an immediate crown sweep of Ginger's quarters," she said. "Now!" she emphasized when they didn't move immediately.
"Yes, Leader!" they called as they moved towards the door.
Leader turned back to Elsa. "They'll sweep your quarters in the morning. Pack what you need to survive in suitcases and tag them with one of these," she said, going into her desk and retrieving some crown-shaped stickers. "Only the basics, though; we can't carry much," she added.
"Where is it going?" Elsa asked.
"Well, if we pull off this rescue, you can't stay on Campus," Leader explained. "Your things will be waiting for you at the off-Campus safe house. Which reminds me…Bear-Scotty!" she yelled.
"Yes, Leader?" Bear-Scotty yelled back.
"Contact Mama-Bear and tell her that Operation Woodcarver's Hut is a go," Leader stated. Bear-Scotty nodded and moved to find a convenient computer terminal. "Hacker!" Leader called and the spiky-blond head popped up over a computer screen. "Put a tracer on Ginger's cuff signature. I want to know if they move her anywhere," she told him. He nodded and went back to his screen. "Debutante!" Leader bellowed.
"Yes, Leader?" Debutante inquired genteelly.
"Is Big Daddy still the Cotton King?" she asked.
Debutante smiled. "Of course, Leader," she said proudly.
"Then contact him and tell him he has two bales of cotton to pick up in Arendelle. We need packaging, shipping and manufacturing, and I'm sending you the descriptions now," Leader replied.
"Already calling him, Leader," Debutante chirped.
"What's in Arendelle?" Elsa asked uneasily.
"Your parents," Leader replied. "If the State can't find you or Ginger, they'll take it out on them. We need to get them out of there, but don't worry; Big Daddy is the best at what he does and they'll be safe." Before Elsa could thank her, Leader was calling out more names. "Voodoo Queen, Goshen and Troll! I need you over here!" she shouted, and they all came over. "Troll, I'll get you assigned to cover the execution tomorrow. When you are filming, never take the camera off of Morgan and/or Ginger. It will keep the rest of us safe, and it will give the masses something to talk about." Troll nodded and she turned to the two ladies. "Voodoo Queen and Goshen, should Morgan need some help, you two will be providing some distraction," she explained. "Just don't let anyone see you or what you are doing,"
Goshen smirked and brought her hand up, and Elsa leaned forward when a strange green-colored thermal energy started glowing around her hand. Voodoo Queen captured some and turned it into a frog that hopped through the air until it disappeared. "Distractions are our specialty, Leader," Goshen smirked, and Voodoo Queen chuckled as they walked away.
Leader took a breath. "I think there is only one more. Beast and Beastie aren't here, and they will know what to do anyhow," she said. "Hua Ping!" she called and the Thinker came over immediately. "You will need to drop them off at Mama-Bear's tomorrow. Is that okay? Are you willing to do it?" Leader asked, making sure Hua Ping knew she had a choice.
Hua Ping looked at Elsa and smiled. "I would be honored, Leader," she said.
"Good; I'll keep you informed of the pick-up location," Leader said. Hua Ping nodded and went back to her seat.
"What was all that about?" Elsa asked.
"You'll find out tomorrow," Leader said simply. "Now, about tomorrow, we will help you, but you do realize that you will be doing most of this yourself, correct? We have worked far too long and too hard for all of us to get captured trying to rescue one person, even if that person is Ginger."
"I understand, Leader," Elsa responded, "and I do plan on doing most of it myself. I just promised Ginger I would ask."
Leader smiled. "That sounds like our Ice Queen," she said wryly. "Now go home and pack up. We've got it covered here and we'll see you tomorrow."
"I will. Thank you, Leader," Elsa said sincerely and slipped out the door as silently as she had come.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Elsa looked around her quarters one last time, satisfied that she had packed everything she needed. She had even washed the clothes in the hamper and packed them so that she could have her black jeans and Anna could have her clothes back. She took another look at her coats, not knowing what the weather would be like where they were settling, but the cold never bothered her anyway, so she rejected them once again. She stacked the cases neatly in the living room and put the stickers on them. She also retrieved a small leather case and put a sticker on it but left it empty. She would put that cargo in its place in the morning.
She went to bed, but the sheets still smelled of Anna and her mind was too preoccupied to think of sleep. She looked around, fully aware that this was probably her last night in this place. By tomorrow night, she would either be dead or with Anna, and either way, she wouldn't be coming back here. Tonight was truly the last night of her Plebian life and she bid goodbye to it happily.