Running. Keep running.

Her legs ached. Her lungs burned. Her heart pounded in her throat, forcing her to swallow down the scream that was trying so hard to escape. She thought she saw people scattered in the corners of the alleyway—criminals and addicts and drunkards who barely looked up as she sprinted past. She had to get out of here, find cover, before—

Don't look back. Keep running.

It took a while to find the address Dillamond had given her. After clambering over the stone walls behind her dorm—she hadn't dare use the front gates, for fear of being spotted—she had followed the road into town. It was a long way to go without a carriage, but she didn't run into anybody and it was a good opportunity to center her thoughts, directing them away from Glinda and toward what was coming.

She hadn't seen her professor in so long. The letters had helped, but she still missed him, still ached for his company and his conversations. Her heart beat faster with every step she took toward the town.

Elphaba ended up outside a shabby old bar in one of Shiz's poorer neighborhoods. Putting on a mask of confidence, she pushed the door open and stepped into a crowded room. The light was dim, the floor was filthy, and the air smelled terrible. Ragged-looking men and women sat around tables or leaned up against the walls, laughing and swearing at the top of their lungs. There were plenty of Animals, too, wandering around in their own various states of drunkenness. A Badger chugged on a pint of beer, cheered on by a Dog and a Rabbit. A group of Mice were playing cards at a table in the corner. The bartender, an elderly Monkey, was telling a story to a mix of men and Animals.

But there were no Goats to be found. Elphaba wandered to an empty table and sat down, trying not to look too out of place.

Apparently it didn't work, because only a minute or two later she was approached by a Fox, who leapt up onto her table and peered at the green girl. Elphaba did her best not to squirm under her gaze. "Can I help you?"

"You're green." It wasn't a question; there wasn't even any surprise in the Fox's tone.

"How observant of you."

The Fox bared its teeth. "He said you had a sharp tongue. I suppose you need to, if you're going to survive in this world."

"He?"

The Fox jumped down. "Come on. He's waiting."

She slipped expertly through the crowd and Elphaba struggled to keep track of her. They left the main room and wandered into a darker, cooler, slightly less filthy hallway. The Fox stopped at the foot of a set of stairs. "Go up to the top floor. It'll be the last door on your left."

"Thank you," Elphaba said. The Fox just stared coldly at her before vanishing back down the hall. The green girl hesitated only for a moment, then she was climbing. The stairs creaked beneath her, and on the top story the floorboards seemed ready to collapse at any moment. She counted the doors she passed until she reached the fourth and final one. Her hand shook as she lifted it, and her knuckles had barely brushed the door when it swung open.

"Come in, quick!"

The voice was raspier and far more urgent than she had ever heard. She stepped into the room and Dillamond shut and locked the door. He turned around and, for the first time in months, student and teacher faced each other once more.

The Goat looked years older. He was slightly thinner, and his beard was longer, more ragged. His cream-colored fur was darker, matted with dirt, and his horns had a couple more chips in them than before. But his eyes still sparkled with intelligence, and when he looked at her, his smile was just as kind as she remembered.

"Elphaba, my dear girl," he said. "It's good to see you."

"Dr. Dillamond," she breathed, smiling. She didn't know what else to say, but Dillamond didn't seem to mind. He went over to a corner that was lined with pillows and blankets and settled into it, gesturing for her to sit. Elphaba took in the room as she did so. It was mostly bare, with a lamp or two, a single table along one wall, and a wardrobe in the corner next to it. There was a single window, tall enough to easily step through, that led out onto the roof. The blankets she and Dillamond sat on made a comfortable sort of nest, and she guessed that the room was designed specifically for an Animal to stay in. The thought made her smile.

Dr. Dillamond leaned forward, his eyes dancing. "We can speak freely here—that hallway's so rickety you could hear someone coming for miles. Now, tell me everything."

It was surprisingly easy. Elphaba started from the day he left and told him…all of it. How Glinda had changed her name and became her friend, how Boq and Fiyero and Crope and Tibbett started hanging out with them, how she'd buried herself in Dillamond's journal, how hard she'd fought to keep it a secret from Glinda. She told him about winter break, how she'd given up the Eminency, how she'd met Peric and became friends with him faster than she thought was possible, how lost she was before Peric had suggested writing that first letter. She talked about coming back to Shiz and finding her desk searched through, about Morrible breathing down their necks and dropping subtle threats and glaring at her whenever they saw each other. She told him about how close she and Glinda were, and how the blonde was worrying about her more and more. She told him about Boq figuring everything out and demanding to help her, and about Fiyero eavesdropping and sneaking into Morrible's office without telling them. She told him about that night they stayed up in the basement of the library, copying notes and praying that the headmistress wouldn't find out. And finally, she told him about her idea—all the parts of sentience that Morrible had managed to mimic in Grommetik, and how they compared to the conscious thought of living creatures. Dillamond listened intently the entire time, his beard twitching occasionally. He only spoke when she finished.

"I want to see your notes."

She reached for her bag and started spreading out the pages between them. Together, they sorted through the research, pulling sources together and strengthening their theories. Dillamond added in a few points and cleared up some of Elphaba's weaker details. They worked quickly and efficiently, and it wasn't long before Elphaba stopped, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her chin on her fist. Dillamond leaned back and met her eyes.

"Why, Miss Elphaba. I believe you've done it."

The green girl closed her eyes, opened them again, and stared at the mess of papers between them. "You think so? This could be it?"

The Goat smiled. "Your idea is brilliant, and the theories to back it up are unquestionable. This isn't something we can test, not here at Shiz, but any creature in their right mind would have to admit this is an extremely valid hypothesis. Show this to any scholar in Oz, and they'd be insane not to test it." His beard twitched and his eyes dulled suddenly. "But…"

Elphaba looked up at him. "But, it isn't a scholar we're trying to persuade. It's the Wizard."

"The Wizard can't be persuaded," said Dillamond. "At least, not by us. He has put too much into the bans. If he reverses them, he loses power and wealth and, most importantly, the people's confidence in him."

"The only way he'll grant the Animals equal rights is if the people demand it," Elphaba said quietly. "But the Ozians—or, at least, the Gillikinese people who actually have a say in this country—are gaining too much from the Animals' oppression."

"Exactly."

"So…what? We have the proof—as much of it as we can get on our own. But what do we do with it? How can we prove equality if no one will listen?"

"Some will listen. It will be difficult, and in many instances useless, but some will see this research and change their minds. And some is always better than none."

"But some isn't enough to change our entire society."

"No." Dillamond studied her for a long moment. His gaze was calm, steady, and he barely moved as he regarded her. Elphaba shifted a little, waiting for him to decide whether or not he was going to say what he was thinking. "I'm going to tell you something, Elphaba. But I want you to understand, this doesn't mean our work has been for nothing. No matter what happens, never give up on this research. Do you understand me?"

His voice was firm and grim. Slowly, Elphaba nodded. Dillamond kept staring at her, eyes drilling through her, as he spoke.

"There is a…group, based in the Emerald City, known only as the Resistance. It consists of Animals and humans alike, all fighting for equality. Not researching, not protesting, fighting. They are, perhaps, Oz's best kept secret. The Wizard has had his best forces searching for years, but he has yet to find them."

"What do they do?" Elphaba asked. Dillamond's beard twitched and he shifted his hooves in front of him.

"A lot of things. Attacking buildings, kidnapping Gale Force members… They are not always merciful, Elphaba. They are fighting a war—one that hasn't reached the rest of Oz yet. But it will."

Elphaba was quiet for a while. A Resistance in Oz, working underground, fighting against the Wizard. How long had they been around? How much damage have they done? What victories have they achieved, only to be covered up by the Wizard so the public wouldn't know of their existence? Elphaba didn't know what to ask first, but then she thought of something else. "That's where Peric went, isn't it?"

The Goat tilted his head toward her. "I told him about it, yes. He had been pulling his own little acts of rebellion for years. It's a dangerous business to get into, but we both agreed that it seemed to be the right place for him."

A dangerous business. Elphaba looked down at her hands. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it is vital that you are informed. I have a few friends in the Resistance—some of whom have been helping carry our letters back and forth these past few weeks—and they know of this research. They know of you."

"Does Morrible know?" she asked. "Does she know about the Resistance?"

"Undoubtedly. She is closer to the Wizard than you think."

"How close?"

The Goat frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. But he uses her to keep an eye on Oz's rising potential. Younger generations are far more likely to cause disobedience or revolution, and he likes being able to stop opposition before it fully takes hold. It's much easier to keep a hold on his power that way."

"Maybe," Elphaba said darkly. "But it could easily backfire. The tighter hold you have on youth, the harder they try to break free."

"Yes, but that's why he has Morrible in the first place," said Dillamond. "His influence is indirect, so fewer students feel as though they're being controlled."

The green girl shook her head. "Why? Why does he need to manipulate all of Oz? Why does he need to take everything away from the Animals? Why does he need to further his power like this?"

"We may never know that," Dillamond said gently. "But from my experience, only those who are weak seek power so greedily."

Elphaba stared. "You…you think he has no real power? That this is all fake…it's just an act?"

"I don't know. But he has gone to great lengths to ensure that no one ever questions him or his authority."

She sat back, her mind reeling. A Resistance in the Emerald City, a war brewing just beneath Oz's surface, a Wizard who has spent years building a reputation to hide the fact that he was powerless… "This is…"

"A lot to take in, I know."

"Do you think Peric ever found the Resistance? If they're so secret, how do they get new members?"

The Goat chuckled quietly. "You make your intentions known, and they find you."

Elphaba brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "You said they knew about this research, about me. Will I have to go there someday?"

Now Dillamond looked troubled. "A part of me sincerely hopes not. But…yes. I believe you will." He sighed. "I always knew you were destined for great things, Elphaba. I used to think it was just research, that you would be one of the greatest minds in Oz. But now…now I realize there's much more to it. There is trouble brewing in Oz, and I fear that it will find you before all is said and done."

"It always does," Elphaba muttered, hugging her legs tighter. "What do I do now?"

She sounded so small, so lost and uncertain. Dillamond's eyes softened and he set a hoof on her shoulder. "You finish your studies. Learn all you possibly can. If you are able to pull off this research in just your first year, I can only imagine the things you will do in the years to come."

"But…Morrible." Elphaba swallowed and met the Goat's eyes. "She's on to me. She knows I'm up to something. How am I supposed to continue working with her watching me?"

Dillamond sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. But…" His eyes moved past her and toward the door. Outside, down the hallway, there was a faint creak of the floorboards.

The Goat climbed to his feet and Elphaba followed suit. He looked at her, then at the door, then back at her. "Get the research. Quickly. You have to leave."

"What?"

"Hurry!"

Elphaba knelt and began stuffing all their work into her bag. Dillamond stayed standing in the middle of the room, his ears twitching.

There was another creak, louder, closer. Dillamond nodded at the window as Elphaba stood and shouldered her bag. "Go. There's a tree near the edge of the roof you can climb down." His beard quivered and his eyes darted around the room, but his voice was steady.

"I'm not leaving," Elphaba hissed.

"It wasn't a request." He lowered his head and nudged her with his horns. Elphaba backed up to the window and fumbled with the latch. It swung open silently, but still she hesitated. Dillamond had turned back to face the door. The creaking had stopped. The world seemed to be holding its breath.

"Dr. Dillamond—"

"Go. Now."

She climbed out onto the roof and looked back. She was about to say something, do something—anything except just run away, but then a voice muttered outside the door and the lock clicked open. In that last moment, Dillamond looked over his shoulder and gave her the most hardened glare she'd seen in her life. She had never seen his face so dark, his eyes so hard. Nothing—not the hateful mask of her father, or the stern disappointment of her sister, or even the vicious scowl Glinda had when she was worked up—could compare to the look Dillamond was giving her in that instant.

Elphaba backed away from the window.

Dillamond turned away just as the door was pushed open. Elphaba caught a glimpse of a stiff dress, a shadow, the hard glint of a knife.

She clamped a hand over her mouth and ran.