Omega [REDUX]
Chapter 21
Elsa awoke.
God, what the hell? My head's so heavy.
She could still hear the monotonous buzz of the air conditioning unit and could feel the familiar fabric of the pillowcase through her messy hair. She hadn't slept well, if that was the case. But what could have possibly—
She felt a warm body shift beside her. A hand rose up and clasped the back of her neck, and a head of red hair itself against her, even in sleep. Anna. For a while, Elsa didn't dare to move, to fidget, to even breathe. She wouldn't want to risk waking the serene being that lay next to her. Her heart rate began to increase.
Everything came back to her. The tiramisu, the snuggling, them talking about her past. She'd probably cried enough tears to flood the campus twice over, having dragged out every bloody shred of her history out for display, for Anna to see. Through it all, Anna had held her, drying a tear or two with a fingertip, tightening her embrace when Elsa's body became racked with sobs. Without it, Elsa would probably have suffocated under her own grief.
Elsa glanced at Anna again, and she felt her heart race.
She sighed helplessly as she forced her head to turn away, but her heart continued to palpitate, even more so because Anna was within her peripheral vision. She needed to see her to stop the pain, to ease the ache in her heart.
Wow. That bad, huh?
Elsa couldn't deny what she felt for Anna anymore. If there had been any doubt before, the feeling of Anna pressed down against her own body washed away every trace of it. She was positively attracted to her, in one way or another. Infatuation? Love? And could she tell the difference when she was this emotionally compromised?
For now, Elsa decided, as she brushed a stray wisp of red hair behind Anna's ear and rested her head back onto the pillow, the best course of action was to do nothing. Not when she still wasn't ready to jump into something more than being friends with Anna, otherwise things would only go downhill from there.
Friends? Are you sure you're friends? A voice in her head began to whisper. Are you sure she wants to be friends with a murderer?
Go away, she chided inside her own head. You are unwelcome here.
The voices of her insecurity receded. Elsa sighed, wrapping her arm around Anna and pulling her just a little bit closer, reveling in the comfort their embrace brought her, dulling the ache in her heart. It was, after all, in the early morning, and they'd have to wake up soon. Might as well enjoy the bliss while it lasted.
Footsteps. Outside the door; she could hear every single step. Elsa sighed; it was one of the few times she wished she didn't have enhanced senses.
Who was she kidding? She wished every second of her life that she didn't have enhanced senses, that she was normal, just like everyone else.
Just like Anna.
She would be a fool to think otherwise.
"How often do you think they go at it?"
Elsa rolled her eyes. Rapunzel. The rest of the team had clearly not left their 'relationship' go unnoticed; Elsa had been hearing similar conversation every morning. Their hushed tones did not pose an obstacle to Elsa's sensitive ears.
"Probably every night," came Merida's giggling reply. "I mean, you can see how desperate Anna is for her."
Subconsciously, Elsa looked down at Anna's sleeping face. She felt Anna's hand move from her neck to her cheek, pulling them closer. She could feel Anna's soft breath on her face, which promptly began to burn. At this point, Elsa was pretty much paralyzed with fear and trepidation.
Belle cut in, "Don't mean to burst your bubble, but how do you know our resident ice queen reciprocates her feelings?"
Ice queen.
"The girl's got a point," Rapunzel noted.
"Bahh, Anna will have her melting in no time," Merida said. "You know how cheery she is. Every single person warms up to her."
"Ursula didn't," Belle stated, matter-of-factly. Elsa winced, checking to see if Anna heard the comment. She was still sleeping.
"Ursula doesn't count as a person," Merida responded, her tone now dripping with venom.
"That I agree, but it doesn't prove that Elsa definitely likes Anna just because Anna likes her. It could ultimately be a one-sided relationship."
"Don't let Anna hear that," Rapunzel said. "You'll break her heart."
"Yeah, she doesn't have anyone to fall back on if Elsa doesn't care about her," Merida concurred. "Admittedly we all suck at this emotional bullshit; Anna really needs someone who can care for her in ways that we can't."
"And how do we know that Elsa can do that?" Belle asked.
A silence passed between the three of them. Elsa felt a shadow being cast over her heart.
"Faith, I guess," Rapunzel replied. "Blind faith, at the very least."
Elsa looked back down at Anna one last time, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I'm sorry, Anna. Your friends' faith might just be misplaced.
"Wakey wakey, sleepy girl."
Anna shifted her head, her eyes squeezing shut, her body still plagued by sleep. "Not… now…" she groaned.
She felt a hand massage her scalp, parting her hair with gentle strokes. "I already let you sleep past the time you need to wake up by about five minutes," came the voice. "You're gonna have to hurry, otherwise we're all gonna get in trouble."
Who the hell—
Her eyes opened a crack, and she caught sight of her signature platinum blonde hair, and ridiculously smooth skin. Elsa. Why is she here again?
"Come on, Anna," Elsa chided, nudging her, causing Anna to fall off Elsa's body and back onto the pillow. "We gotta go."
"Kay…"
Anna yawned, stretching her arms, one of which collided with Elsa's cheeks in the pitch dark. "Ohmigoshimsosorry—"
"It's cool, it's cool," Elsa reassured her, pushing Anna's arms down and suddenly grabbing her waist, lifting her up and off the bed amidst her mock protests and giggles. "We're still going to have to get out of here."
Bloodbath.
Or as Anna would refer to affectionately, the scumbag blood shit clusterfuck. Even the map "Bloodbath" didn't piss her off as much; according to Anna's service record, she'd performed consistently during this specific aptitude tests. Consistently terrible.
Anna could spend days swearing about this test.
Elsa smirked as the thought came to her mind, even as she loaded herself into her simulation pod and prepped the necessary sequences, linking the neural interface to her own brain. Her outward appearance was calm, serene, drawing a few glances from other, more nervous recruits. Inside, however, she was a bit nervous; this was ultimately her first exam since she'd arrived at the academy a year ago. Logically, despite having trained intensively for a year, she still shouldn't hold a candle to the recruits that spent their entire lives in the academy, training with experts.
But she believed in miracles. She'd survived Empyrean. She'd preserved her mental state. Heck, she'd even trained Anna to the point where she'd literally gone from zero to hero. The simulation room was full of whispers when Anna had walked in, some with scorn, some with fear, but mostly with admiration.
She could survive a test, she supposed.
The lid slowly began to close, cutting off the light streaming into the pod interior bit by bit once more. Elsa laid back, and tried to relax, even attempting to meditate amidst the chatter and buzz that was still going on outside; the simulation wasn't going to start until the administrators ensured that everyone was prepped and ready to go. For a while she focused on her breathing, slowing her heart rate to a calm state, and then she mentally went through combat scenario after combat scenario once again. She was ready, or at the very least, as ready as she would ever be for this test.
But then she noticed something different about the pod. There was no loadout selection screen. The pod cover's display simply showed: Awaiting administrator.
Something was definitely different. There was no reason for system malfunctions at this time; they were extremely unlikely, given that today was an academy-wide examination for all enlisted recruits, so everything should have been in tip top condition. If anything, this change was deliberate.
Elsa had never liked things to change, to be different from what they were before. Differences meant that she wasn't prepared for things yet to come. Differences increased the tendency for mistakes. Differences could be painful, even fatal.
She, of all people, would know that.
The pod began to whirr again. Elsa felt the familiar sense of vertigo, felt her heart rate increase in response, and then she blacked out.
"Wake up, recruits."
Elsa opened her eyes.
Everything was black.
Her mind began to race. Was she blind? Was she in a confined, dark area? She couldn't feel, see, taste or smell anything. The only thing that informed her that she was awake was the voice in her ear.
"Every year," the voice continued, "Bloodbath is conducted to test the skills of all recruits in various fields, be it in actual combat or strategizing. Bloodbath is differentiated from the other standardized tests in the fact it tries to replicate actual combat as much as possible."
Fuck. She tried to move, but could feel nothing, not even her face. Her enhanced senses were useless if she didn't have basic senses to begin with. She was helpless, and she didn't like that at all. Elsa had been right about something being different; now she was going to have to adapt fast.
"This year, we're pushing the boundaries; you will not know what role you will play until you deploy. If you deploy as a medic, you will be assessed on your medical proficiency. If you deploy as a soldier, you will be assessed on your combat proficiency. If you deploy as an officer, you will be assessed on your tactical proficiency. But do not be deceived by the apparent simplicity of this task, recruits. This year's Bloodbath will be the most brutal proficiency test ever conceived."
Whirring. She could hear again. Elsa focused her senses on the single sound, trying to get more control of her body back. She could feel her eyes squeezed shut in concentration once more. The whirring grew louder. Aircraft. Of some kind; sound too small to determine if large or small, fast or slow.
"As per usual Bloodbath protocol, everything is up to you; there will be no administrative instruction, aside from providing operational objectives. Hierarchy is still to be followed and respected at all times. Good luck, recruits. This year, you're going to need it."
She felt her heart fill with dread. Now she was genuinely worried.
Her senses came rushing back to her like a torrent of water; her body jerked forward, gasping for air that she hadn't realized she'd needed so desperately. Cool air kissed the tips of her ears and cheeks, and the familiar whirring continued to fill her ears. Her blurred vision began to readjust and refocus, and she placed a hand over her throbbing forehead. What the fuck—
Grey, metal room. Walls still shiny. Basic furniture and console; too furbished to be a holding cell, unless it's an exceptionally well decorated one. Elsa spied the door to the right of the bed she found herself sitting on, under the bright glow of the lamp above her. Single room? These are quarters alright, but whose quarters are these?
Her eyes drifted toward the table where the console was, and her gaze fell on the single placard on the tabletop.
Force Commander.
She swallowed. I'm not ready for this. I'm so not ready for this.
They made her Force Commander?! Elsa pushed herself off the bed, blood pounding in her veins as she reached for the gold plated doorknob, pulling the door aside and stepping into the dim darkness of the corridor. No time to worry, need to establish objectives and obtain a status report. I'm going to have to figure out whatever the hell is going on. She sprung into action, her feet becoming a blur as she double-timed it toward the bridge.
Erratic breathing.
Whimpering.
She caught herself in her tracks, the adrenaline still pumping through her. Her mind's mental processes became a mini battleground.
You don't have time for this!
Then make time.
Wasting time on someone who can't maintain their composure will compromise everyone else.
Not helping someone who can't maintain their composure will also compromise everyone else.
If you don't consolidate your objectives and status ASAP, it can only go downhill from here.
And you'll never be able to live with yourself if you reduce yourself to a cold hearted bitch.
That is what you are, after all, ice queen.
I will not tolerate dissing myself.
I'm not dissing myself, I'm telling the truth.
No, that is a blatant lie. I am not a cold hearted bitch. I have a choice in this matter. I am in control.
Exactly why you need to make the right choice.
Helping this person out is the right choice.
Elsa turned toward the sound. Source: Deputy Commander's quarters. Shit. Her heart sank even as she trod towards the door, and rapped on it three times. This is going to be messy.
"Deputy Commander," she said out loud. "Deputy Commander, are you alright?"
No response. Her ears picked up the sudden suppression of sobs. Elsa grabbed the handle and yanked the door open, breaking the lock on the door, a move which she would later look back on and cringe at.
Her eyes fell upon the red-haired figure clad in uniform, curled up in a corner of the bed.
Anna.
She was hugging her knees to her chest, head buried in her arms, and Elsa could still hear soft sobbing. Slowly, tentatively, Anna raised her head to look back at Elsa.
Elsa's heart should have just melted right there and then from the pleading, helpless, terrified look Anna gave her.
But she said nothing. Instead she leaned against the doorframe, gazing back at Anna. For a while they just held their gaze, and then Anna had to break away. She's fearful. Ashamed.
"Anna," Elsa said, the endearment in her voice no longer surprising her. She took a step forward, and heard Anna sob softly again.
"It's okay, Anna, it's just a test."
"What do you mean 'just a test'?!" Anna's head jerked back up, eyes blazing, glaring right back at Elsa. "What the bloody fuck do you mean by 'just a test'?!"
Anna's outburst caught Elsa completely off guard, and she raised her hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, I just meant—"
She watched her friend break into sobs again, and her hands dropped back to her sides as she watched tears darken the grey fabric of Anna's officer uniform. "Hey, come on," she said, moving towards her and sitting on the bed, leaning gently against Anna. "Don't do this to yourself."
"I'm sorry." Elsa heard the words come out in a barely audible whisper. "Imsorryimsorryimsorry—"
"No one's blaming you for anything," Elsa replied, as she turned towards her friend and placed her hands on Anna's shoulders. "It's okay, just relax, calm down, breathe in—"
Clammy hands grasped at hers. "I can't do this, Elsa," Anna pleaded, "I can't pass this test, I'm going to fail and I'm going to wreck a whole bunch of other people's tests—"
"No one is going to fail here," Elsa stated firmly. "Not as long as we stick together, think clearly, and just focus on what we're doing. Remember how far we've come." She held Anna's hands and squeezed them gently. "Remember how far you've come."
"I'm not ready for this," Anna reiterated softly.
"You beat back Empyrean soldiers and a supersoldier hell bent on destroying everything and everyone there. That was real. This is a simulation. This is nowhere near as difficult and challenging, and you've already beaten unthinkable odds." Elsa lifted a hand to Anna's chin to tilt her head upwards, gazing into her intense green eyes with a small smile on her own face. "I promise you, we're going to be fine."
Why do I feel like kissing her so bad?
Panic blossomed in Elsa chest, but she maintained her composure; losing it now would not only terrify Anna more, it might even compromise their already delicate relationship, or at least that was how it looked like to Elsa. But she watched as Anna's face broke into a smile, and she knew she'd done her part. Anna would be fine, for now.
"Thanks," Anna whispered.
For a while they held the gaze, not so different from the one they shared when Edison was on a rampage, but charged with more emotion, more passion behind their eyes. Elsa could've swore their faces were moving closer and closer to each other—
The entire room shook. As an explosion roared through their ears Elsa found herself flying, crashing into the metal wall. Pain shot first through her neck, then through her leg as she landed at an awkward angle back on the floor. She clenched her teeth and tried to stand, but it was going to be a while before she could function properly again. Through squinted eyes she spied Anna lying on the floor in a similar fashion pushing herself up a lot faster.
"Elsa!" she heard a call for a name, but it was faraway. She cursed inwardly. Everything was bloody faraway to her, just like her lips from Anna's.
Hands grabbed her and tried to pull her up. "You okay?"
"I'm good," she coughed, barely managing to sit up. "I'm good." Adrenaline coursed through her as she pushed herself to her feet. "We'd better go find out what the hell that was."
Boots clattered upon metal as they raced onto the bridge. "Status report," Elsa yelled, moving toward the command console as she surveyed the bridge layout. Bridge crew of 36. With this number of crew and layout of the bridge I'm guessing this is a Command Cruiser.
"Commander," one of the officers on the bridge turned towards her, even as she brought up her own display. "We were about to call—"
"Skip the bs, I know I'm late," Elsa responded, "and we don't have time for this. Give me structural integrity, weapon status and tell me what the hell is attacking us."
"Structural integrity is holding thus far, at about…" the officer paused to look at his display. "…91%. Weapons are all coming online as we speak, the full arsenal is also available on our display. I'm sure you'll appreciate it if we skip listing out every single weapon option we have."
"And what's attacking us?"
"Initial scans by our fleet—"
"Fleet?"
"Yes commander," the officer replied. "We're currently part of the fleet attacking the fortified enemy base in the distance."
Elsa squinted to see through the windows, spying black shapes on the horizon. "We're attacking all of that?" she heard Anna mutter behind her.
"You were saying, officer?" She swore she recognized him. Maybe even faced him in combat before.
"Yes commander. Our initial scans indicate that amidst the city perimeter where the enemy base is, the enemy have set up a Tier-3 X50 Plasma Cannon."
"What were our operational objectives again?"
The officer turned back to our screen. "To neutralize enemy resistance by any means necessary—"
Another blast rocked the bridge, throwing a few officers off their seats. Almost instinctively Elsa reached out to grab Anna as she stabilized herself on the bridge. Shockwaves passed through the room before the ship stabilized, and Anna mouthed a thank-you to Elsa as they turned back to the bridge.
"Damage report!" Elsa called out.
"Structural integrity just dropped to 83%."
"Execute evasive maneuvers. Fire flares, decoys, proc off every anti-targeting measure we have."
"Commander, everything we have in our arsenal cannot evade the cannon," the officer replied. "We've already been marked by its systems, and our arsenal is not equipped with the necessary measures like cloaking or anti-marking measures."
Elsa cursed out loud. A blue beam filled the window, and another explosion could be heard. No shockwaves. "What the hell just happened?" Elsa demanded.
"Ma'am, one of our fleet ships was just taken out in one shot." The officer turned towards her with a grim expression upon his features. "We've just lost about a hundred soldiers."
Elsa checked the HUD on her console. He was right; of the thousand soldiers assigned to them, the live count now read: 903 live, 97 dead. If this carried on…
"Screw our objectives for now," Elsa declared. "Taking out that cannon just became our top priority."