Before

It did not take her long to notice the cracks in the facade the Civic Republic advertised. The inner city was poorly mismanaged with clear class division set to Murray's own standards, and the military answered to no one but their own leader, General Walters. Soldiers walked the city streets like false gods taking and doing whatever they liked to the citizens because of the protection they provided.

She had a feeling that there were a few Grady-esque situations between some of the armed forces and the female citizens, though she couldn't get anyone to admit it. But the signs were all there.

Observing, but silent, she clocked all the ways this place could be governed differently. Noticed which members of the CRM would probably agree with her and which ones would put up a fight, have to be dealt with if it came to it.

She wasn't as subtle as she thought. Not when Okafor approached her, brought her to Major General Beale who asked her what she'd do differently, if she could change things. The older man reminded her slightly of her father, with kind, trusting eyes but with a working brain behind them.

So she told him.

Now

They day moved faster than she would've liked considering the events planned for the early evening. A day spent disposing of delts overworked her already sore limbs. Luckily the teams on the border were able to finish off the incoming hordes without much loss other than time and energy. She had just enough time to clean the worst of the bowels off herself before heading to the side entrance of the large theater they'd furnished for the Summit's opening presentation.

She was supposed to speak and had planned on preparing something ahead of time, but what better way to express the importance of their mission than to show up coated as she was?

To her surprise when she entered the auditorium, she was greeted by the gazes of the entirety of those set to attend. Even more so, Murray was on the platform already speaking. "Ah, Elizabeth, perfect timing." She quickly fixed her face from bewildered to stone at the use of her first name as she made her way to the front of the room. "We were just about to discuss the unrest felt by the enlisted." At his words he swept his arm towards the back of the room as a hundred or so CRM troops entered in full gear, weapons at the ready.

She looked from the small army back to the man at the podium, eyes and voice filling with anger. "What is this? This Summit is for Echelon-informed only ."

The irritating man smiled as if she'd just walked into his trap. "Exactly Miss Greene! These fine men and women are tired of doing the dirty work for a mission they aren't even allowed to know about. And some of us who do know question the ability for success with you running around as if you own the Council, treating the military as your own personal–"

Fury was pouring off of her in waves. "What are you–"

He put a solemn look on his face, fake as ever. "There are doubts, Elizabeth. In you." She stepped back as if struck and looked around the room with scorn. "There are some here who think Marvin Walters was better at protecting the people. I mean, look at Omaha and it's Campus Colony! Thousands of innocent people, gone, because they were left unprotected in the name of your mission."

Her brows furrowed as she watched members of the Summit stand. Kublek, Throne, Lowery, Cohen, Armadi, one by one it becomes clear what happened. "What did you do to Omaha?" she grated out, placing a hand on her holstered sidearm. She usually didn't carry it, but had it on her that day because of the incoming swarms. She knew she was well and truly fucked when Beale moved to stand with the others.

Omaha wasn't a freak accident like the Council had been led to believe.

Murray smirked at her, knowing that there was little she could do to rectify this coup. There was one truth she could tell but he knew she guarded that one with her life and wouldn't give it up easily. Her eyes flit around the room looking for those who were possibly still on her side when her gaze met Stokes'. With a small nod from the woman on an unspoken agreement, the Councilor turned to face the masses as the warrant officer slipped out the side exit.

"You've been lied to!" she shouted forcefully. "I am not the enemy, I am the solution , and these conspirators know it", her arm waving out at those standing. She breathed heavily as she brought her arms back in front of her and pulled off her right glove. She hoped that this risk would be worth the reward as she began to roll up her sleeve. "Those of you who have had the Echelon Briefing know that the Civic Republic is working on a cure. What you don't know," she paused as she briefly looked at her exposed arm, one that only she had privy to view since she informed the Council. "Is that I'm immune," she proclaimed as she lifted her hand over her head, the scar of the bite earned long ago visible for all to see.

There were audible gasps from multiple people around the room and she saw some of the soldiers in the back of the room relax their weapons. But some didn't.

"She's lying!" the aggravating voice boomed from behind her. "We have no way of knowing if that's true. She 'claimed' to be bitten before she arrived, and we've had no success with creating a cure with her antibodies. She likely made the whole thing up to gain access to the Council, get everyone to do her bidding."

She was shaking her head even before he finished. "Shepherd was there, she can tell you–"

"Of course your assistant would back you up! She has everything to lose if she doesn't," this from Klubeck. She looked to the woman on the stage behind Murray, seeing that she and two others had their sidearms trained at the remaining Council members. Her eyes narrowed at the sight but she saw Stokes re-enter the room from the corner of her eye, the Grimes' on her heels. She hoped the officer had thought to arm them.

There were more murmurs around the room as she turned her gaze to her Judas. Beale, who encouraged and supported her in the first uprising, made sure that she was given a place on the Council when the dust had settled. Beale, her confidante who was the one to back her plans for the mission with the CRM, controlled their forces, sought out advancements for the cure. Beale, who was currently stabbing her in the back and likely had been for awhile. "And what's your excuse?" her voice venomous.

He looked at her with pity, and it made her feel like she was 10 years younger standing in a hospital being told that she was all alone in the world. "You're too focused on saving the whole world. We need to save ourselves." She glared hatred at him as he spoke. "Our resources need to be concentrated. The Civic Republic and the cure, nothing else. We need to stop giving handouts to other communities who give us nothing of importance in return. Let nature take its course with them all."

She looked around the room, all of High Command in one room, the Council, the enlisted. "And this is what you all believe?" she asked the room.

"Well not all of them," Murray said from his pulpit cockily. "But that can be dealt with. Take her into custody." He said to no one in particular as he pointed his finger at her. She'd bite it off as soon as she got a chance.

For a moment no one moved, but then the Summit erupted into chaos.