P.O.V: Elizabeth Harmon.
"Brannon," I repeated in astonishment.
He looked so...
"I look a bit different, huh?" He laughed as if he could read my thoughts even from here.
Donny, who I had almost completely forgotten was even in the room, chuckled too.
"Yeah... A bit." My voice was almost a whisper.
His voice turned more serious. "Are you okay, Liz?"
I scowled.
The relief of knowing he was safe was quickly smothered by my anger for the situation he had put us in.
"Okay? What part of this is okay, Brannon?" I demanded.
Brannon sighed. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't want you to find out like this and I never meant to put you guys in danger. I'm so sorry."
He seemed to mean it, but I had no intention of letting him off so easily.
"Why would you do this, Brannon?" I demanded. "When did this even happen?"
He hesitated. "That's a long story Liz."
I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him my best annoying sister look.
"I'm listening." I growled.
He looked behind me and once again I had almost forgotten about the boy in the room.
"Don," Brannon said. "Can I talk to her alone for a minute?"
Donny shifted as if deciding, then shook his head. "Sorry Brannon. I'm not even supposed to let her in here, I can't leave her alone. Sorry."
He sighed.
"I was in my second year of college. Things were going great, I had just gone back to my room to get an extra book... Then this- this girl runs in. She was bleeding and I could hear someone chasing her and she begged me to cover for her. Someone banged on the door and she hid under the bed and I answered it. He looked normal, like I had seen him around campus once, but he had this symbol on him..."
Brannon took another breath.
"He said he was looking for his girlfriend, that she was coming down from a high and he needed to find her. I thought maybe he had beaten her and that's why she was hiding so I told him no one had come in. I thought he was going to stab me for a minute, then he just asked me to keep a lookout and left."
Brannon looked at me like he still couldn't believe his luck with the boy.
"She came out when he left. I tried to get her to go to the hospital with me but she said she couldn't, that they would arrest her. When I asked her why, she showed me her wristband with the Gate Keeper's symbol on it. She said he'd caught her on her mission and had ran but he got a good swipe at her head. The more I talked to her, the more confused I got. I knew what Gate Keepers were, but I never imagined that they were like her. That they weren't savages and they were normal people."
He looked at me with pleading eyes as if he could somehow show me what he was thinking with his eyes.
"She said that she would be fine if I could get her back to her base, so she told me where it was and I took her there. When I got there, Liz, I couldn't just leave."
"They kept you there?"
The question was obviously meant for Brannon but I still glared at Donny.
His people did this.
Donny glared back at me.
"What? No, liz, it wasn't like that." Brannon sounded surprised that I would even think something like that. "I meant I didn't want to leave."
We both stared back at each other.
Brainwashed. He was brainwashed- there was no other way.
"So you chose this?" I demanded.
He sighed. "Liz, it's not that simple. They needed help and I could help them, I knew I could. I couldn't just go back to the campus after I saw the base. So I stayed. I only told dad what I had chosen to do. I stopped coming around as much because they warned me that I could be followed and I didn't want to put you guys in danger."
"And how did that work out? Hm?" I demaded.
His shoulders hunched. "I'm sorry Liz. I don't know what else to say."
I sighed. "Where even are you, Brannon?"
If I was going to find him and dad, I needed to know where he was.
"North Carolina. It's pretty hot here." Brannon smiled. "When things cool down I'll transfer you and dad here. No pun intended."
"Where is dad?" I needed to find him too.
"I don't know. I'm not allowed to know in case I'm... Asked." He bit his lip.
Not allowed to know?
"You don't know where he is?" I repeated.
He shook his head. "I don't know where either of you are. Actually, I'm not even supposed to have contact with you, but I wanted to check up on you."
"Yeah, I'm doing great." I muttered.
"I promise, when things calm down, I'll transfer you guys here and things will be better. Okay?"
"Sure." I muttered.
Brannon glanced at something behind him. "Shit. I gotta go. I'll see if I can call you again soon."
I rolled my eyes. "Someone threw my phone in a trash can, so you can't do that."
Brannon grinned at Donny as if he knew, then turned back to me. "I meant on here, Liz."
"I figured. It was a joke."
Brannon glanced behind him again.
"I'll try to keep in touch. Love you, Liz." He said.
I sighed. "Love you, Brannon."
Then the screen went dark.
Donny turned to me. "You're probably not going to be able to talk to him much. I could only set this up because Kaylee had to make a run, and she doesn't do that much."
I nodded. It didn't matter. I would be gone by tonight.
"Come on, we should get going before she comes back." He said.
I let him guide me toward the door and we stood on the lawn for a moment.
Finnally I sighed. "I have to go back to kitchen, don't I?"
He nodded. "Yep."
I groaned. "Great."
He rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad. You're just cooking."
"Oh?" I muttered. "And your job is worse?"
He scowled. "Depends who you ask."
"Whatever. I have to go."
He nodded and made his way to the Center.
I groaned internally as I walked back into the kitchen.
Sarah eyed me curiously but didn't ask me any questions. I was grateful. I didn't know what I would answer her anyway.
Donny, Jacob, Renae, and Thomas came when the food was ready. They were sweating and Thomas and Donny looked like they had run a mile, but they all seemed happy.
"Hey," Thomas said when he was getting his food. "How'd today go?"
I shrugged. "It went, I guess."
He smiled and started to say something when Donny spoke up.
"Hey lunch lady, what is this, exactly?" His tone was amused, like he found something funny about the situation.
"Shit pie." I told him.
He grinned. "Thought so."
It was actually some kind of meat stew, but I thought shit pie was better.
"Cut her some slack." Thomas muttered, pushing Donny away. "Hey, are you gonna sit with us when your shift is over?"
I glanced at Sarah.
She apparently had been listening because she spoke up. "I already let the other girls go tonight, so Liz and I have to stay until everything's done."
Thomas nodded and turned to me. "Alright then. When you get done here, come find us outside."
I nodded and he left. I would be able to ask him then. But what if the others were around? Would they find my questions odd? Would they be suspicious?
When the rush was over and there was no more food to give away, I started on dishes while Sarah started sweeping and cleaning the tables.
I rushed through the dishes as fast as I could, probably not getting them clean, but Sarah only nodded and dismissed me when I told her I was finished.
I wiped my soaking hands on my shirt as I ran outside. My hands were still wet by the time I found Thomas. He was sitting in the same spot he had been this morning, only he was alone this time. Where were the others?
I sat down beside him.
"Hey." I said.
He turned to me and smiled. "All done?"
"Finally." I groaned.
He laughed. "You'll get used to it after a while."
"Yeah, everyone says that." I muttered. I looked around. "Where are the others?"
"Oh, they already headed up." He said. "They were tired but I didn't want you to think I've abandoned you so I stayed out for a bit."
Could it really be that easy?
He paused as we watched two boys walk behind the Center where they were almost completely concealed, and press their wrists to one of the bricks on the wall and the bricks seperated enough for them to enter. The wall closed back as soon as they were through.
I turned to Thomas. "How does that work, exactly?"
He looked back at me. "What? The wall?"
"Yeah." I responded.
"Well, you see these?" He asked, pulling his sleeve up to reveal his green wristband.
I nodded and he continued.
"Everyone has them. They have a special chip in them that when you press it against a senser, it, well, you just saw it."
I tried to look like I was interested instead of interrogating. "Wait, but that's a wall, not a senser thing."
"We disguise the sensors as normal objects. Like the way you came in? That lamp was a senser."
"Smart." I admitted.
"Jacob thought of that one. Some Commanders have taken after him and did the same."
I nodded.
Someone poked their head out of the House doors and looked at us.
"Almost lights out guys, come on."
Thomas nodded. "Be right in."
He stood up and offered to help me up but I pulled myself up.
"I know it's kind of a shitty circumstance, but I think you'll like it here." Thomas said as we started up the stairs.
"Yeah, sure." I muttered.
"I know it's not what you're used to, but I think when you get used to this place you'll start to like it." He said as we walked up the last of the stairs.
"You're pretty optimistic."
Thomas led me to the room because I know I wouldn't be able to find it.
He shrugged. "Someone's gotta be."
I sighed and turned the knob on my door. "Night Thomas."
"Night Liz."
I opened the door and stepped inside.
The light was still on in the room and the girls were hurrying to get what they needed done before the light turned out. Renae was the only one not bustling around, laying on her back, hands beside her, eyes closed.
Was she asleep? What an odd way to sleep though.
I was about to touch her hand when someone grabbed mine.
I jumped back and almost ripped my hand out of their grip when I saw it was only Mia.
"Damn it kid," I muttered. "Don't do that."
She smiled slightly.
"Don't touch her. She's looking." Mia said quietly, which I was guessing was just how she talked.
"Looking for what?" I asked, keeping my voice low too.
"The future." Mia said, sounding like she thought she was talking to a child. "She is a physic you know."
"I know that." I said, getting irritated. This girl must have spent way too much time with Donny.
Mia made her way back to her bed.
Renae came to just before the lights turned out. Her eyes opened slowly, like she was waking from a trance. Her eyes were unfocused and it took several blinks for the glossy look to dissapear.
She noticed me first, and for the second time that day I was met with a look of aggrivation and hostility from her. But the look was gone as soon as it had come and now she was smiling at me.
"Hey, Liz." She said brightly.
"Er- hey." I said cautiously. Did this girl have a multiple personality disorder? "Uh, so what was that?"
"What was what?" She asked, busying herself with helping the other girls so I couldn't see her face.
"Mia said you were looking for something? When your eyes were closed?" I said.
I decided that there was definitely something weird about the girl, considering this is where she lived.
"Oh, yeah." Renae seemed to relax. "Yeah I do it every night, and some throughout the day, if I have reason."
"What are you looking for?" I pressed.
"Everything, I suppose." She shrugged. "I try to catch what I miss at night and try to get ahead of things."
I scoffed. "You're a physcic. You're always ahead of things."
She smiled. "That's not the way my powers work, Liz."
I wanted to ask how exactly her powers worked, but the lights went out then and everyone crawled into bed. My mind was filled with thoughts of escape and I forgot about my question as I planned.
It was well after midnight when I moved, knowing the others would be fast asleep.
I would have to get someone's wristband if I was going to get through the wall. But who's? Renae? Mia? Should I try to find Thomas and hope that he's asleep? I didn't even know where he was! What if he was a light sleeper?
I sat up and carefully, so I wouldn't make any noise, I made my way across the room and kneeled beside Mia's bed.
Her small hand was draped over the side of the bed, her silvery-white wristband hanging just above her wrist.
I tried to steady my hand and reached up and hooked two fingers under her wristband and slowly started to pull it off. It was loose on her little hand and came off easily. I breathed more easily when it was in my hand.
Mia groaned and rolled over.
I went back to my bed and stuck my feet in my shoes and doned a jacket that Renae had loaned me. I looked back at the room. Mia was still asleep, her lips parted and her eyebrows pulled together like she was upset. The other girls were in different states of sleep. Renae was covered completely by the blanket and I couldn't see any of her.
Making sure I didn't miss anything, I gripped Mia's wristband and made my way downstairs, making sure to avoid the steps that I thought creaked.
Now for the guards.
I opened the door slightly, not enough to be noticed but enough to see by. Two guards were outside, facing away from me, talking to each other. They weren't exactly being quiet, laughing loudly, talking excitedly in loud voices. I shook my head. Some guards.
Regardless of how they acted, I felt no desire to get caught my them.
I looked over at the guards, or more specifically, their belts. I reached a hand out and felt for the leather, for the weapons hanging off them. There was a loud clattering noise as their belts tore to shreds and their many weapons clattered to the ground.
Not what I was trying to do, but I'll take it.
I pulled my hood over my head and made my way to the back of the Center.
As I passed them I heard one of the guards say, "Damn it. Donny and Jacob are gonna have to get some more gear on the next Raid. Shit keeps falling apart."
I was behind the Center now and that made me feel that I was completely concealed. This is where the two boys had left from.
Now where do I put this thing? Thomas had said there was a chip in the band, I just had to find the sensor. I looked at the bricks.
He did say it was disguised as something normal- and there was nothing else over here but the bricks.
I started running the wristband over the bricks in a row, hoping I found the sensor before someone saw me. I was just about to give up when one of the bricks gave out and started to separate, leaving me space to walk through.
Yes!
I was grinning as I walked into the hallway- like space. The wall shut behind me. It was dark and damp and I had the feeling of water dripping on me, even though I checked several times and nevwe found any. Vines crawled up the walls like they were trying to escape. I knew the feeling. The place had a creepy sort of feeling to it.
The faster I got out of here, the better.
I only got a few steps before I saw the figure there, hidden in shadow, watching me.
I froze.
"Elizabeth, the next time you think of doing something like this, I will let you walk out these halls and let you get caught." Said a quiet, harsh voice. "Do you understand?"
The flash of red hair was what I saw first, and the rest of her followed suite.
She had a look of such unwavering fury on her face that was so intense that I backed up several times. She had her arms crossed over her chest and she stared at me with blazing green eyes.
"Renae?" I whispered.
"Who else?" She growled.
I stared at her for a few moments before I could ask the right question.
"How- how did you know?" I asked.
She scoffed. The noise wasn't amused in any way. "My powers allow me to see the futures that I look for, and only for those whom I know. They allow me to see the outcomes of the decisions they make conciously, not the cause or reasons behind it- I don't even see who makes the choice, only the outcome. Imagine my surprise when I saw you coming here this morning."
This morning. The weird looks. It had been my future she'd been looking for tonight.
She glared at me and continued.
"I watched your every choice today, since you decided that you would do it tonight. I tried to see if anything would stop you. The guards. The wall. But you're a determined little fuck, aren't you?" She laughed harshly. "Then I saw you get a band and break the guard's belts, and eventually find the sensor. So I decided to wait in here for you so we could talk."
"Renae, you have to let me go." I said, trying to sound firm but she didn't even blink.
"Oh no, I do not." She spat. "Let's get something strait right now Elizabeth."
She stood an inch from my face.
"I don't care that you hate this place, I don't. I don't care about your petty highschool girl drama mind who thinks we're all out to get her. I don't give a shit about that. Do you know what I care about? I care about my family. Mia, Jacob, Thomas, Donny. That's my family, and I'll be damned if I allow you to put any one of them in danger. I saw you going to the police and telling them everything."
She looked so angry her glare could've melted rock. I was suddenly very afraid of her.
"Do you know what would happen then, Elizabeth? They would involve the military and we would be facing an attack. Those of us who survive would be in prison and the younger ones would go to foster most of them. Jacob would face prison, Thomas and Donny would go into foster, and my sister would get sent back to our parents. I will never let that happen, do you understand?"
I couldn't move.
I swallowed. "Yes."
"Good. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't do everything in my power to stop that. If I have to stop your heart, I will. I won't let them get hurt because of your stupidity."
I took a step back and looked at her. She was smaller than me, a couple inches shorter. She didn't look particularly strong. I knew I needed to go, but would she really stop me?
"Renae, you need to move now." My voice was stronger.
Her eyes narrowed at me, hearing the differences in my voice, testing my resolve.
"No." She growled.
"I'm serious." I hissed. Every second I waste here I could be spending trying to figure out where my brother was.
"So am I." She said evenly. She wasn't going to move, that much was obvious.
"I don't want to hurt you, Renae." I said. "Don't make me."
The corners of her lips turned up in a smirk. "Please, Elizabeth. Try."
I took a step forward and she matched me.
I put my hand on her shoulder to move her- I really didn't want to fight her- and almost before I could blink, I found myself on my back, my lungs yearning for air that my chest would not allow.
Renae stood over me, staring down at me with a small smirk.
"Elizabeth," she said. "The next time that you think about leaving, or trying to put your hands on me again, know that I could do so much worse and I won't even break a sweat."
My breath was coming in weezes now.
"And I swear Elizabeth Harmon, you put any of them in danger and I will not hesitate to stop you." She swore. "Now get up."
She pulled me to my feet with only a little more force than necessary and led me out of the hallway and back onto the lawn. She made sure to keep a hand on me at all times, even though she would know the second I decided to try something. We were careful to keep out of sight of the guards as we made our way back to the House. Renae avoided all the creaky stairs to show me how to be quiet and I almost considered running for it.
I sighed and started up the stairs the way Renae had shown me. She would either see my attempt and stop it before it had even begun or she would get the attention of the guards. Either way I'm fucked.
I looked at Renae. There was no hint that she had seen that possible choice, but she was also good at hiding things, apparently.
She led the way back to the room and opened the door for me. She waited until I was safely inside before shutting the door. I sat down on my bed, feeling defeated, which I guess was her intent. I thought Renae would go back to bed- too hopefully- but she didn't. She stood in front of me and held out her hand.
I stared at it, confused.
She sighed and when she spoke, her voice was quieter, softer. More her normal voice.
"My sister's wristband, Elizabeth." She said, the words both a demand and request.
I fumbled with my pocket until it came out in my hands and I placed it in her outstretched palm.
She nodded once and quickly placed it on Mia's dresser.
She turned to me. "Now, I will know if you think about doing anything, Elizabeth. So I wouldn't recommend trying."
I sighed. She was right, she would see it and then it would be futile.
I kicked my shoes off and plopped into bed. I wasn't sure if Renae slept or not, but either way I didn't risk it. I stayed in the bed but I didn't sleep. I couldn't. All I could think about was failing my brother and my dad.
Morning came slowly and the alarm was like a hammer against my skull.
There was a gentle shake. "Liz? Get up, Liz."
I sat up. Renae was staring down at me and she smiled when I looked back at her.
Her eyes held none of the fury they had yesterday and she smiled at me genuinely. It was like yesterday had never happened.
I couldn't help but glare at her as I got dressed. If it weren't for her, I would be safe right now.
She seemed to feel my hostility because she lost her smile and got dressed in silence.
Mia seemed to be very confused over how her wristband had ended up on the dresser but Renae never talked to her.
"Hey, can you guys give us a minute?" Renae asked the other girls.
I groaned internally.
The other girls agreed and filed out and Renae closed the door behind them.
She didn't turn for a few moments, and when she did, her expression was different from the hostile mask it had been. Her expression was remorseful.
"Liz, I'm so sorry for what I said last night. When I said I would... Kill you, if I thought I had to." She shook her head like she couldn't believe it herself. "Like you were an enemy."
She looked at me, wringing her hands. "Last year, we had a close call. Something happened that could have been avoided if I'd been careful enough, but I wasn't. Someone got hurt and I promised myself I would do anything to protect them and this place after that."
She sighed and sat on the bed beside me.
"When you were planning on leaving last night, all I could see was what a dnager you were, but I didn't think to explain what danger you would be in if you'd done it." She hesitated. "Liz, do you know what would have happened if you tried to find the police?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. They would involve the military, they would attack you guys. I was told."
She shook her head. "You never would have gotten that far. You would have beenn taken by Order soldiers on lookout. They would make you tell them where you had come from and when you did, they would kill you. "
I looked at her. "You saw that?"
"Yes. I've seen it happen before. Even if they didn't meet you on your way to the police station, once they found out that there was someone there who knew where this base was- and they would know- then they would make you tell them." She gripped my hands. "Liz, it's my job to keep everyone here safe, including you. Please, please don't make it hard for me."
I knew that I said I hated her, and I could still feel that it was somewhat true, but as she spoke, I felt the hate dissipate. I understood why she had stopped me.
She smiled a small smile at me. "We would do anything for the people we love, right?"
I did understand that. Hadn't I been ready to tear apart North Carolina in search of Brannon? I would have done anything to have him beside me, safe. But these bases weren't safe, Renae had to know that. The fact that she thought being in here was safer than being out there was almost ironic.
"Yeah," I finally relented and smiled back at her. "I guess so."
Her smile widened as she sensed my unspoken acceptance of her apolagy.
"Come on then. Breakfast!" She took my hand and led me downstairs and into the cafeteria. We got our food from Sarah, who reminded me to be back here for duty in twenty minutes, and we walked out to the lawn where the others were waiting.
Seeing them sent a sense of unease through me. What had Renae told them? Everything? Nothing? Would they be mad? Undoubtedly, but would they do anyhting? I didn't want to see Thomas's face when he realised that I had gotten part of my information from him.
Renae saw my hesitation and walked closer to me, putting a hand on my back and pulling me along with her. As she did this, she spoke quietly.
"I didn't tell them. They didn't need to know."
Immediately, I was relieved. I smiled in a way I hoped looked grateful.
Donny looked up at us. "You two best friends now?"
Renae smiled at him. "Sure, why not?"
I expected Donny to make some remark but instead he just smiled at her
We sat down, me beside Thomas and Renae beside Donny. Jacob was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Jacob?" I asked.
"In a meeting. I have to go join in a minute." Donny said and turned to Thomas. "I'm pretty sure it's about a mission."
Thomas nodded. "Isn't it always? Where?"
"Don't know yet. I'll get the details when I go in there." He said and glanced at the small black building. "Which is probably now."
He squeezed Renae's hand and stood up and started walking toward Command.
Thomas turned to me. "So, you gonna come to the Center on Sunday?
I raised an eyebrow at him. "That's pretty specific. Why Sunday?"
"Well, we're having a little competition Sunday. Renae was supposed to tell you yesterday." He seemed confused that she hadn't.
"Yeah, sorry, I forgot about it." She said but I don't think she had. She was probably too busy watching me to think about it.
"Uh, yeah sure." I said. It didn't look like I would be leaving anytime soon.
"Awesome." Thomas said, smiling at me.
"Hey Tommy!" Someone yelled.
A girl stood in front of the Center, motioning for him. "You coming?"
Thomas nodded. "We'll be right there."
The girl nodded and went back into the Center.
I turned to him. "Tommy?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Nickname Donny gave me a few years back, never been able to shake the damn thing."
"Shake Donny or the name?" I asked.
Thomas smiled. "Both."
Renae stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. "We'll see you at break Liz."
I watched them go back into the Center and I sat there for a few minutes, basking in the time before I would have to return to the House again. One day I would get out of here. I didn't know how and I had no plan, but I believed it was something I had to do just as much as Renae believed stopping me was something she had to do. Somehow, some way, I would get out of here and see Brannon again.