Camilla

I remember when we first started talking, I would be so excited to receive her emails. She used to be so cute, how she would tell me every single thing that would happen during her day. Of course, I was probably not much different. Neither of us had family or friends that we were close to.

Camilla remembered as well. She had an assignment in sixth grade to draw a family tree. Blaire hadn't been much help with her side of the family, for whatever reason, and even less so for Camilla's dad's. She remembered waiting until Blaire was at one of her salon appointments before executing her thorough plan to get into the basement to look through her dad's old things, and she uncovered a stash of letters from a woman she never heard of. 

With those and the school's computers, Camilla eventually tracked down her apparent cousin, Hitomi Kageyama, and the two became digital penpals. Camilla remembered sending emails almost every weekday from the school's computers, eagerly telling Hitomi everything happening in her life, from raving about the yummy school lunch that day, to lamenting about how the new blouse Blaire bought her didn't fit quite right.

In return, Hitomi would tell her about the Gakuin, Japan's version of the Academy, and what her own daily life consisted of. She would tell Camilla about how she was slowly learning more and more about her abilities, like how she figured out how to detect people's emotions when she made contact with them, as long as she focused hard enough.

If she was back at home for a long holiday, Hitomi would complain about her cold family who pretended she didn't exist, and the unusual stares she would get from other locals who assumed she was a foreigner based on her appearances alone. While Camilla couldn't relate to the latter of Hitomi's usual qualms, she definitely understood the former to a certain degree. Either way, she happily would listen to Hitomi's tirades just as Hitomi would listen to her own.

Their conversations eventually came to a screeching halt over the summer, when Camilla had accidentally fallen asleep at the home computer with her conversation with Hitomi in plain sight. Blaire had been furious at the time, and had deleted all of Camilla's internet accounts in a fit of rage, forbidding her from the computer for any social reasons. Before she did that though, she made Camilla sit with her and read the entirety of her conversation with Hitomi, chastising her every time Camilla revealed a "family secret."

You can't trust her, she's a stranger. She's only using you. You can only trust me. We can only trust each other.

As soon as Camilla started at the Academy over a year later, she immediately created new accounts and reconnected with Hitomi. And, for the most part, they had remained in touch since then. At least, as far as Camilla could remember.

I remember when we first met, she was more outspoken than cute. But I admired her for that. She was brave in ways that I thought I could never be, but I eventually learned how to. Although, I'd probably never be okay flying like she normally does—I draw the line there. As happy as I am that she saved me that day, I'd rather not go through that again if I can help it.

Camilla remembered that day as well, and that alone was surprising. She rarely remembered her missions from when she was constantly medicated, but that day was an exception. It hadn't been much different than any other day at the office; the biggest difference was that she had met Elsie.

Even though Camilla initially thought Elsie was just another celebrity that wanted to use her, it only took a few meetings for Camilla to doubt her first impression. When most people would have set off Camilla's instincts by then, Elsie hadn't. Elsie was genuine. And Camilla had actually been interested in opening up to her.

But when Camilla was given the opportunity to trust Elsie, she ended up ruining everything instead, including Elsie's trust in her.

I have flown with her before, and I understand completely. She flies like you drive.

Rude.

But true. Anyway, you may not realize this, but I think you changed her as well. Even shortly after you met the first time, I noticed she was different. Do you remember that bookmark I delivered to you after the Games? She bought that years ago, did you know?

Camilla did know. She remembered how her attention was entranced by the glimmering gold display of bookmarks. She remembered how brilliant and beautiful it was, and she remembered how she couldn't immediately think of anything that filled her with such warmth. Nothing, except for Elsie.

Remembering that warmth made Camilla realize just how cold she was, and she longed for something that could comfort her. No, not anything...

Elsie.

...Camilla?

Elsie.

I'm here, Camilla.

At that moment, Camilla felt a weight tighten on her hand, and the touch was filled with warmth.

I won't leave you.

As much as Camilla wanted to believe those words, she needed to see it for herself. And besides, the warmth at her hand wasn't enough.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a bright light burning into her brain. She immediately squeezed her eyes shut, wincing at the pain that throbbed through her head. But the light still managed to shine through her eyelids, and Camilla's headache persisted until the light dimmed to a bearable intensity. After waiting a moment, Camilla tentatively opened her eyes again.

While the lights above remained dim, it was still bright enough to illuminate the space around her without being overwhelming, not that there was much to look at. She was in a bed draped with a slightly tattered white blanket, surrounded by a bland tan-colored curtain. On either side of her were two women, and Camilla knew them.

"Elsie?" Camilla said to the woman sitting at her left. Her voice sounded like gravel and it hurt to speak, but Camilla had to say something.

But Elsie didn't seem to mind Camilla's rough speech, and though her eyes began to glisten, her smile was wide.

"Yeah," she said softly, and she let out a small, choked laugh. "Welcome back."

At the sight of Elsie's smile, and the feeling of Elsie's thumb brushing gently against the back of Camilla's hand, Camilla felt a comforting sense of peace.

"Mitaka...?" another voice asked hesitantly.

Camilla slowly moved her head to her right, towards the other woman. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but once they did, she recognized the woman immediately.

"Hitomi?" she asked, her voice still as scratchy as before.

Hitomi didn't seem to care about Camilla's rough voice either, and she too burst into a tearful smile as she began to bob her head in a continuous nod.

"Yes," Hitomi managed to say once she found her voice. "The one and only."

Camilla held her gaze on Hitomi for a moment longer before turning back to Elsie. She wasn't sure why either of them were crying, but at least they were both smiling too. Still, Camilla felt cold, and she wondered if they couldn't feel the chill in the room like she did.

"Elsie..." Camilla began, but she felt her strength taper off before she could finish her thought.

"Yeah?" Elsie replied eagerly, then waited patiently for Camilla to continue.

But Camilla was struggling just to keep her eyes open, and her next words were no more than a faint whisper. "It's cold."

For some reason, Camilla's mind suddenly envisioned a land of snow with nothing but white surrounding her, and all that did was send an involuntary shiver raking through her body.

Immediately, Elsie's hold on Camilla's hand tightened, and she began looking frantically around the space.

"I think I saw another blanket around here somewhere," Elsie muttered as she peered under Camilla's bed.

"I can get some tea," Hitomi offered.

"No..." Camilla said, but again her voice faltered prematurely. To make up for it, she fixed her gaze on Elsie as firmly as she could, hoping that her actions could speak louder than her words. "You... you're warm."

For a moment, Elsie simply stared at her in shock, and Camilla worried that she didn't understand what Camilla was asking. Thankfully, her surprise was quickly replaced by a soft smile.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

The bed was small but so was Camilla, and Elsie easily squeezed next to her on the narrow mattress. With Hitomi's help, Camilla managed to lean her upper body on Elsie's, with her head resting comfortably on Elsie's chest. And as soon as Elsie's arms wrapped around her, Camilla was filled with the warmth that she had been longing for, that she had been missing for far too long.

"Don't leave," Camilla muttered without realizing it, her mind lost to the feeling of Elsie's fingers brushing gently over her head.

She felt Elsie's warm breath tickle her ear, and then a soft kiss placed right above in her hair.

"I won't," Elsie assured quietly.

And before Camilla could acknowledge that she heard, she drifted back to sleep.

---

The first thing Camilla noticed was the smell of chemicals that enveloped her in a stifling blanket. And then she began to notice all sorts of things, one after another like a chain reaction.

A pain began to throb at the back of her head, rippling throughout her skull.

Her back was pressed against a slab of ice that seeped into her skin and chilled her to her bones.

No matter where she looked, her vision was filled with blinding white, and she couldn't close her eyes from it.

At one moment, her mouth was filled with a cold and thick tasteless concoction; the next it was overflowing with warm blood.

Wave after wave of electricity surged through her, sending pins and needles stabbing her tensed muscles.

Her ears were filled with the echoes of strangled screams, unintelligible voices that were not her own.

And then it was her own voice.

At the unfamiliar sound of her hoarse shouts, Camilla's eyes jolted open. Her first instinct was to protect herself from whatever was hurting her, and her mind and body quickly jumped to the defensive.

Lying down made her vulnerable, but when she tried to push herself upright, all she managed to do was throw her body limply to the side. Unfortunately, there was nothing waiting for her there except a sudden drop and gravity, and Camilla couldn't catch herself from crashing hard onto the ground. She was, however, able to quickly right herself, and she scrambled backwards until she felt a wall watching her back.

At first, she could hardly see anything through the stars that flickered in front of her eyes, and what she could see was nothing but a convoluted blur that rocked back and forth. A second later, someone stepped into her vision, and Camilla tensed automatically, ready for a fight. Thankfully, the person stopped their approach, and Camilla carefully watched their muddled figure slowly crouch down.

"Camilla?" a voice tentatively asked. It was Elsie. "Camilla, are you... what's wrong?"

It took a moment for Camilla to find her voice again.

"D-don't..." she began, then went silent. She hadn't realized she was shaking. "Don't move."

"Okay," Elsie replied softly without missing a beat.

"Sorry," Camilla choked out. She didn't want to push Elsie away, but she also wasn't sure if she could handle anyone being too close to her. "Hang... hang on."

"Okay," Elsie repeated, just as calmly as the first time.

Eventually, Camilla's world slowly shifted into focus, and Elsie was still there, patiently waiting for her. Around them, the space around her still looked dim and dull, just as Camilla had vaguely remembered, but it didn't matter when the smell of disinfectants still overwhelmed her senses. Camilla was still shaky, and while she wasn't certain if she could tolerate Elsie's closeness, she preferred that to the sharp odor of bleach.

"Can you... can you come closer?" Camilla asked, only hesitating for a moment when a violent shudder ran through her.

Elsie easily complied, and she carefully inched her way closer. She stopped when she was just beside and slightly in front of Camilla, and sat with her on the stone floor. When Camilla slowly reached out for her, she didn't move, and she let one of Camilla's shaking arms wrap around her neck and guide her closer.

Camilla buried her face in Elsie's shoulder and let her senses be engulfed with Elsie's presence. At first, she didn't think it would work, and her nose still burned with the lingering scent of chemicals. But when Camilla inhaled as deeply as she could, all she could think about was Elsie.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed there like that, especially since Elsie made no indication that she wanted to move. They only did so when they heard the curtain shifting, and both of them turned towards the source of the noise.

"Sorry to bother you," the newcomer said. Camilla didn't recognize them, and Elsie didn't seem to either, judging by the way she leaned her body to put Camilla behind her. "I'm here to clean."

So that's where the smell was coming from. Camilla didn't understand why it set her on edge, but she involuntarily tensed as the scent of bleach wafted through the open curtain, stronger than ever.

"Do you have to?" Elsie asked a second later.

"Uh..." The newcomer looked between Elsie and Camilla, then cleared their throat awkwardly. "I'll come back later?"

"Please."

Once the curtain had closed, and Camilla heard a cart rolling out of the room,  she finally let out a long breath.

"Thanks," she muttered, and Elsie, who had still been facing the curtains to make sure no one else would come through, turned back towards her. "I... I don't know what happened..."

"Don't worry about it," Elsie supplied when Camilla's voice trailed off. She raised her hand to the side of Camilla's head, and when Camilla didn't move away, Elsie gently set her hand down and stroked her hair. "Did you want to stay here, or go back to bed? Or none of the above?"

Camilla thought for a moment. "Can I leave?"

Elsie gave her a small but sad smile. "As much as I'd like that too, I'd probably get in big trouble if we leave before the healers get a chance to clear you. When you were sleeping, I specifically promised that I would get them once you woke up again. I'd rather not piss off our only allies here."

Camilla didn't know what Elsie meant by her last statement, but she held off her questions until they both settled back into bed, Camilla doing so with some difficulty. They stretched out side by side, Elsie with her back against the headboard and Camilla with her head resting by Elsie's shoulder. When Elsie's fingers began lightly brushing her hair again, Camilla struggled to keep from falling back asleep.

"Can you tell me what I missed?" Camilla asked, hoping that her eyes wouldn't close before she could hear the answer.

Elsie hesitated, and her fingers paused in Camilla's hair.

"What do you remember?" she eventually asked.

Camilla focused on her memories, concentrating on rearranging what she had in an order that made sequential sense. She remembered silence, then an explosion, followed by screams and sirens. She remembered desperation, then hope; death, then life.

"City Hall... there was an explosion," Camilla recalled. "But... I had managed to save people. I used my healing abilities."

When Camilla glanced at Elsie to confirm, Elsie was nodding encouragingly.

So Camilla continued to think. She remembered the sounds of fierce pounding and desperate yelling, of glass shattering and tears falling. Her body remembered the feeling of electricity sparking through her, and a surge of energy that wasn't hers.

"They came for me," Camilla succinctly summarized. "Hester was there. And... was there someone named AJ?"

Again, Elsie nodded.

Suddenly, Camilla recalled Elsie's injured arm, and she sat up as fast as she could to check. Unfortunately, she ended up moving too quickly, and she had to stay completely still for a few moments to keep her vision from swaying.

"Everything alright?" Elsie asked, moving her hand up and down Camilla's back soothingly.

"Your arm...?" Camilla managed to ask without making herself feel sick.

Elsie looked confused for a few seconds before she realized what Camilla was talking about. "Oh, yeah, it's fine. Mack even made sure it was completely healed a few weeks later, after... well, after we started hanging out again." 

Camilla felt like there was more to that story, but she held her questions until later in favor of sifting through her own memories. But for the time after Hester's ambush, Camilla's recollection was a patchwork quilt with flashes of images and emotions, and she struggled to make sense of it all.

At first she tried to endure it, shoving aside her anxiety over memories of bright lights and icy hands. But when the smell of disinfectant in the room seemed to grow stronger and stronger, Camilla mentally shook herself. She couldn't do this, not yet.

Fortunately, Elsie didn't seem to mind, and she quickly jumped into her version of the story. When Camilla had disappeared, Hester and the Org claimed she was a traitor and was dead. Shortly after, Elsie began gathering people to get Camilla back, but there was only so much they could do with their limited resources.

They ended up talking to Quentin and finding out that, not only were his siblings working for Hester, but he was with Exodos. But since Elsie and the others didn't have many options, they decided to temporarily ally with Exodos since they shared a common enemy, and they worked together to raid Farallon Prison. And now, they were currently sheltered in Exodos's last active base, hidden in one of the snowy mountains of Alaska.

The knowledge that they were essentially at the mercy of Exodos made Camilla uneasy. In her eyes, the group was only affiliated with violence and murder; they were surrounded by enemies that have almost killed her on multiple occasions. She tried to keep her opinion to herself, not wanting to worry Elsie or make it seem like she was ungrateful for her help, but evidently, Camilla was out of practice in keeping a poker face.

"It's not ideal," Elsie agreed with a whisper, easily reading Camilla's hesitancy. "But Hitomi said that the majority of them aren't too bad. Only a few of the radical members are still here. The rest of them are just being influenced by them, but they're mainly here to seek shelter from the Org." Elsie reached her free hand towards Camilla's, and Camilla let her intertwine their fingers together. "Apparently, Hester has a history of taking away loved ones and feigning deaths."

It took a moment for Camilla to notice the importance of Elsie's words, of how she implied that Camilla was her loved one, and Camilla's heart warmed at the thought of it. She didn't say anything, but she did hold Elsie's hand a little tighter.

"They're a little cold to us," Elsie continued as if nothing had happened. "And the remaining radicals probably want us gone, now that we've all got what we wanted. But it'll have to do until we can decide on our next move. At least now that you're awake, planning should be easier."

Camilla couldn't help but imagine their group trying to survive on their own, on the run. She was well practiced in expecting the worst case scenarios, and in this situation that would require them to spend an indefinite amount of time fighting for their lives and freedom. She suddenly balked at the thought; Camilla wasn't sure why, but simply thinking about using her abilities made her tense up, and her instincts strongly advised against such actions.

Camilla didn't want to get anybody's hopes up, so she cleared her throat nervously.

"I... I'm not sure if I can use my abilities anymore," Camilla admitted.

For a moment, Elsie's blank expression was discernible, and Camilla wondered if Elsie was disappointed in her. But of course, a gentle smile quickly appeared on her face, and she continued to steadily brush Camilla's hair.

"It's fine," Elsie assured. "We'll think of something. We'll figure this out together."

---

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