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ELLIE FELT THE totality of her skin begin to wilt as she engaged her eyes with Andrea's, though they had been far from welcoming. The air in her lungs desperately sought to flee her body, but it simply ceased to function as it should. She staggered backwards as she clamped a hand on each of Rick and Shane's arms, and heaved them behind a bush with her, her chest rapidly surging and falling as she strived to talk through her fright.
"Andrea's here," she whispered to nobody in particular, but bound her eyes with Shane's. His response would be the one to watch out for. "She–she's with him, she's with the Governor."
"Andrea..." Shane whispered, his head slumping low as he shook his head.
"Shit," Rick whispered, emitting a gentle sigh as he peered at his scuffed shoes, "We have to go about this the right way, you can't just barge in there."
Ellie released a weak breath as she allowed her mind to formulate their plan. There simply wasn't a risk she wouldn't take for Daryl. She simply glanced over at the arena, and nodded proudly, "I know we can get them back safely with your plan, but please, hear me out."
Ellie illustrated the outlined plan in detail to the men, permitting them to nod along as they, shockingly, had been approving of her schemes. Rick hadn't expressed his opinion aloud, but it mesmerised him how much Ellie had prospered since the first moment he met her. She had blossomed from an apprehensive, young woman into an autocratic leader, and he was more than impressed with her planning. The driving force for her dedication was the moment she would feel Daryl against her skin once again. Yet, somehow, her mind couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to get caught.
Once the strategy had been narrated, Shane motioned towards the group that had been hiding behind the bushes, and carefully crawled out towards them to explain Ellie's plain in detail. She anticipated his arrival at the bushes, and instantly propelled her body upwards, flailing her gun into the air as she affixed her eyes with Andrea's once again.
"Andrea!" Ellie called through the harsh jeering of the crowd surrounding the arena. The woman attempted to sink behind the crowd, weaving herself in and out to hide from Ellie with discretion. "Andrea, I can see you!"
"Here's one of our terrorists now!" The Governor declared, allowing a spotlight to blaze upon her as she infiltrated the crowd, nudging past the bustling inhabitants.
Ellie huffed as she kept her gun aimed directly at the Governor, observing the eye patch he had been sporting due to his injury, all the while Daryl's anguished eyes stared intently at her, his chest rising and falling. He knew that she was there for him, and he couldn't stand seeing her so near, yet so far away, and in harm's way. Daryl protested mercilessly against his restraints, grunting as he chanced to get as close to Ellie as he possibly could, to no avail.
Ellie broadcasted a shaky breath as she smirked up at the Governor, tilting her head slightly to ascertain that she wasn't afraid, and declared openly, "I can deal with pretty much anything, but this Charles Manson shit has got to stop."
