Chapter 17: Forever in the Dark
You wake up from your sleep. You feel Elsa laying on you and smell her breath, which actually is quite nice. The niceness was overwhelmed by pain and the exhaustion of your body. It's like doing a really good workout and feeling sore the next day. Your entire body just feels sore and you can feel the damage you received.
Being with Elsa takes the pain away, at least from your mind. The less you focus on it the less it hurts. You move Elsa's hair out of her face so you can completely see it. She looks so cute sleeping. Her little snore she does still gets you to this day. You stare at her for a bit before kissing her and sneaking out of bed.
You try to clear you head of everything but something is swirling in your mind. The things Adgar gave you. You can feel them in your pocket. You have no idea what they're supposed to mean, but they have to be important. As important as it is, however, you feel like your friends are more important right now. Whatever is on the phone can wait.
You make your way to the shower to wash off the dried blood. However, you don't have any extra clothes, but you need a shower. Even though your clothes are almost completely destroyed, they'll work for now.
You take off your shirt – what's left of it – and look at yourself in the mirror. You have cuts, bruises, scorch marks and dried blood. You smile at yourself. No matter how much you just endured, you are still alive and they aren't. You wish you could give a big "fuck you" to those who say human bodies are weak and frail. Then again you are an exception, but still.
You strip down and get in a nice warm shower. It really washes everything away. Especially the dirt and grime. You give every part of your body a good wash before you turn it off. You try yourself up, put on your clothes and head downstairs for food.
You slide down the railing and into the living room. You hear Olaf's electric laugh in the kitchen. You smile at it, it has a type of soothing effect. You enter the kitchen to find Gerda, Kai and Olaf. They look over at you and smiles stream across their faces. Olaf runs over and gives you a big hug. He actually is heavier then you remember.
"(Y/N)! I heard you did amazing things again!" Olaf happily states.
"Well, maybe a little. But nothing as amazing as your hugs!" You compliment.
Gerda takes Olaf away from you and gets him into a seat. Kai walks beside you.
"Anna told us what happened... Are you alright?"
You huff, "Yeah Kai... I'm fine. I finally told them about my past."
"How did they take it? Likely not the same as Gerda and I took it."
"It was... a mixed bag. But hey, it's all over now. Well, for the most part."
Kai raises and eyebrow to show he was waiting for you to continue.
"Oh, it's nothing. Really," you lie.
Kai looks at you for a moment, his brow still raised. He nods and returns to his regular spot.
You had a feeling that Gerda and Kai probably knew more then they let on. But they have a duty to keep the secrets of the house, as they kept yours.
"By the way, your room is back to normal. We gathered your clothes and personal items and set them up as they used to be. That is if you want to stay here?"
You smile, "Of course I do!"
"Everyone will be happy about that. Also you should be too, as you now can change out of your battle gear," she jokes.
You sit down at the table. Gerda gives you some toast and some condiments for starters. They won't give everything out until everyone is here. You finish the toast and converse with Olaf a bit. Gerda asks you to wake everyone up for breakfast.
You enter Anna's room first. To no surprise you find Anna and Kristoff in her bed. However they are a little exposed at the moment. Your eyes take in what you just saw and you quickly turn away.
"Good for Kristoff, but still..." your entire body shakes in a melodramatic way.
You keep your eyes averted from them and simply look at the door.
"Anna... Kristoff?" You say with a slightly loud voice.
The two wake up and realize they are naked. They cover up quickly.
"Hey (Y/N), when'd you get here? Oh my gosh you're alright!" Anna realizes.
She forgets she is naked and burst out of the bed to hug you. Kristoff tries to grab her but she is too quick. She wraps her arms around you and pulls your back close to her. You feel her body press against yours. You blush intensely.
"Anna... you're still... well... naked."
She remembers this and quickly backs off. Kristoff laughs at Anna's insane blushing and embarrassment. She hits him playfully.
"Breakfast is ready so... yeah I'll see you there."
"Of course," Kristoff says.
You exit the room and try to contemplate what just happened. You noticed that Anna doesn't feel the same as Elsa. Her body has a different... You can't explain it. It's just different. You shake your head to try and forget what just happened. You and Anna have been way to close on two separate occasions while you were with Elsa.
A thought enters your mind. What if you ended up with Anna? No. It wouldn't be the same. You brush that thought away. You hate it when you think of things like that. It happens often. You once thought of joining Gaia against Elsa. What if that happened? What if they indeed killed Elsa but left you alive during your fight? These thoughts continue to soar through your mind. One sticks out in particular.
You remember when you were getting to Elsa in that last fight. What If Hans actually kissed Elsa? What if she fell for him right there and then? If Hans got his hands on her beautiful soft skin. If she succumbed to him and let him have his way with her. She wouldn't do that. You know it.
Still, it's those types of thoughts you struggle with at times. The "What if?" scenarios. You brush it all away and proceed to Elsa's room. She was still sleeping soundly. You almost didn't want to wake her but you knew you had to. You to her side and moved in close. You put your hands on her shoulder and lightly shook her.
"Elsa. Elsa you have to wake up," you softly said.
Her stunning eyes slowly opened. They blinked a few times before she could register what was happening. She sees you and your goofy smile staring at her.
"Are you okay? Feeling drowsy or anything?" You ask.
"You're the one who should be receiving questions," says in a tired and playful voice.
"I'm not the one that died," you counter. "You're the one we should be worried about."
"No," she shakes her head, still having the same voice. "Everyone knows I am okay, thanks to you."
"That's debatable. I mean, you only got stabbed because you jumped in front of me. So it is somewhat my fault."
She lightly smacks your face. "Oh shut up."
She moves her hand back to your face, and rests it against your cheek.
"I thought you hated me... I thought you didn't love me..." She groans.
She rolls onto her back and stares at the ceiling.
"Elsa... I..."
"You don't have to say anything, (Y/N). I already heard you explain everything."
"It's not the same. Let me say some things I want to say only to you."
She turns her head towards you, waiting for your speech.
"Elsa, it killed me to do that to you. I wanted so badly to turn around and kiss you and tell you I didn't mean it. I was scared... I..."
Elsa chuckles then pulls you into her bed. She mounts you and stares into your eyes.
"I know exactly how you felt. I know what it's like living in fear. But it's okay now."
She leans into your ear, "I love you."
She moves from your ear to you lips. She meets your mouth with pure passion as she grinds on you. You're surprised she's in the mood for this right now.
You meet her passion with more of your own, then flip her over.
"My turn to be on top," you whisper.
Anna and Kristoff got dressed and made their way downstairs. They found everyone except you and Elsa at the table.
"Where are they? It shouldn't take this long to get up."
Not a second later they heard a quiet scream from Elsa. The way she delivered it gave everyone an idea of where you two were.
Kristoff and Anna couldn't stop laughing at this. They found it to be pay back for you walking in on them whilst they are naked. Gerda suggests Olaf watch some T.V. really loud. Even Kai can't help but chuckle a bit. Gerda gives him a look before exiting the room with Olaf. Kai keeps stern for a moment before laughing again.
About an hour later the two of you came down. Elsa was in different clothes, even though she hasn't had a shower yet. You were still in your ruined attire. You grab Elsa and slide down the railing. She giggles when you do this, then gives a slight bow as you release her at the bottom. You both turn to see everyone at in the living room.
"Hey guys," you cheerfully greet.
Everyone looks at the two of you with smug looks. Neither you nor Elsa understand.
"Oh yeah... breakfast... I totally forgot about that," you smile, rubbing the back of your head.
"We were just pre-occupied," Elsa finishes.
"With what?" Anna smugly asks.
"Tending... wounds..." You answer.
Kristoff chuckles, "Man, you must have one heck of a wound Elsa. We could hear you from here."
Elsa's face lights up like a christmas tree, she goes completely red and hides herself in your chest.
"You... heard us?" You stutter.
Kristoff nods his head. Anna won't stop smiling. Anna never stops smiling in these situations. You would like one time for her to be mad at you or something instead of looking so smug and victorious.
"Ahh, (Y/N) don't stop," Anna mimics overdramatically.
You blush a little, then look down at Elsa. She is dying from embarrassment right now.
"Well, I did find you two naked this morning. So don't act all high and mighty."
Gerda and Kai look over at Anna and Kristoff. Elsa slightly turns her head to look at them as well.
Anna smacks you with her stare. You chuckle, knowing you just got pay back.
The mood lightens in the room to friendly banter. Anna tries to defend herself but can't find the words to do it. She just keeps stuttering. Everyone gets a good laugh out of it.
"So (Y/N), what was It like having those powers?" Kristoff asks.
You sit on the couch and slouch. You try to think of a way to describe it.
"It was like... feeling my anger for the first time, but it was finally under my control."
"Feeling your anger for the first time?" Anna questions.
You remember that Carnage is no longer with you. That he sacrificed himself so you could win.
"As I have said, whenever I got mad Carnage would take over. I never really knew what anger felt like because he stopped me."
"Carnage?" Kristoff queries.
"The violent one."
He nods.
"But now..." You pause for a moment, "He sacrificed himself so I could win. He and I are one in the same now. It's weird, I don't really understand it myself."
"Are you happy he's gone?" Elsa inquires.
You let out a huff, "I don't know. I really don't. I know he was a murderer and did so many awful things but... he led me here, with all of you. I think he just had a bad childhood."
The room goes silent for a moment, but it's broken by Elsa's chuckle. Everyone looks at her.
"Even with someone who ruined so much of your life, you still try to see some good in him..."
She looks at you and smiles. "That's one of the things I love about you."
You are stunned for a moment, but then adopt a goofy smile accompanied by a quiet laugh.
"Oh, I hate to interrupt but shouldn't we get going, Elsa?" Anna mentions.
Elsa looks at Anna with a questioning stare. They look at each other for a moment until Elsa understands.
"Right, we should go. We'll see you two later."
"Wait, what? Why?"
"Girl stuff," Anna says.
"What does that even mean?" You continue.
"It's girl stuff sweetie, you don't wouldn't want know," Elsa teases.
The girls leave the residence and head on into town. You are left confused.
"What is girl stuff?" You ask aloud.
Kristoff laughs, "You probably don't want to know."
You both head to your room to hang out. You change your clothes to a simple jeans and t-shirt. While changing you placed the phone and computer chip on the dresser. You forget to pick them back up.
"So... the noises? Or should I say... moaning," Kristoff mocks.
You give him a look, "Really?"
"You must be something for her to moan that loud."
You shake your head, "Hell, I'm surprised you've never heard her before."
"I know that feeling. I'm surprised you never heard Anna."
You are about to respond, but you don't even want to know.
"So, was she your first?" Kristoff smugly asks.
"What is with you right now?" You smile.
"I'm bored and need some entertainment. I thought we established this before."
You shrug, then go to the bathroom to brush your teeth. Kristoff follows you.
"So... was it the first time, you know? Bowchikawowwow"
You look at him oddly, "What does that even mean?"
"You know, did the deed. Laid the... You know exactly what I mean."
You chuckle then finish with your teeth.
"First girl I loved?"
Kristoff's faces drops to a fake disappointment, "I already know she isn't that."
You laugh, "I know."
You both walk out of the bathroom and back to your room.
"Oh, by the way. She was the first girl I bowchikawowwowed," you mock.
"Shut up, man," Kristoff smirks.
Kristoff sits on a chair a little bit away from you.
"So... really. Are you okay?"
You look at him oddly, "What do you mean?"
"(Y/N), I know you like to play macho and everything but a lot just happened. I doubt you are unfazed by Elsa's death and your loss of... Carnage, I think you called him. It was a lot to process."
You lay on your bed and look up at the ceiling. You are a little stressed right now, even if it's all behind you.
"I don't know man... I just hated that Elsa died for me."
"How did you know you could save her?" Kristoff asked.
You smirk and look towards him. "I didn't. It just seemed natural, like that giant fire dragon I created. I have no idea how I did that."
"That was pretty badass though," Kristoff praises.
You continue to stare at the ceiling.
"So... Is Shadow always talking to you? He's always there?" Kristoff asks.
You knew there would be questions on this. You had very little answers yourself, but you had no problem in telling Kristoff everything.
"Well, not all the time. I could contact him whenever I want, but we aren't continuously talking."
Kristoff nods his head and slouches back in his chair.
You throw your upper body off the bed in urgency.
"Shit! The school!"
You bounce out of your chair and look to Kristoff. His face is ever calm.
"Oh man, what are they going to say?"
"Nothing," Kristoff responds.
You're confused. "What do you mean?"
"Gerda and Kai drove by the school last night. It was spotless. There was no trace of your fight."
"But... how?"
Kristoff shrugs. "I have no idea. Someone had to of cleaned it after we left."
You try to think of who could have done such a thing. The only person who comes to your mind is Rain, but he hasn't shown up at all.
"Life is full of mysteries, huh?" You jest, obviously playing at the huge mystery that has surrounded all of you.
"That it is (Y/N), that it is."
"Do you regret it? Being part of all this?"
Kristoff looks at you with a sort of "are you kidding me" face.
"No way. You and Elsa are the best friends I've ever had. Anna is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wouldn't give you guys up if my life depended on it."
You smile. You are happy you decided to talk to Kristoff that day. You never would have guessed that it would have brought you here. That you would experience these events. But like Kristoff, you wouldn't have it any other way. Except maybe for Elsa almost kissing Hans. That you would've wanted to change.
With all this thought on what has happened you remember the objects Adgar gave you. You get out of bed and grab them.
"Hey Kristoff, wanna solve a mystery with me?"
"Are we playing Clue? I love Clue!"
"No, why would we... never mind."
You pull out the phone and unlock the screen. There is a message on the screen.
"Go to our room. Find your way."
You stare at it for a moment then look at Kristoff.
"When I killed Adgar and Idun, they gave me these. I think there is more to it all. It says to go to their room."
Kristoff is hesitant for a moment but submits and gestures you to lead on.
You both reach the room and slowly open the door. The feeling you get when you open it makes you think this hasn't been opened in years. The door seems so firm and old. You bot walk in and look around. It's a nice room, to be honest. There is a T.V. mantled on the wall, opposite the bed. There are pictures of Anna and Elsa on the dresser and the bedside table. Some random decorations and nice bedding. It seems pretty normal.
You both start to look around to find anything that could be of value.
"Hey (Y/N), come here," Kristoff says.
You walk beside him. He is pointing at a picture of young Anna and Elsa, which was located on their bedside table.
"They look so cute when they were young," he says.
"I think this is before Elsa hit Anna with the ice blast," you point at Anna's hair. "See, no white streak."
Just then the alarm clock begins to go off. It is an old analog clock but it seems to be modified for modern times. You notice a small opening that could fit a chip. You take out the chip and place it in there.
"What are you-"
Kristoff is cut off by a large section of the wall opening up. It has a facial recognition scanner that waits for a face. You grab the computer chip before continuing.
"What are you doing? Who knows what could happen?" Kristoff warns.
You ignore his warning as you walk up to it.
You place your head in the proper position, and start to hear a scanning sound.
"(Y/N), code name: Overlord. Access granted."
The scanner retreats into the wall and an elevator opens. It almost feels like it's calling you to it. You begin to get excited.
"Seems there is more to this house than meets the eye. However, how did nobody notice this? Especially the servants, Gerda and Kai?" Shadow chimes in.
"Well, it seems to have been closed off for a long time. Plus it took that chip to open it, so I doubt anyone could have accessed it to begin with."
Kristoff looks at you awkwardly. "Um... Who are you talking to?"
You look at him then smile and rub the back of your head.
"Sometimes I forget to not speak aloud, sorry."
"Shadow?"
"Shadow," you confirm.
Kristoff shrugs. He remembers a couple other times when you would talk to yourself, and started to realize it now. Even though you've had it for years, you still seem a little goofy with it. Then again, you are quite goofy. It was one of your best traits, at least from what Elsa would always tell Kristoff.
You walk into the elevator and turn around. Kristoff hasn't joined you yet.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know... Let's just get this over with. I have a bad feeling."
"Oh man, you jinxed it," you joke.
Kristoff smirks as he walks into the elevator with you. His gut is telling him that something bad is going to happen.
The elevator doors close but nothing happens. It just sits there. You and Kristoff wait for a moment, wondering if it's actually not moving or just a really smooth ride.
"So... are we going down?" You ask.
As soon as you finish the sentence the elevator shoots down at a devastating speed. It throws you both up to the ceiling. You push yourself down then lock yourself in a corner. Kristoff is having trouble doing that.
You push off the wall under him. You grab his waist and pull him down. During your rescue the elevator stops. You fly up and crush Kristoff between you and the roof, then he falls on you. Thankfully he is a lot bulkier than you, so you don't hurt him too much. However he does a number on you when you are on the receiving end. He rolls off of you and helps you up.
"Thanks man..."
He chuckles.
The elevator doors open to a vast room of darkness. You can't see two feet ahead of you. The only thing that helps is the light from the elevator. You both walk in, but keep on alert. You were hoping for minimal conflict. You were still banged up from yesterday, and you don't think you could stand another fight right now.
The door to the elevator closes, which causes you fall in the darkness. You and Kristoff go back to back. You do this so you don't lose each other. The lights start breaking through the darkness and showing the area. It seemed to be a split facility from what you can see. There was a large open area, which is what you are in now. The floor seemed very bright, as small square lights covered the floor and even spread to the walls.
The other part was more closed off from this section. From what you saw it had a massive computer there, but it was blocked off by the walls of the current room you were in. You and Kristoff moved slightly away from each other and looked around.
"It looks like an arena..." Kristoff muttered.
"(Y/N), I'm conflicted you could make it," Adgar's voice says over an intercom. "On one hand you actually got here, which is worth praise. You survived this long given your problems. On the other hand, I have died. You can see how I don't jump for joy at that fact."
"I'm sure the world will be devastated," you mumble.
"Well, since you're hear I bet you want to learn what secrets we have hidden. They are yours if you can prove yourself worthy of them. The room you are standing in is a training room with different settings. If you want to get into the research lab, then you have to complete the Overlord Protocol. Of course you can train to your heart's content in this room to prepare. This room was modified for you after we arrived."
The recording stops and you both wait for something to happen. Nothing occurs, which confused you. You have an idea, which may have you look like an idiot.
"Computer, what is Overlord Protocol?"
A few beeping noises fill the air.
"Overlord Protocol is a hyper realistic simulation intended for Overlord. In this, the user must face all the elementals listed in my databanks, plus the Duke and Duchess. The user will experience pain in this simulation. If the user receives too much pain for the body to handle, then the user will die."
You look over to Kristoff and shrug.
"I can't do that right now. Maybe in a few days."
"(Y/N), no!" Kristoff denies.
You are confused. "What do you mean?
"Look, I understand you want to learn about your past and what these people were doing, but don't you think there has been enough lately?"
You stare at Kristoff as he speaks.
"Think about it. These past few weeks have been hell. I'm not saying you shouldn't do this and I'm not saying you shouldn't train with this, because I know you will. I'm saying that maybe we should have a break from all the action for a bit. Let everyone catch their breath."
You contemplate what he is saying. It does make sense, and he never said you couldn't use it to better yourself.
"But we should tell the girls," you say.
Kristoff nods. "Of course, but how about we wait until school ends? That way we won't fail it or anything. We've already missed enough.
"But that's so far away," you whine.
"But it's for the best. Train all you like, just don't go off on some journey for the truth just yet."
You accept Kristoff's logic. You agree that Anna and Elsa deserve a break from all the fighting. You both leave the room and enter the elevator. You command it to take you up, and it does. It flies at high speeds to the top. You again experience difficulty keeping yourself in place.
After a few hours the girls come home. They still won't tell you what they did, and you made a joke out of the whole thing. You and Kristoff told them about the training ground beneath the house. You told them about the message you received from Adgar, and the secrets that are still hidden. They agree with the idea to wait until school ends. Elsa can see you aren't completely on board with the idea and holds your arm tight.
"We'll get the truth (Y/N), you can count on it."
You smile at her then kiss her. You were happy that, for a few months, you could spend some quality time with Elsa.
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The board room is filled up with twelve men. They are all in business suits and are listening. There is one man who is in some casual wear, that is mostly black and a dark pair of jeans. He is at the head of the table.
"And with our deaths, we leave Westergaard Anderson Industries to our daughter, Elsa Anderson. We have appreciated the partnership with all of you, and hope you all work well in your future and current projects."
The room stays silent for a moment.
"We can't have one of our own projects run our company," one man argues.
"Of course not! We should use our resources to kill the Ice Queen and Overlord while we can!"
Everyone continues to argue except for the one at the head. He slams his fist onto the table.
"Enough!"
The room goes silent.
"The Duke and Duchess made us the wealthy men we are today. There would be no W.A. Industries without the Andersons. We respect their decision and let Elsa take over."
"But Alec," one begins.
"No. No buts. We have quite some time to cover any projects up. Elsa will need to finish school before she can take over the company, which means you have months to cover your asses and move your projects to a different location. And I swear, if any of you make an attempt on Elsa or (Y/N) then I will kill you myself. We must respect the wishes of the Duke."
"The Hierarchy will not stand for this!"
"They were the second highest members in the Hierarchy. They have more of a say than any of you. Only the Monarchy could over rule them, and I doubt they give a shit."
Nobody argues Alec's statement.
"So what do we do about Hans?" Another Westergaard asks.
"We let him be. If he interferes with anything then we will take action, but for now we leave him to his business. This meeting is adjourned," Alec declares.
The men angrily leave the room while Alec stays. He closes his eyes and relaxes a bit. This is interrupted by a call on his tablet. He picks it up and clicks the accept button. A man's face pops up on the screen.
"Sir, we have a-"
He is cut off by a crashing sound.
"Man here who wishes to see you."
Alec shrinks the call to half the screen and brings up the security camera on the other. He smiles and shakes his head.
"Send him up."
A few minutes later a man walks into the room.
"How many guards did you take out this time, Hunter?"
Hunter chuckles and shakes Alec's hand. "Only seven this time. They've gotten fast at calling you."
Alec laughs and gestures Hunter to take a seat, which Hunter does.
"So, I assume you know what's happened," Hunter starts.
"Know? Hell I have seven reports on what happened. Me and all the other members of the Hierarchy. They're all calling for your brother's death."
"The entire Hierarchy?"
Alec nods his head.
"Does that include..?"
"Yes, it does. The Monarchs are part of the Hierarchy. Hell, they're the leaders of the damn thing."
Hunter pauses for a moment. He is hoping the Monarchs will stay away, but the likely hood of that is slim.
"So what does that mean?"
"Well, the Monarchs sent me a message saying they would be arriving this coming July. But that may change."
"I'm going to assume in a bad way," Hunter asks.
"Yes. Hans is searching for the Monarchs. He wants revenge, and is looking for them to help him."
"Would they?"
"Not for Hans' reasons," Alec states.
Hunter and Alec stand up and look out the window.
"(Y/N) did discover the Duke's lab, which is home to the same sort of training simulator you use. It will improve his strength, and also lead him to some answers."
Hunter stays silent.
"Which will take him to the North Mountain. I would say that's a good place to reveal yourself."
Alec looks over to Hunter, who is lost in thought.
"Hey," Alec says, putting his hand on Hunter's shoulder.
"(Y/N) is passing all our expectations. We never thought he would've had the power to kill the Duke and Duchess, yet he did. He is like his brother."
"Handsome?"
"Stubborn."
The two chuckle. They both look out the window once more.
"Alec, be honest. Do you think we can beat the Monarchs?"
"You know them better than I do. You tell me."
Hunter remains silent. Alec picks up on the hint.
"Hey, you're a smart guy. You'll figure it all out. I'll help you as much as I can, but I can only do so much."
"I know."
Hunter walks towards the exit.
"Do you still have that sword?" Alec asks, still looking out the window.
"I've saved it for him. I think he'll like it."
Hunter is escorted out of the building and to the streets of Arendelle. He thinks back on your battle and your victory. He wants to help you, but he has things to do right now. He has to prepare for the Monarchs arrival. He knows exactly who to find.
"I hope there's a high chance for rain today," he chuckles.
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