Chapter 33: Background and Foreground

Your mind starts become active again. In turn, your eyes begin to open. You had a surprisingly good sleep in this bed. Then again, you had decent naps on the floor at Oaken's, so this high quality bed should've dazzled you; and it did.

I should ask Ragnar about... okay he probably wouldn't know. I should ask Irena.

You quietly laugh to yourself. You get out of the comfy bed and stretch a bit. You look down at your watch and see it's just after ten. You shrug and decide to do a few exercises. You get down on the ground and start doing some push-ups.

It's been a while since you did such a simple exercise. Usually it was fighting simulations, or just trying to act normal while the gravity was higher. Those are both far better methods of training, but the basics never fail. It's always something to fall back on, and you can do them anywhere. It's not like Ragnar and Irena have a secret facility under their house... right?

You complete a set of fifty push-ups, then move on to sit-ups. You lock your feet underneath the bed. You then lift your upper body up – punch twice – then down. Someone knocks on the door after you finish five.

"Come in," you huff.

The door opens and Eugene walks in. You don't give him your attention. You continue to do your work out.

"What's up Eugene?"

Eugene chuckles. "Getting an early morning workout?"

"More like a warm up. If I break a sweat then I'm out of shape."

"How many sit-ups have you done?"

You wait a moment then finish your last sit-up.

"Fifty sit-ups and fifty push-ups."

"Oh yeah, breaking a sweat doing only one hundred exercises is just pathetic," Eugene sarcastically says, leaning back and crossing his arms.

You move back onto your knees and look up at Eugene. He starts cracking up for a moment at your face.

"You might want to get out of that position. Someone might get the wrong idea."

You notice what he's talking about and shake your head.

"Shut up, man," you snicker.

You go back to the push-ups. Eugene watches you for a moment then decides to join you. He moves beside you and start doing push-ups alongside you.

You look over at him. He's not doing a bad job. Then again, he's only done ten. Eugene looks over at you and persists in his attempt to keep up with you. You get into the challenge and start going a little faster. Because of this, you reach fifty before he can reach twenty. Eugene tries to keep up, but he can't go nearly as fast as you.

Eugene collapses. He's breathing heavily and laughing at the same time.

"One hundred," you proudly announce.

You move from the push-up position to your knees and look over at Eugene. He's lying flat on the ground.

"So... who's the unfit one here?" You taunt.

Eugene looks up at you and gives you a mocking look. You stand up straight and offer your hand.

"This is why I work out BEFORE I shower. Now you're all sweaty," you smile.

Eugene grabs your hand and you pull him to his feet.

"I let you win. It helps your self-esteem."

You nod your head with a sarcastic grin. "Oh yeah, I'm sure that's it."

Eugene shakes his head and starts to walk out of the room. You follow him.

"So which shower can I use? I like to keep clean."

Eugene points to a room as you both walk by.

"That one. Nobody really uses it."

You quickly stop in your tracks, turn around, and head to the shower.

"Towels are in the bottom cupboard," Eugene shouts.

You enter the bathroom, and it looks pristine. Everything is covered in white and gold. Not real gold, but just a gold colour. You poke the wall, just to make sure that it isn't actually gold.  It feels like a normal wall, so you assume it's just paint. Though, you wouldn't know. You've never actually touched gold before. Though, you assume it would be metallic. This wall felt more like plastic rather than metal.

Sheesh, these guys are way wealthier than I thought. Didn't Eugene say nobody uses this bathroom? Yet it still looks amazing.

You look around the entire bathroom for a moment. The counter that spans the entire left wall, which consists of a couple sinks, cupboards which are probably filled with general bathroom supplies, and mirrors. You look at yourself in the mirror for a moment then shake your head. You kneel down and open up the cupboard. Luckily you pick the right one, as there is a large stack of towels. You grab one then close the cupboard.

You toss the towel near one of the sinks then turn around to face the shower. There are two options for you: a stand up shower in the corner of the room, or a regular shower sitting closer to the middle. You never tried one of the stand-up showers, so you decide to use that one.

You look to your watch and start fiddling around with it.

If I can put all my clothes in here, then maybe I can just take off my current outfit right now.

You click a button, and all your clothes disappear from your body. You look through the watch and find the exact outfit on display. The watch once again shows another purpose. It's really an all-around watch.

If only it could turn me into ten different aliens.

You chuckle at your own thoughts. You walk into the shower and turn it on. You enter when the water gets hot, and take your shower.

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Rapunzel and Eugene finish up the dishes and sigh.

"I hate dishes," Eugene comments.

"And that's why I make you do them," Rapunzel proudly states. "I especially love it when you wash the pans."

"Hey! You're the one who gave me that fear!" He exclaims.

Rapunzel slithers her hand behind her and grabs one of the pans. She puts it in front of her and fakes hitting Eugene.

"Not the nose!" Eugene shouts, covering his face.

Rapunzel bursts out laughter. Eugene slowly uncovers his face, then expresses an unamused look. This look just adds fuel to Rapunzel's laughter.

"Whatever. I'm going now."

"No, please," Rapunzel says, still laughing. "I didn't mean... I didn't mean to..."

She can barely utter a sentence without her laughing. Eugene rolls his eyes and walks away, leaving Rapunzel to herself. He walks upstairs and is about to head to his room when he notices the shower turn off.

"He's done? That was quick... maybe I should check on him."

Eugene turns around and starts walking to the other end of the house. He goes through the hallway and is a few steps from the bathroom. He is about to knock but someone else catches his attention.

Hunter exits his own room. He's shirtless with just a pair of black jeans and socks. He has a long sleeve red shirt in his hands. He slips it on then shakes a little bit. He moves some of his hair out of his face, then turns to walk down the hallway. He sees Eugene staring at him.

"Hello Eugene. Nice morning, huh?" He starts.

Eugene nods.

"Yeah, thank god. I have a bunch of deliveries to make today, and I'd hate it to be a bad day."

Hunter stops right beside Eugene. He places his hands in his pockets and nods.

"Yeah, that would suck. What're you waiting here for?" Hunter asks, flipping his head towards the bathroom door.

"Oh, I just came here to see if (Y/N) was alright. He showered in what seemed like one minute. I've never seen someone shower that fast."

"How long does it take YOU to shower?" Hunter redirects.

Eugene ponders this for a second.

"Maybe five minutes or so. Rapunzel usually takes longer."

"That's a woman thing. Gaia took a while too."

Eugene raises his brow and smirks.

"Gaia? Who's that?"

Hunter stares past Eugene for a moment. His eyes are blank, like he's not even conscious.

"Someone I know," he slowly responds.

Hunter quickly walks past Eugene and down the hall.

"Tell (Y/N) to keep his phone on him," Hunter requests.

"No problem," Eugene mutters under his breath.

He returns his attention back to the bathroom. He knocks on the door.

"Heyo (Y/N), you okay in there?"

"Yeah. I'm just trying to figure out what to wear," you respond.

Eugene is hit with some confusion.

"What do you mean? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come on in."

Eugene opens the door and sees you looking through your watch. You click it, and all of a sudden clothes materialize on you. Eugene's eyes almost pop out of his head when he sees this.

"What the hell are you doing?" He shouts.

You turn to him with a brow raised.

"I'm looking at what to wear. It used to be easy, but now that I have a visual representation of what I look like I'm having trouble. It's weird... I feel like Anna."

You close your eyes and look towards Eugene. You randomly click one of the selections. Your clothes slip on you. You open your eyes and look down at yourself. You have a pair of jeans on with black socks. You have a long sleeve black shirt with a grey, short sleeve over shirt. The over shirt is thin, and barely does anything but add something to the overall outfit.

You look in the mirror and shrug.

"It'll do, I guess."

You turn towards Eugene, who's still quite surprised.

"What?" You bluntly ask.

Eugene shakes his head. "Nothing. You're just... weird."

"Weird?" You repeat. "Why am I weird?"

Eugene crosses his arms and looks into the air.

"You have some watch that does who knows what, you're basically a superhuman, you're engaged to a woman who controls ice, you-"

"Heeeey," you whine. "Don't bring Elsa into this. That's not her fault. Also I trained hard to attain this strength and speed, thank you very much."

"Fair enough. Still, you're weird."

You walk towards the door, and to Eugene. You pass him and exit the bathroom. He follows a second after.

"Well, you're not so normal either."

"You're right. I'm abnormally handsome," Eugene chuckles.

You stop and cock your head back at him.

"Well it's true!"

"Yeah, whatever you say. I actually meant something else."

"Such as?"

You both reach the stairs, but you don't go down them. You turn to face Eugene.

"Why were those two after you? Hell, why was an entire gang after you?"

Eugene's face drops from a playful mood to a slightly serious one. He puts his hands on his sides and looks away from you.

"Remember how I told you I was in a gang?" He reminds.

You bob your head side to side.

"It was almost a year ago... but yeah, I vaguely remember."

Eugene turns his head towards you.

"Those were the guys I was running with. But... I didn't want to be with them anymore. I met Rapunzel and decided enough was enough. I tipped off the CCPD and got out of there."

"So... how do they not know where you are now? I mean, Rapunzel's family seems to be the most famous in Corona."

"Because they're looking for Flynn Ryder, and not Eugene Fitzherbert. Our wedding was more or less private with little room for outside sources to take pictures. All there was was my name. They couldn't care less about Eugene," he explains.

"That's... actually really smart. Did you do that on purpose?"

Eugene proudly stands up straight.

"Of course I did."

"Now I don't believe you."

He shrugs.

"I tried. But don't worry about it, really. Everything's been okay so far, and it won't change."

Eugene begins walking down the stairs. You follow.

"Does Rapunzel or her family know?"

"No. Don't tell them. I'm sure they have enough to worry about, especially with you around."

"What does that mean?" You exclaim.

Eugene laughs. "You know how mad Elsa would be if something happened to you? Even Ragnar and Irena know how scary she could be."

"Okay, she's not THAT bad," you defend.

"I know, I know. I'm just messing with you."

Eugene leads you to the kitchen. Rapunzel looks over and sees you both enter.

"Glad to see you're not still laughing," Eugene smirks.

"Didn't you have to go to work?" Rapunzel reminds.

Eugene almost jumps. He turns around and sprints out of the room. You hear the door open and slam shut within seconds.

You slowly turn to Rapunzel. Both your faces are flooded with confusion. You stare at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter. You start tearing up, and move to the table so you can lean on it. Rapunzel just keeps her head in the table and laughs. After a few minutes you finally calm down. You catch your breath and wipe a few tears away. Rapunzel looks up at you. Her face is completely red, and she's giggling every couple seconds.

"So... when did you wake up?" You ask, attempting to get your mind off of what happened.

"An hour or so ago. I usually wake up early anyway. My parents got me into that routine when I was younger."

You move to the fridge and open it up. You scout the insides of the fridge, looking for something to eat.

"I can make you something, if you want," Rapunzel quickly offers, getting out of her chair and taking a step towards you.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure I can find something."

You stare inside the fridge for a moment. You jolt your head towards her.

"Got any bread?"

Rapunzel nods, then moves over to a cupboard. She opens it up and pulls out a loaf of bread. She underhand throws it to you, and you catch it with ease.

"Thank you."

You look down and start making a sandwich. You grab any condiments you need and put them on. You finish up the sandwich and put any dirty dishes in the sink. You lean against the counter and grab the sandwich with one hand. You take a bite and stare at Rapunzel.

"So, what super sleuthing are you doing today?" Rapunzel teases.

You shrug. "Nothing, really. I just have to win at a music festival."

Rapunzel pauses for a second.

"You mean the annual CMF?"

"CMF?" You repeat.

"Corona Music Festival. You're participating in that?"

You nod.

"Then we have no time! We have to sign you up and... and get you instruments! Oh this is exciting! I'm going to actually be friends with someone preforming!" She squeals.

She grabs your arm and starts dragging you out of the house. You drop your sandwich on the plate. You try to reach for it but Rapunzel isn't letting you.

She drags you out of the kitchen and to the door.

"Come on. Get ready," she says, putting on her shoes.

You huff and stare at her for a moment. She finishes putting on her shoes and looks up at you.

"What?" She questions.

"I was still eating!"

"We'll grab something later. We really have to hurry. If you want to join you have to sign up TODAY! Even then I don't know if you'll get in!"

You think for a moment.

Well... she is right. I need to do this, and if I miss out then I might never find what's really going on. Plus Hunter will be mad...

"Alright, let's get moving then. You bring up a fair point," you admit as you begin to put on your shoes.

You both ready up and head out the door. Rapunzel takes you to her quaint little sports car that's parked in the garage. You get in the passenger seat, and Rapunzel gets in the driver seat.

She starts the car and drives out of her driveway.

You don't say anything, mostly because you haven't gotten a chance. Rapunzel has the radio going pretty loud, and she's really into it. It's funny how similar Rapunzel and Anna are. Even Elsa, to a degree. Anna always ramps up the volume when she's in the car with you. On rare occasions, Elsa does too. However only to very specific songs.

You do the same thing now as you always do. You open the window, get your arm into the proper position, and rest your head on your hand while you blankly stare at the things you pass. You don't see anything too out of the ordinary. Just regular people walking around, living their everyday lives.

You lose yourself so much that you don't realize you're completely lost in the world.

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"What are you doing here?"

You instantly open your eyes and see Shadow. He's standing extremely still, and in his signature suit.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't even mean to come here."

"You haven't been here for a long time. It's given me ample space to train," he calmly states. "It's a place where I can always refine my skills, even when you're busy."

"Someone's obsessed," you mutter.

"Coming from the man who trained for nine months straight, you fucking hypocrite."

"Language, sheesh," you shout.

"Sorry, I forgot there was a small child present," he smirks.

You stare at him for a mere second before catching on.

"Oh you suck!"

Shadow closes his eyes and looks away, chuckling.

"If there's one thing I'll give you, it's that you always entertain me in some way."

You casually begin approaching Shadow.

"Well I'm glad I can be a form of entertainment for you."

You come face to face with him. It's like staring at a mirror. Every feature is the exact same as your own. It's still weird to this day. It's probably weird for you because you've never simply stared into his eyes like this. You've stared into your own eyes, but this is different. It's probably the only physical difference between you and Shadow. His eyes are filled with something different from yours.

One could say his eyes are filled with shadow... ha... I'm funny.

"That's not funny," Shadow declares.

"You know, it's not fair that you can hear my thoughts, while I can't hear yours."

"Nobody ever said anything was going to be fair. You just have to work with what you have."

"Look at you. Are you a philosopher now?" You sarcastically ask.

"Whatever. You should get back to it. I'm interested in what Dysa co. is hiding. I know something will be there."

You raise your brow.

"How do you know something will be there?"

Shadow smirks and gives you a rogue look.

"Because I know more than you."

"What does that-"

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You open your eyes and find yourself back in the real world.

Did Shadow just force me out? And what did he mean by "I know more than you"? I'll give him a piece of my mind...

"I technically already have a piece of your mind," Shadow snickers.

"You know what!"

Rapunzel looks over at you with a questioning glare.

"What? I wasn't doing anything? Do you not like my singing?"

You turn towards her.

"Oh, no no no no. That's not what... Ah, never mind," you submit, returning to your original position.

Rapunzel gazes at you for a second then returns her attention to the road.

"It's right around the corner. We'll be there in a second."

Rapunzel turns at the light, then takes another turn into a parking lot. There is a small building in front of the parking lot.

"I assume that's where I sign up?"

Rapunzel nods.

"Come on, I'll help you."

You both get out of the car and walk into the building. There's a main lobby with nothing much in it. It's just a big room with a few branching hallways and a small map. Rapunzel quickly walks over to the top left hallway, and you follow. She leads you down the hallway and to the third door in a five door row. She opens it and looks back at you. She waves for you to follow.

You enter after her to find a medium sized room with a desk and some posters around it. A man is sitting at the desk, sorting through paper work. He looks up at the two of you then back to his paper work.

"What can I do for you?" He ask, slight irritation in his voice.

Rapunzel looks back at you and gestures for you to speak up.

"I'm uh... I'm here to take part in the music festival," you say.

He looks up at you.

"The music festival? The one tomorrow? You want to enter Corona's largest music event a day before it occurs?"

"Um... yes," you mumble.

"And what makes you so special? Why should I let you in?"

"Well... I don't need that much time. I have experience in music. I'm part of a band," you list.

The man raises his hand.

"What band?"

"The... Ice Harvesters."

"The Ice Harvesters? That semi popular band that a slight fraction of Corona is talking about?" He states.

You stay silent for a moment.

"I... guess?"

The man sighs.

"Very well. You need to come up with three songs to play by tomorrow. You don't have to come up with some over-the-top performance, but a little flair will help you win."

He pulls out a few pieces of paper and beckons you over. You walk to the desk and take a seat.

"I just need you to sign that page," he requests, pointing to a blank spot at the bottom of the page. "This other page is for you to keep it has all the songs that have been taken already. You can't perform any of the songs listed. Since you're joining a day before you won't have to tell me what songs you're playing. Just no vulgar ones, please."

You read through the conditions and the taken songs. You sign the page and give the man his pen back.

"Thank you sir, I appreciate this."

"How about you do something amazing, huh? Then maybe it'll make me feel better about letting you in last minute," he moans.

You quietly stand up and leave the room. Rapunzel is waiting outside the door.

"So, how'd it go?"

"I'm in; and what happened to you? You were in there with me!"

"I left once he agreed to you. Figured there was no point in me being there," she responds.

You two leave the building and enter Rapunzel's car again.

"So... what now?" She asks.

"I have an idea. Start driving. I'll show you where to go," you smile.

You direct Rapunzel through Corona until you reach your destination: the music store you found yesterday. Rapunzel parks the car, and you both walk in. The same man looks up at you and smiles.

"Back again? What can I do for you?

"Listen... Can I rent out the store for the day? I just need all the instruments and time. I'll pay you," you plead.

He chuckles. "I suppose you're participating in the CMF. I would let you do it for free, but my wife would kill me if I did that. Tell you what. You pay me one thousand dollars and I'll give you the store for the entire day. You can use every instrument you want, as long as you put it back."

"Really? Thank you! I'll go get the money right-"

"You don't have to. I'll pay," Rapunzel interrupts.

Rapunzel approaches the man and gives him ten hundred dollar bills.

"Rapunzel, you can't do that," you argue.

"I just did. If you really want you can pay me back, but you don't have any time to waste right now. Get playing. I'll pick you up later."

You stand in awe for a second then crack a smile.

"Thanks Rapunzel."

Rapunzel and the shop owner leave you to your playing. You turn around and look at the selection of instruments. There is a small show stage that you can practice on as well. You smile, knowing you're going to make something great.

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Elsa opens the front door and walks into the house.

"Hello?" She calls out.

She waits for an answer, but there isn't one.

"Suppose nobody is home yet. Oh well."

Elsa puts down a few bags and walks into the kitchen. She grabs a small glass of water and gulps it down. She stands in the kitchen while she decides what to do.

"I could make a final decision for my new secretary. The quicker the better."

Elsa puts the glass in the sink and leaves the kitchen. She looks around the room and realizes something.

"I didn't see Olaf this morning... It's a school day, I should have seen him. Well, I did leave a little later. Maybe I just missed him and he went to a friend's house. He never likes to be home."

Elsa walks over to her bags and brings them over to the living room. She takes out some papers and lays them out on the table.

Elsa lines up five papers and starts looking over each of them. They're all notes she took on different applicants. There were more than just five, but these ones are the most promising. She scans her eyes through each of them, trying to see who would fit the job best. There is one person who's most promising, as they were amazing over all.

Suddenly the door opens, and Anna walks in. Elsa looks over at the door and smiles at the sight of her sister.

"Anna! You're home."

Anna looks over at Elsa.

"Yes, yes I am. I also have some news!"

This peaks Elsa's interest.

"What kind of news?"

"I'm going back to school. Well... I'd like to, if I could have the money," Anna subtly asks.

"Of course you can have the money, Anna," Elsa giggles. "But I have to ask, what're you going back to school for?"

"Well Lyla, one of my friends from school, anyway, her dad owns the Arendelle Press. Her dad won't let her in without some sort of education, because that wouldn't be fair. So she asked him if I could work there, and he said the same thing. So, I could have a job if I go to school."

Elsa gets off the couch and approaches Anna. She surprises her sister with a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Anna."

Anna's body doesn't move for a moment. She realizes her situation and slowly wraps her hands around her big sister.

"Thanks Elsa, but there isn't much use in this now. I'm not even in the school yet!"

Elsa backs off from Anna.

"You will be. Let me know as soon as you apply. I'll-"

"No, you won't do anything," Anna interjects. "I want to do this on my own. If they don't accept me, then so be it."

Elsa cracks a small smile.

"I'm lucky to have someone like you as a sister. You know that?"

Anna bobs her head back and forth with a wide grin.

"Yeah, you should be thanking me."

Elsa lightly pushes Anna's shoulder, smiling while doing so. She turns around and moves back to her row of papers. Anna strolls over beside Elsa and looks at the papers.

"Whatcha got there?"

Elsa looks up at Anna then back at her papers.

"These are my notes from all the applicants I interviewed today. I'm trying to make a decision. But..." Elsa trails off.

"But what?"

"It just seems there's one that's clearly superior to the others. This woman here," Elsa states, pointing at the middle paper. "Her name is Juno, and she seems perfect. She was a joy to talk to, she's had experience with different companies, and she has degrees in half a dozen fields."

"Soooo what's the problem?" Anna questions.

"She almost seems too qualified. I just don't know why she wants this job," Elsa queries.

Elsa adopts a confused manner. Anna stares at Elsa, then at the papers, and back to Elsa.

"Well if you like her and she's qualified why not hire her? It seems silly to let someone like that go."

Elsa nods. "Yeah, you're right. I'll have Alec call her."

Elsa gathers her papers together and puts them in her suitcase. She picks it up and places all her things in one spot. Anna watches her for a moment then decides to go to her room. Elsa turns around and sees this.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room. I'm going to research how to apply for college."

Anna bounces up the stairs and into her room. Elsa stares at the ground for a minute, deciding what to do. Her thought process is interrupted when Kristoff walks in. Elsa turns to greet him.

"Hey Kristoff. You just missed Anna."

Kristoff looks at the stairs then to Elsa.

"That's fine, I'll talk to her later. I just want to relax right now, anyway."

Kristoff walks over to the couch and flops on it.

"Rough day?" Elsa assumes.

Kristoff nods. "Training was something else. It was decent though. All the guys I met seemed like good people. The work was fun too."

"Whistle at any girls who pass by?" Elsa jokes.

"Ha-ha. Anna would kill me if I did."

"I would probably get to you first," she deviously states.

Elsa bears a smirk as she walks away. Kristoff stares at her, wide eyed.

"What do you mean by that?"

Elsa shrugs and continues to walk away. Kristoff stares at her as she walks up the stairs and into her room. Kristoff shakes his head and throws his arms in the air.

"You'd think I'd be left alone since (Y/N) is gone. He's usually the only one who teases me, but now both Anna and Elsa are. I can never get a break!"

Elsa giggles in her room. She hears Kristoff's little rant, and can't help but react. Elsa walks over to her closet and grabs her favourite track suit. She lays them on her bed, then proceeds to take off her suit. She lays it beside the other clothes. She puts on the blue and white track suit. She moves to her mirror and grabs a few hair ties. She puts her hair in a neat pony tail and nods at herself.

She grabs a pair of headphones off of her dresser and leaves her room. She goes down the stairs and sees Kristoff in the kitchen.

"Kristoff! I'm going to the gym. Tell Anna she has to make something for dinner!"

"You sure you want Anna cooking?" Kristoff questions.

Elsa pauses for a moment.

"Can you make something?" She hopefully asks.

Kristoff chuckles. "Yeah, I'm on it."

"Oh, and could you let me know when Olaf comes home? Thanks!" Elsa says, closing the front door behind her.

Kristoff furrows his brow and ponders what she said.

Elsa gets in her car and begins driving. She doesn't have to drive far, as the gym she likes to go to is on the same street; it's just far down the street. Elsa casually drives down the street until she reaches the gym. She pulls into the parking lot and parks the car. She gets her phone out of her pocket and plugs in the headphones.

She exits the car and starts walking into the gym. While walking, she clicks Alec's contact information. She waits a moment as the phone rings.

"Hello?" Alec starts.

"Hello, Alec? It's Elsa."

"Ah, what can I do for you Ms. Anderson?"

"I want you to call one of our applicants. Her name was Juno. Do you have the files?" Elsa asks.

"I do. Are you choosing her for the job?"

"I am. She's obviously the..."

Elsa opens the door and walks in the gym. She's surprised at who she sees.

"Actually Alec... nevermind. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Oh, alright. Are you sure?" Alec questions, confused.

"I am. Have a good night Alec."

Elsa clicks a small button on her headphones and throws on a smile.

"Juno? Is that you?" Elsa happily shouts.

Juno turns around and looks at Elsa.

"Ms. Anderson? I didn't expect to see you."

"Outside the office you can call me Elsa," Elsa nods.

"Okay, Elsa. Well... I suppose you're here to work out?" Juno assumes.

Elsa nods once more. "I am. May I join you?"

"If you want to, sure."

Elsa and Juno go to the treadmill first. They get on two and start jogging.

"So, do you come here often?" Elsa asks.

"From time to time. My husband always tells me to find some output to relieve myself, so I come to the gym to do that," Juno replies.

"You're married?"

Juno nods. "Been happily married for years. I have infinite respect for him and care for him deeply. You could say it's true love, but that's not for women like us. Not that terminology, anyway."

"I think I know what you mean. I'm engaged," Elsa says, showing Juno her wedding ring.

"That's a beautiful ring. Who's the lucky man?"

"You could call him my high school sweetheart. His name is (Y/N)."

"Does he come to the gym with you? Is he here?" Juno inquires, looking around the gym.

"No," Elsa lightly chuckles. "He's not here. He's in Corona with his brother. You could call it a... a boys trip."

The two laugh.

"So what about your husband? Where is he?" Elsa queries.

"He's on business. I honestly couldn't tell you where he was. He moves around so much."

"Does that make it hard? Him being preoccupied, I mean."

Juno stares ahead for a moment.

"No, I wouldn't say so. It's not like him doing his job gets in the way of anything."

"That's good. I like to keep that mindset too. Though it's probably easier for you, being married for longer than I. How long have you been married?"

Juno thinks for a moment.

"Over twenty years now... It's weird to think it's been that long ago."

"Twenty years?" Elsa exclaims. "Juno... if you don't mind me asking... how old are you?"

Juno looks over at Elsa and smiles.

"Fourty-seven. My husband is fifty."

"Juno... you look amazing for your age," Elsa compliments full heartedly.

"Why thank you. I really appreciate it."

Juno and Elsa continue talking while jogging.

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"And other than that little problem, we're ready?" Alistair confirms.

"M-more or less. You say you can fix it all so..." Weselton whimpers.

"Of course I can. Get everything set up for transportation," Alistair finishes, clicking a button on his holowatch.

He stands up from his seat and shimmies through the helicopter. He pats the pilot on the shoulder.

"Keep the thing a little more steady, huh?"

"Roger that, sir," the pilot nods.

Alistair moves back to his seat and lets his head lean back a bit. He crosses his arms and lets out a huff. He begins to think a little more on his long term plan, and how it's all coming together. Juno is in Arendelle, you and Hunter are in Corona, and he's about to squash a bug.

All of a sudden he starts hearing an alarm. His eyes immediately open.

"Sir! We have a lock on! Someone's-"

Alistair hears an explosion, and the helicopter starts spiraling out of control. Alistair grabs onto the sides of the helicopter to keep himself steady.

"I can't control her!" The pilot screams.

Alistair carefully moves to the pilot seat and unbuckles the pilot's seatbelt. He grabs him and pulls him out of the spot. Alistair tumbles around a bit, but is able to get him and the pilot to the door. He kicks it open, then jumps out with the pilot. The pilot maniacally screams, but Alistair stays calm. He hits his holowatch, and his clothes mold into the same armour he used whilst fighting you.

Alistair pulls the pilot in tight as he approaches the ground. He thrusts his hand forward which sends a burst of wind in front of them. The wind cushions their fall, and they land. Some trees around his landing zone are knocked over as a result of the wind, however. Alistair lands on his feet, while the pilot lands on his rear.

"Holy shit! Holy shit we just survived that!" The pilot spews.

Alistair ignores him and keeps a keen eye out to the forest around him. His eyes dart back and forth, and his ears are acute to any noise.

"How the fuck did we survive that!? I can barely breathe, oh my fuck!"

"Shh," Alistair hushes, flicking his hand.

The pilot calms down a bit while seeing Alistair completely composed.

"How are you..?"

"Shh," Alistair says with more intensity.

He keeps his senses open as he stands. He hears something fly through the air, and that's his signal to move. He moves in front of the pilot and throws his hand into the air. A wall of rock erupts from the ground and absorbs some bullets. The pilot covers his ears and looks around.

"What the hell is happening, sir?"

"Just stay down. You'll live as long as you're around me," Alistair shouts.

He then thrusts his hand forward, sending the rock crashing through the forest. It breaks through some trees and impales someone. Alistair can hear a scream, and knows he hit his target. He hears more guns firing, and gets ready. He begins continuously flipping and spinning through the air. His motions are extremely fluent and graceful. Every time his feet touch the ground they land, spin, and go into the air again.

While he moves, he sends out a barrage of air, ice, fire, and rock in every direction. The bullets are passing Alistair with a decent distance. He knows that a bullet could do damage, and he's not going to take any chances at all. After he hears a few people go down, he stops. He swoops his leg across the dirt and comes to a halt. He looks around, waiting to see if anything else is coming at him. The pilot is in complete awe at what Alistair just did. He's never seen him doing anything like that before.

"Listen, if you go north," Alistair starts, pointing in a direction. "You'll find a gas station. Stay there until I come find you."

"I... okay, sir."

The pilot scrambles to his feet and starts running in the direction Alistair pointed.

Alistair takes a few steps deeper into the forest. He traverses through the forest for a few minutes with no combat. He reaches a small clearing, and he finds trouble. About a dozen and a half men with full tactical gear and assault rifles are ready to greet him. There is also one other man, who is well dressed.

Alistair chuckles when he sees him.

"Duke Jafar. There are more conventional ways of contacting me, you know."

"Hmph, arrogant as ever," Jafar comments.

"No, not arrogant. That would mean I over estimate my abilities. I don't," Alistair bluntly states.

"Is that so? Then you realize that if you try and fight me you'll lose," Jaffar proudly states.

Alistair chuckles. "You pose as much of a threat to me now as you did all those years ago... which was little, just to be clear."

Jafar's expression changes to a spiteful one.

"Brave words coming from a man in your position."

"Whatever you say. So, may I inquire why you shot me down?"

Jafar snickers. "It's time that the monarchy was replaced, and a new leader rose!"

"I have a guess at who that could be," Alistair whispers. "And who is this oh so powerful leader?" Alistair calls out.

"The only one with the brains to outsmart you! Hans Westergaard!"

"Well, I'll admit that he's at least smart enough not to give away his allies... at least not so easily."

"It doesn't matter! You will be dead soon enough! Kill him!"

The soldiers raise their guns and aim them at Alistair. Alistair uses his mind to activate the holowatch. His long sword materializes in his hands just in time for Alistair to knock away a bullet. He deflects two bullets with his sword then jumps out of the line of fire. The bullets all penetrate the ground. Alistair lands behind two of the soldiers and cuts their heads clean off. He looks over at a group of four a few meters away, and raises his hand under them. Fire erupts underneath them. Their skin starts to bubble and crisp up. They scream in agony, then fall to the ground.

Alistair doesn't focus on them. They aren't the first ones he's watched die slowly, and he cares not for them. No reason to mourn. Besides, bullets are about to head his way. Alistair spins his sword in circles in front of him. He catches the bullets one by one with his blade. The men stop firing and stare at Alistair.

Alistair smirks, and drags his blade across the ground. The bullets he caught perfectly line up across the ground. The soldiers shudder with a mix of fear and disbelief. Alistair quickly drags his swords towards the men, sending the bullets towards them. Each bullet hits one man, thus ending the conflict. The only men still standing are Alistair and Jafar – one of which is filled to the brim with fear.

Alistair clicks his holowatch which dematerializes his sword and returns his attire to his signature suit. Alistair calmly approaches Jafar, fixing his sleeves. Jafar staggers back a little, but still tries to look macho. He pulls out a pistol and points it at Alistair. Alistair looks at it for a moment then chuckles.

"Please refrain from escalating this into a more... messy situation. I'd hate to get my suit stained with your blood."

Jafar keeps the gun pointed at Alistair.

"Stand back!"

"I'm getting a little déjà vu right now," Alistair smiles, stopping in front of Jafar. "Except last time I let you live."

"No, please! I'll do anything! Anything!"

"You already told me enough. Now I know who my next bug is."

Alistair grabs Jafar by the neck and lifts him in the air.

"Be thankful I didn't save you for Juno. Who knows what she would have done to you."

"Wait! Wait!" Jafar yelps, his voice crackled due to Alistair's hand around his neck. "He's after your son and his friends!"

Alistair raises his brow.

"Is he now? That's not a surprise. Sorry, you've proven how worthless you are."

He crushes Jafar's neck in one movement, killing him. He tosses the body away and stares at it. He urgently starts speed walking towards the gas station he told the pilot of. While walking, he activates his holowatch and clicks an icon. He hears ringing from it.

"Gothel? What do you want?"

"I am just confirming the transfer of the Dragon's Tear," she says.

"Transfer?" Alistair questions. "I didn't order a transfer."

"You didn't? Hans said you did. You two have been working together lately so..."

"Lock down the building. Do not let Hans escape. I'm inbound to deal with him."

"I... yes, sir."

Alistair disconnects his call with Gothel and clicks someone else.

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"I have the job? Really?" Juno asks, her face lit up with surprise.

"Yes. I was going to call, but then I saw you here. So, can I count on you?" Elsa smiles.

Juno nods. "Of course, Elsa. Thank you very much. My husband will-"

Juno's phone starts to ring. She grabs it and looks at it.

"Oh, speak of the devil." She accepts the call. "Hello honey, how are you?"

Elsa finishes her squats and walks beside Juno.

"Juno, did you get the job?"

"I did," she pleasantly states, smiling at Elsa. "I'm actually with Ms. Anderson right now. We just finalized it."

"I would comment on how strangely happy you are, but I'll save it for now. Listen, you have to keep Elsa safe."

"Why?"

"Hans' little rebellion is larger than I predicted. He had Jafar, which means he seized a large portion of our military prowess. That doesn't threaten me, but Hans is after Elsa. You cannot allow him to capture or kill her," Alistair commands.

Juno giggles. "That's interesting. Alright, leave it to me."

"Thank you Juno."

"No problem, honey. I'll see you soon."

"Yes, you will. I love you."

"I love you too," Juno repeats.

She hangs up the phone and looks at Elsa with a smile.

"My apologies for interrupting our workout."

"It's not a problem, really. So, do you think we can meet tomorrow and settle on a schedule?"

"That sounds great."

"Well, now it's my turn to apologize. I must go. I'll meet you tomorrow at nine?" Elsa confirms.

Juno nods. "Nine, got it. Nice talking with you Elsa."

Elsa waves and leaves Juno alone. Juno watches as Elsa leaves the building. She waits a few seconds and proceeds to follow her.

"Alistair is so interesting sometimes. I absolutely love him," she says to herself.

Juno walks outside and watches Elsa's car drive away. Juno looks around to see if anyone is watching her. There is nobody, which gives Juno an opportunity. Juno looks down at her own holowatch, and activates it. Her gym clothes are replaced with a black, tight pair of jeans, and a leather jacket. She points the watch to an open parking spot and clicks the button.

A black motorcycle with a full-face helmet appears in the spot. Juno smiles and mounts the bike. She puts on the helmet and starts up the bike. She zooms out of the parking lot. She keeps one eye on Elsa's car, and the other stays attentive. Right now Elsa is under Juno's protection. Anyone who threatens her... will die. Juno smiles at the thought. She does have some torture techniques she wants to try out.

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