Chapter 36: When Family Comes Together

"What the hell is he doing here?" You shout.

Hunter forces his hand over your mouth to muffle your voice.

"Shut up. I don't like it either," Hunter remarks, looking out the large window at Alistair.

Alistair is calmly standing in the streets with his hands in his pockets. He's whistling something that you can't hear; the reason being you're indoors and he's not.

After you saw Hunter and Alistair you quickly made your way to them, ignoring all of your other friends. You still have some time before you go into Dysa co. but this wasn't the way you imagined spending it. Alistair led the three of you to a coffee shop a few blocks away, but Hunter kept him outside while he talked things over with you.

"Then why is he here?"

"He wants to talk with us. I think he wants us to do something," Hunter guesses.

"Fantastic... I'm surprised he didn't kill me while I was playing."

"Actually... he kind of saved you."

Your face slightly drops in a disbelieving way.

"He what?"

"Well, Hans sent assassins after you. I learned about it last night and decided to-"

"Whoa, whoa, you knew and decided not to tell me? That's something I'd like to address," you interrupt.

Hunter sighs, places his hands on his shoulders, and turns away.

"You just needed to win the concert. Knowing that people were going attack you might've thrown you off your game. Besides, I was there to save you."

"And so was he!" You yell, pointing at Alistair.

Alistair sees you point and shakes his head.

"It's impolite to point!"

You stare at him for a second then turn your attention back to Hunter.

"Look, I don't trust it either. Truth be told I attacked him on sight."

Attacked on sight? Even I wouldn't do that. I don't think Alistair or Hans have ever done that either.

"So you two fought?" You ask.

Hunter shook his head.

"Mhm, but he was winning. We did manage to take out all the assassins, however.

You turn once more and stare at Alistair.

"He said he'll leave if we don't want to hear his offer. I say just send him fucking packing," Hunter states.

You shake your head.

"No... I want to hear him out."

"What!?"

"It's obvious we're on different sides, and yet he still tried to save me. There's got to be a reason."

"(Y/N)! What the fuck!?"

You focus your attention back to Hunter, who looks genuinely upset right now.

"I brought him here cause I thought we would both tell him to piss off. Now you're saying you actually want to hear him out?"

"I heard you out, didn't I?" You mention.

"I didn't try and kill you!" Hunter shouts, throwing his hands in the air and stomping away.

"Hunter, where are you going?"

"Bathroom. Maybe I can drown myself there."

Hunter pushes the door open and disappears from sight. You sigh and look back to Alistair. He's staring at you with his hands crossed and a smile on his face. You don't see what's so amusing. You wave for him to come in, and he does so.

"(Y/N). Thank you for at least listening to my proposal. Good to see I have one reasonable child," he says, some disdain in his voice.

"Two, actually," Shadow remarks.

"Nevertheless I think this is something I think would interest both you and Hunter. Shall we have a seat?"

Alistair leads you to a small table beside the window. You both take a seat and stare at each other. You lean back in your chair a bit whilst Alistair remains completely upright. From what Hunter was saying Alistair was just in a fight, but he doesn't look like it. Apart from his clothes – which you assume he just switched out, knowing he has his own holowatch and likely knows how to use it far better than you – his overall persona is just so calm at this moment. Maybe the killing doesn't bother him, but he's not even fazed by you or Hunter. Last time you met him he at least had a little excitement about fighting you. Then again, you get that same feeling too, sometimes. But now he's just normal. Not even normal. He has this aura that shouts "confidence" yet he's also so secretive that you wouldn't even know he's around. It's like his personality takes over a room but only when he chooses to; only when he deems it necessary to be imposing. There's no doubt that he has complete control where ever he is, and he acts like it too.

"So, what is it that you want?"

Alistair stares at you with a smirk. He isn't letting that smirk go.

"I'm offering a temporary partnership between myself, you, and Hunter."

"A partnership? Ahahaha," Hunter laughs, walking towards you. "So what do you want from us. That's the only reason you'd ever do something like this."

"Hunter, you think too little of me," Alistair snickers.

Hunter clenches his fist but keeps a somewhat friendly face.

"I'm asking you this because we have a common enemy. Hans."

"Hans? I thought he was your lap dog?" You query.

Alistair shakes his head.

"No, he's much too headstrong; his mind full of dreams. He wants revenge on me for killing his father, and he's going to attempt to kill you and Elsa on the way."

"Elsa!?" You let out.

Hunter quickly darts his eyes to you, then back to Alistair. Alistair is nodding.

"Yes, Elsa. He's already attempted to go after her twice now. Don't worry, she's safe. You can count on that."

"You're... protecting her?" You question.

"Yes, I am. He's going to use her to get at you and I won't allow that. It's the same way he's using you to get to me. You see (Y/N)," Alistair says, leaning into the table. "We have a common enemy. Let's destroy him together instead of getting in each other's way. If you help me, I'll ignore whatever plot you're cooking up by going to Dysa co."

Both you and Hunter react to his words. Alistair notices this.

"You two really think you're that subtle? It's an obvious ploy to enter the building and steal information. I could attempt to stop you, but if we're working together than it would be counterproductive to have my partner die."

You look down at the table as you contemplate Alistair's words. He has truth to them, and not in the part where he threatened you. From what you know Alistair is a genius, not only with his intelligence but his fighting. He's an excellent ally to have, even if only for a short while. He is also your father. It may be abnormal, but it could be some demented form of bonding. Maybe you can learn more about him and why he does the things that he does. Maybe you can get him to stop whatever schemes he's been cooking up for you.

There's also the fact that Elsa's in danger. You can't just let that slide. Alistair said he will – and is – protecting her. If you don't work with him there is the possibility he won't protect her. You can't go back and help her either. It would be pointless to just sit on your butt in Arendelle rather than go after the source of it all. Originally the source was your father, but now that has to change. Elsa is, and always will be, your top priority. There's also an upside, as you won't really have to worry about what Alistair is doing. He'll be helping you this entire time and won't have time to do anything to undermine you. You can keep an eye on him.

You look up at Alistair, whose eyes are still locked on you. You raise your hand and leave it in the air.

"You have a deal," you state.

Hunter angrily turns away and walks out the door. Alistair shakes your hand.

"Good. Go talk to your brother, I'll find you later."

You give Alistair a questioning look. You want to ask him more questions but Hunter is getting farther away every second.

You get up and rush out the door. You bump into someone as soon as you get on the street.

"Sorry!" You shout.

You run after Hunter, who is simply walking down the street with his hands in his pockets. You catch up to him and grab his arm.

"Hunter! What's gotten into you?"

Hunter chuckles then breaks out of your grip. He turns around to face you.

"You're actually going to team up with him?"

"It's a temporary alliance Hunter. I'm not joining him. Hell, maybe I can convince him to-"

"No, no, there's no convincing to be done," Hunter interrupts. "He's using you somehow, someway. You're teaming up with a man who used children as test subjects. One who sent those very children after me, and forced me to kill them. You're teaming up with a man who incarcerated me for years! Taking away any chance of having a normal fucking life! Alistair Knight is a manipulative man, (Y/N). He isn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He's doing it so his agenda can be pushed."

You look away from Hunter as he speaks. Hunter stops and lets out a breath.

"If you work with Alistair..."

"I know this might suck for you but... if what he said was true, about Elsa, than I need his help. Hunter please just do this for me. Not for Alistair. For me. If he tries anything we can beat him!"

Hunter crosses his arms and looks at you.

"You're really doing this for Elsa?"

You nod.

"I am. Besides, I think it's time I finally finish Hans."

Hunter looks across the street for a second.

"Let me think about it. I'll meet you at Rapunzel's house after you do your thing at Dysa co."

You smile and pull Hunter in for a hug.

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

"Giving you a hug. That's a brotherly thing to do."

"Get off me," he chuckles, pushing you off of him.

You both laugh for a bit then settle down.

"I'll see you later (Y/N). Just be careful with Alistair, alright?"

You nod. "I will."

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Elsa finishes up the dishes and dries her hands on a towel. She looks across the counter and sees her phone going off. A picture of her, Anna, and Rapunzel is displayed. Elsa strolls over to the phone and picks it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Elsa! Did you watch the concert?" Rapunzel joyously asks.

Elsa nods her head, even though she knows Rapunzel can't see that.

"Yeah, I did. (Y/N) did an amazing job. I think I saw you screaming your head off in one of the shots of the crowd," Elsa giggles.

Rapunzel bursts out laughing.

"Yeah, I was. I couldn't help it. All the bands were so awesome! But those hologram things (Y/N) did blew... my mind. Seriously. There were like... four of him on stage."

"That there were. It was truly amazing," Elsa admits.

"Probably the best music festival to date! He's put up high standards for next year. You think he'll come back for the next one?"

"Knowing him he'll probably bring Kristoff along to play," Elsa says as she leaves the kitchen and takes a seat on the couch.

"That means you'll all HAVE to come out! You and (Y/N) will be married by that time, no?"

"What? I mean... maybe but we... I just..."

Elsa can't even form a sentence.

"Elsa? Did I catch you off guard?" Rapunzel giggles.

"No, not at all. I just haven't been thinking about the details of the wedding yet," Elsa admits.

This was an odd thing for Elsa. Usually she's on top of everything; planning it before she even knows she needs to. Anna calls her a micromanager, and she is right. But when it comes to the wedding Elsa's been putting it off. She doesn't know if she's doing it on purpose. Maybe a part of her is just scared of what will happen to you. Scared whether you'll come home or not. Even if she always says she has full trust in you and what you do, she also has a sense of realism. You're going up against near impossible odds. You're going up against people who wouldn't hesitate to kill you. She doesn't want you to die, but she's well aware that it may happen. She simply prays it won't.

"That seems odd. Well maybe you can have the wedding here in Corona!"

"Yeah, maybe. I'll have to ask (Y/N) when he comes back. Speaking of him, is he at the house?"

"Hmm, no. After the concert he just kind of disappeared. I assume he went to Dysa co. for the tour," Rapunzel says.

"Right... well, I'll talk to you later, Rapunzel."

"Alright. See ya!"

Elsa hangs up the phone and puts it in her pocket. She sighs then looks over at the clock. It's not too late. Maybe Elsa can go for a little jog or something. Elsa nods to herself, confirming that she'll go out for a light jog. Elsa starts to head upstairs. At the same time, Anna comes out of her room and starts to go downstairs.

"Oh hey sis! Whatcha up to?" Anna happily asks.

"Oh, I was just about to go for a run. Do you want to come?" Elsa offers.

Anna thinks on it for a second then nods.

"Yeah, I'll come. I'll get Kristoff to come too!"

"Willingly?" Elsa asks, a brow raised.

Anna laughs.

"I doubt it."

Anna turns around and rushes into her room. Elsa walks into her room and grabs a blue and white track suit. She slips into it and ties her hair back into a pony tail. Elsa leaves her phone in her room and leaves. She approaches Anna's room and knocks.

"Are you two coming?"

"Yes!" Anna shouts. "We're just getting dressed."

"Actually she's just getting dressed. I'm ready," Kristoff comments.

A moment later Kristoff walks out in a white tank top and cargo shorts. Elsa's eyes look into Anna's room to see her slip on a dark pink tank top. She has short, black track shorts on as well. Anna does her hair up in two pony tails then spins around to face the door. Elsa and Kristoff stand at the door, awaiting her. Anna bounces over to them and smiles.

"Ready to go?"

Elsa and Kristoff nod. The three go down the stairs and head for the door. They all put running shoes on and leave the house. They walk down the drive way, and as soon as they reach the street they begin running. Elsa is in front while Anna is in the middle, and Kristoff at the end of the line.

"So how far are we running?" Kristoff shouts.

"Until I think we should stop and turn around. Didn't you and (Y/N) work out all the time in school?" Elsa teases.

"Hey, that was like... a year ago! Besides, I wasn't an endurance guy."

"I beg to differ," Anna remarks.

Kristoff blushes.

"Anna!"

"What?" She giggles.

Elsa rolls her eyes and keeps running.

Unbeknownst to Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff, there is a black van parked down the street. The van turns on and begins slowly following them. They keep a smooth pace as they follow them.

"Alright, let's get them. Remember, the Ice Queen is our top priority. Kill her first, then the others."

"Yes sir," the soldiers state.

"Sir, there's someone walking in the middle of the road," the driver informs.

The officer moves to the front of the van and looks out the window. There is a blonde woman limping across the road. She's holding her stomach and there's a blood trail leading from the other side of the road.

"Should we drive around her?" The driver asks.

"No. She'll witness what we're about to do. Let's bring her inside the van and end her."

"Yes sir."

The van stops right in front of the woman. She looks over and waves at the van. One of the soldiers exits the van and walks up to her.

"Are you okay, ma'am?"

"No... I was stabbed... Can you take me to the hospital?" She moans.

"Of course, of course. Come with me, we'll get you there."

The soldier leads the woman around the van and into the back. The officer notices that Elsa and company are already a significant distance away, and that he needs to catch up pronto. The soldier helps the woman into the van and sits her down. She looks around and notices all the guns and armour.

"Are you police?" She asks.

The officer comes to the back and stares at her.

"Somewhat. At the very least we'll help you make the pain go away."

The woman smiles.

"Unfortunately that's not what I do."

The officer lifts his eye brow in a questioning manner. His eyes widen at the revelation.

"Juno..? One of the monarchs! Get her!"

Juno pulls off one of her high heels and slams the heel into one soldier's throat. He reaches for his throat but he can't pull it out. The heel has pierced through his spine. He can't pull it out. Juno then kicks the man on the other side of her. She once again shoves her heal into the man's neck. The other soldiers attempt to grab guns but Juno is much too fast for them. She grabs one of their arms and pulls him towards her. He somewhat spins to face her. Juno smirks and throws her arm right through his stomach. She tosses him behind her and looks to the last three. One grabs their gun and aims it at Juno. She quickly guides his hand away as he fires. The bullet enters the man who's still struggling with the heel in his neck. He dies instantly.

Juno locks her leg on the bench close to her. She grasps the gunman's face and places the other hand on his waist. She pushes him back onto her knee and forces him to wrap all around her leg. She moves her hands around and intertwines her own fingers, signaling the move is complete. She lets go and allows the man to fall on the floor. She stands up straight and looks at the two remaining men. The officer has a knife in his hand, while the other soldier has nothing.

Juno smirks.

"So, why go after Ms. Anderson?"

"Ms... Anderson?" The officer repeats.

"As her dear secretary I cannot allow you to hurt her," Juno sarcastically says, placing her hand on her chest. "Now walk away now or... ha, who am I kidding. I'm not going to let you walk away. It robs me of the chance to see the life drain out of your eyes."

The officer observes Juno for a moment.

"But... how did you simulate the blood for us to pick you up?"

"Simulate? I didn't simulate anything," she says, lifting her shirt up a bit to show a stab wound that's still bleeding. "All genuine. Must hurt your pride, huh? Got beat by an injured woman."

She grabs the officer's neck and throws him out the back of the van. The doors fly open when he hits them, and he tumbles across the ground. The soldier behind Juno tries to take advantage.

"It's just pathetic when you think because you're big strong men," Juno catches the soldier's punch without looking. She pulls it a little then twists her upper body towards the arm. She uses her left hand to pull the arm even further than breaks it with her right. She quickly turns to the soldier and shoves her fingers into his eye socket.

"Yet you cry like little girls when someone resists you. You really do take after Hans."

She pulls the man's eye out of his socket. She looks at it for a second then turns her attention towards the officer. He is beginning to stand back up. Juno looks at the eye ball in her hand. She lightly tosses it in the air, catches it, the whips it at the officer. He looks towards Juno and has no time to react to the eye ball. The eye smashes into the officer's left eye, pushing his in and replacing it with the dead one. He falls back on the ground and holds his eye.

"Oh god! What did you do to me you insane bitch!" He shouts.

Juno walks out of the van and places her foot on the man's neck.

"I told you... I'm not one to end someone's misery. I create it."

She moves her foot from the man's neck to his hand. She slowly crushes the hand beneath her foot, listening to the satisfying cries. The officer attempts to punch her leg, but it does nothing at all. She chuckles and slams her foot down on his hand again. He screams in agony.

Before Juno can do anymore her watch begins to light up. She looks over at the watch and sees Alistair is calling. She reaches to her ear and clicks a small Bluetooth device.

"Yes, my love?" She starts.

"Just have a little update, if you want to hear it. Mostly wanted to hear your voice though," Alistair states.

"Oh I can talk for you if you want. But how about you go first?"

"Have it your way. It looks like Hans has more allies than I thought. That, or he's somewhat clever. Some assassins went after (Y/N) today. I easily dispatched them but I noticed that their insignias were different. Each Duke has a different one, and there are at least five different ones here. My guess is that Hans has been stockpiling these for a while in order to send me all over the planet."

Juno stays silent but takes what Alistair says to heart. She steps off the officer and grabs his neck. She lifts him into the air and checks his insignia.

"The old Westergaard one... Alec's..." She whispers.

"Hm? What was that?"

"Oh, I had some vermin try to attack Elsa," Juno says, crushing the officer's neck and causing him to make a brief noise. "Alec's insignia is on this officer."

Juno tosses the body aside and walks back into the van. She examines all the other bodies.

"Jafar... Alec... Gothel," she lists. "Seems like you're correct. No surprise, of course."

"Yes... I suppose I'll just have to do some detective work and figure out where he is. (Y/N) and Hunter should come in handy too."

"They're helping? How's my child?" Juno asks, a slight hint of worry in her voice.

Alistair sighs.

"Carnage is dead, Juno. I think (Y/N) and Shadow eradicated him completely."

Juno clenches her fist for a moment than relaxes.

"Well, do what you will with them then. Neither of them have any use for me."

"What about me? Do I have a use?" Alistair jokes.

"Come here and you'll find out," Juno seductively says.

"You know I'd love to. As soon as I'm done. And how is Elsa doing?"

"Good enough. Nobody is going to kill her, and that's all that really concerns me."

Juno exits the van and walks back to the officer's corpse. She picks it up and tosses it in the back of the van.

"Has she attempted to access any of our information?"

"No, that's safe. I'll let you know if something comes up."

"Alright, let's get back to it. I love you, Juno."

"I love you too, Alistair."

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You brush some dust off your jeans and look up at the humungous building that is Dysa co. Its not only a tall building, but it spans almost an entire block. W.A. Industries may be taller, but this one is overall bigger. This basically means there's going to be a lot more room to search, which is bad for you. You have to find something related to Alistair's plan. You already have schematics for some sort of distribution device. What would be amazing is to know what they're planning to distribute. It's possible you'll find that here, and that's what you're betting on.

You take a breath and shake your head a bit. You walk into the building to see a huge reception area. It barely looks like a reception area, however. There is a round desk with three different employees sitting in the middle. There is a glowing sign that says "Reception" on the front of the desk, which was only about waist high. The rest of the space was taken up by couches, plants, and large towers with a hologram exterior that is changing every few minutes. They show different images every few minutes. It seems like one of the six always have a picture of Hook. The towers seem to loop through different items Dysa co. is making, some of the contributions they've made to the world.

You walk around with no clear direction. It looks like you don't belong there, and that you've wandered into the wrong building. One of the receptionists sees you.

"Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?" She asks.

You hear her and looks towards her. She's staring at you with a warm smile on her face. You nod and walk towards her. You get to the counter and lean on it.

"Hi, my name's (Y/N) Knight. I, um, won the music festival and-"

"Ah yes, Mr. Knight. Wait on one of the couches. I'll page Mr. Hook."

You give her a smirk and walk away. You take a seat on a red couch and relax.

"So Shadow, you got any advice for me here?"

"How would I know? I haven't been here, idiot."

You huff.

"I didn't mean like that, jerk. I mean... actually what did I mean? Alright, just keep an eye out for anything that could be interesting."

"I always do," he says, very snarky.

You roll your eyes and place your hands on your stomach. You stare up at the ceiling which isn't actually far from you. There's another floor right above, so it's not as spacious as it could be. That doesn't really bother you, however. It's just a ceiling. Who really cares?

Someone walks behind you and clears their throat to get your attention. You roll your head back on the couch and see Hook. You quickly get off the couch and turn around.

"Glad to see you made it. Shall we begin?"

You nod.

Hook begins walking away, and you catch up with him in no time. You walk beside him as he leads you to an elevator.

"Dysa co. is the world's leader in all biotechnical studies. We've been able to produce much to aid war veterans, cripples, and others with disabilities. We also work on how to enhance people. We have gloves that allow people to play instruments much more efficiently. I think you'll find that one quite interesting."

You and Hook come to an elevator he swipes his keycard and the elevator opens. You both enter it and he clicks a floor. The elevator closes and begins to descend.

"Now, I'll only be able to accompany, you for so long. You must understand that I do have a company to run after all."

"I completely understand that," you say, attempting to hide the fact that you want him to leave.

"For now I'll be showing you some of the technology we've created here. Once we get to our music department I'll be leaving."

He leads you through a confusing maze of hallways. You try to make note of any rooms that might interest you. However, every single one of them has some sort of keycard lock. You'd need one like that to get in.

Hook stops in front of a door and swipes his keycard. You both enter a large room with at least six different projects going on at once. Something does seem odd about the room though. One of the walls seems out of place. It's like this room should be bigger than it actually is, and part of it is simply cut off.

"Why is the wall weird?" You ask.

Hook looks at the wall then you.

"Renovations."

You stare at him. You can tell he's lying. He's part of the Hierarchy after all. You wouldn't be surprised if he sent people to kill you whilst you were here.

"Well, here is a keycard," he says, handing you a card. "This will gain you access to all the technology in this room, and use of the elevator. When you're finished tell my secretary. She'll send you up to my office to receive a prize. I'll leave you to it."

You smile and nod your head as Hook walks away. You wait for him to leave the room before nonchalantly checking out the technology being created.

"Something's wrong," Shadow says.

"Why?"

"What kind of tour is like this? Why would he give us free access in this manner? I don't like it."

"Well we should get some information quick, then," you advise.

"Let me take over then," he requests.

"Right."

You relax and allow Shadow to take over. Your body almost falls to the ground but Shadow's consciousness grabs hold of it. He stands up straight and looks around the room. He looks down at the keycard and starts to think up some sort of plan.

"Maybe... if I can gain access to a computer I can change the purpose of this keycard. Might be able to open more doors. But... I would need an administrative computer. The head of this division would work."

Shadow looks around the room to see if there's an obvious sign of who the division head would be. All he can see is some average looking men and women working on whatever they were assigned to. They actually look like their having some fun working on what they're working on. Shadow rolls his eyes and walks up to the closest group. They look at Shadow for a brief moment then go back to what they're doing.

"So, what're you up to here?" Shadow inquires.

"Well, we thought it was groundbreaking until you went on stage," one hisses.

Shadow raises his brow. Another sees Shadow's expression and shifts in front of him.

"We're attempting to make a device that allows people to play with holograms of their favourite bands, singers, or any other musicians."

"And I just did that... The difference was mine was pre-recorded. Besides, yours would take a lot more effort."

"How would you know," the annoyed one asks, turning to face Shadow.

"Well, not only do you need to properly record every detail of each person you want, you also need their signature. Almost all famous musicians have a signature that you need to capture. Plus you need to find the right balance between their studio versions and live versions. I have to say, you have your work cut out for you," Shadow explains, a condescending smile on his face the entire time.

The man stares at him for a moment.

"You're... right. We really need the time to bring in each band."

"And there are so many of them," Shadow adds, sympathizing with him.

"Exactly. We can't just have someone cover the song. We need the people. It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of contact. Our manager just isn't getting around to it. He's too busy with other projects."

"Where is the manager, anyway?"

The man looks to the workspace close to the door.

"Well his work space is over there. But it looks like he's not here right now though."

"Oh, where is he?" Shadow inquires.

"Oh, he's on the other side of that wall. The room used to be bigger but we had a... er... malfunction."

One of the workers nudges the one talking.

"I don't think we should be telling him that," he whispers.

Shadow raises his brow then shrugs.

"Huh... well good luck with your work," Shadow says, smiling and waving as he walks away.

"What the hell was that?" You ask, almost chuckling.

"Shut up. Sometimes putting on a smile is the best way to work people," he states with evident irritation.

"Aww, did it hurt to actually show some kindness?" You taunt.

"It'll be hard to hold in my irritation when I come in there and beat you senseless, now shut up."

"There he is! I was worried," you laugh.

Shadow snarls as he closes in on his target. He passes the desk and leans against the wall beside it. He scans the area to see if anyone is watching, or could see what he's doing. He stays against the wall for a couple minutes to try and pick up any patterns he can. So far it seems like most of them are focused on their work, but whenever disagreements arise they tend to step away from a project for a bit. That means they look around the area. If they saw Shadow tampering with computer they would kick him out. He needs either a lucky break, or a distraction. Since Shadow doesn't believe in putting his plan in the hands of lady luck, he needs a distraction.

Shadow pushes himself off the wall and starts walking around. He needs something that can gather the attention of the people working here. He looks around the room while he tries to think of something he can do. Then something pops into his mind.

"Maybe... if I can open that wall then the entire room would rush over to fix it."

"What about the people on the other side of the wall?" You bring up.

"They would be too busy focusing on the wall."

Shadow nonchalantly strolls towards the corner of the wall. He places his hand on the wall and starts walking alongside it. He feels the cool metal on his fingertips. Being Shadow, however, he cares little about these things. He ignores this sensation and focuses on his task. He reaches the end of the wall and walks away from it to make it seem like he was just walking around.

"No hidden pad at all... Possibly no way to open it manually. Maybe a computer... But if it was on a computer than I'd wager it's on the manager's. Either way, I need to get on that computer."

Shadow aimlessly wanders around the room until he reaches the manager's desk once more. He looks at the contents of his desk to see if there's anything to help him out. There is a couple of documents scattered about, as well as his computer.

"Not the most organized man I've ever seen," Shadow hisses.

Shadow looks around to see if anyone is watching him. He quickly sits down and starts going through some of the files. At the same time, he uses his other hand to turn on the computer. He darts his head back and forth during his little escapade. As he awaits the computer to turn on he flips through the files on the desk. One is filled with the projects being worked on, which doesn't interest him in the slightest. Once the screen boots up Shadow sees a password is required. Shadow snarls and turns his full attention to the documents. He flips through the last document. This one if full of recent reports. He flips to the most recent entry. Shadow breezes over the document and makes note of all the interesting parts.

"Seems it was no malfunction that ruined this place. Someone purposely set off the explosion. It also seems that there's a quick way to open the door in case of emergencies. All I have to do..." Shadow executes a series of commands on the locked computer. "And it should work even if the computer is locked."

Shadow finishes the code and looks up. He instantly hears the door start to unlock and slide open. It's slow, and gains the attention of everyone. It delivers the perfect distraction to get into the computer. Shadow acts fast and starts typing in possible passwords. He starts with the manager's name, as she was mentioned in one of his more personal notes. The screen flairs up and the desktop stands prominent. Shadow shakes his head in disgust at how easy that was.

He pulls out his keycard and swipes it through a little device. A window pops up with details of what he wants to do with the card. Shadow goes through the list and grants as much access as he can to the card. Shadow takes a quick look behind him to see what's happening. Everyone is gathering around the door, trying to find a way to get it shut. He can see what's on the other side, and it's not pretty. There are body bags in one corner, along with scorch marks all over the place.

Ignoring that, Shadow goes back to his work. He rapidly taps the desk as he waits for everything to settle. As soon as the computer gives the green light, Shadow grabs the card and bolts out of the room. He rushes out the door and looks around the convoluted hallways of Dysa co. Shadow thinks of all the different rooms he passed by, and what he could exploit. He goes through his mind to find the answers but is disrupted by someone.

Someone taps Shadow on the shoulder, which gets his attention. Shadow looks over to see an average looking guy standing next to him. He has short brown hair with brown eyes to match. He's quite skinny, but it suits his face. The man looks a little nervous around Shadow, as he's constantly looking over Shadow's shoulder.

"Can I help you?" Shadow asks.

"No, no... I can help you. You're with Monarch... right? You're with the new one?" He mumbles.

"The new one? You mean Alistair?" Shadow clarifies.

"No, even better! He's on your side, you know. He wants you to win."

Shadow backs up a bit.

"So... what do you want?"

"I'm here to help. You want to know what Alistair's up to? Well I'll bring you to it."

The man begins to walk away, though his walk is quite odd. He seems to stumble around and limp more than anything. He turns back to Shadow and urges him to follow. Shadow shrugs and starts following him.

Shadow is brought through a confusing array of tunnels. You would be completely lost but Shadow has been keeping a close eye on everything. He knows his way back. The man leads Shadow to a door and quickly turns to face him.

"Do you have a keycard?"

Shadow brushes past him and swipes his keycard. The device lights up and the door unlocks itself. Shadow smirks and opens the door. He walks in and looks around. The room is filled with servers and data banks. Shadow raises his brow.

"Why would he bring me here... and I don't think I gave this much access to the card."

Shadow turns around to see if the weird man is still behind him. He isn't. Shadow slowly walks towards the exit and takes a peek into the hallway. The man isn't around anymore. Shadow backs into the room and returns his attention to the task at hand. He approaches the main computer and starts attempting to access the system.

"I'll just deal with him later," he mutters under his breath.

Shadow passes through the firewall of the servers and gains access. He quickly begins going through everything that could be of interest to him. However, something is making him suspicious.

"Wow... you're a lot better at this than I thought," you compliment.

Shadow's face is completely unsettled. He continues to pound at the keys for a bit before he answers you.

"I'm really not, and that's what's wrong with this. I've practiced hacking before but this shouldn't be easy. This is supposed to be the servers of one of the biggest companies in Corona, and yet it's too easy. It's almost like..."

Shadow's focus on the conversation dwindles as he tries to maneuver around the system.

"Almost like what?" You press on.

"It's almost like some parts of the system are available to me... and some parts aren't."

"Like a security system or something?"

"No, no... It's like it's purposely leading me around. It's like someone s in the system with me," Shadow predicts.

"If someone else is in the system then couldn't you trace him?"

"Christ (Y/N), I'm not a genius when it comes to this. I can get through a passable firewall and find the files I want, but I can't trace someone through a computer system."

"Wait... so someone is accessing this remotely?" You inquire.

Shadow lightly bobs his head back and forth while he works.

"I suppose. Why?"

"Well, if this place can be accessed remotely couldn't we have just hired a professional hacker to get the information we want?"

Shadow pauses for a second.

"That... actually could have worked. But it's likely that whoever is doing this has already been in the system. It could be Hook himself."

"But... if he knew we were going to hack into his company then why would he let us?"

Shadow shrugs.

"Who knows, but I'd rather finish this and get about before anything happens."

Shadow presses on with his hacking and finds something interesting. He raises his brow and smiles. He activates the holowatch and pulls out a USB stick. He looks around for a place to plug it in. He finds it quickly and shoves it in the slot. He begins the download of the information. While it downloads he carefully reads over it.

"Right, we got it. Let's go."

Shadow pulls out the USB and quickly walks out of the room. He walks back through the convoluted hallway. He keeps his eyes out for any guards or other forms of security. He quickly reaches the elevator and swipes his card. He enters the elevator and clicks the main floor. He leans against the wall and waits to get to his destination. He keeps his eyes close and his hands crossed as he waits. However it seems to be taking too long for him to reach the main floor. He opens one eye and takes a look at the floor number. Its passed the ground floor and keeps going up. Shadow gets off the wall and click the floor he wants to go once more. It does absolutely nothing. He snickers and leans against the wall once more.

"Seems someone wants to see me."

The elevator comes to a stop. The doors remain closed, but Shadow can hear them begin to open. He awaits the oh so shocking reveal of who dragged him up here. The door opens to reveal Hook, who's waiting with his hands behind his back. He looks up at Shadow and chuckles.

"Oh, my apologies (Y/N). I was just coming down to see you. Well, no matter. Come with me. You have one more prize."

Hook spins around and begins walking away. Shadow gets off the wall and follows Hook. Hook leads Shadow through a standard looking business area. It's similar to W.A. Industries' upper floors. Hook brings Shadow to his office. He immediately walks to his desk and grabs a small check.

"It's the prize money; twenty thousand. Use it as you wish. You can take it to Corona International Bank to cash it. Thank you for participating in the CMFs and I hope you enjoyed the tour of our facility."

Shadow grabs cautiously grabs the check from Hook's hand.

"Thank you. I'll be on my way."

Shadow turns for the door and walks out. Hook waits a few seconds after he leaves and walks out of his office. He goes to his meeting room where Gothel is awaiting him.

"So that was (Y/N), huh?"

"Shadow, actually. You can tell by his walk. Shadow has a much more arrogant walk than (Y/N) does."

"Hmm" Gothel moans, taking in the information. "So you let them leave with the information?"

Hook nods. "I kept them away from everything except the nanobots, though I only let them see the prototype version."

"Ah, so they don't know what they're actually going to be used for?"

"Do we even know what they'll be used for?" Hook redirects.

Gothel turns away and stares at the ground. She stays silent for a moment then comes to a realization. She turns to Hook.

"Why did you give him money? I thought the city gave the winner a small donation, not you."

Hook doesn't return Gothel's gaze.

"Hans asked me to do it. His own money too. Why? I have no idea."

"I hate this. Why do we follow three different people?" Gothel snarls.

Hook sighs.

"Because if we don't, everything we built will shatter before us. Don't you want to live to see your anti-aging formula become reality? To never age again?"

Gothel rests her head on the table.

"I do, yes. I'll live to see the repercussions of the winner."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sean," a bulky man with an eyepatch says as he walks into a dimly lit room. "Someone's here to see us."

An almost identical looking man sits on a dark red couch. He's rubbing a golden gun with a piece of cloth. He looks up at him, no eyepatch on his face.

"Who is it Sheen?" He questions with a deep, monotone voice.

"Some snobby looking asshole. He says he's the one who's supported us."

Sheen stops for a moment. He lifts his slick, black jacket and places his gun in a holster. He flicks his jacket to look normal and stands up. He walks past Sean and into the hallway. The two walk down the hallway and see a bouncer standing near one of their private doors. The two walk into the room and see an auburn hair man in a white suit. He turns around and extends his arms to his side.

"Quite the nice establishment, I must say. Glad to know my advisors helped you out. Even if this is just a... mens club," Hans greets.

"So you're the one who's been sending your support. Why?" Sheen asks.

"My motivations are my own. All I've ever asked is for my men to have one room. I'm glad that you haven't meddled with it. The Stabbington Brothers seem to keep their word."

The Stabbingtons stay silent and keep their eyes locked on Hans. Hans shrugs and smirks.

"I have something for you. I want to make a deal."

Hans grabs a suitcase that was hidden behind a chair. He holds it in both hands and approaches the two. He stops in front of them and flicks his head at them.

"Open it."

Sheen reaches out and clicks the suitcase. It opens, revealing two silver, tech-like suit. The Stabbingtons look the suit, then at Hans.

"What is this?" Sheen asks.

"Something that will really put you over the edge. I gave you guns so you could become the only gang in Corona. Now you're going to pay me back. Besides, it comes with a little treat for you."

"What kind of treat?"

"I'll give you Flynn Ryder."

Both brothers develop a sinister smile on their faces. They look at each other then at Hans.

"What do you want us to do?"

Hans grabs another suitcase and places it near their legs.

"There are... devices in here, along with my plans. Follow them. But make sure to wear the suits. You'll be killed if you don't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shadow leaves Dysa co. and leans up against the wall. He takes a deep breath and relaxes. He slips out of control and allows you to take the wheel once more. You open your eyes and stretch a little.

"So, we're good to go?" You ask aloud.

"Yes. I suppose we should cash the check. Nothing wrong with having some money in our pockets."

You throw your hands in your pockets and start walking down the street.

"Hey! (Y/N)!" Someone shouts.

You turn around to see Rain, waving. You smile and give a slight wave back.

"Hey Rain. Where's Matt?"

"Oh... he had somewhere to be..." He mumbles.

You raise your brow.

"Is he okay?"

Rain shrugs.

"Maybe. His father is in town, and demanded Matt to see him. Matt... wasn't happy about that."

You smile and place your hand on Rain's shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. How about you come with me? I can get your mind off of it."

Rain cracks a smirk.

"Sure. That sounds nice."

You pat Rain's shoulder then move beside him. You two start walking down the street.

"Hey, do you know how to get to-"

"(Y/N)!" Yet another man shouts.

Both you and Rain look around for the source of the voice. Rain taps your arm and points towards a car. Eugene is there, waving to get your attention. You and Rain jog up to the car. You notice Ragnar and Irena in the front seat.

"Hey Eugene. What's wrong?" You inquire.

"You're what's wrong! Why didn't you come see us after the concert? I mean, it's probably good that you ran away, but still!"

"Why was it good that I ran away," you ask, chuckling.

"Rapunzel gets... carried away at concerts," Irena giggles.

"So! Anyway, are you coming home?" Eugene asks.

You nod.

"I am, right after I drop by the Corona International Bank. You mind driving my friend and I there?" You ask.

Ragnar waves his hand.

"Of course we can! Jump in."

You turn to Rain and bob your head towards the car.

"Wanna come with?"

Rain shrugs.

"I suppose so. Only if it's no trouble."

"It won't be. Come on. We'll go get something to eat afterwards."

You and Rain get into the back seat of Ragnar's car. You scooch into the middle between Eugene and Rain. Rain closes the door and buckles up. You do the same. Ragnar pushes on the gas and begins the journey to the bank. You let your body rest a bit. You lean your head back and stare at the bland roof of the car. Eugene looks over at you, ready to talk. He holds his tongue when he sees your expression. You seem so out of the world. It's like you're not in this car, or anywhere for that manner. Yet you look so... happy. Eugene can't help but crack a smirk just looking at you.

"You're basically the definition of happy-go-lucky, aren't you?" He whispers.

Rain hears Eugene and looks over at you. He sees you not giving a care for the world. He envies you for that. Both you and Matt have that personality that Rain wishes he had. You both have this upfront and bold personality. You say what's on your mind, and you both stand up for everything you believe in. It's something Rain just can't seemed to do.

"Huh... why is that road closed? Sorry guys, we'll need to go a different way," Ragnar informs.

"So (Y/N), did you really make that song up yourself?" Irena asks.

You don't answer her. Eugene darts his eyes between you and Irena. He nudges you, getting your attention. You shake your head and look around.

"Yeah? What?" You rapidly ask.

Irena chuckles.

"Did you make that song yourself?" She repeats.

You nod.

"Yeah. I just wanted to try something a little different. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who played an original song."

"Oh come on," Ragnar complains.

"What's wrong?" Irena asks, turning her attention to Ragnar.

"All the roads are blocked off. What's going on today?"

Ragnar takes a right turn and drives down one of the larger streets of Corona. The Corona Freeway spans above the road. It blocks out most of the sun. You look out the window and see all the cars going at such a slow speed. You know for a fact that you could run faster than this. Suddenly the car comes to an immediate stop. Everyone somewhat flinches forward

"Sorry everyone! Traffic just stopped for some reason," Ragnar states.

"No problem," you cough.

You brush off some of your clothes and look through the window. You see someone standing on the sidewalk. He's staring at the car.

"Rain, move out of the way," you say.

Rain raises his brow. You unbuckle your seat belt and crawl over Rain. You open the door and get out of the car.

"(Y/N)! What are you doing?" Eugene shouts.

You take a few steps towards the man. You instantly recognize him. It's Hans. He looks cocky and smug. You clench your fist and are ready to chase him down. He raises his hands and places his index and middle finger to his head. He points towards you with the same fingers, then turns his upper body towards one of the Freeway pillars. He points at it and smirks.

You raise your brow and turn your attention towards where Hans is pointing. You look take a closer look at the pillar. On the outer side there is something blinking. You squint your eyes and really see what it is. The blinking becomes faster and faster. It suddenly stops and holds the light once more.

You widen your eyes at the realization of what it is.

Boom