Chapter 37: Down & Out

Your mind is racing faster than it ever has before. You're trying to think of what to do in this situation. There's all the people around – the possible casualties. You try to-

Boom

The device explodes, sending a shockwave around it. The pillar it was attached to gives out and starts to fall. The cars that were around its proximity are pushed away; either flipping over or smashing into other cars. People begin screaming when they realize what has happened. People run as fast as they can in any direction that isn't where the explosion originated.

The shockwave of the explosion sends you flying into a civilian's car, crushing their door in, making it a useless piece of metal. Your ears are ringing and your head is pounding. You've experienced explosions before, but not ones that are man-made. They were created by the elements, tools of the earth. These are unnatural and have unnatural side effects. You hold your head as it pounds. It's like having a really bad headache. Your head feels heavy, and you barely have any control over it.

You slowly start to stand up, using the car behind you for support. You turn back and notice the person inside is scared and stuck.

"Hold... on," you shout.

You grab the door and rip it off its hinges. You toss it where nobody is then wave your hand towards the driver.

"Come on! Get out of the car!"

The man unbuckles his seat belt and bolts out of the car, tripping over himself. You stand up straight and look around for anyone else that's in danger.

"(Y/N), look around the bridge," Shadow advises.

"Why?"

"I doubt Hans only placed one bomb. There has to be mo-"

As Shadow predicted, there is. You see another explosion originate from the pillar ajar to the first one. Then, dozens seem to go off, all around the one area of the bridge. All under the foundation where the freeway holds the cars, and all along the pillars. The freeway starts to give out, and begins to crumble and fall. Bits of cement drop like rain. Larger blocks hit the roofs of cars and almost hit the populace running under it. It's not their fault. They're all trying to get out of their cars and run.

The freeway starts to collapse, but you notice something. Ragnar's car is still filled with everyone, and the freeway is about to crush them! You bolt as fast as you can to their location. You leap off your leg and land on the car's roof. You spread your legs, lower your back, and throw your arms into the air. The freeway lands right on top of you, only being held up by your arms. It pushes down on the back of your head and your back, but you're able to keep it hold it.

"Get out of the car!" You scream. "I can't hold this thing... forever!"

Everyone in the car gets out and runs closer to the sidewalk. You push on your legs a little bit, raising the freeway by mere inches. You use this gap to jump forward, allowing the cement to crush Ragnar's car. You land on your back, facing the remnants of the freeway. You look towards it and notice cars beginning to slide down. You use your arms and legs to scurry back and plan to get out of the way. You turn around and get on your feet, but see something. A woman and her child are unconscious and lying on the road. Judging by where they are, there's no doubt they were hit by the shockwave. You turn back to the cars falling down the broken freeway like some demented avalanche.

You turn and run to the infant and her mother. You pass by some rubble and attempt to pick them up. One car is uncontrollably coming straight at you. You grab the two and hop right over the car, barely escaping in time. Once your feet hit the ground you once again jump, but this time to the side. You land on the sidewalk and put the two down. Rain, Matt, Ragnar, and Irena run towards you. You look up at them, then back to the two you just saved.

"(Y/N), that was amazing! How did you do that?" Irena questions, awestruck.

"Lots of hard work. Now, you should all get out of here. I feel like something worse is coming."

"Something worse?" Ragnar shouts. "(Y/N) this is a terrorist attack!"

You snicker. "Not quite."

You look towards the group and notice Eugene isn't with them. You look around and find him slowly walking down the street. You can only see the side of his face, but he seems scared or surprised. You stand up and walk towards him. The small group keeps their eyes on you. You approach Eugene and stand beside him.

"What is it?" You ask.

Eugene points. "We've... got to get out of here."

You look to where Eugene is pointing. There are two men walking menacingly towards you. Slowly. Heavily. Every step they take is taunting someone. You focus a bit and see who they are. It's actually more like what they are. Two bulky figures in light suits of armour. One is black, and the other is dark grey. Their outfits seem almost skin tight, and small bursts of colours pump through specific areas – starting from the neck and spreading to the arms and legs. Their faces are exposed, revealing people who you feel you've met before. They look almost identical. The only difference in the one in the black suit has an eye patch.

"Wait... aren't those-"

"The Stabbingtons," Eugene finishes. "We've got to get out of here. Rapunzel's parents have to leave right now. They can't be seen with me!"

You take another look at the Stabbingtons, who are staring straight at you with devilish smiles. You move in front of Eugene and place your arms on his shoulders.

"Eugene, it's going to be alright. I'll distract them, you get Ragnar, Irena, and Rain out of here."

Eugene takes in what you say. He slowly nods his head and begins to run away. You turn back towards the Stabbingtons and spread your legs a little bit, getting ready for some movement. You quickly soak in the environment you're in. Rubble and debris litter most of the open space on the road. Anything it doesn't cover is instead blocked by cars. You were in traffic after all, so the street is filled with them. There isn't much space around you, as the street is very narrow. There are four lanes for road, a few meters for the sidewalk, and the buildings that stack across. There aren't any alleyways either, so you aren't going anywhere. The only place to go is the way you came, which leads to multiple other streets that can be used for escape. Almost everyone who aren't your friends are taking that way out.

You tap the ground twice with your dominant foot then burst off of it. You gain some momentum in the space you have then hop over the first car. You send one foot forward while raising the other one closer to your body. You land on the extended foot and use it to keep your momentum going. You take two steps before taking another jump, this time executing a front flip over the car. Your nose just grazes the metal of the car you pass. Your feet land atop a different car, and you decide to attack. You push yourself forward and up, putting yourself at a decent height. You begin spinning like a top as you approach the Stabbingtons. When you approach them you increase the speed and let your dominant leg go in for a kick.

Your leg approaches the one with the eye patch's head. He raises his arm and catches your shin. You're extremely surprised that he had the speed to catch it. Your other leg is in a perfect spot to deliver a kick, however. You quickly snap your leg to try and kick his face. Sheen lets go of your first foot and grabs the one trying to kick him.

"You know... this isn't how I planned this going," you comment.

He gets fed up with you. He grips your leg tight then grabs hold with his other hand. He spins around once then lets go, sending you flying into one of the pillars that hold the freeway. Your body smashes against it then falls to the ground. You take a knee when you land, and use one hand to keep yourself up. You cough up a bit of blood, leaving some on your lips. You wipe your mouth then wipe your pants, leaving mild blood stains on your jeans.

Sheen watches you slam into the wall and fall to the ground. He joins his brother as they continue to approach Eugene. They see him running away, and want him.

"Brother, you know we must kill the other. Take care of the annoyance while I claim the true prize," Sean states.

"As long as you don't kill him. I want some for myself," Sheen emotionlessly states.

Sheen turns around and begins approaching your position. The suit beeps and it covers his face in the same material. There is small spots that are dark grey. The size resembles sunglasses, and are indeed used for sight. Through Sheen's eyes, there is combat data and a HUD for him to see. The suit locks onto you and reads you.

You stand up and see the black suited one walking towards you. There's no doubt you're going to have to fight him, but it concerns you that only one of them is in your sight. You stretch your neck both ways and smile. Sheen Stabbington cracks his knuckles then starts running at you. There is a car that bars the path between you and him. There's room to go around it, but none for a direct approach.

Sheen begins running towards you. Once he reaches the car he shoulder charges it, forcing it towards you. You start running and slide underneath it. The car tumbles over you and slams into the pillar, landing on its side. You get on your feet and come in for your attack. You push off the ground and flip over Sheen. His suit follows you and gives Sheen an opening. As you flip over him he sends his hand straight into your stomach. You cringe at the strength of his hit. He keeps his fist at your stomach and grabs your shirt. He turns around and slams you on the ground, resulting in a crack in the cement. He lifts his hand off of you and goes in for another punch. You roll out of the way and attempt to sweep his feet out from under him. He lifts his leg closest to him and waits for your foot to get under it. He slams his foot down, crushing your shin. You clench your teeth and flip your body over, rolling your leg under him. You send your other leg into his stomach, effectively getting a hit on him.

He stumbles back a bit leaving him open for an attack. You tuck your legs in and ready your hands behind your head and lock them. You push them forward and spring towards your opponent. Your legs connect with his chest. Once you feel his stomach on the bottom of your feet you extend your legs and send him back. You curl up into a ball when you spring backwards, spin once, then open your body up again and land on your feet. You don't give him any leeway and go in for another attack. You rush at him and launch your fist at his face. The suit detects this and helps him guide your hand away from his body. You attempt a hook with your other hand, but he catches your fist. You raise your knee towards his stomach, but he uses the first hand to palm the knee down. Immediately after he pulls the same hand back a bit to charge it, then thrusts it right into your stomach. Everything but your hand is sent back by the punch. He pulls you back in and brings his leg to your face with a clean roundhouse kick. You spin through the air and smash into a car.

You fall flat on your stomach; your body feeling the beating you just received. You push your upper body up and look at the Stabbington. You crack a small smirk and get to your feet.

"It's almost like... no... it can't be..."

You ignore the thought for now and rush at him.

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Eugene approaches Rapunzel's parents and Rain.

"Listen, we have to go. Now!" Eugene says with urgency.

"We can't go. (Y/N) is still here," Irena argues.

"There are other people still trapped in their cars. We can't let them stay there," Rain says, looking over at you. "Especially with what's going on.

"Why? What's going on?" Ragnar asks, moving beside Rain to see what he's looking at.

Eugene rushes in front of Ragnar and pushes him beside Irena.

"Eugene!? What is the meaning of this?" Ragnar shouts, regaining his balance.

"You two have to go. Now. Please trust me. If these guys see you with me they'll-"

The three are suddenly pushed behind a car by Rain. He places his finger over his mouth, telling them to stay quiet.

"Ryder," a voice says, dragging out the name. "Come out. I know you're here."

"Ryder? Who is that?" Irena questions, looking at everyone.

Eugene sighs.

"I- I'm... Ryder. He's looking for Flynn Ryder. It's a long story, but you have to trust me. If he sees you with me then you two, and Rapunzel, will be in danger. I won't let that happen!" He says with conviction.

Rain peeks out from the car. He sees Sean Stabbington walking across the opposite end of the street.

"He's over there. We have to think of something, or you aren't getting out of here."

Eugene stares at the ground, thinking of what to do.

"Rain," he says, turning to Rain. "Will you stay with me to help the people still in danger?"

Rain nods. "As long as violence isn't a part of this plan."

Eugene turns back to Ragnar and Irena.

"Listen, as soon as I get his attention you two run. You got that? You run as fast as you can."

"We're not-"

"Please!" Eugene loudly whispers, cutting off Ragnar. "Please trust me. Get back to Rapunzel, alright?"

Irena places her hand on Ragnar's chest.

"Dear. I don't like this either, but I think we should listen to Eugene. Let's trust him. Rapunzel would."

Ragnar looks at Irena. He stares into her eyes for a moment then sighs in defeat.

"Fine... Just don't get hurt. Rapunzel would get mad at ME!"

Eugene smirks.

"I won't. Just go."

Eugene runs out from behind the car. He stays moderately silent as he maneuvers through the cars. He gets an ample distance away from Ragnar and Irena and gets closer to where you are.

"Hey Sean!" He shouts.

Sean turns around and devilishly smiles.

"Ryder... Glad to see you aren't trying to weasel away again."

Ragnar and Irena notice that Sean's attention is completely focused on Eugene. Rain lightly pushes them.

"Sorry for that. I didn't mean to be rude, but you should probably get going now."

Ragnar and Irena nod. They stay low and begin scurrying away from all the commotion. Rain watches them for a bit then looks around for people to help.

"You know, I could give you an eyepatch just like your brother," Eugene confidently threatens, placing his hand on his hips.

Sean smiles and starts making his way towards Eugene. Eugene slowly backs up, keeping distance between him and Sean.

"What's wrong Ryder? Scared?"

"No... I just appreciate my personal space. You wouldn't understand that though, and I get it. Brother likes to spend a lot of time together. People like you can be touchy feely you know," Eugene rambles.

Sean clenches his teeth and looks to the nearest car. His suit lights up on his arms. Sean picks up the car and throws it at Eugene. Eugene's eyes widen. He dives to the side, keeping himself out of the way.

"I really have to think things through sometimes."

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Ragnar stops running. Irena passes him then stops. She turns back to him and motions towards her.

"Come on. We have to go."

"I don't like leaving those three behind. They're just kids."

"They're in their twenties, sweety. Well, I'm not so sure about that Rain fellow, but Eugene and (Y/N) are. They can handle it."

Ragnar shakes his head.

"I'm not allowing my son in law and my soon to be nephew in law to be in danger. I just can't do it."

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Rain opens the door for some people and directs them where to go. He looks around for anyone else that's in danger. Well, obviously other than the two who are in clear danger. He cringes when he sees you and Eugene placing yourselves in danger. He wants to help, and he's fully capable of. But he hates the violence. He can't stand it, but he can't stand watching you all in danger either. It's a double edge sword, and he's unsure what edge of the blade he'd rather be on. Which one pierces deeper?

He sees some people still trapped on the fallen part of the freeway. He makes his way up there to help them.

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Sheen grabs your throat and lifts you into the air. You've barely hit him, but you're bleeding and bruised. Your nose and mouth are letting blood flow, while your legs and back have a few bruises. He tightens his grip on your neck. You yelp in pain. You kick his stomach, but he pushes away every kick you throw. He shoves his fist into your stomach and lets go of your neck. He uppercuts your stomach with his free arm then hits you with a hook. You fly to the side, bouncing across a couple cars and landing near the other Stabbington brother.

Eugene sees you land near Sean.

"(Y/N)!" He calls out.

Sean looks over at you. You're coughing up some blood and getting back on your feet. Sheen slowly walks towards you. His mask retracts, showing his face.

"You should fight this one brother. He's impressive."

Sean smirks. He changes his course from Eugene to you. You get on your feet and look at the two men approaching you.

"Two's some fun, three is a crowd man. How about you let me finish here?" You chuckle.

"Funny guy, huh?" Sean remarks.

Sean gets to you first. He throws a punch at you. You duck under it and punch him twice in the stomach. You see Sheen make his way in from the other side. He tries to hit you with a hook, but you guide it away from him. You use the momentum to spin and kick Sean in the stomach. You pivot your leg on the ground and spin back towards Sheen. You drive your heel into his ribs. Unfortunately this did little to either of them. Before you can react Sean hits you with a good punch to the face. Sheen follows up with a hit in the gut, then Sean with another punch to the face. You stumble onto your knees after the hit to the face. Sheen walks in front of you, putting his feet right in front of you. He snaps his foot at your face, sending you onto your back.

Sean lifts his leg and hovers it over your face.

"Good night."

Eugene rushes at them with a pipe. He strikes Sean's ribs, which disrupts him. You take this time to get on your feet. You roundhouse kick Sheen, which he blocks. You bring your leg back quickly so Sheen doesn't grab it. You jump and front kick Sheen back, making him stumble back. You turn around and attack Sean. He's already recovered from Eugene's hit, and his attention is on Eugene.

"That... was unwise, Ryder."

"So was attacking us!" You shout.

Sean turns around only for his stomach to be punched by you. You drive your fist as deep as you can into his stomach. You charge your free hand and punch Sean away. He flies into a car and lands on his behind.

You drop to one knee and breathe heavily. Eugene comes to your aid and helps lift you up.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I'm... I've been better. Tell me, have they always been this skilled?"

Eugene shakes his head.

"They used to fight as any normal person would. Why?"

You gently push Eugene away, standing on your own.

"Their technique... it's like I'm fighting my father, but with a more brutish style. Still, the resemblance is there. Thankfully their nature has made them slightly easier to fight, but... I can barely fight one of my father, and now there are two of them."

You notice Sheen pick up a car and slam it vertically in front of him. He starts running at you, using the car as some sort of wall. You look back and see Sean doing the same. You push Eugene out of the way, then jump up. You just make it over the cars. You land on top of them, placing one foot on each car. The two pull back their cars, stealing your footing. You fall between the cars. In midair, the brothers slam the cars together once more, crushing you.

You howl in pain. Eugene shakes his head and sees what's happening.

"(Y/N)!" Eugene shouts, anger taking over. "You bastards!"

The Stabbingtons back off from you and toss the cars into the closest building. You fall to the ground, unresponsive. Eugene wants to help you, but the Stabbingtons make it difficult for him to reach you. He begins to slowly back off as the two approach.

"We don't like being reminded that we didn't have a father," Sean says.

"Your insensitivity is annoying," Sheen adds.

Before Eugene can act Sean grabs him by the throat and lifts him up. He holds him for a second then tosses him into a pillar. Eugene slams against it then falls to the ground. Sean touches his ribs and the suit responds. A small holster pushes out of the suit and exposes a golden revolver. He points it at Eugene.

"Goodbye Ryder."

He pulls the trigger. Sean's face droops in disappointment. Ragnar stands in front of Eugene, his arms spread apart. Blood begins pooling around his chest. Eugene sees this and tries to stand up.

"Ragnar!" Irena screams.

Ragnar tries to speak, but he just falls on his side. Irena rushes to him, flipping him on his back. Rain sees this occurrence and rushes to the scene. The Stabbingtons ignore the sentimentality and focus on Eugene.

"Lucky break Ryder. You won't get another."

"Yeah... he will," you struggle to say.

The two look at you. You push yourself onto your feet and assume a lazy fighting stance.

"You're an annoyance," Sean states. "We'll deal with you right now."

Both Stabbingtons approach you. You smile. You want them to focus on you and not the others. Sean attacks you, but you block it. Sheen, however, gets a hit in, and the two start a combo against you, which you can barely defend yourself from. You have no doubt in your mind. The way they move and the way they fight are too similar to Alistair. This fact alone make it almost impossible for you to fight.

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Eugene manages to crawl over to Ragnar.

"What did... I tell you?" He chuckles.

Ragnar lets out a smile but says nothing. Rain reaches Ragnar and examines his wounds.

He's going to bleed out...

Rain sighs. He can save him.

"Everyone, back off him for a moment."

Irena takes her hands off Ragnar and watches Rain. He takes off Ragnar's shirt and looks at his wound; he's bleeding heavily and needs medical attention. Rain lifts Ragnar up and looks at his back. There's a hole there too, but it's slightly misaligned with the one in the front. The bullet must have been thrown off-course inside Ragnar, and made a new way out.

At least it isn't lodged in there. That makes it easier. Alright.

Rain takes in a breath and raises his hands in the air.

"I said I would never do this... but this is to save a life. It's different," he says aloud.

Irena and Eugene have no idea what he's talking about. Rain's hands start to shake a bit as he slowly moves them through the air. He focuses on Ragnar's wound and begins manipulating something. Irena looks at Ragnar and notices that blood isn't flowing out of the wound anymore. Rain moves his hands around a little more then stops. He looks at Irena and smiles.

"He'll be okay. Use something to cover his wounds then take him to a hospital."

"Wha-what did you do?" She stutters.

"I... I manipulated his blood flow. It's all water, when you think of it. It's just... red..."

Eugene thinks quickly. He rips off the sleeve of his shirt and begins wrapping it around Ragnar's chest. It can only go around him once, but Eugene makes it tight enough.

"What's with all of you? How can you stop bleeding and h-how can (Y/N) fight those men?" Irena asks, on the verge of tears.

Eugene raps his arm around Irena and hugs her. She accepts it.

"It's complicated. We'll explain when we aren't... (Y/N)!"

Eugene stands up and looks around for you.

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You jump out of the way of a punch and land on a car. Sheen jumps in the air and brings his fist down upon you. You push off the car to dodge it. Your feet hit the side of another car, giving you an opportunity. You push off the side and dash towards Sean. You're able to land a solid punch, but Sheen grabs your leg and throws you into a car. Sean walks up to you and starts beating you into the car even more. You cough up blood every punch.

Eugene takes the same pipe as before and goes in for another attack. Sean turns to Eugene and catches the pipe.

"I'm done with you Ryder."

Sean punches Eugene, making him bounce across a few cars. Eugene rolls off the final car and lands on the ground. He holds his stomach and coughs. He can't get up at all. The pain is too much.

With the window Eugene gave you, you get back in the groove. Sheen throws a barrage of punches at you, which you somewhat keep up with. You dodge his last attack and throw your foot at the side of his head. You somehow use enough force to make him flip in the air and fall to the ground. You instantly turn to Sean and Eugene. You start running. Sheen grabs your leg, making you fall on your face. Sheen gets to his feet before you can. His arms start glowing more intensely. He lifts you over his head and smashes you on the ground beside him. He quickly does the same thing but on the other side of him. He smashes you around eight times before holding you in front of him by the leg. Your body limply dangles from your leg. Sheen smirks. He punches you in the stomach, making your eyes open and you to spit out blood. He spins you around then grabs your neck. He holds you a little higher than him as he chokes the life out of you. You try to kick his face, but you have neither the strength nor the momentum to get enough force to hurt him. He simply strangles you more intensely.

At the same time Sean is tossing around Eugene like he's nothing. Eugene has no strength to fight back at all. He can't combat something like this, so he's basically just a practice dummy. Sean shoves Eugene to the ground and rests his foot on Eugene's head. He puts a little bit of force on Eugene.

"Come on Ryder. No quips, puns, jokes, or even a sarcastic comment? I'm disappointed."

"I've just got... a lot on my mind right now."

Sean snickers.

"There he is."

From a distance Rain and Irena witness everything. Irena is in tears of disbelief, while Rain is shaking to his core. His whole body is on overload thinking of what to do. You're both about to die, and there's nothing Rain can do about it. He's thrown in this situation – a situation he doesn't want to be in. He's not a violent person. He's not a person who wishes harm on others. He hates to see people hurt, and seeing one of his close friends being killed in front of him is driving him insane. He's holding his double edged sword... and he stabs himself with one of the edges.

He lifts both of his arms up – one towards Sean and the other towards Sheen. Tears are falling down his eyes.

"I'm so sorry... Please... Stop... I don't want to do this," he whispers, hoping the two will hear him.

Instead he hears your screams, as distorted as they are from being choked. Rain yelps as he goes through with his action. He starts controlling the blood inside both Stabbingtons.

Suddenly Sheen's grip loosens. He lets go of you and starts screaming. You fall to the floor, barely able to keep yourself awake. Sean removes his foot from Eugene's head, and he starts screaming as well. Rain does his best to ignore the screams; they only make it worse. He closes his hands together, which makes the two brothers fly towards each other. They both rip off their masks and claw at their faces. Blood starts to intensely pour out of their nose, ears, mouth, and around their eyeballs. It slowly seeps out of their skin, desperately trying to escape their body. The skin tight suits begins filling with blood, and it's only escape is through their facial area. The blood simply bursts out of the openings. Rain feels terrible about this. His emotions are skyrocketing, which is only augmenting the pain it's causing the Stabbingtons. Within a minute their bodies are drained of blood. A pool of blood has formed under their limp, pale, lifeless bodies.

Rain sees what he's done and drops to his knees. He remains silent, and just stares at what he's done. He has almost no expression on his face. Just a blank stare. He's not even sure who just died right there. It's like he's empty and cold. There's nothing left in his body. All he can feel is the blood flowing through him. The water that rushes all around him; his sixth sense. You're able to get yourself to him. You get right in front of him then fall to your knees. You breathe heavily, but have a slight smile on your face. Sweat is dripping down your nose and chin, hitting the hot pavement.

You turn your head to Rain, still smiling. You see... actually what worries you is what you don't see. You don't see Rain's face. His shyness has dripped away, but nothing has replaced it. He looks lifeless.

"Rain... are you okay?"

Rain doesn't acknowledge you. He blankly stares straight at the building in front of him.

"I'm fine... I think... I think I'm going to go home now."

Rain gets off his knees and starts walking down the street.

"Rain!" You call out.

He doesn't respond. He doesn't flinch. It doesn't even look like he's breathing. You want to go after him, but your body is so beat up that you couldn't catch up even if you wanted to. You glance over at the now deceased Stabbingtons. If there's one thing you need to know, it's how they were able to fight the way they did. You get on your feet once more and stagger over there. You look down at their bodies and see their lifeless, pale faces.

"No blood... Rain really did a number on them. No wonder he-"

"Life signs not detected. Wearers status: Terminated," a robotic male voice states, emanating from the two suits. "Disposal is in effect."

You raise your brow.

"Disposal? What does that me-"

Before you can finish your sentence both suits explode. The dual explosion sends you flying back. You smash into one of the few pillars still standing, hitting the back of your head on impact.

Then... it all went black.

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Anna turns off her car and lets out a small sigh. She looks over to the passenger seat and grabs the small lunch box that sits there. It's one of Anna's old ones from when she was younger; pink, flower stickers, and a few rust marks. She gets out of the car and gazes upon the grand, if unfinished, building in front of her. There are barriers to keep people out, but of course there are some routes to enter.

Anna keeps the lunchbox with her and finds one of those entrances. She walks in and is greeted immediately.

"Hey! What'd you think you're doing here?" A construction man shouts, jogging to approach her.

Anna stands her ground, keeping the lunchbox out of sight.

"My boyfriend, Kristoff Bjorgman is here today. He forgot his lunch, so I'm here to drop it off. I'm Anna, by the way. Anna Anderson," she happily greets, reaching out to shake his hand.

The man hesitates for a minute, but does accept her gesture.

"So you're the infamous Anna. I have to say, you're a lot more... tame than Kristoff described."

"Oh? And how exactly did he describe me?" She inquires.

The man crosses his arms and looks to the sky, thinking back to what his co-worker said.

"Impulsive. Loud! That was a big one."

Anna giggles.

"Well, he's not without merit. Anyway, where is he?"

"Oh, he's working on the base of the building. His lunch is soon, actually, so you could catch him right as he's going on break."

"Well, thank you," Anna says, beginning to walk away.

"Hold on! You'll need a helmet if I'm to let you walk on the grounds."

He jogs to one of the nearby stations and grabs an extra helmet. He runs back to her and hands it over.

"Policy, you know."

"I understand. Thank you."

Anna places the hat on her head, covering everything but the two ponytails resting on both of her shoulders. She walks around the grounds, keeping her eyes out for Kristoff. It's a little harder to find him than she thought. Most of the men around here have muscle to them, and of course the women that she sees aren't Kristoff, so they're dismissed right away.

"I am very manly, thank you very much!" A voice shouts.

Anna giggles to herself. She recognizes the voice and can only imagine the conversation that Kristoff is having. Probably him bragging about how much of a ladies man he is, or... something like that. It's exciting for Anna to try and come up with what it could be. She looks down at her girly lunchbox and deviously smiles. She comes up with an awful idea. An awfully brilliant idea. She hops and skips towards the source of Kristoff's voice.

She was right to do so, as she finds him with three other of his co-workers. Kristoff has his arms crossed and is looking away. Anna sneaks around him so that she sees his back. However, she's also close enough to hear.

"I don't know man. My brother was in your school and said that you mostly stood on the sidelines," a brown eyed man says as he leans closer to Kristoff, his hands on his hips with a smile on his face.

"I was not! I would like to think that I was the silent hero. I kept my mouth shut but helped everyone. I was quite the gu-"

Anna slips right beside Kristoff, surprising everyone.

"Oh Mr. Silent Hero," Anna says in a babying manner. "You seem to have forgotten your lunch, so I brought it for you. I made sure to use your favourite lunchbox," she finishes, displaying the box.

Kristoff's eyes widen and he throws his body back, practically throwing backwards onto the ground. His co-workers see the lunchbox and raise their brows.

"This is your lunchbox? Very hero like, I'd say," one says, holding in laughter.

"Anna! What are you doing here!? And what is that!? I've never seen this in my life!"

"Well what are you talking about?" She says in an innocent tone. "You're the one who bought it. I have to say that it's SUPER adorable of you."

Kristoff's co-workers cover their mouths to try and hide their laughter. Kristoff looks over at them for a second then back to Anna.

"Stop it! You know I've never seen this before! What are you trying to do!?" He shouts.

"Why're you shouting, you big ol' teddy bear? I thought you said you'd use it with pride?"

"I... but you... I never... you're just... this isn't..."

Kristoff gives up and lets his whole body slouch. Anna giggles and turns to his co-workers. She makes a gesture, telling them to shoo.

"Can Kristoff and I have a few minutes?"

"Of course. Anything for the big ol' teddy bear," they laugh.

Once everyone leaves Kristoff turns to Anna.

"What the hell was that Anna!? Were you trying to ruin all credibility I have?"

Anna starts laughing.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. How about," she says, changing to a seductive tone and making two of her fingers walk up his chest. "I make it up to you tonight?"

Kristoff blushes and begins rubbing the back of his head.

"Well... I mean... if you want to."

Anna starts laughing once more.

"My goodness, you're starting to sound like (Y/N) when Elsa teases him."

"Hey! I... wait... doesn't it work though?"

Anna gets on her tippy toes and kisses Kristoff.

"Yeah... it does."

They two suddenly hear whistling from behind one of the walls.

"Hey!" Kristoff shouts.

"You seem to work with some nice guys."

"Yeah... this happens whenever someone's girl drops by. Speaking of which, why are you here?"

Anna pushes the lunchbox into Kristoff's stomach.

"I came here to actually give you this. You forgotto pack a lunch but still took your own lunchbox. This was the only thing I could find."

"Not even a paper bag or something?" He inquires.

Anna shakes her head.

"Olaf just takes them all the time, so Elsa stopped putting them on the list."

"Hm... hey speaking of that, where is Olaf? I didn't see him today. Thought he might be back."

Anna's persona changes from cheery to concerned. She lowers her head and stops smiling.

"I don't know. Elsa asked around but nobody has seen him. He was supposed to be picked up a few days ago, but the mother Elsa talked to said Olaf wasn't there."

Kristoff crosses his arms and looks away.

"Maybe it's time we alert the authorities. He could be in trouble."

"Elsa already did. All we can do is wait."

Kristoff wraps his arms around Anna. She's taken back at first, but quickly warms up to the idea.

"He'll be fine. He's a resourceful little guy."

Anna hugs Kristoff tightly.

"I know... but thank you."

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Elsa turns off the tap, finishing her short chore. She takes a towel and slowly dries off her hands. She neatly places the towel beside all the washed dishes.

"Anna can do them when she gets home. I think I deserve a little break."

Elsa leaves the kitchen and heads to the main room. She places her head at one end of the couch and stretches all the way across. She lets out a small yawn as she does this. Elsa lets her body sink into the couch, and she just lays there. It's comfortable, and she enjoys these small moments. Though, she'd enjoy it a little more if you were here with her.

Elsa reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her phone. She unlocks it then flips to your contact information. That same picture is still there, reminding of her a less stressful time. Elsa stares at that picture, thinking back on your entire relationship.

Back when she first met you; when you bumped into her. She revolted the thought of socializing with anyone, so she ran away. There's no way she would have thought that you would become the man she loves. Then onto the dozens of amazing things you did. You didn't just give up on her. You kept trying to talk to her no matter how much attitude she threw at you. You made friends with Anna and Kristoff. You stopped Hans from using Anna, the same way he tried – and failed – to use her. You're also the reason that Anna is so happy with Kristoff now. It's all you. You were the one who showed her how to open up, you were the one who fought for her against forces that you could barely keep up with. You could have cut and run when Pyro attacked, but no. You stood and fought for Elsa, even taking a fatal wound for Anna. Again and again you proved to be loyal to not only Elsa, but her entire family.

Elsa starts to smile as she thinks back to those early days; the simpler days. Elsa looks over at the coffee table and sees the remote. She attempts to grab it but it's just outside her grasp. Elsa pouts. She scooches her body over slightly and stretches her arm out all the way to try and get it. She tries to push her middle finger farther in order to at least touch it. Then, she can reel it in. Elsa lets her hand drop before touching it. She shakes her head and spins herself into a normal sitting position.

"I was so close to acting like Anna there. I'm glad nobody saw," Elsa giggles.

Elsa grabs the remote and turns on the TV. The news channel is what appears right away. Elsa shrugs and leans back. Right now it's just talking about some dispute between countries about some resource or another. As head of W.A. Industries, Elsa already knows about all that. She has to in order to know what products to create, where to ship them to, and what stocks to worry about. But she's home right now and doesn't have to worry about that at the moment.

Suddenly Elsa hears the doorbell ring. She stands up and looks at the door, pondering who could possibly be here. Anna, Kristoff, Gerda, Kai, or even you would have just walked in. She approaches the door and opens it. She's surprised to see who is paying her a visit. Juno.

"Juno? What're you doing here?" Elsa questions, refraining from sounding rude.

"Well, Alec told me he'd handle all of your affairs today. It's near closing time anyway, so he just sent me home. I'm just here to let you know of a few affairs that I thought require your attention."

"Alright... Well come in then."

Elsa backs away from the door and extends her hand, signaling Juno to come in. Juno holds some files tight in her hand as she walks in. She looks around Elsa's house, admiring the interior.

"This is a beautiful house Ms. Anderson."

"Oh, well thank you. But please just call me Elsa. We're not at work."

Juno smiles.

"Of course, I forgot. Sorry Elsa."

"It's of no concern. Come. Sit with me. I was just relaxing."

Elsa leads Juno to the couch and the two take a seat. Elsa turns to Juno right away.

"Would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"Ah, no, thank you, I'm fine," she politely refuses.

Juno lays down the files she brought on the table. She doesn't open them up right away, but she does draw Elsa's attention to them.

"Are these the files I should look over?"

Juno nods.

"They are indeed. But I... I need to ask a favour of you."

Elsa nods towards Juno.

"Speak your mind."

"My husband is coming back to Arendelle tomorrow, and only for a single day. May I take tomorrow off? If not then it's okay, I understand."

"No, of course it's okay. I would be asking the same thing if my fiancée was coming back."

Juno raises her brow.

"Ah yes. (Y/N), was it?"

Elsa nods.

"He has business in Corona. It's a shame but... well I'm sure you'd like him if you met him. He's actually quite the stand-up guy."

As the two converse the front door opens. Anna walks in, slightly surprised at the mystery person.

"Hello, I'm Anna. Who're you?"

"Oh," Juno says, standing up and extending her hand. "I'm Juno. I work as Elsa's secretary."

Anna takes off her shoes and shakes Juno's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you. Good to know Elsa's letting SOMEONE help with her schedule."

Elsa makes a face at Anna. Anna sticks out her tongue. Juno sees this back and forth and chuckles.

"Siblings are really something to watch. I miss it."

Elsa turns to Juno.

"You have a sister?"

"Oh, no. I have two sons. They used to go back and forth all the time, bantering about everything. They still do, I hear. I don't get to see them as much as my husband does."

Anna slips away from the conversation and heads to the kitchen. She sees the dishes still drying and sighs.

"I'm assuming you left these for me?" Anna shouts.

"I did indeed," Elsa proudly states.

Elsa leads Juno back to the couch. The TV starts becoming more prominent without the two talking.

"In other news, police have more insight on what happened this afternoon-"

Elsa turns off the TV.

"No need to have it on right now. So, Juno, what're your plans for tonight?"

"Oh... well I was just planning to go home after dropping off the files."

Elsa waves her hand in front of her.

"Oh nonsense. You should have dinner with us. We could introduce you to my sister's boyfriend, and it's Anna's turn to cook anyway."

"Well," Juno says, looking away from Elsa and contemplating the offer.

"You don't have to stay all night, but we would enjoy the company. Please, I insist."

Juno cracks a small smirk.

"Alright, I will. Thank you. But, may I ask where your bathroom is?"

Elsa points to a small hallway, past the kitchen.

"Down there, to the right. It's the only door in that hallway. You can't miss it."

Juno stands up and bows her head towards Elsa.

"Thank you."

Both Juno and Elsa stand up and go their separate ways; Elsa, to the kitchen, and Juno, to the bathroom. However, Juno doesn't go to the bathroom. She slips out the back door and takes a few steps away from the house. She drops to one knee and starts laughing.

"I could kill them... kill them right now and be done with it. It's inevitable... they'll die anyway... I want to... EASE the suffering," she rambles.

Juno throws her fist into the ground, leaving a small mark.

"No! Alistair doesn't want me to... I'll get my chance... I'll get my kill..."

Juno hears a noise and looks over towards the garden. A black and white cat cautiously walks along the pond. It sees Juno and stares at her curiously. Juno stretches her arm towards the cat. The cat sniffs the ground a little bit then slowly makes its way to Juno. It reaches Juno's hand and sniffs it. Juno leans forward a little bit and starts rubbing under the cat's ear. The cat begins purring and is clearly enjoying the attention. Juno smiles. Her face suddenly changes, and she forcefully grabs the cat's face. She spins her hand around, snapping the cat's neck. Juno lifts the cat up by the face then throws it at least a mile away from the Anderson household.

"Pathetic creature," she angrily states.

Juno stretches her neck then walks back inside the house. She quietly enters through the door and goes into the bathroom.

Elsa, on the other hand, is already talking with Anna.

"So Kristoff isn't going to be here for dinner?"

Anna shakes her head as she puts away a plate.

"No. I brought him a ton of food for the night. He won't be back for couple hours. Maybe 11 or so."

Elsa readies some pots for the food. She looks over at Anna as she stands up straight.

"I didn't think construction workers worked so late."

"Some overtime thing or another. The city really wants this building made. I'm not too sure of all the details myself, but Kristoff said he was getting paid a lot more for working at night," Anna explains.

Elsa nods her head and fills up a pot of water. Anna raises her brow.

"Aren't I making dinner tonight?"

Elsa shrugs.

"Well, it has to be good. We do have a guest."

Anna stops dead in her tracks. She puts down the cup she was drying and looks over at Elsa.

"Is there something wrong with my cooking?" Anna questions.

"What? No. Not at all," Elsa deflects. "But out of the two of us, who's the better cook here?"

Anna cross her arms and leans on her hip.

"Who was the one who made (Y/N) gag?"

"It was one time! The chicken must have been wrong or something. I followed the recipe to the letter!" Elsa defends.

"Yeah," Anna snickers. "Well thanks to that we can't have lemon chicken anymore; one of Kristoff's favourite dinners."

Elsa lets her body slouch, and she sighs.

"Fine... my apologies. But if he wanted it that badly, why haven't we made it while (Y/N) was gone? There's two times I can think of where he's been gone for extended periods of time."

Anna raises her finger and opens her mouth, as if she has something genius to say. Nothing comes out of her mouth. Elsa's raises an eyebrow and smiles.

"I'm still waiting for your response."

This time Anna's body slouches.

"Shut up. You're mean," she spews, turning around and walking away.

Elsa crosses her arms and smiles.

"There's no way out that way, Anna."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Anna shouts.

Elsa giggles. Juno exits the bathroom just in time to hear Anna's little outburst. She walks into the kitchen and smiles at the sight.

"So, would it be rude to ask what we're having for dinner?"

Elsa turns around to face Juno.

"Spaghetti. Is that okay?"

Juno nods.

"That sounds great."

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1 Hour Later

The three women sit down in the living room. Anna insisted that they sit there because her favourite show is about to come on. The women sit on the largest couch which holds about three people. Four if people squish together. They set their plates on the coffee table. Anna grabs the remote and turns on the TV. The news is still on.

"In other news we have more information on the terrorist attack that occurred this afternoon. Poli-"

The channel switches through some channels, as Anna is searching for her show. Elsa was a little more interested in what the news was saying, but she stays silent. Anna finally reaches the channel. Her jaw drops and she lets out a wail.

"What's with the TV? What's with all the news?"

The TV shows a male news reporter standing with another male cop.

"So, can you tell us what you've discovered?"

"Well, it's obvious that some sort of explosive device that destroyed the freeway. We've blocked it off from both sides until repairs can be made," the policeman answers.

"And was anyone seriously hurt?"

"We only had three people who were seriously injured. The rest got to safety with minimal injuries."

"We got the chance to talk to some of the people who experienced the accident," a voice over of the same reporter says.

A woman takes the screen.

"A lot more people were able to make it out because of this young man. I saw him get a ton of people out of their cars, and even saved myself and my child from being crushed," she recollects. "If not for him, I might not be here."

"From what witnesses describe, the young man is suspected to be recent CMF winner, (Y/N) Knight, who was sent to the hospital with serious injuries."

"Isn't that your fiancée?" Juno inquires.

Elsa doesn't answer. She drops her utensils and completely focuses on the news. Anna looks over at Elsa and sees the desperation in her face.

A clip of you playing during the CMFs is played.

"(Y/N) Knight was found unconscious in a critical condition. Apparently, his wounds suggest that he was beaten before finally going unconscious, but there are no witnesses to what might have happened. Two others were rushed to hospital, including Ragnar Dyke and Eugene Fitzgerald. Ragnar's wife, Irena Dyke, was also found at the scene but sustained minimal injuries. Ragnar was found with bullet wounds, while Eugene was found in a condition similar to (Y/N). Their exact injuries and current condition are unknown to us, as the hospital they were sent to, Corona Hospital, aren't giving away any details. We'll be bringing you all the information we can find on this story as we get it."

Both Juno and Anna stare at Elsa. They can both see she's broken. The only thing she can think of his how you're doing. She wants to be with you. She wants to be holding your hand as you lie in the hospital bed, telling you it's going to be alright. She can only imagine how Rapunzel is feeling. But it's hard to think of others right now. The only one she can think of his you.

Why (Y/N)... why can't you go anywhere without getting hurt?