Chapter 38: For the Right Cause

Dozens of people loiter around the front door of the hospital. Some people are on their phones, updating loved ones on the status of whoever is kept here. Others are just playing on their phones, trying to pass the time. The only other type of people are people in groups; either with their friends or with the person residing in the hospital. It's easy to tell these groups apart, but they're all here for the same reason. They all have someone they care about in the hospital. It's never an easy event, but it shows how much these people actually care.

But someone is in a hurry. Rapunzel sprints through the front door of the hospital. She attracts the attention of everyone around her with the running and the sobbing. She enters the hospital and looks around for the main desk. Most of the place is covered by people, but it's still clear enough to see what's around. She looks from left to right. First thing she sees is a coffee shop, followed by a gift shop. When she finally looks to the right she finds the main desk. Rapunzel runs towards it, pushing people out of her way.

She throws her hands on the desk, instantly grabbing the attention of the receptionist.

"Please, can you help me!?" She frantically asks, tears running down her face. "I need to find my father and husband: Ragnar Dyke and Eugene Fitzherbert"

The receptionist gives Rapunzel a reassuring, warm smile.

"Alright young lady. Just take a second to breathe while I look up their room numbers."

"Th-thank you," Rapunzel says, sniffling.

Rapunzel crosses her hands on the desk and rests her head on her arms. She can't even imagine what could have happened to them at the freeway. She was having a relaxing afternoon until she heard. She was going to surprise everyone by making dinner. She wanted to make something huge to congratulate you for your win. She also wanted to give you a socking for not finding her family afterwards, and just running away somewhere else. Either way, she was excited for tonight. While taking a break she decided to watch some TV. She was a little annoyed when every channel was just filled with news. Once she stopped fighting it she actually stopped and listened to what they were talking about. The moment she heard that her family and you were sent to the hospital she started running as fast as she could. She didn't even think of bringing her car, she just ran.

She ran and cried the entire way to the hospital. Now she's here, and she needs to see her loved ones.

"Excuse me, young lady?" The receptionist pipes up.

Rapunzel lifts her head and stares at the receptionist with eager eyes.

"Lucky for you, Ragnar Dyke and Eugene Fitzherbert are residing in the same room. Take the elevator up two floors. It's room 262."

"Thank you so much! Thank you!" Rapunzel spews.

The receptionist smiles.

"It's no problem. I do this for a living."

Rapunzel is just about to run to the elevator when her phone goes off. She takes it out of her pocket and looks at the notification. It's a text from Elsa. Rapunzel unlocks her phone and looks at the contents of the message. It reads "Call me please, I need a favour." Rapunzel jogs outside as she hits the call button. She exits the doors and stands around with everyone else. She's joined one of the three groups.

The phone rings for a second and then a voice is heard.

"Rapunzel?" Elsa asks.

Rapunzel can hear a hint of desperation in Elsa's tone.

"Elsa, it's me. I guess you heard."

"I did," Elsa quickly responds. "Have you gone to the hospital yet?"

"I was just about to see my family," she says, placing her leg over the other and crossing her one arm.

"Can you do me a favour, please? Can you check up on (Y/N)? I need to know if he's okay."

Rapunzel smirks then nods even though Elsa can't see her.

"I will, I promise. But I want to see my father first."

"I-I understand. Just please... please let me know he's okay."

"I will Elsa, I promise. Rest easy, as I'm on the case."

Elsa lets out a weak snicker.

"Yeah... well, thanks Rapunzel. We'll talk later."

"Definitely. See ya later cos."

"Bye."

Rapunzel hangs up the phone then rushes back inside. She speeds up to the desk once more, making the receptionist chuckle at her return.

"Is there something else I can help you with?"

"I need to know where (Y/N)..." Rapunzel pauses for a moment trying to remember your last name. "(Y/N) Knight! I need to know where he is!"

The receptionist turns back to her computer.

"One moment, I'll look him up. He's the one who played at the CMFs right?"

Rapunzel nods.

"That's the one."

"Ah, I loved him. All my friends and I were just ogling him," she admits.

Rapunzel chuckles.

"I'll admit, it was kind of hard not to."

The receptionist giggles a bit but still keeps focused on her work. She pulls up your file and is a little surprised at the result. The surprise is evident on her face, and Rapunzel picks up on that. She raises her brow and leans in a bit.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"His file... I can't access it. Says it's restricted... that's... odd. I've never seen that happen before. I apologize, but I can't get his room number. I think it's on the same floor though. Maybe the staff can tell you. Sorry I couldn't help," she states with disappointment.

"That's okay. Have a nice day, miss!" Rapunzel says, departing.

"Yes. You too."

Rapunzel runs through the hospital and reaches the elevators. She looks at the indicator that displays what floor each elevator is on. Two of the three are on the third floor. One is on the second. Rapunzel approaches that elevator and calls it down. She waits a few moments for the elevator to get to her floor. Once the elevator door opens Rapunzel rushes in. She clicks the second floor and waits for it to close once more. Nobody comes into the elevator, so Rapunzel can easily go to the floor she wants with no interruptions. The elevator door closes and it starts going up. Rapunzel holds on while the elevator begins to elevate. It raises to the second floor and opens up. Rapunzel bolts out of the elevator and down the hall, passing nurses and patients alike.

The thought of asking where room 262 is never crosses Rapunzel's mind, despite that being the smartest course of action. Instead she just bootlegs it through the floor, hoping that she'll stumble across. Rapunzel turns the corner and bumps into someone, causing her to fall on the ground. Rapunzel hits her head on the floor which dazes her a bit. The man she bumped into doesn't fall over, and is just taking a second to gain his bearings. He looks at Rapunzel and widens his eyes.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asks, leaning over and extending his hand to aid her.

Rapunzel lifts her upper body and rubs her head. She looks up at the man. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He is slightly skinny, but it suits his face. He's wearing an all-white suit with white gloves. Rapunzel takes the man's hand and get up. He brushes himself up a bit then looks at Rapunzel.

"My apologies. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," the man states.

"No, no. It was my fault. I was running and being reckless. I'm sorry."

The man shrugs.

"Let's just say we're both to blame. But it seems like you're in a hurry."

Rapunzel nods.

"Yes, I do need to go. But I didn't get your name. Mine's Rapunzel."

The man bows his head towards her.

"Erik."

Rapunzel waves and starts running again. Erik keeps his head bows and smirks.

"Erik Westergaard."

He lifts his head and looks back at Rapunzel, who runs down the hall and turns the corner. Erik places his hand in his pockets and slowly walks through the hospital. He keeps his mind to himself, trying not to hear anything he doesn't want to. It can get annoying sometimes.

He reaches the elevator and clicks the button. Thankfully the door opens immediately and he walks on in. He pulls one hand out of his pocket and clicks the third floor. The door closes and does its job. It brings Erik to the third floor. Erik leaves the elevator and takes a right. He strolls through the hallway, and stops at the door right before the hallway turns. Room 397 is displayed on the door. Erik opens the door and walks in. He sees a man lying on the bed, sleeping. The name above reads: (Y/N) Knight.

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Rapunzel finds the room and rushes into it. She sees her mother, Irena, sitting on a chair next to Ragnar. He is lying in bed, but awake. Irena's hand is on Ragnar's, and they both have smiles on their faces. When Rapunzel runs in, the two look over at her. Ragnar opens his arms and smiles.

"Come here my daughter, come here," he says, chuckling.

Rapunzel's eyes tear up and she accepts his offer. She runs up to him and accepts his embrace. She's full on crying now, dampening a small part of Ragnar's gown.

"I-I was... s-so scared. I t-thought you..."

"Shh, it's okay Rapunzel, its okay. It's over now," Ragnar whispers, stroking Rapunzel's brown hair.

Rapunzel squeezes her father tighter, making sure she knows he's really there. She almost lost him. She's not prepared for that.

Rapunzel's eyes widen and she pushes off from Ragnar. Ragnar is a little confused by this, as is Irena.

"Eugene! Where's Eugene?" She questions.

Both Irena and Ragnar's faces drop a little. Irena points across the room to an area that is covered by a curtain. Rapunzel looks at the curtain, her mother, then back to the curtain. She starts to get nervous – playing with her fingers and swallowing an excess of saliva. She slowly walks towards the curtains and opens them up. She covers her mouth when she sees him.

Eugene is connected to a plethora of different machines. His face is beaten so badly that it's no longer his own skin colour. One of his eyes and mouth are swollen, whilst one leg and arm are in a cast. Rapunzel's eyes produce tears once more. She's never felt so helpless and sad in her life. Yes, her father was hurt but he's okay in the end. Her husband, however, is on the verge of death.

She slowly approaches Eugene, still not believing that he's in such a state. She stands right beside him, staring at him. He's sleeping, or unconscious. Either one would be suitable at the moment. Luckily Eugene's right hand isn't the one in the cast, so Rapunzel can just hold is hand there. She softly places her hand on Eugene's.

"Why do you always have to act like a hero?" She whimpers, half complaining half chuckling. "You're not as tough as you let yourself believe..."

"Rapunzel," Irena interrupts. "If it wasn't for Eugene, I don't think anyone would be here right now."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be shot," Ragnar mumbles.

Irena lightly slaps Ragnar's chest to shut him up. Rapunzel smirks for a moment then returns her gaze to Eugene.

"Everyone alright in here?" A man's voice inquires.

Everyone looks to the door to see Hunter and Gaia. Gaia is dressed in a beautiful green dress whilst Hunter has a simple white t-shirt with cargo shorts.

"We rushed here as soon as we heard," Gaia says, walking close to Rapunzel.

"I don't mean to be rude but... who're you?" Irena questions.

"Oh," Gaia jumps, turning to Irena and sticking out her hand. "My name's Gaia. I'm Hunter's girlfriend."

Hunter raises his brow and looks at Gaia. She said that so smoothly without any hesitation or anything. She just said it. Hunter crosses his arms and leans against the wall leading out of the room.

"Oh, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Irena, Rapunzel's mother and Ragnar's wife."

"It is a pleasure indeed, though I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

Irena's face drops.

"I agree, all too well."

Gaia walks over to Eugene. She stares at the broken man and sighs.

"Such a shame. How is he doing?"

"We're not sure. Doctors ran some tests and said they'd be back soon," Ragnar replies.

"Ragnar, sweetie," Irena says in a soft voice, squeezing his hand. "You shouldn't be talking too much. You need to rest."

Rapunzel ignores her parents and moves close to Hunter.

"Do you know where (Y/N) is? The receptionist I talked to couldn't find his room."

Hunter nods.

"Yeah, I know."

Rapunzel shifts her head back a bit in surprise.

"How do you know?"

Hunter lazily shrugs.

"Family talents. Why? Do you want to see him?"

Rapunzel nods.

"I promised Elsa I would let her know how he's doing."

Hunter flicks his head towards Eugene.

"You're going to leave him?"

"Only to see how (Y/N) is doing, then I'll come back."

Hunter is about to push off the wall but someone comes in behind him. A doctor walks in holding a notepad. He reads it then looks at the room. He has a grey hair and a grey goatee. Contrary to the hair, he doesn't look too old. You could predict late 50s. Maybe he got grey hair early? Who knows.

He looks up at the room and gets startled.

"My, I didn't expect so many people. There were only three when I was last here."

Rapunzel moves in front of the man.

"I'm Rapunzel, Eugene's wife. How is he doctor? Will he make it?" She asks, a mix of hope and sorrow in her voice.

The doctor lets out a warm smile.

"He'll live. However he will have to stay here for a few weeks. It's doubtful that he'll be awake for another few days. Now, about his injuries..."

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Erik triumphantly strolls into your room. You're lying on the hospital bed, unconscious. The blankets cover your entire body, and there are three metal chains holding you to the bed in the event that you wake up prematurely. Erik grabs a chair leaning against the wall opposite you and drags it beside the bed. He takes a seat, lifting one leg onto the other. He smiles at your emotionless face.

"Seems you got exactly what you were after. Did I end up helping? I really did, didn't I? Apologies for leaving in a rush but... I had things to do. But now my time in Corona is ending, and to Arendelle I must go. I wonder what kind of people I'll meet in Arendelle," he monologues with confidence, sarcasm, and arrogance.

He pushes off the chair and leans over you, his mouth right above your ear.

"But I'm sure that you'll do well, hm? I'm rooting for you, you know. Both of you. Perhaps I can become the new Monarch if you end up killing Alistair. Yes, I think you should kill Alistair. Kill him."

Erik hovers above you, waiting. His eyes are staring at your forehead. After a moment his expression changes to a less-than-pleased one. He smacks the side of your bed and takes a few steps away.

"Goddamnit!" He shouts. "I can't enter your mind! Alistair must have planned it out. He must have known, and that's why he implanted those other two inside of you. That bastard. But how? Did he know I would come back? Did he know I could so perfectly refine the curse he forced onto me," he rambles, looking directly into the ceiling light. "Almost his entire family is immune to me... except one."

Erik deviously smirks. He spins around, looking at you once more.

"You really know how to listen to a man. That's why I like you. You can just sit and listen... oh, I could kill you now but that wouldn't satisfy me. Alistair wouldn't suffer enough if you died. Maybe Juno..? No, she'd recognize me in an instant. So, sadly," he states, leaning against the head of your hospital bed, looking down at you. "You're the one I'm putting my faith into. You're the one who has to kill Alistair for me. I doubt it matters whether I place that idea into your mind or not. Your battle with him is inevitable. I would bet even Alistair knows that."

Erik walks away from the hospital bed.

"And when you kill him... I will take over. I will be the new Monarch! I will take what Alistair has, shape it into my own image! Then... you will no longer be needed. Either..."

Erik pauses. He looks around the room, trying to decipher what he's feeling.

"Alistair... he's coming. He's here. Leaving would be most wise of me, most wise indeed. Goodbye (Y/N). Next time you see me I'll be the new Monarch. Maybe I'll say hello to your beautiful fiancée during my stay in Arendelle," he taunts.

Erik waves then scurries out of the room.

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Shadow stands silent in Limbo. His eyes are closed and his posture straight. The clear shade of white that has taken over this plane of existence doesn't bother him at all, though he did prefer the shadows of the old one. Sure, it's not completely white here but the colourless colour of white far outweighs the darkness.

Shadow opens his eyes once Erik leaves.

"You? Monarch? No... The Monarchs will be all but extinct once we kill him. You won't take that position. No one will."

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The elevator opens to the third floor. Alistair – in a black suit like always – walks out of the elevator. He takes a left and starts walking down the hallway. A nurse runs up to him and flips through her clipboard.

"Would it be rude if I presumed you are Mr. Alistair Knight?"

Alistair pauses and turns his full attention to the girl. She's young, likely right out of whatever medical school she attended. Alistair gives a suave smile.

"I am Alistair Knight, yes."

The nurse holds her clipboard close to her and blushes. She looks down for a moment to regain her composure. She looks back up at Alistair and keeps a stern face on.

"Someone left a message for you – a note, to be more specific."

The nurse grabs it from her clipboard and hands it over. Alistair takes it and is about to read it.

"The man said he was a... an old friend. He emphasized "old" friend. But he said you'd be up here to see Subject 9."

Alistair lowers the paper and looks at the nurse.

"Subject 9?"

The nurse hesitantly nods.

"Yes, that's what he's labeled as. I couldn't tell you why, as I really don't know. But orders are orders, you know."

"Yes... well... thank you for the note. I'll be going now."

Alistair keeps the note in his hand and begins walking away. He slowly walks down the hallway as he reads the letter. A smirk slowly creeps onto his face. It evolves into pure laughter. He throws the letter in the holowatch and starts tampering with it. It brings up a small menu with a list of people. Alistair scrolls down to the bottom and stops it. His finger hovers over the name "Alec Westergaard". He clicks it.

Alistair closes up the holowatch and enters a room. He sees you lying on the bed, chained up. He sighs and crosses his arms.

"You're pathetic (Y/N). Getting taken down so easily. At least here... I can borrow something from you."

Alistair activates his holowatch and summons two items from it. One being a knife.

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Hunter, Gaia, and Rapunzel leave the hospital room. Rapunzel is evidently the most stressed and miserable. Gaia looks at Hunter and subtly gestures him to comfort her. Hunter shrugs his shoulders and mouths "I don't know what to do". Gaia leans on one hip and raises her brow to him. Hunter moves his arms to his side, still not knowing what to do. Gaia sighs and moves closer to Rapunzel.

"Hey, I'm real sorry. The doctor said he'd make a full recovery though," Gaia consoled, placing one arm on Rapunzel's shoulder and using the other to offer her a tissue.

Rapunzel takes the tissue and wipes away some of the tears.

"I know but... I wish I was there. I wish he wouldn't get himself hurt like that."

Gaia's face drops a little bit. Rapunzel looks up at Hunter, who doesn't look all too happy either.

"I'm so sorry," she states, dabbing around her eyes. "Your brother was hurt in all this too. We should go see him."

Hunter snaps out of his own little trance and looks at Rapunzel.

"Are you sure? You can stay with your family."

"No. I... I need a second away from them. Need some time to process things."

Hunter puts his hands in his pockets and looks to the ground.

"Fine... come on. He's on the third floor."

The three walk away from the room and towards the elevator. Gaia stays beside Rapunzel, making sure she's okay. Hunter leads them all towards the elevator. Hunter looks away for one second and bumps into someone. The man he bumped into is just out of Hunter's vision. The only thing he sees is an all-white suit. Hunter means to say something but is cut off by a sentence.

"You're right about Alistair," a voice whispers.

Hunter regains his balance and looks back to the man. Unfortunately the white-suited man has already turned the corner. However, his words seem to be echoing in Hunter's head. Hunter places his hand on his head and rubs it a bit.

Did I really hear that? I think I did but...

"Hunter, are you alright?" Gaia asks.

Hunter looks to Gaia and waves her off.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Maybe just a little shaken or something."

Gaia doesn't believe that one bit. Hunter is barely ever shaken by anything. The only time she ever recalls him being moved is when he was forced to murder the batch of elemental children. Something is wrong, and she'll definitely find out what it is.

The three proceed into the elevator and arrive at the third floor. Hunter leads them to your room. He opens the door and walks in first. He sees Alistair looming over an unconscious and tied down you. He has a knife in his hand, directed at you.

"You're right about Alistair," a voice echoes in his head.

Hunter rushes at Alistair. Alistair turns his head just in time to see Hunter tackle him against the far wall, the one with all the windows. Hunter grabs the collar of Alistair's shirt and pushes him against the wall.

"What are you doing to (Y/N)?" He shouts.

Gaia realizes what's happening and rushes towards Hunter.

"Hunter stop it! This isn't the place!" She barks, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him away.

Alistair holds a smirk on his face.

"You heard the lady. Back off, son."

"Don't call me son!"

"Hunter!" Gaia sharply says.

Hunter looks back at Gaia. She has a serious look, but also an underlay of concern. Hunter reluctantly lets go of Alistair and backs off. Alistair fixes his suit and looks to Gaia.

"Thank you, Gaia."

"Don't be thanking me. I have no love for you, but you two going at it here would cause even more problems," she snarls.

"Cat has claws. Nevertheless," Alistair shrugs. "I'm only here for (Y/N)."

"Like you care," Hunter comments.

"Well, I'll admit that my primary purpose here isn't to see if he's okay or not. I'm more interested in what happened. However, it's unfair to say that I don't care at all that my son is in the hospital."

"Son?" Rapunzel whispers to herself. She exits the corner of the room and approaches Alistair. "You're (Y/N) and Hunter's father?"

Alistair shifts his eyes to focus on Rapunzel.

"I am indeed, and you're the only child of Ragnar and Irena Dyke who's married to Eugene Fitzherbert, formerly known as Flynn Rider."

Rapunzel raises her brow.

"How do you know that?"

Alistair snickers.

"I know a lot more than that, Ms. Dyke. But lets not focus on me."

Alistair walks beside you and takes position over you. He places his fingers on two separate points on your face and neck. He feels around for a moment. Once he finds what he wants he applies a jolt of pressure. Alistair stands back, awaiting your awakening. Instead, you snore and try to move, but the chains keep you down.

"Oh for fuck's sake."

He opens his palm and shoots a small burst of lightning at you. Your eyes fly open and you try to jump out of the bed. The chains rattle while you struggle.

"Bah! God! What the hell!" You shout, looking down at the chains. "Why am I chained up? This is... actually kind of like my dream. Except where is..?" You look at the people around you. "Oh! Hey... I-I really wasn't chained up in my dream. That's just pshh, nonsense. It's the drugs I'm hopefully on to give me this excuse," you nod your head in reassurance.

Rapunzel and Gaia giggle a little bit while Hunter and Alistair shake their heads.

"So, uh... why am I chained up? Is there any chance I can get unchained?"

"Well, I was going to unchain you but..." Alistair glances over at Hunter. "Something interrupted me."

Hunter crosses his arms and turns away.

"I'll do it now."

Alistair grabs the chain and rips them apart with his bare hands. He tosses the chains to the side of the bed while you raise your upper body off the bed. You stretch your arms a bit then hop off of the bed. You get low and stretch one of your legs out. You bounce a little while doing it then switch to the other leg. Everyone waits as you finish your stretches. You stand back up then look at everyone.

Before you can say anything Rapunzel embraces you in a hug. You're surprised by this spontaneous action. You slowly put your arms around her and chuckle.

"What's this?"

"I'm just happy you're okay. I know Elsa will be too."

You process her words.

"Elsa?"

Rapunzel lifts her head off your chest and nods.

"Mhm, Elsa saw that you were sent to the hospital. It's all over the news."

Your mouth slowly drops and your face slowly becomes pale. You start quiet then escalate to a loud yell.

"What? What?" Everyone shouts.

You grab your head with both hands.

"Elsa is going to kill me! She's going to freeze my body and use it to keep everything cold! I told her, I specifically told her that I would be okay and then she finds out I was sent to the hospital! I'm going to be murdered! I can't go back!"

"Calm down (Y/N)" Rapunzel giggles. "She sounded way too concerned to be angry. Plus, I doubt she's ever been angry at you."

You relax then shrug.

"I suppose. So, where's Eugene? How is he?"

Rapunzel's face drops.

"Eugene is in near critical condition. He won't be out of the hospital for a few weeks," Gaia answers.

You look over at Rapunzel, who's staying silent now. You walk over to her and give her a hug.

"If it wasn't for Eugene, I would be dead. He's a hell of a guy, you know?"

Rapunzel lets a smile creep on her face.

"I know... that's why I love him. But (Y/N)..."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to find the person who did this... I want you to make sure he doesn't do it to anyone ever again," she says with determination. "Promise me that?"

You smile and nod.

"I promise."

"So (Y/N), I have a question," Alistair interrupts.

You let go of Rapunzel and turn to face your father.

"Shoot."

"How was Hans able to beat you so badly?"

You rest intertwine your fingers behind your head and let your head fall back into your hands.

"It wasn't Hans, personally. It was the Stabbington brothers."

"Those clowns?" Hunter remarks. "Well at least you did Corona a favour by getting rid of them."

"Yeah... But they had this weird suit. It glowed all over their bodies, especially in areas that were using a lot of strength. I remember when one threw a car at me his arms began glowing more than the rest of his body."

"Has to be Hook's suits," Alistair mumbles.

"But the kicker was that... well... they fought like you do," you finish, looking at Alistair.

"Me?"

You nod.

"Their size made the fighting style a bit different but there's no mistaking that they fought like you."

Alistair crosses his arms and looks at the floor.

"Which means Hans implanted my combat data into the suits. The only place that would have my data is underneath W.A Industries. There, and... hm... guess I know where I need to go now," he thinks to himself.

"Interesting," Alistair says aloud. "Seems we need to investigate this. Maybe we'll find Hans in the process."

"Excuse me," Rapunzel says, cutting in. "Did I hear that right? You two have fought before?"

You and Alistair nod.

"Why?"

Gaia places her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders and starts leading her out of the room.

"I'll explain. These guys have some stuff to talk about. Hunter, I'll see you later?"

Hunter nods. Gaia leads Rapunzel out of the room, leaving Alistair, Hunter, and yourself alone in the room. You and Hunter keep your eyes on Alistair, never diverting them. Alistair keeps his eyes on you alone.

"So... what investigating did you have in mind?"

"You said that they could fight like I can. From what I know of the suits – which is everything there is to know about them – in order to input someone's techniques and style into the software you need their combat data; recordings of their fights and such. There are two places where I record myself training. We're going to go to one of those places."

"Where is it?" Hunter inquires.

"An underwater base, code name: Atlantica. I believe you're familiar with the place, Hunter?"

Hunter snarls and looks away. You look at Hunter for a moment then return your attention to Alistair.

"I guarantee Hans was there. We'll go tomorrow."

This takes you by surprise.

"Tomorrow? Why tomorrow?"

Alistair crosses his arms and slowly walks towards the door.

"You need rest. Push your body too hard and you'll kill it."

"Hey! I can take it!" You shout.

Alistair stops and sighs.

"Everyone needs a break, (Y/N)," he turns his head towards you, only showing one of his eyes. "Even me. After the fight with you back at the temple I needed a break – a rest. Even though you can take a lot, which is evident since you can walk around contrary to Eugene who's down for weeks, that doesn't mean your body is indestructible."

Alistair turns back to the door and approaches it. He opens the door and is about to step out.

"Hey! One more question," you call out.

Alistair stops walking and stands in the doorway.

"Why is it that I'm so durable?"

Alistair stays silent for at least a minute. The silence annoys you, but intrigues Hunter.

The very fact that it intrigues him annoys Hunter. He hates Alistair, but he always has something cooked up, or some secret locked away. Alistair is a one-man knowledge bank with information on almost every person on the planet. There's no doubt that he likes to be prepared, at that he's an undeniable genius. Just taking a look at some of his creations proves that. The underwater base that Alistair mentioned, Atlantica, was designed by him. The holowatch, specialty helicopters and cars, his own armour, all of it was his invention. Most of the products that Keralu and Dysa co. produce were originally thought up by Alistair. Though Hunter hasn't found anything about it, he believes that the origins of all elementals came from a project that Alistair and Pabbie worked on. It was related to his psychic ambition, which was obviously a success.

"What would be the fun if I told you?" Alistair snickers.

He walks out of the room and closes the door. You turn to Hunter and he shrugs.

"So... what should we do?" You ask, hoping he has any sort of plan because you certainly don't.

That's something that happens often. You never really have a plan anymore. Granted, you never had a plan. Improvisation was your best subject in drama class. Though it seems improvisation isn't the best idea nowadays. Not when you're facing people who have back-up plans for their back-up plans. Then again, rushing in and doing anything you want can disrupt plans. Adgar and Idun were an example. Who knows what their plans were before you showed up, and how you destroyed everything they planned for. Or did you? Who knows? This goes way too deep for you to put together. It's hard to even tell who the bad guy is. Hunter says Alistair is, but in your opinion the worst one is Hans. Hunter and Alistair would agree that Hans is a threat as well. But, Hans is someone who threatens you personally. That does give you more of a drive to stop him.

Hunter crosses his arms and turns around. He stares out the window, staring down at the nearby street. He watches the cars speed by. You raise your brow at Hunter's lack of an answer. You walk up beside him and stare out the window. You see what Hunter sees: cars driving by.

"You know, staring at the road always entertains me. I always imagine what other people are doing, and where they're going. Gaia and I like to do it when we're together."

"Hmm," you mumble.

"To think that billions of people have no idea what's really going on... to think that billions of people's fate lies with three men," Hunter lightly shakes his head. "And we're two of those men."

You put your hands in your pockets and glance over at Hunter.

"Did you become a fortuneteller when I wasn't looking?" You question.

Hunter sighs.

"No... I just took a second to see the bigger picture. A picture you're apparently blind too."

You turn your head away from him and cross your arms.

"Well if you told me what it was then maybe I would know."

"If someone described the Mona Lisa to you, would you truly understand what makes it so great?"

You drop your arms and stare at him.

"Seriously, the hell is wrong with you?"

"Ah, nothing," he says in a goofy tone. "Just trying to put on my serious persona. Usually fits serious situations when people almost die. You're lucky Rain was there, you know."

You look at the floor.

Lucky for me... but I'm not so sure if it was as fortuitous for him.

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Matt pulls into his drive way and turns off the car. He opens the door, steps out, then slams it shut.

"Stuck up prick. Fuck him. Just... Fuck!" He says to himself.

Matt is in a beautifully tailored dark blue suit with a suitable dress shirt under it. His shoes make a prominent sound on the pavement as he walks up the driveway and enters his house. It's a quaint house in the middle of the suburbs. The whole section is filled with houses and nice people in them. Matt is no exception to that.

He enters his house and takes off his shoes.

"Stupid ignorant bastard!" He mumbles.

Matt walks into the living room to find Rain sitting regally on the couch, watching TV. Rain looks over at Matt and gives him a fake smile, but Matt didn't notice the falseness due to his irritation.

"What's wrong?" Rain asks, trying to convey emotion.

"My father! Such a fucking asshole! You know I had to have dinner with him?" Rain nods. "Well it was all a trick, just like I thought. Still trying to convince me that I'm sick or confused or... god I want to strangle him. You know what I did for him? What I PUT MYSELF THROUGH FOR HIM!? I went through all his goddamn training! The camps, the lectures, everything! I became one of the best pilots in the air force; I can fly anything that's put in front of me! I became one of the best fighters! One of the best snipers! ONE OF THE BEST! I worked my ass off for my father's approval but no! Because I love without boundaries, because I love you! You," Matt sits on the couch right beside Rain and grabs hold of his hands. "Who knows pain more than I do. You, who I love so much because of who you are. Nothing... nothing my father will ever say can make me leave you."

"Did he try to do that? Make you leave me?" Rain slowly asks.

"You better believe it! The bastard tried! You know, he offered me so much; money, rank, my very reputation back after he tore it apart and left me in the dirt. But fuck him! I'm happy! I have someone who loves me!" Matt shouts, standing back up. "I've made my living all by myself! He judges my clothing business, well fuck him! 'A stereotypical fag job' he says. Well, he can go fuck himself! What does he know anyway!? Nothing! Fucking nothing!"

Rain remains silent, staring at Matt. He's never seen him so angry before in his life. Matt has always been such an upbeat person, but there was something about his dad that made him so mad. Rain's parents never really cared about him either. They hated him because of his sexuality, and because of what they made him. It's the same with Matt, evidently. Matt is the way he is because of his father. Matt would claim that it's by choice, but it was a choice made possible by his father, which means it was indeed forced upon him. Rain grinds his teeth for a moment. It's just like how he was forced to kill.

Matt takes in a few breaths, trying to calm himself down. He can't seem to.

"And you know what else! I-"

Matt stops and looks at Rain. His head is down and tears are streaming down his cheeks. His hands are intertwined but their shaking oh so subtly. Matt then starts to hear a quiet sobbing. He rushes to Rain's side, pulling him into a hug.

"Rain! Rain what's wrong?"

"I... I... Matthew... I k-k-killed... someone..."

Rain has never once called Matt Matthew.

"I... my powers... my curse... I know so much more... than any of them... the human body is made up... made up of 70% water. Water that I-I can manipulate. Matthew I bled them to death!" He screams, tears sliding down his face. "I forced their blood to go against their bodies! It hurts! I put them through so much pain... pain nobody sh-should have to go through. But I had to, Matthew! I had to!" He shouts more to himself than at Matt. "If I didn't, (Y/N) and Eugene would have died! I had to! I had to!"

"Shhh, it's okay," Matt whispers, pulling Rain into his chest. "I'm sure they left you no choice."

"But... but I don't... kill. Matthew I dedicated this power to helping people... not killing them."

Matt starts chuckling a bit.

"What?" Rain asks, slightly offended.

"You are the most amazing person in the world, Rain. You wouldn't hurt a fly even if it wouldn't leave you alone. You sat on this couch and listen to me ramble about my family issues whilst you held in something far worse. You let me talk. You put my needs before yours, like you always do."

Rain shrugs.

"You seemed to be having a bad day. I know you're father always riles you up."

"See. You're not all that bad, Rain. I'm sure (Y/N) would agree with me. Don't beat yourself up about it this much, please."

Rain smiles and returns his head to Matt's chest. Matt strokes Rain's hair for a second before smirking.

"I have to admit... its nice being the support for once."

Rain smiles.

"It's not so bad to have someone to lean on."

The two stay in their position for a few minutes.

"You know, all the stress and anger I had towards my father is completely gone now."

"That's good. It's a good thing my family problems are long gone, else who knows what we'd be like."

Matt smirks then goes into a thought.

"Hey Rain."

"Mhm?"

"What were your parents like? I mean, I know they kicked you out but... I never actually asked how they were beforehand."

Rain sighs.

"You remember the elemental program, and how all the kids were kidnapped, right?"

Matt nods, then figures out a little loophole.

"Wait... if all the kids were kidnapped and don't know about their families... how did you know yours?"

"I was a little bit older than the other kids, though I look the youngest now. I remember how the Hierarchy took me. My parents... they hated their poor life. They hated that they couldn't give me anything. So... they sold me to the Hierarchy."

"Did they know what was to be done with you?" Matt inquires.

A single tear starts forming in Rain's eye.

"Yes. Yes they did. I don't think they expected me to come back to them once we were released. They were surprised... almost disappointed that I returned. Actually they didn't even recognize me at first. I used to have black hair, and I had a little more mass to me. They barely said anything once I introduced myself. So, I went to my room to find that my room wasn't mine anymore. I have... had... a baby brother. They weren't ready for me to come back. The money did them good though. They fixed up the house, bought fancy items... but they abandoned me. Once they saw my powers in action, and knew of my... preferences... they kicked me out."

Matt lifts Rain away from his chest and stares him in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I never knew."

Rain cracks a fake smirk.

"It's fine. I'm over it."

"Looks like neither of us had perfect parents, huh?" Matt chuckles.

Rain smiles.

"No, that we did not. But I wouldn't give it up for the world. I have Hunter, and Gaia, and (Y/N) as friends. I doubt that would have happened if they kept me. But best of all," Rain kisses Matt's forehead. "I have you. That's all I'll ever need."

Matt smiles, while Rain cuddles back into Matt. The two fell asleep within the hour, and remained together the entire night.

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"Once again, I'm sorry to hear about your fiancée," Juno says at the front door of the Anderson house.

"Thank you, Juno. I have my cousin checking up on him, I'm sure he'll be alright," Elsa says, trying to convince herself of the same thing.

"Well, if you ever need to talk," Juno pulls out a little sticky note and writes a series of numbers on it. "Here's my cell number."

Elsa takes it and smiles.

"Thank you Juno. I'll see you the day after next."

"Yes, goodbye. Thank you for having me."

Elsa shuts the door once Juno begins walking away. Elsa turns around and leans against the door. She slides down the door and brings her feet close to her. She wraps her hands around her legs and lets her head rest against them. Anna comes downstairs and sees Elsa on the floor. She rushes to her sister.

"Elsa!" She shrieks, getting to her sister's side.

"I told him... I told him that following all this would get him hurt. Why doesn't he listen to me? Why couldn't he have stayed here with me? I can't even see him now!" Elsa says on the verge of tears.

Anna sits beside her sister and wraps an arm around her.

"It's okay, Elsa. (Y/N)'s one tough nut to crack. It would take the whole world to take him down."

"It's not that, Anna!" Elsa shouts. "I know he'll survive, it's just... how many more times will he do this? Go out on some escapade and get hurt! Who knows if he'll come back to me! I don't want that lingering over my head. I hate the feeling. The feeling that everyday he could die in some ditch or something. It's too much."

Anna's face widens a bit then returns to normal. She holds her sister in her arms and stays silent.

"I just... I want a normal life, Anna. I was done with all this when our parents died. I endured (Y/N)'s desire to find his father, and he did. But now... it almost seems like he's trying to stay away. Nobody is trying to hurt us anymore. Hans is gone, Alistair hasn't ever bothered us. (Y/N) is just finding people to attack. Who's next? Juno? She couldn't hurt a fly. Anna... I think... I just... I just want him home, with me. I just want a normal life."

Anna sighs and holds Elsa close. Elsa wipes a tears off her face and starts to get up.

"I'm going to bed. Sorry for being like this, Anna."

Elsa walks up the stairs and goes to her room.

Anna stays on the ground, looking at the ground. She starts thinking about what she can do. Maybe Elsa is just overreacting, but Anna thinks that part of what Elsa says is true. She thinks Elsa really wants a normal life, and you're not providing that. But it's not necessarily your fault. Anna has seen you be forced into all these situations. You never wanted to fight her parents, but they basically made you fight.

"Hm... that's the tough thing about perspective. Elsa's right... but so is (Y/N)."

Anna rubs the back of her head, trying to think of what to do. She can talk to Elsa all she wants, but the only person who could use their words to make a difference is you. Anna walks over to the couch and lays down on it. She places one foot over the other and crosses her arms. A serious thinking face is what Anna has right now. She'll think of something. She's determined.

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You walk out of the hospital with your hands behind your head. Hunter decided to stay with Gaia until she decides to leave. The only place for you to go is back to Rapunzel's house. It may be just you there tonight, which you can handle. You'll just grab something to eat and go to bed. Though you'd rather be going to Atlantica, or whatever. You hate this waiting. Hans destroyed an entire street and put dozens of people in danger. People were hurt; who knows if anyone died. All that just to get to you. You can't let him get away with this. This is more than just defending Elsa now. This is stopping someone with no conscious; no morals. He's a monster now.

What happened to him? He used to be a jerk, sure, but to think he would escalate to something like this. Why? It makes no sense? Because I stopped him from having sex with Elsa or Anna? That's the only thing I really did to him. He made me break up with Elsa. He tried to kill me. I did burn his face, but obviously that didn't matter since he got it back. I just... I don't understand him. Why go to this extent?

You sigh then return your attention to where you're walking. You've past three lights and then take a right. You walk down the street, blending in with the people who walk by. You can tell the mood of the city without even trying. People are on edge. Scared. You're surprised their even on the streets right now. Everyone is probably trying to get home or something. It's no concern of yours anyway.

1 Hour Later

You finally get back to Rapunzel's household. You open the door and slip out of your shoes.

"Hello?" You call out.

No response.

"As I thought."

You walk through the house and reach the kitchen you open the fridge and try to find something to eat. Before you can find anything you hear the door open. You walk out of the kitchen and walk towards the door. You see Rapunzel walk into the house and turn towards you. She jumps back a little out of surprise.

"(Y/N), jesus," she shrieks, placing her hand on her chest. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the hospital?"

You shrug.

"I feel fine. I think all I need is a good night sleep and I'll be back at it tomorrow."

"Back at it? With your dad?"

You stay silent for a moment.

"Yeah, I suppose. Listen, I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

You walk past Rapunzel and head for the stairs.

"Oh, (Y/N)!" Rapunzel shouts.

You turn around to face her.

"Elsa called me and asked me to tell her how you were. I tried calling her cell a few minutes ago but she didn't pick up. Since you're here, do you think you could call her before you head to bed?"

You nod.

"Sure, no problem. Thanks Rapunzel."

"And (Y/N)?"

"Mm?"

"Don't push yourself, please," she says, genuine concern in her voice.

You stare at her for a second, absorbing what she just said.

You smirk slightly.

"Yeah... I won't. I promise."

You walk upstairs and head to your room. You enter your room and close the door behind you. You walk over to the bed and jump on it, sprawling out and happily relaxing. You click your holowatch and cycle through the contents until you find your cellphone. You go through the contacts and get to Elsa's. Before you click it you remember Rapunzel saying that she didn't pick up. You scroll up until you get to Anna. You stare at her name for a moment before tossing your phone to the side.

For some reason Rapunzel's words keep echoing in your head. "Don't push yourself, please." It's possible that she may care more than you thought. Rapunzel wasn't as close to you as Eugene was. In fact, you haven't really had as much time with her alone. If you remember correctly, the one time you spent some time together was when you saw her in the shower. Other than that, you've never spent time alone with her.

You look over at the phone, which still has Anna's contact sitting on the screen. You're about to hit the call button but something stops you.

"It's late... they're probably sleeping."

You put the phone back in your holowatch and stare at the ceiling. It would be completely quiet but you can hear Rapunzel doing something downstairs. You bounce off the bed and leave your room.

You head downstairs and look around the house. You find Rapunzel on the couch, staring at a TV that isn't showing anything. You move around the couch, in sight of Rapunzel. She looks up at you but says nothing. You give her a smile and sit down beside her.

"I don't think you should be alone tonight," you advise.

Rapunzel nods and taps the spot beside her. You sit beside Rapunzel and flick your head towards the TV.

"You wanna watch something?"

Rapunzel slowly begins to smile. She nods her head.

"Alright," you say, grabbing the remote. "Just nothing unbearable, please."