House of Wolves
"Seriously, I can't wrap my head around it," Anna said to Elsa as she replayed their encounter with the watchers in the hospital in her mind. "Those things, I mean… were they human once? Because they kinda looked human, but sure as hell didn't act like it. I don't know… what do you think Elsa?"
After their escape from the hospital, Anna and Elsa resumed their travels and set out on foot. They were heading towards a bridge which they hoped was still standing so that they could cross over to the western banks of the Hudson. They passed through a long tract of suburbs and small neighborhoods that had once been nestled within wooded areas and grassy fields but were now left barren. The houses that remained standing were empty shells, collapsed on themselves or burnt to blackened cinders.
It was shortly past midday and thankfully after their frantic escape from the hospital, their journey so far had been quiet and almost peaceful in a somber sort of way. The bleached and barren bones of civilization they passed through had once been the idyllic image of suburban America; now reduced to ashes and dust with no one left to mourn its passing nor even recall the time that came before.
"They may have very well been human, once, judging from their appearance," Elsa replied as she walked next to Anna. "But the collapse only happened 79 years ago. The effects of radiation are apparent but it's still far too soon for their physiology to have become so radically altered. For such extensive mutation to occur, something else must have happened to them, perhaps even sped it along."
"Yeah, but what? If those things were human, what in the world could have changed them like that?"
"I can't say," Elsa shrugged. "A question for another day, I suppose."
Anna sighed. "Those things weren't even the mutants I was expecting to run into. Do you think we'll see any wolves?"
"At this rate, I imagine anything is possible," Elsa replied.
"Heh, yeah… that reminds me," Anna said as she stopped and turned towards Elsa, who stopped and faced her as well. "Back there, I never thanked you for saving me… again, uh… twice."
How many times has she saved my life now? Anna thought. Damn, I gotta remember to keep track of it all.
Elsa beamed and smiled brightly at Anna. "You don't have to thank me Anna, I would never let anything happen to you."
Anna looked away, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed of herself and unworthy of Elsa's unwavering devotion and commitment. She glanced back at Elsa through the corner of her eye and saw that she still wore that pleased smile, which was when Anna's gaze tracked down to her lips and her thoughts returned to when Elsa had cushioned their fall by holding on to Anna. In the moment, Anna had held onto Elsa just as tightly and even long after the danger had passed.
She remembered how close they were to each other at that moment. More than anything else, Anna recalled the steady beat of Elsa's heart within her chest, contrasted with the galloping of her own. Elsa was strong - Anna already knew that - but in her arms she felt safety, comfort, and warmth. Finally, her mind brought her back to the moment that she hovered above Elsa. Their faces were inches apart and close enough that Anna could feel Elsa's breath against her own face. Her eyes were bright despite the darkness and filled with such concern that Anna could never recall anyone who had ever looked at her like that before, save for Nora.
An intrusive thought had entered her mind then and possessed by some hidden urge, Anna briefly entertained the idea of kissing Elsa then and there. It lasted only for a second and after it vanished from Anna's mind, she was left to question where the bizarre yet increasingly appealing notion had come from.
"W- well, ahem," Anna cleared her throat nervously. "Still… thank you."
"You are most welcome," Elsa replied. "It's the least I can do, for everything that you are risking for me. I'm certainly grateful to you as well."
"Look at us," Anna chuckled, attempting to bring some levity to the situation if only to distract herself from her own confusing thoughts wherever Elsa was concerned. "Who would have thought?"
"Mmm," Elsa murmured pleasantly, then turned her focus back to the road.
The dimpled smile lingered on her face and Anna suddenly felt hot despite the cool air around them.
My god… I want to kiss that mouth, Anna thought, then frowned to the side. Wait a minute- wait… what? Have you forgotten who she could be? You should be more concerned about that right now Anna.
They both fell silent as Anna and Elsa returned to their thoughts. All the while, the ruins of civilization around them passed by in the selfsame manner it always did, that is to say, unremarkably.
So what if she's maybe, possibly, potentially… my sister? So what if she was built from Nora's DNA? It's not like they'd be the same person… so technically… it's not that weird, right? Besides, the way this world's been going, we could die at any second! Goddamn it, she's the first person I've cared about in a long time, and she cares about me! I deserve… something, at least.
Anna turned her attention to a burned down school they passed by, thinking of the children that used to go there in a time when the world was still young and less scarred. She herself was deeply scarred, so was Elsa. Life in 2099 was short, brutal, and unfair. Anna had made peace with that fact long ago and resigned herself to her existence that was a daily struggle just to survive. She couldn't remember the last time she felt happy or hopeful, but when she thought of Elsa, she saw the potential to. And that alone was enough.
She saved my life, I saved hers. We keep doing that and it can't all be for nothing. Maybe after everything… we could go away somewhere. Off this planet, away from all this bullshit. We could stick together.
It was the first time that Anna thought that far ahead into the future, for she often primarily focused on her issues in the present and dealt with things as they came up. However, Elsa presented a unique opportunity to begin again, to start anew. Once they restored Elsa's memories, it was obvious that they could not stay in New York. Anna still had the three-and-a-half million credits she received as payment for finding Elsa,and that was more than enough to charter a ship off-world and leave Earth for good.
They had a chance to try again, to be different people, and together they might even heal from their scars. Anna had shared a similar dream long ago with Nora, one that she didn't think she could ever have again until she met Elsa.
I'll bring it up with Elsa, soon as we fix her mind, Anna thought with a small smile as she found her resolve. After that, we'll figure out what to do… together.
… … …
On the road, they stopped by a gas station to rest their feet for a while and eat lunch. Anna once again offered Elsa some food, but she refused claiming that she wouldn't have to eat again until the next day. Anna didn't have cause to worry about their stores of food yet, for between them both they carried enough supplies along with whatever they could find along the way. With that in mind, Anna had a modest lunch consisting of a tin of corned beef, a smaller can of vegetables, and washed it all down with a drink of water. All the while, Elsa meditated in silence a short distance away, still within eyesight and earshot of each other just in case.
By the late afternoon, Anna and Elsa arrived at the bridge which spanned the width of the Hudson river. At the base of the bridge on the eastern side where they currently were was a large tent city. It was similar to the one at the hospital though considerably larger and it served as a refugee center and military checkpoint. There, the road heading into the city was completely clogged with old cars while the road heading out was largely empty. A perimeter had been formed around the refugee camp, consisting of barricades, watch towers, and vehicles like tanks and armored personnel carriers which were now all abandoned. The entire site was empty and bereft of any people or creatures, leaving behind plentiful remnants of the past which evidenced towards a hasty evacuation.
As they drew closer to the refugee camp, Anna's geiger counter began ticking sporadically before it evened out into a steady rhythm. It was also then that the air around them became noticeably thicker and hazy as if it was trapped in a heat wave.
"Geiger counter's going off, " Anna muttered as she withdrew the device from her bag. "Hmm… 0.045 rads per minute," she said as she observed the readout on the presence of radiation in the area, then shook her head. "Not great, not terrible."
Elsa peered up to the sky with her face scrunched up in thought. "0.045 rads per minute equates to an absorption rate of… 2.7 rads per hour. Still within safe thresholds, though I imagine that absorption rate will increase the further we go."
"You just… did that in your head?"
"Yes."
"Uh… huh. What's a million times a bazillion?" Anna asked.
"A bazillion isn't a real number."
"You're right, that's on me. What's… 4,359 times 7,218?"
Elsa looked away for a moment. "Thirty two million, seven hundred sixty two thousand, five hundred and two," she replied with a smile.
"I'm just gonna assume that's right," Anna said as she made a dismissive gesture with her hands, pretending not to be impressed by Elsa's mental faculties. "Do you have K's booster shots?"
"I do," Elsa said as she retrieved the items from her bag and held them both in one hand towards Anna.
"Alright," Anna sighed. "Let's get this over with."
Anna took one of the injectors then peered at the liquid disdainfully. Then, she rolled up her sleeve after which she uncapped the needle, took a deep breath, and jabbed the injector into the inside of her wrist before depressing the plunger all the way down. For a moment, her vision became blurry and she felt nauseous as she opened and shut her eyes repeatedly in an attempt to gather her senses.
Across from Anna, Elsa grimaced slightly as she did the same.
"Whew," Anna released her breath once the feeling passed and tossed the now useless injector over her shoulder. "That was unpleasant. How do you feel?"
"Slightly tingly," Elsa replied as she flexed her forearm by opening and closing her fist. "Yourself?"
"Kinda dizzy, guess that means it worked."
"Let's hope so."
Anna nodded and made to step forward before she stopped in her tracks. "Ah, crap. Can't forget our masks," she said as she reached into her bag to retrieve her respirator.
They stood in the middle of the road, swapping out the filters and once they were finished, they donned their masks. Now properly equipped to face the radiation ahead, Anna and Elsa set out once again. It was a short walk to the entrance to the refugee camp, which was surrounded by a chain link fence topped with rusty razor wire. The gate to the camp was flanked on either side by watchtowers and off to the side an abandoned tank stood sentry, aiming its main cannon towards the traffic standstill from behind a wall of sandbags.
"Woah," Anna muttered as they passed by the tank. "They were packing some serious heat here."
"It looks like they left much of their equipment here," Elsa replied as she scanned their surroundings. "Perhaps we'll be able to find something of use."
"Not a bad idea, we should take a look around," Anna said as they passed through a gate flanked on either side by watchtowers that stood wide open.
"There's a lot of ground to cover. Should we split up?"
Anna glanced over to Elsa, feeling reluctant to part company with her for even a moment, but she agreed nonetheless. "Yeah, okay, just… don't go too far okay?"
"Okay," Elsa nodded.
With that, the two set off in different directions though each of them ensured to remain within earshot in case anything happened. Anna and Elsa then began to pick their way through the tent city methodically, searching for anything of use. There wasn't much left, having been picked away by time or scavvers but what they were able to turn up still proved useful.
In a large tent that served as a canteen, Anna rooted around through some crates, tossing out damaged tins of food until she found one that was still in good condition. The label on it was partially ripped off, but from what Anna could read the contents must have been some kind of fruit.
In a triage tent, Elsa was able to find a vial of antibiotics amidst a myriad of medical equipment that had been tossed all over. She held the small glass container up to the light to read the faded label, then nodded to herself in satisfaction as such a thing would certainly be helpful to have before she put it away in her bag.
Anna walked out of the canteen and gazed around the tent city until she spotted a head of white hair a small distance away, emerging from the triage tent. Elsa smiled as she sighted Anna, who returned a grin as they reconvened.
"Find anything?" Anna asked.
"Yes, some antibiotics," Elsa replied. "How did you get on?"
"I found this can of fruit," Anna said as she slung her bag to her side and retrieved the can to show it to Elsa. "Kinda feels a little lame compared to what you found though."
"Hmm. A good find nonetheless. Shall we continue?"
"Yep."
Again, they split apart as they searched through the tent city though they never strayed far from each other and always remained in sight. A little while later, after they combed through the whole refugee camp they came upon the far end, where a sort of vehicle maintenance bay had been built. As they approached, Anna sighted a large mass ahead of them, covered in a thick, olive green tarp.
"This looks interesting. What have we got here?" Anna asked as she approached the tarp.
With a fluid movement, she yanked it off and tossed it aside, revealing an old electric powered pickup truck that was still in serviceable condition. Even though it was a bit antiquated for their time, electric vehicles were once widely used around the world before the advent of the skycar. Since then, they have been largely phased out though there are still those who prefer to drive the old fashioned way.
"No way!" Anna pumped her fist as she took a step back to take in its full view.
"A vehicle of some kind?" Elsa said as she walked around the electric truck, examining its current state of repair. "I've never seen its kind before."
"It's, ah… one of those old electric powered trucks that people rode around in before the skycar came along. Man, I didn't think I'd ever see one of these," Anna said as she stepped up to the driver's side and peered in through the window. "I think this thing could still run!"
"You know how to drive it?" Elsa asked from the other side.
"Well… no, but I figure if I can fly a skycar, this can't be much different, right? How hard could it possibly be?"
Elsa came around to the front where she popped the hood to examine the inner workings beneath while Anna went to the flatbed compartment in the back. She stepped up onto the wheel and examined the contents stored in the back; finding a box of road flares, a large oil drum, some dirty old rags, and a long metal container. She climbed in and lightly tapped the oil drum with her foot, finding that it was still half filled with pungent fuel.
Next, she turned her attention to the metal container which was kept shut with an old, rusty padlock. Anna withdrew her hand cannon and butted the padlock with the grip of her weapon until it came loose, then tossed the useless thing aside. She then opened the container and found a double barrel shotgun that had been heavily modified to allow it to fire incendiary buckshot.
"Oh… well, hello there," Anna said to herself as she put away her hand cannon and lifted the shotgun in her hands.
The gunmetal was dull and gray, with all sorts of metal pieces and wires running along the length of the two barrels. The stock was a composite material, with etchings in the grip and stock to provide greater control. Anna opened the breech and found that it was still loaded, then snapped it shut. Afterwards, she tested its sights, aiming it side to side as she became accustomed to the weight and heft of the weapon.
"Awesome," Anna grinned wickedly to herself.
She tucked the shotgun underneath her arm, then noticed a smaller box of shells off to the side. Anna picked up the box, rattled its contents and opened the cover to reveal that it was still half full of buckshot.
"Very awesome," Anna closed the box then climbed over the side and hopped down to rejoin Elsa. "What's it look like up front? Think we can get this thing running again?"
Elsa peeked out from around the hood, then raised an eyebrow when she found Anna with her new weapon. "The integral components look to be in good condition. No sign of corrosion or any other damage. The only thing that's missing is the battery. What did you find?" she asked.
"Oh, an oil drum in the back, a box of road flares," Anna gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. "And this!" she exclaimed as she held out the shotgun towards Elsa.
"This should certainly be helpful," Elsa said as she examined the weapon in Anna's hands. "But you didn't find any batteries?"
"No," Anna shook her head, opening the driver's door where she set down the shotgun and box of shells, then frowned as she placed her hands on her hips. "But there's gotta be some extra batteries around here, right? Let's look around."
Elsa nodded to Anna and again, they split off in different directions as they both explored the large maintenance bay. While Elsa perused various bits and pieces on a shelf, Anna turned her attention to some supply crates at the far end. She approached one at random and lifted the heavy cover off the top, finding nothing but spools of thick wire within. Anna let the cover drop to the ground, then went over to the next crate and repeated the same process.
"See anything?" Anna called out to Elsa.
"No, just some spare parts," Elsa replied. "Hmm. Perhaps I can tune up my servomotors."
"Tune up your what?" Anna asked as she spun around and stared at Elsa.
"My servomotors. They're part of my synthetic muscle fibers."
"I thought you were all, you know… organic. I didn't know you had-"
Elsa remained silent, but Anna could tell from the way her eyes were scrunched that she was grinning unabashedly beneath her mask.
"Oh," Anna stopped herself. "You're being funny again."
Elsa cocked her head at Anna. "I believe the term is messing with you."
"Heh, ha, okay," Anna smirked and giggled a bit. "You actually had me going for a bit there, very funny. You're getting better at that."
"Thank you," Elsa beamed, causing Anna to feel something warm and tingly in her heart.
Why the fuck does she have to be so goddamn… cute! Anna thought. She's stupid cute and stupid sexy and stupid beautiful all at once, its not fair!
They both resumed their search, and after a while, Anna stood before a final, unopened supply crate.
"Let's see what's behind door number 3," Anna said to herself enthusiastically as she lifted the cover.
Inside the crate were several, large batteries that looked like they were meant for the truck. Anna breathed a sigh in relief, then frowned when it seemed that all but one of them were damaged and leaking acid. She carefully lifted the last one and inspected it more closely for any other signs of deterioration but found none.
"Elsa! I found it!" Anna called out as she lugged it over to the hood of the truck. "Let's give this thing some juice!"
Elsa joined Anna by her side, then watched as Anna lifted the heavy battery and slotted it into place inside the engine compartment of the truck. Once finished, they slammed the hood shut and stowed their bags and gear in a small storage space behind their seats. Afterward, Anna settled into the driver's seat, while Elsa sat next to her in the passenger seat.
"Okay, let's see here," Anna murmured as she brushed dust off the dashboard and inspected the various knobs, dials, and switches. "Maybe… this?" she reached towards a button just next to the steering wheel and gave it a press, which did nothing. "No… not that one, maybe this one?" she tried another button just above the first, which also did nothing.
"Anna, do you know what you're doing?" Elsa asked teasingly.
"N- no… not really but just hold on, I can figure this out, just gotta press… this… button?" Anna pushed another button and again, nothing happened.
"Try this one," Elsa suggested as she pointed towards a button by the gear shift.
Anna scoffed. "Elsa come on, it's not just gonna be some random button that you point at, it-"
Elsa said nothing as she reached forward and pressed on the button, which immediately caused the engine to roar to life and the entire dashboard to light up.
"Oh look at that, it works. Heh," Anna chuckled, then glanced over to Elsa who was smiling beneath her respirator again. "Beginner's luck… I- I- I could have done that," she mumbled in an attempt to save face.
Elsa looked away, still smiling while Anna turned her attention to the dashboard, which presented all the information that was important to know. Everything from speed, acceleration, to the level of energy remaining in the battery was there. Anna tapped on the energy readout, which showed that the battery she had inserted was three quarters charged, more than enough to get them to their destination and back. Next, she focused on the two pedals by her feet, one of which was the brakes and the other was the acceleration.
Gingerly, Anna tapped her foot on one then the other, the second of which caused the engine to roar, though they still remained in place.
"You have to shift the gears, Anna," Elsa said matter-of-factly.
"Okay, are you gonna do this the whole time?" Anna shot back testily, though she wasn't actually annoyed. "Besides, since when did you become an expert on electric trucks?"
"Just now. There's a manual right here," Elsa replied as she leisurely thumbed through an old, plastic booklet.
Anna looked over and rolled her eyes. "Of course," she grumbled. "Does that thing say anything on how to deal with smartasses?"
"It says to listen to them."
"Perfect."
Anna reached down and grabbed the knob, sliding it over to drive which then caused the entire truck to begin slowly rolling forward. She tried the pedals again and braked first, then tapped on the acceleration as she steered out of the maintenance bay. The engine purred in response and for all of 5 seconds, they slowly coasted ahead until the engine sputtered and died, just before the dashboard became dark once more.
"What the- Elsa! Look what you did!" Anna exclaimed.
"What I did?" Elsa shot back. "I haven't done anything."
"You… you and your," Anna made a vague gesture with her hands. "Stupid manual did this."
"Anna."
"Elsa."
"I believe we have to warm up the battery, get the electricity running through the system before we can drive."
"Great. So how do we do that?"
"With a push."
"A push?"
"Yes. Set the gear to neutral, and I'll get out and push from behind while you steer. We should aim to get the truck moving downhill. Once we pick up enough speed, the engine should run."
"Just like that? You're sure?"
"Positive."
"Aye aye captain," Anna said with a mock salute.
Elsa nodded and opened the door to step out of the truck when she stopped and looked back at Anna.
"You have to brake first before you shift the gears," Elsa said.
"I know," Anna huffed impatiently. "Yes, th- thank you, Elsa."
With that, Elsa grinned cheekily then stepped out of the truck.
Anna set the gear to neutral, then watched the mirrors as Elsa went around to the back and began to push. The entire truck shifted forward with an unexpected amount of force and began to easily roll forward with a decent amount of speed, reminding Anna of just how strong Elsa was. For several minutes, Anna steered while Elsa pushed and before long, they were out of the refugee camp and ambling down a gentle slope.
"Okay Elsa, I think here is good!" Anna said loudly as she turned to face her through the rear window. "Why don't you give it a- oof!"
With a mighty shove, Elsa sent the entire truck rushing forward causing Anna to yelp in surprise as she gripped the steering wheel in her hands. As the slope evened out and the truck reached its maximum speed, Anna restarted the engine which came to life with definitive roar.
"Whoo!" Anna cheered as she opened her door and called out to Elsa, who was walking at a leisurely pace to catch up to the truck. "I think that did it! Great job Elsa!"
Elsa's eyes lit up as she smiled ear to ear beneath her mask, then she went up the opposite side of the truck and resumed her place next to Anna.
"Here we go," Anna smirked as she shifted the gear to drive. "Hold on to your butt."
Confusion flashed across Elsa's face, but she did as Anna said, grabbing her rear as she settled into her seat. Anna laughed again and didn't even bother to correct the white-haired woman for she was far too amused to say otherwise.
With no further delay, they sped off down the road and across the bridge, heading north towards their goal.
… … …
Anna and Elsa made excellent progress as they drove to West Point. A journey that would have taken them a whole other day on foot was made much more expedient thanks to the new mode of transportation that they acquired. Yet, though there travel time was now heavily reduced, Anna had to drive more carefully given the condition of the roads. Many obstructions such as abandoned cars and sinkholes had to be navigated around which slowed them down considerably. Still, it was faster and better than walking.
A pleasant silence had settled upon the pair and if it weren't the current state of the road, they would have appeared just like two travelling companions on a road trip. The route they were following took them along the river north, passing through what had once been quaint neighborhoods until signs of civilization became more sparse and they entered the remains of a sprawling forest.
The late afternoon sun had become obscured by a layer of clouds, transforming the empty scablands around them into a bleak and gray portrait of the end of the world. For a long time, the only sound to accompany them was the steady ticking of Anna's geiger counter which gradually increased in pace the further they drove.
Eventually, their route that they had been following for some time abruptly ended on a lonely stretch that was bordered on both sides by the charred remains of the forest. A landslide had completely buried the road, forcing them to stop their truck.
Anna shut off the engine, then frowned as she turned over to Elsa. "Well, there's no way we're getting around that."
Elsa had already brought up the map on her omni-pad and was currently swiping around to locate an alternate route for them. "There's another road we could take here" she pointed it out to Anna. "It passes through… Bear Mountain State Park."
"Huh, bear mountain," Anna repeated. "Are there any bears?"
"Not likely. All known species of bears in North America were hunted to extinction in 2032. I'm more concerned about these wolves you spoke of."
"Right, right," Anna muttered as she moved to start the truck again when she stopped and turned back to Elsa.
An idea had suddenly come to her and she grinned.
"Say… Elsa. Do you wanna drive for a bit?"
"You want me to drive?"
"Yeah, why not? I'll navigate, you drive."
"Sure," Elsa agreed then climbed out of the passenger seat as Anna stepped out.
Once they had switched seats, Anna settled into the passenger seat while Elsa fastened her seatbelt then acquainted herself with the various components and controls. Meanwhile, Anna brought up her map and highlighted their new route, then swept her hand up so that the whole thing was enlarged before them on the dashboard.
Anna leaned over in her seat towards Elsa. "Okay, you know how to drive right?"
"No," Elsa shook her head. "I've never driven anything before."
Anna perked up, excited to teach Elsa something new. "Well, it's pretty simple. For starters, the pedal by your left foot is the brake, and the pedal by your right is the acceleration. Now, the-"
Proving to be a quick study once more, Elsa shifted the truck into drive and adeptly performed a U-turn, then drove off down the road back in the direction they had come.
Anna was pleasantly shocked, but not altogether unsurprised as she should have come to expect this of Elsa at this point. "Y- you… you're showing off to me on purpose aren't you?"
"I don't know what you mean," Elsa said with feigned innocence.
"You were just… pretending again, to mess with me."
"A little," Elsa admitted shyly. "Not entirely, the controls are very intuitive."
Anna chuckled and turned her attention back to the map. "Okay smartass, turn right here," she said as she pointed to an upcoming intersection.
Elsa did as instructed and turned right onto an isolated side road road that cut westward towards their new heading. Before long, they rejoined an interstate highway that cut northeast through the state park which would lead them to West Point where Gjallarbrú was supposedly hidden. Both sides of the road were sheltered by tall and bare remains of trees that were densely packed together and completely charred. The ashes of their lesser counterparts that did not survive the burn were picked up and tossed about in a mournful wind that blew across the road and gathered in black piles every which way.
The burnt forest brought about an uneasy sense of stillness to their drive and as Anna looked out her window, she couldn't help but wonder what beasts prowled the dead world beyond. Tried as she might to push it out of her mind, Anna couldn't shake the foreboding sense that they were headed into danger. She kept her eyes glued to the treeline for so long, it soon felt as if some of them had sprouted eyes and were watching her in return.
"So," Anna turned to Elsa as a means to distract herself. "We're almost there. What do you think we'll find at Gjallarbrú?"
"Hard to say. I'm not entirely sure we may find anything at all," Elsa admitted. "It's a strange feeling though."
"Strange how?"
"In a way, I'm returning home," Elsa said as she turned to look at Anna. "Or rather, the place of my birth. I'm… actually not certain whether to call Gjallarbrú or VanirCorp my home now that I think about it," she said as she shifted her focus back on to the road.
Anna nodded in understanding for she too felt the same way about her own circumstances. She had been born in LA, but she had spent a good portion of her life living in New York. She had no strong desire to return to LA, in just the same way she wished to leave New York. It was at that moment that she realized that whenever she thought of home, she always thought of Nora. Home wasn't any tangible place, but rather it could have been anywhere so long as she was with her sister. Anna had always felt lost in more ways than one, but only just now with Elsa did she come to one understanding about her life.
Home, Anna thought, and again, she turned her mind to the future. Of the impossible dream she once shared with Nora and one she hoped to have again with Elsa. What's that saying? Home is wherever the heart is. Ugh, that's so cliche… but maybe there's a point.
"I kinda get what you mean," Anna said softly.
"You do?" Elsa glanced over.
"Yeah," Anna sighed and rested her head against the window. "Remember how I told you I wasn't born in New York, that I'm originally from LA?"
"Yes, I remember."
"I guess it's sort of the same thing. I don't know which place to call home. I mean… on one hand, I was born in LA, I spent my childhood there. On the other hand, I moved to New York, spent the last thirteen years of my life here, but that doesn't mean I like it. I- its… I don't know, whenever I think of home, I always pictured it with-"
Just then, something flashed along the treeline, stopping Anna mid-sentence as she stiffened up in alarm to peer out the window. It appeared only for a moment, but whatever it was, it was large, and ran on all fours.
"Anna?" Elsa asked, sensing the same unease that Anna was feeling. "What do you see?"
Another flash of movement passed by, this time on Elsa's side which caught her eye. Multiple figures were running alongside them, partially concealed by the burnt trees and easily keeping pace with their truck.
"Uh… Elsa?" Anna murmured as she reached for her hand cannon. "Remember those wolves I told you about?"
As if on cue, a lone wolf burst from the treeline and continued to run parallel with the truck as it howled out. Evidently, that wolf was the alpha and leader of an entire pack for seconds later, a multitude of wolves emerged from the trees and ran alongside them, howling and snarling and snapping their teeth at Anna and Elsa as they undoubtedly smelled a fresh meal inside.
Finally able to get a good look at their pursuers, Anna felt anxious fear twist around inside her gut when she realized the stories of mutated wolves roaming the north had not been exaggerated at all. They were covered in sickly gray fur that was spotted with lesions and radiation burns. Their hackles were raised, exposing large and sharp teeth that looked like they could rend their flesh in seconds but most noticeable of all however was their immense size. It appeared that their exposure to radiation had caused them to mutate into massive creatures with unnatural strength to match their enormity.
The alpha wolf was easily the largest and under over half the size of the truck, dwarfing both Anna and Elsa by comparison. Unlike the rest of the wolves, the alpha was covered in thick white fur and had blood-red eyes. As for the rest of the pack, they were all smaller than the alpha, though each one of them on their own still posed a dangerous threat.
Slowly, the wolves began to close in on the truck.
"Go… go," Anna muttered breathlessly as the wolves were now pressing dangerously close to the truck. "Go, Elsa, FLOOR IT!"
Elsa gripped the steering wheel tighter, then slammed her foot down on the accelerator, racing down the interstate and leaving a trail of dust and ash in their wake. For a moment, it seemed as if they escaped their pursuers until Anna glanced through the rear window. When she saw nothing, she nearly sighed in relief which was when the wolves burst through the haze with demonic speed.
"They're gaining on us," Elsa said flatly as she glanced in the rearview mirror.
"Shit, shit!" Anna cried out. "Can't this thing go any faster?!" she glanced out her window again just in time to see a mass of fur slam into her side of the truck, nearly running them off the road. "JESUS!" she yelled as she flinched from the sudden impact.
The alpha wolf was right outside the window next to Anna now, glaring up at her with hatred and hunger in its eyes while foam dripped from its snarling maw. A second later, another wolf careened into Elsa's side, jostling the entire truck to the side while she struggled to maintain control of the vehicle.
"We have to do something!" Elsa yelled as she corrected their course just in time to avoid a car wreck in the middle of the road. "They're gonna run us off the road!"
Anna looked out her window once more, which was when the alpha wolf snarled and reared its head to the side before bringing it crashing right into the glass. Large cracks appeared and air began to seep into the car. With it came the hot and foul breath of the alpha running alongside the truck.
"Okay," Anna took aim with her hand canon. "Let's give them something to chew on!"
She fired once, sending out a round which shattered the glass and slammed into the alpha wolf's body. The beast howled in pain and retreated somewhat from the truck, though it did not stop running. Before Anna could even blink, another wolf raced up and assumed the alpha's place while it retreated a small distance and tailed the truck from the rear.
Anna didn't have time to aim again, for the two wolves on either side of their truck began to bash into their sides in alternating rounds. Both Anna and Elsa were relentlessly and violently rocked side to side, all the while the howling of the pack outside intensified. The two wolves flanking them backed away for a moment, then dipped their snouts lower as they prepared a simultaneous assault.
Before they could however, Elsa seized the opportunity to break the window at her side using her elbow. She then reached for her sidearm and fired off half a dozen shots at the wolf on her side until it dropped and toppled head over tails dead. Without letting up, she adjusted her aim and began firing at the next closest wolf until her magazine ran empty.
On the other side, Anna waited until the wolf leapt through the air, exposing its underbelly which was when she fired two rounds. The bullets tore up through it's torso and exploded out its back, dropping to the ground in a heap. At the same moment, another raced up to assume its place where it was met with a single bullet from Anna's hand cannon which took off one of its front legs.
"There's too many of them!" Elsa exclaimed as she reloaded her sidearm one-handed, keeping the other hand firmly on the steering wheel.
Anna risked poking her head out her window for a moment to take aim and fire at the alpha who was still tailing them from the rear, but missed her shot. She squeezed the trigger a few more times until she realized it was empty, then ducked back just in time to narrowly avoid the snapping maw of a wolf that lunged at her from up high. The wolf had nearly taken Anna's head clean off and instead it smashed right into the side of their truck, denting the metal and causing them to nearly swerve off the road as Elsa navigated around a bend.
"Shit that was a close one!" Anna cursed as she reloaded her hand cannon, when she caught sight of another wolf running up a rocky outcropping above them to their side. "Elsa, look out!"
At the peak of the outcropping, the wolf turned and leapt through the air, soaring for several seconds before it landed on the front hood of their truck. The windshield was nearly shattered as large cracks appeared all across its surface, obstructing their vision. The entire truck dipped and rocked about violently, which caused Anna to lose her grip on her hand cannon and drop it just as she finished reloading.
The wolf on the hood gnashed its teeth and began swiping its paws against the glass while pressing its full weight against it until eventually, it was able to break through a small portion and poke its snout in. Anna recoiled back in her seat as far as she could while the wolf in front of her growled and lunged in close enough that she could smell the rotten meat on its breath. The wolf nearly clamped its jaws shut around Anna's throat when suddenly, a rapid barrage of bullets ripped through the air around her.
Elsa emptied the magazine of her sidearm directly into the wolf's head, causing it to howl in pain before it reared back and died, tumbling off the truck and onto the road below. "Behind us!" she cried out in alarm as she glanced in the rearview mirror.
Anna had just managed to wipe the wolf's blood off the faceplate of her respirator when the alpha returned and jumped up into the flatbed compartment in the back. She bent down immediately and retrieved her fallen hand cannon, then spun around and placed a single shot though the rear window directly into the alpha's head, knocking him off once more.
With a few members of their pack slain and the alpha seemingly disposed of, the remaining wolves broke off their attack and pulled back a small distance away from the truck, giving the pair a moment to breathe. Anna counted the remaining rounds she had for her hand cannon, while Elsa punched the cracked glass in front of her then ripped off the windshield so that she could see clearly.
"Looks like they had enough," Anna panted as she turned around in her seat and scanned their surroundings. "I think we did it!"
"No," Elsa shook her head as she glanced in their mirrors. "They're regrouping. We're not out of danger yet."
Exasperated, Anna adjusted her position and looked out the shattered rear window where she spotted the remaining pack converging upon them once more. "Goddamn it!" she hissed as she pounded her fist against her seat.
"What do we do?" Elsa asked.
It was then that Anna remembered the shotgun she had found. "I've got an idea," she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt then reached up to open the sunroof above them.
"Anna, what are you doing!" Elsa asked in bewilderment.
Anna then retrieved the shotgun, dumped all of the shells into her pocket, then stood up in her seat. "I'm gonna keep them off our backs, just keep it steady!"
Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief and concern but she then nodded firmly. Next, Anna placed a foot on the dashboard and then braced her other foot against her seat so she could rise to her full height. Poking up out of the sunroof, Anna set the shotgun stock firmly against her shoulder and scanned her surroundings.
Seconds later, the wolves descended with renewed fury as they spotted Anna completely exposed on the top of the truck. This time however, she was ready for them.
At once, two wolves raced up to the back of the truck and lunged at Anna. Before they could reach her she unleashed a salvo of shells, spewing forth a dazzling shower of sparks and white-hot phosphorus from the end of her double barrels. The incendiary munitions filled the air with a wave of heat, igniting the fur of the two wolves which caused them to burst into flames.
They fell to the ground in a burning heap, howling in pain and rolling on their backs in a desperate attempt to douse themselves but they quickly expired beneath the flames. Around them, the rest of the pack howled in response to this new threat and adjusted their positions to specifically close in on Anna and swarm her all at once.
Meanwhile, Anna opened the breech of her shotgun, allowing the two spent shells to eject out before reaching into her pocket and inserting two new ones. She snapped the breech shut and with renewed confidence, she straightened up and took aim once more. One wolf came in from Anna's right, which she killed with extreme prejudice then turned to her left just as another wolf came snarling at her. She dropped that one in the same manner, then dipped low to reload her shotgun again. Temporarily vulnerable, the wolves sensed an opportunity and rushed at Anna, ramming into the sides and causing her to stumble.
"Anna!" Elsa cried out from below
The whole truck suddenly swerved side to side, pushing the two wolves flanking either side away as Elsa attempted to sideswipe them. Elsa succeeded in running one off the road by causing it to slam headfirst into a wrecked car just as they passed by, while the other wolf came around the back and jumped up through the air, intending to land on Anna and tear her to pieces.
Anna was reeling from the impact, but she looked up just in time to spot the wolf coming down upon her. She fired blindly with the shotgun which blasted the wolf's exposed underbelly, causing it to explod into a shower of gore. Anna then recovered and quickly shot at another wolf which was lunging at her.
As she reloaded once more she took a moment to assess their situation and found that though half of the pack by this point had been culled, the rest of the wolves remained committed to their attack. At that same moment, the alpha re-emerged from the cloud of dust and ash that their truck left in its wake and bore down on Anna with murderous intent. It was missing an eye and bleeding profusely from its side where Anna had shot it, but it seemed nonetheless undeterred in its singular focus of devouring the red-haired woman.
"Oh, come on!" Anna shouted in frustration. "You gotta be fucking kidding me!"
Three wolves then came in rushing at Anna from three different directions. She was able to shoot the first two dead with the shotgun, then at the last possible second she swung the butt end of the shotgun out and batted the third wolf aside. Winded, Anna immediately set back to reloading her shotgun but as she ejected the spent shells and reached inside her pocket, she found no more.
The alpha was some distance behind, but gaining on them quickly while the other wolves backed off, seemingly aware of their leader's personal vendetta against Anna. Without a second to lose, Anna glanced at oil drums, the rags, and the box of road flares in front of her, then tossed her shotgun on the floor as she began to put her desperate plan together.
"Fuck this!" Anna cursed.
She quickly climbed up onto the roof of the truck then slid down into the cargo bed. There, she bent down and retrieved the rags then stuffed them through a small hole in the top of the oil drums until they dipped into the black liquid. Next, she picked up a road flare, flicked off the cap, then ignited it by striking the end against the side of the oil drum. The flare burned bright and red in her hands as she held it out threateningly towards the wolves. Perhaps sensing her intention or driven back by a fear of fire, all the wolves save for the alpha retreated a safe distance away from the truck.
Unperturbed, the alpha snarled as it continued to bear down on Anna, advancing upon her with lethal focus and speed. Presented with no further options, Anna kicked down the rear tailgate and held the flare to the rags which served as a crude fuse. Once it was lit, Anna tossed the flare out and knocked over the oil drum which tumbled out and bounced down the road behind them.
At first, nothing happened for a moment as the oil drum rolled and sparked against the ground. Anna thought she was a goner then as she watched the alpha leap over the rolling drum. As if it could sense her imminent defeat, the alpha bared its fangs in a wolven grin as it set in its haunches once more to prepare the delivery of its death blow.
At the last possible second before Anna could feel teeth against her flesh, the oil drum exploded into a massive fireball that completely consumed the alpha. The earth itself seemed to shake behind them as a massive shockwave erupted from the center of the blast, sending the rest of the pack scampering off into the woods as they finally abandoned their assault.
Anna shielded her eyes from the blast and sank to her knees, gazing at the raging inferno behind them as they continued to speed off down the interstate.
"Anna? Anna!" Elsa called out from the front as she spun around. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Anna said breathlessly as she turned back towards Elsa, giving her a weak thumbs-up. "That wolf was fucking-"
Elsa's eyes widened in alarm as her face twisted into a mask of horror. "ANNA, BEHIND YOU. WATCH OUT!"
"Huh?" was all that Anna managed to get out as she spun around and was immediately met with a mass of smoking fur and flesh that descended upon her.
In the short time that Anna had her back turned, the alpha had burst out from the cloud of fire and was upon her within seconds. Anna was knocked onto her back and she slammed head against the metal floor of the cargo bed which left her dazed. Her vision swam before her and the only thing she could see was the hell-beast standing over her, poised to pounce.
She crawled backwards but there was nothing else she could do as in the next instant, the only thing she saw was a gaping maw filled with razor sharp fangs and the putrid stench of decay. She raised her left hand in a feeble attempt to defend herself and the alpha's jaws clamped around her forearm, sinking its teeth deep into her soft flesh.
Anna screamed louder than she had ever screamed in her life as pain erupted from her arm. Blood spurted out and she felt her bones crunch from the strength of the alpha's bite, made even more excruciating as in the next moment, the alpha began to viciously thrash its head side to side, mangling Anna's hand and forearm even further. As overwhelming pain flooded every one of her senses, Anna's mind turned blank, her vision darkened, and she cried out in agony. She was completely defenseless before the alpha and the sole thing she could see was a single eye, burning red like hot coals.
"Anna! ANNA!" Elsa was heard shouting over the snarling and ripping and tearing.
The alpha finished toying with Anna and released her hand, ripping off three of her fingers as he did. Afterward, the alpha grinned wolfishly down on her as it growled and bared its fangs. For a moment, Anna's vision returned to normal and she saw the alpha above her rearing its head back with its remaining eye glued to her throat.
This is it, Anna thought blankly. This is how it ends.
The next thing she felt were sharp fangs and a powerful jaw that clamped shut around her face. Anna was completely helpless as she ceased her struggling and wished only for a speedy end to her pain. Glass crunched and plastic splintered as the alpha thrashed its head about and tore the respirator mask free from Anna's head. Then, it swiped down angrily with its paws that held sharp nails, opening up wide and deep cuts on her exposed face over her cheeks down towards her ear. The alpha reared up once more and Anna braced herself for the inevitable when at the last possible moment, the truck screeched to a stop which sent him tumbling over the front.
Elsa had slammed on the brakes and as soon as the alpha was off of Anna, she exited the truck and took aim with her sidearm.
"GET AWAY HER!" Elsa yelled as she placed the barrel of her sidearm directly against the alpha's head and fired continuously.
Blood, fragments of skull, and wolven brain matter sprayed out the other side of the alpha's head, turning the road into a portrait of gore as the beast finally expired. With a final lengthy howl, the alpha died and slumped over limply.
"Anna?! Oh no," Elsa muttered frantically as she rushed to her aid. "Can you hear me? Anna!"
The white-haired woman sank to her knees by Anna's side and cupped her bloodied face gently, peering down into her eyes which were wild and unfocused. Anna was coughing violently and choking for breath, both from the attack she had sustained and now from the air she was breathing in. Additionally, thick spurts of blood were squirting from her mangled hand and forearm. The bone had been pulverized to dust and deep fissures had been torn open in her flesh.
"M- my… mask," Anna coughed up thick globules of blood as her lungs burned against the poisonous air. "It got… got my mask."
Without a second's hesitation, Elsa ripped off her own respirator mask, then gently raised Anna's head to place it over her face. Anna would have argued against it for it left Elsa with no mask of her own to breathe with, but she couldn't form the words much less summon the strength to protest.
"Hang on, Anna," Elsa said as she carefully scooped Anna's broken body up into her arms. "Just hang in there, please. It's going to be alright."
"E- Elsa… Elsa," Anna muttered weakly as her breath returned to her lungs. "Your mask… you need… n- need it."
"You're more important!" Elsa exclaimed, nearly shouting with hysteria.
She placed Anna down in the passenger seat, then went around the other side where she climbed in and resumed driving, speeding off down the road.
"I won't let you die," Elsa said firmly and in a tone that suffered no further argument. "I won't. Just hold on Anna, please. We're almost there okay? We're almost there!"
"Elsa," Anna murmured then hacked violently beneath her mask. "El- Elsa… I-"
"Don't speak Anna, you need to save your energy. Please, it's not far now. Just stay awake, can you do that?"
Anna couldn't reply even if she wanted to since she was rendered delirious from the pain that wracked her entire body. She was nauseous and disoriented to the point that just keeping her eyes open was nearly impossible, not to mention trying to keep her head upright. Her lungs, during their brief exposure to the air, felt as if they had been scorched inside and out and forced her to draw shallow, ragged breaths. Finally, the cuts on her face and torn flesh of her left arm throbbed and pulsated relentlessly with agony.
She was dimly aware of Elsa's voice speaking to her, though by now she was so far gone that she couldn't make sense of anything the white-haired woman was saying. Trying valiantly as she did to heed Elsa's words and stay awake, Anna felt her grip on her consciousness slipping further away by the second. Elsa's voice, usually calm and even, was now frantic and panicked as she began shouting at Anna in a vain attempt to keep her awake.
Not that it mattered anymore, for Anna felt her mind dissolve piece by piece into the blissful oblivion of numbness. With the last dregs of her strength, Anna slowly turned her head to Elsa whose face was contorted with anxious worry.
With that final image before her, she shut her eyes and saw no more.