CHAPTER 7 - BIGGEST FAN
You killed him.
You should be in jail for manslaughter, Snow Queen!
Murderer!
The words phased through Elsa's body like haunting whispers echoing in her ears. Was she a hero? Or a villain? A superhero would make Anna feel safe, protected, hopeful. Although there she was, lying miserably on the ground while tears welled in her eyes, dripping off the tip of her chin. Once again, the Snow Queen lost herself in irrational anger, and the one to pay the price was Anna. The mere thought of someone violating the redhead, hurting her, induced so much uncontrolled rage to emerge within Elsa that she could demolish the whole city.
"You killed him! Y-You killed him, Elsa!" Anna sobbed, rising unsteadily and staggering towards Martin.
The man's face had been brutalized by a mere slap. His skin was torn with bone fractured outwards, and Anna nearly vomited from repulsion. Carl was no different; his body was blackened due to severe frostbite. She didn't have to check him out to know he was gone.
"H-He is dead too." Anna looked down, wiping away the tears. "Y-You killed both of them."
"Anna, please, they were hurting you! I couldn't let them— " Elsa took tentative steps, but Anna recoiled.
The response caused the Snow Queen to choke on her own words. Anna was holding herself, hunched shoulders trembling slightly with fear.
Fear.
This is what Elsa had always worried about since she met Anna. The day the girl would see the violent side of her; a facet that manifested itself more times than desired. Proof of the Snow Queen's indifference to human life.
Her reaction pierced Elsa's heart.
"Anna, please, I'd never hurt you." She whispered, crouching gently beside the frightened redhead, who couldn't hide her disappointment.
"Why didn't you just stop them?" Anna asked bluntly.
Elsa had no answer.
"Why didn't you just scare them away? They couldn't do anything against you!" Anna waited for her response, but it didn't come.
Reality hit Anna quite hard. She had never seen people so helpless like those robbers, so powerless against a force of nature like Elsa. What could an ordinary human like them do against a superhero like her? She could toy with their lives as she may choose, like cockroaches under her boot about to be crushed. Nobody should wield such power. Elsa was still only human, one that could commit mistakes, so she couldn't allow herself to lose control in situations like this.
"It's always the same with you superheroes!" Anna hissed, growing agitated. "It's chaos and destruction wherever you guys go! They didn't have to die!"
"I saved you! What was I supposed to do? Let him shoot you?" Elsa indicated the revolver laying on the ground.
"You are fucking bulletproof!" Anna yelled. "You could've just immobilized them or something!"
"I acted on impulse! I saw what they did to you—"
"You can't act on impulse when you can break people like twigs!" Anna stood, walking away as if to leave, and then whirling around to face Elsa again. "Why are you even here, anyway? How did you find me?"
"I followed you. When... when you told me you were robbed, I was worried. I wanted to make sure you arrived home safe." Elsa said coyly, holding her arms close.
The comment disarmed Anna. She caught a glimpse of the blonde she met in the Northuldra park. The woman she found kind, considerate, nothing like the monster she saw moments ago.
"B-But why? Why did you follow me?"
The Snow Queen had already responded, but Anna wanted to hear it again. She wanted the reassurance. She needed the confirmation that someone cared about her.
"I had to make sure you were safe," Elsa said.
Upon answering, the Snow Queen reflected on her intentions. She always thought herself superior to average humans. She had limitless power, immense wealth, exceptional beauty, so these thoughts only intensified her superiority complex. Emotional disconnection also made the job easier; it was more comfortable to accept death when you don't really care. However, why did she felt so bad about that little girl? Why did she get so upset when she saw couples holding hands out and about? Why did she care so much about Anna? Could it be more than a physical attraction? Why was she so obsessed with living an ordinary life?
"T-Thank you..." Anna finally murmured.
"Anna..." Elsa said as calmly as possible. "Your car is still abandoned on the street, and you're in shock. I should take you to your apartment, so you can rest."
The redhead blinked a few times, snapping back to earth. They couldn't stay in that dim alley for any longer. She nodded positively, still slightly bewildered, but with firm resolve.
"What about them?" Anna gestured to the now-deceased men. "What are we going to do? We can't leave them like this! Shouldn't we call the police or an ambulance or something?"
Elsa sighed regretfully. "I'll handle this..."
The Snow Queen pressed a button in her belt, detaching a small communicator that subtly transformed itself into an earpiece. She plugged it in her ear, tapping it lightly before speaking:
"This is the Snow Queen. I require clean up on Irvingdale, Grandwisch street. Two bodies in a small alley. Be quick."
Anna narrowed her eyes. "What did you mean by clean up?"
"Ahtohallan will deal with them," Elsa said, rubbing her temples. "When accidents happen—"
"You mean when heroes kill people?" Anna scoffed. "Or, accidentally kill people?"
"Yes... when heroes accidentally kill people, we have a procedure for that." Elsa gestured for her to follow. "Now, c'mon, let's get your car back."
Anna nodded grimly, deciding to not bother questioning the matter further. It was blatantly obvious to her what 'clean up' meant: hide the evidence and the bodies so heroes wouldn't take the blame. Despite that, she opted to turn a blind eye, focusing on fetching her car on the street.
Neither she nor the Snow Queen said a single word along the way, but their silence spoke volumes. Anna never thought she would see someone being killed, especially by a person she was so interested in. When the car was secured, Elsa offered herself to accompany Anna to her apartment, a proposal the redhead sincerely thought about declining. Nevertheless, she couldn't stand to be all alone after what she had witnessed.
"Sure, you can come up..." Anna said.
The visit would be brief.
The redhead didn't even mind the presentation of her apartment. It was borderline dingy, shabby, with no proper regard to order. She only required company until she could call Olaf to come to the rescue, as only the boy could have a chance at purifying her mind from the vicious memories. While on their way, Anna slightly glanced at the blonde's boots, and her vision shifted to the image of Martin choking with that same heel over his throat. A shiver ran down her spine at the horrifying remembrances of his screams. She had to focus on pleasant thoughts, and Idina was the first one to come to mind. How could that alluring woman at the park be so sympathetic and violent at the same time?
"Anna..." She heard a whisper.
It was Elsa.
Anna was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't realize they had arrived in her apartment.
"Look..." She took a deep breath. "I'll call Olaf to come over. I think I might need some time to... recover."
"I understand if you don't want me around. I'm sorry." The blonde replied, looking down.
Part of Anna felt she was being overly harsh with the hero, for Elsa did save her, and the act couldn't be overlooked. She owed her life to the blonde even if she disagreed with her violent approach; the cruel deed remains the sole reason she was standing right now. She couldn't shoo the heroine away.
"You can stay until Olaf arrives."
The tick of the wall-clock was the only sound both girls could hear in the living room. Elsa was surprised by how compact and modest Anna's apartment was, but the atmosphere was cozy. The redhead was settled on the couch, visibly impatient. She was tapping her feet, shaking her leg, checking the time constantly as if there was a timebomb under her seat. Elsa cleared her throat and sat next to her, trying to alleviate the tension somehow.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Elsa said, staring off.
"I know you wanted to protect me. I... I've to thank you for saving me," Anna admitted with a feeble smile. "But... I keep thinking about what you could've done if I didn't stop you."
"I should've controlled myself." Elsa recognized. "But I couldn't let them hurt you."
Not Anna. Not someone so pure and innocent like her. The Snow Queen would never allow a criminal to ever touch her again.
"D-Do you enjoy hurting people?" Anna said, and her breath quickened. "I saw the way you looked at those men... you wanted to hurt them. I've never seen anything like it."
The blonde frowned. Do I enjoy hurting people?
No, of course not. Elsa was a superhero; she was supposed to do the exact opposite of that. However, she couldn't deny the vicious satisfaction, the resonance that her powers had with control; her magic only grew stronger at the sight of fear, of dominance over others.
"Of course not. I'd never!" Elsa shook her head thoughtfully, then took a deep breath. "But I'd do it all over again if it meant to save your life." She exhaled.
Anna stared at Elsa for a moment and then nodded to herself. Her eyes studied the blonde carefully, settling on a stain of gunpowder near her chest. "Does it hurt? He shot you like ten times at least."
"No... I'm already used to it." Elsa said, eyes widening when Anna slowly extended her hand, brushing the bullet mark with her thumb.
The redhead blinked a few times and tore her eyes away from the heroine, fidgeting with her fingers. "You can't lose control like that, Elsa. People are counting on you. You're not a murderer."
"I know..." Elsa whispered, twisting a smile. But I did kill those men...
Ironically, the TV was on with the volume on mute, and a Snow Queen commercial started to play, promoting an extravagant cosmetic kit. The advertisement grabbed the attention of the girls, opportunely bringing some lightness into the eerie mood. It was so ridiculous Anna had to stifle a laugh, amused by how annoyed Elsa looked. "They must've paid you a lot for that."
"Ahtohallan made me do it." Elsa grinned, slightly embarrassed. "I hate doing commercials."
"If Olaf was a girl, he would certainly buy those. He might even have a kit because it's yours..." Anna said.
"You and Olaf seem to be really close."
"We are." Anna smiled. "He will probably arrive soon."
The Snow Queen never possessed a longtime friendship similar to what Anna had with Olaf. People were always either too wary or overly obsessed with the hero persona, hindering her chances to develop a proper relationship. The redhead spoke about the boy with pure affection, and Elsa wondered if there was something more between them. The idea of Olaf and Anna being a couple sparked a bit of jealousy in the blonde.
Envy...
Elsa wasn't familiar with jealousy, but a small glance at Anna was all it took for her to understand why. When the redhead arrived at her apartment, she changed clothes, washed her face, undid her bun, and returned to the living room wearing a cute set of pajamas. No makeup, long strawberry-blonde hair set loose. Her beauty was heart-warming, and Elsa never felt such a keen instinct of protectiveness when standing by her side.
"How is it like?" Anna asked, slowly growing more relaxed.
"What do you mean?"
"How does it feel to be stronger? Faster? To be able to shoot ice from your hands?"
Elsa thought for a while, suddenly flashing a half-smirk. "How is it like to be weaker? Slower? I've been like this throughout my whole life, so I can't really compare."
Anna pouted. "Not fair."
The energy of the living room was gradually becoming livelier, more comfortable for the redhead. That was until she spotted a small stain of blood in Elsa's white sleeve, probably caused by the punch she delivered to the robber's face. She winced at the sight, instinctively clutching her middle. It was becoming harder and harder to scare the unpleasant thoughts away.
"I could really use a drink right now." Anna chuckled sadly.
"Me too. It usually helps me forget... the things I've done." The heroine said.
"You drink?" Anna was surprised.
"Yeah, I drink. But it takes a lot longer than normal to get drunk."
Anna realized she actually didn't know much about Elsa. The Snow Queen was all over the TV, merchandise, movies, commercials, a famous pop-culture icon all around. Media advertised her as this divine figure that everybody worshipped, but she was just as flawed as anyone else. Someone with all that power and responsibilities couldn't be sane at all times, so it was only fitting for her to find ways of coping with the pressure. Anna wanted to know her better. What does she like to do? What are her favorite foods? Does he have a hobby?
Anna wanted to know the real Elsa.
"We could go to Oaken's bar one of these days. To talk about life. What do you think?" Anna suggested. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."
Elsa beamed at the invitation. She was worried Anna wouldn't forgive her or would cower in fear as most people did. The Snow Queen was traditionally considered to be a stern, unemotional, and detached individual by her work peers. But with Anna, her demeanor changed to the total opposite.
"Sounds good to me."
"Well, erhm... Saturday night?" Anna grinned nervously.
"Yeah, Saturday night is ok."
Did Anna nothing but asked the most powerful woman in history to have a drink in a bar? It seemed so surreal to think a weapon of mass destruction was basically sitting on her couch. Of all the possible friends she could have, she choose the strongest superhero of all time.
It was such an Anna thing to do.
While the redhead was geeking out, Elsa heard some swift steps coming from outside the apartment. Soon enough, the doorbell rang, startling Anna and prompting the Snow Queen to stand. The blonde headed towards the door, for she wanted to make sure it was Olaf.
Only then Anna realized the colossal mistake that was about to take place. She outstretched her hand in an attempt to warn Elsa, but it was already too late.
The Snow Queen opened the door in expectation, but her eyes stared at an empty hallway.
Initially, Elsa frowned and even considered the possibility of a prank. Glancing down, she realized she was towering over a frightened boy, who barely reached up to her waist. He was stout, possessed a prominent nose, enormous eyes, and a small handful of hair even though he seemed young. Anna mentioned Olaf had a childlike attitude, so that should be it.
Ok, she is really not dating Olaf. Elsa thought.
"Good evening, you must be Olaf!" The Snow Queen smiled with pressed lips, arching her back and placing her hands to her knees, barely reaching eye-to-eye level.
"Y-Y-You a-are t-the S-Snow... y-you are" The boys' eyes bulged.
The blonde stared unblinkingly at Olaf for a few seconds, expecting him to say cohesive sentences, but his state only worsened.
"Anna, I think your friend is broken," Elsa murmured, tilting her head towards the apartment.
Why did this always happen when she tries to be welcoming?
Olaf was possibly having a stroke. He was stuck in a never-ending loop, stuttering every nonsensical word he could possibly blurt. When Elsa extended her hand to gently nudge him out of his stupor, he suddenly fainted and fell limply on the floor.
"Oh god, I knew this would happen!" Anna arrived way too late. "Help me carry him."
Elsa gaped at the situation as she had no idea of what happened to the boy. She shook her head, blinking stupidly, and then proceeded to lift Olaf with a single arm. "Allow me."
She could at least carry him to the couch.
Olaf was comfortably sleeping on the overstuffed sofa, lips slightly parted, so stiffly it was reminiscent of a corpse. Anna caressed his forehead with a rueful smile, and that confused Elsa even more.
"Did I say something wrong?" The Snow Queen still didn't get it.
"No, Elsa." Anna chuckled. "He's just your biggest fan."
"My... biggest fan?"
"I think he has at least three giant posters of you in his bedroom."
Elsa gulped. "... I think I get it now."
"I just hope he didn't hit his head too hard." Anna looked at Elsa with wide eyes. "He's going to wake up, right? He's not in one of those brain dead states—"
"I can hear his heartbeat. He's fine."
Anna exhaled in relief. "Poor Olaf. He's gonna go crazy when he hears what I've to say. Did you know that he wanted your autograph? He begged me for it, but my dumb ass brain forgot to ask you."
Elsa never considered meeting any of her devoted fans, even though she knew there were many out there. She always pictured such specific individuals as stalkers, who would eventually disturb her sacred privacy just like the media reporters typically did. Olaf, on the other hand, appeared to be the personification of innocence.
"I think you can properly introduce me to him... one day... when he's awake," Elsa said.
It wouldn't hurt to know Anna's friends a little bit better.
"You mentioned he's kind of slow as I recall but... is he also a midget? Or disabled?" The blonde blurted.
"Elsa!" Anna playfully slapped Elsa on the shoulder. "He's not disabled, and he's not a midget! You're the one that's too tall."
The Snow Queen shrugged. Anna seemed to be doing better right now, emotionally, and physically. Perhaps this was her cue to leave, to let the girl finally rest and enjoy the comfort of the night with her friend — or with his unconscious body, at least.
"I'm gonna go, Anna." Elsa stood. "Promise me you will be ok?"
The redhead's smile vanished instantly, her gaze fell down, and she managed a weak nod. "Yeah... I can take care of Olaf."
"I hope the boy gets better." Elsa scratched her head. "I'm sorry about him, and I'm sorry about— "
"It's ok. See you tomorrow at Oaken's?" Anna managed a tiny grin.
Els smiled. "See you tomorrow."
Not all hope was lost.
Olaf was supposed to come over and comfort Anna, but judging by the current circumstances, it would be the other way around. The redhead decided to watch TV and wait for her friend's awakening, trying to puzzle together a way to deliver the recent news without inducing him to faint again. A booming noise could be heard from outside, signaling Elsa's departure and stirring Olaf out of his sleep.
"W-What? What was that noise?" Olaf murmured, blinking several times until his perplexed eyes set upon Anna.
"Hey, Olaf! How are you—"
"The Snow Queen! She was here! I saw her!" Olaf jerked upright, drooling in anxiety.
Anna rolled her eyes and placed a reassuring finger on Olaf's lips, silencing him for the moment. "Olaf... I'm going to tell you about a lot of things. But, please, can you promise me to hear me out without interruptions?"
"Uh-uh?" The boy raised a dubious eyebrow. "What things?"
Anna puffed her chest, backing her shoulders and cracking several joints.
Ok, here we go!
"What?" Olaf gawked. "She hired you? There was no interview?"
"Yep, no interview."
"You're an Ahtohallan employee now?" He goggled her up and down.
"Yep. I don't even know how they managed to arrange everything."
"I told you. Only Ahtohallan knows!"
"She's your boss? You are the secretary of the Five Spirits?"
"It's more like a personal assistant or something—"
"And you talked to her? Multiple times?"
Oh boy, this is going great.
"She saved you? She brought you home?"
"Stop drooling all over the couch, Olaf—"
"This means the Snow Queen cares about you? You're friends with the Snow Queen?"
"Stop saying THE Snow Queen!" Anna mimicked, raising her hands mockingly.
"So I wasn't hallucinating? She was really here?"
"Yep."
"So, let me see if I got this story straight. You accidentally meet the Snow Queen in the Northuldra park. She felt pity and gave you a job as the Five Spirits personal secretary — or assistant — without you actually knowing about it! Then, she introduced you to all the Four Spirits and told them she was your boss. After that, you got mugged, losing your phone. And now, you were going to be robbed again, and she saved you personally! And carried you here to your apartment!"
Olaf could be a worse rambler than Anna if he wanted to.
"Yeeeah, it's not one hundred percent accurate, but that's just about it."
Anna intentionally omitted the part where most employees seemed to hate her presence, and even more importantly, the fact the Snow Queen almost stomped a man's head in front of her.
"Jesus! You're like — the luckiest person ever! I think after all these years of accumulated misfortune, you've been finally compensated!" Olaf bounced up and down in his seat.
"Don't jinx me, Olaf!" Anna poked his round belly.
The boy shifted around the cushions, leaning closer with a naughty grim.
"So... she is pretty, right?" He teased with a knowing wink.
"W-What?" Anna didn't expect this from Olaf at all.
"Oh, c'mon! I know she is your type. Gorgeous blue eyes, platinum hair, incredibly tall, enormous shapely legs, youthful breasts, phenomenal butt—"
"What the fuck, Olaf! Where is this all coming from? She is my boss! Don't say things like that." You are goddamn right about all of that.
"I ship it." He mumbled.
Anna chuckled and swayed her head in amusement. Olaf just being plain old Olaf. By all means, Anna would love to know Elsa more personally, intimately even. The heroine's beauty was unparalleled, but that wasn't all she had to offer. What about her personality? She was one of the most fascinating and complex individuals Anna had ever seen. Could they become friends?
"Hey, look! It's the She-Beast!" Olaf pointed to the TV screen.
The local news was interviewing another superhero, and this time, Anna didn't recognize the woman. She had long brown hair tied back in a low ponytail, captivating hazel eyes, pink lips, rosy cheeks, and a heart-shaped face. It appeared she had stopped the kidnapping of a famous corporative executive of Arendelle.
"Don't know about that one," Anna said, annoyed by the over-saturation of superheroes in the news. "Can we switch channels? Aren't we done with superhero stuff?"
"Now that you work at Ahtohallan, you should know everything about them!" Olaf disagreed.
Anna growled, crossing her arms grumpily.
"Ok. Who is that woman?" She deadpanned.
"Before the Five Spirits, there was an elite superhero team in Arendelle!" Olaf perked up. "The team was composed by the She-Beast, SugarRush, Dark Prince, and its leader was the Jungle King—"
"Too many names for me to remember," Anna said, and Olaf deflated.
The history of superheroes, in general, was a convoluted one. They suddenly came out of nowhere, and as the years went by, Ahtohallan expanded their empire with headquarters spread all over the world.
"Why do you hate them so much?" Olaf asked.
She couldn't care less about superheroes, but what about the Snow Queen?
"Ok, all right!" Anna sighed. "Maybe you could teach me more about them?"
"Yeeees!" Olaf squealed. "I hope you have some energy drinks? We're not sleeping so soon..."
The Snow Queen was leaving Anna's apartment with her hope restored. She gained another chance to show the redhead her true colors, her generosity, her kindness. Not only that, but she would be going out to a bar with Anna, something she hadn't done in quite a while. Maybe this could be her chance to feel like a human again.
Getting outside, the lackluster street was completely silent, and nobody seemed to be lurking nearby. Satisfied, the blonde bent her knees in a squat, ready to leap upwards when her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a black sedan. The sight of the vehicle made her suddenly stop, sensing that something was awry. What is that car doing here this late into the night? Her enhanced eyesight couldn't identify the passengers, for the sedan had tinted windows.
No... I'm overthinking. Anna wouldn't want me to create more trouble.
Giving up on the idea of approaching the car, the Snow Queen shot off like an arrow, ripping the sky with her snow cloud. The thundering sound probably woke all the neighbors around, but that barely crossed her mind.
Inside the black sedan, however, the passengers observed the goddess disappearing into the night sky.
"What the fuck is the Snow Queen doing here? She was looking at us! We were almost busted!"
"Calm down, Merida. This just proves Kristoff was right. This Anna girl might be our chance."
"I don't know, Flynn. We are dealing with the freaking Snow Queen! She's gonna impale us with a fucking icicle!"
"We need to risk it. Get all the intel we have on Anna Jensen. We're following her tomorrow."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Please comment! Let me know how I'm doing!
I felt like I had to let the girls talk for a bit in this one... but things will get more interesting soon! :)