CHAPTER 9 - LIARS
All eyes turned to stare at them. The customers of Oaken's pub could only theorize about what really happened with those men. One was crying with a broken hand, and the other was moaning while clutching a shattered bottle, arm apparently cut by a shard of glass. The most curious thing was that both blamed an innocent woman, who bore no injury whatsoever. Amidst the whispers, inquisitive glances, a burly man parted the crowd of onlookers. His face was somewhat familiar, as it was illustrated in every poster fixed on the walls.
"Girls, I'll have to ask you to leave the pub, ya? We can't afford any more trouble." Oaken himself demanded. "And you boys as well! Out now! Shoo!"
"No! We didn't do anything!" The man slurred, still pretty much drunk. "It was her fault!" He pointed an accusing finger at Elsa, who stood still with arms crossed.
"We're sorry for the inconvenience," Anna interjected before the blonde could answer, feigning soberness. "We're leaving, right Elsa?"
The heroine sighed, not really satisfied with the outcome. "Ok."
"No! I'm not leaving! I'm not leaving — Heeeey!" The man stopped his futile protests when a hand shot to the straps of his jeans, hitching him up in the air.
"You're leaving with us," Elsa said sternly, glaring at his friends as well, who just nodded and backed away.
"Put me down! Ouch!" He struggled against the wedgie, flailing while hanging mid-air.
The whole bar gaped at them. Eyebrows raised, hands over mouths, gasps, whispers, nobody could hide their astonishment. Anna gave the mass of people an apologetic smile, trying to keep up with Elsa as they exited the pub. When the doors burst open, the blonde hurled the man towards the street nonchalantly, and his friends rushed to aid him.
"You broke a bottle on top of my head. Do you know how lucky you're that it was me and not anybody else?" Elsa said harshly. "You could've killed someone with that. Now go before I call the police."
"Just... w-who are you?" The man murmured, but his friend took him by the arm, dragging him away. "Leave her be, Arthur! We're leaving."
Both girls watched the drunken group make their way out grudgingly. The injured ones were heavily against the idea, not wanting to flee without payback. Elsa thought the alcohol probably eradicated logic in their brains, as it seemed they didn't notice she was a superhero. She had to thank Anna, though, because the redhead prevented an imminent catastrophe. It was pretty impressive how she could tame the rage swirling inside the heroine, like putting a beast back into hibernation.
All seemed fine until an acrid odor assaulted her hypersensitive nostrils.
"Huh?" Elsa turned around to find Anna doubled over at the curbside, vomiting the contents of her stomach. "Anna! Are you ok?"
The blonde dashed Anna's way, holding the auburn hair while she regurgitated all over the sidewalk. Elsa wrinkled her nose, flinching when a splash almost hit her feet.
"I'm... ok. I think." She replied weakly and then retched. "I just drank too much. Or maybe it's stress? Probably both."
"It was just one glass of beer, Anna! You could say it was a big one, but still..."
"It was two glasses!" Anna retorted. "And I don't have a superpowered liver, Elsa."
The Snow Queen chuckled, failing to keep her seriousness, and then burst into peals of laughter. Even in her wretched state, Anna couldn't help but grin at Elsa's reaction. Moments of levity were quite rare when interacting with the blonde, so she indulged herself to the melody of her giggles. Their eyes met for a split second, ice-blue boring into teal, and Anna realized right there, in that singular moment. There was no denying it; she was totally smitten.
Could she actually have a chance?
"I had a great time today, not counting the harassment part," Anna said, finally composing herself.
"Me too," Elsa bit her lip, blushing slightly. "Anna... what I said earlier about myself. Could you please keep it between us? I— "
"Don't worry, Elsa. I won't tell anyone." Anna reassured, and the Snow Queen exhaled in relief.
"If any news outlets end up knowing about me... well, you know." The blonde shrugged. "Are you feeling any better?"
"A little bit better. Laughing seems to help." Anna rose to her feet, using Elsa's shoulder for support. "Your laugh is pretty cute."
She blamed her unbridled tongue for saying that. And the alcohol.
"You think so? Are you sure it's not the booze speaking?" Elsa raised a curious eyebrow.
"Nah, that's me speaking... and it was two glasses of beer!"
"Yeah, right," Elsa said wryly. "Do you want me to fly you home?"
Fly me home?
Anna let the words sink in, blinking stupidly. "W-What? You mean literally fly me home? H-How would that work?" She stammered.
The idea of Elsa carrying her, bridal style, was pretty much marvelous. Gliding in the moonlit, breezy night, cuddled in the heroine's mighty arms and smelling the fragrant aroma of her hair. Perfection, yes, but could her body even handle it? The Snow Queen flew inhumanly fast, not suited for a frail body like Anna's.
"Yeah, I can carry you. I'd also slow down the speed, so your body wouldn't implode," Elsa explained with a satisfied smile.
It was tempting.
It was really tempting to go along with Elsa, but Anna was always so fearful of heights...
"Hmm... I don't know. Maybe next time?" Anna smiled nervously. "I'm still kinda sick because of the beer, you know... wouldn't want to vomit on you up there in the sky! Hehe! Thousands of feet up in the air, very close to you, or in your arms..."
Surprisingly, Anna's ramblings fell on deaf ears. Elsa's focus shifted to somewhere else, staring off at an isolated corner edging the street. The redhead followed her steadfast gaze, and it lined up with a black sedan. The vehicle's engine was off, parked at a favorable angle to observe the front of the pub.
"Elsa, is everything alright?"
No, things weren't alright. The parked car could've been a mere coincidence if the person in question was anyone but the Snow Queen. Nothing happened by chance when Elsa was around, not even the tiniest event. She learned to pay attention to such conveniences and was certain someone was following them. The same car lurking around Anna's apartment, suspiciously so, was sneaking on them now.
Elsa cursed herself for hesitating to approach them last night.
"It seems I can't catch a break." The Snow Queen frowned, lips pressed tight. "Please stay here, Anna. I will be right back."
The blonde flicked her fingers, conjuring an icy aura of magic that encircled her body. At first, Anna thought she was imagining things. The frost seemed to be pulverizing Elsa's clothes, each revolution changing the fabric and replacing them with her uniform. A different version of her suit, though, as the material was made of pure snow and glittering ice. A fluttering cape materialized at her back, and her stilettos morphed into crystal, shining so bright it was blinding. Except for the French braid, the Snow Queen was back, clad in her iconic outfit.
"Elsa, why are you changing? Did something happen?" Anna asked, feeling a sudden surge of nervousness hitting her.
"Don't worry. You'll be able to see it all from here. Just wait for me, ok? I'll be quick."
And then Elsa walked off towards the black sedan, each step frosting the streets.
"It can't be her..." Flynn mumbled.
"It is. Look at that goddamn hair." Merida said. "I told you this was a bad idea. She's friends with this Anna girl."
"The appearance does match..."
"Fuck, Flynn! She was carrying a guy with a single arm. Are you blind? It's her!"
"But she's not wearing the superhero suit."
Sven grunted in agreement.
"Who cares? If she sees us here, we're— "
And then the transformation happened.
"Oh, FUCK!" Merida screamed. "She's coming our way. Get us out of here, Flynn."
"No!" Flynn objected. "If we leave, she will suspect us even more."
"You'll get us killed."
"Ssh! Let me do the talking and keep quiet! She has superhearing."
Flynn twisted uncomfortably in his seat, cautiously watching Elsa make her approach. He knew there was no way they could escape an S-class hero like the Snow Queen, not without an elaborate plan. Their only option was to talk her out, and luckily, Flynn was pretty good at that. The car's front window opened when the blonde came close to them, arching her back to take a proper peek inside.
"Good evening," The Snow Queen said, staring blankly at the passengers.
Flynn noticed her eyes were scanning every atom in the car, searching for any signs of suspicious activity. Her gaze swept through Flynn and Merida, lingering on Sven, who had the most unusual appearance. He couldn't let the silence stretch too much and went with the clueless route. "Good evening! It's — it's really you? The Snow Queen? Woah."
"Why were you following me yesterday?" Elsa's tone carried the slightest edge of a threat. "This same car was lurking around Grandwisch street last night. You better have a good explanation for that."
Pretending to be the naive, fascinated fan wouldn't get him anywhere. The Snow Queen saw through that farce easily, and Flynn worried his agitation gave him away. The heroine could hear his heartbeat as to deduce if he was lying, and the sweat running down his forehead didn't help either.
Fuck. She's good.
"I'm sorry if you thought we were stalking you. We are cops." Flynn replied.
"Could I see your ID?" Elsa tilted her head in skepticism. Those were certainly a very distinct group of cops. "Why are you not wearing your uniform or driving a standard police car?"
Flynn cleared his throat and gestured impatiently for his partners to lend their IDs to him.
"We're undercover cops, and we've been instructed to blend in. Yesterday, we were coming back to the station when we heard a call for a possible robbery near Grandwisch street, but when we arrived, you were already there." By the time Flynn concluded his story, he had collected all IDs of his colleagues, handing them over to the Snow Queen.
Elsa examined each one individually, starting with the beefy, hairy man.
"So, you must be officer Sven?" Elsa said, and both just stared at each other in silence. The only sound in the car came from Flynn's nervous heartbeat.
"Uhummmmmmmmmm." The man's face contorted in an affirmative grunt, almost painful.
The Snow Queen only blinked, stone-faced, waiting for the man to say anything else.
"Sven got really bad pharyngitis... he basically lost his voice," Flynn said. "If there is anything we could do— "
"And you're Merida?" Elsa cut him off, and now all eyes were fixed on the girl in the back seat.
"Yes, Ma'am," She replied defensively, hiding behind the thick curly reddish-orange hair.
Elsa could sense the levels of distress were through the roof.
"Why are you guys so nervous? You're cops. There's nothing to worry about."
"It's just... we've never seen you in person before." Flynn caressed his scruffy goatee. "You're like a legend in the police department."
The Snow Queen was no fool. She knew they were hiding something.
Maybe she could play along.
"Yeah, I'm used to that." The blonde sneered. "What station do you work on?"
"We work at— "
"I wasn't speaking to you." The Snow Queen glared at him, and Flynn winced at the overly-confrontational tone. "I asked Merida."
The girl swallowed. "The ZPD Station, Ma'am. The one near the zoo."
"I see." Elsa leaned closer, head going through the window. "I like your Scottish accent. When did you move to Arendelle?"
"Five years ago."
"You work under officer Rafael?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"I thought Rafael moved to Corona."
Merida had no answer. Elsa's lips curled into a cold smile, and her eyes emitted a fleeting glow. The growing tension in the car had reached its apex. It was only a matter of seconds before any of the passengers did something stupid, but Elsa suddenly laughed, confusing everyone even more.
"I have to apologize for my bold approach." Elsa chuckled. "I was having a great night tonight, and I was very upset when I saw that someone was following me."
"Yeah, it's fine," Flynn replied, unsure about the abrupt change of attitude. "We also received a call for a supposed fight inside Oaken's pub, so that's why we're here. And just like yesterday, you arrived first."
"Such a coincidence, isn't it?" The Snow Queen said calmly, but Flynn could swear he saw the corner of her mouth twitching.
"We feel better knowing you're around. Criminals are pretty tough around this block."
"They all look the same to me." As soon as the words left her mouth, Elsa's smile vanished, and her demeanor changed to the ice-cold, imperious figure that every crook had nightmares about. "But the kind I hate the most are the liars."
For the first time during their conversation, Flynn let the pretense slip, features growing serious, eyes focused. The Snow Queen eyed them like an insect she was debating whether or not to squash, and that stare frightened him.
"Most men think they can play me for a fool," The Snow Queen continued. "But it's pretty easy to squeeze the truth out of them." As if to demonstrate, she raised a fisted hand in front of them.
"I'm pretty sure it's easy for someone like you..." He said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of frostbite."
Time seemed to stop as everyone decided on their next action. Merida was one second away from shooting the Snow Queen's face, quivering fingers on the handgun trigger. Flynn gulped a lump in his throat, praying the heroine would be merciful. Sven shrunk back in his seat, hunching his trembling shoulders.
Elsa couldn't help but flash a half-smirk at them.
The Snow Queen's plan succeeded wonderfully, for the passengers would probably need to change diapers when arriving at home. Part of her thought about ending the playful banter and get them imprisoned, but their IDs seemed legit. Maybe a reasonably good scare was all they needed to stop following her? Elsa glanced back at Anna; the girl was still waiting for her, resting on the sidewalk absentmindedly, oblivious to the situation.
The redhead endured enough trouble this night; she ought to allow these guys to go.
For Anna.
"Officers, I still have some unfinished business here at Oaken's. I'll let you continue your patrols." Elsa said, drawing back from the window. "Sorry for the disturbance."
As one would expect, it wouldn't be that easy. Flynn never imagined finding the Snow Queen so close to Anna Jensen again, reinforcing how dangerous their mission had become. Despite that, this encounter just proved Anna was their best chance, meaning Kristoff was right all along.
"Everything is fine. We won't let you down, Ma'am." Flynn turned the car engines on.
"Good night, officers," Elsa said, emphasizing the mocking tone in the last word.
Flynn, Merida, and Sven watched the heroine walk away, moving with an elegant regality that oozed power, not to mention the trail of ice that accompanied her steps. The group blew in relief when she was out of earshot, for this encounter was the equivalent of dodging a bullet.
"Fuck! That was way too close, Flynn." Merida said, putting her gun away.
"We couldn't've known she would be here with Anna again." Flynn pinched the bridge of his nose, speeding the car around a junction. "We're gonna have to speak with her on another occasion."
"I'm not coming close to the Snow Queen again." The girl snorted, and Sven squawked in accordance.
"The Snow Queen was playing with us, Merida. She knew we were lying since the start. If she wanted us dead, she'd have done it before." Flynn replied, stopping the car at a red light. "If the girls really are friends, this just proves how important Anna can be to us."
"Kristoff has no clue what he's getting into." Merida shook her head. "We had this plan since the start, but I didn't sign up to fight fucking S-class heroes."
"If we want to succeed..." Flynn made a sharp left. "We'll have to deal with her eventually."
"Kristoff takes this personally, you know?" Merida scowled. "He has a grudge against them. Not sure if it's a good idea to get him too close to the girl..."
Flynn sighed. "We have no other option. She saw our faces, and we need to get rid of this car. It's Kristoff's turn to try now."
"What was all that about?" Anna asked, still feeling a bit queasy.
"I was just scaring some smart guys."
"Huh? Who were those guys anyway?" The redhead cranked her head, puzzled.
Assassination attempts happened pretty regularly in Elsa's life. Usually, outlaws or foreign agents from other countries spied on her, striving to discover a potential weakness against the superhero. Poisoning, bombs, and ambushes were relatively common. As for the guys in the black sedan, they very well could be placed in one of those groups, but judging by their reaction, they wouldn't risk anything so soon.
"It's nothing you need to worry about. You can trust me." Elsa stepped closer to Anna, way too close for her comfort. "I'm sorry... I kinda bring a lot of trouble with me, don't I?" She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
Anna felt scrutinized, but she didn't waver. She welcomed the proximity, for she could catch a whiff of mint, mixed with a wintry smell, coming from the blonde's breath. Meanwhile, Elsa's gaze maneuvered around the freckle-speckled face, magnetized with desire.
"Soooooo... you can make ice clothing as well? Is there anything you can't do?" Anna teased.
"Better than wearing fabric, right? Should I start my own line of snow clothing?" Elsa giggled.
"That would be neat. I was a bit weirded out from seeing you without the Snow Queen suit." Anna said, regretting her words right away, for Elsa deflated instantly.
"I... I don't fit in with normal clothes?"
"No! You definitely do! I meant like — you look different! It's a good different! You attract lots of attention, even without the Snow Queen stuff. So, don't worry about— "
"You're starting to ramble, Anna." Elsa chided softly.
"Oops!" Anna clamped her mouth shut. "I blame the beer."
The girls forgot they were chatting in the middle of the street. Eventually, most of Oaken's customers sitting next to the windows, curious about the disturbance outside, noticed Elsa's quick fashion show. If they harbored doubts about her being a superhero, they certainly didn't after that. It would only be a matter of seconds for the Snow Queen to be swarmed by ardent fans, and pictures of her new outfit would start floating online.
"I think we should probably go before people start bothering you, right?" Anna said coyly. "By the way, I can't thank you enough for this new phone. Nobody ever gave me something like that."
"I also saved my personal number on it," Elsa said. "If you're ever in danger, please call me. I'll arrive before you notice it."
Did she just give me her number?
Anna ducked her reddened face at the thought of dating Elsa. These past few hours together could very well be considered...
"Anna? Can you come back home by yourself?"
"Yeah... yeah! I can do that!" Elsa's voice shook Anna from her musings, and she fanned her blush. "Don't worry! You can go without me."
"See you around then." The heroine grinned. "Send me a message when you get home, or I'll fly there to check on you."
A small group of people was already nearing them, so Elsa didn't waste any more time. With strength focused on her toes, the blonde jumped, cracking the sidewalk beneath her feet. Anna didn't even care about the debris and dust blowing her way, centering her gaze on the snow cloud brushing the luminous sky.
"Holy shit! Was that the Snow Queen?" A random guy popped up beside Anna, staring up in awe. "Fuck! I didn't recognize her without the braid. Are you friends with her?"
"Yeah, I think we might be... she's awesome, right?" Anna said proudly. "Now excuse me, I need to vomit."
Four days had passed since the adventure in Oaken's. The influence both girls had on each other's lives was remarkable, and Anna wished she had met the blonde sooner. Working at Ahtohallan was still a daunting task, although Elsa acted as a guardian angel, shielding Anna from any criticism coming from Gerda or Kai. Not only that, but the homecomings during the night were strangely peaceful, and Anna suspected someone was observing her up there in the skies.
As for Elsa, she was definitely trying to more lenient. Anna brought her closer to everyday life, progressively reducing her dangerous mood swings. Her ruthless reputation, however, didn't change so quickly.
Most criminals still shat themselves at her sight.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Elsa said to a pair of men crouching on the ground, both with their backs turned to her, scrambling a purse.
A stolen purse.
"Do you have a deathwish, girl?" The man scoffed before turning around. The moment his neck rotated to check out who was behind him, he jerked back. "Shit!"
"What is it?" His partner followed the same motion. "Oh, fuck!"
Elsa sighed impatiently. Both men sprinted only to stop a few breathless seconds after, trapped in a blind alley. The only exit was passing through her, and that wasn't happening in this reality.
"Never hide in a blind alley," Elsa scolded, hands on hips. "If you give me the purse, I promise to take it easy."
"W-Who do you think you are— " And there it was, in a moment of frenzy, he had to grab his gun.
"You know who I am."
The Snow Queen took a long breath, pulling both arms backward, puffing her chest and cheeks. When her lungs inflated to full capacity, she exhaled, blowing an icy gale that knocked both men upwards. The purse soared into the air, and with an unhuman dash, she snatched it before it could fall on the ground. One second after, the men crashed unconscious by her side.
Waiting eagerly at the alley's entry was the purse's owner, an elderly lady, gawking at the action. The men wouldn't wake soon, so Elsa strolled the grandma's way, a smug smile on her face.
Interacting with fans was never her strong suit.
Nevertheless, Anna insisted she should try. Since her early days as a hero, she never had any interest in the devoted, obsessed individuals who worshipped her as a religion, a goddess. Elsa didn't need more incentives to boost her ego. Still, it wouldn't hurt to connect with more people.
"Here is your purse, miss. I hope everything is in there." Elsa handed the stolen item back to the lady.
"Oh, thank goodness for you, Snow Queen! If Arendelle didn't have you to protect us, we'd be doomed! Thank you!" The elder hugged Elsa awkwardly, ripping a small squeak from the blonde, and then broke the embrace when she realized what she had done.
"I'm just doing my job, miss." Elsa curtseyed.
The grandma clapped, face lighting up with childlike glee. Relieved with a sense of mission accomplished, Elsa was about to leave when she felt a gentle tug at her cape. Looking down, she was towering over a pair of wide-eyed twins, their concerned parents cautiously approaching right behind them.
"Are you the Snow Queen? Are you her?" The child continued to pull her cape as if she was a newly purchased toy.
"Margareth! Leave her be!" The father nudged his daughter out of the way. "Sorry to bother you, Snow Queen."
"It's alright, sir. Your daughter wasn't bothering me I— "
"Look! It's the Snow Queen!" Someone shouted hysterically from afar, stopping Elsa mid-sentence.
Oh, that's just great.
In the blink of an eye, there was an assemblage around her. Countless children, rebellious teenagers, adults, even the elderly. Everybody wanted to witness the rare sight of a superhero with their own eyes. The Elsa from a few weeks ago would fly in instinctive repulsion, but now, she would try to be friendly.
"Can I take a selfie with you? My classmates will go nuts!" A boy pleaded.
"Please, show us your powers!" A little girl implored.
It's ok. Try to be cool.
Spreading her arms wide, Elsa invited the little girl to a hearty hug, causing her to cry in delight. Suddenly, children were racing her way, squeezing her waist as if she was the most adorable puppy they had ever seen. Fortunately, the adults were content with pictures, lots and lots of pictures.
The Snow Queen couldn't fathom why people liked her so much. She grinned amiably, gently waved at the masses, but deep down, she felt like a zoo animal. What about the men she knocked out two minutes ago? Why did nobody pay any heed to that?
If only people knew what she had done.
"Can you make snow? Please?"
"Build a snowman for us!"
People chanted for a power display. It was inevitable they would.
"Alright, I can do that." Elsa squatted, leveling herself with the children. With a mild wave of her hand, a miniature snow replica of a boy formed in her palm. "That's for you." She handled the snow doll to the kid, who accepted the present wide-eyed.
After the first gift, the throng cherished for more. Elsa complied, though slightly unsure about how much more attention she should give to those people. Amidst the bustling noise, she caught a beep of her communicator, the sound lightly muffled by the cacophony. She pressed the button on her belt, and the gadget transformed into an earpiece, allowing her to answer the call with discretion.
"Hey! Already that busy this early in the morning?"
She recognized that angelic voice.
"Anna? I'm impressed that you are already awake this early in the morning."
Anna was never an early bird. Usually, the planets had to align with the mightiest gravitational pull to heave her out of bed. Today was a rare occurrence, albeit a very appreciated one, as it allowed Anna to catch a glimpse of Elsa on TV. Hair still disheveled, sunken eyes still prominent from sleep, her monotonous breakfast suddenly got more interesting at the sight of the blonde.
"Yep, I'm already awake. Are you following my advice? You're trying to be cool in front of the others?" Anna said, crunching a mouthful of cereal while staring at the broadcast. It was pretty rare for any reporter to get a live feed of the Snow Queen, especially her interacting with civilians.
"What? How do you know about that?" Elsa's confused face flashed on the TV screen, and Anna couldn't suppress her amusement.
Following their chat at Oaken's, Anna encouraged Elsa to make more public appearances. The blonde wasn't so fond of the idea, but Anna obstinately insisted. It was a crucial step to get the heroine more comfortable, particularly around common folk. An exercise to prove she could live both worlds.
It would be easier if she wasn't a social disaster, though.
Anna had to admit it wasn't simple to live in Elsa's shoes. The blonde was surrounded by a mob of thirsty fans, and they respected no boundaries. The more the cameraman zoomed in, the more maddening it all seemed. A teenager kept trying to caress her hair, and one even managed to grope her forearm. Elsa had no clue as to how to deal with them, so she just stiffened in place. Awkward, but cute nonetheless.
Anna finally understood her reluctance.
At length, the Snow Queen's eyes settled on the cameraman, giving the impression that she was staring at the TV.
"Oh, I should've guessed that the local news would arrive at some point," Elsa said through her earpiece.
"You look great. Some kids are almost drooling over you." Anna murmured, chewing her cereal with gusto.
"I don't think I can do this for much longer," Elsa whispered while waving to the masses with a feeble smile. "They are like mosquitoes trying to suck my blood."
"Elsa! Don't say things like that!" It was comical to speak and get her reactions through the TV.
"I swear to god! If I have to make one more snow sculpture, I'm going to fly away," the Snow Queen hissed, preparing an artificial smile for the fifteenth selfie of the day.
"Ok, look, I don't want to hold your attention from those people." Anna paced around the living room, iPhone in hand. "I'm calling to invite you to Olaf's birthday. I was thinking about doing a pizza and game night here at my apartment this Friday. What do you think? You know how much he begs me every day to see you. Your presence would be like the best birthday present ever!"
"But Anna... I still have to catch the masked man. I told you about this! He's dangerous!"
"Pleaseeeeeeeeeeee?"
Anna had never called Elsa's personal number before, so she was a little bit anxious about the answer.
"Ok... I... can... go. Are you sure he's not gonna faint?" Elsa answered lamely.
"Yes!" Anna squealed. "He's going to love it!"
"Yeah... great. I thought you'd call me when you were in danger! You almost scared me for a second — Ouch!" Elsa squeaked when a kid pulled her French braid.
Unexpectedly, Anna's doorbell rang, startling her momentarily. Who the hell is at my doorstep at this time?
"Ugh... Elsa, I'm gonna have to go. See you at Ahtohallan soon!" The redhead replied, walking towards her door.
"Yeah, see you there— "
But Anna wasn't listening anymore, and the call disconnected. The only person who could visit at this hour would be Yelena, her old and grumpy neighbor, but this was weird even to her standards. Anna strode to the door and knocked.
"Who is it?"
Instead of the doorbell, the person decided to pound at the door with a thud, continuously.
"Who is it?" She asked again, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Fuck it."
Anna opened the door.
Two fellows stood in front of her. The first was a rugged, broad-shouldered, brawny man. He had heavy bags under his eyes, blonde hair, wearing a dusty and battered black trenchcoat, along with dark trousers. The second was a hulking, enormous shaggy beast. Ghastly face concealed by a grizzled beard, all clad in black.
The sight of both men sent goosebumps tingling down Anna's spine.
"Who... who are you? Are you at the right apartment?" Anna took a few steps back, stunned by the strange individuals.
"Are you Anna Jensen?" The blonde man asked hoarsely, and Anna nodded. "My name is Kristoff Bjorgman, and this is my partner, Sven."
"And, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Anna swallowed, sweat running down her neck.
"We are here to talk about Ahtohallan."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hello all!
Let me know how I'm doing. Please comment, otherwise, some very cute baby pandas will die. (only your comments can save them)