Chapter 4
It had started off as a typical day. Like any other, Kristoff had accustomed to his new life quite well. He had learned the ropes as an accountant, and was employed at the local bank. He knew some of the people working in the bank, and he knew others that he passed on the streets. He had even made some "friends" at his job. All in all, he was living a good life. But for Kristoff, he didn't feel like it was a good one.
He had been in the local supermaket when it happened. He was choosing vegetables, when he saw her. The princess. There she was. His jaw dropped, and he almost dropped his basket as well. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had assumed she was... Well he didn't even know what to think had happened to her. Last he had seen her, she was just a girl in a shop. After that, he had gone down to the kingdom, and waited for the blonde man, for his money. But then, he had been transported somewhere instantly, and he had felt sick. He hadn't seen the princess or the man afterwards, and he assumed they had either perished, or had been taken with the group he arrived with. The earth had trembled, and looking at the direction of the cause, he saw Arendelle was gone, disappeared from where it used to stand. It was heartbreaking, and he searched for Sven, but never found him. Soon, he had been taken to space, in the future, apparently. It had all happened so fast. He didn't know what to feel. There was never even an explanation from the magician girl, and he never asked for one. But now, seeing the princess, he almost froze. He reminded himself of what had happened, and now was his chance to ask her if she knew what had happened. He walked over to her, slowly, and nervously.
"Hey," he greeted, while tapping her shoulder. She jumped, and sounded startled, but she quickly recognised him.
"Hey! It's you!" Anna laughed.
"Yeah, it's me," he half grinned. "Hey, listen, do you know, what happened?"
"What happened?" she sighed. "Would you like some coffee?"
Anna had invited Kristoff to her place. It was similar to his own, with only a few differences. He was sitting on her couch, drinking a cup of coffee, when she came in, with her own.
"How do I say this?" she started. "Do you remember when we met?"
"Sure," he responded. "Did you ever see a tall, blonde man outside the store?"
"Yeah, in fact, he offered me-" he began to explain.
"He told me about you," she said, abruptly. "I know what he said to you. But you don't know what he said to me."
"He spoke to you?" His eyes widened.
"He did a whole lot more than talk to me," she giggled.
She explained to him the entire adventure she went on with him, and how they fell in love. Kristoff couldn't help but laugh mentally. Some guy she had just met, and now she was in a relationship with him, 'in love'?
"So hold on," Kristoff chuckled. "He told me that I shouldn't talk to you, and that I should avoid you, but he just stumbled into you, by 'mistake'?"
"Pretty much."
"I get the feeling he didn't want me around because I was competition," he sniggered.
"Am I hearing a hint of jealousy?" Anna asked, amused. In reality, Kristoff was starting to feel anger in himself. He had just thought that if he had gone with the princess, then maybe he would have stayed out of the kingdom, and Sven would never be gone.
"No, no. It's just that, it sounds like he wanted a better shot, and he got it without me around," he explained.
"Look, if you're going to suggest he did it just to be with me, then you're very wrong," she said, irritated.
"You need to hear what I have to say," he said, looking at her seriously and changing the subject. "I think there's something more that they didn't tell us."
"Who?"
"The Justice League," he suggested. "And why would you say that?" Anna was visibly becoming angrier. After all, she had seen everything they did, and how they helped a lot of people.
"Has a woman who dresses in black and white visited you?" he asked.
"Yeah. I think her name was Zatanna, but what does that have to-?"
"Did anything strange happen when she came to you?" he questioned.
"No, nothing strange." Now Anna was trying to read Kristoff, thinking maybe he had had a traumatic experience of some sort, maybe from the trip, or from the adjustment to his new life.
"She read my mind, but she looked at me as if there was something wrong with me. I have a meeting scheduled with her today, but in case anything happens to me, I just wanted you to know." He clarified this to her, as he wasn't sure what would happen with the mistress of magic.
"Fine, it's fine. Nice seeing you again, Kristoff," Anna admitted, as he made his way out the door.
"Take care, Anna." He almost sounded as if he were begging her. Unfortunately for Anna and himself, there would be a sequence of unfortunate events that would unfold in the coming hours, that would change the course of Kristoff's life forever.
"Okay, Mr Bjorgman, I'm just here for your weekly evaluation. Anything interesting happen?" she asked, as she looked through her clipboard.
"Not much, miss," he answered, a little nervous, since he was lying.
"Alrighty then, you know the drill, I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to respond to the best of your ability. Are you ready?"
"Go ahead," he responded, tensely. Kristoff readied his mind, and cleared his thoughts, when he got an idea.
"Thanks again," he said, and while he did, he took her hand and shook it gently. She was caught off guard, and had no time to react.
Kristoff's mind entered a state in which he had never even dreamed was possible. He was in a dark room, no longer in the present, but rather, watching time. As he watched, he saw himself in the past, like watching himself. It was during the eternal winter in Arendelle, and he saw the blonde stranger who had asked of him a favor. But suddenly, the vision blurred, and when it cleared, he saw the same event. Except, the stranger never appeared, and instead, Kristoff confronted the princess. And, he went on to help her, and he saved her, and... He finished watching the events, and he had ended up with the princess, together. Sven was at his side, and everything was perfect. How it should have been. He sensed the 'memory' was coming to and end, but he willed it to continue, through sheer anger, and he saw something in that future. Perhaps it was something he wasn't meant to see, but it was too late. Now, the sequence did end, and this time, it was Kristoff who stumbled back into reality, enlightened with knowledge. Zatanna looked at him, confused. For her, it had only been a moment, but he had changed completely.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, shakily. There was an eerie calmness in his voice.
"Excuse me?" she asked, wondering what was going through his mind.
"I asked, what did you do to me?" This time, it sounded more as if he were getting ready to threaten her. Of course, there was nothing he had that she couldn't defend herself from, but still, his sudden change in attitude made Zatanna uneasy.
"I didn't do anything, and certainly not to you," she scoffed.
"When I held your hand, I saw myself. My past. But not just my past. My future, too. The future that could have been," he sniggered, gathering confidence. "Whatever you were hiding, I know, and now..." He didn't finish the sentence, as his eyes rolled back into their sockets, and he fell over. His mind couldn't take it.
Zatanna caught his head before it hit the ground, and she set him on the couch. She was going have to pay a little visit to a certain Bat.
"These visits of yours are becoming much too frequent for my liking, Zatanna," Batman called out, while working on something she couldn't quite make out.
"How'd you know it was me?" she asked, amazed. When he didn't answer, she got straight to the point.
"Well, you remember the man I told you about? The one who triggered a vision in me?" she questioned.
"I do." "Well, I'm pretty sure he saw it too," she said, her voice timid. Finally, Batman turned and faced her, leaving whatever it was he was doing.
"When?"
"Today, I think. He completely changed after he touched my hand, and I'm certain he saw the vision, because he said he saw his "future that could have been". Not to mention the fact he fell over. It might have been too much for him. Honestly, I can't possibly unravel the fact he turned the tables on me like that, just out of nowhere," she said, out of breath.
"Do you believe it's possible he has abilities too?"
"No, no. That's just not feasible," she said, almost giggling. "I would have at least sensed it."
Batman narrowed his eyes. "I want surveillance on this man. Let him get back to his normal life, but have someone watch what he does. And do not let him see the princess, or anyone he had recently interacted with in the past. Especially Allen."
"That's it?" Zatanna couldn't believe her ears. Something paradoxical, and Batman didn't want to study it?
"That's it," he responded, as he turned back around.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Bruce?"
"If there were, I would have. See to it that the man gets tended to," Batman concluded.
Zatanna had nothing left to say. Not even goodbye. As she disappeared from the his cave and into the Watchtower, she wondered how a man could be so disconnected from anyone. His crusade on crime had certainly cost him a great deal, but even so. The man behind the mask had given up so much, including any chance at a normal life. And his act of a playboy, meant that no woman really knew the real Bruce Wayne. Even sadder to Zatanna was the fact that there would never be a woman who would. Not if Bruce had his way. She sighed, and walked into the hall to see who could help her watch Kristoff. Hopefully, this was where the problems with him would cease, and falter, into oblivion.
Kristoff awoke in his bed, as if nothing had happened. He blinked a few times, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and rose from his slumber. But before he got far, the memories flooded his mind, and in an instant, all he wanted was to go back to sleep. All he wanted was his old life back. Before the blonde man. The man he was starting to hate.
He had wanted to contact Anna, and tell her about what had happened the day prior, but he would never get the chance to do so. As he was preparing himself for a shower, he noticed his window was open. He went over to close it, but before he could, a shining spark of red flew past him, and Kristoff started to panic.
"Kristoff Bjorgman, of Sector 2814, You have been chosen to be the bearer of the Red Lantern Ring. You possess great anger and rage inside of you, and this ring will only manifest it in a physical form. You will have power beyond your imagination. Say the oath, and you will become a member of the Red Lantern Corps."
Kristoff thought he was hallucinating. After all, there was a ring, which was flying, that also happened to be talking to him, in front of him. But as he considered what it had said, he thought it did make a good point. He had been angry recently. After all, he had been robbed a life full of happiness and love. Perhaps, he should give the ring a shot.
"Wha-, what do I have to do?" he asked, nervously, as he approached the ring.
"Take the ring, and put it on your finger," it answered. "Then, when the time is right, say the oath."
"What oath?" he said, but before he could get answers, the ring stopped glowing, and it fell to the ground. Kristoff caught it right before it fell. He had no idea what oath the ring was talking about, but he put it on anyways. It didn't do anything, and it felt like any other ring. The voice must have been lying, part of his head, and now he felt silly, believing what a talking ring told him.
"Stupid ring," he muttered, and took it off. He tossed it away, but couldn't stop thinking about what the voice said. It was true; he had been angry. Ever since he had found Anna, he felt unrest inside him. He kept coming back to the question, "What if?" What if the stranger had never appeared? What if the vision he had seen could have been true? Kristoff couldn't get the thoughts out of his head, and he decided to give the ring another chance.
He put it on, but nothing happened. He shook it, tapped it, waved it, but still, nothing happened. He was already frustrated, but he kept trying to work it. Maybe he needed to wish upon it, for something to happen. He thought of his anger, closed his eyes, and he channeled what he felt onto one point. That man. That blonde man, who stole his future. He had thrusted Kristoff into a world far different than his own, and most of the time, he barely managed to get along. If it wasn't for him, right now he would be enjoying his life with Anna. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and they burned bright red. He felt his mind being enlightened, and he found the words he had been looking for.
"With blood and rage of crimson red, We fill men's souls with darkest dread. And twist your minds to pain and hate, We'll burn you all - that is your fate!" he chanted.
There was a flash of light in Kristoff's home, and the newest Red Lantern was born.
Batman was about to call Elsa for a training, when he received an alert on the Batcomputer. It read as "ENEMY LANTERN DETECTED". He called the Watchtower.
"J'onn, what's going on?" he demanded.
"It seems there is a new Red Lantern in Arendelle. A Mr-"
"Bjorgman," he finished.
"Yes, Batman. Correct," the Martian responded, surprised.
"Get me there," Batman ordered.
"I've already sent Green Lantern to the scene, to try and take the fight away from the city," the Martian explained.
Batman didn't respond, and pressed his teleporter button. The light engulfed him, and shortly after landed in the city, where he heard massive booms, as if they were earthquakes. The ground shook, and he looked for the battling Lanterns. He spotted them in the distance, and started to make his way over to them. As he did, Jordan went flying past Batman, and landed in the middle of the street. It seemed the Red had beaten the Green.
Information on Red Lanterns was scarce, but knowing what happened to Mera, Batman knew that he couldn't just slip the ring off of him. His best course of action was to anesthetize Bjorgman.
Batman threw a smoke grenade at the crimson warrior, but to no avail. He just flew into the sky to avoid it, and started shooting blasts of red energy at Batman. He dodged, and weaved through them, knowing he only had 1 shot to put him under. The drug he carried was meant for Solomon Grundy, but he figured it would work on a Red Lantern as well. Before he could prepare it, however, Kristoff got a shot away, and Batman fell to the ground, weakened. He sent out a call for help to the Martian, and then lost consciousness.
J'onn knew Batman would be angry, but there was no time to consider repercussions. He spoke into the mind of Barry Allen. "Flash, at this moment, a Red Lantern is terrorising Arendelle, as well as the woman you love. I will let you go, but only to protect her, and the city. In a moment, I will teleport you to the battlefield. Batman is there, but down. He has a vial with a sleeping agent to knock out the Lantern. Use it," he instructed.
Barry had been working out in his cell, but quickly changed into his suit. He had been able to keep it throughout the whole ordeal, and now, he had a use for it again. Upon arriving, he saw Batman laying over, and he ran over to inspect him. He was still breathing, and Barry quickly found the vial. Looking up, a red light blocked the sun, but he wasted no time. Before the man who once offered Barry help in his hour of need could react, the Flash had used his arms and legs to "fly" up to him, and used the drug on him. Without any concentration, Kristoff's ring stopped operating, and he started to fall to Earth. Barry fell first, and caught him in a vortex of air.
The Flash ran over to Batman once Kristoff had landed safely on firm land, and woke him up.
"Batman, how did this happen? Is Anna safe?" Barry asked.
"She's fine, as is everyone here," he grunted, getting up.
Barry raced off, in search of her, leaving Batman alone.
"Watchtower, this is Batman. Contact Saint Walker."
The Martian, the Green Lantern, and the Blue Lantern had all gathered to turn Kristoff back into a man, destroying the ring. Batman was in his Batcave, not because he didn't care to see that the process was successful, but rather because he was intrigued by why the ring had chosen him. He had a feeling it hadn't 'chosen' Kristoff, like it to others, because if that was the case, there were plenty of angrier men on Earth to pick from. However, he felt obliged to tell Elsa what had happened. He remotely opened the door to her room, and awaited her exit. When she did, he paused for a moment to admire her beauty. She looked so delicate, but he knew what she was capable of, how strong she really was. She was only wearing typical clothing, but she looked incredible in it. The Batman was almost mesmerised by her, but he mentally shrugged it off, and spoke to her.
"There's been an incident in Arendelle," he began. "Your home was attacked by a powerful enemy. We've managed to subdue him, but he caused damage to the city. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt."
She ran to him, and grabbed his arm. "What happened?"
"A man Barry Allen met in your time was powered by a Red Lantern ring, a dangerous ring capable of creating harmful energy. He used it in his anger, but fortunately, he's still alive and well, thanks to the Flash."
Elsa was still clinging on to his arm, but quickly let go. It seemed he didn't appreciate her affection, and he preferred to ignore it. Maybe he even preferred to ignore her.
"Why are you so distant from me?" she asked, trying to pry his cold heart open. "Is it because you fear me?"
He turned, and didn't say a word.
"Return to your room," he ordered. "We'll discuss this at another time."
"I remember a time when I shut everyone out," she said, softly. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but I only hurt everyone around me. Why can't you see that what you do isn't right?"
His back still to her, he looked over at one of the glass exhibits, which displayed the costume of the late Robin, Jason Todd. He sighed, and turned around, looking at her.
"Go to your room."
Elsa was at a loss for words, and she was beginning to feel mad at him. He had provided her hospitality, but in her mind, had only treated her with hostility. Even if he was an intriguing one, she was starting to despise him. She left for her room, not saying another word.
Batman was left alone, and this time, he almost appreciated the solidarity.
"Why did you use the ring?"
"It spoke to me, said I would have power," Kristoff said, hoarsely.
"Why did you use the ring?" Batman repeated, knowing there was something else to the mystery.
"I was angry, okay? I had just seen my life, but in a brighter and better way. I had everything I could ever ask for. I was happy," he snapped.
"So you chose the ring?" he rebuked.
"How was I going to know what it would do?" Kristoff asked, berated.
Batman's eyes narrowed, and he changed the subject. "What did you see?"
"What do you care?"
"Answer the question," he commanded.
Kristoff sighed before responding. "I had a wife. The princess. We were together in Arendelle." His head and shoulders dropped.
Batman paid no attention to his movement, and kept making mental notes.
"I look at my life now, and wish I could have that other life," he admitted. "I'd give a lot to have it."
"That's out of your control," Batman said, coldly.
"Yeah. It figures."
Batman spent the rest of the interrogation asking Kristoff what he had felt and seen during his time as a Red Lantern. There was nothing he got out of it, though, as Kristoff had been blinded by rage in his actions. He might as well have been talking to the Joker.
A week had passed, until Elsa had finally been broken. Batman had rarely seen her to train her, as he was occupied with the release of Barry Allen. He would return home, and be free of any charges against him. Batman was displeased with this decision, but he wasn't in charge of the League. He could only hope the fastest man alive would keep being what he had been prior to his adventure in the past. A hero.
Elsa, on the other hand, had remained trapped inside her 'prison'. She had learned a lot about the modern world, but still, she felt as if nothing had changed since the first day she had arrived. Batman still treated her the same as he did then, and she still hadn't been able to control her powers. Now, she was done with being confined.
She looked at the door, and concentrated her power. She envisioned the door being ripped from its place, and when she opened her eyes, the door was completely frozen. Elsa used her magic to push the door, and it shattered, falling into a million pieces.
The Batman was sitting in his chair, and looked up when he heard the door being destroyed. He ran over to confront her, showing no sign of any emotion.
"Batman, I'm tired of being kept in that room! I know what it's like to be kept in one, and I will not return to that! I wish to speak with the rest of your team," she demanded.
He only stared at her, saying nothing, until he pressed a small button. She hadn't seen it, but in an instant, she was aboard the Watchtower again. She saw the Martian operating a computer, and she walked over to him.
"Welcome back, Miss Elsa. What brings you back?"
In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne finally removed his cowl, and took a deep breath. He was at peace. No more would he have to worry about her. She was someone else's problem now. But knowing the League, and Alfred, she'd probably be back by tomorrow. For now, though, he would enjoy his brief silence, alone.
