Chapter Thirty
Grudge Match
ELSA
With her hands restrained in the wretched magic dampening cuffs, Elsa was forcefully escorted to the centre of the ring together with Will and Jade, who were also similarly subdued. Janus, who had also been arrested with them, was also treated as one of the "traitors". As Elsa and the others arrived outside the ring to be tried, Kane who was seated at the side of the table beside the "judge" got to his feet when he saw Elsa.
"You." He had an unreadable expression on his face as he stared at Elsa, and she levelled his gaze head on. There passed a tense moment of silence. Kane turned to the soldiers beside her. "Bring her in here."
Elsa was pushed into the ring, and she got to her feet once inside, finding it incredibly hard to move with her hands in cuffs. She stood her ground as Kane moved towards her.
"I remember you." He said in normal speaking volume. "You were one of those who foiled my crusade."
She narrowed her eyes silently.
"Well, I'm going to see to it that you pay dearly for that."
"Enough." Janus slid past the soldiers, somehow managing to manoeuvre into the ring and into an upright position with his hands chained behind his back. "You're not going to hurt her."
Kane's lip quirked curiously. "So you're the mercenary. The captain of the First Imperial Guard. I've heard a fair bit about you. Seeing you standing here," he sized Janus up and down, unimpressed. "It's a bit of a disappointment. I'm disgusted."
"I'm challenging you to a fight." Janus cut straight to the chase. "If I win, you let Elsa and the rest go immediately. Those are the rules you set, are they not?"
Kane looked intrigued as he studied the mercenary quietly. "Then you know that if you lose, the consequences will be far worse for you and your little friends."
"If I lose." Janus said, and Elsa felt a chill run down her spine.
MELODY
"Are you hearing this?" Came a whisper from someone in front of her.
"This guy, whoever he is, he's mad."
"He's going to get himself killed."
"Believe it or not, I think Prometheus may have solved our problem for us." Melody whispered to Deirdre who stood beside her.
"You think Prometheus will win?" Deirdre sounded unsure.
"I fought him. I should know." Melody's hand went to her arm like a reflex action. She hadn't forgotten how Prometheus had broken her arm back in Swynvort. But now he was on their side? What was going on?
ELSA
Elsa's heart sank and she silently willed Janus to back down.
"Are you sure, Captain?" Kane glanced at him, amusement on his face.
"If I win, you let her and the rest go." Janus repeated, sounding confident. "That's the deal."
"I'm not going to fight a man who can't defend himself." Kane motioned for a pair of soldiers to come forward and began to remove his military jacket. "Let's go."
As the two soldiers removed his restraints, Elsa caught his eye. "What are you doing?" she hissed desperately. "This is madness!"
Janus remained silent, waiting for the last of his chains to be removed before he walked forward towards Kane.
A soldier forced Elsa out of the ring and she returned to the ringside where Jade and Will were being held by more soldiers. In dismay, she watched as Janus rubbed his gloved wrists where they had been bound, pacing the ring.
Kane similarly circled round, watching Janus with calm but cunning eyes. "You think you're so tough don't you? A mercenary hired to work for the Empire. You're not as good as you think you are."
"Shut up and fight." Janus stopped pacing.
"As you wish." Kane moved his head from side to side, his neck making a cracking sound as he eased his joints. Then, he gradually dropped into a combat stance, army boots planted steadily on the ground at shoulders' width apart.
Janus waited for him to make the first move, but apparently Kane had the same idea. Then without warning, Janus threw a straight jab, which Kane fended off easily.
But obviously he knew that, Elsa watched Janus use his swiftness to move round to Kane's rear and deployed a quick blow to the small of his back. The bigger man whirled round and delivered a brutal knee with devastating speed, something that Elsa hadn't expected…and neither had Janus.
The mercenary, though dazed, sprung back to disengage from his opponent. Then he began circling round again like a predator stalking a prey much larger than him. Elsa had confidence that all Janus needed was time. The man's stamina was extraordinary, and by the looks of it, Janus' tactic was to wear down the bigger opponent over time and then nail the finishing touches on their fight.
Kane lashed out with a left haymaker, and Janus blocked it deftly with his elbow before throwing a punch of his own to the opposite side of Kane's shoulder. However, Kane used his other hand to grab hold of Janus' wrist. He hoisted him into the air and hurled him against the ring ropes.
Elsa gasped as she watched Janus rebound from the ropes only to collide straight into Kane's outstretched arm. Janus landed back first on the ground, and Kane lifted his hefty military boot to crush him.
The moment Kane raised his right leg, Janus latched onto the left, dragging Kane off balance with all his might. He lost his footing and crashed messily onto the ground. Janus viciously landed a kick across Kane's face and pounced on top of him, beginning to pummel him with as many precisely aimed blows as he could.
All the while, Kane blocked his face with his arms, and then when Janus drew in close to land another devastating blow, he grabbed Janus by the collar of his jacket and pulled him in for a headbutt.
Even from where Elsa was standing, she could hear the sickening thud of their heads crashing against each other and she winced.
Kane then shoved a stunned Janus off him and got to his feet quicker than Janus would have liked. He kicked the mercenary's ribs and watched Janus roll away and get to his feet again.
Janus kept his guard up and clenched his fists, ready for another round. He showed no sign of slowing down, but even Elsa who wasn't a master combatant could see that he had taken some serious hits. She silently willed for him to end the fight quickly without dragging it out unnecessarily.
Ducking round, Janus avoided the heavy strikes of Kane, launching himself backwards. As Janus fell on purpose to avoid a low punch that was meant to crush his ribs, he planted his hands on the ground and his feet rocketed upwards, catching the general on the chin.
With Kane stunned, Janus lunged forward, managing to somehow bull the bigger man straight into the desk. By this time, the judge had already fled to safety outside the ring. The wood splintered into pieces as Janus and Kane barrelled through the table. Janus got up slowly, peeling off the hood and putting a hand to the back of his tousled hair. It was clear that he was hurt.
Look out! Elsa's eyes grew wide as she saw Kane rise and grab half of the desk which had broken off.
Fortunately the mercenary had heard the clumsy attempt, and managed to sidestep the desk being tossed at his head. As he avoided it, Kane charged him. The bigger man wrapped his arms around Janus' midsection and heaved.
Janus was tossed backwards and landed on the back of his neck heavily. He rolled and grunted, getting to his feet as fast as he could manage, and just in time to block a running knee by Kane.
Dropping low under another wild swing, Janus delivered a low kick to the side of Kane's knee which he had not expected, and when the general buckled a fraction, Janus lashed out with an overhand punch designed to crush his opponent's collarbone. However Kane saw it coming and swiped his hand away as if he were nothing more than a pesky child.
Another kick landed a direct hit, this time to the general's kneecap, and Janus followed up with a savage knee to the midsection. This one Kane didn't manage to block, and Janus threw a haymaker at his head.
This one though, Kane avoided, and he countered with a wall-shattering uppercut to Janus' chin and yet another blow to the ribs. Janus staggered back to put some distance between himself and the general, but to no avail. Kane was absolutely relentless.
With speed a man his size shouldn't have been able to muster, Kane continued to land blow after blow on his target. Some of these Janus managed to block, but others he took without being able to mount any defence or counter-attacks.
Elsa couldn't believe her eyes as she saw Kane move with the speed he did. He was just as fast as Janus, even faster than she had remembered when Kane had battled the Warriors two years ago. She could feel hope slipping away. What if this was a fight the unbeatable Prometheus couldn't win?
Janus hunkered down low after Kane's attempted roundhouse kick which was supposed to take his head off, and sprung up on the inside of Kane's attack. He delivered a jaw shattering uppercut which caused blood to fly from the general's mouth, and followed up with an elbow smash to the general's nose.
Kane staggered and Janus hurled himself at the man's midsection, attempting to drag him to the ground. But before he could do so, Kane sidestepped the charge and grabbed him by the back of his jacket, gripping his neck in a vice like grip.
Elsa winced again as she saw Janus take two more merciless knees to the midsection and wanted so badly to get into the ring to help him. But what good could she do against the cruel general? Helplessly, Elsa watched as Kane lifted Janus into the air with inhumane strength and slammed him against the ground. The entire ring canvas shook as Janus' body trembled in agony.
"Stay down! Please!" Elsa shouted as she saw Janus trying to stir.
Before Janus could even get to his knees, Kane spat blood out onto the ring canvas and picked Janus up by the collar with both hands as if he were a child holding a rag doll.
"Take pride." Kane said, levering Janus up to his height. He actually sounded impressed. "You lasted longer than any other."
Janus answered by smashing his temple against Kane, causing the general to drop him. That was all he could muster, for Janus laid on the ground, unable to get up and mount his next offence.
The general growled like an agitated animal, and reached down to pick up the mercenary. With both hands, Kane hoisted Janus up into the air and above his head in the centre of the ring, and Elsa's gasp was drowned out by the numerous others from the crowd.
Kane raised one knee and brought Janus down onto it. There was a sickening sound of something snapping and then Kane slowly released his grip on Janus' body. The mercenary rolled onto the ground near the side of the ring, and Elsa watched him with wide eyes of dismay.
This time, there wasn't even the trembling of his body to signify that he was still in the fight. Janus lay motionless, his breathing shallow.
"No…" Elsa whispered, tears pricking her eyes as Kane walked towards Janus again. "Kane, don't."
"Don't worry," Kane glanced at her casually as he knelt down beside Janus' body. "I'm already done." He peeled off the metal mask from Janus' face. "So this is what the fearsome Prometheus actually looks like." Kane looked half amused and half disappointed.
He stood up and turned his back on the Warriors. "Take them away."
MELODY
"I don't believe it." Deirdre's mouth was gaping open.
"Neither do I." Melody stared at the scene before her. She was still trying to grasp the reality her eyes had seen. The unstoppable mercenary had been beaten in a clean fight with Kane.
"I really thought Prometheus had that one in the bag."
Melody groaned inwardly. During the course of the fight, she had slowly lost hope that Prometheus would emerge victorious in the fight. At first, she had been confident, but apparently even Kane's ferocious strength and frightening speed were too much for the deadly mercenary. There went their best shot at bringing the Empire to their knees in front of the hundreds of civilians who were gathered in the Maine. "I guess not."
"Take them away."
Melody's ears pricked up as she heard Kane's voice come from the centre of the ring.
Indignation coursed through her veins as she saw her friends being hustled away by soldiers of the First Imperial Guard, and she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't." Deirdre held out a cautionary arm.
How the roles had been reversed. Usually it was Deirdre who was the hot-headed and impulsive one.
"We're losing time." Melody gritted her teeth, looking around the compound for any vantage point she could employ to her advantage.
Then upon looking up, she noticed that unlike the first time she had come, there was movement up on the third level. After squinting hard, she managed to make out the faces of Anna and Maui, but also two others that she didn't recognize.
That had to be the Empress and Consul that Tracy had mentioned after coming from Anna's team. If she couldn't get through the crowd to spring her friends, then maybe leveraging the Empress would be the next best thing. And there wasn't going to be a better opportunity with her enemies out in the open like that. She had to take it.
"Stay here." She told Deirdre as she removed the bow that had been slung across her back.
"No, wait!"
But it was too late. Melody had already nocked and fired a grappling arrow straight into the glass panel which separated the balcony of the third floor from the rest of the club.
The glass shattered and the arrow with the grappling hook attached to it anchored securely on something sturdy. Melody tugged hard on the cable attached to the arrow, with one end still hooked on the bow, and the cable recoiled itself, pulling her into the air above the heads of the crowd who had now turned her attention to her instead.
She didn't care. Focus. Reaching the height of the third level, Melody nimbly clambered over the balcony and into the reserved room. Before anyone could make a move, she shot another arrow at the entrance. This one contained a vile of liquid which exploded upon contact. The controlled explosion caused the door and a portion of the wall to collapse, blocking the exit in its entirety.
Gripping her bow tightly, she turned her attention back to the people in front of her. Anna and Maui were present and had evidently not expected her ambush, and by the looks of it, neither did the Empress or the Consul General.
"It's over." Melody said, nocking an arrow at lightning fast speed, aiming straight at the Empress.
Author's Insert:
At this point, I'd like to recommend listening to this track that encapsulates the atmosphere as well as embodies Eleanor's character. Do give this a listen while reading: watch?v=w64anNfutJo Or search up Hans Zimmer's Electro Suite Live.
ANNA
"Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes." Anna said as she stood by Melody's side, with Maui stalking towards Hans and placing a gigantic hand on his shoulder.
After having witnessed a brutal fight in the centre of the club and being helpless at the sight of her sister and friends being dragged away by the First Imperials, she was relieved and glad to have an extra friend in her corner even if it was unplanned and utterly unexpected. Looks like the facade is up. Finally.
"Anna?" Eleanor frowned. "What's this?"
"I'm sorry, Eleanor, but I haven't been altogether honest with you. All bets are off." Anna took pleasure in saying. "You've lost."
"I've lost?" The Empress cocked her head. "I'm not sure I understand the meaning of this." She casually indicated the arrow aimed at her heart.
"What she means is," Maui said as he pushed Hans' face up against the wall. "You fell for our ploy like a world-class sucker."
"I never came to Denmark to negotiate peace with you." Anna said. "I knew from the start that you would never agree to leave us alone just because I asked."
"Then our meeting…the offer?" Eleanor blinked.
"You really thought I would accept the offer? Marry him?" Anna pointed at Hans and snorted. "That rat? Really?"
"You never told me you thought I was a rat." Hans said, his face pressed against the wall.
"We only needed her to get close enough to you to learn about your plans and anything about you that could help us take you down." Melody said, her finger still precariously hinged on the bowstring.
"And you gave us what we needed." Anna added. "It's over."
"You took my kingdom from me. My people. My parents." Melody said angrily. "Do you know who I am or why I'm even here?"
"Yes, actually." Eleanor's voice had changed in a flash from one of befuddlement to that of someone who was in complete control. "I know who you all are."
"What are you talking about?" This time it was Anna's turn to be confused.
"Princess of Denmark," she nodded at Melody and then at Maui. "And Maui, demigod of the wind and sea."
"How-"
"You think I fell for your little deception and distractions?" Eleanor shot a nasty look at Anna, the pleasant and polite expressions from before now nowhere to be found on her features. "Well you fell for mine."
"Yours?"
"And you played your roles perfectly too." Eleanor said, taking a step towards Melody and Anna. "I guess since we're laying all our cards on the table, I should probably come clean too."
"Don't move. I'm warning you." Melody kept her weapon levelled.
"Or what, you'll shoot me?"
"I'm prepared to end your reign of tyranny right here." Melody said. "To think of how many lives will be spared from your insane campaign for power."
"Go on, then." Eleanor spread her hands pompously as she inched closer, as though she had nothing left to lose. "Do it. I dare you."
"Don't." Anna glanced at Melody. "We don't have to kill her."
Melody narrowed her eyes. "Yes I do." She released her hold on the bowstring before Anna could protest any further and the arrow zipped straight for the heart of Eleanor.
And then it stopped. In mid air. And hovered.
Anna couldn't believe her eyes. What?
Eleanor had her hand outstretched, pointing towards the arrow which was now quivering in abeyance. It was like the arrow had hit an invisible wall.
Like lightning, Melody shot two more arrows at Eleanor, who promptly stopped them too. All three arrows fell to the ground with absolutely no more killing potential at all.
"Like I said," Eleanor lifted both her hands this time. "I think it's time I came clean."
Anna felt herself being lifted off her feet, and she dangled just inches away from the floor. Why can't I turn my head? She struggled and found that she could not move any part of her body at all. Paralyzed. From the peripheral of her view, she could see that Melody and Maui had also been levitated off the ground, and helpless against whatever this was.
Eleanor laughed wickedly. "Surprised?"
"A little." Anna managed to croak. "What is this?"
"I'm afraid I haven't been altogether candid with you either." Eleanor turned to Hans. "Go, tell Kane what's happening here."
Hans grinned and rubbed his face where Maui had applied pressure. He then disappeared out of Anna's sight, leaving it to her imagination how the wretched man managed to find his way out of the room.
"You have powers." Anna stared at Eleanor.
Glancing at her two hands as if she was just discovering them for the first time, Eleanor turned back to Anna mockingly. "Oh, yes. I do."
"You're a sorceress too."
Eleanor let out a sinister chuckle. "Not exactly."
"How…" Melody had dropped her bow - or had been forced to by Eleanor's powers - and was now struggling to break free of Eleanor's magic grasp, but to no avail. Even Maui couldn't free himself, which was seriously saying something.
"I guess none of you expected this." Eleanor gave an uncharacteristic giggle that sounded downright horrible and nasty, and if there had been any more glass left, Anna was sure that it would have shattered. "It's true, you all played nicely into my hand. I knew of the existence of the Warriors and the League of Sorcerers long before you ever stepped foot into my domain. How could I not, with your reputation spreading across the continent and the world?"
An oversight, Anna thought to herself grimly. One that was now costing the entire team.
"Hence it was obvious to me that attacking Arendelle head on with the Warriors and the League defending the kingdom would be a waste of blood."
Anna watched as Eleanor paced the room, seemingly keeping them in paralysis with no apparent effort.
"So I thought to myself, why take the fight to Arendelle when I could eliminate them on my home turf?" Eleanor continued, with one arm crossed and the other on her chin. "But I had a problem, you see. I had no idea what kind of abilities and opposition I was dealing with. I had to find out for myself."
"So you sent the Imperial Horde to the forest." Melody connected the dots.
"Knowing that they stood no chance against the Snow Queen." Eleanor smirked.
"They weren't supposed to conquer the forest. You made it look like a failed attempt."
"I knew that a small attack like that was going to put you all on edge." Eleanor walked up to Anna. "More than you lot already were anyway. You would all decide that the only way to take me down was to come down to Denmark yourselves. And in doing so you revealed your hand and allowed me to dismantle you.
"This…" Eleanor gloated and spread her hands again, this time triumphantly. "…is so much easier. "All I had to do was light a small fuse and you all blew the cannon yourselves."
"You cunning, deceitful…" Anna seethed.
"Can you really blame me?" Eleanor shrugged. "You're all of the above too, you know. Not that it did you any good. Now instead of having to risk being in an all out war against the Warriors and the League, I can just waltz into Arendelle and claim it as another part of my Empire. And Kane will resume the campaign the moment we're done here."
"This isn't over." Anna gritted her teeth.
"Oh, that's where you're wrong." Eleanor grinned devilishly. "I'll deal with your sister and the rest now that they've been captured, but this? This is the end for the three of you."
With the casual flick of her wrists, Eleanor opened one gigantic black portal, somewhat similar but more ominous than Tracy's Crossing Points, and Anna felt herself being released from Eleanor's magic. However, unlike Tracy's magic, she was helplessly being sucked into the black portal together with Melody and Maui.
Anna shrieked as they fell away into oblivion and the portal closed up, leaving the three Warriors in complete darkness as they plunged deep into the unknown.
Author's Commentary:
The Villain's Monologue at the end, taken to a whole new level (I hope). And then there's the big fight and shocker when the great Prometheus loses. There's so much to talk about, but I'll just let it sink in. The Warriors have been broken. How are they going to make a comeback and bring down the Empire now?
Would love to hear your feedback and thoughts :) It's only to get more interesting and action packed from here, so stick with me!
