Chapter 7: Close Call


"Whoa, whoa, you almost said what?" Hans said as he stood up from the sofa. After my date with Elsa last night, he's been hounding me for all the details.

"I almost told the girl that I love her! There! I said it! Happy now?" I asked sarcastically. He couldn't help but grin at the entire situation.

"Oh Kara, you're in deep."

"That's not even the worst part, Hans. Something happened last night." I said softly. I hung my head low as he grew quiet. He kneeled in front of me and forced me to look at him. His eyes were soft and understanding.

"What happened?"

All the guilt returned at once. My memories of Elsa pushing me away, backing against the wall, her tears... everything. I took a deep breath. "I lied to her."

He was quiet. He began to think about what I had just said and I could see confusion in his eyes. "You lied? About what?"

I stood up and paced around the room. Why is this eating me up so damn much?! "I kissed Elsa in her room and she remembered. She remembered Archangel and accused me of being her. I did my best to convince her that it was the alcohol talking, but I don't know. I feel horrible about the entire situation. I just wish... I wish I had told her the truth." I looked at Hans as he listened to every single word I said. I continued. "You should have seen her face, Hans. She was afraid. Then she asked me if I would ever lie to her and I said 'no.' I said that I wouldn't ever lie to her and even that was a lie. I can't do this. She doesn't deserve this... She doesn't deserve me." I said. I felt the tears forming but I refused to let them drop. I was so lost in my emotions that I didn't notice Hans walk over to me. Again, he forced me to look into his eyes.

"Kara," He said in a stern, but loving voice. "Don't you ever again say that she doesn't deserve you. She's lucky to have someone like you who would do anything for the people you love. You both deserve each other. Alright?" I nodded. "Now it's early in the relationship. You two have not even decided to become girlfriends, so it's alright to not spill everything to her. Besides, it's safer for her. Imagine if people found out you were Archangel and Elsa knew. She would be your main weakness. It's better this way, for now. Wait a while. If she's the one, you'll know and you'll tell her the truth. She will understand. Got it?"

I sighed. "I got it. You're right. I just needed to vent. How is it that you can be so cool about the situation? You're doing the same thing with Anna."

"Because I'll do anything to protect her, even if it means hiding the truth."

"Aww look at my brother being the perfect guy." I joked as I pinched his cheeks. He quickly smacked my hand away and poked me on the side of my stomach. Before we knew it, we were in a wrestling match trying to top the other. Hans had me pinned on the couch when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Hans shouted as he shoved my head deeper in the couch. He began to laugh as he jogged to the door. Oh so that's how it is. I quickly got up and quietly followed him to the door. I saw him open it, but I didn't see who was there. Instead, I immediately jumped on him from behind and together we came crashing down onto the floor. I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back as I used my other arm to pin his head to the floor. "KARA!" He yelled. "Get off!"

"Say the magic word, Hans! Say it!" I yelled as I pulled his arm a little more.

"Son of a...! Alright! UNCLE! YOU WIN!"

I released him and jumped off of his back and Hans stood up. "That's right. Mama always wins." I began to dust off my pants when I heard two sets of giggles from behind. Startled, I turned around. "Well, this is embarrassing." I said as my face turned red.

"So," Elsa said. She had a sexy smirk on her face. "'Mama always wins.' Is that for all types of physical activity or just horseplay?" My mouth immediately went dry as my eyes widened. I had no words to say.

Anna gasped and elbowed Elsa. "Elsa! Why must you always do that to her? The poor thing can't even speak."

Elsa, Anna and Hans began to laugh. I pouted and turned away. A grin formed on my face as I felt a soft hand grab my wrist. I turned back and saw Elsa. She was glowing. Her face looked so sweet and innocent. She pulled me in for a hug and began to nuzzle herself into my embrace. I looked at Hans who winked at me before closing the door and taking Anna to the kitchen. Once we were alone, I kissed Elsa's forehead. She looked at me and smiled.

"How are you, Elsa?" I said.

"Better, now that I'm with you. I missed you."

"I'm only a phone call away."

"But I don't want you to be a phone call away. I want you to be next to me all the time." She wined as she pulled me closer, if it was possible. She looked so adorable. I giggled.

"Do you realize how cute you look right now?"

"Cute?" She said as she pulled away. She raised an eyebrow. Oh crap. Here comes the flirtatious girl again! "I can be more than 'cute,' you know." She reached behind my head and grabbed a fistful of hair. She then pulled my head down so that my ear and her mouth were at the same level. "I can be whatever you want me to be." She whispered before taking the lobe of my ear in her mouth and gently sucking. I nearly moaned right then and there, but I bit my lip before I made any noise. She kept sucking as her knee pressed against my core. The contact made me flinch and I backed away into the wall accidently hitting my head in the process. She began to laugh. "Kara, I'm so sorry." More laughs. "I really am. It's just that you're too easy to tease." It was a while before she stopped laughing. I watched her as she attempted to catch her breath. I smiled. Her laugh was so beautiful and genuine. It was nice to hear. Once she finally calmed down, I grabbed her hand and guided her to my room. She placed her purse on the floor and sat on my bed. I sat next to her and grabbed her hand.

"Elsa, there's something I want to ask you." I said. I felt my heart begin to race and my hands were shaking.

Elsa looked a little worried. "Is everything okay? Why are you shaking?"

"I'm just nervous."

"Nervous about what, Kara?"

I couldn't contain it anymore. "Willyoubemygirlfriend?" I blurted out. Elsa looked into my eyes and once again raised an eyebrow.

"Kara, I don't understand. Relax and say it again. And slowly, please."

I took a deep breath and looked directly in her eyes. "Will you, Elsa Frost, be my girlfriend?"

Elsa said nothing at first, but her eyes said it all. They softened and glistened. I already knew what her answer would be without her saying anything. But what I wasn't expecting was her to tackle me and kiss me on my bed, but oh how I enjoyed it. Our lips fit perfectly like a puzzle. I could feel her tongue begging for entrance, which I happily allowed. I allowed her to dominate me this time as she sucked on my tongue and bit my lips. Her hands trailed on the sides of my body When we broke apart, she smiled.

"Kara Southern, I would love to be your girlfriend." She kissed me again. "Of course, you do know what this means, right?"

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "Umm, no? What does this mean?" I was a little nervous about the answer.

She giggled and leaned down and whispered. "You're mine." Kiss. "All access touching." Another kiss. "And unlimited kissing."

By the time she finished, I was burning. I knew my face was redder than a tomato. I was about to say something when I heard loud footsteps approaching the door.

"Kara!" Hans said as he opened the door without knocking. His eyes widened when he saw the position we were in. "Oh shit! Sorry! So sorry!" Anna was right behind him and she immediately flushed

Elsa got off of me and we both sat up. "That's okay, Hans. What's wrong?" I said. Hans looked a little worried.

"Uh, the... uh hospital called. They, uh... need you asap." Okay, something is definitely wrong.

"Oh, uh... alright?" I turned to Elsa. "Excuse me for a sec." I walked to the door. Hans handed me my phone. On it, I saw a prewritten message from Hans.

"Kidnapping during the day. 12-year-old female. Cops lost track of the vehicle. You can find her." I erased the message after I read it.

"Looks like I have to go. I'll be back in a few hours." I went to Elsa and kissed her on the cheek. "See you later, alright?"

"You got it." She said with a smile. I grabbed my backpack with my "scrubs" and left the house.


*Elsa's Point of View*

Kara left rather quickly. Her bike roared down the road as I watched from her window. I miss her already.

"So, what were you two doing in here, Elsa?" Hans asked. I turned around and saw both him and Anna grinning.

"What? Am I not allowed to have some alone time with my girlfriend?" I said as I winked at them. Hans' jaw practically fell to the ground while Anna jumped and clapped like a happy child.

"Yay! You two are finally a couple!" Anna exclaimed.

"Did this happen just now?" Hans asked.

"She asked me just before you two came in. She was super nervous, but it was perfect. I'm just happy that I can finally call her mine."

"And I'm happy that my sister is finally in a relationship." Hans said as he walked over to give me a hug. "You're perfect for her." Anna also joined in on the hug.

"Looks like we might be going on double dates sometime in our future." Said Anna. The smile never left here face.

"I'm looking forward to that." Hans said. "Come on. Let's go to the kitchen and I'll make you ladies some hot chocolate."

"Chocolate!" Anna and I said in unison. We followed Hans down to the kitchen. I could hear the television on in the background.

"A 12-year-old girl was kidnapped earlier today from her family in downtown Arendelle. Video shows that the girl was walking with her family when a black SUV drove in front of the family. As you can see, two armed men jumped out of the vehicle and snatched the girl within a few seconds. Her parents hardly had time to react. And here we see the vehicle driving off with the child inside. Police are currently searching for the vehicle. If you have any information, please call your local police."

"Another kidnapping? It's becoming a daily occurance." I said.

"Yeah, I know. Some of the people that are kidnapped are brought to the hospital when they're rescued. They're pretty shaken up, but unharmed for the most part." Hans said as he continued to make hot chocolate. I heard the television again.

"It seems like we have some activity in the skies. Archangel has shown up." When I heard that sentence, I bolted from the kitchen to the living room. Sure enough, Archangel was making headlines as she flew through the sky above the crime scene. She landed ever so gracefully on the road and was immediately ambushed by police with their weapons drawn. She walked to the parents and began talking to them. They handed her a piece of cloth, which she took and held to her face. It looked like she was picking up a scent. She returned the cloth and took off to the skies once again. The cameras then cut back to the family.

I continued to watch, hoping to get another glance of my hero. Wait, what? 'My' hero? Where did that come from?

"Elsa? Earth to Elsa." I heard Anna say. I looked at her and saw that she had two cups in her hands. She handed one of them to me.

"Thank you, Anna."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Uh, the girl that was kidnapped. It brought back memories."

"Yeah, it's horrible. I hope they find her."

We continued to watch the news. Hans had joined us and sat next to Anna. We waited about 15 minutes before new information began to come in.

"Gunshots were heard at an old apartment building. When police arrived, they found five men severely injured and three dead. And it looks like we have another sighting of Archangel back in downtown Arendelle."

When the cameras returned to Archangel, I knew something was wrong. She was flying weirdly. In her arms was the child. She was clearly terrified, but Archangel held her close. When they landed, Archangel placed the child on her feet and she ran back to her parents. Archangel, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground as she clutched her stomach. Blood was visible on her shoulder, wings, and stomach. The three of us remained quiet on the sofa. Hans was the first one to break the silence.

"I uh.. gotta use the bathroom." He said as he quickly walked upstairs. Anna and I stayed watching the news. The cops, once again, surrounded Archangel. They all had their weapons pointing at her. She couldn't move because of her injuries. I mentally prayed for a miracle, and thankfully my prayers were heard. Silver Blade popped into the picture and had his swords drawn. He stood next to Archangel. Before the police even had a chance to shoot, Silver Blade grabbed Archangels arm and they disappeared.


*Kara's Point of View*

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled. I could feel the bullets move inside my body. My blood poured out of the wounds. Hans grabbed my helmet and removed it. I noticed that we were in our basement at the house. Elsa and Anna wouldn't be able to hear the screams that were to come.

"Kara! I need you to relax, alright? Relax!" He yelled.

"Just get them out of me so I can fucking heal!"

He unzipped my suit and removed the shirt I was wearing. I saw him grab a knife from his suit. He hesitated at first, but he knew what he had to do.

"Okay, put this in your mouth." He said as he shoved a cloth in my mouth. My breathing was unsteady and my entire body was shaking. I waited for the knife to penetrate my body. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded. I threw my head back in agony as the inserted the knife to the first wound in my abdomen. I bit down hard on the cloth and grinded my jaw. I could feel his blade cutting my inside as he searched for the bullet. After what felt like forever, he finally removed the first bullet and dropped in on a metal kidney basin. I relaxed and dropped my head back down. Hans took the cloth out of my mouth so I could breathe.

"Whenever you're ready, Kara. You still have two more."

"Just... Let me... Catch... My breath." I gasped for air. I could already feel the wound on my abdomen begin to close. Once it was completely healed, I gave Hans the okay to keep going and prepared for torture once again. He put the cloth in my mouth again. This time, Hans went for the shoulder. The bullet was embedded into my bone, so Hans really had to dig it out.

"Kara, I know it hurts, but I need you to stay still!" He shouted as he climbed on top of my wriggling body. He managed to pin me down with his weight. I shook violently as he dug until it was loose. He removed it slowly and placed it in the basin. I spat or he cloth.

"Okay, that's two. How are you feeling?" He asked as he watched my wound heal.

"Peachy... Just peachy..." I said sarcastically.

"Good. Now put this back in." He commanded as he shoved the cloth in my mouth for the final time. He got off of me and grabbed my wing. Once he had a good grip, he inserted the knife. I started banging my head against the floor. He managed to get it out faster than the other two. Finally, all the bullets were out and I was healed. I remained on the floor as he grabbed water and washcloths to clean the blood from my skin.

"Kara, what happened? You're usually carefully with these things."

"It was a setup. The kid wasn't even a mutant. They wanted me dead."

"Then it looks like we can't do anymore solo missions. We need to watch each other's backs." He said. "I was so worried. We were watching the news."

"We?" I questioned. "Oh shit! Elsa and Anna are still here."

Hans realized the same thing. "Oh fuck! I left them alone to go get you!"

"Get out of that suit and clean yourself up. Make up an excuse."

"And you? Kara, you're weak. I can't leave you alone."

"I'll be fine down here. Just let me recover. Tell Elsa that I have a meeting or something."

"Okay. Got it." He jumped up and began to remove his suit.

"Dude! Go change in your room!"

"Says the one who is half naked! I don't know where Anna and Elsa are! I'm changing here. Just turn around!" He yelled as he continued to undress and search for spare clothes. Once he was fully dressed in normal clothes, he ran up the stairs and shut the door behind him.


*Elsa's Point of View*

"Where did Hans go?" I asked Anna. He disappeared. We searched his room, the bathroom, Kara's room, outside... We searched every single place, yet Hans was nowhere to be found.

"I don't know. He said he was going to the bathroom, but it's empty." Anna said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Maybe something happened and he took off?"

"But what would possible happen that would cause him to take off like that? Without saying anything to us? It's... Not normal."

Anna had a point. It was weird. We didn't even hear a car leave or anything. "Where could he have gone?" I said ouloud. I grabbed my phone and was just about to call Kara when we heard a door open. We followed the noise to the kitchen and found Hans with three bowls of chocolate ice cream.

"I hope you two like ice cream because it's my favorite dessert." He said with a charming smile.

"Hans, where did you go? We looked everywhere for you." Anna asked.

"Oh, did I not tell you two that I was leaving? My apologies. I was craving ice cream, so I figured I'd run down to the store and pick some up." He said as he poured chocolate syrup over his bowl. He stopped when he saw is staring in silence. "Would you two like to design your own, or should I just copy my own recipe onto yours?" He asked as he held the chocolate syrup out towards us. Anna looked at me and simply shrugged her shoulders before walking up to Hans.

"We thought you had gone to the bathroom." I said. Something felt off about his demeanor. He was definitely hiding something from us.

"I did. But then I came back down and left. I honestly thought I told you two I was going to the store real quick, but I guess the munchies got to me." He said. I kept looking at him, but he was focused on the ice cream.

"You missed Archangel on the news." I said as he took his first bite of the dessert. He nearly choked on it.

"Oh really." He said. He cleared his throat. "What happened?"

"Archangel came to the rescue, of course." Anna said. "But she was badly injured. It looked like she was shot several times. The police were surrounding her, but then Silver Blade came in and took Archangel away in a blink of an eye. It's amazing what they can do."

"Breathe Anna." I said.

"Whoops! Sorry. Another rambling episode." She said.

"Well, I hope that she's alright." Hans said. He didn't make any eye contact with me. It actually seemed like he was avoiding me.

"Let's go see what they're showing!" Anna happily said as she skipped to the living room with her bowl of ice cream in hand. Hans was putting the ice cream away when I decided to confront him.

"Hans, where were you? Really?"

"Elsa," he began. Still no eye contact. "I just ran to the store. I thought ice cream would be a nice treat."

"Of course you were." I said as I looked at him up and down searching for the slightest clue, but there were none. I picked up the bowl of ice cream and turned to him. "Let's not keep my sister waiting."

Together we walked into the living room. Hans sat next to Anna and kissed her on the cheek. Then he looked at me.

"Kara called when I went to the store. She has a meeting to attend and will not be home soon. Just letting you know."

"Thank you, Hans."

I know he's lying. I can feel it. Whatever they're hiding, I will find out about it soon.