8
A City in Rebellion
Anna woke to the sound of the ocean crashing on the shore. She felt a cool breeze drift through her room. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. What time was it? She couldn't sleep last night and spent most of the time crying. She thought back to the question that ran through her mind, keeping her up late last night. Can I trust Elsa?
She heard commotion in the other room. Pots and pans clanked on each other. She smelled pancakes. Elsa. She thought. The events of yesterday flashed through her mind. She still felt angry and betrayed but she also felt a tinge of sadness. She picked up a few random clothes from the floor and threw them on. She heard the faucet run and some more pans clanking together. If Elsa thinks she can fix things with just pancakes, she'll have another think coming. She pushed too hard on the door and it swung open, slamming into the wall.
"Elsa, we need to…" Instead of Elsa standing in the kitchen, a tall man in a suit stood. He looked eerily similar to the rest of the security team. Anna couldn't tell them apart. On the plate in his hands was a pancake he was eating.
"Sorry if I woke you Miss Arendelle."
"Uh, where is the Elsa?"
"Ms. Skyridge decided it was best if she appointed someone else as your personal bodyguard. She will still be your head of security, however she will not have direct contact with you."
"Wait what? What does that mean?" Anna asked, somewhat astounded by the sudden change.
"You will no longer have to see Ms. Skyridge." Anna felt even more betrayed. Anger bubbled up in her stomach.
"What the fuck? She can't do that." She said she would never leave me. "Where is she?" Anna said, moving towards the man, pointing an aggressive finger at him.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that."
"That's fucking bullshit. I'm your boss, and as your boss I demand that you tell me where my god damn… head of security is at."
"Unfortunately I have explicit instructions not to tell you." Anna let out a grumble of frustration and turned back towards her room.
"Ms. Skyridge taped the itinerary to your door." The man said, gesturing with his fork towards the door as Anna slammed it shut behind her. After a moment she open the door and grabbed the paper taped to the other side and retreated back into her bedroom.
She read through it, hoping for some sort of message from Elsa. Instead she read tables of locations, times, and events that she would have to bear through for the day. They were in preparation for the party. She crumpled the paper in her hand. How dare Elsa just up and leave like that. Anna couldn't believe it.
The reality of what happened jolted her. She felt her heart give. She collapsed backwards onto the door and slid down it to the floor. She gripped the paper in her hand, crushing it. A few tears escaped her eyes. I should be angry. Anna thought. But she couldn't be, not completely at least. The one person who wanted to protect her, to make her feel safe. Gone. And Anna had driven her away. Maybe if she stayed? Maybe if instead of storming off the beach they just talked it out? Anna couldn't think straight. The loss she felt was too strong. There was a knock at the door.
"Miss Arendelle? Unfortunately we have to get going." The man said from the other side. Anna sniffed and wiped the few tears that had managed to escape, from her eyes. Somehow she managed to collect herself before opening the door.
"Alright, yeah, I'm coming." She said. Outside, the sun had already risen. It was a quarter of the way through the sky. In the driveway were three SUV's, as always. She didn't remember walking to the car or the car beginning to drive down the road. Anna was the quietest she had been in ages. The silence was uncomfortable, like a wall separating herself from everyone else. The bump in the road caused her to hit her head on the ceiling jerking her mind back into the car.
"So, what's your name?" Anna said, rubbing the spot on her head.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that information." Anna rolled her eyes.
"Then what am I supposed to call you?"
"If everything goes well, you won't have to call me anything." Anna blinked, stunned. A brick wall. She had almost forgotten these people still exist.
Here she was once again, surrounded by nameless faces and cold, calculating, brick walls. She felt trapped and alone. She sighed, adjusting her arm to make a makeshift pillow against the window. Outside the jungle stopped to reveal the city of Tuvanau.
The sign that read "Welcome to Tuvanau" that she would pass by everyday didn't have the same life to it that it usually had. It felt faded, distant, but Anna didn't have the time to inspect it as her cars rushed past.
The city consumed them as they headed downhill towards the beach front. The streets were empty which felt odd for a city that was so vibrant with life. The curves of the road straightened out and declined downhill as they made their way into the heart of the city. A few hundred feet down the road, it met at a T with another road. Buildings lined the roads. From the car, Anna could see the rooftops of the buildings further bellow.
She saw a flash of light from one the buildings at the bottom of the hill. The car in front of her flashed a bright yellow. Bits and pieces of the car flew in every direction. Light brown smoke rose from the car. From the impact, the car skidded off to the side and collided into a nearby building. It was all over in an instant.
"RPG." Her bodyguard yelled. All at once the car began to ting with the rattle of bullets. A stream of bullets went diagonally up the front of the car, from the passenger headlight, through the windshield, and into the driver. Blood was everywhere. Anna tasted copper. The driver fell forward onto the steering wheel. The car began to pick up speed and veered right, into a building. Everything went black.
The next thing Anna heard was yelling. A lot of yelling.
"It's so loud." Anna half groaned half mumbled.
"Client is secure, we need backup now." A man yelled. Anna felt a hand grab her shoulder, shaking her. "Miss Arendelle, we have to move now." Anna opened her eyes to see her bodyguard from the car standing over her. Blood caked the side of his head. In his free hand, he held a pistol. A car alarm in the distance was blaring. The man grabbed a two way radio he had set on the ground. "We are being attacked from the north east and west sectors of the city. We need backup now. I'm moving the client to a secure location."
They were in an alley way. Anna had been leaned up against a wall. To her side, the car crushed against the corner of the alleyway, almost blocking the entrance. Its front wheels were still turning. A few men stood by the car using it for cover. Gunfire clattered against the car. Two guards had the passenger door propped open and were trying to pull another guard, who was screaming in pain, out front inside the car. They pulled the screaming man from the car. Most of the man came with them, his right leg however, stayed in the car.
"Fuck" She heard one of them say. "We need medical Evac on our location. We are under heavy fire."
"Miss Arendelle. We have to move. Now." He pulled her up to her feet. Anna couldn't say anything. Her hands were shaking. Somehow the clothes she had been wearing were now covered it dust and blood. The jeans she was wearing ripped along the knees. Am I bleeding? Anna thought, but she didn't have time to inspect herself, the man's grip was unrelenting.
The man dragged her down the alleyway. Her feet refused to cooperate. Behind them, return gunfire rang out followed by some yelling. As he approached the corner of the alley and raised his gun before peeking out and signaling Anna to follow. Gunfire rang out in the distance.
Together they made their way through the maze of alleys and roads. Anna's heart beat in her chest. They ended up stopped outside what looked like a flower shop. A giant flower sign with the words "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." written across it. Her guard pushed on the door. It didn't budge. He took a step back and kicked the door in. He grabbed Anna's arm and led her inside.
"Client is in a secure location. We are barricading ourselves in a south west building with the name "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." He said into the radio. There was static and a burst of mumbling that Anna couldn't make out. Against her will, she let out a small whimper. Is this where I'm going to die? "WILCO. Waiting for exfil." Then she heard a voice she recognized.
"Confirm the status of the client." A female voice said. Elsa. It must've been. Anna could recognize that voice anywhere. The man hesitated.
"Uh, I suggest we impliment barricades before the status of…" He was cut off.
"I repeat. Confirm the status of the client." The man sighed and turned to Anna.
"Are you injured?" Anna still couldn't manage words. She ran her shaking hands up and down her body, inspecting for injury's but found none. Somehow, she was able to shake her head. "Client is secure and unharmed." There was a moment of silence.
"We are en route to exfil. ETA. 5 minutes. Can you hold position?"
"Position is solid. See you in five." The man turned the radio off. Outside, Anna could still hear the sound of gunfire. The man pushed an aisle of flowers in front of the doorway. The flowers themselves were beautiful. In another time, Anna would've considered buying one maybe even as a gift for Elsa, but right now seemed hardly appropriate. She couldn't think, however she did have one word on her mind. It repeated on a constant loop that she couldn't' stop. Elsa. It called. Elsa.
Elsa had been listening to the radio chatter in horror as the events in the town unfolded. Where is Anna? Her mind screamed. She wanted to yell into the radio but knew that it would only cause confusion. So, for the time being, she waited. She felt her stomach twist itself into a knot. It churned with every gunshot. Her hand was gripping the table.
She pulled her gloves off anticipating what came next. Then she heard it. "Client is in a secure location…" Thank god. "We are barricading ourselves in a south west building with the name "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." She looked down at the map she had laid across the table when the radio filled with commotion a few moments ago. Her finger traced the spot she had marked, where the cars were ambushed, downwards to the right to stop on the building in discussion.
"We hear you, fortify position and prepare for exfil." Elsa said. She grabbed a set of body armor from the table as well as a pistol. She put the armor on and holstered the pistol.
"WILCO. Waiting for exfil." In the background she heard someone whimpering. Anna.
"Confirm status of the client." Elsa commanded. There was a pause on the other end of the radio. Somethings wrong. She's hurt and it's all my fault.
"Uh, I suggest we implement barricades before status of…" He's stalling.
"Confirm status of the client." Elsa said, even more forceful than before. Another pause.
"Client is secure and unharmed." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"We are en route to exfil. ETA. 5 minutes. Can you hold position?" Elsa didn't hear his response. She was out the door before he had the chance.
Outside the room she was in, a team of people stood, armed and ready to go.
"I want two teams of 4." She commanded. "One team will go straight for crew Evac, the other to flank the attackers." Elsa cocked her gun and put it in her holster. "I'm going for the client, separately. You guys draw their fire. Hold the line until the client is secure." Elsa double checked everything. Her gun was snug against her leg. She double checked the straps on her body armor. She grabbed a motorcycle helmet off the table. "Move out."
Together they left the building. Outside, two SUV's were prepped for an assault. Elsa led the way, the two crews followed behind flanking her left and right sides.
"Elsa!" Someone called out from behind her. She whipped around. Hans stood in the doorway. The crew stopped.
"Get moving." She barked. The crew rushed into the car leaving Hans and Elsa behind. "Where have you been?" Elsa asked.
"Recovering from an injury if you've forgotten. Where do you think you're going?"
"The client is in danger. I am going to go get her."
"Elsa. You are head of security. You're not just any security guard anymore. Send someone else. Hell, I'll go."
"She's my responsibility."
"Oh, you've been doing a great job of 'being responsible' so far." Elsa's jaw dropped. "I heard everything from here. The plane, the beach, the mall? What about the movie theater. Are you doing that for her or for yourself?"
"I was protecting the interests of the client."
"Bullshit." Hans said. You know she doesn't actually care about you right. To her it doesn't matter if it's you who savers her or me. Hell even if it's one of those guys. You're a weapon Elsa. A means to an end. You are too dangerous to be around the client."
"I refuse to stand here while you berate my integrity. You can't stand there after being absent for over a week and act with such superiority. I am going to help my client." She said and turned towards the vehicles.
"You think you can control it? Huh? You can't. You know you can't"
Elsa ignored his words. She put the helmet on and sat on a motorcycle waiting in the driveway. In fact, it was the same make and model motorcycle Anna had first arrived in. Elsa slid the visor over her helmet. "You're just going to end up killer her Elsa. Just like the others." Hans called out after her. But the only thing that heard his words was the dust settling in the wake of Elsa's bike.
She flew through the forest, gunning the accelerator as fast as she could manage on the low quality roads. Wind tugged on her clothes. She felt her hot breath in the motorcycle helmet. Her eyes analyzed every curvature of the road, absorbing all the information her body could give her and adjusting. This was her element. This is where she was the most comfortable. As discerning as it was, she had to face that fact. When she was like this, she felt like she wasn't hiding anything, not dissimilar to how she felt with Anna.
The jungle thinned. She saw the floral welcome sign coming up. She turned and stopped at it before entering the city. She opened her visor to look at it. The city was on fire. Ash began to fill the air. The sky was lit blood red but being blocked by the dark black smoke that rose into the air, oppressing anything that came near it.
In her head she mapped the route to the flower shop. The map memorized in her mind. She heard the SUV's approaching form behind her. She gunned the accelerator of her motorcycle. Right, Left, Right. She weaved in and out of alleys, main roads, and even a few market shops that had been set up on the side of the road.
Despite the fire and gunshots she heard in the distance, the city was almost silent. It was eerily empty. It seemed quieter than it should be. She heard no screams. No voices. The town was desolate. Something was off. Elsa had seen revolutions before. She had even been hired to incite them. They were loud. They were always loud. This was not. Her motorcycle echoed through the street. The gunshots got louder as she approached the flower shop. She stopped her bike. She would not rush into this situation. Too many variables, too much at stake.
She parked the bike under a canopy that jutted out from a building. She pulled her helmet off and un-holstered her gun. She heard a shot ring out. Instinctively she flattened herself against a wall. She felt the cold steal of the gun in her hands. Her pupils dilated. She gripped the gun. Warm blood pumped in her ears. She moved forwards and peaked around the corner. The armed men stood behind a car on the street. Across from the car, the flower shop. One fired off a few rounds into the shop. Some glass shattered onto the street. Elsa heard a few shots ring out and ting onto the car. The men took cover.
Elsa saw her opportunity. She sprinted out from her spot on the wall, covering the distance between them in seconds. She rounded the corner of the vehicle, exposing all three men. She saw the look of surprise on their faces as she raised her gun level. She breathed and squeezed the trigger. One shot rang out. 3 targets fell to the ground. Everything was still. The ash falling from the sky settled on their bodies now oozing with blood. Elsa faced the building Anna was trapped in. One of the men on the ground stirred. Without looking, she raised her gun and took another shot at him. Everything was still again.
Elsa approached the building. A shot rang out and hit the pavement at her feet. Threat. Instinctively she raised her gun and let out three shots towards the door. She ran towards the doorway and ended up leaned against the outside of the building. Breathe. The grip on her gun loosened.
"It's Skyridge." She yelled. She heard commotion inside the building. Elsa took a step back and faced the door. It had been barricaded with a desk that leaned across the wall. Its drawers were open spilling paper out onto the floor. The guard she appointed appeared in the doorway, his gun raised. At the sight of Elsa he relaxed.
"Ma'am" He nodded. Elsa helped him move the desk out of the way. It collided on the floor with a loud clang. The man had taken off his jacket and set it in the corner. His white undershirt was stained with blood. He was gripping his stomach with his free hand. "It wasn't you. They," he motioned outside at the dead men on the ground, "nicked me." He offered a smile. There was blood in his mouth. "I'll be fine." Elsa knew that wasn't true. Even a quick visual assessment of his wounds told her that. She nodded.
"Anna?" She said.
"Upstairs." The man sat down against the wall opposite the doorway. His breathing was already labored. "I'll be right here." He spat a gob of blood onto the floor. "Guarding the doorway." Elsa made her way past the array of flowers towards the set of stairs in the back of the room. She climbed them while putting the gun back in its holster. Hopefully Anna wouldn't make any sudden movements. Elsa was on edge enough as it is. She creaked open the door.
"Anna?" She whispered. The room must've been a small office. There was a window on the far wall, light from the blinds cast an eerie glow on the room. A desk sat in the middle, a computer and small fan were on it. Anna stood up from behind the desk, armed with a stapler ready to fight. It reminded Elsa of the hotel room, where Anna had armed herself with a phone. If the situation weren't so dire, Elsa might've laughed. It took Anna a moment to realize who was standing in the doorway.
"Elsa!" Anna dropped the stapler and started to run towards Elsa. Threat. Elsa closed her eyes and put up a hand. Anna froze.
"Anna." Elsa said. "You can't move too quickly…" Elsa opened her eyes. "I don't want to…"
"It's okay." She said. "I understand." She approached Elsa. "I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't talk earlier. I was scared. You said you'd always be there. I thought that you left and that…"
"Anna."
"… you'd never come back but now you're here and then there was that guy and the car. Oh god the car." Anna's hand went up to her face.
"Anna." Elsa grabbed the babbling girl by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Anna we have to leave." Anna nodded. Her eyes were watery. Elsa unholstered her gun. They worked their way down the stairs, Elsa moved silently. Anna, on the other hand, wasn't as graceful. She was quiet, but her footsteps clicked on each step.
Downstairs the man on the ground's eyes were unfocused. A small trickle of blood ran down his mouth. He sat, unmoving. His shirt was smeared with blood. His pistol lay at his side. Anna gasped. She ran over to the man
"Hey, come on wake up." Anna said. "We have to get going. Elsa said we have to leave." Tears streamed down her face. "Come on." She said more forcefully. "We have to go." Anna grabbed the man's hand and pulled. His body fell over and Anna collapsed backwards onto the floor, crying. Elsa crouched down in front of Anna.
"Anna, he's gone. We have to leave. There isn't a lot of time left."
"He died protecting me." Anna looked up, her eyes were wet. "Why did he die protecting me?" Anna let out a soft whimper. "I don't wanna die Elsa." Anna whispered.
"Hey, don't say that." Elsa said. "You're not going to die today, you know why? Because I'm here and you know what? I'm going to die well before you are with this dangerous life I live, saving rich snobs from burning buildings and all. And I'm not dying today. Not after I have some more of your delicious pancakes alright? So here's what we're going to do. We're going to go out on the street, we're going to drive home and then you're going to make me some pancakes because I'm hungry, I want pancakes, and I'm not dying today. We are not dying today. Alright?" Anna nodded. Elsa was surprised with how articulate she was but would have to ponder it another time.
They walked out the front door. As soon as they stepped out onto the street gunshots tinged against the flowershop. Unconsciously Elsa raised her gun and returned fire. Elsa's free arm grabbed Anna's shirt and led her down the alleyway. Another car had pulled up near the old one and was now firing at them.
Elsa turned and ran down the street towards the motorcycle, half dragging Anna along with her. Perhaps the motorcycle wasn't the best idea she thought in hindsight as bullets whizzed past them. Elsa looked back and that's when she saw it.
The men around the car were standing around a odd figure. His face was covered in a mask. Military. Two piece of metal angled outwards near the mouth. A third piece curved over the eyes, it almost looked like a modern medieval piece of armor. The mask glowed blue in two slits where the eyes of the wearer would be. The mask was covered in hexagonal patterns. In fact, the whole armor was black covered in the same thin white lines that traced hexagons all over it. His body armor was nothing like Elsa had ever seen. Years beyond whatever flimsy armor she was currently wearing. It was one solid piece that had other pieces attached to it. A few patches of added armor at the shoulders a few patches for ammo at the hips. The entirety of the armor looked flexible and covered his entire body.
He turned and looked at Elsa. On his chest an acronym. E.L.S.A. He shimmered for a moment. Elsa almost stopped running. Elsa thought it was a trick of the eye, perhaps a wave of heat from the burning city around them maybe she read the acronym wrong in the light. He vanished. What. The. Fuck.
A bullet whizzed past her head pulling her back into the reality of the situation. The men got into their car. Elsa pushed Anna in front of her, towards the bike.
"Anna, go!" Elsa yelled. Elsa stopped, turned around and crouched. She raised her gun. Breathe. The car was gaining speed. They were almost to Elsa. She could see the people inside, feel their adrenaline. Elsa took aim and let out a shot.
The bullet soared through the air, through the single pane of glass, and into the skull of the man driving. The car veered right and into a building. By Elsa's calculations, that should by them just enough time to leave. Elsa ran to catch up to Anna.
Anna had the motorcycle helmet on already. Elsa jumped onto the bike and started it with a swift kick. Anna slid in place behind her. Without hesitating or checking to see if Anna was all the way on the bike, Elsa slammed on the accelerator.
A/N: Hey all, sorry this is late and sorry there was no upload Sunday. It's been a long week. I'll try and keep with the regular schedule next week. I tried to make it up to ya'll with a longer upload. Thanks for reading!