Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds and Frozen

Say Goodbye to the Pain of the Past

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! At last, after all the cheeky references to Frozen in my fics, it's time for an actual crossover! This is, however, not the story I originally planned to write. The idea has been so insistent, I've been dreaming parts of it every night for the last several nights. Clearly, it must be heard. I am writing using elements of Disney Speedstorm verse, because ever since the Frozen season dropped, I have been over the moon ecstatic about it! Those who know me know I get very psyched by characters from supposed period pieces existing in the present day. This verse is made to order for me. However, I will warn that I like Hans and have never been able to accept him being the bad guy in Frozen. They had intended to make the audience like him in the first part of the movie, and for me, they did too good a job. Hence, I am going to be exploring one of my takes on the fanon theory that his mind was messed with in order for him to go bad. As to who did it and why, though, we'll just have to wait and find out. I'm not positive I'm doing the troll version. (If I do, I'll have it just be a couple of trolls responsible and not the whole colony. I can't swallow that one.) While I realize that going this route is in one way the easy way out of the problem, in another way it may make the most sense given that one of the major complaints people have about Hans being the villain is that it came out of nowhere and twist villains will generally have clues to the audience they can look back on later and realize what everything was leading up to. Anyway, since Hans is a very polarizing character, if it offends in any way that I want him to be good in this fic, please just utilize the Back button! I am not acknowledging A Frozen Heart or Frozen II for this verse. A Frozen Heart is not recognized as canon as far as I know and I have some similar but different ideas for Hans' backstory on the Southern Isles. As for Frozen II, the ending just bugs the heck out of me for multiple reasons that I will not go into here (but may do so within the fic). Also, for 5Ds fans, Radley is, as always, also good, something I feel is canonically possible.

Chapter One

"It's been almost too peaceful lately, hasn't it?"

Kalin Kessler looked up at his friend and soulmate Radley Ramon's comment. They were sitting in Radley's diner, enjoying the serenity of customers coming for meals and the Bunch happily taking and bringing orders. Things really had been quite peaceful in town for some time. And Kalin had to admit that was unusual for them. So he said flatly, "The other shoe will probably drop soon."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Radley smirked. "I wish it'd stay suspended indefinitely."

Suddenly their friend Scotch blew into the diner, eyes full of excitement and determination.

"Look at this!" he exclaimed, waving the City's newspaper at Radley and Kalin.

"'Race car champion Hans Joris to be in Turbo Duel'?" Radley read.

Scotch nodded. "Look at the picture!"

Radley looked. Kalin did a double-take. "Is this a joke?" he grunted at Scotch.

Scotch shook his head. "It's the real paper! See, he looks just like Hans from Frozen!"

Radley leaned back with a bemused chuckle. "Well . . ."

"Frozen isn't real," Kalin immediately said.

Scotch was not having that. "If Hans is real, the others must be too!" he said. "I want to go talk to him!"

"If we've noticed the resemblance, others no doubt have too," Radley said.

"I doubt he goes around telling everyone the truth if he really is that Hans," Kalin flatly remarked. "What makes you think he'll tell you?"

Scotch shrugged helplessly. "I don't know?"

Radley chuckled and shook his head. "Well," he said, taking pity on Scotch's disappointment, "we can still try."

Scotch perked up. "Yes! I'll get ready to go!" And he flew off, leaving the paper on the table.

Kalin watched him go. "What do you really think about this?" he asked Radley.

Radley picked up the paper and looked at it. "I have no idea. But I'm actually curious by now. Aren't you?"

". . . Yes," Kalin grudgingly admitted. "But there's no way the answer could be what Scotch is hoping for."

"After all we've seen, do you really wanna make book on that?" Radley said.

Kalin scowled. "No. That would just be stupid." He sighed. "But how many impossible things can really be true? Some of them must be false."

"I know it's insane," Radley said. "But there was a time when people thought Pokemon were fiction and they're very much real, so . . ." He gave a helpless shrug. "At least I figure we can keep an open mind until learning otherwise, for Scotch's sake if nothing else."

Kalin grunted. "Yeah. But if it's not true, Scotch is going to look like a fool."

Radley sighed. "You know how he is, though. When he wants to do something, nobody can convince him otherwise. It's useless to try and it just makes him feel bad."

Kalin sighed too. "I know. What would Hans be doing racing cars, though?"

"An excellent question." Radley set the paper down and quickly tapped a search into the browser on his phone. "Apparently he's a very prominent race car driver," he mused. "Him deciding to get into Turbo Duels too is a big thing. Even Jack's been quoted in this article here. Someone's asking him what he thinks of the guy's interest in Turbo Duels. Jack says, 'Do you see me joining NASCAR? He's going to find out that Turbo Dueling is not like racing cars.'"

"Heh," Kalin smirked. "That sounds like Jack. He's got a point, though."

"Hans' past is very mysterious," Radley went on. "He never talks about it. Of course, there could be many reasons for that, reasons that don't involve him being a supposed fictional character who's actually real." He stood up with a mischievous smile. "Come on, let's go. It should be an interesting meeting, in any case."

Kalin couldn't disagree with that.

xxxx

Hans Joris was staying at the Royal Hotel, room #9. Of course, that was not information deliberately leaked to the public, but it was the sort of celebrity gossip that just sort of got out anyway. When the group arrived in the City, Scotch led them to the hotel and inside the front lobby. Hans was sorting through his mail and heading down the hall. As Scotch approached, he looked up warily. "Hello. . . . Are you looking for an autograph or an interview?"

Scotch suddenly looked awkward. "Well . . . yeah, that'd be great! But . . . what I really wondered is if you're the guy from Frozen!"

Kalin facepalmed.

Hans looked more weary than surprised. "Do you know how many times I get asked that?"

"Um . . . a lot?" Scotch shifted his weight.

Radley decided it was time to step in. "Hi," he said with a smile. "I'm Radley Ramon. This is my friend Scotch. He saw your picture in the paper today and just got really excited. He loves Frozen, you see."

Hans just quirked an eyebrow. "He does know it's just a story, doesn't he?"

"I thought I did!" Scotch spoke up defensively. "But when I saw the story about you, I thought maybe it was real after all! We've found out all kinds of supposedly fictional things are real, so why not this too?!"

"This isn't," Hans insisted, walking backwards towards his room as he spoke. "And if that's all you came to ask me, I would rather you just . . ."

Before he could get close enough to open the door to his room, an explosion from inside ripped the door off its hinges and sent him flying forward into the group of visitors.

Radley grabbed onto him in shock. "Are you okay?!" he cried.

Hans gripped Radley's arm, his knuckles white as he stared in horror at the smoke and the charred door. Hotel employees were shouting to one another and the fire alarm was going off overhead, but Hans was focused only on that twisted sight.

Kalin snarled. "That was a bomb in there," he said. "Someone was trying to kill you!"

Hans pulled away from them, stumbling as he tried to stand up straight. "Yes, and how do I know all of you weren't trying to do the same thing?! This isn't the first time something like this has happened! These people who think I'm this character are insane!"

Scotch gawked at him. "They're trying to kill you just because they think you're Hans from Frozen?!"

"There was a message with the first attempt on my life that said as much," Hans said. "I have no reason to believe any of the others are any different!"

Radley frowned. "I know fans can be really passionate, but that is just loco," he said. "Maybe whoever's after you is just conveniently using that as a cover for the real reason."

"And what could the real reason be?!" Hans retorted.

Radley sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. When Hans took a step and dizzily swayed, Radley hurried to catch him again. "And you need to be checked out after that blast. I know you don't wanna trust us, and after hearing about this, you have every reason not to. But you need help from somebody."

Scotch nodded worriedly. "I didn't want to hurt you, I swear! I just wanted to talk to you! . . . And maybe to ask if Elsa and Anna are real too and stuff."

Hans was silent, running a hand over his forehead. ". . . I've heard of Radley Ramon," he said at last. "It would be impossible not to in the Turbo Duel business. You're one of the top suppliers of dyne in the country. That of course doesn't mean you're completely aboveboard, but . . ." He mentally weighed his options again before continuing. "Maybe you'd be able to help me."

"I don't know that we could find out who's doing this, but we could try," Radley said.

"We're friends with Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan!" Scotch added. "They could totally find stuff out if there's anyone in the Turbo Duel scene who's doing this!"

Kalin frowned, not sure he liked Yusei being volunteered for something that could be potentially dangerous. ". . . If we're going to help you, you have to be completely honest with us," he said. "Are you . . . who they think you are?" Even as he asked the question, he hated himself for it.

Hans grimaced. ". . . I won't talk about it here," he said.

Radley looked around at the increasing chaos of people shouting and screaming and running about. "We'll get you to a doctor. Then we'll talk," he said.

Kalin moved closer to him. "Do you think we can trust anything he says?" he whispered. "If he is that Hans, he's supposed to be an incredibly slick liar."

Radley sighed. "I know. We'll stay on guard; that's about all we can do at this point. Obviously something's screwy here. And it doesn't look like there's anyone else who can give us an idea of why."

"We could just wash our hands of it," Kalin said.

Radley raised an eyebrow. "Would you really?"

". . . No," Kalin sighed. "I was trying it out to see how it sounded. Let's at least hear him out."

Radley smiled. "I thought you'd say that."

xxxx

A quick trip to the KaibaCorp Infirmary later, the strange group had taken refuge in an employees and friends lounge (with Mokuba's full permission). Hans sat on a couch, holding an icepack to his head, while the others sat or stood and observed.

"You are really lucky you weren't seriously hurt or worse," Radley said. "If we hadn't delayed you getting to your room, you probably would have been there when the bomb went off."

"You'd probably be dead," Kalin agreed.

"And I'm grateful, of course," Hans said.

"Yeah! You don't really still think we had anything to do with the bomb and stuff, do you?!" Scotch exclaimed.

"You could always be trying to lure me into a false sense of security by pretending to help," Hans said. "I'm not saying I think that, just that it's a possibility."

"And you're smart to consider it," Radley said. "But we're not."

"I'll have to hope for and trust in that," Hans said.

Kalin imagined, however, that he would stay wary, just as Kalin himself planned to.

"Okay," Radley said. "Tell us everything you know about this and we'll do all that we can to get to the bottom of it."

Hans still looked uncertain, but finally he sighed. He needed help and he knew that. He would comply with Radley's request.

". . . Well . . . you're right," he said in resignation. "I'm Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles."

"Yes!" Scotch exclaimed in glee.

"Everything in the movie Frozen really happened . . . except . . ." Helplessness went through Hans' eyes. "I honestly don't know what happened to me or why I suddenly turned against Anna. I was genuinely interested in her! But then . . . it was like something . . . some outside force . . . took control of me for a time. I could only think in terms of seizing control of the Arendelle throne at all costs. I turned against Anna . . . left her to die . . . and tried to kill Elsa to stop the eternal winter and leave myself as the only claimant to the throne. Then the force left me and I could barely comprehend what I'd done."

Kalin snorted. "Really."

Radley frowned. "Are you saying you were possessed?"

"Possessed . . . cursed . . . something." Hans sighed and looked away. "I tried to explain, but of course the girls would have none of that. Anna told the Arendelle guards not to believe anything I said. I couldn't expect anything else. I was sent home in disgrace."

". . . So how did you get away?!" Scotch exclaimed.

"It wasn't easy," Hans said. "My father had no intention of ever letting me go again. I had to plan very carefully to sneak onboard a supply ship and to have plenty of money to bribe the crew if I was caught. When I succeeded, I decided to change my name and go into race car driving. It was something I'd always wanted to try and it seemed the perfect time."

"Wouldn't you be sent back if you were discovered?" Kalin asked.

"I don't think my father would care enough to bother," Hans replied. "As long as I wouldn't be causing trouble, I'd be out of his way and I might even bring some honor to my name again." His eyes darkened. "But then the attempts on my life started.

"The first one was after a race in Monte Carlo. I opened my hotel room door and it triggered several knives to fly right at me. Each one of them had a paper taped to it saying things like they knew who I was and I wouldn't get away with what I'd done in Arendelle."

"Wouldn't something like that be big news all over?" Radley said.

"My manager tried to keep it very hush-hush," Hans said. "But then it happened two more times at different locations, and now today!" He set the icepack aside. "I have every reason to believe all these attempts were made by the same person or persons out to get me. But who?"

"Maybe it really is just crazy fans," Scotch said. "They can get really vicious when their favorite characters are attacked!"

"How well I know." Hans sighed, leaning forward on the couch and clasping his hands.

Radley had been deep in thought. Finally he said, "Here's something to think about. Could the person trying to kill you be the same one who controlled you back in Arendelle? Maybe it was a plot against you as much as the girls."

Hans looked at him in surprise. "Maybe," he said slowly. "It's not impossible. I've tried and tried to think who could have done that to me and why and what they would get out of it and I always come up blank!"

"That Duke guy or his henchmen could have done it!" Scotch said.

"I don't think so, Scotch," Radley said. "If the movie was pretty much the same as real-life, the Duke was completely against anything he thought was sorcery. That was why he was after Elsa. I just can't see him stooping to it himself."

". . . Yeah, I guess," Scotch sighed.

"It's a good thought anyway," Radley encouraged him. "And we'll consider it. I'm just really not sure that's the answer."

"Who else would even benefit?" Kalin wondered.

"We're going to have to start picking everything apart and listing every possibility, no matter how wacky or unlikely," Radley said. "And we'll really need to talk to Elsa and Anna. Is that possible?"

"Very possible," Hans said. "There's a special Arendelle Cup racing event coming up here next weekend. Elsa and Anna are both going to be here to represent the kingdom."

"Seriously?!" Scotch exclaimed. "Why haven't we heard anything about it?!"

"We don't really follow race car news," Kalin grunted.

Radley nodded. "If Turbo Dueling isn't involved, we probably wouldn't hear about it."

"Anna likes motorcycles, so she might be riding one of those in the cup," Hans said. "But I don't think it'll be a Duel Runner."

"Anna likes . . . you're still following news about her, aren't you?" Radley said with a sad smile of realization.

". . . Yes," Hans admitted. "Oh, I know there's no chance of anything with her now; she's too involved with that Kristoff guy. But I still wish I could explain what happened to me and be believed. That will never happen. I don't know how you'll ever get an audience with her and Elsa once you tell them why you're asking."

"We wouldn't have to tell them about the threats against you until we'd be talking to them," Radley mused. "And I think I might have enough clout to get us in. If not, we could always call in a favor from Kaiba."

Hans still looked doubtful. "If you think it would work."

"It's worth trying anyway," Radley said. "And hey, where is your manager? Shouldn't they have been getting in touch with you after what happened?"

"You'd think," Hans said dryly. "Sometimes he's hard to get hold of." He took out his phone. "I left him several text messages."

Catching sight of the phone's screen, Radley's jaw dropped. "Does that say 'Lawton'?!"

Hans glanced up. "Yes. My manager's name is Lawton Colman."

Kalin gave him a long, blank stare. "You're kidding."

"I doubt he knows the name means anything to us," Radley said, but he was reeling too. "And maybe it's a different guy. The Lawton we know is Coulter."

"Yeah, and like, why would Lawton be managing race car drivers?!" Scotch exclaimed. "I thought he wanted to take over towns and stuff!"

Hans looked from one to the other of his new acquaintances. "I feel like I'm missing something here," he said sardonically. Sobering, he added, "Who is this Lawton to you?"

"He almost killed Radley and blew up our town when he couldn't have it!" Scotch declared.

"Yeah, he's actually got a thing for bombs," Radley said. "He's a greedy bully who wants the whole enchilada and won't take being told No. He turned our town into a totalitarian dictatorship within hours of getting us out of the way. It was a complete mess."

"But we put it back together again!" Scotch said proudly.

"Lawton went to prison, but he busted out," Radley said. "He's never been caught again. I wouldn't think he'd be loco enough to still hang around."

"Obviously he is," Kalin intoned. "If it's really him. Do you have a picture?"

"No," Hans said flatly. "We're not that close. But he's a very tall, broad man with dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail."

Radley sighed. "Well, that's vague, but it sure sounds like him."

"And you said he likes bombs," Hans said. "Would there be any conceivable reason that he might be trying to kill me?!"

"Offhand, I have no idea what," Radley sighed. "But I've learned that with Lawton, you don't put anything past him. He claims he doesn't like risks, but he'll do things like get himself hurt blowing things up if he thinks what he might gain is worth it."

Hans grimaced. "And I thought I was a risk-taker."

Radley leaned back, pondering this new wrinkle. "One thing, though; Lawton wouldn't have any way to control you that I'm aware of. His involvement with you probably only started when he began managing you. But we should definitely look into where he is right now and if he could be trying to kill you. Would he gain anything if you were dead?"

"Yes," Hans replied. "I had to name him as beneficiary on my life insurance policy." He looked away. "There wasn't anyone in my family I wanted to name and he was insistent on my having a policy."

"That could definitely do it," Radley said with a wince. "But on the other hand, it could be someone else. We really need to talk to this guy and see if he's our Lawton."

"I'm trying, but he doesn't respond to my texts," Hans said in frustration.

"What room is he staying at in the hotel?" Kalin asked.

"#10, right next to mine," Hans said. ". . . You don't think he could have been injured in the blast, do you?"

"I don't think it affected the next rooms, but I could be wrong on that," Radley said. "I didn't get too close." He sighed and took out his phone. "I'm gonna call the hotel and try to find out if anyone was hurt."

Kalin watched him dial, his expression clearly saying, Do you really believe any of this?

Radley had to admit, he wasn't sure. Everything that had happened since meeting Hans really seemed too inane to be true. And yet it also seemed too impossible for it to all be made-up. After everything they had already been through, he still felt he had to at least keep an open mind.

The thing that sounded the most preposterous was Hans' claim of being mind-controlled in Arendelle. And yet, he and Kalin knew such things could happen. Who was he to say it was impossible in this case? It was hard to comprehend an intelligent man like Hans making up something so outlandish that he would surely know people wouldn't be likely to believe.

He snapped to attention when a harried desk clerk answered the phone. "Hello, Royal Hotel."

"Hi," Radley greeted. "I'm looking for a Lawton Colman. Can you connect me with his room?"

"I can connect you, but I'm afraid it wouldn't do any good," the clerk replied. "There was an . . . accident here and one of the walls for room #10 is missing."

"What about Mr. Colman?" Radley frowned. "Is he hurt?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Sir," sighed the clerk. "He's missing too!"