It was a gloomy morning as the rain starts pouring down at the busy streets of New York City. People are minding their own business and some are rushing just to get the next ride to Manhattan. The rain starts to pour harder and the splash of the cars against the wet pools can be heard in every corner of the street. Sirens and car honks wrestle their sounds due to a huge traffic jam is going on and the drivers argue with each other. As much as the hustle and bustle of the city, there stood an image out of the picture.
A sixteen year old girl is walking along the busy streets as she have her blue hoodie on to cover her face. She happens to walk near the police department and her dad, who's the captain, greets her with a smile while holding his brewing hot coffee.
"Hey there Elsa, so how's the music class then?" Agnar asked as he's trying to lift his daughter's spirit. For the last two months, she's been like this for a tragic event that changed her life forever and a secret that's too dangerous to reveal, only Elsa knew about this. Last month, he enrolled Elsa to a music class since she's a drum and guitar enthusiast. She did tried to excell but it didn't help her heal from her depression that she ends up quitting it.
"Oh well, I quit..." she replied with still a sad tone. Agnar sigh in gloom because he wanted to help her to recover but he have no idea how the pain struck her daughter completely that he didn't even recognize her for a new gloomy demeanor.
" Oh,...is there anything I can do for you?" He asked as he approach her, still hoping that she will find happiness to get her out from this extreme sadness.
"No, but thanks anyways father,...I'll be at the park for a minute..." she replied as her Dad give her a warm hug against the showers of the rain.
" Alright, I'll see you at dinner, tonight and tell your mom that I'm gonna be late for an hour because of an ongoing investigation for the FrostSpider's case" Agnar said as he pull back amd kiss his daughter's forehead then head back to the station. Hearing the name "FrostSpider" makes Elsa more tense. She's living two different lives where she tried to pull the strings but the cost of sewing it together is too high and dangerous.
As Elsa continues to walk further, she finally arrive at the park and sit in a bench with her hands clench. Reminiscing all the happy moments she had before that tragedy happened where she lost her only stronghold in her life.
Elsa's POV:
This place, have so many memories. Memories before I got stuck into this extreme mess. Every breeze of the cold air reminds me of the comfort I wished I still have, every laughter of the children who are junping in the mud puddles of the park makes me reminisce the happiness I had before and eveytime I look at the skies, I wish you are looking down to me for I couldn't tell how much this grief is strucking me everyday for it feels like a frozen icicle is stabbing my heart in every moment I realize that you're not around anymore. What's worse is that I'm completely on my own, holding a dangerous secret. The truth is...the vigilante that my father is trying to investigate for months is...me. Yeah, I'm the FrostSpider. I didn't mean to get all of these things into a mess. It happens so quickly within a blink of an eye and well I didnt know how much longer should I hold this dangerous identity. For others, I am a hero, for the authorities, I am a wanted criminal but I am only a girl with a broken spirit. In all, it as a catastrophe as these events piled up and I feel like I'm slipping in my hands slowly. How did I get into to this well...
One Year Earlier:
It was my 2nd semester at Midtown University as I woke early, had my breakfast with my sister, Anna, say goodbye to our parents and went off to school. It was a normal morning as the students hurriedly went to their classrooms and so does the teachers. I sat down in the middle as I drop my bag nex to me. A while later when classes started, Mrs. Ariana set up a video projector to demonstrate the class about the trigonometry and circumference. I must admit that I'm not quite interested in geometrics and I'm only trying my best to learn just to pass the exams before this semester ends, how ironic. A while later, the door opened, revealed a boy of which I speculated of the same age as mine, he's brunette and from the looks of him, he seems to have all of this tasks crammed up with all of his books stacked up as he hold them firmly and tried to balance them. Typical for a late student though.
"Mr. Haddock, youre late again" Mrs. Ariana exclamied with a frown. As the brunette tried to sneak quietly without getting noticed by the teacher but unfortunately she did and got caught in the middle of the screen. Well not the best hideout.
"Well, Einstein said that time is relative so I guess maybe you guys are too early and I'm not late" he joked as the whole class frowned at him while I chuckled, not the best reaction for a scientific humor, then everyone heard me which I forgot how quite it was, really?
"I'm sorry, its just too quiet in here" I excused so that everyone won't give me a deadly glance. "Haddock" made his way through the class as I kinda heard the teacher scold him for being late then going back to the demonstration then he sat next to me making me hold my breath. I didnt know why I did that but hey, maybe just hormones.
"Well, that dosen't brush off easily" he commented as he look at me.
"You know, you have a terrible sense of humor" I chuckled as that made him goofed a bit.
"What can I say, not really a fan of this ...physics math ...stuff" he replied
"The name's Hiccup... you" he introduced with a smile.
"Elsa" I replied as we continue to quietly chatter but was interrupted when the teacher give us a frown. I didn't see things to gow smoothly but eversince we met, we become bestfriends. Hiccup and I share same interests and I've never felt so happy and safe with him for the past few months before we finish the second semester. My life couldn't get any better until a certain incident that would change my life forever.
It was lunchbreak at noon, Hiccup and I just walk around the school balcony talking about so many stuff.
"So you're father is Captain Agnar, the head chief police of New York?" he asked
"Yeah, but I don't really see him at home always, he's busy for that" I replied as we look to the view of our school baseball field, watching students play baseball and the cheerleaders paractice their choreography.
"Oh, well...my dad wasn't always at home either" he said. Such coincidence, I guess we both knew what's like to have when our dads wasn't always at home though.
"Do you talk to him?" I asked as I look into his emerald eyes.
"Sometimes...but it wasn't always easy" he sighed as we look into each other.
" I guess we both knew what it feels like though, I miss him everyday...I'm always scared that everytime he wears his badge...I fear that he won't return someday" I said with a sad tone. Truth is, even if everybody told me I'm the luckiest girl to have a father who's a police captain, I'm worry alot for his safety, his life was always in the line and every moment a trigger could kill him. I was so deep in thoughts that I didn't noticed he held my hand in comfort that kind of gives me shivers.
" Hey, it doesn't have to be that bad but...well if you have any problems, I won't hesitate to do the best I could to help you..." he comforted as he made me look at him. Now, I couldn't help but try to hide my seemingly slight blush. Not gonna deny he got the looks though, I feel like I'm sort of having a crush on my best friend, oh come on stop it Elsa, he could've have someone better though. The moment was very precious as we glanced at each other's faces but only to interrupted by an alarm.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! THERE'S AN ASSET OUT OF CONTAINMENT IN THE GENETICS LAB, ALL UNITS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO ENTER THE LAB" the school alarm, me and Hiccup saw investigators started to do a room scan and sanitation in the lab.
" What's going on?" I asked
" I have no idea but I've heard earlier that one of their experimental assests escape from it's containment" Hiccup whispered
"Since when did they start doing stuff like that?" I asked with a frown
" Uh...well, not long after this lab was built for researchers to modify genetic capability within this university" he replied, huh how weird. It was until the school bell rang so we when off to our classes as we continue to talk through the hallway but suddenly I felt something crawling over my hand and ...bit me
" Owww!!!" That's definitely a nasty bite as I look at my hand and saw a ...blue spider bit me...!!!! I try to shake it offf and get rid of tge pain that's made my hand swell within the bite.
" You okay, Elsa?" Hiccup asked that made me sterned up but I shoke it, I didn't want him to worry about me just for a spider bite.
"Yeah..yeah...I'm fine, it's just allergy" I lied , heheh...The day continues on was we finish every class we took until finally I arrived at my home and so does Hiccup who just live two blocks from my home. Everything seems to be fine but then I started to feel a dizzying fuss in my head, this can't be it right, so I lay in my bed and sleep it off. Hopefully this will be better soon though.
It was past midnight when I woke up which is pretty weird but the good thing is that I feel much better and the swell in my hand disappear. It turns out to be fine until I couldn't remove my other hands from my blanket and it looks like it's stuck to it. Huh??? What in the... I tried to remove it but from the looks of it, it's not only stuck but the sheet was also...frozen?!?!? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?!?! It took a while to remive this freezing stickiness as I waggled through my room, adjusting myself from this so called "allergy". Worse, I keep on tripping and falling at the floor for this stupid mess. Urghhh!!!! What's wrong with me!!! This isn't supposed to happen...I try to recall every moment that made this accident to occur but only to remember that weird blue spider that bit me...could it be??? No, this must be a joke right??? I keep on trampling until I try to shake off this stickiness. Wow, how ironic? A spider me bit me and it gave me this... powers, I guess??
I tried to relax as I switched on my laptop to learn more about this mysterious spider. I kept on typing through my keyboard until I didn't realize that the tabs sticked to my fingers, huh, great...I continued my task and found something very interesting.
According to a specific source, it was stated that the spider that bit me, was radioactive and have been experimented with human genome that it was placed in a frozen containment area for the spider to adapt and absorb the freezing temperature. Huh? what a mad science isn't it?
It took me a while to analyze and absorb this new energy within me throughout that day. It was so chaotic that I struggled with this abilities. Heck! This is nuts!!! I'm so busy unsticking my hand to my textbooks until I bumped into Hiccup.
"Oh..sorry ,sorry, I didn't see you at the back" I apologized as Hiccup gave me a hand as we get off the ground.
"What made so tangled up this whole afternoon ?" he asked with a chuckle as he was getting something from his bag.
"Uh...well...nothing, just a bunch of essays and research...to finish" not the best excuse to say as I hid my freezing sticky hands behind me.
"Oook...well, I just bought you this..." he said as he gave me a beautiful bouquet of lavenders and roses. Wait...what... this is so supervising!! He definitely knew lavenders are my favorite.
"Oh...wow, they're... lovely...thank you" I blush secretly as he was scratching the back of his neck in nervousness.
"Anything for you...then...and I just wanted to confess that for...the past five months we've met...I've had...a...crush...in you..."he just said that sheepishly, my gosh, why do I feel lovestruck, internal squeals, I never wanted to admit it but everytime we spend together made me draw closer to him with warmth.
"Oh...Hicc...I couldn't find to words to say...I...do...have...feelings for you...too" did I just really said while I hid my blush under the flowers???? I wish it could be like this forever though, he's the only who yanked my heart that made me cling on to him and made my butterflies flutter. The moment was so romantic until the bell rang, as always.
"I...ughhh...better get going...thanks anyways..." I gave him a quick kiss in the cheek but I felt bad when I shove him off just because I'm late. Goshhh, this day from these weird abilities to Hiccup making me fall harder.
I stopped near the comfort room to breathed all this new information, once I calmed myself then I decided to head home. I placed my bouquet in a tiny vase then I went back to room. I tried to do something out of my curiosity of these powers, I started to get the hang of these stickiness when I tried to crawled over my room's wall, huh, now I'm getting it, I did other stunts such as trying to control the frost within my feelings, a little bit of web slinging and until finally I've been able to sling in the city secretly. I now feel more weirder, when I have this kind of sense I didn't have before to become more a aware in my surroundings for potential threats, but it kind of collaborates with my powers for me not to fall flat on the ground. It's been weeks, and finally managed to contro these frozen web slings.
Gotta tell you, I've never felt so alive as I swoop through the building tops and enjoying the atmosphere touch my face with the winds blowing through my hair. It all took a leap of faith that made me more confident to jump through the skyscrapers then swing through another, and I knew that since then my life wouldn't be the same.
As much of this city life, with every eyes and ears in all corners of each road of the busy streets. I knew people wouldn't like a typical teenage girl who's swinging like nuts in the city that can cause damages. So I decided to make a suit.
It took me all night to finish it but luckily my mom kept some fabric she used for work at a sewing store. I drew my desired, mend up the style of a black, white with blue spider-designed web sleeves, white hood and a whole face mask. I did like the output after hours of creating it. It's absolutely fantastic and it fits perfectly on me.
I thought it would be just like this forever until fate change my life. I was about to went to the university until my spidersenses told me to look back and I saw children being held as hostage by a gang of kidnappers across a nearby alley. I didn't really know what to do then but I took guts to web them all up. Not bad for an amateur. The bad dudes tried to escape but I took care of it and set the children free.
I then went on to the university. As I pass through the hallway, I can clearly see Snotlout messing up Hiccup. He could only dodge but I use my incredible strength to push that flatterer away from my boyfriend.
" Cut it off, Lout!!" I yelled at him who's suprised at my strength to a big bully like him. He tried to retort but I hold him off.
"You..okay" I give Hiccup a hand and help him carry his textbooks across the hallway.
"Yea...it's no big deal.. but I'm impressed how you strongly push him...off, have been going at a gym" he asked, impressed at my strength but I knew I couldn't tell him the truth.
"...Uh...no..just regular exercise routines" I lied
"And I thought physical activities were never your thing" he chuckled.
The classes went off simultaneously and Hiccup took me to a beautiful park that's just five blocks away from the university. He got me a chocolate milkshake as we stroll the park to enjoy watching the glorious sunset.
" It's very calm and majestic" I sighed calmly as I leaned my head over his shoulder while he wrapped his hand on my waist as we sat in a bench that faced the sunset.
"But not as awestruck as you, Els" he flirted which made me jerked up a bit.
"Oh...shut it" I replied as he chuckled
The sun continued to set with the amazing blend of pink and blue hue that gave warmth in the atmosphere. We remained in that posture for an hour until our glimpse of time that I felt started to stop as our faces were only inches away from each other with our eyes begun to close. It's only a second until our lips touched but it was disturbed by my spider sense, great timing, I opened my eyes and looked at the direction where my senses alarmed me and I felt danger. I heard citizens cried for help, cars crashed into each other and armed men running around for terror as the police tried to handle the situation, definitely my dad was present in there.
"Elsa... what's wrong...?" he asked worryingly, probably because we were about to kiss then I suddenly become startled at the commotion which was pretty far from where we are.
"..Nothing...I...uh...uh...better get going...and ...sorry..." I shoved him off again but unintentionally let him wonder if I reciprocate the same feeling. The truth is, I do, I really do but my spidersense put my whole body at alert to hear people in trouble. I messed up with Hiccup again!!!! I felt really sorry for being like this but I knew I couldn't risk him into danger because of my condition.
I quickly suit up and swung through the city as I saw from the clear view that my Dad and his men were surrounded by armed terrorists with humongous guns. I kept silent as I stalked nearby but my heart pounded harder as I saw a man was about to push a trigger at my Dad. Adrenaline made me smack with a kick the man as I was able to web and froze the other recruits. I was so swift, agile and fast to handle them all.
" Adios...cowards" I chuckled as I was about to leave but to be faced by my Dad who was in defense. Wait what??!!??
"Hands...up" Dad ordered as he was trying not to pull a trigger at me. Wait!? Did he seriously thought I was a criminal after what I just did?!? Well he doesn't even know that I'm his daughter though. I was expecting to be thanked for saving their butts to in time, but this?!?? Seriously how can this day got any more worse?!?
"Captain...I did 80% of your work, and this is what I got?" I said as I was trying to find my way up through the city tops.
" Take off the mask and show who you are, vigilante, no unauthorized personnel should be handling crime unless licensed by authorities" Dad commanded but in a glimpse I trapped his foot in frost so he couldn't move them I made my quick getaway.
I tried to catch up on Hiccup as I changed back into a blue sweater to cover my suit but unfortunately he was no longer at the park. Ohhh... Did I hurt him??? I really need to make up all that mess. I continued to search for him at foot but probably he's at home since it's getting dark. I looked at his house and I made a promise to myself that I will make it up to him. Who knows being a being superhero-vigilante stuff and having a boyfriend could literally divide your life into tight strings?
It's been weeks that I continue to do crimefighting with a mask and I already made up with Hiccup, gladly he forgave me and finally had the moment to kiss me in front of the class. That made my eyes widened but I reciprocate the feeling as he held my wait tightly. Unaware of the other students who were shocked at us in the school garden but we didn't care. We're together and there were times that my family invited him for dinner.
"Els... you gotta see these amazing shots I've took" he said as he showed his photographs of...Me in my suit fighting crime??!!?? Well he doesn't even I'm her.
" So...is that the girl who acts a like spider"
I tried no to reveal for this is a risky secret. Hiccup continues to show me his shots as he's very impressed at that girl, who's actually me, in the mask.
"What do people call her then? A hero? A villain? A spy?" I asked as I'm curious what everyone's gonna say about a strange person like me.
" Well, most people call her a hero and I heard everyone named her as "FrostSpider" for she have spider powers and at the same to time she have the ability to freeze things" he explained as we continue to chatter in the dinner table then Dad came as he hand a box of pizza in front of us.
" Do you think she's a menace?" I ask, tried to assure if he will see it differently than Dad does.
" Hmm...she seems like a good person, saving lives, fighting crime and whatnot" he said. I sighed in relief that he doesn't think of this "FrostSpider" as bad as other people.
"Why wear a mask if there's nothing to hide?" Dad interrupted as he hand a bowl of salad with a stern voice. I rolled my eyes in disbelief.
" Oh come on, no politics at dinner" Mom argued as she was busy cooking dinner.
The days went off smoothly as and every night, my family always welcomed Hiccup and they knew already that we're in a relationship. Everything seems to be fine as I balanced being FrostSpider and being the ordinary Elsa. Until I somehow observed something different about Hiccup. He seemed to no obsess with this FrostSpider aside being bullied by his cousin. He always asked me about her and how amazing her powers are. I tried to find a good response to him but unfortunately I realized that everyone else didn't know me...and I didn't know them that much either...until it was too late.
I didn't know why he acted like this but my spidersense gave me conscience and told me he's up to something ...secretively dangerous, I did saw him hiding from everyone as he was holding something like a dark liquid in a test tube. I asked him daily if he's alright and he always said he's fine, just doing a science experiment as a project for the class. Little did I knew what he's really up to.
In the month of December, a prom was held at 8 pm at the university. I dressed myself in a glittering white gown with lavender and sky blue cascades that slid down to the floor with purple diamonds designed all over it. I arrived in time at the dance floor then I started to search for Hiccup among the crowd. I called his name several times but he was nowhere to be seen. I knew he's always late but he wouldn't be late for almost an hour.
I continue to search for him but then my spidersense alarmed me, this could only mean one thing and that's danger. I look behind me and I saw people ran in panic as a gigantic black dragon-like creature stormed at the stadium of the dance floor. It was tremendous in size , have a an evil lurk of green eyes with enormous black wings with sharp black spikes as it roared through the place.
I quickly suit up and tried to web this monster away from everybody. It was about to attack Snotlout but I freeze it's foot then mouth. The creature broke free and begun to charge at me, crashing me into the wall but I kicked it off with my strength while avoiding being eaten by its razor-sharp teeth. The creature fell off then crashed into a boulder that toppled and dropped at it.
In curiosity, I tried to investigate this monster but I found it shockingly that it's scales were deteriorated and lessened in size until it formed back to a shape of a ...human??!? And that human was...HICCUP?!!?
"WHAT?!??" I couldn't believe it was him all along. I removed the boulder that was on top of him and he was so badly hurt. His face and body were so smashed and he's coughing blood, he's still alive but at the brink of death.
"Hiccup???...no, no,no,no, no,no...what did you do???????" I asked worryingly as I tried to lift him in a spot where there aren't rocks around.
"I...I...I...just wanted to be special...like ...you...Elsa" He coughed out as he put a hand to caress my cheek. Wait?!? He knew me???? How...??
" Elsa...? Who's...Elsa's" I knew I shouldn't lie at this point. I was so distressed that I didn't feel tears were already watering my eyes for I didn't know how long will he last.
" It'll be okay...I love...you...Els..." He said. I remove my mask then I cried in his chest. This couldn't be happening?!?? Why?!? He doesn't deserve to die!!!
"Hic...please...don't leave me..." I pleaded then I felt his life slipped away from him for his hand fell into the ground but he smiled lastly then his breath...was gone.
"No!!!!... please...Hiccup! Hiccup!!!!..please wake up...I'll get you into an ambulance!!!!!! Please!!!!" I didn't want him to die so I tried to shook him off but only his body just moved through my movements. It made scream in agony, it hurt so much and it tore me apart knowing me that I lost the only person whom I loved so much...was nothing now than a lifeless corpse with blood all around.
I should've told him about me being the FrostSpider earlier than this shouldn't have happened. If only I should've paid more attention to him when he held that liquid in his hand and if only I have been aware that there's a spider crawling in my hand so it wouldn't bit me and end up all in this. This Is All My Fault!!!!! I Unintentionally Killed Him!!!
I couldn't stopped crying and sniffling at his corpse for hours. Suddenly I felt someone was lurking behind me. I immediately jerked up and looked behind to see my Dad holding a gun towards me?!? I sung through the rooftop so he wouldn't catch me.
"HEY!!! HEY!!!! HEY!!!!...!!!!"
"Oh...no, no,no, Hiccup..,Hiccup, son talk to me!!!" I heard him waking up Hiccup's corpse. I couldn't face him, knowing that I accidentally killed him.
Since then, I never made friends whom that'll be close to me. I was so scared that I'll loose them in the future. Hiccup's death tortured me enough to leave me depressed for months. I didn't knew what to do. Life is very difficult without him. The pain of agony stabbed me like a sharp icicle piercing through my flesh and bone. My family lamented Hiccup for a month and my parents were so worried for me. They knew how his death struck me like lightning bolt and left in uncontrollable flames.
The city also was wondering for months for my absence in crime fighting and appearance. Little did they know that I was so messed up that in sadness and anger, I rip off my suit and threw it into the trash. I was sleepless, restless and didn't had an appetite. It's like this grief tried to succumb me into darkness. I'd slammed doors, I've screamed in hopelessness and I've messed myself so bad in thought that I've lost him that night with nothing to left behind other than sorrow.
What worse that news flashed through the city where my father had a press conference about how furious he was about this FrostSpider and he would waste no time to annihilate her.
"I've known Hiccup Haddock for a long time, He was like a son to me, He ate at my table and he's my daughter's boyfriend and I WOULD NOT REST UNTIL I FIND THIS FROSTSPIDER"
Multiple news followed through about this urgent search for me in the mask. What they didn't know that the person behind the mask was only a girl with a broken spirit in agony and felt betrayed for not only she lost her boyfriend...but she lost her family's...trust in secret, until today.
A year later, I haven't got out, I missed a lot of school activities and barely leave my house...until today.
Back To The Present:
All those memories still haunt me down...I never get back to being the FrostSpider, it hurts so much to loose another person whom I've loved will be killed because of me. The hurt that I've been through still taunts me and it didn't heal. As every morning I woke up, his death was so fresh at my memories. Sometimes I just wonder if we didn't end up in a relationship then he should've died. He was too young and ambitious to see the world, he was to good for it until I came.
The rain damp Elsa as she left the park in memory when they almost had their first kiss while watching the sunset before. She went to the streets of Springfield to arrive at the cemetery to pay a visit to her lost loved. Hiccup was buried a few months ago and Elsa can still remember that day where she didn't want to leave the place as the guests past by. It took several hours for her to be convinced by her parents to go home and now she's back here, holding the same bouquet that he gave back in that day. She let it blossom in her room until she think it's time to return the love she've felt for him after all that had happened. She laid it next to his grave with swollen red eyes as she sat in front of his grave.
" Do I ...really have...to...loose ...you" the girl ask in a broken emotionless tone as the wind blew harder and harder in the cold morning. A few minutes later, she got up and kissed his grave, leaving the flowers behind.
" I've always love you Hiccup...but I don't know...if I'll be the FrostSpider again..."
This was only the beginning of the story for our hero. Sure it seems nothing can be fixed, but in the vast and unknown future, there will come a time when she'll heal and someone out there will help her continue the heroism of the FrostSpider.
Across The Spiderverse Au