When Different Worlds Collide

Chapter 28

Hey, guys! I hope you enjoy this part! Happy reading!

Merida

"Elsa, stop squirming!" I yelled, exasperated, trying to hold her back from the door. Sheesh, this girl was stubborn as a mule. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was stubborn as Anna.

"Not until you let me go!" she said, trying to writhe out of the rope we had tied her to the chair with. Was it a bit too much? Maybe. But when you're dealing with someone who has freakishly powerful ice magic, sometimes you've got to be more safe than sorry.

I sighed. "Sorry, Els, but we can't do that. Jack's orders."

"Oh, and when did you start taking orders from Jack?" she said with annoyance. "Come on, Mer, Anna could be in danger!"

"I'm sure Jack's got it all under control. Right, guys?" I said, looking at Rapunzel first, giving her a pleading look.

Rapunzel noticed and nodded quickly. "Right! Don't worry, Elsa, even if you're not there, Jack will find Anna, and she'll be her regular, cheery, sandwich-eating self."

I nodded, satisfied with her answer. Then, with slight hesitation, I turned to Hiccup, who I caught looking at me. My cheeks reddened as if on instinct and I said with a voice that I hoped wasn't the least bit shaky, "Yeah. You agree with Rapunzel, don't you Hiccup?"

He stopped staring at me and turned to Elsa. "Of course. Knowing Jack, I'm sure he's got his drawing, got Anna, and maybe even grabbed some snacks for us. He's probably on his way back right now."

I smiled at him, which he returned. Ever since our...thing, things between us have been a little bit awkward. We used to be able to talk so freely and comfortably with each other. But now, it's like we're complete strangers, with neither of us knowing what to say to each other. I can't blame him though. I mean, I kissed him, which was really...never mind. I don't even want to think about it. But anyways, to my point, working together in a situation like this, it brought back the good old times.

"Yeah. See, Elsa?" I said. "Don't you worry that pretty little head of yours. I'm sure Jack's going to walk through that door and-"

Just then, none other than Jack himself came through the door, looking as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"...everything will be all right...." I finished off lamely. I turned to him, noticing he didn't have Anna or his painting in tow. "Jack, what happened?"

"Hans...." he said quietly, walking to his bed slowly as if his whole body was hurting. He put his face in his hands.

Sharing a worried look with the others, we quickly untied Elsa and we all sat next to him.

"Jack, w-where's Anna?" Elsa asked, her voice going frighteningly soft.

He shook his head. "She was already gone by the time I got there. I don't know where she could have went afterwards.

"She must be with Kristoff," he murmured to himself, nodding slowly. "Yeah. She told us earlier this morning. I remember...."

Now I was really starting to get worried. The guy looked like he belonged to a mental asylum (Jack. Not Kristoff. No, Kristoff looks more like a mountain man who harvests ice for a living).

"What about your painting?" Rapunzel asked softly.

That was when Jack groaned and placed his head in his hands again. This couldn't be good.

"Jack?" Elsa asked, gently taking his hands away from his face, her face filled with so much worry. "Jack, where's your painting?"

"Right now? Probably being used as hamster litter," Jack said, a wry smile on his face.

"What?"

His smile fell and he gave a loud exhale. "He..." he hesitated, scratching at his jeans, and not making eye contact with any of us.

"It's okay, Jack, take your time," Hiccup said.

Jack shook his head miserably. "Hans.... He...destroyed my painting. He shredded it."

Elsa and Rapunzel gasped, Hiccup turned pale, and I could feel my blood run cold.

"What?"

He nodded.

"B-But why?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes going wide.

"Because he's nothing but a big douc-" I said until Hiccup placed his hand on my shoulder, signaling to me not to say the last word. I shuddered, both at Jack's current situation and that Hiccup's touch was sending electricity through my whole body.

Focus, Mer, I scolded myself. This is about Jack right now. Not your mushy, girly thoughts.

"The art show is in less than two months," Elsa said, "and now you don't..." she trailed off, probably realizing that no matter what she said, it wasn't going to shed any new light on the situation, and it definitely wasn't going to make anything (like bringing Jack's painting back from the dead) better.

"Maybe we can go back to where your painting is right now and try to tape it," Hiccup offered.

Jack shook his head. "The judges won't allow things like a taped painting to be entered in the show. And even if they did, Hans ripped it up small enough that some of the pieces have already flew off or are lost by now."

We all stood quietly, not knowing what to say. How could things have gotten so bad so quickly?

Well, I thought to myself, clenching my fists. Oh, how I badly wanted to punch a certain sideburns right now. None other than Hans Westergard himself could have achieved that.

"Jack," Elsa whispered, breaking the silence (not that there was any difference between her voice and the silence. That was how quiet she sounded like right now). She looked so worried for him (what am I even saying? Of course she was. We all were). "what are you going to do now?"

Jack looked at her, his blue eyes so sad and miserable. Seeing him look like this just increased my determination to find Hans and tie him up to a target. "Honestly, Elsa, I don't know. I think the only logical solution for me now is to just forfeit my place in the art show."

Elsa

I'm going to kill Hans.