Now, I don't normally write for this couple, and if you follow me as an author and don't ship this then I'm so sorry but don't worry I'm not giving up on my ultimate OTP. This is a gift for a fanfiction friend named Yamakiri, who liked my other Zombie Apocalypse AU, and requested another one. So this is still inspired by the Dramione fanfic, "The Fallout", which I recommend if you're a Harry Potter fan that ships Draco/Hermione. Just a warning- there may be children that go on archives I don't know but it's rated T for language, it could get a bit gory, but mainly language 'cause I drop the f- bomb like a lot of times. Okay! So- uh- I'm still pretty bad at these things but- Oh and btw the picture is by Milady666, whose artwork is to die for. (She's also a dramione shipper- *wink wink*) Plus, the story title comes from Pierce the Veil's song Disasterology, because their album Selfish Machines is my favorite. So if you want to hear a song while you read, that's the one!
"Can we create something beautiful... And destroy it?"
January 18
It was fucking cold, and Jack Frost was tired of waiting. He sighs, shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and growls, the sound prodding the back of his throat impatiently.
Then he crosses his arms, scowls at the floor, and looks up at the sky to scowl some more. The cold wasn't the issue, he just wasn't a patient man. He prides himself on being kind, but when the one person he's waiting for decides to disappear off the face of the earth, he's unhappy because that means extra time spent exposed, and by definition, the possibility of dying much higher.
"Jack," the one he's been waiting for calls, and Jack audibly sighs in relief. He had already begun ticking off other possible reasons for disappearances besides abandonment, and none of them were pretty.
The one who made him wait was his team member, a redheaded girl by the name of Merida Dunbroch, who's slinging a bag over her shoulder while she greets him. With crazy red curls, pale, freckled skin, and blue eyes, Merida was the kind of girl, had you known her in high school, would play on some sports team and dressed as she wanted. But high school is long gone. Now, Merida and Jack had found themselves stuck with another two people, a ragtag group of four that has to survive.
There's Jack, first of all. When disaster struck, when a zombie outbreak from government labs overthrew civilization, his parents and little sister were victims of it. Watching your whole family die pretty much messes you up then. He wandered around on his own, dedicated his life to destroying those who killed the ones he loved, and that's when he met Merida.
Merida had found Jack one day, almost shot him right then and there with a rifle because of his unnatural appearance. Jack had dyed his hair a pale white- and that made him an easier target. His blue eyes didn't help his case either. Merida's own family was gone, she had been separated from them, and didn't know if they were dead or alive. The two had originally hated one another, but begrudgingly paired up because two was better than one.
Then there was Rapunzel Corona, a sweet, bubbly girl they found in an abandoned apartment building. With a heart-shaped face, freckles that dotted her cheeks and button nose, green eyes with long lashes, and waist length golden hair, the girl was a beauty. She was particularly gifted in healing, and seemed to be born to nurture. Her mother had died, and she had been all Rapunzel had, so when Rapunzel met the duo, she had asked to join, to which they agreed since they could use a medic.
Lastly, there was Hiccup Haddock. A brunette boy with a round face, green eyes, and a scrawny build. His dad, the only family he had, had left Hiccup behind in order to kill zombies as a form of revenge over past settlements. Hiccup had been alone for about a week when his house was invaded, so as a result he was on the run. He had encountered Merida struggling with a gun one day, and when he fixed it, proving his knowledge on machinery beneficial to the three, he joined them.
Therefore, for all the shit they'd been through, Jack feels he had the right to growl an angry noise when Merida finally reaches him.
"Took you long enough," Jack snaps irritably, because he hates waiting around as if there's no danger. Merida can only roll her eyes and push the backpack she has slung on her shoulder towards Jack.
"There's yer supplies," she spat in her Scottish accent, "An' it's all we're goin' tae find if yer lazy arse won't help."
"Damn, Merida, half of the sodding houses are on fire and the ones that aren't are full of them!" Jack says angrily, rummaging through the sack. There's some food, some weaponry, but like Merida said, not much.
"Full o' them. Ah don't care," Merida snaps like Jack had done, because while Jack isn't a patient person, Merida could give him a run for his money were they in a competition about whose temper could get lost first. "Yer just gonna go in there, look for food or something we can use, and that's it."
"Fuck," Jack whispers darkly, runs his hands through his head of bleached pale hair, and finally snaps a crisp, "Fine."
Merida shoots him a look that indicates she'll be watching his steps, and she gives him a shove towards a house that's seemingly quiet. No movement indicates that there's anyone there.
Jack is about to open his mouth to say that the house isn't worth it, because it's a pile of rubble and anything salvageable has been either buried in bricks or gone by the time. Still, Merida pushes past him into a poorly reconstructed room, her face white and a weapon held at the ready.
Jack catches on that there's movement there and whips out his own weapon of choice, a rifle that he points with her. Merida stealthily walks towards through the collapsing doorway, and Jack follows somewhat reluctantly. They're met with the sight of some people pointing weapons straight back.
Jack is glad that it wasn't some of... them, but at the same time, no one budges and they don't lower anything either. So he doesn't.
There's two girls and two boys, just like their own survival team. A girl has auburn hair collected into two braids, and blue eyes brought out by the freckles that heavily dotted her skin. The other girl has blond hair pulled into a braid, bangs covering one eye, but Jack could tell she has blue eyes. The male that accompanied the auburn-haired girl had blond hair and a thick build, with brown eyes. The last man, standing next to the blond girl, had brown hair, brown eyes, and a growing beard of the same dark brown. All of them had weapons, all of them trained on Merida and Jack.
"Are ye goin' tae kill us?" Merida's voice challenges them as she speaks. There's quiet, until the blond girl speaks.
"Are you planning to kill us if we drop them?" she asks.
"No," Jack growls, because he's at his wit's end trying to find a catch. The blond slowly lowers, the rest of her team following suit. Jack and Merida reluctantly let their weapons down as well.
"Survivors, I can see," the blond says, and jerks her head in a manner that makes her choppy bangs fly over her forehead. "My name's Astrid." She points towards the other girl. "That's Anna." Moving on to the males, the blond and the brunette, she says, "That's Kristoff, and that's Flynn."
"Merida," Merida finally says, still wary about them all. She turns to the one fourth of her team and raises her eyebrows.
"Jack," Jack finally mumbles.
"This house isn't good for pickings," Astrid tells them, and she and her team start setting aside their weapons. "You ought to get a move on. We're just staying here until one of our members gets better."
"You all seem fine," Jack says, irritated because he's being ordered. Fucking survivors were always so possessive of crap that wasn't even theirs.
"Not us, the leader of our team," Astrid says, and that surprises both Merida and Jack, as they assumed the bossy blond to be the authority figure. "She just won't leave this room in the house. We've been trying to leave for days."
"We're really worried about her," Anna says quietly, and Jack can see the tears that swell in the girl's eyes. Kristoff wraps his arm around Anna's crying form, and she lets him, sniffling. Jack rolls his eyes because foolish love never works in dire situations, but is distracted by Merida speaking.
"Don't ye have a medic?" Merida asks. "What's wrong with her?"
"Heck, if we knew, we'd be out of here already," Flynn says, sighing and looking so annoyed.
"Well, good luck with that," Jack says, but someone else's words are spoken at the same time his are.
"We have a medic. She can help."
Jack stares at Merida like she's gone off the deep end, about to say that they have to leave, but Astrid's mouth curls into a smile and she clamps Merida's shoulder in a form of gratitude.
"That'd be great," Anna says, her tears subsiding as she pulls away from Christo- Kristoff. Damn, why did he have such a confusing name?
"Ah'll get her," Merida says, and pulls Jack away.
"What the fuck, Dunbro-"
"No," Merida cuts Jack off before he can continue. "We're doing this fer everyone, Frost. We'll survive if we join the five o' 'em."
"Join them? Hell no," Jack snaps. "We're doing just fine on our own. We don't need more fucking numbers, Dunbroch."
"Yes, we do," Merida's eyes flash with dangerous fire, as if she's warning Jack not to double cross her.
"Have you forgotten who's the leader here?" Jack crosses his arms angrily.
"Have ye forgetten who saved yer sorry ass so many times?" Merida shoots back. "We're joinin' 'em. Ah'm goin' tae get Rapunzel, and she's going tae check out the leader. Then we'll see if we can go along with them."
Jack utters curses, sure that he's calling Merida things his mother would've been ashamed of, but finally hisses, "Fine!" He tosses his hands in the air. "Fine. Get Rapunzel. This better be worth it."
Merida doesn't utter a word of thanks, which Jack as much as expected, but instead she gives Jack a rough yank towards a house a few meters away.
Jack follows her in silence, brooding like a grown man who does not get his way can. He doesn't like the lot they encountered, any of them. Anna seems like a weak fool, Kristoff a big lug, Astrid a conniving bitch, and Flynn a sneak.
In short, it took him enough time as it was just to trust Merida. Why the hell would he trust strangers in such short notice? Damn girls and their intuition. Merida probably wasn't right, anyway; he'd just wait for her trust to crash and burn.
They stop in front of a safe house that they've been using for the past few days, a modern two-story that was abandoned much like all the rest. This one had stocks of canned foods, though, but not many. The four had been living off of canned food for as long as they could remember, so they still had plenty taken from other houses they'd ransacked as well.
Merida knocks on the door three times, once softly and two loud pounds. There's silence and then they're greeted by one single, sharp knock that they know means they're alive and well.
The door opens, and they're met with the sight of Rapunzel, who smiles even though the times don't call for it. "Hi," she says, and steps aside so that Merida and Jack can enter a messy living area, where the sounds of Hiccup's hums can be heard from an even worse kitchen.
"Hiccup's made a fire in the old metal stove," Rapunzel says cheerfully, pointing towards where Hiccup was. "He's heating some canned sausages. Dinner'll be ready soon." Her smile falters at the grouchy expression Jack has and the grim one Merida sports. "Something wrong?"
"What'dya think about helpin' some people out, lassie?" Merida asks. Rapunzel pauses because the question's rather foreign.
"I'm not sure I understand," Rapunzel says softly. "You've met- other people?"
"They need a medic," Merida explains, and Jack's silently sending Rapunzel signals of, please don't do it.
But of course, she's not telepathic, and she's just a sweet person by nature that Rapunzel says, "Of course I'll help!" She's already racing to a room just up the stairs to grab her first aid kit that she's made up of various supplies she had collected all over the weeks.
Jack makes a face to which Merida shoots a triumphant smirk in return.
Hiccup pokes his head out of the kitchen, and holds out a dented tin plate bearing the heated meat. "Want some?" he asks. "They're not the best, but they're better than when they're canned."
Jack takes a scorching hot sausage off of the table, scowling when it burns his fingers, but puts it into his mouth. He prefers it cold, he ultimately decides, and swallows as Rapunzel bounds into view.
"Sorry, Hiccup, we'll be back soon!" Rapunzel says, showing her kit and she's ushering Merida and Jack away towards the door. "Are you alright, or do you want to come?"
"Come-?" Hiccup questions, but just sighs. "I'll stay here." He's puzzled about why the three are rushing off, but he shrugs and goes into the kitchen.
Merida and Jack show Rapunzel to the house that the other survivors are staying at. Rapunzel's eyes sadden at its sorry state, and she's asking questions about who she's going to be examining, wounds, etc.
Jack's still upset by the fact that Rapunzel can't read minds so he lurks behind the two girls.
"This is Rapunzel," Merida introduces Rapunzel to the group, "Our medic. Where's your leader?"
Astrid jerks her head towards a door. "Here." Though the house is in a bad condition, this door's lock obviously works just fine by the way Astrid tries the doorknob and it refuses to open.
"Good luck," Flynn's figure is draped across the couch, with Anna and Kristoff sitting next to him.
"She's better if you approach her alone," Anna says, "So we'll leave." She ushers Flynn, Astrid and Kristoff away, silently communicating with them with wide and worried blue eyes.
Rapunzel knocks on the door. "Hello?" she asks, cheerfully. "My name's Rapunzel. What's yours?"
Silence greets them. Jack's ready to assume that these survivors are crackpots and that there's really no one behind that door, but there's obviously noise sounding there.
"Go away," the voice says sharply, a woman's voice.
"Please, I want to help you," Rapunzel begs now, her voice straining. "I'm a medic, I can-"
"Go away!" the voice repeats, this one much firmer than the first. "I don't want your help!"
Rapunzel flinches before the door, and something breaks in Jack, and he's striding towards the door and thumping on it angrily.
"Are you getting out or what?" he demands harshly, his fists beating the wood. More silence.
And then, "No."
"Are you hurt? Do you have wounds?" Rapunzel asks, and she's rummaging through her kit if the girl were to say yes.
But, "No."
Jack sits next to Merida again, still unhappy about the whole situation if they're stuck with this girl.
January 26
The girl still won't come out. And they were still stuck together. Hiccup, Rapunzel, Merida and Jack had joined the other survivors and decided that they'd be better off together. That was actually all Merida, Hiccup and Rapunzel's doing, because Jack preferred the four of them and that was it.
"Jack?" Anna approaches him as he's deep in thought, resting on a couch that's lost a lot of stuffing. She holds a covered dish in her hands, and presses it into Jack's hands. "Can you give this to Elsa?"
Jack rubs his forehead and accepts it with a sigh. "Who the fuck is Elsa?"
"My sister," Anna blinks in surprise as if Jack were slow. "You know. The leader."
Jack scowls because he isn't happy with the way he's no longer called the leader of the group. In fact, it seems like this "Elsa" wanted to ruin his life and he'd never even set eyes on her.
"Whatever," Jack mutters, and when Anna leaves, he settles for the disastrous task of getting Elsa to open her door.
He knocks hard at first. "Hey!" Jack snaps, "Open the door."
"Go away!" follows almost immediately. Jack massages his temples, trying not to get mad.
"Don't you feel bad at all?" he asks. "Leaving your team to try and save you when you obviously don't care what the hell happens to them!"
There's a pause. "They can leave me anytime they want."
"Good!" Jack kicks the door because his temper, while not usually one that flares, is on edge today and easy to corrupt. "Do you want the food or what, leader?"
There's more silence. "Don't call me that," Elsa says, and Jack's still picturing a faceless figure because he has no idea what "Elsa" looks like. Maybe like her sister, with strawberry-blond hair and freckles.
"Not my fault your group picked a weak leader," Jack says, because maybe getting her angry will result in her showing her face and accepting the fucking food.
"Just stay away," Elsa says from still behind her door, "And leave it by the door."
"Selfish ass-" Jack grumbles put places the dish down. He gives the door a scalding look. "I'm sorry, your highness, if the food us peasants deliver to your laziness is bad at all."
"Go away!" Elsa screeches then, and she sounds so angry, that Jack kicks the door and leaves.
February 9
Elsa finally leaves her room, after being confined there for weeks. Jack and the other guys are outside, watching the sun disappear in sunset, and drink some canned tomato juice when the news reaches them.
"Elsa's out!" Anna cries jubilantly, and she's pushing Kristoff towards the house eagerly. Flynn downs the last of his glass and he stands as well, looking towards Jack and Hiccup, who are the last ones there.
"Coming?" he asks. "You can finally get a look at our leader."
"That bitch?" Jack says, chuckling. "No." Flynn shrugs and turns to Hiccup, who goes with him, leaving Jack outside alone.
"Elsa, you need to feel the air!" Anna says from inside, and Jack prays that Elsa won't come anywhere near him.
"Anna, please, I'm fine," Elsa's voice, which Jack has come to know and hate, reaches his ears.
"Hi Elsa, I'm Rapunzel, a new addition to your team!" Jack can hear Rapunzel's introduction and can already see her smile even though she isn't in his vicinity.
Hold on. Your team? Who the hell said that this was Elsa's team? Jack feels his anger starting to bubble at each passing second.
"Pleasure," Elsa replies civilly, and Jack wants to hurl something at her mouth so that she won't talk again in that voice.
He hears Merida's introduction next, and Hiccup's, but Jack's made up his mind that he doesn't want to get to know her, of have him learn her name, anytime soon. So he broods again.
"Please, Elsa, you can't live like this!" Anna's voice sounds considerably nearer, and Jack catches his first glimpse of Elsa.
She's stunning. Hair bleached as white as his own that falls over her shoulders in soft bangs and is gathered in a braid. Blue eyes that radiate oomph and flash when she lays her eyes onto Jack's. Her skin is pale, her cheeks dotted with a few freckles, and she's tall with a slim build.
"This is Jack, another part of your team!" Rapunzel, who had followed the sisters out, says excitedly.
Elsa crosses her arms and eyes him warily.
"I'm Elsa," she says coldly, still in that voice Jack hates.
"Jack," Jack grits his teeth in response, hating this girl already.