Whew, this has been a while coming hasn't it. Blame FO4 and how lazy I am (but mainly FO4),

Thanks to my beta once more and everyone who gave me the encouraging comments. It really pushes me forwards. And thanks for being patient.

Begin!

Chapter 6: Second Impressions

Darkness.

Red was surrounded by it. That was the one thing she was sure of. Sometimes, it felt as if it was the only thing she had ever known. Though every now and then, she would feel a sliver of light approach her. It would glide closer to her, only for it to vanish. Why couldn't she keep up?

Finally, the area around her started to light up, just enough to see clearly. There were three walls of dull grey. And the last was cut off by a series of dark bars.

No. Nononononono. Not here. Please, not here.

"Whassa matter, Red? You lost?"

Red snapped as a gruff female voice boomed behind her. She turned about, only to be greeted with another blank wall. No face.

"You never did have much idea where you were going, did you." The voice seemed to stay behind her, no matter which way Red faced.

"Why?" asked Red.

A smug laughed echoed throughout the room. "Isn't it obvious, Red? Because you never grew up."

"Because you're no good to us." Another more distant voice called out, this one much deeper.

"Because you've exhausted your use." More voices from seemingly nowhere.

"Because we don't want you."

"Because no one wants you."

More voices began to appear, assaulting her from seemingly nowhere behind the walls.

"Shutupshutshutupshutup. SHUT UP!" Red screamed, closing her eyes and ears. When she couldn't hear anything, she opened her eyes.

"What the - "

The entire room was covered in ice now. So why didn't she feel cold? Just then, the ice under her feet started to crack, piece by piece. The light faded slowly again, just as the floor was sure to give out. The last thing Red saw was a hand, trying to reach out to her from above.

Red threw her eyes open, panting heavily with cold sweat on the brow.

It-it was...just a...dream...just a dream...I hope…

Lying on her sweaty backside, her senses began to kick in as they explored the room before her. After a few second, she noticed there seem to be some sort of light filtering from nearby window.

Hm...window. I might still in the city.

Red lifted her body up to an upright position to get a better view of the room. It was only then that she noticed soft blanket on top of her.

How did this get here?

She shook her head. There was still the task at hand. Rex had explained…

Rex...

Just like that, the events that had unfolded what seemed like minutes ago came crashing back. When they finally appeared at the hideout, Red thought that they had come to save her from that gun-wielding detective who somehow managed to track her down back to their base. Or so she had believed.

In the end, it was just an act. All of it was.

Red let out a soft groan. Two years. Ten heists. Thefts valuing in the millions. And nary a single hitch in all of it. In the end, she was little more than a loose end. And for what? So they didn't have to cut her in? So that she wouldn't be a problem? A burden in the near future? She had done everything they wanted. Not once did they have any reason to doubt her.

Though the same could be said for them.

Look how that turned out.

What truly happened, anyway? And for what purpose? A million other questions raced through her mind, but from the looks of things (as well as the place she was in right now), they won't be getting any answers for quite some time. Slowly, Red got out from the mattress, eyes adjusting to what little light there was in the room as they began properly exploring the room before her. Several pieces of furniture dotted the room. A lamp on her beside offered her the possibility of a clearer view, but she couldn't risk blowing her cover.

There were three doors as far as she could see: two at the far end of the room and one almost directly to her right. Walking silently to get a closer inspection, the door closest had a spinning lock on the handle but little else. All she would need was a knife or a screwdriver and she could jimmy it open.

If you're trying to keep me locked up you're not doing a very good job.

Red turned the handle. The door came loose.

Were they even trying? Could be a trap, but I haven't had enough of those yet…

She pushed the door all the way and took a step forward.

You!

This room was as dark as the last one, making it harder of her to see, but there was no mistaking that trench coat. The detective was sound asleep before her. On top of the bedstand next to her laid the same gun she used to club her in the face.

Red's bruise on her face started to ache from the memory. Curiously though, she couldn't bring herself to take any satisfaction from what happened to her moments later. Especially after she had suffered the same thing. Only hers had the added sting of betrayal. Tilting her head, Anna noticed that the woman seemed to be lying face first on her bed. Red began looking around her room. The detective hadn't even bothering to draw the curtains or lock the door. Red felt a pit in her stomach.

What if she's-

Inch by inch, she stepped closer, until she noticed signs of movement. Red stopped holding her breath. Red could finally start to piece together what had happened, though that seemed to raise as many questions as it answered. Whoever this woman was, she had somehow managed to escape from Red's employers and managed to get Red herself out at the same time.

How that had happened was something Red was fine with not knowing. The question she couldn't let go of however was why she had ended up here, after this woman was so adamant on arresting Red. In the end, she would just have to leave that one alone. Because there was always a chance that was still her intention. Even with the potential element of surprise, she had no desire to push her luck.

Red slowly backed out of the room, silently closed the door behind her, and headed towards what appeared to be the front door. There was little sense in staying here any longer, and there was no denying that her position was not very enviable. Still, this was far from the worst she had experienced. She would simply have to do what she had always done.

Survive.

On the desk in front of where Elsa sat was just one thing. A single, clear, plastic sleeve. Inside was a single bullet.

Her bullet.

"We found this lodged in the wall in the warehouse district," Roe explained. "The same place you happened to send a distress signal. You care to explain?"

Elsa had no words. She had been dreading this particular conversation for the entire journey to the station. There was no way she could possibly have justified her course of action, especially considering the last conversation they had.

Roe slammed the desk with both hands. "Damnit, Elsa! I told you, didn't I?" he seemed more betrayed than angry. She couldn't exactly blame him. "You should have called some backup to go with you. What if something happened to you." Elsa quietly gulped.

What if indeed.

The chief paused for a moment. "I wouldn't have gotten you involved in this if I wasn't at my wit's end. Even from the beginning, this was just too personal for you." He turned to face the window. "I've lost a few good men and women in this line of work. And some not so good. We have more enemies out there than most people realise. I don't want to lose you as well."

If only you knew…

The chief turned to face her. "Well, you're here now. What do you have to report?"

Elsa suspected she hadn't heard the end of that, but at least now she could deliver some more promising news. Though she still hadn't quite figured out how she was going to explain this away.

With any luck, he won't prod too deep. Here goes.

With a deep breath, she reached into her coat and pulled out a small wooden box. She laid it out on the table and quickly popped it open.

The chief gasped. "You didn't."

Elsa managed a smile "I did." There in that box sat five of the ten treasures, the ones used to initiate the ritual in the mountains. Not that anyone would ever believe her. The Tear of the Goddess was among them, but Elsa had found no trace of the Scarlet star. "I'm sorry sir, I couldn't recover all of them."

"Well I'll be." for once, the chief was at a complete loss for words. "You're certain these are genuine?"

"You know that the treasures can't be faked. At least, not convincingly. That was what made them so unique." She was also certain that a counterfeit couldn't be used as a catalyst for an ancient, occult ritual. Not that she'd ever mention that. Still, she needed something to explain how she had gotten her hands on them. "You see, when I arrived at the warehouse, I found myself outnumbered, and I was forced to go with them. As soon as they left however, there seemed to be disagreements on how they were dividing the profits from their schemes. It seemed that it quickly escalated into full blown infighting."

Roe nodded. There wasn't any reason not to believe her at this point, and the financial angle was far more plausible than what Elsa knew to be the truth. Hopefully an all too understandable fear for her life would cover any potential holes in her story. "When the violence started, I managed to slip away under cover of darkness. I took one of their vehicles and managed to make it back to the city, I don't believe any of them managed to follow me."

The chief didn't seem entirely convinced, but Elsa knew it would be extremely difficult to challenge her based on this. In her experience, the best lies were the ones that were mired in just enough of the truth.

"Wait, you managed to take one of their vehicles as well? Where is it now?" At first, this seemed to be a strange point to focus on, but it made enough sense. It was the simplest way to confirm her story, and being able to trace the vehicle's possible history could be a goldmine of information on their elusive enemy.

Not to mention all the technology on board.

Of course. Why hadn't she mentioned that already? To be fair, the return from what Elsa was certain was her death had left a fair amount on her mind.

Elsa left a key on the desk. "It's black van. I left it at the impound. I wanted it to be some place secure, but I was also worried about the possibility that they left some kind of way to remotely destroy it. There's a lot of complicated technology aboard, and I doubted they would simply allow it to fall into our hands."

Roe stared at the key. "We better not waste any time then." He grabbed the key and walked out of them room, returning a couple of minutes later. "I'm not going to lie, your story does seem a bit sketchy. I'm not saying it's impossible, but for such a well organised and advanced group to slip up like this."

"Why would I lie to you about something this serious, sir?"

Besides that fact that the truth is even stranger.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. This whole case has put all of us on edge. I'm not saying you weren't careless, but now you're the only reason heads aren't going to roll. Not for the first time, either." He sighed, locking eyes with Elsa. "Please, promise me you'll be more careful from now on. This doesn't have to be a personal crusade."

Elsa couldn't bring herself to look him back in the eye at that point.

It's already far too late for that.

"I'll be more careful in future. I promise." For once, she was completely sincere. "What's the next step in the investigation?"

The chief sighed. "I think you've done enough for now. I want you to go back to the hospital like you promised. Then I want you to take a couple of days to clear your head. We'll verify these and secure the vehicle, and see if we can find any useful information."

Elsa frowned at him. "I'm fine."

"That's what you said last time. And then you ended up walking out on us. Please, Elsa. Do this for me. We all care about catching these people just as much as you do."

He's really putting his foot down.

When she stopped and thought about it, he was making a certain amount of sense. Even if he didn't have the whole story, he knew that Elsa had come too close to dying for comfort. It was only when she took a step back on the situation she realised how mad things had truly gotten.

You let the criminal you were pursuing walk free, for heaven's sake.

It really had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but of course she had already vanished in the morning without so much as a note, which could have cost them some useful information. In hindsight, it wasn't a surprising outcome.

"You're probably right. As long as there's no pressure to figure things out right away, I'll take a moment to catch my breath. Just make sure to keep me updated."

Roe nodded. "Don't worry, I will."

It should have been simple: find an unsuspecting mark; part them with anything within reach; avoid the cops.

Should have been. Would have been. Could have been.

It wasn't like the people in the city made it especially difficult. Even in the cold and the ever-shortening days, there were plenty of tourists going about, looking for the best deals.

Surprisingly few officers were on patrol. Arendelle Port City may have boasted one of the best response times in the world, but that didn't make a difference when the target was none the wiser until it was far too late.

In the end, Red had found that the greatest obstacle by far was herself. It had taken a while for her to realise. She had tried to explain her reluctance by the fear of getting caught. It had been a while since she had last done anything like this, and by all counts, her last crime had ended with that detective finding her. No matter how much she tried to forget about that, it kept coming back to her.

She remembered being jumped. Being smacked in the face. Being betrayed. In the end, the one thing that had stuck out to her the most was when she had woken up after another round of bad dreams. She wasn't in any danger, locked up, or even tied up. And it was all because of that woman. That...detective. She couldn't understand why, but she had chosen to let Red go. To give her a second chance even she didn't think she deserved. And to go right back to stealing afterwards-

Why do you even care what she thinks?

Question of the year: hasn't Red asked herself that already? There really was no denying it. There was something special about her. Red had suspected it after their first run-in over the Scarlet Star. And now, looking back she knew for sure. After having every reason to believe that they would never meet again, there she was. Clubbing her face with that gun.

Still hurts a little…

So, as she weaved from place to place around the city, the temptation to steal was growing stronger with each mark she found seemingly easier than the last, only to be stopped at the last second by her growing conscious. Every time she closed her eyes, that woman's face would appear, complete with an icy glare and backed up by the cold, hard barrel of a gun. She couldn't do it.

But I'm gonna have to sooner or later...

The sounds her stomach was making seemed to agree with her. Looked up at the sky, it was mid-afternoon, but it wouldn't be too long until the sun set. She'd also have to think about where she was supposed to sleep. It was already bitterly cold, and things weren't going to get better as it got dark. Then again, she had always did felt more comfortable in the dark. More confident. Like anything was possible. Given what she had done in the past two years, anything was possible. She just needed some time to forget that woman. Forget about this whole thing.

Ahead of her was a park. Not a bad place to lay low for a while. With the cold and the trees bare there wasn't any reason for people to hang around here. Sure, there would be the occasional passerby, but it hopefully no one would come looking for her here. She pressed forward, finding the best place to sit down and catch her breath.

Seems I'm not the only one looking for some quiet...

There was one other person in the distance. Who in their right mind would choose to come out here? At least she seemed to be more appropriated dressed. Red was still forced to wear her black heist clothes, while this person seemed to been covered with a trenchc-

No. Anyone but her.

Really, what were the chances? The one person in this city know would recognise her. The one person who knew everything.

The one person who let you go.

Then again...who said she would be so merciful a second time? She could have changed her mind over the course of the day. It simply could have been a mistake that she had been allowed to escape at all. Red's mind screamed at her to run. It told her to get as far away from this place as she possibly could, to hide somewhere no one could find her, to flee this city for the next hundred years or so..

Crap. What is this...the 3rd time I got caught by her? What is she gonna do to me? Would she arrest me? Guilt me into coming quietly? Pistol whip me agai-

"Hi." said the detective, taking a seat right next to Red.

Red felt her hair stand on end. She certainly hadn't expected that. This had to be some kind of mistake. Detectives like her don't usually strike idle conversation with the thieves they plan on chasing to the ends of the universe, right?

"Uh, hi me?" was about all Red could muster at this point. The other woman simply panned her head left and right, no doubt towards the complete lack of other people around. She didn't say anything, but the message was quite clear.

Yes, you.

Red finally managed to face her. It was strange. Red had never even noticed how good she looked before. Sure, she could probably spend some more time working on it in the morning. And that black hair wasn't doing her any favours. But those were just nitpicks. It was surprising what you started to notice when you didn't have a gun pointed at you. Still, she needed something to talk about. Something witty to show she was more than just a career criminal.

"This is some weather we're having, isn't it?"

Smooth. Real Smooth.

The detective didn't laugh, or even snort. She simply looked up to the sky. "It's supposed to start snowing soon. So, are you here to turn yourself in?"

Red blushed, letting out a sigh of relief. No arrest - just another conversation for her. "What, no, I, just, I think." She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to talk, okay?"

The other woman nodded. "No doubt you have questions."

"Wait, how did you know - ." Red cut herself, reminding herself that this was the woman who tracked her down in a day after being hit with a memory loss dart. Something like that was probably child's play. "Will you answer them?"

The detective smiled, something Red wished she had seen much sooner. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you come to my office, and then we can exchange information. There are a few things I'd like to ask you as well."

"Well, alright. But don't try anything, okay?" If nothing else, she'd be out of the cold for a while.

In fairness, this wasn't the strangest day of Elsa' life. It's not everyday you meet up with a criminal you just let go of in the middle of a public park. The again, it's not every day that a criminal organisation tied you and tried to sacrifice you to some esoteric goddess. All of these strange events felt like they were creating a swirling storm in her mind, and it was difficult to discern what made sense and what didn't.

Perhaps I really did die and this is some kind of abstract afterlife.

Even if it was, she still wanted to reach the truth about the case in front of her, in spite of all of her inhibitions. They certainly weren't making it easy on her. The details of the strange ritual she was unwillingly involved in were still vivid in her mind, as was the combination of dread and regret she felt.

Am I really still going forward because this is worthwhile, or a sunk cost?

That was the question that had been stuck in the forefront of her mind since her trip to the police station. Time should have made it fade, but it only seemed to make it worse. Deep down it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before her luck ran out. If she hadn't already exhausted her supply of it the previous night.

And then there was the young woman. The thief she had run into...yet again. With her current lack of information, getting a read on her intentions was more or less impossible. Elsa found it impossible to believe that she was still working with the White Hand given their unscrupulous intentions. A thief like her couldn't possibly have been aware of any of that.

Was it really a coincidence that they had run into each other? If she really wanted to speak with Elsa so badly, the thief already knew where she lived. On the other hand, if she never wanted to see her again she would certainly have turned tail the moment she noticed Elsa. It wasn't as though she looked any different than she normally did.

Eventually, her wait for answers as coming to an end as they reached her office. Whether the answers were want she wanted or would even be truthful remained to be seen.

She hasn't said anything on the way here. Perhaps she too has something on her mind.

As they reached the door of the office, the redhead stopped suddenly.

"Wait, this is your office? I thought you were a detective. Like, a police detective." Elsa almost glared at her. Then she realised that wasn't the most unreasonable assumption to make, given their past encounters.

"I'm a private investigator if you must know. The police called for my help after the Tear of the Goddess was stolen." The thief nodded. "Besides, if you really believed me to be a police detective, weren't you worried about going to a police station?"

She shrugged. "Well, I figured if you were with me, it would be okay." She tapped her foot. "Can we go in already?"

Elsa pushed the door open. "After you."

The pair of them entered the office where Adam was still working. "Oh, you're finally back. Who's your friend?"

Elsa gestured towards her office. "Wait in there a moment, alright?" The other girl nodded and went ahead. Elsa turned to Adam. "I'm just gathered what information I still can from the heists. She's a, well, she claims she witnessed something that I needed to know, though I doubt much will come of it."

"You okay, boss? You look like you've been through the grinder." Elsa sighed. He really didn't know when to quit.

"I'm fine, alright? This case is been rather stressful. I haven't forgotten about that other client, don't worry. Just as soon as I've finished this I can get started on that." Just as she finished, Elsa felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. Perhaps she was being too harsh. There was nothing wrong with showing concern. But Elsa could handle herself. She always did.

"Alright, if you say so. I think you better get to it." Just like that, he was back to his typing.

Elsa proceeded into her office. "Sorry to keep you waiting." The thief had already taken the liberty of sitting besides the desk, so she took her usual seat, on the opposite. "Now, I'm going to ask you a series of questions, some of which may concern your involvement with the group known as the White Hand. You don't have to answer any of them, but if you choose to I'd like you to answer honestly, and to the best of your ability. I promise you nothing we say here will leave this room." All Elsa had to go on at this point was the fact that she hadn't arrested this woman already even though she could have.

"That's fine. But I get to ask you a question in return, okay?" Elsa stared briefly, then nodded. She had offered an exchange of information after all.

"Very well. Why don't we start with your name first of all?" As strange as it felt, Elsa was no longer comfortable in simply thinking of the woman as "the thief" (or Phantom Red if she was feeling theatrical).

"Well, I never really had a real name. I just sort of went with Red since-," she looked out of the window briefly. "Well, for as long as I could remember." So Red was just a name she preferred? Was that why she used the same name in her alias? "Okay, my turn. What's your name, then?"

Elsa was a little surprised. Not only was Red more interested in her than she perhaps might have liked, but that also raised an interesting question.

Did she really not go looking for my name when she woke up?

"Fair enough. The name's Elsa Fresia, private investigator. Alright, next question. If you don't mind, could you describe your actions after you woke up last night?"

Red closed her eyes, scrunching her head. Did she have trouble remembering, or was she simply wary of what she might say? "Okay, so I just woke up and I was kinda surprised about what had happened. I mean, I thought they'd come to help me out, then, then they-" she stalled for a moment.

The detective in Elsa wanted to know more about those people. But the rest of her could see that this young woman was still hurting from the betrayal. "Please, take your time."

Red managed to compose herself after a few more seconds of silence. "Okay, so I was kinda surprised when I saw you. I mean, you wanted to throw me jail and all that, so I kinda ran away after that. But then, I sorta didn't have anywhere to go. Or any money. I thought about taking something but I didn't, I swear."

"It's alright, I believe you." She reasoned that Red wouldn't commit a crime, then visit the one person who could prove it for a discussion. What Elsa had more trouble believing was that Red really had no contingency plan. That is, outside what the White Hand had given her. Was she really so quick to trust a group of organised criminals?

Or did they do something to win her trust. I'm not sure how far I can inquire on this one.

"Okay okay, my turn now." Red suddenly locked eyes with Elsa, which made the detective wary. It seemed this was about to get personal far more quickly than she had initially expected. "So why did you let me go then? You kept saying 'oh we'll see how quickly you'll talk when you're in jail!' Only you sort of didn't. No- not them I'm ungrateful, mind you."

Elsa's instincts were right. This was personal. The question was hardly surprising, but weighing the best way to answer such a thing was more challenging than she had imagined. She was under no real obligation to be truthful, but there was still the slight risk that Red would realise and respond in kind. She couldn't hesitate too long either, that would also look suspicious. Time to go all in. "The truth is, I don't think any of us were fair to you. While there's no doubt that you're broken multiple laws in this city alone, I assumed you were fully complicit with the actions of the White Hand, and as such I allowed that assumption to get the better of me. Whether I'm working directly with law enforcement or not, I should never have to go so low as to assault a suspect without cause. And what they intended to do to you I believe to be far worse. Civic duty or not, I believe you're not a hardened criminal. So I'm giving you this chance. This one chance to turn your life around." Red looked almost dumbstruck for the next few seconds. "I'm sure you still have some questions left?"

She bit her lip. "Well, I uh, alright. So how did you get away? The last I saw you were getting shocked."

Elsa frowned, not because of the question, which she could give the same answer as she did before. Rather that set of memories was something she would prefer not to remember. Her answer could simply retread what she had said before. "Well, as far as I can tell you weren't the only one they intended to turn on. Only now they became more suspicious. After they turned on each other, I managed to escape in the chaos. Fortunately, you were there in the same vehicle when it happened." It wasn't the exact same story, but the embellishments would hopefully sell it better.

"I- I see." Red closer her eyes, scrunching her head. Had she run out of things to ask? Elsa had a few more questions at least, but there was always a chance Red would refuse to say any more. Especially with how personal some of the questions she had in mind. "Okay, so what are you going to do now?"

Elsa wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Specifically, she wasn't entirely sure what the answer was to herself. She was the only one who knew it, but it was more than a miracle that she was still alive at this point. If she went any further into this, her luck would almost certainly run out, in more ways that one. The White Hand had chosen to tangle with forces even they clearly didn't truly comprehend, but it was almost certain they wouldn't make that kind of mistake in the future. Elsa knew all too very how rarely they did.

And yet, to walk away now would leave her unsatisfied. The mystery was now deeper than ever before and somehow, she knew that she would always remember. That she could never truly ignore this. What's more, if the White Hand ever found out she had survived she would be in mortal danger all over again. They might even assume that it was her fault that their men had died. No matter how long it took, there could be no doubt.

The only way left was forward.

"I intend to continue my pursuit of the White Hand. They have in their possession dangerous technology and even more dangerous intent, and if they continue to operate unchecked, who knows what kind of damage they could do."

Red suddenly perked up, and Elsa fought the instinct to go for her gun. In the end of the day, this was a criminal. "In that case. Please, let me help you."

Elsa froze. "Wait, what?"

Red suddenly balled her hands in front of her face. "Look, I know what I did, especially to you. If I'd had known what would happen, I never would have shot you with that dart. Hell, I would have them to stick their heists right up their - look, I want to make them pay for what they've done, and you're probably the only one in the world who can catch them. And, well, I don't really have anywhere else to go. If I go back onto those streets, I'll have no choice but to start stealing again. And, I really don't want to."

"Wait here for a moment. I'll be right back." Elsa got up and walked out of the office into the nearest restroom. She proceeded to stare at the window, trying to comprehend what this woman had asked her.

On the surface, it seemed like undiluted madness. Or at the very least, some kind of elaborate ploy. Yet on further analysis, Elsa realised how little sense that made. Any hypothesis that involved Red still working for the White Hand relied too heavily on coincidence and happenstance, while any kind of personal agenda was discredited by the fact that anything Red could have wanted to do, she could have easily done already. Unless the "nowhere to go" part" was a lie, Elsa didn't suspect the girl to have any kind of long term plan in mind.

There was also the question of logistics. Elsa was far from secure financially, and putting up this young woman would only strain her budget even more. There was almost no way that Red could be gainfully employed given her likely lack of official citizenship and credentials. Elsa suspected that her skills outside of thievery were few and far between, so there likely weren't many other ways she could aid the investigation directly.

On further thought, that wasn't entirely true. There were still a number of questions that remaining unanswered, and Elsa suspected that if she didn't agree to Red's request it may stay that way. Furthermore, she suspected that Red was honest about her uncertain future. She certainly wouldn't remain uncaught for long on the streets of Arendelle city once she started to draw attention to herself. Getting her ultimately thrown in prison would defeat the point of letting her free to begin with.

A few minutes later, Elsa returned to where Red was still sitting patiently. Any longer and she might have suspected that Elsa had called the police on her. She finally had her answer.

"Alright, I'll work with you. But first, we have to talk about some rules."