Chapter 11: Revelations
Disclaimer: I do not own Judge Dredd, Dredd, Frozen, or 2000AD comics. Each are the property of other people and I don't make any money off of this, it's purely for enjoyment.
Author's Note: Wow…just wow…it's literally been almost four years since I last updated this fic and I must say the times have changed. I'm a lot happier now and I'm a lot more accomplished than I was when I first started this fic. Now I can creatively write whenever I'm not working so that means I'm going to come back to this story and see it through to the end. I do hope you all can still enjoy enjoy what I have to offer and the stories I want to tell. I know the Kristelsa pairing isn't too terribly popular, but it's the one that speaks to me and so I'm doing my best to contribute my vision. Anyway I hope you all like this next chapter, it's going to be a little short and it might not be as "Hyper-Detailed" as the previous chapters but I think it's a good point to jump back in. As always please don't forget to review when you're finished reading, I do appreciate what you think.
Take Five, Your Highness…
The Snow Princess knelt down, heavily leaning into her right knee. Her breath heavy laden, muscles aching with exhaustion, and mind blurring with the onslaught of various scenarios the gruff Street Judge had just put her through over the course of one hour. Sweat dripping off her forehead as a result of the intensity and activity brought about by the physical and emotional requirements of the harsh test. Elsa wasn't a quitter by any means, nor did she have any intention of letting the Street Judge have the satisfaction of watching her wine, beg, or plead for a let up in the difficulty. Yet when she reflected upon each of these scenarios, though grueling and painful and even horrifying to the uninitiated royal, she couldn't help but pick up on an underlying theme that pervaded each and every exercise. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Elsa sought to clear the fog that had settled in her mind to determine what this Street Judge's game was because her royal highness knew that this was more than a standard training in field operations.
"Let's see…let's see…think Elsa, what common traits to these exercises share?" The young woman asked herself as she sifted through the memories of the previous hours' activities.
The first exercise had been straightforward enough, fighting villainous criminals who aimed at maiming, murder, and a litany of vile acts that she dared not even give a moments' thought. Examining every piece of detail of her memory, Elsa had concluded that the first session had been more of an introduction to field and practical concepts keeping with the day-to-day duties of a Street Judge. Yet, Elsa couldn't help there might be more…she would have to revisit momentarily.
Her mind wandered to the training exercise, it had been simple enough in testing her ability to bring a situation to resolution when out gunned and out-manned. The explanation Judge Bjorgman gave her by the end of the experience was that a lawgiver, for all its perks and technological marvel was still just a weapon, a tool to be used in the fight against justice…and like all tools, it can break and it can fail you when times get tough. He would go on to inform the snow princess that the entire point of the lesson was to make a high point of utilizing every tool to its maximum intended purpose and beyond, because one could never be one hundred percent certain if their traditional armaments would be sufficient.
"Hmmm…I don't know it would go beyond Kristoff's assertion, but I can't help but thinking there's still more."
The next test was that of raw survival, placing the platinum blonde in a hostile environment beyond the protective city walls of MegaKingdom Arendelle. Unimaginable creatures from beyond her wildness nightmares were thrown at her from every possible angle, each one more vicious than the last. It was a jarring and harrowing experience and the simulation didn't end with monsters of the night. Radiation, a big threat beyond the Kingdom's borders in a wide variety of areas was still a force to be reckoned with and Elsa would have paid a very dear price had the events of the training simulation been that of the real world.
"That did nothing to show me anything except that I am woefully uneducated about lands around this MegaKingdom…wait a second…" The Snow Princess continued to press, launching into the next session.
A chase throughout the MegaKingdom itself, winding through alleyways, navigating the MegaHighway system on an advanced motorbike, the likes of which she had never seen. At the time she had assumed he was showing off his mastery of the MegaKingdom's increasingly complex layout and how impossible it would be for a rookie to make it anywhere in the city without understanding the key structural joints of the city.
"I think I'm getting the picture now" The powerful royal surmised with a grin as she thought to one of the latest examples of training…the Block Lockdown.
The latest scenario was, as Judge Bjorgman called it, a worst-case scenario. Cut-off from any reinforcements, communications knocked-out, ammunition critically low, surrounded on all sides and all floors above and below by criminal gangs with singular intent. The situation ended in a all out gunfight-turned-brawl, and before she knew it she was on the ground curled up in the fetal position praying for the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.
"That's IT! I've got it now!" The Snow Princess internally leapt for joy at the sudden realization of the hidden meaning behind all these training sessions.
"I'm always alone" In every situation, no matter what the scenario entailed, no matter the enemy, the objective, the obstacles, the challenges to be overcome, no matter what was thrown out at her, she was always alone. Sure the gruff street judge would step in at the end or if the situation had gotten out of control, but in no scenario save for the very firs training session did he remotely train with her. Every single test had been solitary, no teamwork, no coordination or partnership, it was solitary training pure and simple.
With newfound confidence and resolution, the snow princess stood up and rose to her full height. Straightening out her uniform, the royal brought her attention to Kristoffs last position at her side, only to quickly discover that he had moved in the amount of time she had taken to consider the hidden trend of this training session. Looking around the massive room, she found the fit officer attending to one of the simulation projectors, grumbling as he went.
"Judge Bjorgman, when you have a moment I have a question for you." The snow princess began as she made her way over to the unemotional rock that was the impressive street judge.
With a heavy and annoyed sigh, Kristoff closed the compartment on the training simulation holographic projector and stood tall, and wheeled around to meet the intense and curious gaze.
"If you're going to ask me to make things easier on you, you're going to be sorely disappointed" He replied evenly, his tone belying no emotion one way or the other.
"Cute…but no" the royal gave a faux laugh and smile before rolling her eyes and straightening up. "But I do have a question that's related to the training." She curtly followed up with a twinkle of excitement in her eye, excitement that drew a very interesting concoction of emotions from the street judge.
"It's your show, fire away your highness" He responded lowly.
"Why in all of these training scenarios…tests…situations…whatever you want to call them, why am I always alone." She asked confidently and slowly smiled at the subtle jaw drop she received in response from her partner-turned-teacher.
"Maybe because I don't need the training as desperately as you do? You ever think about that?" He barked in a response belying a false bravado of non-emotion. Judging by the look that his charge was leveling at him, this was not the answer she wanted to hear and to his own shame, no the answer she deserved to hear. With a heavy sigh, the hardened street judge briefly pinched the bridge of his noes and attempted to shove down any emotion related to the beautiful woman standing before him as deep inside as possible. Straightening up, he cleared his throat he began to speak.
"Elsa…" The princess took special note of the calm tone he used, the control exhibited, she was certain he was hiding something now, but she wouldn't press him on it until much later.
"…Do you know that one out of five street judges don't make it their first day?" The ice-gifted princess shook her head in wide-eyed shock. Kristoff merely nodded in response before continuing.
"I don't have years to train you, I have roughly two hours…I would have had more time if you weren't late but nonetheless here we are…" He paused, carefully choosing his next words before continuing.
"When we are together, I have the utmost confidence that you will listen to and follow my orders without any hesitation or delay. But as your now partner and protector, on top of the fact that you're the next heir to the throne…" The princess rolled her eyes at the latter end of the law mans statement but pressed him to continue.
"…I cannot…allow you…to go out there with me on the streets and possibly beyond, without adequately preparing you for the possibility that only one of us will make it back." He finished with a much control as he could muster. The snow princess wasn't buying it, at least not fully, and decided to press him on this matter.
"Really Kristoff? Come on now, why on earth would you be the one to not come back, I'm sure we'll both make it back with Anna just fine." To her utter dismay, the judge wouldn't look her in the eye and shook his head.
"I will gladly give my life for the Law, the MegaKingdom…I would gladly give my life for you…" He stopped briefly, a well of emotion threatening to spill the banks of Kristoff's internal levies, beating them back down and all in a second before finishing his statement.
"…you and your family, being the ruling family of our fair MegaKingdom. If any one is going to die on this mission, it's going to be me…your death is not an option." Kristoff finished with finality, the matter wasn't open for discussion or debate; street judge considered the topic black and white, just like the law with no room for gray.
Elsa's breath hitched in her throat as she took in the gravity of the burly lawman's words. Everything he had said was the truth, no hiding behind bravado, no trying to scare her into cowering away, none of the standard affair of their typical exchanges. He was deathly serious, pardoning that pun internally. There was no mincing his words, he had just proclaimed that he would give his life for his Kingdom, His Beliefs, and most importantly, he would give his life for her.
Stepping forward, the royal heiress to the throne of MegaKingdom Arendelle reached out and grasped one his much larger hands in her own, and gave a slight squeeze. Kristoff snapped out of his own inner musings to stair at this sudden and unwarranted intrusion of personal space and initiation of physical contact. Their eyes met and he could see the sincerity in those icy blue orbs.
"Kristoff" she began quietly, "I want to thank you for going above and beyond with this training." The street judge attempted to speak but the princess effectively silenced the dedicated public servant by continuing onward.
"You could have merely trained me to use a gun, to fight criminals, and sent us on our way, yet unlike any other…you took it upon your self to prepare me for any and every eventuality…you truly are one of a kind." It was without a doubt the most amicable exchange between the pair since their meeting, and Kristoff was unsure how to react or respond in the moment. Taking in a deep breath he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The future monarch of Arendelle smiled softly and released his hand.
"So…one more training session before we hit the road." She asked with newfound confidence in herself and her partner.
With a huff and the barest semblance of a smirk, which quickly gave way to a signature scowl, Judge Bjorgman nodded his head.
"Final assessment your highness…you ready?" He asked with a hard tone.
"Yes Sir." Came a focused response. Kristoff took in her stance, expression, and overall attitude and nodded.
"...You look ready..." With that he pressed a button on the remote and began the final training exercise.
Chapter Finite
Endnote: I'm unsure how I feel about this chapter on the whole, it's an experiment and a way for me to jump back into the story. Best case scenario, you guys all love it. Worst case scenario, it serves a medium to get the story moving again. Either way I hope you guys enjoy the story and don't forget to review and let me know.
TheLifeLongEditor signing off.