Artyom had taken up positions as one of the station's sentry guards as the princesses found a place on a platform where their delegation could wait. In Elsa's mind, this place was nowhere as expansive as Polis, but there seems to be some comfort in its silence due to dozens of people sleeping on mats on the floor. There was no grandeur of lights to shine their 'quarters,' only candle stands where the flames wouldn't be bright enough to disturb the sleeping populace.

The stranger named Bourbon had approached the circle of Arendellians with a wooden chair in hand. He took a seat among their crowd as a wooden piece was in-between his lips. "Hello, I apologize if we didn't give you a proper greeting when you arrived."

Anna took the opportunity to ask questions. "Why is everyone sleeping?"

"You're definitely not around here."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Bourbon placed his hands up in the air. "No offense, but time is an abstract thing in the Metro. In one station, it might be considered day time, but another might be at night time."

The princess understood what he meant by that. "I see. Haven't your people tried to work something out? If you're having problems trying to handle time, don't you have clocks to help?"

He laughed. "We're constantly trying, but the nukes have busted some station clocks already, screwing up what could have been a few minutes to half an hour. Besides, it wouldn't matter. Most of us spend our lives not caring about what goes on the surface."

Elsa was interested in why Artyom would have someone like him as a friend, but now she scrounge up the courage to ask. "So how did you meet with Artyom?"

The man turned his full attention to her. "Artyom?" Then he nodded his head from side-to-side, "That was an interesting one. I was at this bar, drinking my cartridges away. Then I hear this loud commotion about this caravan that just arrived in Rizhskaya. As it turned out, they were attacked by Nosalises."

The crown princess glanced at her sister to see her watch with fascination. The last time she had seen that look on her sister was when their parents told stories before they went to bed.

Bourbon glanced at curious eyes from both the guards and servants. "So I went to check this out and there is this kid who the entire caravan was celebrating for. That was Artyom. He didn't seem like much back then, but he managed to save them from being eaten alive. They said there was some kind of anomaly in the tunnel that knocked the entire crew out… except him. It was fucking strange-"

Kai stopped him from continuing by raising his finger. "Excuse me."

"Yes, you're interrupting the story."

"Well, these are the princesses of Arendelle. They don't need to hear such vulgar language."

The princesses were annoyed while the story-teller was perplexed by this request, but a change in his facial expression seemed to respect this wish. "Anyways, Artyom needed to leave the station, but it was under lockdown due to how close the fighting was. I was also heading somewhere as well, so we teamed and slipped through the station's security and got going. It was a good thing I brought him along, we wouldn't have gotten to Prospekt Mira if not for him."

Elsa wondered what he meant by his last sentence. "What happened to you? You talk like something terrible happened and Artyom saved your life."

"That's because he did," He answered, "The Metro is full of dangers, but not every corner is filled with beasts. There are some places… I wouldn't want my own enemies. He didn't seem to be affected by them so it mattered a lot."

"Wow, is there anything remarkable that happened in your journey with him? You seem to have a lot to tell."

He shook his head. "Girl, I was with him for a brief moment. The last time we saw each other was at this very place."

It stunned everyone who was watching.

"Bandits infested this area and I had a deal with their former leader. Things went south and we ended up getting into a firefight," He paused, "Poor kid busted down the door the rescue me and I nearly lost my life saving his." His hand reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up.

Anna expressed her shock at the scars over his stomach. "Oh my, how did you live? It must have been painful to deal with."

Bourbon laughed. "Funny that you mentioned that. I was out for the whole time. In fact, I only woke up after the surgery so I don't have a clue on how it felt."

"What happened after you were hurt? There has to be more to tell about your journey with our friend."

They recognized Artyom's voice as he approached the group with his helmet underneath his arm. "We parted ways because I thought he was dead; however, I didn't have the time to see if he was alright. The other bandits could have barged in and I didn't have much cover to work with."

The group turned their attention on the arrival as he squatted between Bourbon and Elsa. Anna's eyes demanded more answers. "Why couldn't you try to help him?"

"I'm not a doctor, Anna. It's one thing to patch yourself up, but it's very different when it is someone else."

The storyteller turned to see him. "Speaking of the devil, how's my Kalash working out for you?"

Artyom smiled as he rested his hands on the buttstock. "You have no idea how much it has saved my life. It's definitely better than a Bastard."

Elsa wanted to point it out. "So that was Bourbon's weapon? What was the story behind that?"

"Bourbon and I had a deal. If I got him to his destination, he would give me his weapon in return. After he was shot, I thought it was worth keeping in honor of his help." Then his gaze fell upon his old companion, "So tell me, what made you take refuge at this station? I hear that you're a station commander of this place."

The princesses could see the man embarrassed with Artyom's wording. Then he replied, "Hanza's guards had found me and I was basically placed under arrest for the medical expenses and the rest I owed them. As it turned out, I was not the only one who arrested. So we broke out and escaped."

"You were criminals? What was your crime?" Elsa wondered.

"I was in debt to Hanza and I owed them money. Their lot is the prickly sort. Never have I encountered a group of bastards who would take every opportunity to make money." Then he changed the subject. "Artyom, where is this caravan of yours going?"

The young man pulled out a map and showed it to him. "My home, Exhibition station."

He nodded his head. "I've heard there are men from the Order with you, so Hanza is not going to give you trouble. Do you have a pencil?"

He produced the writing tool as the station's leader began marking spots on the map before the others. "A lot has happened since the last time you were around. These tunnels are filled with Hansa's kill squads and they tend to shoot first and ask questions later."

His finger then pointed to another spot on the map, enough for Elsa to see. "There is only one route I recommend. Independent merchants use this to get into Prospekt Mira, so it is a safe bet that you'll arrive without any trouble."

The cries of bells echoed throughout the station. Anna rose up from her seat with fear in her eyes. "What is going on?"

Bourbon rose from his seat as he brandished his weapon from his holster. "We're under attack. It's another pack of nosalises."

Artyom stood up from his comfortable position as his finger made a slight click on his Kalash. "How common are these attacks?"

"Rare, but they come in large numbers. We're dealing with multiple packs.

Princess Elsa felt it was wrong to remain idle while her hosts and her friend would defend her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Your highness…" The young man never had the opportunity to reply before he was cut off.

The station commander quickly spoke. "An extra hand would help."

Kai was immediately concerned for her well-being. "Take some guards with you."

"I wouldn't recommend it. Mutants are experts in close quarters. Keep them here as our last resort."

Then Anna joined. "I'm coming too, my sister isn't going to go through the danger alone."

"Alright, follow me."

Bourbon led the way as Polis Rangers from the caravan campfires were joining along the defense. The size of the response force was getting larger and ran towards the distress signal. As the group got closer, the volume of gunfire and the shouting of men intensified.

They turned around the corner to find five men slowly backing away from a palisade of sandbags and metal sheets. The number of bodies that lay atop of the defenses had shocked Elsa at the level of violence that was occurring at this part of the station. Yet, the foreign monsters were still alive and eager to kill without hesitation.

A nosalis was found in the air, jumping from one pillar to another while the rest of its kin were charging on the ground.

Artyom rushed forward with his weapon and fired at the jumping beast. His bullets found their mark as it was stopped mid-air and fell to the ground. "Push them back!"

The Russian soldiers and the station's defenders had formed a firing line from one side to another, all focused in the in a single direction. Elsa was in awe at the force of purpose in repelling the monsters. All weapons of different sizes and types were unleashed at a single moment, cutting a swathe of death through the unrelenting waves of mutants out for blood. It was amazing, yet, terrifying to watch them reclaim their palisade.

In the midst of the fighting, the crown princess heard a strange noise from above. She looked up to find a strange screen fall in front of her. Then a pair of nosalises had slipped out from the hole from whence they came. Fear took over as she stumbled back and cried out when one of them had landed atop of her. The creature growled it's hatred at her as she felt helpless in the moment.

Anna came to her rescue with a wooden board in hand. "Get off of her!"

A single swing was enough to knock it back, but the second one immediately charged towards her. Elsa watched in horror as it closed the distance. A hand reached out and an icicle flew out as a result. It was immediately impaled by her action as the monster succumbed to its wounds and fell over like a doll. Yet, its comrade was still in the fight as he regained its senses.

Three blasts had echoed in their general direction as the princesses watched Artyom kill the surviving nosalis without question. He looked to their aid and glanced up at the whole in the ceiling. "Your highness, can you block that vent shaft with ice?"

She nodded her head with reluctance but trusted him enough to acknowledge his request. Anna helped her off the floor before her hands reached up and sealed the recent entrance. "That… that was close."

Her sister was surprisingly optimistic about the situation. "It could have been worse."

There was a loud roar that echoed from beyond the palisade and Elsa thought what kind of creature would invoke such terrifying sounds. Her gaze fell upon Artyom as they turned towards the firing line. "What was that?"

"I don't know." He said, doing little to give her any comfort.

Bourbon's voice had revealed the threat that had arrived at the battlefield. "Shit, it's a Big Mama! Shoot her, shoot her!"

The ground shook as Artyom and the royals came to the front to see multiple packs of nosalises following a single creature made up of sheer muscle. Whatever it was, this Big Mama seemed to be a leader of sorts as they followed it into battle. Every single Russian did the best they could to kill it with their weapons; however, the monster had armor that could shrug off whatever they had in their ranks.

Elsa took action and pressed her hands into the ground, covering the front of the palisade with ice and spikes. The nosalises slipped and could not find their grip while the mass of anger had lost its footing and skid towards the men.

Bourbon turned around and stole a glance from her. "What the shit? You have magic?"

One of the men shouted from the front. "Get away from the palisade!"

Eyes turned to the front when the Big Mama's momentum was too much to be stopped by a meager defense as its shoulder smashed through the metal sheets and wood. Those who were nearby had found themselves tossed aside through its heavy hands. Although hampered by Elsa's ice powers, the breach in the defenses was showing as the monsters stormed in and made easy work of their foes.

Artyom went over to her sister and pulled out one of his weapons. "Anna, take this and don't leave your sister's side."

She was surprised at how quickly he armed her. "How do I use it?"

"Just point and shoot," He added, "If you run out, get your sister and join the others." The young man immediately turned towards the Big Mama and fired away as he approached it.

Elsa joined him as she lunged icicles at the monster with the hopes that she could fight it. Yet, her attention looked around to find the station's defenders having trouble fighting the smaller kin in close quarters. The armed men used the but of their rifles to beat the creatures to death while others had unsheathed hidden knives from their person and killed with vicious intent. Not all was good as the creatures had inflicted deaths and wounds on those they could. Mere bites in the right places would make someone try to defy death for a moment, only to succumb to their wounds. Those who were unfortunate had found themselves dragged away from the palisade, screaming in agony before explosions erupted from packs of nosalises tearing men apart.

"Shit!" Artyom swore as he glanced at his weapon and tried to pull a piece back. "My gun's jammed!"

A gunshot echoed from behind their backs, only for Artyom and Elsa to see Anna's barrel smoking.

"Good shot," He complimented as he tried to fix his weapon in the middle of combat, "This is a bad time."

The ground shook as the thunderous footsteps came towards them. Elsa shot out her ice magic as the Big Mama's arm was incased. Yet, it did little to mitigate its charge and anger. To her sudden surprise, she was pushed to the floor with Artyom's weapon in her arms. Then the princess saw him drawing his sword as he anticipated the attack.

When it was close enough to swipe its hand at him, he sidestepped around the monster and swiped his blade into its side. The Russian had laid down the first blow and it became furious at the dodge. Then it looked towards Anna and went after her instead. Yet, Artyom tossed a strange yellow container at the beast's back. A fire erupted and the skin was being seared away by the flames. Whatever he did, it was enough to lose its attention to her sister.

A nosalis jumped through the fighting and divided Artyom's attention from his flank. The Russian turned away from the one he was fighting just to hack away at the newcomer; however, Elsa watched in horror as the Big Mama smashed into him as he flew hard into a pillar. Then it walked towards him with the intent of finishing what was started. He reached for his sword that was out of reach, but the princess knew it would not save him.

Emotions ran through her as she unleashed the rage of winter. "You will not take him!"

Ice etched into the ground in front of Elsa as they grew into spikes. Her hands were directed towards the threat as the beast found itself impaled into place. It howled in pain and it's earlier bestial cries were now replaced with whimpers. She stole a glance from her friend, only to find him slip a weapon that hung from his back.

When he fired, it seemed like he was carrying weaponized lightning as the Big Mama was struck violently by his shots. Artyom did not relent, but his strength was fading as he struggled to even hold his weapon.

Anna ran to his aid as Elsa readied herself for her first kill, but when she turned her head back to the trapped mutant Bourbon was standing behind it. He pulled out a four-barrelled gun and pressed it against the head. As she watched, the scene looked less like a kill and more of an execution. The man fired and left a bloody mess that splattered all across the floor, some bits of blood even landing on her dress.

The fighting slowed to a crawl and the death of the large monster made the nosalises flee from their endeavor. Elsa watched as they stopped fighting and fled back into the darkness, perhaps never to be seen again. Nonetheless, the battle was over. She made her way over to Artyom's side, only to see him lean his head back and grimace in pain. "Are you okay?"

His gaze fell upon her. "This isn't the first time that I dealt with something like this, but it still hurts a lot. Bourbon, do you have any pain killers?"

Elsa turned her head to see the station's leader come over and take a knee in front of him. "I'm sorry, but we don't have any good medical personnel here. You might stand a better chance if you head straight to your destination than stay here. Prospekt Mira might have it and you'll definitely have a better time recovering at Exhibition than this shitshow."

"Then we better get going," His heard turned to Anna, "Tell Kai to get the caravan ready."

"I'm on it." She replied as she ran deeper into the station.

Artyom looked at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The crown princess was so worried about his well-being that she failed to keep her expressions in check. "Oh, I am just concerned that you might be more than just hurt."

"Your highness, there is blood on your dress. Did you take any hits?"

She shook her head. "Fortunately, no."

His smile helped alleviate the situation. Then he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an orange packet. When he flipped it open, a set of capped needles were ready to be used. One was chosen and he flicked the cap away as he injected it into his body.

"What was that?"

"Morphine," Artyom answered, "It… it helps with the pain."

Elsa passed his weapon into his lap. "Here, I'll go fetch our things."

Out from her right, the young man's sword was being handed back to him by Bourbon. "What a fine blade you have here. I got to say, you got a lot of balls to fight one of those damn things with a sword."

A chuckle escaped out of the stalker in pain. "I stood a better chance than fighting a librarian, if you ask me."

"I suppose that is a story for another time," He patted his shoulder, "Get some rest kid, you'll be home in no time."