It was raining in Vladivostok, again. Tom was not fond of being cooped up in his office; however, the amount of paperwork he had to contend with was too valuable to get wet. He went through the various issues of the city such as the threat of the local bandits and the defenses, the state of the weapon and fishing industries, or even the collapsing infrastructure all around him. Then there was the diplomacy and trade with those afar. While his immediate neighbors were small-fry, there were those in the south who could extend their territories if they wished.

If Captain Baranov was not so insisted on his principles, he could remind those bastards he was not someone to threaten. Yet, he quietly accepted the fact that the captain was one of the few people who had genuine care about the weapons his fallen nation had handed to him. The world had been cleansed by the fire of nuclear armageddon and to risk another possibility of its return would have doomed humanity. He could respect such a man in an era where there were too few to matter.

The one issue he had to worry about was Klim. Much as Tom remembered those heated arguments occurring in this very room, Klim was as opportunistic gangster as he ever was. Yet, it disturbed him the most when he learned about the captain's loyalists at the man's hands. None of them should have been harmed, no matter how much they opposed his rule as the city's governor. If it wasn't for his desire to also see the reactor in this very submarine, his termination would be swift to prevent an uprising. One of the few blessings he had with the Russian expedition was that they had enough troops to help him if civil war broke out and battle lines had to be drawn.

Someone knocked on the metal door before he could raise his voice. "Come in!"

When the door opened, the large man entered his office with his hands slipped into his pockets. Klim had returned after he sent him on this very errand, hopefully, he wouldn't intimidate the locals with his presence. "We found this Arendelle district you've been looking for. It's a small section of the city, but it didn't take much."

"Did you find the leader of the community?" He asked, putting away his plans as governor and focusing his full attention towards a princess' request, "Anyone of importance?"

Klim took a chair in the side of the room and planted it in front of his desk. "Yes. It looks like a married couple and these people seem to treat them with great respect. I don't know why, but is it worth helping that girl find some lost parents. We're better than that."

He brandished two cigarettes as the two men lit their ends and began their calm smoke break amidst the conversation. Yet, Tom noted how willing the soldiers of the Spartan Order and OSKOM were willing to help their group out. Then he considered how helpful it would be for a princess to be grateful to them. "Well, if we help her, she may help us in the future. A few favors could be gained and if that ends up helping those soldiers, it helps us in the end."

"Perhaps," The gangster said as he leaned forward in his chair and planted his arms on the desk, "I've already sent them to her as we speak."

"Good," The American nodded his head in approval. It was time that he could do something right; however, something felt wrong about this situation, "We're back in order with both a working reactor and a happy princess of a foreign kingdom."

A smile was on the Russian's face as well as he bellowed out a puff of smoke. "So tell me, what happens now that the reactor is finally in our hands? Do you truly think the guys down south will truly be afraid of someone who wouldn't use the weapons on them?"

"We will never use it, I promised the captain that," Tom answered as he leaned back in his chair, "Threats will be enough to keep people in line."

"Believe that all you want, but I know full well that you're going to get rid of me the moment this submarine is operational."

He wanted to freeze; however, appearances always mattered as he smiled at his partner. "You truly think I would do that to you?"

Klim laughed. "Are you that stupid to think this will last forever? I know you hated me the moment I killed those men. Yet, you're the one making deals with the old fool behind my back. Don't think that just because I'm your dog that I don't listen to those conversations from time to time."

"The truth is," Now that the facade was over, it was time to cash in the cards, "The game was rigged from the start."

His opponent reached for his belt, but Tom was swift in his hand coordination as he reached underneath his desk for this very moment. He grabbed the pistol, the very first model he made when the bombs had fallen and brandished it into the light. At the same time, Klim drew a knife and reached over the desk like a mad man through sheer anger.

Tom rolled backward in his chair, only to find his back against the glass to the outside world. As his assailant climbed over the desk, it took three shots to put this animal down once and for all. The confines of the office did little good for his ears as the ringing echoed into his mind while the American was sure that his guards would have heard about the incident.

A few minutes passed before a guard ran into his room with worry on his face. "Tom, are you alright?! What happened?!"

"I'm fine," He answered before he gestured his sidearm, its barrel still smoking, towards the corpse on his desk, "Klim on the other hand, just found out that his employment had been terminated."

"Should we send him to the hospital or the morgue?"

Tom the Cat stared at him for a moment, demanding his attention. "No, he sleeps with the fishes. Get the guard and toss this sack of shit out. This is his last visit."

"Understood," The guard gestured his finger towards his face and pointed at his cheek, "You got some blood on you, sir."

He reached for the mess and swiped the blood off. "I hope my laundry can clean bloodstains."

A young girl stood by the docks, outside of a nearby tavern, waiting for news. She stayed underneath the few umbrellas that were available while the dockworkers and the fishermen went on with their work. The smell of fresh fish did not comfort her as she leaned her head back against the wooden wall.

Wooden boards creaked as she looked to her left to find Uhlman approaching her with a cigarette ready to be lit. "Hello, young lady. How have you been doing?"

She thought about her parents and felt her stomach give her the wrong feelings. "I don't know. Nervous, maybe? It has been years since I have seen my mother and father leave the shores of Arendelle."

"There is nothing wrong with that," The Russian answered as he stood adjacent to her seat, "Sometimes, nothing needs to be said as long as you convey the message that you missed them."

"The thing is, Elsa and I have had this belief that they died, and it is incredibly difficult to think about it."

Their conversation paused as the downpour of the rain got worse. Then Uhlman continued with a different subject. "I heard that Artyom is gone. Is that right?"

The princess nodded her head. "Yes."

"Such a shame," He replied with genuine care in his voice, "I always thought Artyom was going to make it in the end. He had so much life to look forward to, especially when he set the ground for everyone else. The poor kid went through so much to die half a world away."

Anna thought about how much he knew about him and considered a question worth asking. "How much did you know about him?"

"Enough to know why he did the things he did. When I first met Artyom, he was just a scared boy that was so desperate for help that he almost got executed by the Nazis," The soldier began with his tale, "Somehow, I knew that he could have sent us a message through the usual channels until he showed us Hunter's dog tags. It was more than just a runner, but a personal quest to save his home. Little did I know that he would go so far as to have the courage to save those at Paveletskaya or sneak through a heavily-armed outpost at Polyanka. Then there is the Moscow State Library. Out of all of his exploits, that one was perhaps the bravest thing he did."

"The library?" She was genuinely curious. Even after Artyom's death, there was still something to interest her about pieces of his life, "What did he do that was so important?"

Uhlman began to squat and tell the tale. "You see, the library is guarded by a group of very dangerous mutants, incredibly hostile. We uncreatively called them librarians since they live there, but the point is that Artyom managed to survive long enough to be rescued by the colonel and myself."

Princess Anna realized what he meant by that. He was there when the action took place and who better to tell the story than someone who was there. "These librarians must have been fearsome to look at."

"You have no idea," He answered with a fake laugh, "These creatures will kill entire teams. That is how powerful they are."

Enthralled by the story, she continued to listen.

"The thing is, out of all the people that I had expected, Artyom managed to slay the monsters. If it is one, it's possible, but someone killing multiple librarians is unheard of - even for the Order."

It was odd that the person who told this story was a friend, but not the man who did it. Why was it that he didn't even mention such a feat worthy of telling? "Strange, he never told my sister and me about any of this."

His head looked to the clouds above. "I suppose there are some details that he likes to keep to himself. Unless you ask him about it yourself, he usually keeps it at the back of his mind."

Boots stomped onto the floorboards as Uhlman stood up. "What's up?"

His face didn't seem to notice her as he snapped his boots together and saluted. "Colonel Mel'nikov, sir!"

The princess turned her head to find the commander of the Spartan Order standing before her as two individuals were behind him. "Your highness, I think we found them."

Then he began to step aside as the young girl watched two citizens of Vladivostok reveal their identities. A man took off his cap, revealing his fiery red hair that Anna had not seen for a long time. Beside him was a woman who began to take off her scarf and reveal her disheveled brown hair, but still maintaining a style that Elsa mimicked.

Soon the man approached her with hope in his soul as he spoke the very words that the girl was not ready for. "Anna?"

She trembled before them and by the time she found the words, tears flowed from her eyes as her hands covered her mouth. "Papa, mama!"

It felt like they were separated for ages; however, the young girl could not keep herself back from reaching out to her parents and embracing them in a group hug. Years of sorrow and suffering had ached her heart, but it had finally ended with tears of joy as the parents ignored the rain drenching their clothes. The feelings of a family becoming whole would change their lives forever.

The former king pulled himself away from the hug and looked around. "Where is Elsa? Is she alright?"

"She's at home as the Queen of Arendelle. I decided to see if it was true that both of you were still alive."

Her mother began wiping away the tears. "How did you find us?"

She stole a glance at Uhlman ever since he spoke of Artyom. "A family friend by the name of Artyom had helped us."

"We must thank him for his help," Spoke her father, "Could we meet him?"

Anna paused, realizing what she needed to tell him. "I'm sorry father, but he's gone. He sacrificed himself to save me."

He lowered his head and nodded. "We need to celebrate. There is much to talk about."

The iron horse continued its pace across the wildlands of Russia while it carried its passengers numbering above a hundred. Artyom had been fortunate there were enough cars and fuel for this many people. Now all he had to do was arrive at Vladivostok and everyone he came across would be safe for the time being.

He stood in front of the train, wanting nothing more than his lonely mind. The weather was shifting with the sunlight being less frequent each day. The timing was poor and it could be possible that the winter will set in. Oh how he wished the burden of leadership could be handed over to another, but the morale of the soldiers and families didn't need to be shattered this instant. There was still the opportunity to still save them while he had the power to do so.

What he really hoped for was a sign that he was going in the right direction. The Polis Ranger remembered his first steps outside of his home station and how it all seemed right back then. There was always someone to help him out when he was truly alone whether it was Bourbon, Khan, Andrew, Uhlman, and Colonel Mel'nikov. Now? There was no such person to guide his actions as if fate wanted him to use all that he learned under those men. Nonetheless, the young man carried a child-like fear while his eyes looked ahead to see the endless track before him.

He reached out for his assault rifle that was slung over his shoulder out of pure instinct. It had been some time since he felt their presence that day. Artyom turned to his right and rested his back against the railing while the barrel was drawn against an old threat that had caused him pain and suffering. Yet, he would not have lived if not for their intervention at the Great Door. His finger was one moment away from shooting the Dark One standing over him.

The silence did not alleviate the tension between the two, but the eyes only exacerbated the animosity. He may have made his peace with the psychic mutants; however, it was an uneasy one with a former enemy. Trust, but verify.

What had truly eased his thoughts was the moment the creature knelt before him and reached out with a lengthy hand. There was no hint of hostility at this moment, rather, revealing its understanding nature to the young man. As a will of trust, Artyom reached out and grabbed onto the hand out of curiosity at what it had in store.

Reality left him as he succumbed to the power of the Dark Ones. His mind was kept in the dark while Artyom and the creature stood alone in the depths within. Both were surrounded by complete darkness; however, he sensed that it was about to show him something. Then images filled his mind about a forest so green that it made the Polis Ranger homesick about the Botanical Gardens. Yet, the sights were not for show as the peaceful landscape seemed to imply that his people would be fine if they remained there. The information here had arrived at such a critical moment when he need to make a decision.

One of the images being brought out was a village surrounded by a wooden palisade. That detail was not as important as the people who occupied it. They seemed to be a peaceful group as the sentries across the wall were armed with the usual makeshift weaponry that existed across post-apocalypse Russia, but they also seemed to have a large number of crossbows amongst their soldiers. The last detail that seeped into his mind was a worn-out sign which could have been read out so easily by anyone.

The Dark One that was with him had begun to disappear as well as the images being shown. A faint call to his name was the key to bringing him back to where his life was. "Are you ok?! Hey, comrade, wake up!"

Artyom opened his eyes as he gasped for air, finding Pavel and two Reich soldiers standing over him. He reached out for something to grab, but the communist and his counterparts helped him off the metal platform. "How long was I out?"

"Diesel and Hans were going to take the next shift, but we found you here," He answered as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright? You look sick."

What he learned needed to be told. "A Dark One was here."

The Reich heavy trooper remarked on those words. "Those bastards are here? We need to keep an eye out."

"They gave me a message," The Polis Ranger stated, "We won't make it to Vladivostok by winter, but we can head to Burabay National Park and stay there until it blows over."

"That's what the mutant was here for? Why should we trust a mutant in the first place?"

He looked towards the soldier. "We don't have much of a choice. Inform the driver about our destination."

The ice castle on the North Mountain was finished. Elsa enjoyed the sight of her work meeting its completion. Her mind was focused so much on the construction that Gerda had to go on long walks to make sure she had food these days. Now her servant wouldn't have to go through all that trouble now that she was done.

She sat in the snow, biting into an apple while admiring her work. In a few hours, the queen would be returning to her seat of power while contemplating what to do next. Of course, her duties will be lifted off Anna's shoulders, but there was a growing emptiness as time passed on. Although she was done mourning for Artyom, the queen's very soul seemed against the prospect of moving on. Yet, she was reminded of her friend's lessons in coping with one's self. Even in death, he still helped her in life.

Snow was crushed from behind before she turned around to see who was there. A lone figure sat in his sled while guiding his reindeer in the snow. As his warm breath was taken away by the frigid weather in this part of the world, Kristoff had the opportunity to speak. "Hello, you're majesty!"

Elsa remembered him and the trolls he accompanied. The more she thought about it, the man was even there at the coronation party. Still, it was relatively nice to meet with old faces. "What brings you here, Kristoff?"

"I know this seems sudden, but I have to warn you," He slipped out of his seat and looked around as if he sensed eyes looking at him, "You are in danger."

"What?" She was taken aback by such a statement as she rose from the snow and accidentally froze the apple in her hand, "How am I in danger? Please explain yourself."

The young man appeared reluctant as he calmed himself down. "Prince Hans, is a dangerous man. He is trying to take your throne by any means necessary."

"That makes absolutely no sense. How can he try to take my throne?"

"Through trust," Kristoff answered firmly, "He's the reason your sister got kidnapped and why Artyom and the others are cut off. The man is also a cutthroat, he even tried to kill me for overhearing his conversation."

The queen simply could not believe the accusations that were being brought forward by the ice harvester. Whatever he said did not make any sense. "Why should I believe you? What evidence do you have to prove that he's trying to overthrow me?"

"I… I don't. He's good at hiding his tracks or he thinks he's good. Some of the Polis Rangers saved my life, maybe you can ask them?"

"Do you know anyone by name that can back your case?"

"A Sam Taylor would know, but know this, I am telling you the truth. The prince is not the man you think he is. There is a ship by the harbor where his pals imprisoned me and tossed me into the river. The only reason I am here is that I survived and I am telling you that he's a horrible man waiting for his chance."

The only thing she could do was shake her head at his pleas. It couldn't be that her love would do such a heinous act for some dark purpose. Prince Hans was too good for her in these times and he would have the greatest opportunity to do so when she was truly vulnerable. "I don't believe you."

"You're majesty, I am trying to help you!"

She shook her head. "No, he wouldn't do such a thing. Hans had every opportunity to try, yet, he's helping me whenever he can. What proof can you say about that? Tell me."

Kristoff froze where he stood. "I don't have any."

"Then leave while I am still in a good mood."

There was something about his demeanor where she wanted to pity him as he walked back to his sled, defeated. Whatever it was, Elsa had no intention of hearing the rest of his unbacked accusations. "I've seen what he's capable of. Don't give him a chance; otherwise, he'll hurt you and your sister before you know it."

She repeated her words before. "I said leave."

Without a second thought, Kristoff galloped his reindeer and his sled down the mountain from whence he came. The thought about her love being responsible for the horribleness she had experienced was unthinkable. Yet, her mind wondered if the prince was truly acting in this deception for her throne. Why would he go through the trouble of being so kind to her when he had the motive to do so at any time?

It will be a bitter descent back into the castle.