The crown princess was awed by what she saw. Elsa noted the uniformity of the architectural design and its simplicity that was the Russian bunker system. It was beyond anything Arrendelle, if not the rest of the world, could ever create. The alarming expanse of the underground fortress system had created a deceptive feature that the rest of the kingdom would not have found out until the arrival of Artyom's people. Then she compared her people and the strange otherworldly Russians by architecture alone. The buildings of her kingdom were humble but retained characteristics that described entire families. Here, it was a completely different take. Elsa couldn't shake out her thoughts that Artyom's people were rather quiet in their appearance while being more than it appeared.

The silence of the ride was broken by Artyom, who was sitting across from her. "It's been a while since I took this."

Anna, who sat beside her, became curious at what he meant by this. "You've been on this thing before?" She couldn't seem to describe the form of transportation that was taking the Arendellian delegation, the trolls, and the foreign Russians.

"The train? Yes," He answered as he looked to the front to see the drivers who were accompanied by Miller, Klebnikov, Kai, and Grand Pabbie talking to each other, "The last time I took it, I thought I was going to be saving my home station from monsters. Now, I am returning to the Metro in the company of genuine princesses."

The way he described the specialness of her arrival seems to spark a question. "Is royalty rare in your homeland? I notice you and your… countrymen are awed by it."

He stole a glance from her. "There was a time when Russia was ruled by emperors and empresses. Then came the rise of the revolutionaries, who were tired of imperial rule. It was a violent mess that resulted in the royal family losing their throne and the rise of the Soviet Union. I learned from my elders that some countries handled their rulers in better ways, but my people got rid of them the moment that they could. So there is a bit of fascination with some of the old ways, but it was often looked down upon."

"I see," The history of his people was rather different from Arendelle's and all of the countries she read about when she was young. The princess could remember a time when she could remember heraldries and the various family names of one royal family to another, but the thought of getting rid of it all was new, "Have you ever asked on why this came to be?"

Artyom grimaced at the question. "I always tried to talk to my step-father and his peers about that all the time, but they would always put me off. It was either a topic that they believed was too irrelevant in this day and age or concerned with more pressing matters. So I was never given a proper explanation."

The train seemed to go on forever and it felt like they needed to know. "Where are we going?"

"We are heading to Polis Station, the seat of the Council, where the colonel can introduce you to them."

Anna began to tap the ground with her shoes. "Wow, it sounds incredibly important. What's it like there?"

It was at that moment that Elsa saw Artyom pause and widened his eyes at the question. "I will be honest, it's quite hard to describe it now that I think about it."

"Come on, it shouldn't be that hard. I can say that Arendelle has a castle and a nice fjord to look at."

"The thing is, I don't know how to describe this part of the Metro to people who have never even seen or experienced what a Metro station even looks like. Then there is the fact that you two come from a place that would have a very different perspective on the status of my people." He explained.

Then Elsa began to assure him. "Okay, so we don't know what a Metro station looks like, but perhaps you could try and describe it the best way you can from your perspective. What is Polis station from your eyes?"

He paused for a moment as he leaned forward and rested his head on his hands for support. "Imagine a candle locked in a dark lit room. That is Polis," Artyom stated, "In a world where the apocalypse has destroyed civilization, it is the center of what remains of my people, the last light of the Soviet Union. It is surrounded by dark chaotic forces of opportunistic rulers and constant attacks by monsters seeking to wipe out the bastion of humanity."

It was at this moment that Elsa understood him simply by the way he said those words. He was sharing an experience that was felt for the first time he had ever been to the station.

The train decelerated as the passengers noticed the change in the environment. There was light gleaning into the windows as Elsa stood up from her seat to take a closer look from her side. Her eyes saw an outer defense made up of concrete barriers and metal sheets, manned by heavily armed soldiers standing behind the battlements. Entire turret sections expressing the huge amount of security in their destination. When their eyes noticed her, they waved their hands and continued throughout their duties.

Colonel Miller spoke from the front of the train. "We're here."

Anna joined her sister in the sightseeing as they moved past the great door and saw platforms filled with luggage and families. They seemed to be waiting for something to happen, only to see authorities in greatcoats and peaked caps approach them and select one family out of the many to follow. However, they were not the only arrivals to show up. Others arrived in similar forms of transportation, not sleek in design or something too outdated in comparison to what the royals came in.

When the train had slowed to a halt, the doors immediately slid open as the foreign soldiers within had marched out and stood on the platform, waiting for the newcomers. A hand reached Elsa's shoulder and made her turn around. "Your highness, I think it is time for you to introduce yourself to the Council."

The crown princess began to step away from the windows as her sister and the Russian followed after her. Now that the train was finally empty, Elsa looked around for her people, only to find Kai and the Arendellian retinue find her instead. The head servant was quick to talk about the state of the station. "Your highness, should we tell our hosts that this place is not… sanitary for our liking."

Artyom quickly approached him. "Sir, we are in a meeting with Polis. I overheard that they declared this was an emergency meeting, we're too important to make them wait."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded his head. "I know from experience."

Kai's statement about the station's cleanliness was not wrong. There was a new assortment of smells that reached Anna's nose as she found herself brought into a new world that was beyond anything she had ever imagined. Her childish imaginations of another world brought low by the ugly state of life that occurred in Artyom's homeland. Yet, curiosity was too much for her to ignore.

The delegation was being escorted through the narrow 'streets' that filled this station and often she would be greeted by lively merchants trying to sell her things in exchange for bullets. Then she glanced at Artyom and walked beside him. "I am noticing that people here are asking for bullets, what's that all about?"

The Russian friend reached into his pockets and pulled out a set of five strange pointy objects. "These are military-grade rounds, but we call them bullets for short."

Anna saw his weapon hanging from his person and noticed those encased in the bottom. "What's the difference between these bullets? They look the same."

"Military-grade rounds were crafted before the bombs fell," He answered, "When our paper money lost its value, they became the real gold since they could no longer be made. The munition workers tried to replicate it for us to fight off the monsters and the bandits, but they were never as good as the real deal."

She became perplexed by this. "Then why can't you use it instead?"

Artyom hid his set of bullets back into his pockets. "Are you kidding? Using military-grade rounds is like throwing away gold. Yes, we could use it, but we would just be bleeding out the only currency that has any value in the Metro."

"Maybe if Elsa becomes queen, I can convince her to try and help your people use gold instead. From what I see, there are a lot of people here who could use my kingdom's assistance." Anna replied.

"The people at Polis are genuinely lucky when compared to those outside the station."

The revelation was surprising when she heard those words. If this was considered decent by his standards, what were the situations that people outside of this station has to go through? "What?"

"There are people in other stations who do not have the same luxuries as this place or my home station. Most are under the thumb of the most dangerous factions or beset my monsters in all directions or some simply regressing to spears or just stop surviving at all." Artyom explained.

"I take that you know this due to experience?" She asked, "You've been outside of Polis, right?"

He nodded his head. "My home is in the northern territories. It is quite far from Polis and is outside of the ring of the Hanseatic League. The Exhibition station is one of the few that still survives to this day."

The more she learned about her friend's humble background, it became interesting enough to ease her boredom. "Why is it called Exhibition? Did it have something special to show?"

"Kinda, the formal name is the Exhibition of Achievements of the People's Economy and my home was just under it."

"Wow, I wonder what it has," She remarked, "Have you explored it?"

There was a momentary silence before he let out a sigh. "Once, but that was a long time ago."

It was at that moment where Anna realized she was pressing an issue that was personal to him. "I won't go any further."

The delegation continued to make their way through the streets, but the princess was distracted by the sights until she noticed a merchant sitting on a stool and in front of a curtain, watching the group move past him. She walked up to him and the old wrinkled man with white hair took notice of her interest. He smiled with joy as he stood up from his seat. "My dear, you come with an important entourage what brings you to my humble shop?"

Her eyes fell upon the draped objects. "I am kinda curious about your merchandise, but I don't know where it is."

"Ha, the real merchandise is behind these curtains. They're all paintings," The old merchant replied, "The drapes are there to protect them. I am a curator of the old arts, the things our people are no longer able to create."

"Wow, I am rather a fine collection of paintings as well. What kind of artwork do you have?"

The old man pressed his foot down on a strange stone block that was out of place in the ground as the curtains opened up behind him. Anna looked past and was delighted to see paintings, but almost all of them were depictions of battles or the aftermath of them. It was too dark to see them all, but he pulled on a strange metallic string that lit up a glass piece residing over them. "Here you go. What do you think?"

Out of the many, there was one that seemed to resonate with her as she saw the cheerfulness of men raising their weapons to the skies and tossing their hats in the air. Some of the soldiers were on horseback who managed to bring their sabres up high. "Why are they all celebrating?"

He turned around and recognized what she was talking about. "That one? Ah, it was a great victory at a battle in a war that was ages ago."

"So who made it?" She wondered, curious about the origins of the paintings.

"I don't know, but my son goes up stalking just to find these pieces. Of course, the Kshatriya has to do their meticulous cleaning to make sure that it is safe for viewing."

A loud laugh echoed from the corner as Anna turned her head to the left and saw five men in rags that matched a color scheme. "Hey, grandpa, what's with the pretty girl? Thanks for finding someone with enough cartridges around these parts." Some had strange markings on their arms and their shaved heads were enough to tell that they were a gang.

Anna felt her hand get grabbed and the old man looking up at her. "Girl, you better get out of here. These are bad people."

"What did you say about us? C'mon, guys, let's tear this guy a new one and fetch her bullets."

The princess did what the old man said and fled the area. She looked over her shoulder to see that the group pulled out metal clubs from their pockets and attacked the innocent bystander for a moment. Then they began to chase after her. Knowing that she was in complete danger, Anna did her best to lose her pursuers by turning corners when possible. Each time she ran around a corner, it almost felt like she had a chance to escape and find safety with her sister.

A body stepped out in front of her and her speed was too much to stop. She smacked into someone as both tumbled onto the ground in surprise. The man was wearing a greatcoat and a peaked cap, almost similar to the ones she saw by the platforms. The difference was that he had a lot more red-themed colors on his clothes. He expressed his annoyance. "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry." She apologized until she heard the trample of shoes behind her. Anna was quick to get onto her feet and immediately sprinted away as she looked back to see the bystander become confused at the sight of her pursuers.

When she turned around the corner, the princess found out that she was in a dead-end. All she found was a river where the bottom could not be seen. Footsteps came at her from behind, only to see the smirking faces of the shaved men walking towards her like a pack to its prey. "Nowhere to run."

"I don't want any trouble." Anna protested against her pursuers.

One of the men chuckled. "Someone this pretty must have a lot of makeup and if they have a lot of makeup then they have a lot of money."

She was trapped and helpless in her situation. Now she wondered if she would have stayed with her sister instead of getting herself in trouble. Somehow, she found comfort in seeing the man she ran into earlier, sneaking up on the group from behind. This time, his unbuttoned greatcoat resting on his shoulders. "Of course, it had to be this garbage."

Their attention on her dropped as they turned around with the metal clubs in hand. "Who the fuck are you?!"

His hands were hiding behind his greatcoat as if he was reaching for something. "Someone that wouldn't concern the likes of you. Now leave the girl alone."

"We will once we're finished with her."

"It's one thing to have a fun time with comrades, but this sick shit isn't it. You will not lay a finger on her."

One of the men noted his sentence. "Comrade… you're a fucking commie. Aren't you the sort who will usually agree to share shit with other people, including money?"

"I am allowing you to live, but if you refuse to listen then I will put a bullet in each of you."

"He doesn't have a gun." Another commented, "Let's beat the shit out of this dumbass."

The group slowly approached him with their weapons.

"Fuck-"

Before those words ever had a chance to finish, Anna witnessed the stranger brandish a strange weapon from his coat. From one hand alone, she heard five squeezing clicks that were unimpressive to the naked eye. However, bodies slumped to the ground into lifeless positions with small holes in their heads as the man brought his weapon back underneath his coat. He stepped forward, his boots avoiding contact with the dead. "Are you alright?"

She didn't have any ounce of courage to talk back before the princess looked at him to see genuine care in his eyes. "I-I…"

He nodded his head. "I am sorry you had to see that. Polis is not usually that violent, but now and then scumbags like them still manage to get through."

"Why did you help me?"

"Is it wrong not to help someone who is clearly in trouble?" He countered before taking off his peaked cap, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Major Morozov of the Red Line, but you may call me Pavel."

She made a reluctant nod. "Anna… I am Anna, princess of Arendelle."

His eyes perked up at her title. "You are part of the delegation. How did you get lost?"

The princess recollected her thoughts. "There was a merchant with interesting paintings, but those people showed up."

"Come with me then, I'll help you find your people."

The meeting between the Council and the Arendellian delegation had to be postponed now that Princess Anna was found missing. Truly, it was a mess that Artyom wanted to help with, but his handling of the Dark Ones had come into question. Colonel Miller sat across from him in his office, eyes filled with painful disappointment. There was much effort put into the destruction of the mutants and it was all undermined by the man who also pointed out the threat. "You are lucky that Hunter trusted you. If it was not for him, I would have put you in front of a firing squad for putting the whole Metro in jeopardy. How do we know they're not preparing for another strike?"

The young man raised his head to confront the colonel about the issue. He was reminded of the events of Ostankino, where he mortally wounded the Dark One with the revolver that Hunter handed to him. Then he remembered the moment when he had the decision to put the target designator down, only to feel a strange power force him off the tower and bring him into the world where Arendelle resided. "Next time, I won't hesitate."

"What?" Asked the puzzled colonel, "How can I be assured that you are not compromised by those creatures and under their control?"

Artyom recalled that time when they lurked into his mind and he fought against their power. "I am not under their control, because I fought against it?"

He leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest as he expressed his skepticism on his weathered face. "How?"

"I… I have a watered-down version of their power," He answered and was ready to tell the story that dated long before his home station was attacked, "When they looked into my mind, they showed me a glimpse of my memory. I would have been another lost child in the Metro if they did not rescue me."

Colonel Miller was shocked at the revelation. The knowledge about the young man's deep connection was clearly beyond what he was expecting. "You mean to say that you knew about them long before they attacked them?"

"Yes, but I was a child back then. It's still hard to remember anything back in those days. Not even my past encounter had crossed my mind when I came to you because it was just too distant. It was not until Ostankino when they showed it to me."

"Then how can you explain the deaths? I have been to your station, Artyom," He pointed out, "Yes, the presence of the Dark Ones have diminished after Ostankino, but do you think they are going to keep their end of the bargain?"

He shot back a hard glare at the older and experienced man. "Yes. After all, I am the only one who understands them and if you gave the word to destroy them by any means necessary, they may not survive it."

The colonel let out a deep breath and lowered his head. "Do you trust them that much?"

"Yes. I genuinely think they're trying to help us."

"I am putting you under probation."

Artyom stood up from his seat in disbelief. "What did I do?"

He rose from his wooden chair, "What is said in this room will remain here until I think of what I can do with this information. That is what I will do in the meantime," He pointed his finger at him, "You? It would be a great opportunity to tell Sukhoi that his boy is alive and returning home. Artyom, you're a good person and I think it would be preferable that you returned home as a hero to your station than getting caught up in the bureaucracy of Polis."

It was surprising that the colonel was still capable of helping him even when his hands were tied. No matter how dire the situation became, Miller was still able to do something about it. Yet, Artyom remembered the princess and her powers. Although she seemed to be handling it better than before, he somehow felt like he was obligated to help her even though he had gotten his ticket home.

"I thought you would be happy to know that you're heading back home," Mel'nik commented before he continued, "Do you have something on your mind? Any additional details that could be addressed?"

The young man nodded his head. "Yes. Princess Elsa… she has a certain issue that requires my help. I cannot go home and remain there forever. Somehow, I think she needs me."

"What kind of problem are we talking about here?"

How could he put this? "You know how I have powers that can communicate with a Dark One?"

"Yes."

"Well, the princess of Arendelle has ice magic."

His eyes were as wide as plates. "Excuse me? Did I hear that right? Did you just say that the most important person in the delegation has ice magic?"

"Pretty much," Artyom answered, "She is a bit fearful in showing it, but I have seen it with my own eyes. She could bring one hell of a storm if she wanted."

The desk phone began to ring as the colonel immediately halted the conversation and grabbed it. "Spartan Commander, here. What is it?" The conversation was difficult to hear as Artyom waited for the colonel's response. "She's here? Okay, I'll be there."

When he was finished, he put the phone down. Artyom couldn't help but ask. "What was that all about?"

"The sister has returned, but in the company of a communist officer. I am glad that she is alright."

"So what happens now?'

He grimaced at the situation, "We will worry about it once we are finished talking with the Council," Then his eyes began to glance at the stalker's side, noting the object hanging from his belt, "You have a genuine sword, where did you get that?"

Artyom looked down at the sheathed blade and smiled. "In Arendelle, I saved a blacksmith's pet. He made a cavalry sword for me as a way to repay the deed."

"Wow. All you need is a horse and you would be in the modern Red Cavalry," Said the colonel in a joking manner, "It's a pity that you are not in the military."

He wondered, curious about the man's insights. "Why is that?"

"A sword is a great distinction for an officer and gentlemen. Keep that saber close, I wouldn't want to lose craftsmanship that defines a man's honor."

The Arendellian had found themselves approaching these great halls. Unlike her earlier impressions of the station, this place was brightly lit and clean with red drapes hanging over. On both sides of the room, Elsa noticed that each pillar had a staunch guard standing there with their weapon slung over their shoulder. Here, the scene reminded her of the halls of her castle as Grandpabbie walked across the flat floor with curiosity.

The troll was genuinely curious at what he was standing on. "This is surprisingly smooth for something man-made." Yet, his presence occassionaly earned the attention of a guard before he returned to his duties.

Elsa heard quick footsteps as she turned around to see her sister walk through the door with Colonel Miller coming in from behind. "Anna, what happened to you?"

She smiled. "I got lost, but someone managed to help me get back to you. Sorry about."

The crown princess wanted to berate her sibling, but she couldn't get mad at someone who genuinely looks for trouble. "It's okay as long as you are alright. At least I have you to ease the tension.'

"Are you afraid?"

The colonel walked in front of them as he grabbed the attention of the group. "Is everyone ready for the meeting?"

Kai was quick to raise a hand and speak. "I know this might be a bit late to ask, but are there any proper protocols and formalities for highness to address?"

"No," He shook his head, "The Council is very busy with the matters of the Metro and discussion about Novosibirsk Metro. Time is a valuable commodity to them so they will be blunt and upfront with you. It may be a bit intimidating at first glance, but they are understanding. What I will tell you is that on the left side of the room is the civilian leadership who are made up of scientists and administrators while the right side is the military leadership is made up of officers and generals."

"In your case, what role do you have in these meetings? It seems like you are an important enough to show up in those doors behind you."

The bearded commander nodd his head. "Think of me as a sergeant-at-arms. I just make sure that the councilors do not start pulling up their sleeves and getting into fights."

"Ah," The head servant understood what he meant, "You maintain the peace inside. Is there anything else we need to know."

"Not that I am aware of. Is everyone ready?"

Elsa let out a breath. "I am a bit afraid, but I am ready to meet them in person."

He smiled at her confidence. "That's the spirit," Then he turned around and walked towards to the two doors in front of him as the party followed after him. The guards in front of the doors had saluted the colonel's presence before he spoke, "Council business, at ease."

The two heavily armored guards had grabbed the door knobs and pushed it open, revealing a rather golden light inside. As the delegation proceeded into the meeting, Elsa looked inside to see a room full of men wearing humble clothing to noticable apparal. Some worn clean uniforms while others were covered in dirtied jackets. On the far side of the chambers, a man was standing behind a desk with a gavel in hand.

She heard the doors behind her slam shut as the colonel's voice became the catalyst of what was to come. "The meeting commences."