The Àrnadalr Experiment story

Princess Anna was skipping down the halls, quite proud of herself for having snuck out of her lessons, when she first heard the strange voice. It wasn't her mother, that was certain. It was deeper, thicker, but not necessarily masculine. It was quite... well, she didn't actually know what to make of it. There was something about it that she liked. Walking towards it, another voice entered the fray. Her mother 's. The Queen's. Anna grinned and ran inside one of the rooms, following the sickly-sweet sound. Her mother didn't notice her as she peered around the door, for her attention was on a large screen on the wall. Anna cocked her head, curiosity completely clouding her now. The other, strange voice, sounded again, and Anna noticed it was coming from a recoding device, playing in the middle of the table.

"Please, no," the voice begged. "Not- make sure it doesn't hurt her, and I'll do it."

Anna let out a small gasp and covered her ears. The lady sounded like she was in pain! The queen didn't hear her, her attention still on the screen and talking into a tele-communicator on her wrist in an undertone. Anna moved around inside the room a little more, glancing at the wall.

There was a profile being displayed, of a girl of about 8 or 9—only a year or so older than herself, Anna presumed. The profile was in a strange language, looking similar to that of New English Anna had been learning from her Mother, but not quite. It was thicker, more archaic if she really thought about it.

Of course, she wasn't thinking about it. She was looking at the girl with mild fascination.

After all, she had never seen another little girl before.

This girl was wearing a completely neutral expression, her large eyes impossibly blue. They seemed to stare out at Anna, and the girl cowered slightly. She tugged nervously on her braid, flicking the end up until the pale streak came into vision. This girl, the other one, she had pale hair too, but it was different. It wasn't an impossibly white colour—it looked thick and alive, even when pulled into a tight French braid and strung over her shoulder.

Anna let out a little sigh of awe, and this time, the Queen did hear her. Turning around, she swiftly turned the television off.

"Anna!" she cried. "What are you doing in here?"

Anna ran up to her mother, who picked her up. With the same colour hair, the same constellations of freckles on their faces, the two were the spitting image of each other—identical as a carbon copy. Anna smiled.

"I heard a funny voice," she said. "Is that lady okay?" She pointed to the recorder on the table. The Queen gave a small smile.

"Yes, she's okay. We were able to find her in time." Anna nodded slowly. The Queen continued. "Even so, Anna, you shouldn't be in here. You have lessons." This time, the nod was sad.

"Okay, Mommy," she said. She slid down to the floor, biting her lip with the other girl still stuck in her mind. Taking the Queen's hand, she waited for her mother to collect something before gently leading her back to the lesson.

Pausing just outside the door, she looked up at her mother, curiosity once again present. Biting her lip, she waited for the Queen to kneel down to ask her what the matter was.

"Who is the other girl? She looks nice."

Anna missed the way her mother frowned slightly, and it was gone by the time she would have caught it. The queen sighed softly and pulled a flat, glossy object from the small pile of items she had brought with her. Handing the item to Anna, her lips quirked as the little girl took it, eyes raking over it furiously.

"That, my dear, is a photograph. Now, be careful with it; they are very rare now."

Anna nodded, not really understanding. She held it up to her mother, pointing. "But, who's the little girl?" she asked, frowning softly.

"If I tell you, you have to promise to go back to your lessons and not run away again. Okay?" Anna smiled and nodded.

"Her name is Elsa, and we've been looking for her for many years. She's... special, Anna. Just like you."

"How so?" The innocent question did not have such an innocent answer, and the Queen paused. Reaching out, she picked Anna's braid up and ran a finger over the streak of white.

[/]

04:35, December 23, 2014 (UTC)

Ten years later...

04:35, December 23, 2014 (UTC)

It was late by the time Elsa dragged herself home, exhaustion seeping from her fingertips, thick bruises below her eyes.

She completely ignored the small mirror hanging in the hallway, unable to meet her reflection's gaze even if she had the presence of mind. There'd be no comfort there, anyway.

Four hundred and fifty-seven.

Taking a steadying breath, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, swallowing the bile that worked its way up her throat.. Giving herself a few moments to breathe, Elsa slowly made her way to the small bathroom—barely large enough for the myriad of items it contained. Stripping off the jumpsuit and her gloves, she threw them the cycler, letting the machine figure our exactly how long it should scrub the items for.

Letting the water wash over her nude form, Elsa tried to think of anything but that night. How glad she was she had upgraded her suit and gloves so that the electrics cut off as soon as it was away from her—admittedly cool—body heat. Maybe the dual-battery she had installed to store the extra kinetic energy she created. The fact that Kristoff would be waiting with a warm mug of chocolate, taken from the cupboard of number four hundred and thirty-two.

Sighing, Elsa knew is was fruitless. She had known it would be, trying to keep her mind off what had transpired that evening, but, as always, it was impossible.

Number four hundred and fifty-seven. Twenty-six year old father of two. Wife died earlier that year of an aneurism, leaving him to raise the girls on his own, and Elsa... in the search for her own dream, she'd destroyed others'. There was nothing for her to take solace in. One more Scientist down, but at the ultimate price. She hadn't meant to kill them all. That was a rabbit hole Elsa did not want to travel down that night. Shaking herself, she forced her mind away, focussing on the rivulets of water cleansing her. She shut her eyes to the sight of red, taking extra care to wash all traces of blood from her hair and body. The smell of iron was acrid in her nose, potent enough to taste.

She could have done it clean. No mess. No evidence. That was her way. But, it doesn't always work like that. Her employers wanted something else.

Send a message, they said. ''The middle of the night. His children's room is such an awful shade of beige. Rectify that.''

Jolting her eyes open, she stumbled towards the toilet, oblivious to the way the shower had stopped running. Not seeing the frost that had begun to coat the corners of the cubicle. All she could think about was the way the bile stampeded up her throat, choking her.

When she was done, she was a sopping, shivering mess on the floor.

Nothing new.

After mentally preparing herself, she managed to get back to the shower to make final rinses and turn off the water. The washer had finished with her clothes, but Elsa couldn't force herself into the same suit. Instead, she grabbed the gloves and made her way to her room, slipping into an older-model outfit.

This one was a little loose, and she knew she'd have to ask Kristoff to take it in, but for now, she was enjoying the less restricted feel of the material. Her gloves were another matter, of course, but by now, after so many years, she felt more naked without them on than with anything else.

Quickly tying her hair back in a messy braid, she looked around her apartment. Taking a breath, she knew she'd have to find somewhere else to stay, soon. It had already been three years, and the neighbours were starting to give her strange looks. Late nights and early mornings. Never saying a word, not interacting with any of them. The blank face.

Sighing, she let her features fall into the schooled expression of mild disinterest she always wore. The sobbing mess from earlier was gone, and she left the apartment with the memories of the night firmly locked behind the walls of her mind.

Time to enter the real world. Time to harden up.

Kristoff smiled at her when she walked in. A mess of blond hair atop smooth skin and large jaw, Kristoff was the single good constant in her life. She held her head up high as the door shut behind her, the automatic locking system clicking into place. All around her, the building hummed with life, blinking lights and whirring fan.

"Hey, Ice Queen!" he announced jovially when she walked in. Aside from being assaulted by his far-too-cheerful mood, she was also set upon by the resident pet—a pygmy reindeer named Sven. She brushed him away after a few beats, turning to look at Kristoff as the animal went back to his bed and lay down.

"Any problems?" she asked, as always. Kristoff shook his head, eyes sweeping over the numerous monitors.

"The filtering system went offline for a few ticks, but the back-up generator did its job. I lost you for a moment in the living room when the guy's Sentinel did a sweep, but I picked it up again when you got near the stairs."

Elsa nodded, a lump having formed in her throat not long into Kristoff's answer. She almost didn't hear him voice his own question, and it took a soft cough for her to look back and realise he was talking to her.

"Any problems?" The repetition of her question from earlier almost gave her pause. Kristoff knew something was up—he couldn't not. Each heartbeat, each breath—each and every movement of each and every cell, it all filtered through the Impulse in her head and through her suit and to at least four of the screens he had. He knew exactly what had occurred, and it was only through sheer luck that Elsa had removed the suit before breaking down.

No one was allowed to see her in such a state. It wasn't right.

She didn't answer him; she sat down in the spare chair saved for her. "What's next?" she asked, ignoring the soft groan of exasperation he let out at the classic evasive technique.

"Look, Elsa," he told her softly. Her eyes met his for the briefest moment, her name still hovering in the air between them, but he stopped her from saying a word purely because of the strange look of sympathy in his eyes.

"Elsa," he said again, and she couldn't really begrudge the use of her name. If he was the only one who could call her that, she really had no right to complain when he did. "I think, and Sven agrees, that you need some time away. You need to... find yourself again. There's more to life than this business."

She didn't look at him. Shaking her head, her eyes rested on her gloved hands, fingers flexing. "This business is my life, and it will be until I'm done. You know that, Kristoff."

He swallowed, but choose not to say anything. Instead, he turned back to the monitors, minimising Elsa's stats and pulling up a new file.

"I got a message tonight. It was for you, but I had to open it on the offline network when my security couldn't decrypt it."

Elsa perked up a little, and the wry grin she shot at Kristoff had him scowling. "What, your precious bugs couldn't worm their way inside a simple ER-serve?" she jabbed, face lighting up in what could only be called a sadistic grin. Kristoff harrumphed and crossed his arms.

"They could have!" he argued, albeit feebly. "It just would have taken too long. The details that I could get to did a fine job of convincing me—and Sven—that this was pretty urgent."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Why, was there a skull and crossbones on the projection?" she scoffed. Kristoff smiled and brought up the projection. Elsa's eyes widened, and though the sight told her everything she needed to know, Kristoff still felt the need to elaborate.

"You read that correctly, Ice Queen," he said. "OLAF wants to talk to you."

Elsa didn't bother going home. She was too excited to bother going back there that night, and it was nice being around someone alive and kicking.

Finally, what she had been working towards her entire life.

Kristoff pulled out a pile of blankets and set them up in the corner—her usual spot.

"Hey, Els," he began as she began undressing. "What do you know of OLAF?" He didn't bother to avert his eyes; many years of the same routine had led to a complete lack of shame between each other. Elsa generally didn't care—it had taken Kristoff longer to get used to the routine.

She had, however, paused when he asked her the question, and cocked her head, thinking.

"The same as you, really," she replied after a moment. "I knew that they had the power to get the information I needed, but I don't know how they do it."

Kristoff was silent a moment. "Why have you never joined them?"

Elsa let out a dry laugh at that. "Because then they'd own me, and I'm not going to let that happen." Kristoff scratched his head.

"What, like jobs? Elsa, what difference does it make where you get your missions from? At least with them, you might actually get paid something."

"It's not worth anything! They would have to power to make me steal from someone who might not have the money for themselves. They could make me kill someone who didn't need to be killed-"

"What, like children?" he interrupted. Elsa paled and narrowed her eyes at him. "I just mean that they could provide security. Take out any threats and give you a straight shot to the target."

Elsa growled. "It's still not worth it," she hissed, sitting down on the blankets and turning her back on him. Kristoff let out a small sign

04:35, December 23, 2014 (UTC) The lights went out as Kristoff sunk into his own bed. Elsa 04:35, December 23, 2014 (UTC)

Elsa snuck through the shadows, body pressed deep into the walls of one of the many abandoned buildings in Arendelle. Looking into the distance, she could see the bright glow of the city, calling her like a siren song, as it always did. She hated the city, loathed it with a passion. Heaving a short growl, she turned from the beckoning lights and made her way further into the debris.

There was a sudden noise from her left, and she froze. A figure stepped out into the pale light of the city and stars, smiling at her.

"We've been waiting for you, Ice Queen," he said. "Follow me."

Elsa gave a swift nod, all business. This was why she was here; a job.

The difference between this job and all the others was that this was the only one she wanted to do.

The stranger led her through the rubble, never stumbling or faulting. Elsa could still feel the pull of the city—it did not want to let her go—but was able to at least partially ignore it by studying the person leading her.

Sex: male. Age: twenty-three or twenty-four, provided he was not like her. Slight limp in his left leg, likely from sustaining trauma to the knee, judging from the way he limped. Yes, it certainly wasn't a hip-related injury. He likely lived in or moved through the area often, knowing which sections were safe.

Eventually, they halted outside a dilapidated hut, nothing remarkable about it at all. It had taken almost an hour through the wreckage to get here, and Elsa, as much as she didn't want to admit it, knew that she never would have found the house without her guide. He indicated that she should enter, and she offered another stiff nod, not bothering to vocalise her thanks. They didn't care, after all. She was here for a job.

Upon entering the house, it took her a moment to get used to the lack of light. It wasn't especially bright outside, but it was positively pitch inside. There was a faint smell of flowers, and she took a silent, appreciative smell, before schooling her features. It wouldn't do to show her employers how relieved she was to finally get this assignment.

Soon, her eyes had grown used to the light (or lack thereof), and she took a step forward, boots echoing confidently around what appeared to be a hallway. There was a flicker of light at the end, and she began making her way forward. Even now, after so many years, she still felt the exhilarated beat of her heart. There was a noise at the end, and her gloved hand clenched in excitement.

Of course, non of this showed on her face, and there was a collective gasp as finally she made it to the end and stood in the licking light of a single candle.

"Ice Queen. You're late," one voice said. It was of an old, wizened man, and she immediately recognised him as a regular employer.

"Duke," she replied, inclining her head nowhere near enough to indicate the proper respect he could demand from her. As she expected, he was livid by her callous greeting, half-expecting her to apologise profusely or not say anything after all. They had never met face-to-face, and Elsa almost regretted that she had to do so now. But, she didn't because this job was worth more than her own life. Waiting for this job... it was her life.

Elsa first came under the attention of the Duke after the War Revival Movement, a plan that had, foreseeably, gone horribly wrong for everyone involved. As much as Elsa agreed with the sentiment—overthrow the Queen and enter a new state of anarchy. All that jazz—she had to put a stop to it. After all, it wouldn't have worked, and she needed to find her own way to dethrone the Queen.

A light cough sounded, pushing her from her memories. Elsa looked towards that person who had done it, face blank.

"Hans, I presume," she said. He nodded to her.

"Ice Queen. Thank you for joining us."

[/]

She sat in the only empty chair, obviously there for her. She felt the eyes of everyone on her, but she didn't care. She only had eyes for one person, and he was currently holding out an info-key for her to take. It was tiny, barely larger than the ctrl key from one of the antiquated, highly sought-after physical keyboards. Her heart sunk a little at the sight, but of course, none of this showed on her face. She had expected an entire box, not a little key. She glanced between the key and Hans before taking it and setting it flat in the middle of her palm. She waited patiently for the chip inside her hand to locate the electro-magnetic signal, fully aware of her blue gloves and they way they always interfered. Closing her eyes as the info-key finally connected, she let her mind wander through the information contained within.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes, pulling the key off her hand and giving it back to Hans. She kept her gaze neutral as she opened her mouth to speak. "I have already accepted the job," she said, voce loud and clear. "I need more information, Hans."

His nod appeared thoughtful, and he didn't let his gaze slip from hers as he waved away the other men. Soon, it was just the two of them in silence, and Elsa couldn't help but appreciate the peace.

"What do you know of our organisation?" Hans asked. It was not what she expected him to say, but there was no harm in answering.

"A lot." He didn't make a move and she continued. "OLAF, or Organisation for Liberty and Freedom, is a guerrilla group that first came to light during the 2598 Himalayan Conflict. Their work prevented the loss of the Rohtang Pass, an important route for smaller rebel factions. Eventually, these groups banded together and almost tripled the size of the organisation. For the last four years, it's been run by you, after the previous leader was killed in conflict."

Hans nodded once more. "All correct. You have a very good knowledge of our supposedly secret history. The Himalayan Conflict was forty-seven years ago, almost to the day. How old are you, Ice Queen?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Scare tactics don't work, I hope you realise."

Hans smirked, an expression that she was very familiar with. "I am not attempting to scare you," he told her. "I just need you to be aware that I have a rather extensive knowledge too." Elsa's jaw was set; she refused to take the bait. Hans didn't need her to.

"Here is the information you need," he said, handing her an info-box. It was large enough to store at least half a dozen keys, and she took it without a word. "You may go now. Contact me again when you're ready to commit to the plan.You have a week."

With a stiff nod, Elsa collected herself and left.

The city hadn't stopped singing to her.

[/]

The box was placed in the centre of the table when Elsa got home. Her small—impossibly small—kitchenette housed the food de- and re-hydrator, plus the wrapper she had gotten for a steal some twelve years ago to help preserve the food if she was travelling anywhere for long periods of time. It, like everything she had bought, had proven its worth ten times over.

She mused on this because she didn't want to think of the little box sitting innocently on her multi-purpose table.

She swallowed thickly, staring at the box. This is what her entire life has been building up to, if she were completely honest with herself. Not having OLAF contact her—that was just an incidental thing. Not having the information, because she didn't need it. It was the chance that she had never before had.

Scoffing to herself, she moved forward, picking up the box. Upon opening it, she realised she was right; there were six info-keys, fitting snugly into the container. They were unlabelled, but then again, Elsa didn't expect them to be.

Picking up one, she didn't hesitate in putting it in her palm, sucking a breath. It took a few moments to load up, and she smiled slightly. The longer it took to load, the more complex the file was. More security, and more information.

Of course, the expression completely dropped when the information appeared.

Using an info-key wasn't like the old simulators that some collectors had managed to salvage. It was more like walking through a thick, dark forest of feelings and emotions and memories. Sometimes, the information was clear; other times, it was like wading through a fog so dense you could barely breath. It all depended on the mind of the person who had created the key in the first place.

Elsa found herself suffocating in the information, but it wasn't by the way it was delivered; on the contrary, this was almost.... clinical. Easy to read and understand, her brain absorbed the details as though they were her own memories, because, in a way, they were.

He hadn't given her information on the target. He had given her information on herself. He knew who she was.

"Find out who created this key."

Kristoff sat up sharply at Elsa's unexpected arrival, banging his head on the underside of his desk. Elsa looked at him, unrepentant as he rubbed the sore spot.

"Owww," he hissed, frowning. "Could you please not do that while I'm tuning? ...Elsa?"

Elsa didn't say anything. She was holding out a box, but that wasn't wait made him pause. The Ice Queen, immune to fleeting emotions such as fear, was shaking where she stood, left arm wrapped tightly around her middle. He recognised the movement from his younger days.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" he asked, standing up and approaching her. She shook her said, refusing to say anything else. The box dangled precariously on the edge of her grip, and he took it from her so she wouldn't break it.

"What's in the box, Elsa?" He watched as she swallowed, blinking slowly. Taking a deep breath through her nose, he could see her struggling to keep herself together until finally, she uttered two words.

"They know."

Suddenly, Kristoff's blood was like ice. He flung himself backward as though burned, not bothering to open the box and remove the individual keys. Instead, he placed it on a circular pad on his desk. The lid flung open itself as the signal from his computer reached it. The keys inside rattled slightly, and reordered themselves in a pattern that was incomprehensible to Elsa.

She stood in the corner of the room whilst Kristoff did his work. She must have dozed off or gone into shock, and Kristoff must have had a word with Sven, because she she came back to herself, she had sunk to the floor, the pygmy reindeer's heavy head resting in her lad. She idly stroked him while Kristoff had a look inside each key, occasionally making notes. He was one of the lucky few who had managed to find a mechanical keyboard, and he refused to go back to the holographic ones after realising that the mechanical ones couldn't be hacked.

Elsa knew that thinking of the trivialities of the small workspace was merely a coping technique, but she didn't care, either. She didn't want to think about how she had been compromised. It wasn't a matter of 'whom'; the only person who knew of her (well, prior to that evening) was Kristoff, and to betray her, to him, would be on par with cutting off a limb or wearing a tinfoil hat.

He wouldn't do it.

It must have been hours, and she most definitely fell asleep if the cramps in her sides were anything to go by, before he finished looking at all six keys. Kristoff woke her up by collapsing next to her, and Elsa realised that he hadn't had much sleep during her last engagement either—too busy monitoring her.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," he mumbled against her shoulder. Sven sat up and trundled over to Kristoff, braying quietly. "I don't know who did it. All I know is that it's a copy and you're the only one to view that set."

Elsa frowned, though it wasn't one of anger. She closed her eyes, no longer feeling the need to fight off sleep, as she knew Kristoff was. "They know, Kris," she murmured, letting her face fall into its usual blankness. "They know about me and I know nothing about them."

"They-" he yawned, pausing a moment, "they dunno 'bout all've it..." Elsa couldn't help but quirk the slight smile that came to her face at him. She didn't want to think of the words—she would have to look at all of them before that could happen—and so she stood up, tugging Kristoff to his desk.

"Come on," she said. "Bedtime."

He was much easier to handle as she said those words, and within a few moments, the floor beneath his desk had rolled away to reveal a small 1x4m hole, padded with cushions around the entire thing. Elsa helped lower him into it, but he caught her hand before she could pull away.

"You wan' stay here t'night?" he offered, unable to open his tired eyes to meet hers. The same smile that appeared on Elsa's face earlier came back, but it was really just an echo of the last one.

"No, I should go back," she said, fully aware that he didn't need any justification. He gave a nod regardless, and within a few ticks, she had put the info-keys back into the box and picked them up, making her way to the door. She didn't bother saying a farewel1l—Kristoff was already snoring.

Making her way back to her small apartment, Elsa let the subtle glow of Arendelle city, barely 30 miles away, wash over her. It was singing again, and she had to force her head down to stop herself from looking at it.

It was getting worse. She would be okay as soon as she got home, but to do that, she had to actually get home. She almost regretted not taking Kristoff up on his offer, but she just wanted her own bed tonight.

That thought was enough to keep her going as she wandered through the maze of buildings that made up the slums of Corona, her home. Once a flourishing kingdom, it suffered at the hands of the Scientists and Insurgents during the first War of 2389. The second war that year completely destroyed it, and the entire population was lost. Now, only the desperate lived there, and Elsa was nothing if not desperate.

When she finally made it home, she stripped from her clothes. The tight outfit made her feel safe on the job, but here, at home, it just made her feel trapped.

Her bed was cool and inviting, and the emotional day had sapped her of all her energy. Only 24 hours ago she had killed someone—four hundred and fifty-seven—

[/]

Once more, Hans nodded. "I know. It is not my intention to scare you, Queen," he said, turning away. When he reappeared, he had another file in his hands. Elsa could barely stop the small sigh of relief. So they did have information she needed. Wordlessly, he handed it to her. If she were smiling, it would have been wiped from her face.

Upon opening the file, the stack of papers hidden inside were not the ones she wanted. They were papers she was familiar—too familiar—with. Slamming the folder shut, she stood.

"If this is not a scare tactic," she hissed, "I don't know what is."

Hans shrugged. "I think the information on you, dear, is far more valuable. Take a read and tell me how much we got wrong; or, right, if that be the case."

Elsa almost allowed a scowl to poison her features, but she managed to hold back. He didn't deserve any expression from her.

Reopening the folder, Elsa allowed herself to take in the information. Pictures and names and dates that were correct and, until now, had been known only to her and one other person. One person who would not, under any circumstances, have released it.

"How did you get this?" she finally asked. "Why do you have this and not information on the target!"

Hans didn't smile. He cocked his head and took a breath. "I needed someone who would be able to complete the job," he told her. "Only you have the abilities, Elsa."

She scoffed. "Don't you claim to know what I can do," she seethed. Hans put his hands up in a placating gesture.

"How many is it now? Four hundred? Five? You have the skill. You've been around long enough to know, Elsa. This is what you've been wanting, isn't it?"

She glared at him, mouth set in a thin line. The corners of her eyes crinkled tightly, but each movement was so subtle she doubted he noticed them anyway.

"When do we start?"

The planning that had to go into the mission was... extensive, to say the least. Hans only knew of one power; she wasn't about to reveal to him her other secret. So, instead of having his Electrics make her a suit, she had him send her the designs they were using, before passing them along to Kristoff.

"Fucking 'Trics," he said when she gave him the blueprints. "Look at this! You don't need the secondary hard-drive when the motherboard is connected directly to the ____."

Elsa had no idea what he was talking about, and didn't feel the need to tell Hans of the corrections he was making.

She hadn't expected the brand new pair of gloves to go with it.

Both outfits were a bright shade of blue that seemed to radiate a light of their own. Slipping into the material, it fit snuggly over her body but wasn't tight. She knew she was wearing it, but it was comfortable and soft and warm. Kristoff sat back in his chair, looking up and down her proudly.

"The whole suit is made of that ____ material. I found someone who could double-weave it so it's thicker and stronger. Unless your opponent has a samurai sword or a WMD, you're gonna be fine. I've also connected your gloves so the heat from the suit will be transferred to your hands. It might stop that freezing issue and keep the fingers flexible.

Elsa smiled at him. "Thank you, Kristoff," she said. "You didn't have to go to so much trouble."

He waved her off with a smile. "You're worth it, Elsa," he said. "And so is this goal. I want to help however I can. Come see me before you go and I'll update your Impulse."

She gave him a nod before leaving, heading towards the rendezvous.

Elsa heaved a sigh as she approached the gates of the Castle.

Ominous spires and light filtering from every crevice, she took a moment to take in the sight. She had never been this close before, and now she was here, she didn't know what to think. After all, she hadn't really expected to ever get this far, either.

Swallowing thickly, she moved out of the light. The sentinels marching across the grounds were an older There were no guards around, but she didn't completely trust Hans and his ability to get into the security network Something still bothered her about him, and it wasn't because of how forthcoming he had been. It was about how reserved he was in other aspects. The same questions kept bouncing around her head; why her? Why did he need her to do it so bad? Surely there were other people? And, regardless, what was his endgame? Why did he want it done? After all, to most people, the Queen had been nothing but a saviour. Too bad they didn't remember. Not like her. She couldn't forget if she tried.

Steeling herself, she pushed the unpleasant thoughts form her mind. They weren't something she wanted or needed to entertain tonight. The rules were clear. Kill the Queen. Get out. Nothing more needed to be done, and she was happy that way.

Of course, getting in there would be another matter entirely. Hans had given her another rundown of the plans, but she hadn't absorbed as much information as she should of. It wasn't her way. She didn't let other people do her scoping for her; they were untrustworthy and usually, she had found, wrong. Giving her wrong cues and times and directs. Absentmindedly, she fingered what would be a silver scar on her hand her she not had her gloves on. A stray breeze blew through the quiet streets, noticed by Elsa but unfelt. She fingered the small vial tucked carefully into her gloves—Kristoff had sewed a special pocket just for it. It was Hans who wanted the poison route, and Elsa didn't know if she was happy or sad about it, if she were completely honest with herself.

She hated the blood. It made her feel sick to her stomach, not because of the sight or smell, but rather the thought that it one day wouldn't affect her. It had already started, she knew, by the way she was able to look

Making a move, she crept forward slowly, eyes and ears picked up to alert her of any movement. Not that she was expecting any, but still.

Down the hall and to the right, Hans had said. ''The East Hall.

She followed his instructions, repeating them in her head over and over again. At the end of the hall, she would find herself in a large room filled with books—real books. Not the scraps that had survived the war, not the info-keys that were only really useful now for weapons manuals and coding. She had tried to look at one Kristoff had made, but she was unable to understand almost all of it and had become hopelessly lost on the information.

Shaking her head, she glanced at the boxes on the walls. Behind them, she knew, resided an e-brain that would keep a guard on the halls. She liked to think of it as a physical security camera—or a robotic security guard. She wondered if anyone alive remembered them like she did.

And that was why she was doing this; to end the war and give countless lives back. It wouldn't do to try anything else.

Taking a deep breath, she walked past the box, releasing it when it didn't wake from its slumber. She was in the clear—Hans had done his job—and now it was time to do hers.

The doors of the library were massive; heavy and ornate oak, the spanned from the floor to the ceiling, and she took a moment to appreciate the architecture. She had never thought she would see such gorgeous craftsmanship, but as aways, she had been proven wrong.

She was a ghost as she walked into the room, dark shadows looming out from the corners. So different to the rest of the castle, this room was thick with lack of light and she stumbled slightly. There was a fire in a mantle a the other end of the room, slightly woody smell permeating her nostrils. Rows upon row of shelves lined the walls and stood in silent salute in the centre of the room. Elsa stood there for a moment, marvelling in awe at the sheer size of it all. If only she could stay in here forever; she would have lifetimes to read all the works and it still wouldn't be enough.

Suddenly, a snore from the other end of the rom permeated the thick air and Elsa jumped. Into the shadow of a shelf, she looked out, not knowing who was there.

The Queen.

Peeking out carefully, she took a deep breath. This was the chance; her opportunity. What she had been waiting for her whole life. There was nothing that could stop her from carrying out her destiny.

Like a cat, she stalked closer, unscrewing the cap of the poison as she approached. She didn't hear the sentinel creeping behind her until she was in front of the Queen, the woman incredibly vulnerable, even with the two silent Sentinels guarding her Elsa didn't smile at the sleeping figure; she was only upset that she wouldn't bear witness to her death.

Assembling a syringe, she dipped the end into the poison, making sure no air remained as she leaned down. She was only millimetres away when something burst from the darkness and enclosed her hand in an iron grip. The syringe fell as Elsa let out a cry and the Queen woke up.

Everything was happening so fast and so slow at the same time. She watched as another hand appeared, catching the needle before it could shatter on the floor. Within seconds, it was pointing directly at her.

This is it, Elsa thought, her mind giving her little options to think anything else. This is how they kill me.

She shut her eyes, fully aware of the Queen scrambling up and away from her. She braced herself for the pain of the poison entering her system, but there was nothing. After a few moments, she opened her eyes to the sight of the Sentinel looking blankly (as though they could look in any other way) at the end of the needle, which was suddenly dripping out all the liquid from within.

Eyes suddenly wide, Elsa grinned. Damn Kristoff; he was too smart for his own good. Enclosing her hand into a fist, she punched out at the Sentinel, relishing the way its metal head collapsed in on itself. The other one—the one that had a grip on her right arm—only tightened further, and Elsa cried out. The pain propelled her on, though. Her body, her blood, was thick and full of adrenaline, and she would use it to her advantage.

Within seconds the other Sentinel had collapsed, and Elsa stood face-to-face with a girl who was the spitting image of, but most definitely not, the Queen.

"Oh, fuck."

The escape out the castle was far more eventful than breaking in. For one, Elsa had managed to alert every single Sentinel by improperly destroying the others' communicators. For the other, she was currently dragging another person behind her who seemed to be extremely identifiable as someone who should not be dragged out of a library by anyone.

She held the Queen-doppelgänger tightly in her grip as she tore through the castle. There was a whole team of Sentinels after her, and she thanked the Gods that at least the girl seemed to be important enough for the Sentinels to avoid trying to attack her through long-range methods. The girl was light and easy to grab. Pulling out a spidey from a pocket, elsa wrapped it around their hands, keeping them connected, and allowing her to focus more fully on getting out with her life.

Never before had she so royally screwed up a mission. Ever. This was the reason why she never had joined OLAF before; too many things could go wrong when you had to rely on other people. If it was just her and Kristoff, that was fine. He could be trusted, and they had a constant communication. This time, she had been relying on the blind faith that everyone had done their own job. A faith that had, obviously, been misplaced.

Rounding a corner, so noticed a door slightly ajar. Running towards it, the girl panting behind her, Elsa shut it softly as soon as they both where inside. It seemed to be a small storage cupboard of some description, but without any lights, and unwilling to activate her Impulse for the Sentinels to hone in on, she wasn't about to see anything.

"What are you doing?" The girl asked. Elsa's eyes widened and she clapped a gloved hand over the girl's lips.

"Shut up!" she hissed. "Or you're going to get us killed."

The girl took a breath and Elsa knew she had gotten the message. Slowly, she lowered her hand.

"What is the best way out of this place," she asked, voice low. The girl shook her head, a motion that could be detected easily in the stillness.

"I don't- I don't know where we are. Please just let me go! Please!"

Elsa slapped her hand over the girl's mouth again, but this time, she was prepared. It had been there for only a few moments before she felt a sharp pain and jerked away.

"Fuck!" she cried, surging forward and pressing her forearm against the girl's neck. She was trapped between the flesh and the wall, and Elsa could feel her quivering. Her hand ached and she could feel the wool of her glove scraping against the new wound. "What the fuck?" she hissed. "You bit me!"

The girl let out a small whimper. "And- and you tried to kill me! What did I ever do to you-"

Elsa cut her off by applying more pressure. "Shut up! You are going to listen to me, now. You're going to direct me out of this place. You're not going to alert anyone, and you're not going to attract any attention."

"I won't do it!"

Elsa frowned, leaning close to the girl's ear.

"You will, or I really will kill you," she whispered. A tremble ran up the girl's spine and she nodded her head. Slowly, Elsa released the pressure and backed up. The girl's free hand went to her throat and Elsa knew that she was terrified. She also knew that the girl probably would try to cry out for help; Elsa had to convince her to help her escape.

Taking a breath, she released the spidey. The light streaming in from under the door illuminated next to nothing, but Elsa could still make out the way the girl's hands moved up to rub at her throat and eyes. "Look, I just need to get out of here. Please."

The girl was silent for a moment before she whispered, "Why are you here?"

Elsa pursed her lips. She needed the girl to trust her and telling her the truth would not help at all. That being said, she didn't want to lie to the girl. She was terrified and if she discovered a ruse (likely from the Sentinels) it would make it even harder to get out. Dammit, and this was supposed to be easy!

... Then again, the plan to get out of here had been 'back the way you came, Ice Queen, because the trail should still be clear'. That didn't happen, and now she was hopelessly lost, relying on the person she believed to be her target to guide the way.

"I got lost," she ended up saying, not quite sure how to phrase it. "I got lost."

The girl nodded for a moment before saying, in a small voice, "I'll help. Just please don't hurt me. Promise me you won't hurt me and I'll do whatever you want."

There was a curdling in Elsa's gut. What if she was wrong and this was the Queen and not just some perverse imitation? There had to be another way. She had to get away with her life but she couldn't let the Queen go. Eyes widening in a sudden realisation, she nodded.

"I swear," she said, "that I won't hurt you."

It seemed to take an age, but eventually, the girl nodded. Opening the door, she stuck her head out, peering closely. After the darkness of the closet, Elsa was blinded by the light. With the constant use of her Impulse, her eyes weren't as adept at compensating for the new conditions. She didn't notice it when the girl looked back at her and paused. Actually, she didn't see her at all, and ended up waking right into her.

"What's wrong?" Elsa whispered. The girl shook her head slightly.

"Nothing," she said, eyes wide and every aspect of her body, from the way she tensed up or the way her eyes searched Elsa's, telling the blonde that 'nothing' was the complete opposite thing to say.

Elsa shook her head. "Come on, then!"

This time, the girl nodded, but her eyes still never left Elsa's. "This way."

Elsa felt her hand being grabbed, and before she had time to prepare, she was being tugged down the hallway in the direction they had come from.

The girl lead her through a labyrinth of rooms and corridors, surprisingly skilled at avoiding the Sentinels. Elsa couldn't keep the intrigued and bemused frown off from her face. It was almost ten minutes later that the girl stopped outside a large ornate door, a brass knocker sitting squarely in the middle. Just looking at it, Elsa knew she'd be able to hock it and perhaps buy her way back into the good books of a few friends whom she had slighted. It would have been worth a small fortune.

"Stay here," the girl said, bending slightly and splaying her hands in a peace offering. Elsa frowned.

"What are you doing? Why are we here?" Elsa demanded. The girl shrunk slightly before saying,

"I just need to check something. It's okay, the Sentinels won't come down this way. Trust me. I know this place. We're almost at the exit, but i just need-"

"Fine, fine," Elsa snapped. "Just don't take too long."

She tapped behind her left ear, kicking the Impulse into gear for a moment. It gave a little spark, not big nor loud enough to alert the Sentinels where she was, but enough to give her the time. Almost midnight. Spirits, she really had to get out of there and home. It wouldn't take long for them to start combing the streets.

The girl had disappeared into the room. Elsa could hear rummaging, and peeked her head in. It was almost pitch black and she could barely see a thing. It didn't take long for the girl to reappear, clutching a small item that was completely unidentifiable to Elsa. The girl stuffed it down the front of her dress before taking Elsa's hand again.

"Come on, this way," she said. The strange visit didn't leave Elsa's mind but it was certainly pushed to the back of it. The hallways were completely silent and it unnerved the blonde_and for good reason.

They rounded a corner, and came face to face with a massive wooden door, intricate carvings nicked into the wood alongside other brass embellishments.

Of course, the beauty of the door was nothing when Elsa noticed the dozen or so Sentinels guarding the front. Suddenly, Elsa wasn't attached to the girl anymore as she let her hands drop and kept running. With a growl, she lunged forward, years and years of athleticism coming to her aid. She was able to grab the girl and pull her flush against her. The girl began struggling but Elsa only held tighter until the red-head cried out in pain.

"You lied to me!" she hissed as the girl began kicking. Manipulating her left hand, she reattached the spidey. The girl gasped and tried to shake it off when suddenly the Sentinels raised their weapons and began to advance. Elsa began backing up when she heard the tell-tale sound of more arriving behind her.

"Shit," she muttered. "God-fucking-dammit."

Twisting in place, turning in circles, she desperately sought after an escape. They were on the second floor, surrounded by

They were surrounded by at least two dozen Sentinels, all out for her blood. They had her face, and soon, they'd probably have her pseudonym, if not her name. Al because the girl in her hands had called for her. And she'd let her.

Elsa's eyes fell on the windows that flanked the foyer. It was thick glass but not impossible to break given the right pressure at the right point.

Giving a growl, she began running, the girl trailing haphazardly behind her. She didn't bother telling her to shield herself as she leapt, meeting the middle of the window with her shoulder. There was a splintering pain across her back, and she knew that her suit had been split open. Taking only a second to get a hold of herself, Elsa was up and running, pulling the girl behind her. She let out a cry of hat was most probably pain, but it was completely ignored by Elsa. Now she was in her element; the streets of Corona had been her home for so many years that she could wander around blindfolded and still never lose her way.

She managed to pull herself and the girl into a small alleyway, out of sight from the Sentinels. She was panting heavily, pain shooting up her back every time her heart beat. The girl had collapsed with her back against the wall, nursing her arm. There was a wound wound that obvious even in the thin light, and had she been in a more accommodating mood, Elsa would have acknowledged that while it was superficial, it likely was incredibly painful. As it was, she only had room in her mind for one thought, and that was to somehow make it home.

Sucking in a ragged breath, she sunk face-first into the wall, desperate not to let anything touch the open wound at her back. Lifting her left hand, she pressed her thumb into the flesh behind her ear, awakening the Impulse. It sent out a short-range wave as it booted up, and Elsa knew that the streets would be crawling with loca-bots. It didn't matter, though. It never mattered. She was long gone by the time the robots appeared, circling the spot she had been standing in.

====

"Please, just take me back. Please."

The pleading note was one that Elsa had heard many times before. She almost expected this one to sound different, but it didn't. She shook her head, and no amount of pleading from the girl could convince her to slow down as she ran through the streets, keeping to the shadows until finally, they had reached her home.

The girl put up a fight, but Elsa was able to force her into the small apartment by simply hitting certain pressure spots on her body—a technique picked up during a six-month stint in Tibet-China and honed further through the use of info-keys sent to Kristoff via the ER-serve.

Elsa didn't have a spare bed—why would she?—so she left the girl in the middle of the small apartment, lights blinding. Her back absolutely ached but she didn't have the presence of mind to worry about it. The girl let out a small whimper, but Elsa completely ignored her; she was crying, still dripping blood on the carpets, and only once under the harsh fluorescent did Elsa actually get a good look at her. Knowing her own age, she was always hesitant to speculate others', however the eyes of this girl were weak and sheltered; her body looked young, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, and her eyes verified this fact—young and inexperienced, they spoke of years of comfort and safety. They were wide and fearful, and no matter how much Elsa wanted to pity her, she couldn't.

This was the Queen. There couldn't be any doubt... except, Elsa did doubt. She doubted it with the fear in the girl's eyes and the white stripe of hair in her plait. She doubted it with her youth. There couldn't be any mistaking it; this girl was not the one she had been ordered to assassinate, and she couldn't kill her for that very reason. She wasn't being paid for it, but that excuse sounded horribly fake, even to her own years. It was never about the money. She just didn't want to end a life that was—potentially—innocent.

Taking a step away, she forced her expression to remain in the cold, calculating one that gave her her nickname. "Stay here," she said needlessly. She left for a moment, but was soon back, a blanket and pillow in one hand and a roll of healing tape in the other. She threw both to the girl, masking a grimace of pain.

She turned from the girl then and made her way to her room as the red-head carefully began to wrap the tape around her wounded arm. Once safe inside her own space, confident the girl would be too terrified to follow her, Elsa began undoing the various pieces of her jumpsuit, the tight fabric pressing harshly against the cut in her back. She tried to stifle the cry of pain, but she could tell that the injury was worse than she had first assumed as she let out a groan. She didn't even bother trying to take the rest of the outfit off as soon as the top was free; Elsa paused for a moment to regain her nerve, but the moment turned into two, which then turned to more. Her eyes were clenched shut and her teeth gritted together.

"Fuck," she hissed. She could barely focus with the pain, but it was doing a fantastic job of not letting her dwell on the rest of what had occurred that night. She was so distracted she almost forgot that there was someone else in her apartment until a small squeak sounded from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Elsa could only scowl.

The girl was bright red—enough to rival the colour of her hair—as she held out the tape, eyes wide. She had done an awful job in wrapping up her arm, but at least it looked like it didn't hurt anymore. She didn't seem to know where to look, eyes jumping from Elsa's to the cut on her back to elsewhere in the room. Not only that, but she seemed also at war with herself. Elsa half-expected her to throw the tape and then leg it. That, or pass out from all the blood rising to her face.

The girl did neither, instead approaching Elsa like a wounded animal (which she was, in effect). Without her permission, Elsa's face softened as the girl neared her, until they were both looking at the other with the same sort of apprehension.

Elsa could have laughed at the way the girl's gaze seemed almost determined to remain on her face, before swatting the idea away. This was the face of the enemy!

Turning around, she grabbed the tape. The girl, if possible, blushed even deeper, and Elsa wondered for a moment if she even remembered that she had essentially been kidnapped. The girl didn't move as Elsa began wrapping the tape around herself, sighing in relief as the tape began its magic, releasing the lovely morphine into her skin through the fabric as it was stretched around her body. She hadn't bothered turning from the girl as she wrapped herself, although the red-head didn't speak until she was covered. It was almost amusing how much the girl flinched at the sight of skin—well, not skin so much, but Elsa, and her chest.

"Shouldn't you... go to a hospital or something?"

The voice was small, tentative, but there was a tone that Elsa didn't recognise. Was it... sympathy? Worry? She broke off the end of the tape, fastening it tight around her. It wouldn't be coming off anytime soon. She didn't bother to answer the girl, who she was certain was about to faint as she took off the rest of her suit.

Elsa didn't care about nakedness and nudity. It just didn't affect her—not like it seemed to be affecting this girl. It was almost as though she had never seen another person naked before.

Elsa turned around and, going to her wardrobe, pulled out a different suit. It was almost the same style, only it wasn't designed for any outside work. The only electrics were the body monitors, and Elsa could always disable them if she felt the need to.

"No," she said, surprising the other girl.

"I-I'm sorry?" she asked, and Elsa rolled her eyes.

"No, I shouldn't go to a hospital," she clarified. "They don't do anything for those in Corona, anyway." Not to mention the mass crime just committed. But, the girl didn't need to know that.

Shrugging on the new suit, she made her way to the small kitchenette and grabbed a small bar. Pure protein, she only needed a bite or two to keep her going. She grabbed a caffeine shot, completely ignoring the fact that it was late and she was probably going to be emotional after talking to the girl. It didn't matter. She needed something to prove that this girl wasn't a waste of time; that she shouldn't kill her and leave her body in a ditch somewhere, calling the guards out and using that opportunity to sneak in once more.

Full and caffeinated, she walked back to the room, making a slight detour to a cupboard to pull out a long piece of rope. The lights had been shut off, but she could hear the girl quivering in the darkness. As soon as she walked in the door, Elsa flicked the lights on, causing the girl to jump. Without a word—of comfort of otherwise—she hauled the red-head with the strange white streak up by her lapels and forced her through the door and out into her bedroom.

For the first time since clapping eyes on the small studio apartment did Elsa feel as though perhaps she should have invested in a larger property. It wasn't as though she didn't have the funds, it was more the fact that it felt wasted.

You only bought a family home if you had a family.

The bathroom was too small, as was the kitchen. That left only her bedroom, and while she was loathe to share the only personal space the apartment had, it wasn't enough to actually prevent her from doing so. Quickly tying the girl's hands behind her back, she pushed the girl onto her bed—a futon in the corner of the room. She almost missed the small "Oh, God" that pressed through the red-head's lips, and fought the urge to smirk.

Locked in an inner battle between her conscience and desires, Elsa knew it was completely wrong—morally, and completely against who she was—to want to reduce the girl in front of her the way the Queen had reduced her. Make this girl fear for herself in every possible way to every possible degree. She wanted power and control over the girl.

But... that would debase herself and she couldn't have that. She told herself once, many, many years ago, that she wouldn't lose her way again, and Elsa fully intended on honouring that promise.

So, instead of approaching the girl; instead of listening to the revenge in her heart and inflicting as much pain as she could; instead of using the girl's body as a canvas to paint her revenge, she simply sat down in the other corner of the room, waiting for the girl to right herself. The tear-tracks were still evident on her face, splotchy red and white. She was trembling fiercely, and pressed herself up against the wall like it would actually make a difference.

Elsa, however, didn't say anything. She just kept her eyes focussed on the girl, silently gauging her. The girl shrivelled even more under the scrutiny, fidgeting uncomfortably in a way that told Elsa just how aware she was that she was helpless and alone.

"W-who are you?" the girl finally worked up the courage to ask. "Why did you bring me here? You said you wouldn't hurt me!"

Elsa blinked slowly, but didn't respond. The girl struggled against the bonds for another moment, offering small grunts. Elsa took a breath, releasing it against her knees, which were tucked underneath her chin.

"Have I hurt you?" she asked, cocking her head and blinking. "Because I can guarantee it that it hasn't hurt as much as I have. Stop struggling." Her voice had an air of finality that the girl completely ignored. If anything, she only began to struggle harder.

"Stop it!"

"Make me! You don;t even- what- why did you do it! I tried to help you!"

"Who even are you?" Elsa cried out. "You look like someone but you don't sound or act like them. I'm not even going to start on the ages—I know better than most how misleading they can be, but that doesn't mean anything."

Elsa stood up and marched across the room. The girl let out a small shriek as Elsa crouched in front of her and punched her hand at the wall next to her head. At such a close distance, the tears were obvious, swimming in Elsa's eyes. She didn't want or need the pity of the other girl, and she didn't get it as a ball of spit landed on her cheek. The girl's eye widened at the insubordinate display, and Elsa bared her teeth, not bothering to wipe the gunk away.

"Who," she began, voice dangerously low, "Are. You?"

The girl shook her head violently, whimpered as she all but stapled her mouth shut. Elsa let out a quiet roar, punching the wall again and standing up. There was a fizzle and a crack, and suddenly the glove on her hand was sparking out. The girl watched as Elsa ripped if from her hand and threw it on the floor, stepping on it. There was another crack, like plastic breaking, but by the time the girl's fearful eyes found the blonde again, she had already replaced the broken glove with another, her back still to the red-head tied up in the corner.

"It's your fault," Elsa began quietly. "You couldn't have just-" She cut herself off, eyes wide and unseeing as she stared at the wall. Elsa barely felt her chest heave as she sucked in a heavy breath, something clicking into place.

"It's your fault because we stopped!" she cried you, whipping around. "What did you do?! I told you I just wanted to get out and you betrayed me! This is your fault! It's your fault you're stuck here and I'm not going to help you back him. You owe me!"

"No!" the girl cried, resuming her struggling. "I'm sorry! Please! I just want to go home! I swear—I swear—I didn't call the Sentinels. I didn't call anyone. I just... I just had to do something..."

Elsa was in her face faster than she could blink, breath fanning lightly over her cheeks. Minty, and cool.

"What?" Elsa hissed, eyes flicking between Anna's. "What was so important?"

The girl shook her head again, but Elsa didn't see it, thinking back to when the girl had left that room. She had been doing something.... that's it! She had just shoved something into her corset. Eyes wide, Elsa frantically began pawing at the girl, cursing all the straps and belts. What if she had a tracking device or a location-finder? What if it had been the thing to call the guards? They could be on their way any minute!

The girl began struggling as much as she could, but Elsa shoved her roughly against the wall, the back of her head connecting with thin plywood. She let out a small cry of pain that was resolutely ignored by the blonde in front of her. Elsa noticed the red-head shut her eyes, squeeze them closed as her hands finally worked inside the dress, but she paid it no heed. The girl had hidden something that still could mean the difference between life and death for her.

"Please, don't."

The whispered admission shook Elsa, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, and she looked the girl in the eyes. The tears had begun falling silently, and Elsa found herself taking in the full sight of the girl in front of her.

She was sitting stock-still, eyes boring—imploring—into Elsa's. The blonde has managed to rip the top of dress, though the red-head's underclothes were still intact. No wonder the girl was terrified. Elsa was doing—or seemed to be doing—the very thing she had told herself she wouldn't.

Without warning, she let out a laugh. It was low and soft and more than inappropriate for the situation. Elsa's head bent forward as she continued to shake, but the noise didn't take long to die in her throat.

Without any form of warning, Elsa's hand thrust out, catching the girl's neck and forcing her back against the wall. There was another painful sounding crack. Elsa didn't give the girl any chance to cry out or fight back as she straddled the girl's hips, keeping her locked between herself and the wall. Elsa's nose was turned up in a grimace of anger. It wasn't the red-head who was crying this time, though. Elsa's own tears had cleaved rivers over her cheeks, and neither would have been able to place the reason or emotion behind them. Their faces were mere millimetres away; where Elsa was panting heavily, practically hyperventilating, the other girl seemed to have stopped altogether, trying not to move for as long as Elsa was on top of her.

The hand that was at her throat released its pressure, and Elsa felt the girl swallow through the gloves. Her hand trailed down, barely touching the skin as she kept her eyes on the girl's face.

The fear was something that this face once caused her, Elsa mused. It was interesting seeing it on the other foot as she terrified the girl with her actions, with the knowledge of what she could do—what she could take—if she wanted.

The girl slammed her eyes shut as Elsa's gloved hand reached the top of her underclothes and, never faltering, travelled lower, beneath the material. If she had been looking, she would have seen Elsa's eyes shine as her hands touched the top of whatever the girl had hidden there earlier.

Dragging it out into the open, Elsa gave a wicked smile and leaned in closer.

"Now, was that so hard?" she asked. The girl gave a stiff shake of her head, and Elsa nodded. "I didn't think so."

Elsa didn't move as she began to unfold whatever had been stuffed down the girl's cleavage. It was paper of some kind, though far thicker than Elsa remembered, and glossy.

"A photograph?" she murmured, almost to herself. "This is old..."

Neither knew what to expect—the red-head already knowing what was printed on the other side—but it wasn't for the blonde to jump up and away, squeezing the printed image like she had just squeezed the red-head's throat. The girl watched as all the colour drained from the face of her captor and she raised a gloved hand to the image.

Elsa didn't know how to react. Printed on the photograph was a picture of... her. Her but not her. She raised her eyes to the other girl, anger wiped from her to be replaced with the kind of helplessness she had worked so long to forget. Her legs couldn't support her anymore, and she sunk to the ground. The red-head watched as the girl's eyes sought the photograph again.

The sudden stillness, sudden silence, was disconcerting, and Elsa knew that she wasn't in power anymore. Opening her mouth, she managed to ask the only question that really mattered anymore. Everything else had just fallen away, unimportant and disregarded.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, voice cracking and barely penetrating the air in front of her mouth. The red-head shuffled slightly; her hands were still tied behind her back and it was difficult to get into a comfortable position. Eventually, she was able to sit with her knees up under her chin, a copy of Elsa when she first sat down.

"It's mine-"

"No. No, it's not. Who are you?"

There was a tone of pleading—of begging—that couldn't be disguised even if the other girl had tried to cover it with something. The anger and violence that had been attributed to the blonde had given way to a grief and need that couldn't be defined—not easily, and certainly not with the limited contact.

And through all this, the red-head wanted to help. Because aside from the gentle throbbing in the back of her head from where it had connected with the wall (numerous times), the girl had kept her promise, and hadn't hurt her. Scared her, yes—terrified—but there was something else behind it. They were in her room but for some reason, she felt as though the blonde was more lost than she.

Or maybe she just had too giving of a heart.

"I'm- I'm Anna. Princess Anna... Who are you?"

She kept her eyes gazed on the blonde, who, if possible, had paled further. "I-I'm... the Ice Queen..." came the reply, thin and wavering. Elsa clenched her hands, bringing the photograph up to her chest, which was heaving with shallow breaths. She looked terrified.

"How... h-how did you say that?" she managed to squeak out.

"Oh, um... Anna. Like... ah-na..."

Without a word, Elsa stood and turned. The girl—Anna—let out a small cry, but it was ignored until she got to the door.

"You won't be able to get out, so telling you to stay here is pointless," Elsa began softly, distracted. "I'll be back soon."

She let the door slide behind her with a slight hiss before she began moving. The photograph was tucked into her breast pocket carefully, and though there was a lump in Elsa's throat, she still fought through it to swallow thickly.

She stumbled onto the quiet streets of Corona and her eyes quickly blurred with tears. It was a fight to draw each breath, turning the once-natural gesture into something rough and choking.

Anna.

A name that had been lost for decades had suddenly resurfaced and it made Elsa sick, nauseous. Her hands trembled and she was fully aware of how her heart thrummed inside her chest. Her head was full of air and she could barely see where she was going, let alone think about it.

Because Gods Anna.

Anna.

Her hands sought the clasp of her pocket and she almost ripped it open in her attempt to get at the picture. How that annaqueenimposterfake had gotten ahold of the image, she didn't know. Didn't want to know, in all honesty, because what if there was more?

Elsa had collapsed in the middle of the street, holding her sides close to her. Her eyes were glued to the picture, raking over every detail that she still had never been able to forget, even after all these years.

The figure was smiling, so stark a contrast to how they were when Elsa last saw her. Same face, same hair, same everything. The fine scar above her left eyebrow that she had forgotten how it got there. And the smile. The smile that no matter how hard she had once tried, Elsa could never replicate, and never forget. It contained a certain softness that she had never had, even before losing everything. Because Elsa was the oldest, and her smile had always been strained. Anything to protect the girl in the photograph. She did everything—everything—that she could. The cold metal and hands and pain. Blood and syringes, all for what? It hadn't been difficult at the time—she was the one they wanted, and they never hurt the other girl, but that had to change at some point, didn't it? She was... insurance.

Elsa swallowed thickly, not noticing the clouds that appeared overhead, nor the sudden chill in the air. Her mind was back, back so far. Her tears froze on her cheeks as she sobbed silently.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the girl in the photograph. "I couldn't protect you..."

Because she'd never see that smile again. Never heat her voice. Instead, she was stuck with the face of the one who snatched such an innocent life. Only eight. Only eight years old and helpless, killed because of what—Elsa? To make her do something she couldn't. First it had been Mama, and then...

Elsa swallowed thickly, eyes blurring. She slowly folded the image, putting it back into her pocket. She needed to remember. She couldn't let such weakness get back to her again because she needed the girl, the one currently tied up in her apartment. She needed her to finish... everything.

Offering the smallest smile, and the largest she could muster, she gently tapped her lips to her fingertips, clenching her gloved hand over her heart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I'll make it all better. I'm sorry, baby sister," she choked, bowing her head in small prayer. "I'm so, so sorry, Anna..."

When she returned to the apartment, the girl had moved, Her hands were still tied up, but she had managed to step over them and sit them in front off her body, She was shaking, and Elsa realised that she had brought the outside whether in with her. There was a small coating of snow and ice over the floor and she bit the inside of her cheek, not pointing it out.

Anna was watching her from the bed, arms crossed in front of her chest and hiding the still-ripped dress. Elsa didn't say anything as she stood in the doorway, as though debating what to do. Her breathing had returned to normal, but her heart still beat a heavy rhythm inside her chest.

Without a word, she approached Anna and, tugging her to her feet, pulled her to the other side of the room. Anna stood there awkwardly as she left the room, returning with the blankets and pillow from the bathroom, dumbing them in the corner. Neither said a word as the rope came off, only to be replaced by a spidey. A similar one was placed on the blonde's wrist.

"This will stop you from moving more than a twenty metres away," Elsa muttered, eyes downcast. Anna let out a noise, something between a laugh and a scoff.

"What makes you think I won't kill you?" she asked, crossing her arms as the blonde stepped away. "Ice Queen."

Elsa didn't react at all. She stepped away silently and turned her back to the red-head, unable to face her anymore. The only saving grace was the white streak of hair; Elsa couldn't look into her eyes enough to see the softness that rest there, nor at the face to see the kindness.

She lay down on her bed, ignoring the frost on the ground. She faced the wall, ignoring Anna, who hadn't moved at all.

The red-head remained standing in the same place, rubbing at the spidey around her write. The technology looked like a small bracelet, tiny flashing lights around the edge shining like precious jewels. She'd had more than enough time to take in her surroundings. She hadn't moved through the rest of the apartment whilst her kidnapper had been out.

Looking back at the woman in question, she noticed the frost melting into her suit. She wasn't shivering, but, as Anna sat down, she did notice a small, almost imperceptible shake of her shoulders. She was... crying?

Anna's heart fell a little. Something happened when the Ice Queen went out. Something happened when she learnt of Anna's name and the photograph, and while all she wanted was to get home, she couldn't help but wonder at the woman in front of her. She must have truly been desperate. But, why would a picture of herself cause such panic?

This time, Anna knew she was too nice for her own good. She approached the girl and found it strange that, after everything that had occurred that night, that she would be the one offering comfort. She was limited as to what she could do, but the memory of the promise—she wouldn't her me—spurred her on.

Picking up the blankets and pillow, she slowly walked up to the other girl, careful and hesitant. She had already proved to be fairly ruthless, but that was before the picture.

If she heard or felt Anna behind her, she didn't say anything. The red-head paused briefly before laying the blanket out on top of the other girl.

"I'm sorry," she said, though she wasn't sure why. It seemed like the appropriate thing to say; the night was already but a memory. The frosty floor was cool beneath her feet, but it hadn't seemed to settle in the air—she wasn't cold, really, unless she was touching the ice. Returning to the corner of the room, she sat down on the pillow and waited. For what, she had no idea. An angry word, perhaps. A slap or punch.

Or, the girl who had so pleaded with her inside a cupboard because she was lost.

====

Elsa did not have a good night's sleep. That is to say, she didn't sleep at all. How could she when the girl with her sister's name had behaved "exactly how she wasn't supposed to. For fucks sake, Elsa had kidnapped'' her and she was offering a blanket? Comfort? It wasn't right. Nothing was right. She should be happy, received. Everything was supposed to be over now.

And, worse still, the girl had seen her crying. She'd tried to hide it, thought she'd gotten rid of it as the snow turned to ice and the ice turned to blizzard, but coming back to the apartment (not home. never home) had begun the cycle anew. All she wanted was to go back one day. With this knowledge... would she still have done it? A chance to see the last living copy of her little sister? She had so many secrets—too many, some would say (though they never survived long).

Because there had been dark spots. Of course there had been. Brief spells in which she wanted to tell someone, had to tell someone, and equally bad moments when they had been killed for the only reason of harbouring her secrets. And endless cycle of death, all because of her. Without her, everything would be... fine. Okay. Fantastic, eve, because the deaths wouldn't have occurred.

As Elsa had wandered in circles the entire night, no reprieve but not seeking one, she had felt Anna's eyes on her back. She was surprised, and it too brought back dreadful memories that were best kept secret. Best kept hidden. She couldn't help it at all, really, when the tears increased and for the first time in so many years, there was none of the anger or guilt or regret that came with it. For too long had her tears been kept at bay due to her own lack of self-worth, because that's what it was. She wasn't worthy to mourn, not when she had ben the cause. But that night, she could finally admit that ... she wanted little Anna. Her baby sister. Her own doppelgänger in every way, and she a copy of her own mother, but still, distinctly, three different people.

And she wanted her sister to hold her, comfort her. A blanket on an icy floor hardly did it justice.

When she finally got up, thick, purple bruises beneath her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that the girl had moved. Nothing set off alarm bels like something not being in it's right place, and it took Elsa a few moments to register the face that the girl physically couldn't get away; the spidey prevented it.

Walking through the sterile house, Elsa felt a heavy feeling sink into her gut. She couldn't identify the reason, and almost ran back to her bed when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. There was a quiet bang and a curse, and suddenly Anna was there. There was a smile on her face that was quickly wiped, but she didn't say anything as Elsa pushed past.

Yes, it was obvious that she was still a captive, but Elsa didn't care what she did. She wouldn't be able to get far with the spidey on, and she would be able to do even less with it off. If the room of books and complete lack of recognition at the tech were anything to go by (and it was, for Elsa had made it her job to understand people at a single glance), this girl had almost no experience with technology of any kind.

Elsa was quite content to ignore the previous day, however an incoming message from Kristoff to her Impulse ruined that plan.

''Hey, Ice Queen. Might wanna take a look out a window.''

She let out a sigh as the words bounced around her head, pausing for a few moments to collect herself. When she finally reappeared, Anna was already at the window. She was bouncing up and down on her feet, eyes wide in awe. Elsa didn't know how to react to it until the girl turned around and the smile was wiped from her face.

She didn't say anything as she backed away from the window, allowing Elsa a chance to look out at the busy, bustling streets of Corona.

Covered in snow.

Fuck.

Closing her eyes, she let out a breath, relaxing—or, attempting to relax—before turning back to Anna.

The girl's eyes were still wide and shining, with excitement, and Elsa briefly wondered why. The answer was obvious—only one thing had changed since last night.

But, she was wary. Wary of Elsa and what she could do if she wanted. Both girls surveyed the other for a moment.

[/]

Kristoff opened his door to her silently. Elsa wasted little time in tugging off her head-gear, throwing it in the corner of the room.

"Oh gods," he said upon catching sight of the girl. "What have you done?" Elsa shut her eyes and gave a small shake of her head.

"Don't- I just... thank you, Kristoff. Your suit saved my life tonight."

He gave a grim nod before turning to the red-head. He opened his mouth as Elsa moved away, collapsing in his chair and pulling out a toolbox; however, just as he was going to say something, the girl beat him to it.

"Ice Queen? ...Sounds about right..."

He let out a wry smile. "She's really not so bad," he said. "Just... something else was supposed to happen tonight and didn't. She was excited because she was going to finish something she's been trying to do for decades, and now, it's like she'll never get a chance."

"Decades-?"

"I can hear you two, you know." The blonde's voice carried through the air, and Kristoff sent her a guilty look.

"Sorry. You did bring her here, though. What were you hoping would happen?"

Elsa sighed. "I need you to fix my Impulse," she said. "I had to use the Comm to call you tonight. I'm not sure what's up. Then we need to sort out what we're going to do with her." She inclined her head in the red-head's direction. The girl bristled and stood up a little straighter.

"I have a name, you know!" she cried out, indignant. "Anna, so use it." She missed the look of surprise on Kristoff's face, to intent on scrutinising Elsa's reaction. The blonde cocked her head before waving a flippant hand.

"Whatever. We need to come up with a plan to deal with you because, according to my intel, you shouldn't exist."

Anna huffed. "Wow, you really are an Ice Queen," she said. Elsa stiffened slightly, closing the lid to the toolbox.

She didn't say anything as she swept past, eyes meeting Anna's until the red-head looked away.

Elsa stood in the corner of the room and watched the interaction between Kristoff and the girl. She didn't quite know what to make of it, if she were honest with herself. The girl no longer seemed afraid, and was surprisingly interested in the various pieces of tech Kristoff was showing her.

Perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising. Elsa remembered when the micro-chips first appeared; she spent several months researching them before finally deciding to get one. That was where she met Kristoff; he had been the programmer to insert it.

Lifting a gloved hand, she looked at it for a moment, knowing the chip lay beneath it and several layers of skin and scar tissue. She was probably due for an upgrade, too, but she hadn't had the time nor inclination to ask Kristoff to build a new one.

Suddenly, a slight vibration from the piece of technology jolted her, and she cleared her throat. The chip connected, but she didn't waste any time shutting her eyes. Instead, she curled her fist and made a throwing action towards Kristoff and [anna][the girl].

The movement sent a signal to the chip, which then connected to another device on Kristoff's desk. Within a few seconds, Hans' face had appeared as a hovering hologram, casting eerie green shadows across the room. No one spoke as they focussed on his floating profile, until Elsa stepped forward.

"Hans."

"Ice Queen. Good news?"

"Ice Queen?"

Hans sounded far to incredulous for her liking, and Elsa narrowed her eyes. She could see from the corner of her vision [anna], who was leaning forward with a look of complete and utter wonderment on her face. It was almost endearing, and probably would have been, had it not been for the rest of Elsa's night.

"You sound surprised to see me," she stated Hans, voice flat. At once, Hans' expression morphed into a scowl, pixels dancing merrily in a strange juxtaposition.

"I am," he told her. "It's not like it's a secret that someone broke into Arendelle Castle anymore, is it? Scouts have multiplied, in case you hadn't noticed. You were supposedly the best and you screwed up on the easiest mission we could have given you. You're done."

Elsa clenched her fists, but refused to let her mask crack. She took a breath and looked Hans squarely in the eye. "You didn't turn off the Sentinels. Not only that, but you purposely withheld information. Only one person is to blame for this and it isn't me. I did my job perfectly."

There was a scoff, but an unexpected feedback loop made it look and sound as though Hans was choking. "Withheld information? Please. My dear Ice Queen, it is you who hasn't been entirely forthcoming." With a twitch at the corners of his mouth, Hans looked at Kristoff and Anna—both of whom cowered slightly. "Did she tell you she's a Hybrid, too?" he asked. Elsa's eyes widened, searching. Kristoff knew—of course he did—so the news did not phase him at all. Anna merely looked confused.

"Hybrid?" she piped up, taking a step closer. She didn't have a chance to say anything else as Elsa grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close to the hologram.

"What is she?" she asked Hans, ignoring the hurt look on the red-head's face. "You can see the resemblance. It's an almost perfect rendition. Hans... what is she?"

Hans' eyes flickered between Elsa and Anna before he suddenly smiled. "Not my problem," he said, a second before disappearing. Elsa gaped at the space his head had only just occupied, mouth open slightly, until she realised that she was still gripping Anna with all her might. The red-head had begun struggling, and Elsa wouldn't be surprised if she had bruises in the morning.

None of that mattered anymore, though, and she pushed Anna away, not looking as the girl tripped to the ground.

"I'm going downstairs. Stay here. I'll be back later."

She didn't bother checking to see if they had heard her. The door slid open silently before sliding shut behind her, locking away the hum of the computers.

Kristoff lived in an old recycled butchers. He had commandeered the walk-in refrigerator as his own tech laboratory, introducing a few key elements like a filtered, and a locking mechanism on the door. There was, however, a special project Elsa had introduced after meeting him.

Behind the shop was a cellar that, Elsa supposed, once worked as another long-term storage area. There were several fridges there, too, plus a rather large room designed for holding all the tools, machinery, and dry goods. It was, in essence, the work site.

Kristoff never used it. The general lack of order and untidiness prompted him to choose he smaller, more convenient fridge first and he had little desire to uproot himself to move to a larger room. He had told Elsa on several occasions that the smallness inspired him to keep creating new tech, and as her gloved hand moved up to tap the implant behind her ear, Elsa couldn't have been more grateful.

And they he had helped her set up her own space at the gratitude had actually increased. She removed all the useless tools and furniture while he knocked down the walls separating all the different rooms. Soon, there was a nifty underground area the size of a small classroom that Elsa had all to herself.

Walking into the middle of the room, making sure the door was locked, she removed her gloves and folded them carefully in her pockets. At once, the warmth in her hands began to recede; it felt like someone was blowing a cool breath over her digits.

A small smile appeared on her face at the feel of it, and she swallowed softly. She had all night to herself. An entire night to think of a plan—any one at all—while Kristoff fitted Anna with her gear. The thought that perhaps she should have asked Kristoff for an upgrade passed her mind before it vanished. Elsa simply didn't have the wits to care about it anymore.

Lifting her right hand in front of her eyes, she let her fingers wiggle a little, dancing. The tingle at the ends of them was wonderful, and she felt herself unconsciously sighing in relief. The smile morphed into something bigger at the sensation, and suddenly, she let out a short laugh, almost silent. Her arms stretched out and she began twirling in circles, letting the woes of the day drip from her; vanish from her mind as she gave in to complete and utter relief.

And all around her, it began to snow.

She returned to the main room soaking, sparks fizzing on her suit as a puddle slowly formed beneath her feet. There was a red flush to her cheeks and a soft smile on her face.

Of course, the moment was ruined as Kristoff began fretting; lamenting over the damage to his beautiful jumpsuit. He moved forward and began unzipping the various sections. Elsa let out a small smirk as Anna's eyes widened, and she averted her gaze until it was staring at the floor. Kristoff was, of course, completely oblivious.

"You could at least take off your clothes before you go all ice-crazy," he said. Elsa shot him a look that he ignored, before rolling her eyes.

"If you hadn't noticed, this is water," she told him, the smile slipping. It didn't take long to take the suit off, and he left the room, grumbling under his breath. Elsa was left standing in the room with only her gloves on, Anna furiously avoiding her gaze. Moving across the room, Elsa approached a cupboard in the corner, pulling a towel from the bottom and wrapping it around herself. Even when covered, Anna was hesitant to look at her; it was only then that Elsa actually took note of the other girl.

She was curled in Kristoff's chair, biting her lip. Her eyes kept flickering across the room, never staying on one place for too long. Elsa didn't say anything and finally, after several minutes of silence, Anna looked at her.

She seemed about to say something, the words on the tip of her tongue, but by the time she wanted to voice them they had vanished, and she was left with and open mouth and quivering lips.

Elsa frowned and the girl looked away again.

Shutting her eyes, the blonde turned and rifled through the cupboard again, eventually pulling out a second jumpsuit. From the corner of her eye she could see Anna looking at her intently; this time, when the towel dropped, the girl didn't look away. The girl stiffened a little, but she didn't seem to realise Elsa could see everything she was doing.

Anna's nano-patch pinged in Elsa's ear, and this time, the blonde's eyes widened.

Stepping into the suit, she did it up hurriedly, cursing when her left glove became caught in a zip. Anna was watching her openly now, even as she turned around, her back to the girl and as fast as she could, took of her gloves to straighten them up.

She could have laughed upon realising that she felt so much more naked without the gloves on than with the rest of her clothes removed. Kristoff still hadn't returned from putting her suit through the cycler. He could repair any damaged electrics in the lab with her (if there even were any. She'd be surprised; he was better than that). He wasn't coming back for another reason, and she could tell through the Impulse in her head that he wasn't in any trouble.

She turned to look at Anna, who hadn't asked about him, either. She had opened her mouth again, this time making a small noise in the back of her throat.

Elsa beat her to it. "I assume you know about me," she said, eyes fixed on her gloves as she flexed her fingers, warming up the sensors. "What did Kristoff tell you?"

The girl sat forward a little, taking a breath. She didn't seem scared of the situation; actually, and Elsa's heart sunk slightly, she seemed more afraid of Elsa herself.

"He, um... he didn't really say much. He told me you were actually nice but I don't believe him."

Elsa looked at her blankly, not really sure what to say to that. The girl didn't seem inclidned to say any more,and the silence that fell between them was by far more awkward than the one of only a few moments prior.

Elsa opened her mouth, frowing. The girl looked a little apoloetic, if the downturn of her mouth and resurgence of her nervpous eye-flickering was anything to go by.

"You don't know me," Elsa said, voice steady. Of course, it was echoing in her ears and she was feeling alishglyt light-headed, but that was different/ She knew it mean that there was something wrong but she couldnt focus on that at that moment. She kept talking. "You don't know me so how do you even know what sort of person I am?"

"You kidnapped me!" Anna cried. Elsa breifly noted that she seemed to be carrying on about that particular point a lot, but other than that, her attneiton was sonce moore taken by the girl speaking. "You kidnapped me and desrtoyed those Sentinels and tried to kill me. What is there to like about you?"

Elsa's eyes widened imperceptibly, and she had to tell herself once more that this wasn't actually the Queen. It was a differect person with different memoreis, but it still hurt.

"You seem to have made your mind up about me already," she said, and this time, she couldn't keep her voice entirely free of the shake. Anna looked up, and Elsa knew that she had noticed, but at least there were no tears. Yet.

She moved towards the door, long, purposeful strides. Neither girl said anything as she left the room.

Kristoff was waiting outside the door, and Elsa nearly ran into him as she left the room. There was a deep scowl lining her features, mostly because the simple blank mask she usually wore was completely cracked.

"Thank you for that, Kristoff," she said once the door had shut, blocking them from Anna's prying gaze. "That was just what I needed after tonight."

"Elsa..."

She held her hand up as he tried to approach her, arms outstretched to pull her close. "Tell her whatever you need to."

"Even your-"

Elsa shook her head. "She doesn't need to know my name or what I can do. She probably does need to know what I am, though. Make sure she understands."

She waited for some acknowledgement from Kristoff, but he remained silent until she looked at him. His large brown eyes were boring inter her own, and she refused to look away.

"Why does she need to know?" he asked, voice low. "What are you planning?"

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know yet, but I'm going to need her. I've already used up the only- one of my chances. She's going to give me another, whether she wants to or not. Tell her to sleep."

Elsa turned back and walked down the hallway, giving Kristoff and the girl much-needed space. She couldn't be there in that room anymore.

Leaving the property, her Impulse disabling the security as she walked through and re-enabling it as soon as she was clear, Elsa looked into the dark streets of Corona. There was always something comforting about the broken streets—the physical manifestation of Elsa herself, she sometimes thought.

Elsa had just managed to drift off into an uncomfortable sleep, plagued by nightmares of blood and pain and Anna-but-not-Anna, when a sharp jolt behind her left ear woke her up. She rubbed the spot tenderly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Kristoff's bed was still sealed tight, and she could hear small noises from within as he tossed around, trying to get comfortable. She had taken up a corner of the room, curled on a thin sheet. Anna had wondered loudly if she was going to get cold, but the question was ignored as Kristoff set up the security on the perimeter. Elsa loved it, but the fact that he knew he needed it never rested well with her. At least her own home was safe through sheer obscurity and anonymity. By essence of simply not being worth the time to investigate.

Still, she knew that nothing could come onto the property, and so was left wondering exactly what had set off her Impulse and woken her up. Glancing around, the answer became apparent immediately.

Anna was nowhere in sight. She had claimed Kristoff's chair, and neither had cared enough to tell her that sleeping on it was not what it had been designed for—Elsa knew that the red-head would not have a very good night's sleep, and apparently, it hadn't taken long for the girl to figure it out, either.

The blonde was content with going back to sleep when her Impulse pinged again. Rolling her eyes with a groan of annoyance, she shut them as she activated the small implant. The groan swiftly changed into one of shock and horror as the implant booted up and told her exactly what the problem was.

Anna's nano-patch had been reactivated, either by tampering or pure distance, Elsa didn't know. All she did know was that it was late, in the middle of the night, and Anna—the girl who gave her the only chance she would ever get of completing the only mission she ever wanted to complete—had taken it upon herself to roam the desolate streets of Corona, trying to find her way home.

Elsa practically sprang from the floor, activating the night-vision setting on her Impulse with but a though. Turning on the lights would also activate the wake-up cycle of Kristoff's bed, and she couldn't be bothered dealing with that.

Sliding into her jumpsuit, it was barely zipped before she was flying through the small property and out the gates. Getting back inside would be a problem, but for now, she had to locate Anna. Zeroing in on the girl's nano-patch, Elsa began to follow it, letting her Impulse do the leading.

She was led through the shadowed streets of Corona, the Impulse guiding her like a gut feeling. It was small and subtle but there was no doubt in her mind that she was going exactly where she needed to. Anna couldn't have gotten far if the nano had only just activated.

Suddenly, there was a buzz in her ear and the Impulse went dead. Freezing in her tracks, Elsa crouched low. Only loca-bots were capable of taking out her sensors, and she couldn't risk being found by them. Biting her lip, she almost swore at herself for not bringing an EMP discharger. Without her Impulse working—and it wouldn't reactivate for a few minutes at least—there was no way for her to find the loca-bots, and, more importantly, no way for her to find Anna.

[/]

There was no other way to get out of it, Elsa realised. Even this was a huge gamble. She chanced a look at Anna, who was trembling fiercely as the loca-bots closed in.

"I'm sorry."

The admission was short and quiet, and Elsa almost missed it had she not been looking at Anna at that precise moment.

"I'm sorry I ran away and got lost and got you involved. I just... wanted to go home..." She reached out a hand, clasping Elsa's left in her own. Elsa shook her head, shutting her eyes. Quickly, covertly, so Anna didn't see, she pulled out her last spidey.

"I understand," she said, lifting up her free hand. She let out a sigh. Time for a gamble. Squeezing Anna's hand lightly, she made sure the girl was looking at her as she smiled, soft and small. "I'm sorry, too," she said, before placing her right hand behind her left ear, connecting the chip and the Impulse.

There was a shock of pain, as though someone was stripping slivers of her soul apart, going at at her organs with a grater, before complete darkness.

There was cotton in her ears, pressure all around her body. Opening her eyes was painful, and each breath felt shorter and shallower than the last. There were vibrations around her—tell-tale signs of action and speaking—but it hurt to think on them. A hand ran across her forehead before she blacked out again.

The School was a large building on the outskirts of Arendelle. It was left alone by virtue of containing throngs of children, but it was still a generally unsafe area for adults. There was one teacher to look after the class of almost 50, but the adults lived there, too.

Neither girl spoke to each other on the way. Elsa assumed that Kristoff had actually explained to Anna the relevant information, and felt no need to talk about it. She was only using the girl to get another chance. That was it. But, in order to do that, she had to make her motives... well, not clear, but less obscure. Less shrouded.

She caught Anna fiddling with the nano-patch every now and again, but since that first day, she hadn't tried to pick it off. Elsa would know, as she had set it up to send out a distress signal. This wasn't just in case Anna tried to remove it. If anyone captured Anna, then naturally, they'd try to remove as much tech from her as possible. She needed them not to (or, at least, a location if they did).

And of course, there was still the strange pinging.

Elsa had connected people to her own chip before. She had actually developed the tech before meeting Kristoff, though it was only rudimentary. He had further updated and refined it. Anna really had just as much power as she did, she just didn't want to let it show. But the pinging, that had never happened before. She had no idea what to feel about it, not how to stop it (even if she had an idea of what was causing it). It was coming from Anna, but the girl seemed completely unaware of what she was doing. That was hardly surprising, and Elsa merely sighed, unwilling to talk to her to resolve it. If there was a problem, her own chip would let her know.

So, she was content to ignore it, even if it did leave an unpleasant niggling sensation in the back of her head.

Walking through the streets, Elsa kept her head bowed low. Years of wandering through Arendelle's busy streets had given her valuable insight into the way the people work. She kept herself covered by a thick cowl, eyebrows furrowed in an attempt to ward off passersby. It worked for the most part, however walking with Anna was not conducive to avoiding people.

She was staring everywhere at once, head whipping around to take in the sights. The last time she was wandering through the streets, it was the middle of the night with a platoon of Sentinels on their trail; not really conductive to sight-seeing. Now, however, in the bright daylight, the small suburb of Corona was transformed. The old patchwork brick laid down an uneven path as people moved through the streets towards their own business. Elsa avoided all eye contact and clung to the shadows, everything but her eyes concealed by the thick fabric of her cowl. Anna was wearing a hooded cloak, some of her bright orange hair sticking out. She offered smiles to everyone who passed by, never showing an fear even as s few larger men walked up to her. They didn't say or do anything, and had Elsa not been trained, she likely would have been cowed. As it were, Anna simply offered a 'good day' and a smile and received on in return.

Elsa felt herself watching, not the road or people, but Anna. The girl was different to what she expected. She travelled through the streets clumsily, but refused to let the uneven road and people push her around. She because stuck between a horse and its carriage, but a few pats and whispered words, and the coach had offered her a ride. for free! She almost looked as though she didn't want to accept it, and Elsa, who had been back a few yards, walking next to an old brick wall that the sunlight still hadn't touched, saw Anna looking for her.

When she aught sight of the blonde, Anna murmured a few words to the coach before approaching Elsa.

"Someone offered us a ride!" she said, almost giddy. "Look, there's a horse!"

Elsa scrutinised the coach and animal. There was something different, and it took a few moments to locate the if-thing. Elsa give a stiff nod, and didn't jerk back when Anna grabbed her arm and began dragging her towards the coach.

"Thank you," she muttered to the horse, completely ignoring the person. Too much time spent with Kristoff had given her an appreciation of the animals' mind, and she was truly grategful to the beast for dragging a heavy cart along just so she could be more comfortable. To her, it wasn't up to the driver to give her a lift, it was up to the animal. They are always more trustowrthy than people, she reasoned, and soon, both girls were bundled up inside the small space.

Elsa never really noticed just how far away the school was until she didn't have to walk and it still tok a fair chunk of time. Anna was staring out the window, eyes wide. Briefly, she glanced at Elsa, but the girl ignored her.

The pinging was back, more incessant than ever, and Elsa couldn't hstop herself.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, voice flat. Anna's whole body stiffened and she looked like a gapoing fish, mouth openeing and losing at the strange question.

"I- what?"

"I asked," Elsa repeated, "What are you thinking about. There's an annoying pinging in my head, and you're causing it."

Anna's eyes widened and she blubbered for a moment, not knowing what to say. Elsa shook her head.

"Whatever. Just stop thinking it."

They fell into silence again, a blush on the red-head's face that she fought to control. The effort it took to reign in whatever she was thinking about at least had the effect of reducing the noise in her head. Elsa was quite content with maintaining the silence, but Anna had other plans. It seemed as though, if she couldn't think about something, she needed to drown it out with other noise.

"....Kristoff said something about a Hybrid... and he said that you were one. And him. And I just... he didn't really say anything else about it, and you actually look sort of familiar, so I was wondering if it had something to do with that...?"

She gave Elsa a smile, and the blonde found herself holding her sides with her arms. The carriage suddenly felt too warm.

"It's not really any of your business, is it?" she responded, harsher than she had intended. Anna's expression fell, and she resumed her sight-seeing.

"Hybrids are people," Elsa said. Anna looked at her but thankfully remained silent. "They're people who have... things done to them. They're... special people, I suppose."

She's... special'', Anna. Just like you.''

Anna's eyes widened as the thought sprung up, but she wasn't able to think on it further as her coach-mate gasped suddenly and her hands flew to her temples.

"Queen-"

"Don't call me that!" Elsa hissed, the sharp pain subsiding as quick as as it appeared. "Just- just stop... everything."

Anna fell into a pouty silence and looked back out the window. Elsa kept one hand on her temple and the other wrapped around her sides, thinking.

That sort of feedback had never happened before. It wasn't a fault with the tech, either; this was almost purposeful. Elsa narrowed her eyes, looking out her own window. She needed to be careful; if Anna figured out how to use the patch to her advantage, it could potentially be bad news for her.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Anna kept shooting her looks, but Elsa made sure to completely ignore them this time.

The coach slowed, and Elsa took a moment to gather herself. Anna scrambled out as soon as she could, away from the suffocating carriage. Elsa shut her eyes and took a breath before exiting the coach. She looked around for Anna for a moment before her sights landed landed on the red-head.

Anna had her back to the carriage, hands clasped in front of her. Elsa could feel her excitement through the link, and was sort of curious as to what was actually going on in her head. After all, they were simply outside a building. It was slightly different than the other ones, but nothing major.

There was a large sign out the front with something colourful painted on it, though no one could identify exactly what it was. The building was one of the oldest in Corona—well, the oldest still standing. Anna looked around, and Elsa wondered if she was actually capable of remembering anger and upset emotions, because she was beaming at the blonde again.

"There's a rainbow," she said as if it were the greatest thing in the world. Elsa raised an eyebrow, invisible behind her cowl. Anna didn't notice the gesture and did a strange little dance in place, excited. "What is this place? It looks lovely. And, uh... rustic."

Yes, Elsa thought to herself, she is incapable. Anna's eyes were bright and taking in as many details as possible.

"Wait until you get inside," she said dryly.

If anything, Anna became even more elated as Elsa led her to the doors. Knocking lightly, she waited for a few seconds before pushing it open. The inside was by no means as bright as the outside, and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light. There was a scuffling noise behind her before it gave way to a cry and a loud thump.

"Ow..."

Elsa rolled her eyes and moved back to the source of the noise, bending down and taking Anna's hand, pulling her up. The girl didn't let her pull away when she was standing, instead gripping Elsa's upper arm with her hands. Elsa hadn't realised how warm the girl was until then, and she found that she didn't actually dislike it at all.

"Where are we?" Anna whispered. Her voice echoed softly around the room as Elsa lead her further into the blackness. "And how can you see anything in here? It's pitch-black."

Elsa paused for a moment. She was already intending on installing an Impulse in Anna—it would go much, much smoother if the girl actually wanted one. Taking the girl's hand, she took off her cowl, letting Anna's warm fingers came into contact with a thin, v-shaped scar.

"It's called an Impulse," Elsa explained. "Kristoff knows how it works, and he can probably explain it better but basically... it's a small chip in my head. It's connected to a microchip in my hand. I've... upgraded mine with a few features. This one sets off a sonar when my brain can't render an image sent to it from my eyes. So, if I'm ever blind-folded or in a place in which I can't see, I can still get an image."

Anna's fingers hadn't ceased exploring the small scar as Elsa explained the piece of technology. She had stepped forward, almost unconsciously, feeling safe int he darkness that only seemed to affect her. Elsa could hear every breath, feel every twitch... and she didn't hate it.

"Did it hurt?" Anna asked, voice barely a whisper. She seemed to be a t a lost for soemthing, but Elsa couldn't name what that might be. She couldn't really think at all; not with Anna so close and the Impulse going off beneath the red-heads fingers. Elsa couldn't remember the last time someone was so close to her, and it was incredibly distracting.

"Not really," she finally managed to answer, stepping back. "I can get you one, if you want. It helps with other things, too; making contact and such. Kristoff doesn't have one—it's not compatible with him—but he's got other methods. I think he has an old earpiece that he can used; he used it to contact me on a few missions."

Elsa realised she was rambilng and shut her mouth. Anna's breath was still loud in her ears, even with new distance separating them. Reluctantly, Esa moved forward, taking Anna's wrist.

"Come on. We have things to do."

Anna didn't say anything for a moment, following her silently for a few metres. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked after a few steps. In the darkness, her voice had a new strength to it, and Elsa was curious as to why it had to be in the protection of shadows that Anna could talk. She hadn't been hurt nor injured; actually, all things considered (if 'considered' involved remember that she could actually be dead if it weren't for an accident), she was faring fairly well.

"Because I need you to understand," Elsa said. She led the red-head down a hallway, knocking on a nother door that resontated deeply. It wasn't wood, but it was still a dsimilar material.

When that door was opened by someone on the other side, they two girls had to let their eyes adjust once more. Elsa, who had known what to expect, had shut her eyes prior to being let in, and so after openingn them, and a few blinks, she was perfectly capable of seeing. Anna hadn't, of course, and was still struggling as Elsa lead her over to the opposite corner of the room. They stood there for a while as Anna's eyes adjusted, out of the way but still, somehow, in the spotlight. Elsa knew why, and after a brief pause in all actiity in the room, a voice called across for everyone to continue working. They were approached soon afterward by a brunette wearing a soft blue dress and a smile.

"Belle," Elsa said. "This is Anna."

Belle nodded her head to Anna. "And how do you do, ma cherie?" She asked. Anna's eyes widened, not understanding at all what Belle had said.

Elsa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Belle, but there isn't really time for trivialities and introductions. I'm here on a mission."

At once, Belle's face paled before contorting into a deep scowl.

"You know I will never let you do that, Ice Queen," she hissed. Elsa bristled, barely aware of how Anna held onto her arm a little tighter.

"You dare to think that I would do such a thing? You dare-"

"I don't dare," Belle said, crossing her hands. "I think you should leave."

Elsa growled. "Not until I've done what I came here to do. I am not the monster you think I am, Belle. I just need to show Anna something."

Belle actually laughed at this. "You can't pull the monster card here. You know I'm not like that. Now, get away before I call-"

"Will you just listen?!" Elsa cried, interrupting. This time, she couldn't ignore the way Anna's grip tightened around her arm and she trembled against her side. "Look, fine. I'll stay here. I'll even wait outside if you want. Just... show Anna the children."

Belle cocked her head, eyes boring into Elsa's, trying to find a lie that wasn't there.

"You can wait outside. Anna will join you when we're done."

"Wait, what?" the red-head asked. "What- what's going on?"

Belle gave her a smile as Elsa untangled their limbs. "Belle is going to show you something. I'll be waiting outside. Join me when you're done."

Belle began leading Anna away when the girl stopped suddennly in her tracks. "Wait! I don't have one of those impulsive things! I won't be able to find my waut back!"

Belle sighed. "Hallway, then. The door won't open until Anna leaves, so if anyone appraoches, tell them it's your fault they can't get in."

Elsa offered a stiff nod before turning her back on the two girls and leaving the room. There were too many people in there, anyway.

Standing in the pitch blackness gave her a moment of solitude—something, she realised, was quickly becoming a rarity. Absentmindedly, her hand reached up to touch the scar behind her ear, letting it trace the V in much the same manner that Anna had. It was strange, she mused, how much comfort the girl exuded. It was so different—so, so different—to what Elsa had known from the woman with the same face—the Queen—and she was simultaneously repulsed by it and longed for it. Something that didn't hurt.

Closing her eyes, she dug her mind through the various memories until she found one she was lookcing for. No longer did she feel any emotion towards such things; she couldn't change them, and they couldn't hurt her. It was pointless to attribute sadness or anger towards them when it was only a memory.

Someone had once told her that holding anger and revenge would age her, and she let out a bark of dry laughter. They hadn't known—how could they? She hadn't at that stage—and now, it was merely a funny line in a snapshot of her life.

The memory swam in and out of her mind's eye, and she no longer felt the urge to look at it, to remember it. Instead, she thought of Kristoff, letting her intentions do the talking as the impulse connected with his own headset. He really disliked her contacting him in this way, but sending an ER-serve took too much power that she didn't have to spare. Even calling him led to a slight crystaliaiston of her gloves, and she flexed her fingers just to break it.

"Kristoff," she said, hearing her voice echo around the emtpy hallway.

"Elsa," he said. "What's wrong?" There was a lilt in his voice, slightly higher than his wn timbre was naturally, and she smiled.

"Nothing's wrong, but-"

"Ugh." He let out a groan and the smirk dropped. "You know not to contact me unless it's something important!"

"I know, but-"

"No, you don't! What if you waste your power calling me and then get into trouble? What then?"

"Kristoff, I'll be fine, I-" He cut her off again, and Elsa almost growled.

"Yes, you will. Anna? I'm not so-"

"Will you stop interrupting me? You're keeping this call going far longer than it needs to be."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Kristoff let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. What's happening?"

Elsa smiled again in victory. "Yes, everything is fine. We're at the school, and-"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up. Belle let you inside?"

Elsa's mouth curved into a thin line. "Not really. She met up with me and Anna, but I couldn't go further than the foyer."

She could almost imagine Kristoff shrugging as he replied with a, "Well, it's further than you've gotten in a while. Probably because of Anna, yes?"

She didn't really want to agree with him, but she knew he was right. It really was mostly because of Anna that she had been let in.

"Look, it's not important," she said, ignoring the way Kristoff choked a little, holding back a short laugh. "It's not! I need you to do something for me. I need an Impulse for Anna."

Kristoff sucked in a breath. "Are you sure? There's no going back. Elsa, if she doesn't want it, I'm not putting it in."

Elsa nodded, knowing full-well that Kristoff couldn't see her.

"I know. Don't worry, she will want it."

There was silence for a moment, and Elsa realised just how much her voice echoed, even talking as quietly as she was.

"It'll be ready when you get here. She can decide the features she wants when you get back."

Elsa let out a wry smile as Kristoff hung up the line, unsurprised that he didn't believe her when she said that Anna would want it. Few people got Impulses, but for Elsa, they were a necessity.

Anna didn't take long to reappear after that; Elsa noticed a shift in her mood straight away. She was far too quiet and clung to Elsa far too close. Her breath was loud in the silence and Elsa wondered what she was thinking; whether Belle had shown her exactly what she had asked.

But, the darkness once more gave Anna strength, and she stopped Elsa as they moved away from the door. They were approximately halfway to the door, in the middle of the hallway when Elsa felt the red-head pause.

"Why did you want me to see that?" she asked quietly. Elsa cocked her head.

"What did you see?"

Anna took another breath, and Elsa could only imagine her thinking back to her most recent excursion.

"I saw children," she began, hesitating. "I saw children... hurt. Who hurt them?"

She had seen far more than just hurt children, Elsa knew. The memory from earlier came back, resurfacing, and her voice caught in her throat. She could get rid of the emotion, she knew she could, but for some reason, she didn't want to.

"Do you trust me?" she asked. Anna let out a snort and Elsa rolled her eyes, biting her lip. "Okay, do you trust me not to hurt you."

This time, the question was met with complete silence, and Elsa wondered briefly if Anna had actually heard her. She was speaking quietly, definitely, but if it was hard to miss a breath, a word was impossible.

"... Yes..."

The answer was barely a whoosh of air, but Elsa latched onto it. Clasping Anna's hand in her own gloved one again, she dragged the red-head's fingers towards her ear. Holding her there with her left hand, Elsa placed the palm of her right hand on the nano-patch on Anna's arm and shut her eyes.

There was a gasp in front of her, and then Anna began struggling to get away. Elsa's grip tightened and she pushed Anna back until she was sandwiched against the wall.

"Stop it!" she cried out, shutting her eyes. Elsa refused to back off, though, gritting her teeth as the raw memories assaulted, not only Anna, but herself, too. The other girl was sobbing, and she slumped down. She would have slid to the floor had Elsa not moved closer, her head resting on Anna's shoulder. The other girl wouldn't be able to feel the tears, not through the jumpsuit, and Elsa let out a short cry. It was quiet and pained and drowned out by Anna's own, but it was still there.

There was no escaping the onslaught of images and emotions. Lying naked, spread-eagled on a cold operating table, fully aware and conscious as blood and plasma and spinal fluid was harvested from her. Every single hair plucked from her body and being submerged in [something liquid] for weeks at a time, perfectly breathable and fed through tubes; on display for everyone to analyse her.

Being strapped down to a chair and shocked with electricity, just to see how her cells responded to it. Crying herself to sleep every night before the days began anew.

The memories surged through both of them; nothing else existed. It was ironic that as Anna was collapsing, she was also holding Elsa up. The girl's other hand had moved from her side to Elsa's hair, resting on her head lightly as she stopped crying. The blonde kept going, though, not even aware of it. Anna couldn't escape but neither did she truly want to, either. It was so... fascinating. Suddenly, Elsa let her go, and the visions vanished.

"Does that answer your question?" Elsa asked thickly. Anna could barely remember what question she had asked, but a quick look at the darkness reminded her. The only thing she really had room for in her head was what she had just witnessed, and she wondered why Elsa had shown it to her. Was it... something to do with the trust question she raised earlier? The blonde trusted her enough to show her? For some reason, she didn't believe that many people knew of what she had just seen.

Suddenly, she became aware of how quiet she had been, and fought through the memories that plagued her to locate her own. The children. Slowly, she nodded her head.

"You were- that- I don't understand."

Elsa shut her eyes, red and raw from the tears. She didn't want to speak in case Anna could hear the tears that had so recently escaped.

"Those children in there are the ones who escaped. They're Hybrids, too. Belle looks after them."

"Oh, God..." Anna's voice escaped in a breath that Elsa supposed she shouldn't have heard but did anyway. Suddenly, she felt he need to clarify.

"They were never subjected to that," she said. "That happened many years ago. There are more effective methods now, and I'm surprised you don't know about it."

Anna cocked her head, eyes boring into the space Elsa's voice came from. There was the sound of a slight shuffling, and suddenly se was very aware of the fact that the other woman was aware of her gaze. With that knowledge, she refused to look anywhere else.

"What does that mean?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

Elsa let out a dry laugh; to Anna, it sounded like she was still holding back tears. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore Let's just... let's just go home. Kristoff has something for you."

There was silence as Elsa waited for Anna to step forward and take her hand, and Anna waited for Elsa to guide her. Despite the intimacy of the previous moment, now only awkwardness remained. Elsa almost laughed again. She could get undressed and redressed in front of Anna but now couldn't even take her hand? What happened to the past being in the past—unchangeable?

Sighing, she leaned forward to take Anna's hand, noticing a difference immediately. Anna gripped her hand loosely, softly, putting pressure in all the right places. Elsa was aware that it had transcended a simple grip in order to lead, but she was too emotional to try and change it at all.

Stepping out into the light, both girls moved away from the other, not daring to make eye contact. Anna didn't know what to say, and Elsa didn't know what to feel, so they left it.

The walk home was by far the least eventful thing to happen to Elsa all day, and for that, she was glad. She hadn't tried to talk to Anna, and while she felt the eyes of the girl on the back of her head, she refused to acknowledge them, either. She just wanted to get home, perhaps have a nap and try to bury the memories and emotions that came with them.

They were nearing Kristoff's when Anna let out a yelp from behind her. Elsa whipped around to witness the red-head being dragged down one of the alleyways that connected to the main street. Without even thinking, Elsa took off at a run, focussing on her microchip, telling her where Anna was being taken. The movement stopped half a dozen twists and turns into the maze of alleys.

Anna was pushed up against a building, held there by a woman who had put a knife to her throat. And this was why Elsa always walked.

As soon as the girl caught sight of Elsa, she pulled Anna from the wall and held her close. The horse took off with its driver, leaving the three girls alone. Elsa looked between the girl and Anna, not moving.

Anna looked absolutely petrified. She was sweating something fierce and gulping nervously, and Elsa was reminded once more of the other girls's youth. She probably had never been mugged or threatened before, and suddenly it was all happening at once. Elsa was almost regretting not implanting her; now she had fto figure out a way tp get Anna to safetly without killing herself in the process. Her hand almosst reached up to trail along a scare on her own collar, but she suppresede the urge.

"What do you want wit her," she called out, eyes taking in every detail of the attacker.

Female, young—between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-five. Wide-set hips and a fierce expression and likely had a younger sibling or child, judging by certain marks on her skin.

"I need money, and you're going to give it to me," came the response. Elsa caught the woman looking her up and down, and almost grinned. So, not a child; younger sibling.

She wasn't really sure how to deal with this situation; it wasn't as though she hadn't been mugged before (or tried to be) but it was different when the person she needed to save was not herself. She had to think fast, and, unzipping a pocket, she carefully drew out a small object.

The woman had stiffened, and Anna let out a small squeak as the knife pushed against her thraot again. Elsa's heart caught in her throat as a small bead of blood gathered along the blade.

"I'll do what you want," she called out. "Just don't hurt her. I need her."

The woman laughed. "And I need you. So, hop to it and neither of us will be disappointed."

Elsa sighed. "Look, I don't have any money. I'll help you however I can, but just don't hurt the girl."

"I've already said I won't," the woman argued. "I need... I need help."

It was only then that Elsa caught the way the woman trembled. Her hand was—thankfully—steady, but her legs were shaking a little, eyes darting. "Follow me."

Anna gasped again as she was roughly tugged down a side-street. Elsa had little choice but to follow, and swiftly became lost in the catacomb of streets barely used and hardly known. She had never been into this decrepit section of Corona. It was, as hard as it was to believe, far worse for wear than her own home... that she had to leave behind. She left little marks for herself along the route, ensureing no one else would see them or bother to take note even if they did. She needed some way to find her back provided that she did actually make it out of there alive. Yet one more thing to tell Anna in order to convince her to get an Impulse.

Eventually, the girl stopped leading them, and they halted outside a tiny little shack. Anna had kept silent as the knife was removed, but before she could reach out for Elsa, she was roughly pushed inside. Elsa followed of her own volition; she couldn't afford to let Anna go. Not now that they were getting somewhere with the plan.

"What do you need from us?" she asked, the cold, cool Ice Queen back in power. The woman stopped and let out a sigh.

"I am sorry, you know," she said. "I don't like doing this, but who am I to say no to money?"

There was a sinking feeling in Elsa's gut, and as she moved to approach Anna, the woman stood between them, grabbing the red-head again.

"See, Hans employed you to not fail, and you have. Of course, he might still need you in the future, but right now, you're all mine." She turned to Anna, but not before shooting Elsa a slight smirk from the corner of her mouth.

"Now, as for you, precious, he doesn't actually need you. You're all mine for as long as I want."

Both girls paled, not sure what to do. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to reach through to Kristoff. Swallowing thickly, she realised he was right; she had wasted her suit's power on calling him before and now it was out. She grit her teeth. She should have fixed that issue ages ago, but it had never been an issue. She had always been working on her own, and on her own, she had always been able to get her way out. Her eyes darted around the room, weighing her options.

The door hadn't been locked behind her; the only person they wanted was Anna; they didn't care about her. But, they knew that she needed Anna, too, and wouldn't dare leave without the only thing that could help her achieve her end goal.

Glancing down at her hand, she knew there'd be no way for her to get a voice message to Kristoff. But there had to be another way. Eyes widening, she almost smiled.

Whilst she had been thinking, the woman had been circling Anna. The red-head had kept her eyes locked on Elsa, and even without an Impulse, Elsa could read exactly what was crossing her mind.

Don't leave me.

Elsa almost rolled her eyes. She couldn't afford to leave her.

Crossing her hands in front of her, tapping the palm of her right hand, she waited patiently for the woman to notice her again. With any luck, Kristoff would get the message and find them. [/]

Elsa left them alone as they got home, going into the cellar. Anna wanted to follow her but Kristoff held her back, shaking his head. They instead went into his room, where he approahed her with a tiny chip, barely larcher than her pinky fingernale

"What's that?" she asked as he placed it on the desk.

"It's an Impulse," he said, Sven appraching them. His shaggy head offered a little comfort, and Anna slid down to the floor where she going snuggle him more fully.

"Ice Queen said you wanted one?"

Anna was silent for a moment. "Why do you call her Ice Queen? She doesn't act like she likes that name...." Kristoff offered her a small smile.

It's not about likeingi t—at least, not to her. She has a name, yes, but she doesn't like using it. Letting people know your name gives them power over you."

Anna frowned at this, looking Sven in the eyes. "But... she's really powerful anyway. How could anyone control that?"

"Look, Anna..." Kristoff began. "I really like you. I do. I don't have the same... vendetta ans she does, but I'm not going to start spilling her secrets to you. They're hers, to give as she sees fit."

Anna nodded sadly ."I know. NBut i jaust have so many questions. What did she mean byt decades ago? And that memory—I hadn;te seen anything like that before. Ever. I mean... I know I'm not really that good with all this technoology, but still...." She trailed off, only just noticing Kristoff giving her a strange look. "What?"

"aboratroy?" he asked. "I don't kno wnaythign about that." Anna's eyes widened for a moment as the full effect of what happened that day became apparent.

"You.... don't know?" she asked again, needing the clarification. Before Kristofff could answer, the door slid open. Elsa was standing there once more, saoking to the boane again. "I do whish you wouldn't talk about me when I'm not here," she said, voice flat. Her eyes bore holes into Anna's, and the girl shuffled unfcomfoartably.

This time, Kristoff didn't stop as he approached Elsa. "Then maybe you should talk," he told her, slipping out of the room. Elsa's eyes widened as the door slid shut behind him, and she was left alone in the room with Anna. Neither girl moved for a moment until Anna turned around.

"You're soaking," she said. "Again." Elsa nodded, even though the red-head couldn't see it. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she swallowed.

"I know."

When she didn't hear any movement from behind her, Anna continued. "You should get changed."

This time, her mouth was dryer than ever and she had trouble forcing the words out. It shouldn't affect her so much but it did.

"I... can't...." she admitted quietly. This time, Anna looked around at her, eyebrouws furrows.

"What do you mean 'I can't'?" she asked. "You did it earlier."

Elsa let out a small noise. "I know, but the suit has a mechanism. If it gets wet, it constricts to the body to hold in body heat. That way, if I ever fall into a river or something, I won't die of hypothermia."

Anna nodded. It took a while until the full efffects of Elsa's words could be understoodd, and even then, it took for Elsa to actually speak again for Anna to understand wexaclyt wahat was being asked of her.

"I need you to help me."

If Anna hade paled when cornered by the woman, it was nothing comapared to how the blood drained from her face at the simple request.

"What? No, I don't- how- what about Kristoff? He helped you last time. I don't know how the suit works. Why do you need help, can't you do it yorused?"

Elsa almost rolled her eyes. "If I could take it off myself, don't you htink I would?" she asked, and Anna shrugged.

"I don't know. Have you ever tried taking it off yourself."

This time, Elsa did actually roll her eyes. "Yes, I have. Now, are you going to help me at all?"

Hesitinatly, Anna stood up and approached Elsa. The blonde could see the reluctance; as Anna fianly stopped in front of her, there was a strange expression nestled between her eyebrows. Beofre Elsa could walk her through removing the clothes, the red-head spoke.

"I can't... I want something. In exchange."

Elsa tilted her head. Anna had no idea if it was permission to continue or questioning, so she just plowed on. "Information. I need to know some things, and you're going to tell me."

The blonde just looked at her. "You do realise that I can just ask Kristoff to do this, don't you?"

Anna laughed, but it was short and humourless. "If he wanted to help you, he would," she said, and though Elsa didn't want to admit it, she was right. Kristoff knew what he was doing. Sven was still in the room, too, forgotten about (just the way he liked it, Elsa sometimes thought). He was looking at them and probably relaying everything to Kristoff as they spoke.

"Fucking Kristoff," Elsa hissed, staring at the pygmy reindeer. Anna looked at the small animal, frowning.

"What did Sven ever do?" she asked, wounded for the animal who, in her mind, was simply watching them. This time, Elsa gave the humourless laugh.

"Kristoff never told you what he can do, did he?" she asked, and Anna shook her head. "Telepathy. He can understand the thoughts of people, and actually communicate with animals."

Anna's eyes widened. "Wait, he can read my thoughts?!"

Elsa shook her head. "Not read as such, but he can certainly... sense them. What mood you're in. Why, sometimes."

Anna calmed down slightly before she peered at Elsa. The girl didn't smile, but she held her hand out. "There, question answered. Take this thing off."

Anna's face fell, annoyed, but she did as Elsa asked. It took a few moments to figure out how the straps worked, and she could barely remember how Kristoff did it last time.

Finally, she had the right sleeve unzipped and loose. Elsa held out her left hand, but Anna shook her head.

"Next question," she said, eyes averted. Elsa took a few moments to blink away the surprised before nodding her head. Anna caught the movement out of the corner of her eyes, and gained the courage to look at Elsa again.

"Why didn't you kill me after you failed the first time?" she asked quietly. Elsa's eyes widened in surprised; it was not the question she had expected to be asked. Anna only had four left, and she used it on that?

"I don't know. I needed the security to get out of Arendelle Castle, and I needed a way in."

"Why do you need a way back in?" Anna asked the next question almost as soon as Elsa finished her previous answer. The blonde paused for a moment to think about how to answer, and Anna grabbed her arm, pulling it close as she began to loosen it.

"Because I need to finish my mission," she ended up saying. Short and simple and clear enough that Anna didn't need to ask for any clarification. The girl remained silent as she finished on Elsa's left hand and began working on her leg. She didn't wait until she had finished before asking the next question, but this time, it was a lot quieter; soft and unsure.

"Why do you call yourself Ice Queen if you don't like it?"

This question Elsa had no idea how to answer. It would give away far more information than she would like, but something about Anna made her feel like she... deserved it? No, not that. But that it wouldn't be such a bad thing. It took a concerted effort to remind herself that Anna probably wouldn't be quite as open if the true reasons behind the name became known. She had finished loosening the other leg by the time Elsa had an inkling of how to answer.

"Because I needed a work name," she began quietly, halting and hesitating. "Because of my abilities. Because by taking the name of something I feared and hated, it became less scary...."

Anna was looking at her carefully, but it wasn't quite the same as earlier. It wasn't the sort of scrutinisation that made her feel uncomfortable; it was more the one that made her feel... looked out for. As though Anna was trying to understand. She didn't know how to feel about it.

Anna stood up and began undoing the last clasps and buckles, fingers trembling.

"What's your real name?"

Elsa swallowed thickly, looking over Anna's shoulder. She couldn't meet the girl's gaze; if she could, she would have noted how well her teal eyes matched her hair, or how the pale streak in her hair wasn't just pale, it was pure white. She could have been able to count every single freckle on her face and wouldn't have known what to make of it.

As it were, Anna was truly noticing the imperfections in Elsa's skin. How her ice-blue eyes had traces of sky-blue and turquoise. The light smattering of pale freckles, so close in tone to her skin but not quite. How her eyebrows were darker than her hair or the slight upturn of small nose.

The space and silence between them was filled with light breathing, and Elsa noted, somewhere in the back of her head, that Sven had left, going God only knows where. She swallowed and blinked, finally looking back at Anna.

She opened her mouth to take a breath, only just noticing how truly close they were to each other. Her mouth dried up and her heart thundered in her chest. There was a passing thought that Anna needed to get an Impulse now, and, she noted ironically, that the thought itself was impulsive. There were layers and layers more to it, but Elsa didn't want to think of them at that moment.

Throughout the silence, Anna hadn't averted her gaze. She hadn't looked away and she hadn't even tried to say anything else. Elsa licked her lips again; never again had telling someone her name been so stressful, or had required so much thought. In a voice so tiny that she wondered if it had come from her, she spoke.

"Elsa," she whispered, voice breaking for no reason other than it could. "My name is Elsa."

She looked away, not prepared to face Anna anymore. The day had been tiring, but everything she had shared had been far more emotionally taxing than it should have been. It had been easy with Kristoff; she had simply walked up to him, introduced herself by he work name, and then an hour later, told him her real name and that they would be working together forever because she needed him and he needed the money she brought. Eventually, a friendship had sprung from the partnership, and it had been to beneficial to give up. They both needed the company the other offered. But this, with Anna? It was completely different.

She hardly noticed it when the suit fell, but she certainly felt it when Anna moved away. She was back soon enough, wrapping a towel around her. Had the occasion allowed for it, Elsa would have laughed at the way Anna still averted her eyes, staring at the corner behind Elsa's shoulder. As it was, she gave her a smile. Elsa could barely remember the last time that someone gave her one so honest and genuine.

Anna left her to get dressed after that, waiting in the hallway. She wasn't surprised to find Kristoff outseide, but Elsa was certaily annoyed. She completely ignored the boy after she had gotten dressed and the duo filed back into the room.

"So, ANna," he said. "have you given any more thought to the Impulse?"

She shook her head, and Elsa rolled her eyes. "You have Sven spying on us. Did he tell you we had time to discuss the pros and cons of an Impulse."

Kristoff gave a sheepish smile, letting it drop when he found an excuse. "Hey! I didn't want to wander in if something was happening."

This time, Elsa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Something like what, Kristoff?"

He held his hands up in a placating gesture, and everyone let the topic drop.

"Okay, an Impulse," he began again, "is a small computer. I stick it in your head, it sticks little wires into your brain, and there you have it, a little robot controlling your every thoughts."

Anna's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "What?" she cried. "You have a robot comtrolling your head?!" Elsa would have punched Kristoff if she thought it would solve anything, but unfruntealy, she knew it wouldn't

"No, I don't," she said. "He was right that it connects to your head, but it needs to. You can also get a microchip installed like I do, but it's not necessary-"

"Wait," Anna interrupted. "Wasn't it your microchip that saved use today?"

"Hey! I saved you today, thank you very much."

Anna brushed off Kristoff's outcry. "No, I mean, like... you used it to call for help, yeah? Well, if I get an Impulse, I want one of those."

Elsa leaned forward, nodding. Kristoff, however, spoke first. "That's great, Anna, but has Elsa told you of the cons?" When Anna shook her head, he sighed. "Look, Impulses are awesome, but not many people have them for good reasons. They're dangerous pieces of technology. Sometimes they don't take—they're rejected by the body. Not everyone survives when that happens, and when they do, they're... changed. Often, people can't reconcile the new tech and their own head_they can act like second brains to store back-up information if you need it to. Elsa's had hers for years and it hasn't all been peaches and candy. It's a very dangerous procedure."

Anna looked to Elsa, who avoided meeting her gaze. "But there are good things, aren't there?" she asked. Elsa wouldn't have one unless there was, and she wouldn't want Anna to get one unless she thought it would help.

"There are. You can install "programs", like Elsa's location. You can mess with how the brain renders things to include night- and heat-vision. Some add extra languages and stuff. You can even program it to, I don't know, make you lactose intolerant. It's more a placebo effect than anything, but it's still something."

Kristoff fell silent. Elsa shook her head. "And," she began, "it means you can telepathically communicate with another person who has an Impulse, provided that you know the production code."

"That's only theorised!" Kristoff interrupted. "We have no idea of the effects."

"Aren't you a telepath?" Anna asked. Kristoff shrugged his shoulders, annoyed.

"It's different. It's like... I have to be granted permission to actually see anything. You could easily kick me out if you wanted. This- this is different. It might not work at all, or it might be an open link for anyone else who has the Impulse code. You might not be able to hide anything from each other anymore. Is that a road you really want to go down? Once this is in place, Anna, there's no going back."

She sunk down, head in her hands. "Can I have some time to think it over?" she asked softly. Both Kristoff and Elsa nodded, and she stood up.

She was shouting. Anna was shouting something and Elsa could see that she had tears streaming down her face but she couldn't see it. Not behind the memories that were ramming through her head. She was vaguely aware of screaming, echoing around, and it took a few minutes more to realise that the noise had burst forth from her own throat. She clenched her eyes shut, knowing that Kristoff had his arms around her, trying to hold her still, and knowing that Anna was still looking, still sifting though the same memories that was plaguing her, the same look of horror spread across her face.

And Elsa couldn't feel anything but grief, the memories holding nothing but pain and anguish, and the reality that her last secret was spread bare, naked for Anna to

Elsa stiffened and the memories changed. This time, it was the blonde trying to get away; she only succeeded in dragging Anna with her. The red-head took advantage of it, and soon, their roles were reversed, Elsa pushed against the wall.

she was forced to watch her mother go through the same treatment she was subjected to; watching in horror as her mother screamed, unaware that her virgin child was being tortured to, in a different way. Accidentally freezing a mirror so hard it cracked, and forcing the liquid she was submerged in to frost over, almost killing herself.

Finding Kristoff and creating her own space to be free. Dancing in the snowflakes and with the snowmen and laughing and being happy.

Anna gasped as Elsa stopped struggling, rolling her head back and letting the tears roll down the sides of her cheeks.

They stepped away from each other, infinitely aware of the other girl's presences, so close.

Anna looked at Elsa, eyes wide. She had no idea what the other girl was saying. It couldn't be true. Elsa was refusing to meet her gaze.

"Elsa, what is it? You didn't really do that, did you?"

The blonde refused to answer, giving the girl the only answer she would need.

"No..." the word was barely a breath but it could have been a screech at the way Elsa flinched back.

"Anna, please!" She was close to crying, tears filling her eyes like something or other. "Anna, let me explain, please..."

"Explain what?" Anna cried. "How you came to kill my mother? That it's just an accident that you ripped me from my home. What, elsa? Please explain to me how you kill innocent children!"

Elsa opened her mouth; she tried, she really did, but all that came out was a choked sob.

"You can't explain because there's nothing to explain, is there?" Anna sneered. "I can't believe you and I..."

She didn't finish her sentence, the utter contempt in her voice doing the just just as well. Elsa was bent nearly double, her arms wrapped securely around her waist in a valiant attempt to keep herself together.

Anna turned around, bent on getting out of there. She ignored Elsa's small cry, focusing only on the door. When she got there, though, it refused to open, and she whipped around.

"What are you doing?" she shouted, voice echoing. Elsa shook her head violently, offering little gasps. She could barely see Anna, let alone know what the red-head was talking about. Her eyes were swimming and she could barely breath.

"Elsa!" Anna shouted, approaching the blonde. She pushed Elsa up against the wall, ignoring the complete fear in the other girl's eyes. Anna was focused on only one thing: get out. Get away from Elsa.

"Elsa," she began, voice low. "Let me out of here, now."

Elsa shook her head, facing the floor. "Get- get off," she said, voice barely louder than a whimper. Anna refused to listen, anger and betrayal clouding her judgement. She only held on stronger as Elsa began to truly struggle against her. "Anna, let me go, please!"

"Why! Are you going to kill me, too?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Elsa cried out. "Anna, please!"

"You can't hurt me," Anna said. "I won't let you kill me like you killed them."

Elsa completely stopped struggling, eyes wide and staring deep into Anna's searching. Her mouth hung open and she couldn't voice the thoughts needed to make anna understand. The red-head stepped back, away from her and Elsa slid bonelessly to the floor.