A/N: Whew, once again sorry this took so long, and thanks for waiting. Special Thanks to Yotaguy who helped me get this chapter in shape. Please do review if you like the story, they're great for my writing soul.

Chapter 11: Going Legit

Finally, Elsa has the first opportunity in recent memory to enjoy waking up. While her problems yet persisted, it was nice that for once, the positive outweighed the negative. The future was still quite uncertain, as was the reason that Red was lying in bed right next to her. She wasn't even under the sheets, but it seemed as though once again Red decided to invite herself into Elsa's room without permission. Even after everything Elsa had seemed to put her through, she was willing to forgive it all, at least for now.

For the past week, Elsa existed in a state of torpor. She was initially surprised that she had woken up in her own bed and not a hospital, or perhaps some place far worse. As soon as she heard Red's voice, her most probable theory on the matter was quickly confirmed. Most likely the authorities were not involved due to Red still fearing the possibility of being apprehended. Fortunately, a cursory inspection of her body showed that the was a low chance of any further complications.

Once she figured out the chain of events leading here, there was little left for her to think about. Soon enough, the memories came back. At first, she was certain that it would be the memories of the pain she endured would be haunting her the most. Upon her involuntary reflection however, she could hardly remember any of it, even though it seemed like she had suffered for hours on end.

One of those drugs. One or more of many used on her during her incarceration. Perhaps an unintended side effect of it, or perhaps the mind simply wasn't equipped to handle the memories of that length of time. Impossible to be certain. Perhaps that was to her benefit. The lucid memories were far more terrifying to her.

The first thing she could remember clearly was seeing Red on the floor, beaten and broken. That sight had awoken something within her. Elsa still didn't truly understand why. There was a brief moment where the memories became hazy. Then it was back to all it's vivid, horrific detail. As far as she could tell, something else seized control of her body. From there, it was one kill after another. Thirteen in all. Despite having no agency over her body, she remembered each successive kill . Their faces showing surprise. Disbelief. Terror. They had clearly never seen what Elsa was capable of before, and they would never see it wasn't even the worst part, though.

Every time she saw them die by her own hand, if not her own actions, she felt nothing. Not a hint of remorse, no signs of doubt in her actions. Not even any disgust at what she witnessed. This thought alone sent her reasoning skills to all the places she dreaded. To the one horrifying, yet inevitable revelation: she was probably always like this. For as long as she could remember, there was almost nobody who she formed any kind of real connection with, much less emotional attachments. For the longest time, she had rationalised it as simply a part of her personality, something hardly unique to her. She reveled in pursuits of the mind, not pursuits of other people. That was what worked for her. Her violent, uncontrollable awakening cast everything in a much different light.

There was the possibility of the supernatural being involved. At even a cursory glance though, it was all rather ridiculous. Projecting ice at will? It defied everything that had been established by science. Yet, the moment her curiosity got the better of her, one of the few things she thought she understood was completely turned on its head.

Ice. She was creating ice. Everything from the gentlest of snow to deadly, razor-sharp spikes could be conjured from the very palm of her hands. There was something else. Something on the edge of her mind in the preceding days. She placed her hand on the window pane. Nothing. The snowfall showed it was clearly frigid outside, but it seemed that the cold was something else she no longer felt. How was any of this possible? Her curiosity made her wish to see what this power was capable of. Unfortunately, the rest of her memories filled her with dread. That other being. Glaca. That was what it called itself, at least. Was there another being? At this point, Elsa wasn't sure what to believe. How did she know that she had not suffered some kind of psychotic breakdown? That she invented an "intruder" in her own mind, to avoid the accountability of her drastic actions? Maybe the police would burst in at any moment to lock her away for good.

So, she sat there, torn on what to do. For once in her life, she had no plan. No train of thought. Only the very real possibility that she was a monster. She couldn't go out there. She couldn't see anyone, much less talk to them. Least of all, the very person who was closest to her. The very sight of Red hurt was what started her rampage. Elsa remembered that the clearest of all. To not go out there and talk to her was the most difficult thing to do.

Elsa was well aware of the mistakes Red made. Technically, she hadn't forgiven her for breaking into her room. Not to mention her rather poor rescue attempt. She couldn't help but wonder what went through the mind of the thief sometimes. However, that couldn't be said right now. From the tone of her voice alone, Elsa could sense only concern from Red. She knew that Red must have been in all kinds of pain. She never once complained, though. Never once blamed Elsa for anything, not even her refusal to come out and speak to her. That only served to make what she was doing all the more difficult. Red's words became shakier, weaker, less sure with each passing day. Even so, she didn't seem to give in. Red may not have been the most capable woman in the world. Not by a long shot. Still, she was trying. The worst thing was, she didn't even understand how much of a difference she was making.

So of course, it all came to a head when Red finally decided it was best for both of them (but mainly Elsa, no doubt) if she left forever. Even from the other side, Elsa could hear how close to crying she was. How little of a plan she really had. How horrible about herself she felt. It seemed that fate finally forced her hand. There was no way Red would last too long out there. In the cold, against possibly both the police and the White Hand. So she opened the door in the nick of time. In that one moment, Elsa somehow managed to reach out in a way she never thought possible. Red was all too willing to accept her plea. It was a tough week, but with a little work, everything would be alright.

Apparently, Elsa wasn't quite done sleeping just yet. After the week she had, it would take a bit of time to get her sleeping hours back on track. There were, of course, more pressing issues to deal with. Eleven O'clock. Good, there was still the rest of the day. It was time to put her windfall to good use.

Elsa once more took the time to make herself presentable, and finally stepped out of her room like normal human being. Or, as close as she ever could be now. Red seemed to have taken up her usual spot in front of the television, watching some kind of news broadcast it seemed. The moment she saw Elsa walk in, the television was off. Elsa took a seat beside her.

"So," Elsa started.

"Uh- so," Red shot back, clearly trying her best to stay calm. "I made some toast for you. It's probably cold now, so, uh, I can make some more, no problem." There was a brief, palpable silence. "I'm so sorry! I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry-"

"Calm down. It's alright." Of course, things weren't quite alright, but it was the closest they had been for the past week or so. Moreover, Elsa could finally put a plan into motion to get things moving again.

"Look, I know you're- wait, you're not mad?"

Elsa quietly sighed. Shouldn't she have been the one asking that? Elsa had shut her out all this time, and Red had been nothing but patient and accommodating to her behaviour. "No. No, I'm not. I was a little disappointed, perhaps. The truth is that I'm just as responsible for the way things turned out."

"But it is my fault, don't you get it?" Suddenly, Red was standing up. She was clearly angry, but Elsa could clearly see it wasn't directed her way. "I started all this. You told me to stay out of your room, and I couldn't even do that. Then, when that got you taken away, I did the stupidest thing possible. All I managed to do was get both of us caught instead of just you. Don't you see that?"

Elsa looked away pensively. Clearly, their problems wouldn't just go away from one good night's sleep. "I'm well aware of your actions, save how you made it into the White Hand's complex, not to mention how you made it back. That, we can discuss at another time. As I said, I had my part in this, in spite of what you might think."

"It's okay, Elsa. You don't have to cover for me." Red slowly turned away, clutching her arms. "This all happened because I couldn't follow simple instructions, Because I thought I knew better than you. Because I only thought about myself."

"I see." Elsa took a deep breath. Emotional reassurance wasn't her strong point, not by a long way. She had to say something, though. The truth. No matter how much it might hurt. "Let's go back to the beginning, alright? When I asked you those questions about your past, you made it clear that you wanted to be more involved with the investigation. I rather forcefully refused, to the point of making a few less-than flattering comments about you. After which I proceeding to barely talk to you at all."

"You weren't exactly wrong, were you," Red muttered.

"Please, let me finish." Elsa cut in. Now for the hard bit. "I think at that point it was fairly obvious that you were feeling left out, and then me leaving you nothing to do save, sit around all day wasn't helping at all. You weren't going to change your life stuck in front of the television. I could tell that you were closer and closer to doing something rash, most likely sneaking into my room. Instead of trying to placate you, I decided to set a trap for you."

Red's face froze. Clearly it had a bit of trouble sinking in. "So, you mean that time you went out-"

Elsa could only nod slowly. "Of course. I didn't need to leave the past few days thanks to your help, but I never even thought about that. I wanted to believe you were the same as ever, even though you continued to help out without being asked. Even though you never complained about what I was doing. Then- then I got careless. When I heard someone at the door, I assumed it was you. I was so preoccupied that I didn't even consider they had come to pay me a visit. I know you've probably run the way things should have gone through your head like I have. What's done is done. If I was ever mad at you, it's long gone after you looked out for me these past days."

There was another pause, as Red appeared to gather her thoughts. "Well, yeah, I, but- I only did all of that for me. Don't you get it? I couldn't go out there into the freezing snow, I just- I just thought if I helped out long enough maybe you'd let me off the hook."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Elsa gave her a soft, yet probing look. "Did you really decide that jumping in headfirst after me without any kind of plan, up against possibly the most dangerous organisation in the world was in your best interest?"

"I-I-I-," Red's breathing was heavy and unsteady. "I didn't really have time to think about it, okay? I saw those men walking into the building, and I knew who they were. Why they were there. I couldn't just let them leave with you. I couldn't. I know how stupid it was, but I- I'd never forgive myself, if I let them.

Elsa nodded slowly. "I think I understand. The thought of something happening to me terrified you far more than what might happen to you."

"Well, yeah, I guess." Red suddenly turned away. Elsa swore she saw just the hint of a blush.

"It's okay." Elsa extended a hand on Red's shoulder. "Just look me in the eye, and tell me that was you being selfish."

"Don't you get it? It was stupid!" Red blurted out, before sighing.

"I didn't say stupid, did I?" Elsa's gaze hardened. "Look at me, Red. Look at me." It had started to sound more like an interrogation than Elsa might have like, but it had the desired effect. "Why do you keep talking like this? Acting as though you're a lost cause?"

"I- it's just-," Red stammered, unable to maintain eye contact. "Well, before all of this, I thought I at least had those amazing heists I pulled off. That there was something I was good at. But it was all a lie. Without all that tech and the others helping me, I wouldn't have stood a chance. And the one person in the White Hand I thought was my friend. He hated me. He kicked me to the ground, again and again, like he enjoyed it." Elsa paled. The memories of what she had seen on that screen. She had to push them out of her mind. "Everything I thought I was good at was a lie, and everyone who knows me, hates me. What am I supposed to do, Elsa? Even if you lost everything, you'd still be really, really clever. I don't even have any of that."

"You have something even better than that, believe fact that you're still here, after all I put you through, proves it. You've shown a lot more patience and care than I ever deserved, whether or not you realise it."

Red stalled. Her eyes started to dart around. "Yeah, well, um, anyone could have done that, you know!"

How could someone cling onto a low self-esteem with such fervor? Elsa quietly sighed. "That's the thing about this world. The more people that could do it, the less people actually end up doing so. They think it's beneath them. That someone else will deal with it, or it's not worth the effort."

Suddenly, Red's attention was back on her. "Elsa, that doesn't make sense. There wasn't anyone else. How could I have possibly expected someone to come along and help you when no one else even knew?"

"Well, I-" Elsa blinked. Damn, that analogy sure fell through quickly, even against her. She needed something else, and fast. "Look, you- I don't- you have to-" Elsa cursed herself. She was capable of cracking some extremely difficult problems against the odds, but now that Red was looking her in the eye, the words dried up like water in the desert. There had to be some way to articulate exactly what she was feeling. Some expression that-

No. This wasn't some kind of problem, or mystery, or calculation. She wanted Red to stay. It was far simpler, and yet somehow she was out of her depth. Saying something simple clearly wouldn't work since Red was so determined to leave, but Elsa could think of nothing. Time was running out.

"Elsa, I know I might have helped out a little. But I'm a thief. A criminal. An escaped criminal. I didn't even tell you that until the last second. If I were caught now, you'll end up in just as much trouble as me."

Elsa managed a smile, despite herself. The ball was back in her court. "Do you really believe walking out of that door forever will change that? We both have a far greater threat to deal with than the police. The White Hand is your enemy as much as it is mine. In spite of the, well, setbacks they've suffered, I doubt you'll be able to evade them forever on your own, and I don't want you to freeze or go hungry trying. Be honest, do you have any real plan for if you left right now?"

Red could only tilt her head down. "Every time I try to come up with a plan, I only end up making things worse."

"I'll take that as a no," Elsa said, shaking her head. "Yet, you still managed to get both of us home when the- incident ended. I still don't know how you did that."

"Oh, yeah, that." She was evasive again. "I know I should have called the police, or an ambulance, or something. I just didn't want to go to jail again. Also, I kind of didn't have a phone. So I found a bus stop. We weren't too far outside the city. I kinda carried you most of the way. I swear, I thought you could see a doctor after-"

"Wait, you did what?" Elsa cut in. "You carried me all that way? Red, you were hurt. Badly. I saw all of it." That was the one thing she remembered from that fateful night the clearest of all. Even if Elsa couldn't quite explain why, it was the worst part of all of it.

"I know, Elsa. But it's true, I swear. The pain wasn't quite so bad, out in the cold. I had a lot of training, so I'm stronger than I look. I- I couldn't let you stay out in the cold any longer than I had to, not with it snowing so fast."

Elsa nodded. Of course, Red would have no idea that the cold didn't seem to have any affect on her any longer. It seemed to strain credibility at the very least, and yet Elsa didn't believe Red was lying at this point. "You did that all by yourself? You think anyone could have done that?"

"I-" Red's eyes were starting to water, and Elsa wasn't entirely sure why. "If it was anyone else, they would have called the police or something. But I didn't. You know why? Because I didn't want to go to prison again. There, I only thought of myself, again."

She could stop the tears any longer, leaving Elsa to sit there uncomfortably. Her first instinct was to wait and let it pass, but she quickly realised: that would have happened some time during the past few days. Red needed someone now, more than ever. These past few days, Elsa had been making things worse herself, even if she didn't realise it.

To any normal person, the solution would probably be simple. That was just it. In every way, except perhaps her appearance, Elsa was the farthest thing from normal. It felt so absurd, but this truly was a throw of the dice. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Red. The movements were stilted and beyond awkward. Elsa wasn't sure what the ideal position was. She hadn't done this in so long. Just being this close made her uncomfortable. Yet, Red wasn't pushing her away. In fact, she even seemed to be calming down. Maybe there was hope yet. "I know this is hard, but I don't think leaving now will help. I can give you a chance. A real chance this time. But you have to trust me."

Red finally mustered to compose herself, and wipe her face dry. "You- you'd do that for me? After everything I've done?"

Elsa sighed, only this time with just the slightest bit of levity. "You also need to stop selling yourself short. You're not a lost cause. Not as long as I still believe you can change." She let go. "If you just trust me, I'll do everything in my power to help you. But first, there's something you need to see." Elsa extended her left hand, pointing it upwards. Perhaps a second later, a flurry of snow and ice shot up, scattering around the room. Strangely, it came not from any special focus or state of mind. It simply happened.

"So, you can-"

"Shhhh," Elsa cut in. "Not here." She would have preferred to keep this conversation indoors, but they had spent enough time there as it was, and what precious little December daylight left that day was burning. There was a place they needed to go. Somewhere Elsa never thought she would go, least of all like this. How quickly things changed.

So, they changed into their winter wear and set off, not that Elsa needed to any more. The cold was still very much apparent, even if she could no longer feel it on her skin. Every window in sight was layered in frost, be it car or building. While much of the snow that might hinder them was either shoveled to one side or gritted, there was no lack of it to be found. All of it only helped to remind Elsa of what she could now do. What she had already done. That was the crucial question. Was it really some foreign being controlling her actions, or some elaborate trick of her mind? She suspected it would never happen again. That infuriated the investigator inside her more than anything else.

"Elsa, you alright?" She was snapped out of her reverie. "I thought you were going to say something."

"Right, sorry. It's essential we keep this under wraps, for now. At least until I better understand what's going on. If anyone discovers this, I fear they may not have our best interests at heart. You must swear not to talk about it, until I say otherwise."

Red shrugged. "Come on, who else would I tell, anyway?"

"I'm serious, you know." Elsa didn't bother to glare at her, but the tone of her voice should have gotten the job done.

"So was I," Red said sheepishly, looking away. "I'm sorry, Elsa."

Just like that, Elsa was the bad guy. Why couldn't she read Red's intentions like a normal person? Why couldn't she interact like a normal person? "It's no problem, as long as you meant it." She would do as she had always done: focus on the task at hand. "In any case, we're heading to South Col Marina, the second largest in the city. It should be mostly quiet this time of year."

"I'll say," Red said with a little shiver. "Who'd want to go sailing in this weather? Why do we want to go sailing in this weather?"

Elsa actually managed a laugh. "We're not going sailing, Red. There's someone I'm hoping we'll find there. Someone that might be able to assist this your- our problem."

"Oh." Red looked introspective for a brief moment. "Who?"

Elsa took a quick spin around. Nobody in earshot, at least for the moment. "There was something I was following, both while in the force and out. First, it was a notorious criminal I was hoping to put away when everyone else had failed. Then, it might have been someone who could have assisted my search for the White Hand. He- or she was, and hopefully still is nothing short of a master fraudster. Ever since they showed up, all kinds of doctored documents and elaborate forgeries have come into circulation. Not that most people would ever know."

"So, what, they make fake money and other stuff?" Red asked.

Elsa shook her head. It would be far too risky to try and counterfeit money. In an economic centre like Arendelle, that would draw too much attention from the wrong people. That was more than Elsa could explain to her in a short conversation, though. "It's mostly documents, really. The kind of thing most people keep to themselves, if they can help it."

Red bit her lip just a bit. "And what, you think they're on one of these boats, or something?"

Elsa gave a short nod. "Based on all the evidence I've looked through and the searching we've done, that's what makes the most sense. Of course, that wouldn't be the first time somebody tried something like this. In fact, the police already searched this avenue and turned up practically nothing."

"So, you think there's something they missed?" Red offered.

"Naturally," Elsa confirmed, stopping at one of the branches. "This isn't just any city, but Arendelle Port City. Anyone who wanted to outmaneuver the police would have to be well prepared. As long as they can avoid making some kind of pattern or correlation, they could stay below the radar. I suspect they used a number of boats, frequently altering their appearance, not to mention their registration details. However, no matter how much they try to hide it, the pattern is always there if you look hard enough. In this case, there's one commonality I've noticed, perhaps by chance." She took a breath, and looked around. No signs of activity so far. Either nobody had seen them just yet, or this was all for naught.

"Come on, Elsa. Don't leave me in the dark." Red rubbed her arms. "The sooner we're out of this cold, the better."

"Right. The police managed to piece together a trail of the forger's movements, but they changed things up so fast it hadn't helped much. However, there was a strange hole in the pieces. Almost every winter, the trail, quite literally, went cold. It appeared as though whoever was doing this, wasn't around those times of year."

Red shivered a little. "You know, can't really blame them."

"I'm not done yet." Elsa stopped, then exhaled. She couldn't possibly know what Red meant. Not any more. Unless this power went away, which she strongly suspected it would not, until her final moment. "Well, it's probably best we don't just stand here too long anyway." She directed them just a little further on, in front of another fishing boat brimming with snow. "In short, there was a decrease, but not total disappearance of new documents, not just around the winter, but whenever it was snowing heavily. The trail we picked up showed whoever was doing this was using the marinas for more expensive ships, so I formed an idea. What if they wanted to lay low, somewhere no one expected them to be, but in comfort? At any other time of the year, the top of the boat would give it away. Now, though? The snow covers that all up. For now, it can pass as a simple commercial boat. Since no one comes round here this time of year, no one looks too closely. At least, that's the idea."

"Uh, okay. So is it here or not?" Perhaps bringing Red here wasn't such a great idea. Elsa couldn't afford to hurry, but Red wanted her to. It probably didn't help that there was only her hypothesis, nothing solid.

"Maybe. I need to take a closer look. Then we can go pick up some hot drinks again, alright?" They managed to share a smile. "Alright, stay here while I check this out. If anyone asks, just say we're scouting this place out while it's quietest to see if there's any space we can use. I'll be as quick as I can, I promise." Not exactly the most airtight story, but it wasn't the easiest to directly challenge, either.

Elsa advanced along the pier, each footfall slightly unsure. Unsure of whether or not she actually wanted this lead to be correct or not. Her instincts had been effective at pointing her in the right direction. The problem was that it never ended well for her once she arrived. Was she simply out of her depth? It always seemed to be by sheer luck that she made it out, and it always came at a price. How much longer would her luck, if you could call it that, hold out?

Elsa shook her head, passing one boat after the next. She told herself what she always did. Whenever you feel like giving up, remember why you held on. She was the only one who could see this through. Who would see this through. For once, she was getting somewhere. The wood beneath her creaked, and even in the icy cold, the smell of fish hung in the air. This likely wouldn't get her closer to dealing with the White Hand for good, or finding out exactly what their grand plan was. Who said this criminal really was an individual? She already had one group of people who wanted her worse than dead, she hardly needed a second.

This is for Red, she concluded. The same Red who's still getting rather cold. All uncertainty was quelled. Advancing three boats further, she came across the one vessel that had originally aroused her suspicion. Even from a distance, it seemed slightly mismatched, and up close that was even more clear. The hull, while partially frosted, was pure white with a shine that no well-worn boat would bear. The ship was clearly longer than anything else around, with a slightly sharper prow. It was strange that no one noticed this, even with the weather helping to obscure the ship. Perhaps whoever left it here managed to pass some bogus information about it, and no one had thought it worth chasing up. Or was she just speculating? Elsa could vaguely see a name on the side, but it was obscured by a thin layer of ice.

Elsa couldn't reach it, not without risking falling off. There was one other option. Lifting her hand, she focused on the obstructive ice. In just a few seconds, it fizzled away into a bunch of snowflakes, revealing golden text. The Magic Lamp. The boat's name? Well, perhaps this was where Elsa would get her wish. The only problem now was getting on deck. There was no way to reach it without the gangplank, which was nowhere in sight. Nor was there anything nearby that could substitute. Except perhaps, her power.

Elsa steadied herself. It had been simple the last time, but now was different. She needed enough ice to hold her weight. Moreover, she couldn't be seen doing it. There may not have been anyone around, but there could always be a camera she hadn't seen. Creating a series of steps would be simplest, but would probably draw the most attention. Moving platform? No, too unnatural. Elsa looked around, pondering the best solution. There! A set of rungs leading down into the water. That's the kind of thing she needed.

This time, Elsa wanted to be less conspicuous. Did she really require hand motions to conjure or manipulate ice? Perhaps the direct approach to the question would be best. Elsa focused her thoughts on the hull in front of her, and one by one, the rungs of pure ice she desired began to manifest. It was exactly as she imagined, but it wasn't nearly fast enough. So, she extended her hand towards the boat. It seemed to have the anticipated effect, hastening the construction of the crystalline rungs. She would have to remember that in future. For now, she hopped forward onto the ladder she had created.

She made it. Step by step she made it up. She hadn't even considered the possibility that the rungs might not hold her weight, but they held. She climbed onto the deck, and willed away her improvised ladder. The deck was caked in snow, so it was difficult to make anything out. Upon further inspection, there was a small opening to go below deck. While this did make things easier, it also suggested the boat had been used, and recently. She hoped to contact whoever the forger was, but from a position of advantage, if possible. This could complicate matters.

She took a closer look at the entry. It was just about her height, and slightly slanted. She could just about see inside, where there were no signs of life. There probably weren't too many hiding places a possible occupant could be. After a few more seconds, just to be certain, Elsa stepped forward, grabbing for the handle. The door opened up, offering no resistance. She stepped inside, knowing haste was essential. Grab one or two incriminating items, and see if they're willing to make a trade. Assuming there even was anything here. This could still turn out to be a wild goose chase.

Or not. Suddenly, there was an all too familiar clicking behind her. "That's far enough." Elsa turned to face the voice, unmistakably male, but slightly higher pitched than one might expect. He had short, black hair which appeared to be styled into a short pony tail along with a modest beard. There was a slight browness to his skin, though it wasn't quite clear whether that was natural or simply a tan. More importantly though, there was a revolver similar to her own, pointed straight at her chest. "I don't know how you got up here, but this is private property."

Elsa didn't even blink. "The fact that you're pointing a deadly weapon at me implies this is more than simple trespassing laws you're concerned about."

The man gave a glare that Elsa was no stranger to. "Look, I know who you are. Miss Fresia. Ex-detective. If it weren't for that little prefix, you'd be sporting a real big hole in your chest right now. I'm going to give you one chance to get off my boat and walk away. Or, your cold dead corpse can find it's way to the bottom of the sea."

Elsa stalled very briefly, but only for the use of the word cold for some reason. "You're going to shoot me, with a gun that powerful? You really think nobody would notice that level of noise?" Even if it were too late for her, Red would certainly notice, and the police wouldn't be far behind.

The man stifled a growl. "Don't you get it? I could shoot you right now, and I'll be gone long before anyone can do anything about it." He pulled the hammer back.

Elsa's mind already had a solution. "So, you're really willing to kill me in cold blood. Should I infer that to be an admission of guilt?"

"I'm afraid you won't have the time." The man pulled the trigger. A tiny, high pitched clink was heard. Then- nothing. "What the-" the man pulled the trigger a few more times, but each attempt was in vain. Perhaps if he'd looked closer at the gun, he might have noticed that ice had formed in several key parts of the mechanism. That was far from his most pressing concern at this point.

"So, that's attempted murder, and what I can only presume to be illegal firearm possession. Would you care to-"

"Shut up!" the man shouting, dropping the useless gun and throwing a jab far faster than Elsa thought possible. Clearly, he expected to thrust right into Elsa's stomach. Elsa expected it to hit her head on. Instead, it was blocked just short of its target. Immediately, Elsa realised what had happened. When she saw the attack, her powers had manifested, throwing up a icy palisade in front of her chest. Not only was the blow absorbed, the man had clearly hurt himself in the attempt.

"What the- armor?" The man asked. Elsa wasted no time, grabbing hold of the offending hand, pushing a tight grip and twisting his arm.

Elsa shook head. "I'll take that as a yes." She pressed harder. Not out of any real anger, but because it was obvious this man would only be brought to comply kicking and screaming. "Now, you have two options. I can call the police for the gun you have illegally, and we'll see what else they turn up in here, which is probably enough to put you away for a very long time. Or, you can do one simple job for me, and we can leave it at that."

"And why should I trust you to- gah!" Elsa twisted his arm further. She was quite done with his stonewalling. "Alright, alright! Just let go already." Elsa relented, and the man slowly got up to his feet. "Thank you. Now let me through, so I can warm myself." He shuffled past her and closed the door, muttering something under his breath that Elsa could only assume was a less than savoury comment about her. He went around an expensive looking desk covered in all sorts of paper in the centre of the room, and took a seat.

"Okay, I need-"

"Alright," the man cut in, interrupting Elsa. "First thing's first. Tell me, how much do you know of my operations?"

"Not a huge amount," Elsa admitted, hoping to put him a slight bit less on edge. " It started when I was in the force. There was one case in particular, that nobody was getting anywhere on. Someone, or some group was bringing in forged documents and the like, at an unheard of rate. They had managed to track it to the docks, but there, the trail went all over the place. The criminal was running circles around them, always managing to remain two or three moves ahead."

The man gave a harsh chuckle. "The most secure city in the world? What a joke. Once you figure out the system, you can do whatever the hell you want, and no one will be any the wiser."

"Not quite nobody," Elsa interjected. That came across more as a boast than she intended.

"Right." The man started pacing. "So it seems there is at least one person in this city with at least two brain cells to rub together. So enlighten me. How did you come this far?"

Now came the tricky part. "Well, that's the thing. You, too, had your own system, one that could be cracked if you just knew where to look. When you can't find anything, you instead look for something that should be there, but isn't. That's where the strange pattern appeared during the snowy weather. I wasn't certain it would be here exactly, but I knew you were hiding somewhere outside the city. So me and a friend came looking around the commercial docks, and, lo and behold-"

"You got lucky," the man interjected. Apparently he wasn't about to relinquish his pride from his little scheme so easily. "I still don't get why you came all this way. Believe me, I really want to just shoot you right now. So before my instincts get the better of me, do tell. What do you want?"

Elsa reached into her pocket, and produced a bulky, white envelope, and slid it across the table in the middle of them room. "I'm here because I require your help. Or, to be more specific, my friend does. Consider that your advance, if you're at all interested."

The man snapped up the envelope and ripped the top open. It was filled with crisp bank notes. He inspected it closely, procuring a small eyeglass from seemingly nowhere. "Let's see here. What do you know. As real as it gets. No marks either. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was clean money."

"Think whatever you like." Elsa looked to the door. "I'm not forcing you to take it."

He quickly shook his head. "No, no. I'm just skeptical, is all. Even if this is all fake, no one can trace this, I'm sure of it. At least, they can't do it quick enough. So, tell me about this job. I'm assuming your friend wants some new documents."

"Everything," Elsa corrected. "She has a colourful past, and most of it isn't in her favour. I doubt there's anything you would consider an atrocity, if you care for such things, but nonetheless she faces dire consequences if she's convicted. I would be obliged if you could create the documents to help her start a new life."

For the first time, the man cracked a smile. "You know what, you've come the right person. But of course, you knew that already. I gotta say this is the first time I've been contacted so directly, like this. Hopefully the last, as well. But let's talk business. First of all, we'll need a picture of your friend."

Elsa froze. She hadn't thought that far ahead, not expecting to advance this far so quickly. Ah! There was something, though. She pulled her phone out, tapping through. "Here, will this work?" She showed a picture of the fake passport she originally used to help her track Red down. How long ago was that? How much changed since then?

"Good enough. I'll have to transfer this directly. Do you mind?" he asked, prompting Elsa to shake her head. It seemed as though they had the go ahead. Hopefully this man knew better than to try and cross her at this point.

"Who are you, anyway?" Elsa finally chanced asking. While not expecting a straight, truthfully answer, his reaction would likely provide some insight.

He thought on the answer for a moment, confirming her suspicions. "I suppose you can call me Gene. Gene Edwards." Just as she suspected, an alias.

After a few minutes of working out the preliminary details, Elsa finally disembarked from the Magic Lamp, this time opening up the side and leaving in a more sanctioned fashion. It was only a few steps later she noticed Red faced with a burly man in a blue sweater, and a head brimming with bushy, brown hair. He didn't seem to be threatening her, but that could change.

"I know, I know, I'm cold, okay?" Red explained, sounding a little exasperated. "But this is the best time to come out here. There's no one out here, the air is crisp, and not to mention all the snow covers up that awful fish smell. I'd say this is the best time to come out here."

The man laughed warmly. "Ah, yes. That's true. Still, you should warm yourself, before you catch your death out here."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm just waiting for my-" Red looked to her right. "Friend. Elsa, there you are. Can we go now?"

"Of course. I believe I owe you a hot drink." With little more than a goodbye to the man, they set off back to dry land, and somewhere less frigid. "So who was that? And what exactly happened to my scouting the area story?"

"I kind of panicked, okay?" Red shot back. "I don't know who that was. But what if he asked me what I know about boats? I don't really know anything about boats. I thought something simpler would be better. It worked, didn't it."

"Yes. Yes, of course." Elsa breathed. If there was anyone who knew how to use quick thinking to get out of trouble, it was probably Red. "Good work, anyway. I found what I was looking for. Otherwise, I would have come back sooner, I swear."

"So there was some good that came out of me freezing my ass off." Red laughed to herself. "So what now?"

"Well,since you're a wanted woman, we have to take more drastic steps. Red, it is essential you get a new identity. That's why we needed the assistance of this forger."

Red dead stopped, grabbing Elsa's arm and forcing her about. "Elsa, that's illegal!"

Elsa stared, nonplussed. "Red, I have a strong grasp of what is and isn't illegal, believe me."

"But, Elsa, I-" Red stammered, the freezing cold apparently forgotten. "Haven't you done enough for me? I know you said it was a risk to take me in at all, but that was different. You said you needed my help. This doesn't help you at all. If they ever find out about this- You're a good person, I know you are..."

Elsa faintly smiled, concealing her inner turmoil. She so badly wanted to believe what Red was saying, but couldn't bring herself to. She wasn't a good person. In fact, maybe she wasn't a person at all.

That moment, the one where she had a gun pointed at her. That was confirmation she needed. Even with sudden death staring her in the face, she felt nothing. She could have explained it away with the extreme trauma before, but now it was clear as day.

There was something terribly, terribly wrong with her. It wasn't just the lack of emotional response. There was something else. She had, for a brief moment, entertained some darker ways of dealing with that man. In the end, she managed to bring him around, just barely. What if he continued to fight back? How far would she have been willing to go? It appeared there was nobody she wouldn't hurt to get what she wanted.

All, save one.

Elsa had spent the last few days coordinating her efforts to help Red shed her past. That, unfortunately, meant having to spend a fair amount of time away from her. Red, of course, had insisted that it would be fine, and she wouldn't get any more ideas while Elsa was gone, but it hurt her all the same. Most of the time, they would be talking about the new identity Red wanted to set up. The other half was spent coordinating with Gene with all the information she needed to, communicating through a number of carefully established blind spots or dead drops. It seemed there were more opportune spots than Elsa ever realized. Perhaps Gene had a point about the security in the city. Perhaps it was something she could fix later. For now, there were other priorities. There was one other thing on her mind. A serious problem that became all too apparent after their last narrow escape.

"Hey, hey, don't let go of me, okay?"

"Relax, I've got you."

This was going to be the good kind of surprise, for once. To that end, Elsa had to ensure that Red kept her eyes closed, as far as possible. That made the revolving door a little tricky, but hopefully would be worth it. Hopefully, Red would appreciate the transition from warm to cold too much to notice the polished marble floor they were walking on. It was only a short way to the elevator. Fortunately, there was no one else inside. Moreover, Elsa knew there wasn't any surveillance inside, for the moment.

"You can open your eyes now." As she said this, Elsa pulled out a large brown envelope. Everything that Red would need, and worth every penny. Elsa offered it up. "Here, this is yours now."

She opened it up, and rifled through the papers. A passport, birth certificate, and an insurance card. There was even a bank card, expiring in just a couple of years. Presumably, an account was created with a bit more time added on for good measure. There was an impressive amount of attention to detail. "So, this really is it. I have a new life now." Red began tearing up a little.

"I've set it up so that you're an escapee from an abusive home. We can work out the exact details shortly," Elsa explained. That wasn't exactly a lie as far as she knew, and it would be in poor taste to probe too deeply into the exact nature of her past. With the quality of the work, hopefully no one would look too closely. "That's not even the best part. Check the back of the passport." Red quickly obliged. At first she didn't seem to notice the significance. It soon occurred to her, though.

The name. With this set of papers, Red Weathers was no more. Anna Solrig had seamlessly stepped in and taken her place. "You really did it, Elsa. Thank you- thank you so much."

"I hope you don't have any second thoughts on the name. I don't think we'll be seeing our contact again." Elsa was trying to take back control of her heart, which was beating out of control.

"No, it's fine. This is more than I could ever hoped for." Anna tried to steady herself. "I- I don't know if I deserve this. Can I really start again? Make something of myself?"

"I don't know for sure, R-Anna. I can only give you a chance. A real chance this time. I'll be there for you every step of the way. As long as you want me to."

"Of course I want you to, silly," Anna whispered. "I don't know where I'd be without you."

That was a relief. Elsa couldn't bear the thought of Anna leaving. The world could be raining fire and opening up, but somehow she knew that she would barely feel a thing. She knew all too well all that even extreme physical pain would barely elicit a response from her. It was completely different for the girl standing next to her, even if she didn't understand why. Anna's voice gave her warmth. Anna's sweet smile gave her hope. The thought of anything ever happening to her filled her with dread. She didn't understand it at all, but at the same time she just couldn't give that up. Not for anything. Luckily, there was one more surprise Elsa had ready. As if on cue, there was a ding, as the elevator completed its ascent.

"Where are we, anyway?" Anna asked, as the doors opened to a bright, warm looking hallway.

They stepped out, and it was even clearer that this was a world apart from the hallways the pair were used to. "Well, Anna. I figure if we're going to start a new life, we'll need a new place to call home. A better place."

"What? No, Elsa. No way can we afford a place like this. This is, like, five star level. You can't be serious."

Elsa nodded. "I can."