In 2040, six years after the victory above the Red Line which tried to take over D6, Moscow is still not habitable and most likely as Chernobyl it never will be. Moscow remains to be radioactive ruins which are way too dangerous for human to enter it.

Humans still remain living inside tunnels of the Moscow metro which developed into a modern complex of underground city, more comfortable for people and not so dark that even children could enter the tunnels to explore them and provide them something like an outside environment where they used to play on the surface.

The dark ones learned to live on the surface as it was their natural environment because they were gaining life energy from the radiation. Artyom said once that the dark ones were next step in evolution of human. They were descendants, their sons and daughters.

Speaking about sons and daughters, Artyom had become father during last six years. With Anna, the daughter of Miller, he had 5 years old son named Pavel (coincidence?). The little boy was proud of his dad because he was the one who saved their home and who set a peace with the dark ones. Artyom was now 26 and he became mature on his mental side.

After adventures and horrors experienced when he was 20, he realized that his life would be very miserable and poor if he followed Miller's steps. Miller was veteran who didn't know anything else than war and Artyom was looking up to him as to Hunter. Artyom remembered about his adventures with Miller and compared it with a time spent with the little dark one.

Soon he found out that the little dark one was something philosophers call "tabula rasa", which means taintless soul without any behavior predisposition. One thing was sure. Artyom was still young and the little dark one reminded him of his childhood full of happiness. He wanted to quit all the military service and go to find and see the little dark one again.

He wanted to know how he grew up and whether he would remember him still and that he promised to return back once. Artyom had enough, he didn't want to wait. It was time to see the little dark one again!

"Daddy! Daddy!" tiny shouting sounded loudly and Artyom immediately opened his eyes, being blinded by the light of his room where he was lying on the bed. He looked to his side and spotted his son Pavel. Artyom rose himself up on the bed and grabbed Pavel under his shoulders, putting him on his lap.

"Pavel, where is your mom?" Artyom asked the little boy who grabbed his nose.

"Say that again, daddy!"

"Pavel, where is your bob?" he repeated as his nose was squeezed in grasp of his son. He started to laugh and Artyom smiled.

"Artyom? Pavel! There you are!" Anna said and peeked inside Artyom's room as she saw Pavel sitting on his lap, "Pavel, you just can't wait for your dad to come himself, right?" Anna said and took Pavel by his hand while he climbed down Artyom's lap, "Sorry, Artyom. He's eager to play with you…"

"Nah, it's fine. At least I won't sleep all day like I used to before I joined rangers." Artyom said, rubbing his eyes. Anna knelt down to Pavel's eye level.

"Pavel, go to the playground and play with others. I want to talk to your dad." She said and smiled at the little one.

"Uhm… ok…" Pavel reluctantly said and ran out of the room. Anna sat next to Artyom on his berth and rubbed his hair.

"What's up with you, bunny?" Anna said and used handle that Artyom hated.

"Anna, you know how I hate that word." He answered.

"I know I'm just testing what is up with you." She said.

"I am not able to get enough energy from sleep. All the time I sleep I get woken up by something or I wake up with headaches…" Artyom said.

"And what about nightmares?" She asked.

"They no longer bother me. Since I've got redemption by the dark ones, I am free of nightmares."

"Hmm, I know what your problem is. You're not like my dad." She grinned.

"A-Anna?! What do you mean?!"

"You are so predictable! I can see that you aren't so into battles like you used to be!"

"Anna I really-" Artyom said but was cut off as Anna attacked him with kiss so she started making out with him on his berth.

"I love rebels! That's why I love you so much!" Anna said, being on top as Artyom let himself being used by Anna, but then he rolled her on bed so she was on the bottom.

"Sorry, sweetie. I think we should take this seriously." Artyom said and kissed Anna once more before he stood up from the berth.

"I need to find dark ones." He said.

"Dark ones? They weren't seen for ages. How do you want to find them?" Anne asked.

"I have to complete my mission which expects me now. Then I need you to give me a hand in convincing your dad to let me out for a while." As Artyom said that, Anna stood up and punched him at face.

"Have you gone crazy or what?! You want to seek dark ones on the surface which is still highly radioactive. For how long?! You have not enough filters!" Anna shouted. Artyom wiped his nose and saw some blood on his hand.

Anna turned with her back towards Artyom. He just smiled, went behind her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly under her breasts.

"Anna…" Artyom said smoothly.

"Is it… because of the little dark one?" She asked.

"It is kind of complicated…" Artyom said and Anna flinched off his embrace.

"What is so complicated? Artyom for some reason you are not who you used to be!" Anna started again.

"That is because I am older."

"And what does it matter? Age is only a number!"

"You were right…"

"Right? About what?"

"I want to quit the military sh*t."

"You… really? Artyom you can't be serious, can you? You spent so much energy and effort to get this far and now you just want to quit?!" Anna told him off, Artyom just remained cold as an iceberg.

"Mhm… pretty much so."

"I can't believe what I hear! I remember why I chose to be with you! You were beast eager to fight for a respect between rangers! You have gained many rewards and achievements for all your deeds! There is your son who looks up to you like you used to look up to Hunter! You want to throw it all away and quit just like that?!"

"Yes… have you finished?"

"I wish you were just another mutant so I could kill you…"

"Look, Anna. That night in quarantine when we had sex, I thought you liked my personality, not only the fact that I was soldier."

"Artyom I do but, you just want to quit so suddenly and I don't understand…"

"You cannot understand. Don't be mad at me that I say it, but you are from Miller's blood and militarism is heritable in your bloodline so it's natural for you hard to understand."

"So… I am the bad one here, right?"

"No, but I am asking you one thing. Do you like me as a person?"

"Artyom you are such a prick…"

"Answer me! Do you like me if I take this uniform off?" Artyom started to take off his army gear.

"I will not listen to this!" Anna said and was about to leave when Artyom grabbed her hand, "Let me go, Artyom!"

"Not unless you'll answer my question!" Artyom made a mistake. Anna smacked Artyom so hard that he fell to the floor, "F*ck!" he said as he banged his head against the sink while falling down.

"Go to you f*cking little dark one if you like him so much, you wimp! Pavel needs a man who doesn't give up and I need him too!" Anna said, leaving the door open so other rangers saw Artyom in his underwear.

"Hey, Artyom! Nice pants!" said one of them and others laughed. Artyom quickly shut the door and prepared himself for the upcoming mission.