Metro 2034: War of Dogs
Chapter 1 "Several Tracks To Far"
Mark Kamarov held onto the side rails tightly. He noticed that he was shaking. It wasn't fear, he knew that, or it wasn't the rickety train that sped through the Metro tunnel. It was the anticipation of what was about too happen. The steps of sneaking into a Nazi controlled station and hiding in a crate that was about to be loaded onto the train was already over. The goal of his mission was to assassinate the Füher of the Fourth Reich.
"Hey Mark are you ok?" Said a feminine voice.
"Yeah, I'm good Natalia."
"Alright then, lets get started."
Mark and Natalia were Rangers. Mark often compared Rangers to white blood cells. The Metro system was a body, Rangers were white blood cells that tried to cleanse the body of harmful substances. The Rangers are of few numbers though but are trained to match their enemies one to twenty. Natalia was one of the very few females who were able to be accepted into the order.
Gathering their gear from the crate they hid in, Natasha gave Mark a VSV. The VSV was a signature weapon for the rangers, it's compact size, great accuracy and built in silencer made it a dream weapon for a trained killed. They obviously had to pack light, so they where not going in with the standard Ranger gear besides keeping the traditional ranger helmet. It was a helmet, face shield and gas mask all in one. They used darker and lighter kevlar vests instead of the tank like vests of the standard Ranger attire. They did carry night vision goggles, which was a must for this mission and could easily be attached to their helmets.
They were on the back of the train with the rest crates that stacked on one another and held equipment for the enemy.
"This is a lot of fire power," Natalia said, "They're planning something big."
Mark agreed. He couldn't focus with the loud noise of the train as it sped along the rotted Metro tunnel.
"Let's get this over with." He said and made his way to the first train cart.
He peeked through the window on the door. It looked cramped, no room for maneuvering but luckily only one guard was there. He was sitting in a chair reading a paper. Mark could easily take him out if he was quick enough as the sound from opening the door would alert him.
"One guard, sitting down on the left side, could you take him out?" Mark asked his partner.
Natalia quickly looked through the window and gave a quick nod.
Mark positioned himself to slide open the door while Natalia readied her rifle.
"One...two...three!" Mark said and slid the door open.
Before the guard was able to react Natalia had already fired a round into his head.
"Hostile down." She confirmed.
They moved through the room and decided to search it before proceeding. Inventory records of all the gear was the only useful thing. The record states that a hundred and fifty two Kalashnikovs were aboard with tens of thousands of ammunition.
Plus the same amount of Kevlar vests and riot gear.
"Holy shit." Mark said as he browsed through the records.
"It looks like they're preparing for war." Natalia said.
"They have been more aggressive the past few months."
The Nazis of the Fourth Reich were a reclusive faction. They fought for Russian purity in the Metro and are at war with the Communists from the Red Line. With limited man power the Nazis are better trained and armed than any other force in the Metro, matched only by the Rangers of Polis. In the last few months they have declared war on another super power known as Hansa, which controlled the majority of the Metro trade because they owned the Metro ring that led into other station lines. The Reich invaded and took control of the Hansa station called Mayakovskaya that was on the Voikovskaya line.
While it was unknown how they managed to build up the courage to make enemies with two super powers, they had to have a reason. With the help of an informant, the leaders of Polis sent Mark and Natalia to kill the man in charge in hopes of ending this aggression and build closer ties with Hansa and the Red Liners.
Mark and Natalia left the room and found themselves back outside to another cart holding more crates of weapons and ammo. They crept through the cart and found a man checking boxes and writing something down on a clipboard. Then they spotted two men talking to one another near the rails.
"Take out the one checking inventory, I'll get the two by the ledge." Mark said.
Mark slowly crouched behind the crates and got as close as he could to them. He saw Natalia creep up behind the solo man and slit his throat. Mark quickly rose and fired his VSV into one of the men's head. He dropped fell off the train. He fired a burst at the other man, tearing at his chest throat and finally his head.
"Clear?" Natalia said.
"Clear." Mark responded.
Mark looked the crates. They were much bigger than the previous ones and gross sounds came from inside.
"What the?" Mark said and shined a light into a small circle, probably an air hole.
Inside a large grotesque creature snapped at the hole.
"Shit!" He flinched back.
"What's inside?" Natalia asked.
"I don't know, a Nosalis maybe."
"What are they doing with Nosalises?"
"I don't know."
"Should we do something about it?"
"No we can't waste time messing around here."
They moved to the next car which looked exactly like the pervious cramped cart but thankfully there was no guards. They moved inside and ignored the contents of the room. The door to the next cart was different. Instead of leading outside to more crates, there where dozens of soldiers sitting down in seats.
"We're not getting in through there." Natalia said.
"Your right," Mark Said, "lets look around for another way."
"How about up?"
"Up?"
"Climb over the cart."
"Good thinking." Mark said and they went back outside.
"Ok I'll lift you up." Mark said and kneeled down by the cart.
Natalia stepped on his shoulders and was high enough to pull herself up. Once she was all the way up she reached out for Mark. Mark jumped up and caught her hand and she lifted him up. The velocity of the train made it difficult to walk on the ground level but now they had to walk on the roof. Mark took the consideration of walking slow over the carts, they didn't want to alert the soldiers below.
Step by step they went. They were over the cart with soldiers. Each step they made seemed to get louder and louder. They crossed over two more carts until they were forced to stop. There wasn't another cart in front of them directly so they had to climb down. However two guards guarded the door to another cart opposite of Mark and Natalia. The two Rangers laid down so they wouldn't be spotted.
"That ones guarded, two soldiers both with armed with Kalashnikovs. You think that the War Room is in there?" Natalia asked.
"That would probably be our best bet." Mark said.
"I have to one on the right." Natalia said.
"On three... one...two...three!" Mark said and fired his VSV. The two men dropped in a fluid motion.
They climbed off of the cart and moved to the next one. Mark's heart pounded against his chest as they reached the carts door. After they pushed the bodies off of the train, they looked through the window, it was dark but it seemed that it led into a small hallway. There was another door opposite of them. Mark moved inside. The inside was very decorated with blue-grey carpeting and pictures hanging on walls. Natalia closed the door behind them. They moved to the door and looked through the window. There were about three men sitting in a row of chairs, and one standing in the front room. There was also another door at the end of the room, leading to the next cart. The room wasn't well lit so hiding wouldn't be a problem, but if a firefight would occur, they would be completely exposed.
"Think we should open the door?" Natalia asked.
"Yes, but quietly." Mark responded and slowly slid the door open.
They both crept to the corners of the room, easier to lay down fire from both sides, killing the Füher is the main goal but the other officers were a nice bonus. The man standing in the front of the room wore a long black officer suit with many decorations on his chest. He was writing something on a chalk board.
"It is no secret that the enemy is curious about what we are planning. With Mayakovskaya liberated from Hansa we will finally have a strangle hold around D6." The man said.
Located deep underground, D6 is a massive bunker-like facility whose access routes are well-hidden in the Metro, and whose existence is regarded as something of a legend among the underground dwellers. The Rangers discovered the location, from the ruins of Lenin's Library. They hoped that they would find food and medicine, however they only found stockpiles of forbidden weapons left by their fathers. There was no humanitarian aid in those vaults, only containers that housed bacteria. Chemical weapons. News of this place spread fast, and everyone wanted what was in the bunker, especially the Red Line communists.
It was them who attacked D6 in force three weeks ago. However the Rangers where able to hold the line. Most of them died defending it. Both Mark and Natalia were there. While the details were lost to him, Mark can not remember how they survived and held off the Reds. No one can.
"Now that Mayakovskaya and Tsvetnoi Bulvar have been secured, we can now order an ultimatum to Polis. They will give us the D6 and surrender their Rangers who are there or we can just starve them out, either way Polis would not have the man power to stop us. Now on to the current operation, we will be annexing the Voikovskaya line. They are rich in food and have recently repaired their water purifier. They will make valuable assets to the Reich."
That's why they are armed so heavily. They were going to take Voikovskaya by force. Mark heard enough and signaled Natalia to get ready to fire.
"Field Marshall Schuhart will be conducting the attack. Listen to him, he will remind you of what needs to be done." The man said.
Mark slightly jumped as a man entered the room through the other door. He was a tall, muscular man, with a short pompadour hairstyle and wore a Reich officer uniform and hat. Following him was two men in heavy riot gear armed with the 2012 version of the Kalashnikov.
"Thank you Herr Füher." Schuhart said. "The operation will go the same as with Hansa. Send in the mutants first, then our shock troopers will clean up. Round up any survivors and have them inspected. If they pass inspection then we will release them and allow them to stay at their station under Reich rule. If they do not then lock them in the cages and they will be taken to the test site. Any questions? ... No? How about for our uninvited guests in the back corner?"
"Uninvited guests?" The Füher asked.
"Fire!" Mark shouted and started to unload his rifle into the crowed.
Natalia followed. The room turned into chaos as bullets flew in all directions. One of the officers fell to the horde of bullets then another officer fell. The two body guards, with the high fire rate of the 2012s managed to keep the Rangers suppressed. The final officer fell as well as one of Schuhart's guards. Schuhart grabbed the Füher and used his body as a meat shield, slowly firing and backing out of the room. Bullets ricocheted off of Mark's vest. Schuhart then pushed the Füher at them before he rushed to the next cart. Natalia fired the remainder of her clip at him, dismembering the Füher. Mark managed to kill the last of Schuhart's guards before his clip emptied.
"After him!" Mark commanded and reloaded his gun.
They rushed after him. The next cart was similar to the small cramped ones that was used for storage. They passed through it and found themselves back outside with more crates of equipment. A bullet whipped past Mark's head. They took cover behind the crates. More bullets started to pass by.
"I saw him, behind the crates on the right side!" Natalia said.
"Flank him, I'll keep him suppressed!" Mark said.
Natalia went around the left side as Mark fired at Schuhart's position.
She kept her head down as she circled to Schuhart's position. Taking cover behind the crates, she was now in perfect firing position. She swung around the grates and saw Schuhart who had already fired at her. She felt the impact of the bullets against her chest. The forced knocked her down.
"Shit!" She said as she hit the floor.
Her weapon fell out of reach. She tried to pull out her side arm but Schuhart had already moved to her and kicked her in the face. Her helmet absorbed most of the force but it still made her fall side ways causing her to be disoriented for a few moments.
Schuhart quickly grabbed her and lifted her up, using her as another meat shield, as Mark rushed over to them. Mark stared at Schuhart with his weapon aimed. Natalia tried to break free but this just made Schuhart choke her harder until she was too weak to try. Mark was shaking. Not from anticipation alone, but he was scared for Natalia. Then rushing out from the cart behind him, numerous soldiers armed with machine guns aimed at Mark.
"Looks like I'm holding the cards now," Schuhart said. "Drop your weapon and surrender."
"Let her go!" Mark yelled.
Schuhart moved his pistol closer to Natalia's head.
"Take a look around you jackhole, you have about twenty men armed with AKs and you have the balls to order me around? How about you put your gun down and I'll make your death quick."
Mark didn't move.
"Or you could try to be a hero. Fire that gun and send a bullet straight through my head. Your reward will be about a hundred holes in your back. And I promise you, those men behind you wouldn't be so sparing to this woman as I am going to be."
Mark stopped shaking. If putting down his weapon meant Natalia would be spared, he had to take it. He slowly placed his VSV down and rose his hands.
Blind rage and confusion swarmed in his head before the bullet punched through his helmets eye shield and straight through his brain.