It's been over three weeks since the Dark Ones have been destroyed. Artyom woke up from another nightmare. He saw a light in the middle of a sea of darkness and wanted to see it.
As he walked through the dark tunnel, he saw on the walls the people he had killed. The Nazi officer who had killed that old man and his child. Then the Reds who tried to kill him. Each death was an image stuck in his dreams.
At the end of the tunnel just before the light there was one image that always haunted him, both in reality and in his dreams. It was the Dark Ones. He watched from the tower as the missiles arched into the sky, and rained down like spears towards the botanical gardens.
Each mushroom cloud was a cry for help from the Dark Ones. Artyom had heard them one last time before the final missile struck them down.
There was one with him on the tower that night. Artyom had shot the being five times with a revolver. Every second before the missiles launched, it tried to reason with him.
The being was on the ground with one arm holding it's stomach, while the other was reaching towards the device that would end it's species.
"You do not understand.". The being was correct in this. Artyom never truly understood his actions that night. The countdown for the strike reached seven seconds as he thought.
"You could save lives.". Artyon thought what that could mean but the missiles had already launched. As they flew into the sky the Dark One showed him something different.
"You needed to know.". The being entered his mind with the last of it's strength and showed Artyom a city. Not a city clouded in darkness and radiation, but a city gleaming with sunlight and hope.
A city where mutants wouldn't threaten everyone, where territorial wars wouldn't kill what was left of humanity in the tunnels. A city where Artyom could truly be happy.
When he was put back into reality he realized what the Dark One showed him. It showed him a possible future, he was sure of it. And if that was a possible future without the missiles, he had destroyed it with the Dark Ones.
As he walked to the light at the end of the tunnel, he saw that same Dark One from the tower. It's tall sleek body standing there in front of light. It's grey eyes watching him.
"You could have saved them.". Artyom tried to back up, and run away but found that he couldn't. The Dark one was no longer in front of him, in it's place was his helmet and gas mask. He saw the missiles raining down on the visor's reflection.
"You killed them all.". Artyom saw the Dark Ones, and the Metro being consumed in a fire that killed everything. Except for himself.
Artyom woke up from his nightmare. He was sweating and shivering. He heard a knocking on the door. "Artyom, c'mon we have a briefing this morning. You know how Colonel Miller gets when we're late, now get up. I don't want to deal with mess duty again, please.". Ulman, always trying to keep the mood light.
Artyom got up from his bed and opened the door. Ulman was standing outside getting ready to knock again. "Ah Artyom, it's about time. I thought you were dead this time.".
He looked at Artyom who was still in his undergarments. "Did I catch you at a bad time?". Artyom just closed the door and searched his footlocker for his Ranger's uniform.
He found it where he left it the previous night. Indeed in his footlocker. It was an old Russian military jacket and pants that were dark grey with dark blue 'urban' stripes making a kind of tiger stripe pattern on the sleeves and pant legs. His boots were shiny black leather with new laces.
As finished lacing his boots, he put his combat vest over his jacket. It was also black and it had all of the pouches he would ever need. Most of them were used to carry magazines, but a few could carry first-aid kits or even military-grade bullets if he needed.
Before Artyom left his small room in D-6 he grabbed his helmet and hooked it to his vest by it's chin strap, and packed his journal. Something about it kept him sane, maybe it was knowing that one day people would know his life. Get closure for why things were.
He opened the door and Ulman was still there smiling. "You ready Artyom? Make sure you got everything you need because once we get your issue, your not going back."
Artyom patted his front pouches and heard a familiar 'clink' of his military grade bullets. He also checked to make sure his filters were still in they're places.
"Alright, let's get going.". Ulman led Artyom to the armory where all of the Rangers weapons and munitions were kept. Artyom followed noting the people who were trying to go through training. Colonel Miller was going to have a field day breaking them.
The duo finally got to the Armory after walking through the now populated D-6. Just a few weeks ago it was a hellhole. Some of it still was, but most of it was used by the Ranger Order.
The armorer was a bald man with a jagged scar over his left eye. "Artyom, Ulman. Here to get your issue I see. Your late, I should just give you these old junkers from the independent stations, but I guess it is Artyom's first real day in the Order.".
The armorer found a new looking AK-74M on the wall and tossed it to Artyom who barely caught it. "Now your going to need some ammo. You'll be doing a class-B assignment so seven magazines should be enough.", he put a cluster of magazines on the table for Artyom.
"Let's see here. Oh right, a sidearm. This one's a life saver.", he found a revolver similar to the one Artyom used on the tower and set it down for him.
"There's one more thing you need... but what was it? That's right, your commission. You'll get a quarter of it now, and get the rest after you complete your mission. The armorer handed Artyom a magazine half fed with military grade bullets.
"Alright, now that your squared away Miller will want to see you. Ulman, come get your weapon!". Ulman went to the armorer who handed him a a not as new AK-74SU.
Ulman went to Artyom and led him to Miller. On their way they passed through the mess hall and grabbed a quick bite. Ulman snatched a cooked chicken leg and Artyom had mushroom stew with a piece of bread in it.
They walked through eating as they went. "Alright Artyom here we are. The bane of my existence and your new life!", Ulman threw on his biggest grin and opened the glass door for Artyom to step into the command center.
Colonel Miller was waiting for them at a large table with train routes, tunnel maps, and little tiny flags.
"Ah Artyom, Ulman. Your late.". Miller was quick to put that out there and everybody in the room turned their heads to see the Colonel's rant at the rookie.
Colonel Miller was wearing a uniform similar to every other Ranger but with attached shoulder pads made out of a bullet proof material. He also had the Spartan insignia on his combat vest. On one of his shoulder pads was a knife sheath, and hanging proudly off of his vest was his gas mask with all of it's scarred metal.
Miller looked Artyom and Ulman over before continuing. "Artyom, your late by an hour. It's your first day on a real mission, and you just destroyed the Dark Ones. So you have an excuse. Your exhausted from your long journey throughout the metro. But you Ulman. You have been in the Order for how long? I'll tell you how long: too long to be late for briefings. Your orders are on this sheet of paper. You will follow them to the letter and report back when you are finished. Dismissed.".
Ulman saluted the Colonel and took the paper. Artyom waited for the other Ranger at the exit and together they trekked once more to the surface.
