Gunfire erupted as Cass and Angelique were firing their weapons at the casino's entrance. The ghost people had broken through the doors and were charging towards them. The caravanner unleashed shotgun blasts that sweep through the numerous people trying to storm through the doors. "I'm surprised this is what it took to break down the casino's doors." She said before emptying the shell casings before loading the next two shotgun shells into place.

Meanwhile, Angelique's plasma gun did her best to unleash streams of hot plasma in the general direction of the ghost people. Their limbs melted, but in some cases entire bodies dissipated into ash. "Less talking more shooting." The courier replied.

Cass was surprised by the sudden reinforcements when she saw gunfire pepper the additional ghost people coming through. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Artyom, Pavel, and Veronica come to their rescue. Artyom and Pavel were quick to unleash their firepower against the inhabitants while Veronica rushed forward and smashed a ghost person apart with a single punch.

When the bodies had fallen, Artyom was quick to sling a weapon off his shoulder and hand it over to her. "Here, I think you'll need it more than me." He added. "It's dead weight for me." Grabbing the automatic rifle, the caravanner felt a great sense of power in her arms. Never in her life would she be carrying something like this for the road.

She expressed a smile in his direction after she loaded the next two 12-gauge shells. "Well, you certainly know how to make my day." After she finished reloading, she slipped the automatic rifle over her shoulder before returning her attention towards the main doors.

Elijah's voice echoed through the speakers. "The ghost people have broken through? I should have foreseen the lack of maintenance by my part. Whatever punishment the doors had endured it couldn't handle the determination of the ghost people. Find your friends, end them."

"End them?" Angelique wondered. "What reason would we have to kill them?"

"They are of no use to you now." He answered. "The Sierra Madre security has placed them in locations where their collars' frequencies are interrupting the music coming out of those rooms. If you want to open vault, they must be eliminated."

"Wouldn't that kill all of us?"

"Not anymore. The signal will only be limited in their parts of the building. Killing them would save you the time before dealing with whatever traps the builder placed for us. Do you really care about their lives over your freedom?"

"No, but it wouldn't hurt."

"Meaningless and futile, but I guess that doesn't matter now." Then the tone of his voice changed. "What is that FEV reject doing? Stop him before he burns the Sierra Madre burns!"

Artyom looked around and whispered, but loud enough to catch his words. "What is God doing?"

Angelique looked away from her Pip-Boy and glanced at the others. "Artyom, Cass, go check up on God through the restaurant and convince him to not burn the entire building down. Veronica and I will find Christine in the executive suite. Pavel, I need you to go to the theater for Dean."

The communist was quick to talk about his role. "You want me to rescue the capitalist? Are you sure about that?"

"Why? Is there a problem?" The courier asked.

"We left on bad terms. Maybe if I had some help, I could. We left on bad terms."

"If that's the case, make sure the ghost people don't get through those doors." She ordered with her finger pointing at the broken entrance. "I don't want this place congested with those things."

"I'll try, but I am just one man."

She stared at Cass. "Then you and Artyom better not take your sweet time."

After the group had split off, Artyom and Cass walked into the Sierra Madre's restaurant. With their weapons raised, the duo looked around for any potential threats inside. However, they stopped in the middle of the lobby as they heard two voices arguing with one-another. One belonged to God, the other almost sounded like him, but with a different tone. "No… you're not listening to me." God began. "I'm trying… to help you…" He was struggling to speak.

Artyom assumed the other voice was Dog - the beast that God wanted to suppress. "Want to serve Master… am tired of you… Master will set me free."

"Back in the cage… do you know what you're doing? You're going to-"

"-make the casino burn… I will not listen to voice in head… you're annoying…"

"You're a fool…" God countered. "I must take control… you destroy yourself…"

"No… not anymore…" Dog finished on the speaker.

The young man heard Cass call out to him. "Artyom, I got the key."

He hoped God would be alright. The… creature wanted to see him survive this place and he hoped that he would get the chance to see it. To truly prove to him that he did not come to this place out of greed. God's life had to be saved. It was one of the few things he could do in this dreary place.

The duo explored their surroundings as Artyom fired at the speakers and Cass looking for the entrance where God was located. While their conversation of ramblings continued, she called once more. "Here's the door."

When Artyom made his way over to her location, they were presented with a large door. She tried to budge the locks open, but the door refused to loosen its grip.

She shook her head. "No good. I can't seem to get the door open."

Elijah's voice returned. "There must be a back entrance. It won't open until the gas valves are shut down from the inside. Get in there and close them before the nightkin burns all of our work to the ground!"

Knowing the obstacle before them, Artyom took the lead out of the restaurant and made his way out with Cass behind him. When he opened the doors, he saw ghost people walking into the Sierra Madre, but bursts of gunfire had taken their heads out. "Pavel, how are you doing?!" He asked, ignoring the dozens of bodies that were cut down by his gunfire. However, the communist was nowhere to be found.

An empty magazine land in front of him. "I'm doing fine." He replied. Artyom looked up to find the man resting his weapon on the railing of the second floor as he fired his gun one bullet at a time. "Did you talk to him yet?"

"No, I'm looking for another way in." The stalker replied.

Then he peered over the railing. "Go take a look in the offices of the casino." Pavel suggested. "I came across some locked doors there. Maybe you could find a way inside."

Cass took the conversation. "Did those doors say anything about maintenance?"

"I think so. I didn't have much time to take a look while I was dodging those holograms. When you get inside, go up the stairs and into the hallways past the counter. Then go up a set of stairs ahead. You'll find it once you get to the top."

"Thanks."

"No problem." A cry of inhuman roars echoed from the outside. "Get going, I'll be fine!"

No more words were exchanged as they departed from the lobby again, but with the hopes of finding God and his… other personality in one piece. After the slipped into the casino Cass led the way instead and it made sense, she was the one with the Duplet. They followed Pavel's directions with some degree while Artyom walked past the hologram behind the counter with a strange sense of fear.

Once they finished their arrival up the stairs, they were met with a door not too different from the one that was sealed tight. "This is it." Cass spoke. "You better tell this Dog fellow not to give us the worst way to go."

Artyom cocked his silenced weapon. "I hope the same as well."

She pulled out a key from her pockets and began to slip it into the keyhole at the center of the door. By the time she turned it sideways, the door's mechanisms whined to life with each lock slipping out of place. When the last one was finished, the main door itself slipped into the ground, bringing them access into the room. "The gas, I can smell it."

They stepped into the hallway, only to find the wall on the other side broken and shattered. Upon entering, the doors behind them closed shut, leaving them into the mercy of what lay inside. The young man glanced to his right and noticed a red valve unleashing gas into the room. "Close that one, I'll look for the other ones and hopefully, God." The woman understood him as she made his way towards it.

The stalker noticed the door the left and pushed it open, only to bring him to the Sierra Madre's kitchen. However, he saw movement upon the corner of his eyes. The tall figure of the nightkin's face was expressing emotions of a painful struggle. It was nothing he couldn't understand of such a creature. Then God's eyes saw him. "You're here!" He ran towards him, but his hands were raised. "Don't come any closer, you'll get yourself killed. Leave while you still can."

Artyom expressed his reason for being here. "I can't. That… other person is planning on burning this place to the ground. It must not happen."

He nodded his head. "Look, the beast is getting-" He growled in pain. "Dog is getting stubborn." God stated. "He's breaking through, but he'll be calling out for someone called the Master. Tell him you are and make him pull down the chain on his neck."

"What will that do?" He asked, truly curious about its purpose.

"It will end both of us."

The young man widened his eyes. "Are you insane?"

"Don't be a fool." The nightkin replied. "As much as I want to see that old man suffer, the beast's hunger must be kept away. Dog must not be allowed to burn this place down." Then a smile was all he could express. "It would have been a wonderful moment to see you bring down this Elijah down from his tower, especially its end, but not for me. It appears it was never meant to be."

"God, don't talk like that. I convinced you to leave your cell, perhaps I could convince Dog to listen to me?"

He shook his head. "Dog never has a liking to anybody except the Master." God winced once more. "You locked him away from his cage and he will eat you, especially since you don't have a collar on your neck." His hand pressed against his forehead. "He's… coming… out…"

Artyom watched the horrible transformation when God's expression changed from one of control to another of hunger. When his hand was removed from the forehead, an evil grin was all that was needed to tell who it was. "God, is that you?"

"Not God, I am Dog." He said. "Who are you? Are you food?"

So this was what God meant by containing the beast. His other person was very different. Yet, he recalled the advise of the former to his own survival. "No, I am not your food. I am your master."

Dog's eyes widened like plates. "Master? Master is that you? You sound funny."

The stalker nodded his head. "Yes, it's me. Do you see the chain around your neck, I want you to pull it."

"Dog will pull it. Are you happy with me?"

He took no satisfaction when he spoke these words. After all, he was killing someone he knew. "Yes. I am."

"Okay, I will!" The beast said gleefully.

When his hand reached for the chain around his neck, Artyom felt a tinge of guilt in his heart. He had just condemned someone to kill himself. "If only you had a better alternative." He whispered to himself. In one full pull, Dog howled at his agonizing death as he succumbed to his killing blow. The super mutant dropped to his knees and slammed his head forward. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you, God."

In one simple moment, he heard the caravaneer's collar beeping. "Artyom, we need to leave!" He didn't want to leave the man's body like this, but there was little time to drag him out and settle for a grave. His eyes looked at his hands to see two words printed on a small card.

'Maintenance Pass'

"It's locked!" She cried out. "Help me open this!"

He pulled the pass out from his his hands and ran back to the entrance he came from. By the time the stalker arrived, a distressed Cass was using all of her might to unlock the door by force. Then he handed the card to her. "Let's see if this will do."

Beside the door, there was a small device planted into the wall with a small slot with arrows and words mentioning pass card. She quickly slipped it down and was surprised to see the doors immediately open at this moment. "Move!" The rate of the beeping continued to get louder as the doors slowly slid open. "Come on, come on!"

When it finally opened, they both rushed out before the door closed on them. He could see in her eyes the sense of relief as she leaned onto the wall across from the door. "Are you okay?"

"I nearly had my head blown off." The woman answered. "Give me a second, then we'll go check on Pavel."

While Cass took a break, Artyom looked back at the door and wondered the alternatives. Was there truly a way to save God from killing himself? Despite the chance, he accepted his death. Perhaps he could satisfy him by dealing with the man who had been causing many to die for this hellhole, Father Elijah.

Artyom and Cass stepped out of the casino part of the building, only to find more bodies of ghost people littered everywhere. The stalker began to call out for the communist, hoping he did survive his encounter with the former people of this place. "Pavel, are you alive?"

Upon their right, the ran down the stairs as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Definitely. We better find the capitalist before more of them come. I don't like being in the company of these creepy assholes." He answered. "The theater should be this way, follow me." With the communist leading the way, he began to ask a question. "I see you took care of that big fellow? Is he alive?"

"No, he killed himself to keep Dog out." He answered. "He didn't want the other person to come out."

"Pity, I always liked his comments, even if they were about maiming us."

Cass was confused by his sentence. "You liked the idea of him ripping your arms off?"

"No, but it was better than the smug bastard we're going to meet. At the very least, he was honest about how he saw people." Pavel answered. "The other guy is filled with enough fucking arrogance to surpass the Fuhrer of the Fourth Reich."

Father Elijah's shadow fell before the trio. "Do not leave at this moment. Go to the terminal by the front door, retrieve the ambient music. All of you will need it if you want to get into the vault."

"I'll get it." Cass acknowledged as she made her way towards the terminal behind the counter. "Artyom, Pavel, watch the door."

When she was behind the counter, a ghost person appeared at the doorway. "Opa, step right up for a wonderful game of get the fuck back!" The communist soldier brought up his sub-machine gun and fired a quick burst, only to see its limbs torn off. "That never gets old."

Artyom glanced at his communist companion with curiosity. "You enjoy killing people like that?"

"No, not at all, but it never hurts to have a sense of humor. It keeps your spirit up and helps keep the Nazis annoyed all the time." He answered.

Cass stepped away from the counter with her double-barrelled shotgun in hand. When another ghost person stepped through, she fired a full blast into its torso before flying out of the building.

"Damn, you didn't even look. How did you manage that?"

"My dad taught me." She answered.

The party walked up the stairs as Pavel directed the group towards the two doors leading into another part of the Sierra Madre. "Welcome to the theatre. Reminds me so much of home."

"Really? I never thought you and Artyom would have a theater given that you both live in tunnels."

"After the bombs fell, the survivors of the Bolshoi essentially made their own little theater for all of the Metro to see. Perhaps not as grand as this place, but there was always friendly company to be around."

She chuckled at the thought. "Sounds like quite a place to be." Cass replied.

As they walked in the open, Artyom noticed an open book placed out on a stand. He was filled with curiosity as he made his way over. The pages were filled with musical notes, perhaps it was meant for the people who would have made the music at this place. Then he flipped to the next page, but was surprised by what had followed. A key had slipped out of place, but he was quick to catch it mid-air.

"Did you find something?" She asked.

He glanced over his shoulder. "I found a key." The stalker answered. "It was hiding in this book right here?"

Pavel immediately tightened his grip on his weapon. "Hello Dean, I'm surprised a capitalist like you survived that encounter."

The young man glanced over the stage, only to see a small balcony with a wooden railing occupied by none other than the ghoul. He was smoking a cigarrette between his lips. The man was filled with a smile as he took the blunt and unleashed his smoke. "Good evening, everyone. I am rather glad all of you have arrived on point on this great occasion."

Artyom slipped the key into his pocket as he was filled with relief about finding the man. "We were looking for you. How are things going on your end?"

"Good." He answered. "However, you shouldn't worry too much about me. All three of you are going to meet an untimely end once they arrive."

"What are you talking about?"

"Such a pity that both you and your lovely dame that Pavel never told you what happened before we entered the Sierra Madre." What did he mean by that? "Tell him my dear proletariat how you left me at the mercy of the Sierra Madre's neighbors."

The communist was quick in his outburst. "I was providing sniper support from a nearby building! Are you seriously holding that against me?!"

"They were a few feet away from killing me."

"Yes, but I was able to kill them." He countered. "It's not like I wasn't watching your back."

"Still, you didn't even consider turning on the security."

"I don't know how to use those terminals."

"Well, it's time that the tour of the Sierra Madre must come to an end." He said. "Out of all the places, I think this place is fitting to end my wonderful time with me, Dean Domino. Sadly, security will have to contend with you and I'll have Sinclair's vault all to myself."

"We are in this together! Don't you know that? That old bastard has us by the balls and you're going to throw everything away for this grudge against me?"

"I have outlived many generations and I don't need any of you. None of you will surpass me when I open that vault."

"When I get there, I will be the one to put a bullet in your skull." Pavel stated.

"Am I truly your enemy? I'm not the one putting bomb collars on people's necks. Now I believe I can sit back and watch my little show and see where this might all end. Besides, it's not like you know that the backstage is the safest place to be."

Artyom was not impressed when he said those words. "Thank you for telling us all we have to know."

Surprised by his comment, Dean folded his arms. "None of you have the key to get in."

He patted his pocket.

"It's not like any of you could shut off security or unlock the doors, even if you tried."

"We could always blow the doors open. We have enough grenades to turn your backstage into a Stalingrad if you want." Pavel replied.

"Then let's see how it will play out. After all, I have all the cards in my hands."

The stalker looked around to find walking holograms appear in the areas surrounding the stage. "We need to move, now!" He ordered before the trio looked around for a way out of the trap. Upon the right side of the stage, there was a doorway leading into a hallway that might have lead to the backstage Dean spoke of. His hand pointed it out and directed the attention of the communist and the caravaneer. "Over there, move quickly!"

When they began to run, Artyom heard the zapping noises behind his back with streams of light flying past them. He was grateful that they were able to miss this much, but as they made their way inside he heard Cass's collar beeping. "Speakers, we need to shut them off!" The young man slipped the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

As they arrived in the hallway, the beeping stopped and there was a moment of relief for the group before Pavel closed the door. "Okay, Artyom and I will proceed to clear the way of any speakers. Let's go, comrade. We'll give you the all-clear when we're finished."

The two Russians proceeded down the hallway, only to find a small piece of the cloud present. "It looks like we'll have to make it quick jump through it." Artyom commented. "Are you ready?"

"Of course, I can't wait to get my fingers of that fucker." They both jumped forward past the cloud, caughing and wheezing at the irritating chemicals they had to endure. "I'll take care of the speakers and the radios, you find what we need!" The communist ordered as he continued throughout the hallway.

Upon the first door he stumbled upon, he pushed the door open while gunfire echoed throughout the hallway. As he made his first steps into the room, the stalker looked around, but noticed a key placed on a desk with a small label attached to it.

'Key to Vera Keyes' Another key into another place.

Beside the desk, he looked to find a radio scrambling to hold on to whatever life it once had, but Artyom gave it no mercy when he put two shots into it's internal wiring.

He walked out of the room and continued throughout the hallway. When he took a glance on his right, Pavel's sub-machine gun was unleashed as he peppered whatever radios or speakers that remained alive in that room. By the time he reached the other side of the room, he noticed another label referring to the person who once lived her.

'Vera Keyes' It said on her door with a golden star blazing out for a person like him. It was such a sad fate that she would have a sad end to her life.

Artyom brought the key forward and slipped it into the keyhole before turning it. Without any attempt of fighting back, the doorknob did what it was meant to do. His eyes looked ahead and found another radio inside. He brought his silenced sub-machine gun to bear and ended another threat to Cass's life.

Then he entered the room discovered another key awaiting him. The trail of keys he was finding did little to keep him from relief. He grabbed it, but then he saw a note placed beside a holotape.

'Play on projector, to end security' He reached out for it and slipped the holotape into his pocket before he made his way out the door.

Pavel stepped out of his room to meet with him. "Dean is on the other side of the door. Let's see how we can get inside." His hand tightened it's grip on the knob, but when he tried to turn it wouldn't budge. "Damn it, the guy was locked inside." Then his gaze fell upon a terminal attached the wall beside the door. "Artyom, could you check what it says?"

Without a second Artyom began to play around with the keys. The terminal should be easy to navigate as there were a select few options. However, one of the options was to shut down the ambient speakers. He pressed the enter button with the response claiming it had successfully turned them off. "Cass, you can come over now!" The stalker shouted to the top of his lungs. "I turned off the speakers!"

He heard the caravaneer's boots clicking throughout the hallway. "Thank god, I was getting bored without any company."

"Is there anything else that thing can do?" Pavel wondered.

"It just gives me a status report on the speakers, nothing else."

Then Dean's voice could be heard on the other side of the door. "Well, going through some trouble eh? Too bad the security will kill you before you ever get a chance to unlock these doors."

Artyom looked around to see what could help him get through as he noticed a door at the end of the hall. He walked over to the door and unlocked it with the key he found in the dead woman's room, but as he swung it open he was led back to where the group started off. Except there were holograms patrolling the stage and a small area behind the location of where the main audience would be.

That holotape's note mentioned something about shutting down security, but how?

His eyes traced the entire room until he saw a small balcony area above the floor. There was strange machinery placed there, but the stalker found a projector not on. Maybe it was like those tape recorders he once had at Exhibition and hopefully it would be like those.

"Looks like we will have to blow the doors open. Artyom, how many grenades to you have?" Pavel asked.

"I don't think we need to waste them." He replied. "Maybe this might shut down security if I try to make my way over there."

"Are you out of your mind? You'll be running on open ground, you could die out there."

"Sooner or later we'll have to. By the time we kill Dean, we'll be forced to run out before Cass blows her head off."

Then Cass spoke her mind about the issue. "I could probably sacrifice myself and Dean will be forced to run out into the open for the holograms to take potshots at him."

Both men stared at her wild suggestion, but Artyom would have none of it. He came to rescue her out of the old man's grip. "No, you are not going to do that."

"Are you sure? You're usually wasting your time trying to help me out of this situation."

"I came here to rescue you and I intend to get you out." He countered. "Once the holograms turn away from the path, I'll make a run for it. Maybe it will take some time before they react."

"You sure it will work?"

"Definitely. I've survived running away from a pack of nosalises, I think I can get away with this."

Cass stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. "Then promise me you won't die on me."

"I won't." He finished before he stepped out of the doorway. There were two holograms present. One was on the stage with the latter on the far end of the room patrolling a path before a staircase. It never walked up the staircase, so that would mean he would be safe if he ran up those stairs.

Artyom slipped his silenced sub-machine gun over his shoulder and readied himself for the rush. The timing was necessary and he would see it through that he would make it on the other side of the theater.

When both holograms turned around, he ran for his life. His boots stomped against the ground, giving him a quick rush past the first hologram on the stage. The second one was the one he had to be careful about. As it turned it's attention towards him, the color turned blue with its menacing finger pointing towards him, but he ignored the warning and reached the base of the stairs. While he pressed foward, he looked over his shoulder to find the hologram had not followed after him.

He found another flight of stairs that raised him up on the level as he reached a door that awaited him. By the time he reached the door, he scrambled for his keys and tried them all to turn the doorknob. One of the three he found in the theater worked before he slipped through the crack at the first opportunity.

The projector was present before him with simple controls that were just too similar to the tape recorders he had. As he came over to the table that supported the projector, he pulled out the holotape and slipped it into place. Once it joined the machine, Artyom pressed the play button and looked at the theater itself.

The holograms that once patrolled the entire room had disappeared. Instead, holograms of people walked over to the front of the stage. Yet, they were waiting for one hologram standing on the stage make gestures at the microphone, imitating the behavior of a natural born human. Alas, there were no words that slipped out only empty promises of a future that could have been.

When it was all over, the holograms disappeared, but the security never returned.

He immediately made his way over to his two companions, both were waiting by the backstage door. Pavel had his weapon ready while Cass pointed her Duplet at the door. By the time he returned, Cass expressed a warm smile and pointed a finger at him. "Hopefully, there will never be a next time if something like this happens."

The door opened with a Dean Domino smoking what could perhaps be his last cigar of his life. "It appears it has come to this. The fans are out to wring the actor for his… performance." His eyes focused on Artyom. "At the very least, I got to see what could have been." Then he dropped his blunt and crushed it under the weight of his shoes. "I could take all three of you even if I didn't have eight lives and a perfect soundtrack to back me up."

The trio raised their weapons, but the stalker was reluctant about killing him. It was not the way of the Metro. It was true that the Metro had its fair share of grudges, but most of them could be settled… civily. This seemed wrong as much as killing the man would end the problem so easily. "Before this all goes down, I have to ask, was this all because Pavel didn't apologize for leaving you like bait?"

Despite the ghoul's eyes hidden away by his sunglasses, he raised his eyebrows. "Why do you ask? It was none of your concern given that you were never there in the first place."

"I'm rather curious. After all, would a simple apology… put all of this under the bridge?"

That earned a remark from the communist. "This guy tried to kill us with security and thought he could get away with it. You're going to easily forgive him for attempting to kill Cass in the meantime?"

"No, but I do have to wonder."

The ghoul spat at the ground. "Actually, an apology would be fine. After all, I only came here for the vault, but ever since the old man pulling the strings also has his necktie around my throat it's difficult to maneuver in this estate. Perhaps we can give each other a good old deal? You let me live and I could provide some additional secrets for your rescue."

"You would do that? Why?" Artom wondered.

"If I kill your lovely redhead, I'll have two angry Russians out to kill me and given what I've seen about your performance against the holograms, I'm not inclined to have a bullet through my back on the way out."

"So what secret would you tell us?"

Dean raised his hand and waved his finger. "Ah ah ah!" He warned. "An apology first, secrets after. I also want your word that I won't get shot once I leave."

Artyom glanced over to Pavel. "You want me to apologize to this asshole?" The communist asked. "Kid, you must be out of your mind today. Did the cloud do something to you?"

"No." The young man replied. "But he might give us an advantage that Elijah won't have. We won't have to worry about him after, correct?"

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"What are you apologizing about?" The ghoul asked. "More details."

"I am sorry I left you on the roof at the mercy of the ghost people."

He expressed a large smile as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Apology accepted, my communist friend. See? Not all capitalists are terrible people." He said. "Now about that secret, it has to do with the way to the vault. Would you like to know more?"

"Yes. Maybe that's how we'll end this fiasco once and for all, you and the rest of us." The stalker answered. "Do tell."

"Smart man. You could have done a wonderful job at being a business man, but I digress." Dean began. "In the executive suites, there is a private elevator in Vera's room. It is of no coincidence that they're together. Vera, she was quite a partner to have, but Sinclair built this entire place for her. Everything about this building. The lock to the vault - her voice."

"But she's dead." Artyom commented. "How can we use a voice of a dead person to activate it?"

"It's simple, a recording." He answered. "However, I have found another alternative to dealing with that part of security. That woman with the scars? The clinic did its work on her and let the medical instruments change her tune. If she does heal, it won't be her voice that comes out."

He froze in horror. The woman he rescued from the pod, the one he helped, was put in there by this man. His hands clutched onto his sub-machine gun, but he had to restrain himself from killing him on the spot. Defeating Elijah was a top priority; however, it didn't allieviate the rage built within him. "You were the one who put her in the pod."

Dean nodded his head. "Yes, but now you have the secret. If that girl is alive and you piece together the song, the Sierra Madre should open its legs for you and you're in business."

"So that's it. Christine speaks the words and the vault opens?"

"The elevator that is. It's not like I know what is behind those elevator doors. Now will I get to leave?"

"A stalker never breaks his promise." He answered. "Let's leave this place for the ghosts to lurk."

"Those are fitting words I say."

"However, we should clear the way. More ghost people might have got in while we were away."

Elijah's shadows through the speakers garnered their attention. "You almost have the music archives fixed. Once you get the last one, connect it all by the main lobby terminal. Then we'll find what treasures or traps awaits us."

Angelique poured water into a glass she cleaned earlier. "Here, are you thirsty?"

Christine sat across from her as reached out for the glass of water. "Thank you. It's been a long time since I had something decent." Then her eyes glanced over to the Brotherhood Scribe sitting beside the courier. "Hello Veronica."

The hooded girl raised her head. "What happened to your voice? You sound different."

"I don't know. All I can remember is that I was put into the clinic and I was knocked out for awhile." She answered. "It wasn't until that stranger found me - what was his name again?"

"Artyom." Veronica stated. "He went missing when one of the ghost people captured him."

"They captured him?" Christine asked as she took a sip of her glass.

"Yeah, we thought he was dead until he came back with you."

"Then he's a lucky guy." The woman reached towards a gas mask tied to her side and glanced at it. "He seems like a nice guy. What is he doing?"

Angelique pulled out a bottle of bourbon from her knapsack. "He's currently dealing with the others before we meet up. I don't know when he'll arrive, but he shouldn't have too much to deal with."

Then Veronica began asking questions. "Christine, what are you doing here? What are you after?"

The scarred woman placed her glass on the table between them. "I have orders from the Circle of Steel. To go after Father Elijah. The Brotherhood sees him as a threat to be eliminated."

"I don't blame them." She replied.

"You're not upset?"

The scribe shook her head. "The man I left at HELIOS One was different back then. Now? He's… changed."

"For the worse." Christine added. "My orders are to kill him and make sure he never does harm to the wastes again."

"Will you be able to join me after we finish this? After this all ends?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. You and I both know the Brotherhood looks down on our… intimate relationship. After all of what I've been through, I don't think I can handle it anymore."

"Bullshit." Angelique commented.

"What?"

"You don't have to worry about what they say about you two." The courier answered. "What does the Brotherhood done for any of you?"

"Ma'am, it is what the Codex says."

"Yeah, but that Codex is just somewhat useful as a condem in a Legion camp. You two like each other, they don't understand any of that!"

"Turning our backs on the Codex? Veronica and I can agree to never do something like that." Christine stated. "As much as the rest of the Brotherhood disagrees with our relationship we should not betray our ideals."

She scoffed at the last sentence. "Last time I recalled, the ideals of the Brotherhood didn't exactly save them against the NCR." Angelique pointed out.

The two members of the Brotherhood of Steel stared at them.

"Too early?"

Then a loud commotion outside Vera's room made its way to the front. "Christine?" They heard a man call out. "Are you in there?"

The assassin was quick to answer. "Yes, I'm right here." She answered.

When the doors slowly opened, the trio found the three other members of their party arrive. "So how did things go?" Angelique asked. "Hopefully it went well?"

Pavel slung his weapon over his shoulder. "That is the most optimistic view of the entire situation."

"Okay then, what happened?"

"Dean Domino almost killed us." Then he glanced over to the stalker.

Artyom spoke. "God had to committ suicide to stop Dog from coming out." He answered. "However, Dean was able to come with tolerable success."

"How so?" The courier asked.

Then he pointed his finger at Christine. "She will help us?"

The Brotherhood assassin rose from her seat and crossed her arms. "How will that work?"

"It turns out Dean put you in that clinic to change your voice to resemble that of Vera Keyes." He answered. "From your sentence alone, it looks like Dean's gamble… worked."

"Wait? That ghoul was the one who put me in the auto-doc? Bastard!"

Cass crossed her arms. "That also means you have the key to open the vault." She answered. "Plus it saves us from another trip into a lobby full of ghost people since we already got the last piece from the terminal thanks to Angelique."

The woman shook her head. "You're telling me that asshole put me through all of that pain just to change my voice?"

Artyom nodded his head. "Yes. I don't like it either, but it does answer who put you in there in the first place. However, there should be a private elevator for both of us to enter."

Veronica was quick to comfort her companion as she hugged her close. "Then that means Father Elijah is going to follow after us. We now have a way to get inside the vault."

"Artyom come with me, we should go down there together." Angelique stated. "It might entice him to come after since we got a way inside before him."

"I guess we'll have to hold him off." Christine suggested.

"No, let him get through."

"What?! I can't let him slip through my fingers - not again! He must pay for his crimes."

"I have a better idea." The courier began. "If Artyom and I don't stop him there, all of you can kill him before he escapes. This is our fallback plan." Then she looked at the others. "I understand you want to kill him badly, but if we do this then he will have nowhere else to run back to."

Pavel began to speak his mind. "Artyom, are you sure you want to go through this plan? You don't have to?"

The stalker nodded his head. "I'm okay with it." He answered. "I want to confront the old man myself. It's for God. I'm sure he would appreciate it."

"Ladna, good luck and don't die down there. Both of you."

Then the courier glanced over to Christine. "We'll need your help."

Soon the trio departed from the main group as they made their way towards the private elevator. Beside the elevator was a speaker waiting for the key words.

"Artyom, do you have the words?"

The stalker pulled out the holotapes from his pockets and handed it over to her. "Here."

Then Angelique played with the buttons on her Pip-Boy. The assassing stood over the screen before she nodded her head. "Got it?"

"Yes." She answered. Then she walked over to the speaker as the small computer on the courier's arm played music. "Begin again, but know when to let go." The elevator sparked to life with it's whines of machinery. "If you do confront Elijah, I'll see what I can do on my end. There should be a terminal that could help."

As she walked away, the courier looked over her shoulder to find a nervous stalker waiting. "Into the unknown we go."

When the elevator doors opened, the courier and the stalker stepped forward to their final destination.

After avoiding shutting down the holograms or destroying the speakers they could destroy, Artyom and Angelique found themselves stood before the front of the vault in its full glory. Untouched for ages and was waiting to be plundered.

The courier walked foward to a terminal and began to tap the keys faster than Artyom would if he tried. "This terminal should open those doors." Moments later, the great door swung open. "There we go."

To their surprise, they heard laser fire from behind. As they turned around, there were several security turrets firing their lasers from their positions. "Get inside!" Artyom ordered while he drew his makeshift railgun out. As they made their way inside, the door closed on their way inside.

Now they were protected and perhaps trapped inside if one looked at it from another perspective. "Let me take handle the terminals, it might unlock the door or turn off those laser turrets." As she busied herself with the technical information that was beyond him, he was given an opportunity to explore this simple room to himself.

The stalker looked around, met with beakers and additional chemical mixers on his left. However, he glanced over to his right to be met with what was considered treasure to those who are now deceased. Past the paper bills, three stacks of gold bars were present before him with additional Sierra Madre coins litered across the table. Then his eyes noticed the locker beside him.

Curious, Artyom opened the locker and was met by a treasure trove of weapons. They mostly consisted of those poor versions of the revolver or those automatic rifles. Yet, there was more past the cases of bullets. There were suits of Sierra Madre armor that were present and were far more cleaner than the others. Of course, he wouldn't want all of it for himself, but maybe he could give them to the others. Was this truly the treasure that the old man wanted?

He turned his full attention towards the room once more, only to find Angelique shifting to another terminal beside the door. "I'm going to turn of the security. Check what's on the terminal."

Without a word, the young Russian walked over to the terminal placed on the computer in the center of the room. As he took his seat, he began to use the keys to select the highlighted content and explore. However, the first option didn't appear to work for him. Hopefully the other option was still useful. When he pressed the button, he read it's content in great detail.

This was a message from a pre-war survivor - the one who built this place and the man Dean wanted to insult, Sinclair. Reading through the words, it was message to Vera Keyes, telling her how she was caught in this mess and how he would send help for her while she waited. It was not malicious, but it did give a great warning. There would be another message awaiting for Dean Domino, only that this would make this vault become his tomb. As long as she didn't read those accounts, she would be… safe. However, Artyom knew the truth that she was dead.

He backed out of the entire message meant for Vera, but when he did he saw Sinclair's account appear. "Don't read that one."

Then Angelique walked her way over to his seat, looking over his shoulder. "Why won't you open that one?"

"That one is a trap meant for Dean Domino." He answered. "I don't want to risk it."

"Very well, I'll get busy to securing our loot."

Father Elijah's voice caught her in the act. "You will do no such thing."

Artyom powered down the terminal as the wall past the terminal unleashed a screen of Father Elijah, observing them. This time, they were in the vault and he was watching them.

"If both of you intend to take what is mind then you will suffer the consequences." He added. "The Sierra Madre is mine and mine alone. None of you will take it from me."

The stalker crossed his arms in his chair. "You are going to pay for what you did."

"Pay for what? Killing people? I wasn't the one who came into the Sierra Madre with the intention of being greedy." Elijah stated. "In fact, you were the ones who were putting the collars upon yourselves for trying to come here for wealth."

"Yet, you were the one who organized it in the first place." Artyom countered.

"Consider yourself lucky I didn't blow off the collars of your companions for that offense. I have it right here on my arm?" What did he mean by that?

"Why are you doing this? What purpose would you gain from sending all of these people to open this vault?"

"To wipe the slate clean." The former father of the Brotherhood answered. "The cloud allows me to cleanse the Mojave of the pre-war monuments and technology from the ants who littered their hands on them, especially the NCR. Yet, this place brings more than just weapons to attack them. The holograms allow me to destroy my enemies and make me invincible as I toss one of those emmitters on any battlefield and watch them slaughter those who defeated me."

"What cause do you have against the NCR? What have they done to you?"

"They are children who don't understand the potential of technology, who treat them like mere toys. I intend to do the opposite, cleaning the Mojave clean will end their reign over those monuments. However, the Sierra Madre also offers me additional technology to make a nation!"

"A nation? How can a man like you know anything about making a nation?!" He demanded. "What makes you better than a scavenger with aspirations?"

"Easy - the collars provide compliance, the holograms enforce anyone who disagree, and the vending machines provide everything else. The technology of this casino allows me to shape the wasteland how I see it." The old man replied.

"You're a madman. You're no better than a Nazi."

He scoffed at his accusation. "A madman? No, I am a visionary. You are foolish to come here in hopes of rescuing your friends. Perhaps if you had the foresight such as myself, I would be far more accepting of you. Now that you discovered the vault alongside your companions, this will be a fitting punishment for looking for the Sierra Madre."

"Then why don't you come down here. Otherwise, I'll make sure you never have an opportunity to see it." Artyom replied.

The courier made her outburst. "Are you insane?"

"Listen to your friend." The old man suggested. "She has more sense than you do. I can pop their heads with a single push of a button."

"Do that and I'll deny you access to the vault, permanently." The stalker countered. "I'll die, but you'll never get here."

"No, I will not allow this."

"Then come down and meet us face-to-face. Let's see if you are truly worthy of the treasure."

Elijah's voice displayed his irritation. "I have had enough of this nonsense. Very well then, I will come down. If you play any tricks, you will have your punishment." His image disappeared before Artyom rose up from his seat.

Now she was angry. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want us to die?"

He picked up the gold bars off the table and slipped them into his knapsack. "Angelique, it's a crazy idea, but I want you to take the treasure from this place and sneak into the elevator."

"Do you have a plan for this? I can't carry all of this by myself."

"I'll help you when you get into the elevator."

"Any reason why you're doing this?" She asked.

"Simple, I'm going to fight him head on. Once I stop him, I'll take his Pip-Boy from him and remove the detonator from Elijah." Artyom answered.

"How are you going to get back?"

"The long route. Since I don't have a collar on my neck, I can get away with it."

She expressed her worry when he handed her his back. "What if you don't make it?"

The thought was crazy and he wanted to see his home again, but somebody had to stop men like Elijah from getting too far. Yet, the rest of the group needed to escape before the ghost people overrun the casino by numbers alone. "Then God bless my soul."

Then the vault door opened. As they stepped out of the vault, he noticed the hallway area where Elijah would likely walk out from. Once the security gets down, Angelique could get the two bags of weapon parts, ammo, and the rest of the treasure through without being slowed down. An electrode on his right seemed to be the perfect spot for her to hide behind.

"We'll hide behind that… thing. You run for the door, I'll cover you."

"Good luck, Artyom. You'll need it more than me."

The duo made their way over to the only obstacle that could obstruct the old man's line of sight. They huddled together while he looked over and saw the doors slip open. "He's here." The young man reported.

They heard the old man's footsteps meet against the old metal floors before the energy barrier leading into the vault had disappeared from all the entrances. "That man will regret defying me like that."

Without a single word, Artyom tapped Angelique's shoulder and pointed forward. He could sense her shifting forward while sticking close to the obstruction. However, the old man stepped out of the hallway and was walking past them while they circumvented around his view.

When he was out of range, the courier rose up from the floor and slowly crept towards the hallway that led back into the elevator. Meanwhile, the stalker went the opposite way and followed behind Elijah's back. He had to make sure the old man never got an opportunity to touch that terminal beside the vault door.

It was a tempting thought, to kill him without even trying, but the Pip-Boy on his arm was the main concern. He could risk the lives of Angelique, Christine, and Cass for his own sake. This was the only way to make sure. As he unsheathed his trench knife, Elijah stopped in place as he turned his head over to the path the courier had escaped through. "I knew they would try something!"

Artyom's opportunity came when he grabbed the old man's arm away from his other hand and surprised him with his strength. Then he lunged his knife forward with the brass knuckles meeting his nose. He gasped in pain as he landed on the metal floor. However, Artyom noticed he wasn't knocked out enough. His weight pressed against the arm which had the Pip-Boy before bringing another punch into the old man.

When Elijah was knocked unconscious, the stalker quickly detached the small device off of his armor and covered his own. Then he noticed a weapon slung over the old man's back. It was unlike anything he had seen before and it might be the only time he would ever find something like that before. He slipped the weapon out of his reach before he ran towards the the courier standing in the doorway. "Let's go!" The Russian screamed to the top of his lungs.

It was a fitting end for that man. He belittle others who came to this place with their intention for obtaining wealth, but was also a hypocrite in a sense. Father Elijah was just as greedy as those before him. After all, he was just human and it made him no different that the others who came with the lust for the Sierra Madre.

As they made their way to the elevator, Artyom took a look at his Pip-Boy. He searched throughout the the computer attached to his arm, only to find the commands on the active bomb collars. His eyes noticed the option to detonate or disarm the bomb collars around their necks. He was thankful as he chose the disarm option and saw a message tell him it was successful.

Then he heard a click beside him, only to find the courier's bomb collar detach from her throat and landed on the elevator floor. Angelique immediately reached for her throat, feeling the sense of salvation. Meanwhile, he noticed the red mark around her neck. She had to endure that for hours and hopefully nobody will ever will at the city of the damned.

Author's Note: Holy shit, this is the longest chapter I have ever made. It was very exhausting and I don't think we'll ever reach that for a very long time. I might reach halfway of the words that make up this chapter, but that's probably it. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and the end to the Dead Money arc.

Despite feeling good about posting it, I would also appreciate whatever criticism you guys have since the length of the chapter also brings the increased likelihood of mistakes.