The duo had taken refuge into a small service room ever since their arrival in the Metro and rested enough hours to what amounted to half a day. Yet, Artyom found himself in a dilemma as he played a card game with Cass. Where should he go? Of course, he could make his way to his home station - Exhibition, but how? They were brought to the Metro and with little knowledge of the tunnels beyond Exhibition to the Market, he had little chance of a successful travel without running into packs of nosalises.

The caravaneer placed all of her cards down. "I think you just won. You're awfully lucky for someone who has never played Caravan before."

He returned his thoughts back to the matter that was presently catching his attention. "Allow me to be honest, I do not have the slightest clue how this game works."

"Come on, somehow you had some idea how to play this game."

Artyom shook his head. "I don't."

When they began to reorganize the cards back into a pack, she asked a question. "So, do you know where should go next? After all this is the Metro. You should know where we are."

"The problem is, I don't."

She paused after the last card was put together. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm not. I only know some of the places around my home, this place doesn't seem to be recognizable. You and I both know how these tunnels go endlessly and the last thing we need is to walk into an empty station filled with mutants."

"It shouldn't be that bad, New Vegas is big, but it's rather easy to get around once you know around your way. It should be the same for the Metro."

The stalker was about to speak, but he raised his finger and placed it before his lips. There was a commotion outside the service room, past Cass's seat. "Someone is coming." He whispered.

"Do you think they can help us with directions?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head. "They might be bandits, we don't know." Then he glanced over to lamp that was used for their game before he blew the candle out. "Get in the closet, I'll be in the bathroom."

They both rose from their chairs and began to make their way to their designated positions. He flicked off the room's lights before he drew his VSV out and took refuge in the bathroom. Meanwhile, he lowered his night vision goggles as he heard the sound of engines outside.

He could hear the footsteps coming towards the door while several strangers were in their conversation. "Damn, I could go for some pork right now." One of them began. "So damn tired of those mushrooms." He added.

Another man replied. "Don't worry. Those refugees from Cursed might have something for us."

"Yeah, but you know the boss. No bullets, no pass."

"Why not shoot the idiots and search their shit?" He asked. "It's also the boss's policy."

"I don't know, it just doesn't feel right." The first man replied. "Most of them have families, you know."

"So what? I would care less if they had kids. One less whining and begging to worry about." The door swung open as they made their way into the small room with the table in the center. "Say, why are we searching this place? It doesn't seem like much."

"Every now and then the boss wants to see if some stalker took refuge here if they don't have enough filters to make to Venice. They usually come through here from Polyanka."

"Polyanka?" The other man wondered. "I hear they avoid that place like the plague."

"They do, but if they're desperate for air or they don't have enough filters they come through there."

As the two men entered the room, Artyom noted their makeshift armor consisting of spikes and panels strapped to their clothes. Then he heard a third speaker with a loud and commanding voice get their attention. "Is anybody in here?" When he arrived, he was far more armored than the others, wearing a helmet with a face shield that only allowed his eyes to see through.

The young man raised his goggles and turned them off while one of the men made their way to the light switch.

"Turn on the lights and check everywhere. One of those stalkers might be hiding and have some good shit on him."

When the bandit turned on the light switch, Artyom raised his suppressed sub-machine gun and fired a single bullet into his head. As his blood was whipped across the floor, the other two men were quick to notice him.

"Fuck, on our right!"

He peeked out from around the corner of the bathroom doorway, only to see a four-barrelled shotgun in the arms of the armored bandit. Then he slipped back to safety as he heard a loud blast shake the wall while he slipped his entire body to the ground. The young man felt the debris of the wall litter itself on him as the other man began firing his semi-auto weapon at him. Artyom blind fired from his position, but his weapon ran out immediately after.

"He's reloading, press on that asshole!"

The bandit's footsteps came closer, but then he heard the closet open.

"Not today!" Cass yelled out before she swept the entire room with the Duplet.

After he reloaded, the stalker peeked out from his cover and saw armored bandit loading his weapon. "Damn it!" He swore to himself while he made his way outside of the service room.

The stalker rushed out of the closet and fired his bullets while he watched the bullets bounce off the plated armor. Yet, their impact made it difficult for him to gain balance on his two feet. Once he was empty, he pulled out his revolver and fired away. Unlike the bullets used in his sub-machine gun, these bullets had an easier time chipping away at his enemy's armor.

Then Cass came to his aid after she loaded her shotgun. The next two shotgun blasts ended his life as he slumped to the ground with his back against the wall. "Who were those guys?"

"Bandits." Artyom answered. "It looks like they were patrolling the surrounding tunnels."

"Great, we should start leaving before more of them come."

"Not really." He answered.

"That's your answer, are we going to find more them while we're at it."

"It's called getting more information out of them. There might be prisoners among them and I'll have a better understanding where we are. Though, it sounds like they came with more." As he walked out of the service room, he was shocked by what he found. When he went down the stairs, he smiled with happiness.

Then he heard the caravaneer joined him with the bandit's four-barrelled shotgun in hand. "What the hell is that?"

"That is a trolley." Came his answer. "It's their transportation, but it might be ours."

"Is that a good thing? Do we need any fuel for it?"

He shook his head. "Yes, but if the bandits are using it then they have reserves or have plenty of access to some."

"So - what next?"

"We're close to Polyanka. If we go through the opposite route, we'll have a direct access to Polis Station. However, we're going to come back after we go to Venice."

"Venice? What is that place? Why are we going there?"

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his passport. "I heard it was a station filled with cutthroats, but we'll need to go there if you want to enter most of the stations in the Metro. I might be able to get you a passport." Artyom answered.

The caravaneer expressed her skepticism. "Really? A passport? Do I really need a piece of paper to get inside? This feels like Mojave Outpost all over again."

"It's quite a standard to have in the Metro, otherwise the guards might pull you over and do some… community service to get in the first place." He explained.

"Maybe for you," She replied. "But few of those guards might try to nail me if they're in the mood."

"Well, I didn't think about that."

"Don't worry, but I got to ask if they'll let us in."

"I don't think that will be a problem given that Venice is a station that lives on water. The only problem is the criminals." Then he took a quick glance at the equipment of the bandits. "Before we go, let's loot everything these guys have on them. It might be worth some bullets to the merchants."

Once the duo finished looting the weapons from the dead, Artyom pulled a lever and put the trolley into acceleration. He smiled knowing he was back into his home - the Metro. Yet, he made quick glances at Cass, who was adjusting her hat, and hoped there would be a way back to the Mojave. This wasn't her home and she didn't need to be here.

He activated the trolley's flashlight with a flip of a switch, lighting up the tracks further away. As they continued onward, the lights revealed a figure standing in the distance with his headlight on. Who could it be? There was a thought that he might have gone the wrong way and was heading towards Polis, but the man up ahead turned around.

However, his words showed otherwise. "I think the boys are back!"

They had arrived at a bandit hideout.

The patrolling bandit returned his gaze upon the two travellers, but realized his mistake. "Alarm! It's a fucking Ranger!"

Upon arriving at the platform area, Artyom noticed three campfires on his left and saw dozens of men scatter for their weapons. Then they began to descend for cover behind walls of sandbags or an immobilized train beyond the first defenses. He looked to his right and saw a several pillboxes opening up for them.

If they were going to survive, they had to ditch the trolley full of their weapons. "Cass, get off!" He ordered before pulling the breaks. Then he quickly jumped out of his seat and made his way towards the easily reachable positions on their right. The young man looked over his shoulder to see Cass fire her shotgun, but the recoil was twice as normal compared to the other Duplet.

When he arrived at the doorway, a bandit stepped out with his Bastard in hand, but Artyom reached for one of his disposable knives and threw it at his victim. The man reached for his throat while he climbed up and helped the caravaneer into the various hallways. Soon after, gunfire and shotgun pellets flew in their general direction just while he shut the metal door.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "There's too many of them. I don't think we can take them."

"We have to try. Let me clear the hallway before they push us out." The stalker peeked on the other side of their small little room, only to find himself stuck between two men, one on both sides.

He heard a cry from one of the men. "Over there!" Then he ducked back into the small space for his own safety.

"We're trapped."

Then he heard his companion's comment. "Looks like we're done for." She said. "They'll probably kill you before they get their hands on me."

"Don't act like that." Artyom replied. "We'll need to improvise."

"We fell into the clutches of some bandits that is not much of an improvement." One of the bandits arrived at the doorway as she pointed her shotgun in his direction. The man realized his mistake as he widened his eyes before she unleashed half of her firepower in his general direction, sending him flying against the wall. "Damn, this shotgun packs a punch."

"I think you just solved one of my problems." Then the stalker stepped out of the doorway, only to see his left side occupied by the other man. He fired away, keeping the man suppressed in his room. "Stay here and don't let them through."

The enemy took to safety just before the stalker reloaded his next magazine. Then he made his way over to the enemy's position with his scope focused on the doorway. If he tried to peek out, Artyom would be ready. There was his shadow flickering off in the distance, but it moved as he revealed himself in his sights. It would be his big mistake.

He fired his first shot, knocking his foe back, but then he fired a burst off for good measure. They struck him as blood was whipped onto the surrounding walls. After his kill, he heard Cass's shotgun blasts behind him. Hopefully, she could deal with that many bandits trying to get through.

When he arrived into the room, it was a treasure trove of weapons and supplies. Was this their arsenal? His eyes noted the heavy machine gun mounted on a tripod with a belt of ammunition already loaded. This was a perfect surprise against the enemy.

Artyom eagerly took the handles and shifted the weapon to the left where most of the bandits were placed. His pulled back the trigger before he felt his arms shake at the heavy recoil of the DShK. The hailstorm of high caliber bullets surprised many of the bandits as their numbers were thinned out. Those in the open were cut down while the others took to safety behind their cover, returning fire if possible. Yet, he realized what he was doing when he saw the needle attached to the weapon on his right. He was overheating the weapon if he continued shooting like that.

When he stopped firing, he saw the needle slowly make its way back down, but movement on the platform caught his attention. Then he heard one of the bandits express his orders. "He's using our machine gun, put that asshole down!"

Three men took the opportunity to press forward, but the stalker fired again and watched their bodies succumb to his firepower. More pressed forward, but the more sensible ones pulled them back out into the safety of their machine gun.

To Artyom's surprise, he saw gunfire coming in from the right flank one the other side of the platform. A great battle cry echoed from that tunnel before a speaker came to life with a voice of a charismatic man. "Hello, my fellow bandits! It's great to finally see you in person." Soon he saw uniforms of soldiers storming the platform as the bandits tried to fight them off. "I don't know about you, but we've been waiting for a great opportunity to remove your greedy asses out of the way by the order of the Red Line." Then he had the mood to sing through the speaker while bandits died to communist soldiers.

The young man assisted his rescuers with machine gun fire peppering those who exposed themselves to hold back the Reds. The exchange between the two sides was violent, but the bandits appeared to be dealt with killing blows compared to the Reds who shook off their wounded casualties and pressed forward.

After the fighting ceased and the platform became quiet, the stalker looked at his ammunition belt and saw three bullets hanging out, asking to be fired again. Then he looked at the Reds, who were securing their side of the platform. They raised their guns against him, but he knew that neither he nor Cass could fight off that many men, especially soldiers. Hopefully, he could explain to them who they were and what reason they had to be there.

He stepped out of the pillbox and made his way over to the small room that Cass was in. Several shotgun shell casings were on the ground while she gave a quick glance at him. "Artyom, do you know who those guys?"

Artyom slipped his VSV over his shoulder. "Do you remember Pavel?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He's from the same group as these guys." He answered. "They're the Red Line - the Metro's neighborhood communists. Holster your weapons."

"Why? We didn't do anything to them."

"Yes, but we don't want to have a fight with these guys."

The caravaneer reluctantly slipped her weapon over her shoulder as Artyom opened the door. On the other side of the platform, a trolley was moving on their side with several speakers attached to its armor. Although most of the men were wearing helmets, one of the men was wearing a peaked cap in a trench coat as he looked closer at the duo. "Look comrades, what do we have here?" He wondered. "Are you simple travelers or are you bandits?" The officer asked.

Artyom stepped forward as his eyes looked at the masked faces of the communist soldiers. "Hello, communists of the Red Line, my name is Artyom. My friend and I were moving away until we were attacked by bandits. We took refuge in their pillbox and were holding out before your arrival."

The communist officer expressed a friendly smile. "Well then, I appreciate your arrival. I am Comrade Captain Rusakov, the man in charge of these men."

"You do?" He asked, confused by what he meant.

"You have my thanks, really. I had orders to eliminate this group of bandits, but that machine gun certainly made it impossible to advance without taking heavy casualties. So, I should be happy about it."

"Well, you did rescue my friend and I out of a tight situation. So I should be thanking you." Artyom replied.

"Before you head off, I want to ask what reason do you have to be here? Shouldn't you be going towards Polis? It's safer."

"I'm heading to Venice to get my friend a passport. She might not be able to enter Polis with me." He answered. "What brings the Red Line this close to Polis? It's rather strange that you would be away from your territory."

Then the captain stepped out of the trolley with his hands behind his backs. "Have you been living on the surface? The Polis Council declared an emergency-wide alert to all stations in the Metro, everyone is under attack by an external threat. I was tasked in clearing a path from Polis to Paveletskaya."

How long was he out of the loop? Did something drastic happen while he was away? "An external threat? What could possibly threaten the whole of the Metro?" Artyom asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Legion?"

Cass began to ask her question. "The Legion - as in Caesar's Legion?"

Captain Rusakov raised his eyebrows. "You know more about them?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Artyom and I were ambushed once. We were lucky enough to kill them all and escape."

"I see. If you're going to Venice, I recommend an alternative route."

"Why?" The stalker wondered. "By my map, Polyanka is a straight way to Venice."

The captain's warm expression disappeared. "You should update it. Polyanka is not a place no one should go. I sent a patrol there once, only one man came back and was a crying mess. A good communist doesn't believe in superstitions, but I truly believe there is something there that did something to my patrol."

It was a warning. Still, it was better than trekking across the surface of Moscow. "Thank you for the warning, but I think I could manage."

Rusakov gave a tip of his hat over to them. "If you proceed, I wish the best of luck to you." He answered. "Farewell, comrade Artyom. I hope you get to the other side."

When Artyom and Cass returned to their trolley, they accelerated forward into the abyss of the tunnels, waving a final farewell to their communist rescuers.

Author's Note: Anybody who has read the Metro 2033 (Novel) would get the reference put into this chapter.