News throughout Camp McCarran about the newcomers arrival had spread through the NCR troops like wildfire. Learning that the NCR wasn't the only one fighting the Fiends relieved the stress on the camp now that they had to worry about being pushed out from all sides. Lieutenant Gorobets thought about that foreign sniper his first impressions after rescuing several of his snipers told him what kind of men they were. They were just like them, only that they didn't carry the flag of the NCR.

His almost all of his team sat in their tent with the flaps open. As they played their cards with one-another, the officer looked past the flaps and saw the foreign troops walk into the camp. Their weapons were quite exotic to look at, but he also saw the makeshift weaponry on their persons. It almost reminded him of the communist sniper and that strange pistol he carried.

One of his men, Corporal Sterling, spoke his mind. "Those guys are quite an eye-opener. I heard that several of the Fiends already laid down their arms just get away from these guys."

The lieutenant turned his gaze upon the former Ranger. "When did that happen?"

"Last night. One of the guys said that once they arrived, they cut them off from their suppliers. So they tried to break out just to get their chems in, but they didn't even budge. If their words were true, those that did surrender to them got executed on the spot that's why they came to us."

Another was quick to comment on the news. "Damn. I never thought the Fiends would be scared of somebody."

"Indeed, Bitter-Root. I just hope those guys will be on our side."

The greenest of the team folded his hand. "I-I… w-win."

Sterling laughed. "Alright, boys. Let's hand them over."

As the sniper team "T-The Russian, h-he just l-left."

"The Red? Did he have a reason?"

"Yeah. S-Said that he had to go back t-to his own sniper t-team."

"That makes you wonder, will we be working alongside his pals?" Bitter-Root asked.

Then someone walked into the tent, surprising the others. "Looks like it. Says that they're here out of vengeance." Everyone turned their heads, only to find Betsy arrive. "Why is everyone looking at me?"

"Do you know why they're here? It's just odd to find somebody appear out of nowhere to help us out."

Betsy took her seat at the table, joining with the others. "Timur told me that the Legion attacked one of their stations and now they're out for blood. When the Fiends attacked another one of their homes, they chased them out and they're working together to protect a place called the Metro."

"Really? He told you that."

"I trust his word. After all, he saved me from getting nailed." Betsy replied.

Then the lieutenant began to ask. "Betsy, do you know anything about his group of snipers?"

"Definitely. He told me they're special forces, but specialize in sniping. That's why he was called in. He's one of the elite."

"What do you know? Looks like we got competition, let's show those Russians what the 1st Recon Battalion can do." Gorobets commented. Another entered the tent, but he recognized the man. "Timur, I thought you were going with your pals."

The foreign sniper took off the animal skin covering his face. "Da, but my superiors thought it's a good idea to spread the glory of communism into the Mojave, starting with you guys."

"That sounds like propaganda."

Timur chuckled before taking the animal hood off his head. "That is what I thought as well, but I'm not going to risk the possibility of eating a bullet from our neighborhood commissar. Although, it's better than sleeping with the Nazis - fucking bastards." Then he took his seat beside Betsy.

"What the hell is a Nazi?" Bitter-Root wondered.

"Let me inform you who the Nazis are, they are Russian nationalists who love to spout the idea that they're here to eliminate anybody who has mutations or isn't Russian. We communists have our faults, but the Nazis are the pure definition of insanity. Thankfully, the Red Line is what kept those madmen in check."

"How the hell do you guys ever get along?" Betsy wondered. "It sounds like you'd get into a shooting match with one-another."

"We would do it without hesitation, but the reason why we haven't killed one-another is the Polis Council."

"A council is what keeps you guys from murdering each other. I'm surprised."

"I wouldn't be so keen on belittling them." Timur replied. "The Polis Council consists of former government workers and agents. Hell - some of them used to be in the army and enforce their laws as Rangers."

Lieutenant Gorobets noticed one of his corporals raise his head. "Rangers? Who are those guys?"

"Former army personnel and very good stalkers."

Everyone looked at him. "What the hell is a stalker?"

"Back in the day it was an acronym for people who go into high danger zones. Scavengers, trespassers, adventurers, loners, killers, explorers, and researchers. It was meant for people who traveled to a specific place in Eastern Europe, but now we extend that definition to us."

Then Ten of Spades spoke. "I-Is there anyone l-like that?"

The sniper nodded his head. "I knew one man. The poor guy had a knack for getting the attention of loan sharks, but he had experience that puts me to shame."

"Too bad for him." Bitter-Root said. "Once we deal with these Fiends and we get an opportunity to go on leave, I'll show you how to have a good time in New Vegas. That's if you have the caps of course."

"Sad to say, I'm broke." Timur replied.

"Broke? Don't you get paid?"

"Back in the Metro, our currency is five-point-four-five military grade ammo. I doubt a woman will enjoy her payment in bullets."

That was enough to grab Betsy's attention. "You get paid in bullets? Why the hell do you use bullets as money."

"Simple, paper money lost its value after the war. Bullets and cartridges became our currency because we believe it has value, but the reason is very grim. After all, it takes a single bullet to take a life."

"Shit, now it makes you wonder how you people survived there in the first place."

Timur pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and slipped one out of place. "It's not entirely bad. We've survived the war for twenty years, I think we can handle using MGRs for a time." It was this moment, the Red Line sniper noticed all eyes were staring at him. "What? Does my breath smell like mushrooms?"

Lieutenant Gorobets knew the significance of pre-war knowledge, but to meet a man who lived before the war was a different matter entirely. Here - his fellow snipers found themselves speechless, but he had to break the silence. "I think you might be crazy. It has been over two hundred years since the bombs fell."

"No, it was twenty. I'm sure of it." He insisted. "I think you might have gotten that wrong about the time. What year is it?"

"It's 2281 as of right now."

He scratched his head. "I knew there was something off about that anomaly."

"Anomaly? W-What's that?" Ten of Spades wondered.

"An anomaly is some strange phenomenon that occurs throughout the Metro. It could be a ball of energy or an hallucination, but it's a category for weird shit that occurs without any detailed explanation. I think the anomaly that brought my comrades and I into this place needs some detailed study by the Polis scientists. It's very odd because the year for the Moscow Metro System is 2033, twenty years after our fathers bombed the earth with nuclear fire."

Everyone remained silent for a moment. The revelation of such information was shocking and it needed some time to be taken in.

Colonel James Hsu stood tall alongside his officers as they saw their new allies against the Fiends. When they entered the terminal building, they saw three men walking together. Two men appeared to be officers based on their peaked officer caps, but one wore shades of red with a lightly brown uniform as the other wore a dark blue uniform wrapped by sheets of armor. Yet, they were drastically different from the one who led them.

The stranger's face was encased by a gas mask while his visor was raised over the eye slits. They met face-to-face, the leader of the two officers took off his heavily armored helmet and slipped his gas mask off. Unlike the others, his face carried scars of a beast that tried to kill him, but his demeanor almost reminded James of a woman who was deployed elsewhere in the Mojave.

James presented his hand and smiled at the person standing before him. "I am Colonel Hsu, I'm in charge of the operations here at Camp McCarran and the Mojave. It's good to meet you." Then he glanced to the officers beside him. "This is Lieutenant Boyd and Major Dhatri."

The scarred man nodded his head. "Very good, it would be a waste of manpower for Polis to keep the Communists and the Nazis from murdering one-another." Then he stepped forward to shake his hand. "I am Colonel Miller - Spartan Commander of the Polis Rangers. The two officers beside me is Oberscharführer Chernov of the Fourth Reich and Kapitán Zakhaev of the Red Line. I believe we are here to deal with our Fiend problem, yes?"

"Definitely." He answered. "The Fiends have remained a thorn in our side ever since we've set up shop in this location. However, there is a problem we're facing."

"What would that be?" Colonel Miller wondered.

"The NCR has been able to repel their attacks, but our patrols have made it difficult to contain the Fiends and perhaps locate their base. Once we find the base, we'll be able to break whatever organization they have from New Vegas."

"Once that's over with, we'll properly get into diplomacy."

James nodded his head. "Yes. I'm rather thankful for your arrival in containing the Fiends. The nearby city won't have to worry about them for a long time. However, you must understand that despite their people being pumped up on drugs, they're not as equipped as our troops. I was hoping your troops are not on that level."

One of the officers with the strange rank spoke up. "Nyet, the Reds and I can agree that despite our makeshift weapons we are very armed with to the tooth. Well, my men are far more armored than the conscripts of the Reds."

"Good. I think it's worth mentioning that three days from now, the NCR will be attacking the Fiends from our lines. Is that enough for your troops to prepare and join us in the attack?"

Zakhaev spoke up. "It should be enough. The Red Line has enough troops to form an encirclement around these bastards. We should be also capable of probing their positions for weak points if that helps."

"It does. Thank you."

"No problem, tovarich."

Then Major Dhatri spoke. "Before we depart, one of your snipers saved several of mine from being killed and another from getting raped. While we prepare for the attack against the Fiends, I was hoping our respective sniper teams could work together in picking off whatever leadership they have at the moment."

"Oh, you're talking about Timur. I'm sure he put quite an impression on your people. He has a tendency to do that."

"How so?"

Chernov glanced over at the communist. "Fucker took out an entire outpost all by himself."

Colonel Hsu was surprised by his outburst. "He's that good? I'm sure Lieutenant Gorobets would appreciate his company."

Then Colonel Miller refocused the conversation back on him. "Colonel Hsu, do you know anything about a group of people called Caesar's Legion?"

The Legion? What did these people want with them? He had to be careful in divulging information to this man despite his first impressions on assisting Camp McCarran survive against the Fiends. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"We have several prisoners among us and I was hoping you would help us along with that matter. As much as I would like to hand them over to the Nazis, we need information and cooperating with the NCR might further our efforts in protecting our home."

"With all due respect, this is too much to discuss for the first day and your arrival is surprising and I'm not keen on trusting you."

Miller smiled. "I knew you would say that, but if you don't trust my word I think you should trust her word." The foreign commanding officers stepped aside as a single woman came forward to greet the NCR officers.

"Who is she?"

The woman smiled, but her Mojave accent was distinct to catch. "Colonel Hsu, I'm Ranger Stella. I was one of the survivors at Ranger station Charlie before the Legion slavers accidentally brought me over to the Moscow Metro."

Ranger station Charlie was attacked? Why didn't the news of the station reach him? "A survivor? No wonder why we didn't receive any additional reports from that region." Then the colonel glanced over to Miller. "Alright, I can trust your word. We will help you learn about the Legion, but I do have a request."

"What would that be?" The Russian asked. "I hope it isn't too drastic."

"We have a Legion Centurion in one of our cells and he won't budge. Could you help Lieutenant Boyd… extract the information out of him?"

"That seems like an odd request."

The woman was quick to reply. "We want to extract the information out of him, but the ethical laws about prisoners of war from previous administrations is getting in the way. Your assistance would help greatly given that none of you are from the NCR."

He nodded his head at her reasoning. "Letting the foreigners do the dirty work - eh? It shouldn't be too hard, we have some methods of interrogation that might work."

Information was key, but this was a new development. Was this a new asset or a liability to his control in New Vegas? Doesn't matter, these new people who have formed an encirclement south of Fiend territory have presented a new opportunity. Odd as it was, he'll have to be very mindful in how he decided to handle the newcomers.

Yet, he must remain cautious given what he was facing. Their ideologies are ancient, but familiar to him. Whatever reasons they had to be in the Mojave, it would change the dynamic between the various powers that intend to control New Vegas - his city. Their weapons were crude, but their design was showed that they had the gift of ingenuity.

With these strangers in the way, the removal of the Legion could be hasten if they allied themselves with the NCR. Knowing the young Californian Republic, they were just another opportunity to annex them into the fold if their history was anything to go by. However, he would have to wait and see, like General Oliver, to learn about their capabilities.

If they did oppose him as well, he could crush them with his securitrons, but hopefully they would be… cooperative. Yet, he needed to find a way to limit those ideologies from opposing him or undermining his rule. Fascists had their uses, but the communists needed to be put down. Their 'revolutionary' ideals would come to clash against his grand design for humanity's future. What would those short-sighted fools know about the future given that they were the ones who destroyed the world he once knew.

Nonetheless, the House will always win.

Author's Note: I thought it would be fun to have a chapter dedicated to the arrival of the Russians in the Mojave. It's also refreshing to type something event-changing for the two universes.

Someguy the anon: They are not chicken legs. More like lizard legs given that it's a radioactive mutation and not a normal one.

Guest: It's going to be awhile until we reach that point.