On their way to the base camp, Artyom felt cramped inside of the vehicle. It wasn't his first time given that his first time had him driving away from the Moscow State Library, but it might be his last. While Uhlman roughly led directions towards the camp, he noticed he was in the company of several young girls. However, one of them was black-haired girl who looked at him and smacked her lips. He was somewhat uncomfortable with her looking at her. "You hail from another Gate, correct?" She asked.

The post-apocalypse survivor was quick to respond to the girl's response. "Yes. My fellow soldiers and I are from another Gate. Who are you exactly?"

She bowed her head before she spoke. "I am Rory Mercury, the apostle of Emroy, don't let my appearance deceive you."

Artyom glanced at the very large bladed weapon in her lap. "It's hard not to notice."

Rory giggled at his comment. "I can sense death emanating from you. Would you care to talk to me about it?"

"No." He replied.

"Aw, such a shame. It would probably make a good story to keep us from getting bored."

The Ranger glanced to his left to see his fellow Rangers and hoped they would arrive on time. Then he heard the radio talking at the front of the vehicle. "Kuribayashi, what did they say?" Timur wondered.

The Japanese soldier looked over her shoulder in the passenger seat beside the driver. "The lieutenant said that we're being blocked by an influx of people in the way."

"Shit, those must be the locals we're protecting. Everyone dismount, it shouldn't be too far from here."

"Wait, I got to tell the lieutenant!"

Despite her concerns, the sniper kicked the back door open and slipped out of his seat. Then he spoke into his radio. "Timir to Uhlman, request to go on foot?"

Artyom could hear the man's voice. "You got the green light. Make some room for us will you."

The other two Polis Rangers stepped out of the vehicle and rushed to the front as the youngest one out of the trio shouted to the other flock of people fleeing past them. "Get out of the way! Everyone make room for us!" Although Artyom screamed to the top of his lungs, they did not hear him out. The terror in their hearts had consumed them and all forms of reason were gone.

He was suddenly surprised when he heard a strange tapping from behind. When he turned around, Rory Mercury was standing on the roof of the armored vehicles. "It is I - Rory Mercury - make way for the men in green! We're here to help!"

Artyom looked back and saw the coming wave of people break the sea and open the direction towards group to continue towards the Gate. "Thanks for the help." He commented.

Then his eyes looked to the front of the vehicle, only to see Uhlman peek his head out. "Guys, hold on to the side of the vehicles. We should be there soon."

Without question the Rangers did their best to obtain a good grip as the vehicles moved. Looking around, Artyom noticed many fearful faces looking at him as he passed by. He couldn't blame them. He would have been scared if he was a refugee who was forced to move again because of some conflict that shouldn't involve him.

His head began to hurt, but it was a familiar pain. "Danger." The Dark Ones were talking to him again. The last time he encountered them was at Italica when they almost attacked Milena out of defense for him. She was truly lucky that they never followed up their attack. Meanwhile, the mental conversation with the Dark One meant that something wrong was going to happen. "They bring death. They must not continue. We shall help."

His ears perked up at the cries of gunfire in the distance and the occasional explosion. As Uhlman helped the Japanese soldiers navigate through the forest, his recent memory of the Red Line and Nazi frontline returned into his thoughts. How long had it been since he experienced such horrors a man would do to another? Were the Nazis that truly desperate to attack the guardians of the Metro?"

"See." His vision slowly became grey, but somehow he was able to sense several figures out in the distance. "They are green, no harm. Help?"

Artyom mentally told them they were allies. The vehicle stopped when they were met by three men with red laser sights painting the windshield with red dots. Thankfully, Uhlman stepped out in time for them to lower their weapons. "Tomilin, what's the situation?"

The masked Polis Ranger shook his head. "Not good. The Nazis are pouring out of the Gate with reserves to continue the assault. We're running low on ammo and we're trying our best to push them back, but they have two Panzers locked down."

Then he glanced back at the Japanese. "Lieutenant Itami, do your men have anti-tank rockets?"

The Japanese officer stepped out and nodded his head. "Yeah, we have some LAMs in the back. You need them?"

"Definitely. Our neo-Nazi assholes need a big fucking explosion to remind them who they're fucking with."

Tomilin grabbed Uhlman's attention. "Go talk to Kuzmich. You might be able to devise a plan to pull whatever stunt you intend to pull off."

The senior Ranger dismissed his worry with a laugh. "Don't worry, Artyom will be the one to come with me."

"Wish you luck then."

"Lieutenant, are you sure you still want to get involved with us? Last second to back out."

Itami smiled. "Third Recon fought a Godzilla-size dragon. I think we can handle your problem."

"If that's the case, come with us."

Soon the party walked several dozen meters forward, only to see Kuzmich directing the mortar teams. "Fire!" The mortar battery unleashed a volley of shells out from the tubes before turning around to see the four Polis Rangers walk up to him. "Good, all of you are here. I got several cases of smoke shells ready to cover your advance to bumrush the Nazis, but the odds don't look too good for us."

Uhlman gave off a chuckle. "About that, we accidentally got some help." His thumb was pointed behind him.

"Who are these guys?"

"The JSDF. They're from another Gate that leads to another world without the bombs falling. At the moment, they're lending us their anti-tank rockets to deal with the Panzers."

"A blessing in disguise, good. Shit, they probably have better ammunition than all of the Order."

Then Lieutenant Itami spoke up. "So are we in the clear?" He asked in Japanese.

"No, I'll tell my mortar crews to fire the next volley with smoke, when that happens you run. Do you understand?"

The lieutenant nodded his head. "Yes."

"Good. Head up to the frontline and try to probe the closest distance between our firing line and what remains of the base camp."

"Is there anybody who willing to help us?"

Kuzmich shook his head. "Those four Rangers will, the rest of us need to maintain our positions and contain the Nazis from continuing any further. If they do, the refugees who escaped will be at their mercy."

"I see. My recon team will be on its way and we'll get there."

"Try the southern side, there is a tree line that might cover your advance."

Uhlman lead the way while Artyom did his best to steer the Japanese soldiers away from the base camps line of sight. Meanwhile, he heard the bursts of DShK fire flying towards the Rangers former base camp while he occasionally saw Nazi soldiers try to return fire with their weapons. "It should be less than thirty meters."

"I know it is too late to ask, but how can we tell between you guys and the Nazis?" Lieutenant Itami wondered.

"Nazis always have armbands." He answered before he could get a joke in. "The other option is to call them a mutant and see how pissed off they can get." When they finally took position by kneeling behind a group of bushes, a loud whistling noise screamed down from above. "Smoke shells are coming down!"

Artyom saw small objects flying down as fast as lightning, only to see their impact result in white clouds of smoke covering the battlefield. The plan was in motion while he looked over his shoulder to see two of the Japanese soldiers with their rocket launchers on their back.

"Move, move!" Uhlman ordered as he became the first to sprint forward before Timur and Shuhrat were quick to follow after him. Given the possibility of getting into close combat, Artyom slung his assault rifle over his shoulder before he brought out the weapon he recently bought.

After he followed the other Rangers, he occasionally looked over his shoulder to see the Japanese soldiers spreading out with their assault rifles at the ready. Hopefully, they would be able to get through without the Nazis putting up a fierce resistance. Street-by-street, the party drew their weapons and swept through in a cautiously manner. Yet, they could hear the enemy shouting in the distance.

On his right, there was a hut inside that made him cautious enough to peek his head an inspect the inside of the building through the doorway alone. However, he noticed a barrel of a gun slowly slipping out from a bay of hay on the right side of the building. The young man brought his sub-machine gun to bear and sprayed the thin wall with bullets. Then he saw man clad in the black Nazi uniform slump to the ground with his Bastard in hand.

Then one of the Japanese soldiers spoke up. "How far is it?"

The veteran Polis Ranger was quick to reply. "We're here."

When Artyom continued following, he noticed he was walking out of the smoke-covered camp. The Gate - where he came from - was open for them while he saw several bodies littered on the ground. However, there was a living one about to draw his weapon, but a silenced burst from Timur dispatched him.

Lieutenant Itami was quick to speak his orders. "Katsumoto, Tozu, Tomita, go with them and listen to what they need from you three. The rest of us will stay behind and keep the Nazis at bay."

The group began to split in two as the Polis Rangers lead the way with the three Japanese soldiers following up. As they jogged through the Gate, Artyom recalled his memory of fighting a Panzer for the first time. He was thankful that he never had to deal with that again in his journey to fight the Dark Ones, but he hoped those explosives would finish them off. Fighting them off with just a heavy machine gun mounted on a railcar was not… enjoyable.

His vision grayed out as he saw red figures in the distance. "Red is danger. They will attack." The young man heeded their advice before his SMG with the drum magazine was brought up.

When he pulled the trigger, he was able to catch the Rangers and the Japanese by surprise. Yet, it also meant that the enemy was caught by surprise as well. With the pull of the trigger, Artyom witnessed ten men caught in the attack before the rest of his compatriots joined him as well. "Shit, I'm surprised you were able to see them, Artyom." Uhlman commented. "I got to get my eyes checked out."

Then Shuhrat joined in. "Maybe you should stop walking around in the dark."

The jokester laughed before his reply. "Fuck you very much. If that was a joke, then it's a really shitty one.

By the time the group arrived on the other side of the Gate, they were met with two Panzers and their escort of infantrymen.

"Oh shit!"

Artyom rushed to the left side while machine gun fire peppered the two groups behind their concrete cover. Yet, he heard one of the Japanese soldiers shout. "Tozu, knock that one out. Quickly!" The young man watched when the Japanese soldier rested the launcher upon his shoulder and pull out a strange pointy piece from the front of the weapon.

His curiosity got the best of him when he was dragged back. "Don't stand behind him. You don't want to get hurt by that." Uhlman commented.

Tozu looked over his shoulder and back towards the fighting. "Backblast clear!" In a blink of an eye, the front piece of the launcher was gone with a smoke trail showing where the projectile landed. The Nazi Panzer was smashed by a violent explosion as its turret flew away. Those that were beside their tanks were lying on the ground with pieces of metal in their bodies.

Uhlman walked out from his concrete cover while Artyom followed. "Put down the infantrymen." He ordered. Gunshots echoed throughout the tunnel as the party proceeded deeper into the underground Moscow Metro. "Look for the second tank!"

As the soldiers moved past the first Panzer, they found the second Panzer right behind. Yet, it's turret was unmoving while one of the Japanese soldiers making a comment. "We're too close to the blast if we try."

"Don't worry, I think you shook them up. Artyom, get on top of the Panzer, I'll open the hatch."

The young man walked up to the side of the Panzer before pulling himself up onto the makeshift tank's hull. Then he made his way to the top of the turret while his sub-machine gun was aimed at the hatch. When Uhlman was on top, he grabbed at the edge before his grip pried the top and expose the crew to the outside.

"Spray and pray!"

He was reluctant, but the veteran expected much from him before he pulled the trigger in short bursts. His weapon's barrel forced its way inside while he averted his eyes from looking at the carnage within. However, the Nazis cried out from within. "No, wait-"

His gunfire cut them off while Uhlman brought out a grenade and lit its fuze before dropping it in the tank. "Run!" Everyone fled from the Panzer as they made their way towards the Gate. A moment later, the munitions cooked off before there was an explosion shook the tunnel.

Artyom glanced over his shoulder and saw the tunnel collapse with the broken concrete and dirt putting out the fires by sheer mass alone. "The tunnel, we're cut off from the rest of the Metro."

"That is going to complicate things… a lot, but we'll worry about that after we deal with the base camp."

When they returned to the alien land, the Japanese soldiers that stood behind had done their work. Bodies of Nazis were present; however, they witnessed Rory Mercury in action. Dozens of post-apocalypse soldiers peppered unleashed their firepower on the apostle, but her swift speed made it impossible to keep their entire focus on one location. Her polearm cut through their numbers like man cutting mushrooms.. Nothing was stopping her as their corpses were littered throughout the entire camp.

After the fighting was over, the survivors laid down their weapons as the day was won. Despite this victory, the collapsed tunnel concerned Artyom. How were they going to get back? How were the Polis Rangers going to get back out?

jaalco: Indeed.

jtl: I wasn't really planning on doing that last scene really.

Psihopatul: Don't worry, they'll fry my brain.

KriegSoldaten: Yep.

Junior VB: Going to have to wait a long time for that to happen.

Ronmir: These lips are sealed.

headreviewer mk2: Correction, the current population with the Metro is between 40-50k estimate with 15k for the Red Line while Polis Rangers are assumed to be around the 100-200 range. (100 for active duty while the other 100 is for non-combat roles)

delta2177: Hope, you liked it.