Winter Schnee opened her eyes as only to gasp for air, but this time she could breathe. Unlike her previous moment, she found herself wearing a mask over her face.

When she regained consciousness, Winter noticed that she was not alone as a heavily armored man looked down at her. "You're lucky that I found you." The stranger began with an unheard accent. "Though, I do want to know what the hell are you doing on the surface without a gas mask."

Winter shook her head. "Where am I?"

"I'm sorry to say, but you are in the ruins of Moscow." The stranger answered as he looked around. Then they both heard a storm off in the distance. "Follow me, it is not safe here." The stranger turned his back on her as he grabbed a bag into his arm before he looked to Winter. "We better head underground and we can talk there once we get into safety." Then he gave out his hand to her. "I go by many names, but you may call me Hunter. What's your name?"

The specialist took his hand as he pulled her up from the ground. "Winter, my name is Winter Schnee." She answered coldly.

"A fitting name, I should say." Hunter replied before he noticed a detail about her. "You carry a sword with you?" Her acquaintance wondered.

"Yes, I carry a sword with me. I am a specialist."

Hunter nodded his head to her right as he carried the bag with him. "Interesting, might be helpful in the confines of the Metro." Commented as he started to make his way. Winter was quick to follow him as she noticed that she was going through a remains of what was once known as a park. "If you start chocking on your gas mask, grab my shoulder. It means the air filter is out. I need to tell you about that since it only has roughly around two minutes left until I change it."

"What happened to this place?" Winter asked with curiosity as she bypassed the destroyed cars.

"Have you been living under a rock?" He asked. "The bombs fell."

"You might not believe me, but I am not from around here."

Hunter stopped at the top of a set of escalators before he turned to the specialist. "I can already tell."

"How?" She wondered. "I was only there for a few minutes."

"No one, not even the foolish, would go on the surface without a gas mask." He explained. "You would die in less than a few minutes because of the lack of air."

"How do I put it delicately?" Winter wondered to herself. "I was from another world and was brought to this place against my will."

"Huh, that's a new one for the books." Hunter commented. "I'm sure the Order and Polis will have a field day once I present them to you."

Hunter's comment only brought Winter some confusion. "Present me? What do you plan to do to me?"

"Let's just say, the scientists are going to want to have a good look at someone who is from another world. Trust me, it is nothing more than a simple talk with them. After all, you're not a mutant trying to eat them at every turn."

"Oh, I never expected someone to describe me as such."

Hunter shrugged his shoulder. "Welcome to the Metro, miss. It's a way of life to say the least." He added before he turned to the escalators and walked down its steps.

A question occurred to Winter's mind as she continued to follow the heavily armored trooper down the unrepaired stairs. "Where are we going?"

"Exhibition, it's a station on the northern frontier, I wanted to pass by to a few friends." He answered as they both reached the bottom of the escalators. "If anyone asks where you are from, just tell them you're from Smolenskaya, it would explain that voice of yours."

"My voice, what does my voice have to do with anything?" She demanded.

"You don't have a Russian accent, meaning you are a non-Russian. Good thing the people in other stations can't tell the difference between you and the non-Russians."

The two companions walked up to the giant door that lay in front of them. How Winter thought it was going to be opened was a mystery. However, she noticed Hunter dropping the bag as he knocked on the door three times.

A person's voice could be heard on the other side. "Open the damned gate, a mutant wouldn't knock on the door." Just like that, the door slowly began to split into two as Winter was surprised to see that was all that was required to open the gates.

As the doors slide open, she was caught off-guard by the sight of the people guarding the entrance. There were no dressed soldiers in uniforms, there was no defensible position, and there were no signs of cleanliness amongst the people. In other words, Specialist Schnee was looking at a militia.

Hunter kicked his belongings into the entrance of the room as he glanced over his shoulder and gave her a slight nod to follow him.

Winter followed him into the unclean place as she noticed some of the guards smiling at her.

However, they quickly took heed of her companion's words. "Close your gate." He said as the gates behind her began to slide back into place. Once it was done, she watched him raise his mask over his face before Hunter breathed in the air.

Realizing the room was fine, Winter took the straps from the back of her head and began to slide her gas mask off her face.

Then she quickly noticed her rescuer turn towards the door on the other side of the room. It swung open as a man wearing a trench coat began to make his way into the room while a younger man followed. Despite the guards being militia, they all stood at attention at his presence. The older man dismissed them back into their duties before he expressed a smile to Hunter. "It's been a long time my friend." He began as the soldier and he hugged each other.

Once they were finished, Hunter took a step back and returned the greeting. "Alex, I was just passing by and I heard you distress signal. Mind if we talk about it?" He asked.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind it to be here?" Questioned Alex. "I don't' want any prying ears on our conversation."

"Of course."

The two began to make their way to sit down besides the makeshift campfire in the middle of the room as they both looked to the younger man who accompanied Alex.

Hunter went for his pockets as he began to pull out a postcard and hand it over to him. "Artyom, I know you like to have a collection of postcards so I found one about the US Liberty." He stated.

Artyom, the young man, was very timid as he reached for the postcard and returned a smile back to him. "Thank you, Hunter. I hope you can find more along the way."

"Don't worry, Artyom. I'm a Ranger. I'll be fine." He assured him.

When Winter heard him mention he was a Ranger, she found it odd that a man like him would have such a title.

"Artyom, why don't you talk over to my friend I rescued?" He asked. "She is from Smolenskaya."

The young man raised an eyebrow as he turned his gaze towards her. He walked up to her as me gave off a small smile.

Winter understood he was nervous and she didn't need to talk to these strange people, but what was she to do when that creature put her into a world such as this.

Artyom approached her as he began to stumble around. "Hello." He said before he brought out his hand. "My name is Artyom."

Truthfully, she didn't care about him. However, she noted that she owed her life to the very man who gave him that postcard. It was best she didn't leave a bad impression on this world. Then she shook his hand, but gave him the infamous cold glare. "Winter Schnee, good to meet you." She replied.

The young man looked back to Hunter as he spoke up. "Hunter, do you want some tea?" He asked.

She noticed that the Ranger didn't seem to mind the offer as he agreed with a simple nod. "Of course, how can I not get Exhibition's famous mushroom tea?" He asked. "You're the only ones who make the rest of the Metro actually live for something."

He quickly turned to Winter as he brought the same question as well. "Do you want some tea?" Artyom asked.

Winter was about to decline the option, but then she realized how parched her throat was. Rather than being dehydrated, she knew she needed something to comfort her throat after she was exposed to the toxic air. "Yes please." It was polite request, but it didn't offend anyone.

On the other side of the room, she watched Artyom walk over to a stove with a hot pot being heated up.

The specialist began to stand straight and tall as she overheard the conversation between Hunter and Alex.

Hunter was the first to speak up. "Alex, you know my Order's motto. If it is hostile, kill it. What needs to be killed? Do you have a Nosalis nesting problem?"

Alex was quick to dismiss his questions. "No, none of the tunnel trash we usually fight. Normally I wouldn't bother the Order about this, but after what happened to ten of my men. I need to inform you about this."

"What is it?"

"New creatures were sighted in the Botanical Gardens." He explained. "I was hoping they wouldn't be much of an issue and we might handle them like the rest of the mutants, but no. They were none of those."

"What's so special about them that you need the Order's help?"

"My ten men, both their bodies and their minds were broken. They went absolutely insane and it didn't even take much effort."

"Don't worry, I'll see to it that your mutant problem doesn't get any much worse than that. I will guarantee that to you." Hunter assured the man. "Have there been any other casualties as of late?"

"Yes, a few days ago men from a nearby caravan were attacked by Nosalis. The doctors are doing their best to keep them alive, but you know how those odds go."

Their conversation piqued her interest. It was like a villager back on Remnant talking about the Grimm, only that these people didn't have huntsmen or huntresses to fight the said creatures. Her focus on the conversation was interrupted when Artyom jumped when the pot began to whistle.

Alex looked over his shoulder to see Artyom. "Son, are you okay?"

The young man gave a small smile. "Yes father, I'm just a bit jumpy at the moment."

However, Hunter was quick to comment. "I don't blame you, mutant traffic on the surface has been more noticeable than usual."

Then the situation grew grim for Winter when she heard the blaring alarms scream into the room and the flashing red lights appear in the corners. Then a woman called out to them. "Alert, they're coming from ventilations!"

Alex began to realize the cause. "Oh no, they smell the blood in the hospital. They're coming to get them."

Hunter was quick to snatch a weapon off from his person as he loaded the rounds in. "Don't worry, I think we can take them as long as they don't get through that door."

"Men, protect the wounded and make sure they don't get into the other side!" Then he stood up and began to open a box attached to the wall. "Artyom, grab a gun." He ordered as he pulled out an assault rifle from the small box.

Winter began to walk to the door on the other side as she noticed Artyom walk past her and grabbed the small revolver on the bottom along with the few clips of bullets.

However, she heard Hunter grab her attention. "Winter, I suggest that you go with the rest of Alex's men. You don't have a gun with you."

Despite of his warning, the specialist pulled out her sword from the side of her belt. "I still have my sword."

"Last chance if you don't want to fight."

"I will fight, I will not back down from such beasts."

Hunter's eyes switched from her and to the men behind the doorway. "Lock the door and make ready." The Ranger ordered as he cocked his assault rifle.

To Winter's surprise, she noticed that Artyom was quickly loading his sidearm despite of her first impressions of his timid nature. She stood in front of the door with her sword ready as Artyom stood beside her and began to pull the hammer back.

Everyone in the room remained silent while the alarms continued to blare continuously; however, they were off-guard when a vent in the center of the ceiling had been smashed open.

Hunter was caught off-guard when a four-legged creature jumped down from the vent and began to charge towards him. However, the Ranger allowed the creature to grab hold of him before he knocked it off with his rifle and began to put his barrel into the back of his head. He pulled the trigger as blood splurged out and landed all over the floor. "Artyom, watch out for the other vents!"

Just on time, Winter watched as the vents on the higher sides of the wall were filled with mutants trying to break into the room. However, she noticed that the defenders were already firing upon them. Even Artyom was quickly firing his revolver at the mutants in quick succession before reloading. Of all things, she didn't expect him to do much in a fight.

The specialist noticed another Nosalis jump down from the same vent, but she was the only one who took notice of it. Rather than letting Alex or Hunter be surprised, she charged forth and ran her sword through the creature. It cried out in pain as she swiftly pulled her sword back and struck it in the head without hesitation. However, Winter noticed that unlike the creatures of Grimm back on Remnant, these creatures bled and her white uniform was covered in blood.

She overheard Hunter make a comment about her deed. "What do you know? I was right. A sword is useful down here."

Winter watched as one of the locked vents was smashed open and it was coming towards Artyom as he reloaded his pistol. Realizing it was the only way, she rushed forth, but was surprised when the very same man killed the creature in the head. "Artyom, has anyone told you that you are a good shot?" She asked.

Artyom replied with a smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Then Hunter began to assess the situation. "Alex, this is just the usual tunnel trash. I highly doubt that the creatures you are talking about are here."

The father of Artyom also brought another concern. "These creatures use fear to make the mutants come after us." He explained, but his additional words discouraged the specialist from afar. "Ever heard survival of the fittest, we lost. They're the new humans of the apocalypse and we're their sacrificial lambs."

"You're just going to give up. Earlier, you were positive that I would help you end your problem with these creatures. Fuck, what are they called anyways?!"

"They are called Dark Ones." Alex answered. "That's what the men are calling them during their sentry duties."

Winter was quick to step into the conversation. "Why don't we eliminate the issue before it get out of hand?"

Hunter nodded in approval. "Hell, even the girl from Smolenskaya knows better than to die like a dog. What the hell has happened to you?"

The old friend replied. "What those creatures did to my men is beyond what we can do against them."

After he had finished with his sentence, the door to the room swung open as an armed guard was breathing heavily as he leaned against the doorway. "Alex, they attacked the guard post! You need to come, quick!"

"Shit, that is where most of my men are stationed." Commented Alex as he followed the militia soldier down the room.

Hunter and Artyom quickly followed after Alex as Winter joined out of curiosity and of fear of what these creatures were.

When Winter had finally arrived at the guard post with her new companions, the aftermath of the scene was destructive, both physically and psychologically. She watched as Alex was distraught at the sight of so many bodies strewn around. The specialist even noted how there were a few alive victims in the post, but they were beyond being helped.

Then she noticed how Artyom followed Hunter towards a tunnel on the left side of the guard post. His weapon was drawn as he spoke up. "This is beyond the work of any simple mutant." He began. "It is a beginning of something. This is a threat that must be eliminated-eliminated!" Hunter repeated the last word before he glanced over to Artyom and the specialist. "Winter, this is where we part ways. What you are going to do with your life, is up to you." He began before he pulled his dogtags from his neck and handed it to the young man. "Artyom, Polis Station and the Order need to know about this threat immediately. If I do not return by tomorrow, set off to Polis and find a man named Colonel Miller. He will help your station if I do not."

The Ranger turned away from the two as he stormed off into the darkness of the tunnel.

However, Winter grew worried for the man. "Hunter, I have many questions that need answering?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "I suggest that you join Artyom and go to Polis." He answered. "That is a place where all your questions can be answered." Soon after, he continued walking into the darkness as Winter watched him disappear until his silhouette was no longer there.

Beside her, Artyom looked at Hunter's dogtag before he too saw his friend disappear into the blackness.