The party stepped out of a sealed door and turned to the right. Ever since they had left the bunker-complex, Uhlman could not stop talking despite his mission to find a beast and kill it. One could not blame his attitude, the new world was bleak and it was to lighten up the mood and gloomy life the group lived in. "Oh look, we're walking in the sewers. Good thing we have our gasmasks."

Lesnitsky growledin irritation as he loaded a case of ammunition in his assault rifle. "Uhlman, the bear is going to hear you if you don't shut up." He commented as his flashlight lit the way forward.

"I don't know, maybe my talking might scare it away." The Ranger said jokingly. "What do you think, Anna?"

The female sniper groaned in complaint after she raised her arm. "Not the time, Uhlman. Look there, the ladder to the surface." When she pointed her finger, the group notice the rusted handles that lead up to the surface. However, it seemed to be that she recognized the water dripping onto the handles. "Be careful, it's raining tonight." She commented.

"No worries, it's not like a little rain is going to hurt us."

When Uhlman and Lesnitsky had begun to climb towards the surface, Anna turned around and met Artyom's face. "Artyom, aren't you coming?" She asked.

The young man was cranking his weapon's battery power to the max. "Yeah, I'm just getting my Hellbreath ready." When the dial had told him the battery supply was at its max, he slung his weapon around his shoulder. He heard the boots clanking on the handle bars as he immediately followed the three veteran Rangers into the surface.

Artyom looked ahead of the ladder and saw Uhlman reach the top and slide the cover out of his way as he left the top to make room for the rest. "Does everyone have nightvision?" He asked.

Everyone else, including Artyom complied a "Yes" in reply.

"Good, eyes out. The bear could be anywhere."

When Lesnitsky reached the top, he slung his assault rifle off his shoulder and began to scan the area. "I don't see any movement. Are you sure it's here?"

"Yes. Miller told us it was going to be here and we will find it." Uhlman answered. "Just watch out for watchmen and demons. It's the last thing we need to worry about."

After the remaining two joined their comrades, Artyom swung his Kalash over his shoulder as he looked around the remain of the Botanical Gardens. He looked forward and saw the crumbling ruins of the old world monuments and recognized the strange sight in front of him. It was where the Dark Ones lived when he designated the nuclear missiles into their way. No longer where the Dark Ones killing his people in his home. "We're close to Exhibition." Artyom commented, catching the attention of Uhlman, who was leading the group.

"Ah yes, we're close to your home. I wonder if we can pass by and get a good drink with that mushroom tea those people are so fond of making." Uhlman's eyes behind his gasmask noticed the glares from both Anna and Lesnitsky. "Okay, we can head there after we kill the bear." Then he gestured his fingers to advance forward as he took point.

Artyom followed them with his Kalash at the ready, the weapon he kept after Bourbon forced him to leave. Strange that he was now carrying the man's weapon in his hands when he could have chosen a far better weapon that Lesnitsky carried.

The group passed through the remains of the world, going through pockets of puddles, and disturbing the small winged creatures of this living hell. The land looked different compared to what he remembered a year ago. The weather was slowly eliminating the remains of what Artyom could consider his home, but it did not matter. There was a degree of beauty that he could admire if he didn't have to deal with the watchmen or the demons that lurked on the surface.

He heard an echo enter his ear, but he noticed his companions were not aware of any echo coming from nowhere. Maybe it was just him hearing strange things on the world. As he followed his fellow Rangers into a lower plateau, the strange echo returned, but into his mind. "Be careful…" The voice said.

The young man stopped in his tracks and looked around. Although his gasmask had problems when it came to lighting, he could still see the world on the ground. Was he going crazy?

Then a child's voice had spoken. "Look, if you see red then it means bad."

Artyom could not understand what was the voice saying, but he looked to his companions advancing forward. He didn't know what was going on until his vision slowly changed. The Rangers were painted in green, showing their friendly colors to him, but there was a large menacing color that caught his attention. To the left, there was a large vegetation of bushes flanked the group. However, there was a large figure of red painting a beast.

He reached into his radio and began to report the threat to Uhlman. "Uhlman, the bear is on the left flank. It's behind the bushes." He stated as he watched Uhlman reach into his radio.

"Artyom, are you sure. Those bushes don't seem to look like it can hold a bear."

There was no time for bullshit when his friends were in danger. "Uhlman, I can see it from here. It's watching us."

Uhlman turned to his left and readied his assault rifle. "Ah shit, everyone open up on the bushes!" He ordered. He and Lesnistky drawn their assault rifles and began to open fire on the bushes as Anna retreated behind the Rangers. "Anna, find a high point and put a bullet in the bastard."

Artyom was hopeful for the bear to come out, but it wasn't coming out. It was as if it didn't want to lose the element of surprise despite taking the gunfire. His vision slowly returned to normal as he shook his head from this headache of his. "Damn it." He swore to himself as he cocked his Kalash. "Uhlman, I'm going to draw it out." Then Artyom began to run towards the bushes.

"No, don't do it."

It was too late, Artyom found himself running towards the creature as he pulled a grenade off his of his chest. It would be annoyed if a grenade was used. As he pulled out his lighter, he lit the grenade and threw it over behind the bushes. He waited for the explosion to come as he aimed his assault rifle downrange.

The ground shook and the explosion had wrecked the bushes while a cloud of dirt had erupted. As the debris and smoke began to clear, a dark figure had crept forth with its menacing red eyes glaring at the Rangers that had disturbed its pen. The stormy night showed its true appearance when the lightning cracked the sky and displayed the monster's bony-like back. Beside the black bear, there were two corpses of bear cubs that laid beside it's claws with blood seeping out of their stomachs.

Lesnitsky made a comment. "No bear would kill its cubs. That is simply too cruel for a mother bear."

After the black bear had gazed its terrifying eyes, it turned its full attention on Artyom, who was the closest to the creature. Then it roared, making its bestial cry to intimidate its newfound prey. However, Artyom made the decision to hold his ground.

The young Ranger pulled the trigger as his assault rifle began to pepper the beast with his dirty bullets. He watched in horror as the creature soaked up his firepower. "Shit." Artyom swore to himself and sprinted away from the monster as he heard the ground rumble behind him.

A loud shot rang out from behind Uhlman and Lesnitsky as he saw Anna's barrel smoking. Then he heard her speak on the radio. "Artyom keep running, I'll see what I can do." She said before cocking the bolt back.

Artyom glanced over his shoulder and noticed the dark-skinned monster still following him. "Hit it in the head." He demanded as he tripped over a broken branch and splashed into the water.

"Get out of there!" Anna cried as she fired off another shot from her sniper rifle.

He watched in horror as the black-skinned bear with its bony features descend upon him. It stood on its hind legs and simply flew towards the young man below it. However, it's mouth was about to make another victim in its teeth.

Another echo whispered into his mind. "You will be safe."

Artyom closed his eyes as he raised his arms to prevent his inevitable death. He could try to reach for his Kalash, but he would be dead by the time he tried. There was no point to make a stand if he was going to die.

On the radio, he heard Lesnitsky's voice. "Holy shit!"

There was a bestial roar that caught the fallen Ranger's attention as he looked over his arms and saw a brown bear slam its weight into his predator. Artyom watched in awe as the two began to turn on each other. The beasts swung their claws into each other, but the brown bear was not fighting like a natural predator. No, it was filled with rage as its savage swings had begun to tear into its foe.

Then he found the reason as to why the brown bear was fighting so savagely as he turned away from the fight and looked past them. The cubs were covered in blood and Artyom realized the brown bear was not his rescuer, but an enraged mother.

Another cry from the radio had reached into his ears. "Artyom, get away from them." Heading Uhlman's advice, he began to rise from the ground and join the Rangers in killing the black bear.

Artyom swapped out his Kalash as he drew his Hellbreath from his shoulder. "Everyone focus fire on the black one." He commented.

"Mind telling us why?" Uhlman asked.

"The mother bear is angry." He didn't continue as he pulled the trigger of his railgun. The round balls flew downrange and through the raining waters as the projectiles landed on the black bear.

The mother bear had taken a swipe on its left side, tearing into its fur, but it growled back at its foe in defiance. Enraged by the wound, it jumped into black bear's head and slammed its face into the ground. Then its claws began to tear away at its opponent without remorse, giving in to its vindictive desire.

The black bear no longer moved and remained lifeless while its body was at the mercy of the mother. Unlike the many creatures Artyom had witnessed, he had never seen the body of a mutated creature evaporate from reality. "That is not a normal creature."

Then Uhlman had spoken. "Rangers, stand down. I think we've completed our mission."

"Are you sure we are not supposed to kill that bear."

"Artyom, I don't want to be around a pissed off mother bear if we shoot it." He replied. "Let's go back to D6 and inform Miller what just happened."

Once again, Artyom heard the strange voice echo inside of his mind. "You killed them." The child-like voice said. "Why?"

He remembered the guilt days after he killed the Dark Ones. The fact he condemned an entire race to their deaths just to protect his home was a hard decision and one he wished he could take back. However, the people he knew at Exhibition were dying every time they fought to defend his home. There were neighbors who were killed trying to protect people like him from the harsh world. "I had no choice." He whispered quietly.

The thunder in the night had crackled and flashed, blinding the group of Rangers on the surface. This was unlike anything Artyom had experienced in his life as he dropped to the ground. The lightning struck the ground and forced the enormous brown bear flee from the area. As he looked around he heard his radio flaring to life. "We need to get back to the sewers." Uhlman suggested as he rose from the ground. "Everyone, we need to move." Then he glanced over to his eyes. "Artyom!"

A flash of light had touched his body as he became helpless to the weather. The child-like voice spoke to him. "I will forgive you… if you can redeem yourself." Then Artyom opened his eyes.