Within the confines of the D6 bunker-complex, Colonel Miller readied his Kalash 2012 in his arms. Two other Rangers had accompanied him in unlocking another door for the Order to use, but they were there in case a pack of mutants had decided to pour out the doors. As the tall doors had finally reached their end, the colonel was surprised to see another pair of doors laying in his wake. However, there was a door on the left side of the small space between the first and the second doorway. "Damn, I'm going to have to get another key." He whispered to himself. "Rangers, secure whatever is in that room. I don't want it to bite us in the ass as soon as I open the second door."

One of the Rangers was quick to reply. "Yes colonel." The two Rangers were quick to storm into the room with guns drawn before they were brought into the darkness.

It was another day at work and he wondered how Artyom's mission with clearing the surface was going. Then a familiar voice called out to him. "Colonel Miller, I need to talk with you."

Turning around, Miller found Uhlman walking up to him. The Ranger was still outfitted with his gas mask equipment, but he was quick to remove it from this conversation. "Uhlman, did you finish the mission?"

"Artyom is missing, sir."

Miller grew concerned about the news. "What happened to Artyom?" He demanded. "What happened to the boy?"

Uhlman's eyes were enough to describe that he had a hard time dealing with the news as well. "I don't know how it went. We went into the Botanical Gardens and began to hunt down the beast; however, the lightning fucked us over."

"Uhlman, what does the lightning have to do with this? Just get to the point and tell me where that boy got lost."

"Artyom was struck by lightning." He replied. "I went over to see if his body was still there, but something else happened and you won't like it. There was a baby Dark One."

Miller growled in anger. "You're telling me those things are still alive. I thought we wiped them off? They shouldn't be alive after we used those nuclear missiles. Do you know what this means? We have to kill it."

"Colonel, you don't have to explain how much of a threat the Dark Ones are. Artyom told me enough about his experience in Exhibition." Uhlman stated.

"The damn creature might have wanted one last piece of vengeance against Artyom after what he did at the tower." The colonel stared at his friend with honest eyes as he looked around. "The least we can do is try to avenge Artyom. Uhlman, you and your group better get some rest and wait until the weather stops." He ordered. "Once you have a clear opportunity at the Botanical Gardens, find the Dark One and kill it."

"Yes sir."

Behind Uhlman's back, Miller noticed a Ranger running to him in full gear as he saluted his presence. "Colonel Miller, we have a problem."

Surprised by the news, Miller walked past his friend to confront the Ranger. "Report."

"Sir, Lesnitsky stole a bioweapon container. He already escaped, but we're already sending a team after him." The Ranger stated.

"Good thinking, Ranger. Make sure there is a clean-up team in the arsenal room and close it down. No one should be allowed in there aside me and a few selected individuals." Ordered the colonel.

"Yes sir, I'll get to it." The man was quick to depart from the colonel as Miller began to scratch his beard.

There were so many questions as to why Lesnitsky would steal a biochemical weapon from the arsenal stores. He would have to interrogate the man himself, but it worried him about the possibility of the biochemical weapon being used and that did not sit well with the colonel. "Lesnitsky, what the hell are you doing?"

Winter found herself confronting not only her superior, but the headmaster of Beacon, his assistant, and his "agent" were also present as well. She straightened her composure as Artyom was standing beside her. He had been quiet after he revealed himself to her. It was strange to see the young man she followed with, wearing the uniform of the very order Hunter was in. Could it be that he followed in that man's footsteps over the past year?

Her eyes trailed away from the armed man as she found General Ironwood looking back at her. "Specialist Schnee, Qrow has told me that you recognize this man when you two finally made contact. Is this true?" He asked.

The young woman was quick nod her head. "Yes sir. However, it relates to a project that made me disappear for a few days. I do not wish to disclose it in front of everyone else." She replied.

One of the non-Atlesian personnel, Qrow, took a quick glance at the general. "Jimmy, do you mind telling us what this is all about."

How dare this ruffian speak to her superior in such a manner? "You will refer to him as general, Qrow."

The man took a quick glance at her with angry eyes. "Look kid, you shouldn't even be here, but Ironwood is here to vouch for you."

The man sitting in his seat, behind his desk had leaned forward. Was there a reason for the headmaster of Beacon Academy to be involved in military matters? "Both of you, enough. We should not have a heated debate in this very room." The silver-haired gentleman said to everyone in the room. "James, could you please speak about this project I have not heard of."

General Ironwood turned his full gaze onto the headmaster as he placed his hands behind his back. "A year ago, Atlas held a project that would allow people to travel between kingdoms not by foot, but by teleportation. We hoped that we would be able to complete the process and prevent lives from being lost to the Grimm."

"Something happen, didn't it." Commented Qrow as he crossed his arms. "What did you guys do to not get something like that working?"

Winter took the full opportunity to speak about the matter. "The teleporter brought a creature that was close to the Grimm. However, it sucked me into the teleporter and I was stuck in his world for a few days."

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that you and James found another world by complete accident. Okay, how is it relevant to this kid being here?"

The specialist glanced over to her quiet companion before returning her full gaze towards the huntsman. "Apparently, the creatures said that Artyom was some sort of end to their kind."

Then the room fell quiet when someone spoke. "You've met the Dark Ones, haven't you?" Winter noticed all eyes focused on Artyom, who looked at everyone else in the room. He had just spoken in the presence of everyone in the room. Despite his accent, the young man's voice was clear. "Now I'm somehow related to this issue."

General Ironwood took a step closer to him, looking down with his height. "Yes. Yes, indeed. You appeared on Beacon grounds armed and fight a giant subspecies of a bear we have not seen before. I think it concerns us about your origins. Tell us, young man, why are you here?"

"I honestly have no explanation for that." Artyom answered. "A few hours ago, I was trying to kill a giant bear and now I'm standing here in the middle of nowhere. If you're trying to look for answers, I don't have any because I don't know any."

"Yet, you somehow know Specialist Schnee when you recognized her." The general commented. "How do you explain that?"

Artyom took a quick glance at the specialist in the room before returning his gaze towards Ironwood. "Her? She was someone who was accompanying a good friend of mine and she accompanied me on my journey to Polis Station just so I could kill the Dark Ones."

"Those very creatures told me that you were a threat to them when they came to Remnant. Then tell me, why did they say you wanted to destroy them?" He demanded. However, everyone was surprised when he earned a slap from a woman who remained quiet in the room. "Glynda, what was that for?"

If only she could smile in the presence of her general. "James, this is not an interrogation room. You should know better." Then she looked at the young man. "Do continue."

Winter heard Artyom express a chuckle before he followed the professor's request. "They were attacking my home." He replied. "My people and Exhibition tried to kill them, but we don't have enough ammunition to stop them. Worst of all, they're quick to wound plenty of my friends if not kill them."

"Could you not have talked to them?" The headmaster questioned.

Artyom's tone of voice changed, like that of an offended man. "You don't talk to mutants who kill your neighbors at first glance. No, there was no choice other than living in fear and expecting someone close to you to be dead on the spot." He said.

"I understand. So you're from another world, is that correct?"

Surprised by the change of the conversation, Artyom was quick to stumble in his words. "It would have to be, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here without a gasmask."

Then Qrow began to comment. "You mentioned that mask of yours, why were you wearing that earlier? Seems quite stuffy in there."

"Where I am from, we destroyed the surface of are world so much that we can't breathe on our own surface." He answered. "The only way to travel on the surface is to wear gasmasks and even then, it's only a limited time only unless it's broken. Seeing that everyone is standing here without a gasmask tells me you don't have that problem."

Winter noticed how everyone else were taken aback by the issue. Even Qrow's expression was changed. "Damn kid, life must be hard over there."

The young man lowered his head. "You have no idea."

"Well kid, you don't seem the type to cause much trouble."

General Ironwood spoke once more. "Young man, we will let you off the hook, but please introduce yourself to us. It would comfort all of us if you did."

"My name is Artyom, I am a Polis Ranger from the Spartan Order and I make good tea out of mushrooms."

"Was that a joke?"

The Ranger shook his head. "No, not at all. My home has earned a reputation as the best sellers of mushroom tea. No one can beat us in that matter. Plus, the recipe is still in my head."

Qrow chuckled at the response. "That has to be the most overwhelming thing I've heard today."

"In the Metro, it pales compared to ghosts and anomalies."

Winter was quick to agree with him. "After spending a few days with him, I can attest to that."

Then the general changed the subject. "Quite interesting to hear. Seeing that you protected Beacon Academy from a giant bear, I believe I'll let you off the hook and enjoy yourself." He turned his attention onto his bodyguard. "Specialist Schnee, please escort Artyom during the festival and ensure he doesn't get into trouble."

"Yes sir." Winter brought the Ranger to follow towards the elevator. "Come with me, Artyom." As the doors began to close on them, looked back at the people holding a different conversation with themselves.

Among the four, Qrow brought himself at the center of attention. "James, Oz, I got some news for you…"

Colonel Miller had finally got the other keys to unlocking the secondary doors. From what his recon team told him, they learned there was a control room for a project on the other side of the door. Apparently, that needed to be hidden behind a second door and shrouded in darkness. It concerned him the most ever since the large radioactive biomass lived at the bottom of the elevator. Rather than having a token of Rangers secure the door, he now had a dozen armed men at the ready.

As the second doors began to open, Miller watched his men advance forward with their laser sights marking the cracks. It was not the first time they had to be this cautious, the last time he opened doors like these had three mutants attack the search party opening the doors. This time, the Order was prepared to eliminate any threat that dared to come out and attack him. Luckily, there were no signs of creatures coming out to attack him, only the darkness behind the doors.

There was friendly voice on the speakers, he as responsible for the electrical power for the rest of the bunker-complex. "Colonel, I'm putting some juice in the lights. Hold on for a moment."

Miller waited as he noticed the darkness presented had been violated by the dormant lights in the ceiling. It was good that D6 still had functional lights despite being decades after its previous use. A testament to Russian engineering by the standards of the old world. A smile fell upon his face, there better be good news as the lights spared no mercy on the dark corners. "Alright Rangers, secure the area." He ordered.

Without question, dozens of Rangers with their machine guns advanced into the room. Their weapons were drawn as they turned their lights off and began to pour inside of the room.

The colonel continued his way into the room and noticed the emptiness within. There were no crates of ammunition, no stores of food and water, and there was no stockpile of forgotten computer equipment. Instead, he saw a small platform placed at the center of the room with multiple wirings plugged into the machine placed at the center of the room. "Okay, what is this place?" Pondered to himself. "Someone search the control room, we might find a thing or two about this place."

Never had Artyom felt so naked without his weapons. Yes, he fought a giant mutated bear, but Winter had made the request to remove his weapons while she still retained hers. What was the reasoning behind it? Was he too dangerous with his weapons around or was it simply impractical to be so armed around the public. He looked around the grass and noticed how much space the vendors were given to sell their wares and their food to the young people coming to their merchandise. Artyom compared how lucky these people were unlike the stations like the Market. The spaces in the Metro were very closely spaced and plenty of space was given to the sellers just to present their weapons and needs of society.

A hand tapped his shoulder, grabbing Artyom's full attention as he looked at Winter standing behind beside him. "It's been a year Artyom, how have you been?" The specialist asked. "Now that we have time to ourselves, why don't we talk about what happened in between?"

The young man returned his attention to the vendors and people who passed by. "I've been busy." He answered. "I've managed to discover a bunker-complex and was given a place into the Spartan Order."

"You said you destroyed the Dark Ones? Were you able to save your home?"

A smile crept on his face. "At the very last minute." He replied. "One of the Hansa stations was just about to blow the route to Exhibition while everyone I knew was still there. Some of the Rangers and I were lucky enough to find a route to the Botanical Gardens and destroy the Dark Ones before they could continue the attacks." Then he glanced over to a woman paying a few pieces of paper to an old salesman. "When you left, you did leave plenty of cartridges for me."

"Ah yes, I left my money behind. What did you do with it?" She asked. "I know someone would have picked it up since it's so valuable in the Metro."

"Well, I invested it in some of the Hansa banks and managed to use the rest of for weapon attachments and better equipment." Artyom answered. "The rest was focused on air filters and a new gasmask." A moment of silence came between the two before he broke it. "So, this is what Remnant looks like?" He wondered. "Never had I thought I would be standing on the surface without a gasmask. If I came home, no one would have believed me."

"Yes, we don't have to worry about wearing a gas mask." Winter commented. "Say, are you hungry?"

Artyom glanced over to her. "Why yes, are you offering? It's been awhile since I ate something." Then he felt his stomach grumble. "Actually, I am hungry."

She laughed at his situation. "Don't worry, I'll be paying for it since no one uses cartridges to buy anything."

"They don't use MGRs. Your world is weird."

"I could say the same thing about the Metro." Then she began to lead the young man through the multiple vendors. "There is this one vendor that sells ramen noodles, I know you would enjoy that."

As Artyom followed her lead, he grew curious about this meal Winter was suggestion. "Ramen noodles? Never heard of them."

"It's a meal to die for." Winter explained. "Aside from the fancy meals I used to eat, ramen noodles are my guilty pleasure to have. You could mix them with anything and they'll still be good."

"Like mushrooms?"

"I don't know about that, but I do think mushrooms would go well with it." Her assuring tone suggested that she was unsure how such a combination should go, but was okay with the idea herself.

Then a cry escaped from the crowd when Artyom heard someone call his friend's name. "Winter, you're here!" The Ranger looked around for the person calling her out, but was surprised to find a white-haired girl rush to meet the young woman. However, he was shocked to see that she was close Winter in terms of colorful outfits.

"Weiss, I was just about to look for you. How is Beacon?" Winter asked.

The younger girl straightened her composure and bowed her head. "I have been doing fine. My grades are doing well and the academy is doing well for me."

She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't talking about your grades in school, I was talking about your thoughts about this place. Were you able to make any friends?"

Weiss gave an immediate nod. "Yes, in fact I have already befriended my team members already." Then Artyom noticed her eyes looking at him. "Winter, who is this?"

"Artyom is a friend of mine from awhile back." The specialist was quick to introduce him to her. "Artyom, this is my baby sister, Weiss."

"I'm not your baby sister!" She replied.

"You still are to me."

As the two sisters began to converse with each other, Artyom noticed the skies scenery change. What was once a sunny sky was now filled with dark clouds; however, a storm followed with pouring rain. "I think we should get out of the rain." He suggested. "It's going to be pouring soon." What a pity, he was expecting to have a meal at this very moment. He observed as the people around him had begun to make their way inside while the vendors did their best to protect their stores.

"Let's get inside, Artyom." Winter commented as she took her younger sister with her.

"Of course." He replied. There was a terrible feeling going on. Why did this storm feel dangerous? Artyom couldn't put his finger on it, but it was a similar feeling he had when he fought another foe aside from the Dark Ones, Nazis, and the Red Line soldiers.

Lightning struck the ground, but he recognized the energies of the anomalies appearing amongst this strange world. He couldn't blame the people of this strange world to overreact against something so strange. However, the blue energies did not act natural as he thought they would. Normal anomalies would go after movement and fry anything that did move. Instead, the energies began to pulse for a few seconds. Suddenly, a body appeared when the pulse was finished. Yet, he recognized the infamous savages in their backwater clothing. Why were they here? "Glory to the Great Worm, death to the infidels!" The bald man cried out amongst the crowd as he pulled his pipe from his side. What made it worse was that the cultist brought more of his kin with him. Then they began to fire their needles at the nearest people they could find. What followed was the terror of an entire perimeter.

"Shit." Artyom swore to himself. "Winter, protect everyone from being taken. I'm going after them." He said as he lunged his hands into his pants. It was good idea to start holding more than a few weapons in the most uncomfortable of places. Out from his pants was a selection of throwing knives at his disposal as he charged towards the danger.

He heard Winter shout at him. "Artyom, what's going on?!"

"Cannibals!" He answered as he ran past the fleeing civilians and the paralyzed victims. As a man in front of him fell to the ground, one of the cannibals cheering in his victory recognized him. He pointed him out as he yelled to his fellow comrades. The target needed to be silent by his knives or his bare hands. He threw his first knife into the yelling cannibal and watched his body slump to the ground. Artyom knew his knifes were sharp and was told that hitting people in the organs was a perfect way to harm them.

Another cannibal, who appeared from the anomaly, noticed him. "It's the evil man. Kill him." After he said those words, the Ranger became the reaper.