U-238

VADIM

Darkness. All I could feel was my throbbing head and something cold and rough around my wrists. I slowly lifted open my eyes, and I could see a blur of what I thought were my hands, closing my eyes again. I brought my hands up and rubbed my eyes, hearing a murky, far away rustle of... chains..? I opened my eyes back up and slowly my vision came back to me. My hands were bound together by old-fashioned metal handcuffs, with a chain trailing from them. I tried moving my hands away but they were stopped by the chain. I followed it with my eyes, seeing it was mounted to the wall.
"Psst, hey!" A voice called out at me. I looked up and saw a man who seemed to be chained to the wall as I was. He was wearing a dirty coat and some messy cargo pants, a beanie sitting upon his head.
"Hey!" He called out again in a whispered shout. "Where are we? Who are you?" I asked the man. He glanced over at a door fixed into the wall, then looked back at me. "Okay, listen, we're in the base of the Volki... I think..." he rubbed his head, "I'm Darien, you?" I thought to myself for a second... Vadim... Volki... "Shit..." I said aloud, "Sorry, I'm Valera, and did you say the Volki..? Aren't they the bastards that raided parts of the Metro years ago..?"
Darien looked down. "Yes... they are..." Footsteps were heard outside the door, and Darien put a finger over his mouth, signaling for me to be quiet. Suddenly, the door flew open. A man dressed head to toe in dirty military gear that looked like it had seen better days. He was wearing a balaclava, and a slit of light blue eyes stared coldly at me. I looked down at his hands, which were holding a battered AK-47. I remember, when I was only a child, seeing soldiers in the Metro marching down the tunnels holding those rifles.
The man stepped aside, and another man entered the room. He was wearing a rather clean set of military blues, with an officer's cap sitting on a bald head. A large scar stretched across his cheek. He looked at me and gave a sinister smile, then turned to Darien. "You." The man said, "what have you told him?" The man pointed at me. Darien looked nervous "N- nothing sir." He said. The man crouched down and grabbed Darien by the jaw "Do you think you should have told him about me?" Darien nodded quickly. The man stood up and walked over to me, crouching down. "Do you know who I am?" He looked at me in the eyes, and I shook my head. "No..." I said slowly. He sighed and said "I am Vadim... his about we let your little friend Darien explain who I am?" He turned to Darien, who started to speak. "Vadim is... well, he's the leader of the Volki..." he slowly spoke. Vadim smiled and nodded "That's right... and I am ushering in a new world order." He stood up, turning to Darien. "But first we must get rid of the weak."
The soldier outside the door grabbed Darien, unshackling him and carrying him outside the door "No, no no please! I have a wife and child, please!" His cries slowly grew into silence. Vadim started making his way to the door, stopping before he left and turned to me. "I'll have fun breaking you." He gave a sinister smile and left the room, closing the door. I didn't know what to expect.. all I knew is that I had to get out of there, and quickly.