Chapter 1: The Dead Man Walking

Snake: 'Otacon, do you read me?' my words were hurried and anxious

Otacon: 'Yeah, Snake, what?s up?' Otacons words were cool and almost reassuring ?Is something wrong?'

Snake: ' I see disturbances in the air... but nothing is on the radar... could they be using stealth?' I looked around the room, the pipes and cement walls in the dim warehouse distorted with transparent waves curling and twisting.

Otacon: '... I don?t know, God help us if they do... put on your Thermo goggles and check for heat signatures' now he sounded more unsure than I was. I reached into my belt pouch and pulled out a heavy piece of equipment. The goggles slipped on over the bandanna and engaged with the touch of a button. An array of colors filled my vision: purple, blue, red, black. One shole of colors stood out though a sort of bluish green with swirls of yellow coming from the dark blue pipes and spreading through the room.

Snake: 'Gas...' I said inquisitively. I took off the goggles and pulled a gas mask from my inventory.

Snake: 'Its OK Otacon... it was gas... luckily I picked that gas mask back in the basement eh?'

Otacon: 'Amen to that, you had me worried there, I thought they had stealth...'

Snake: 'Me too,... ... over and out,' The codec went out with a beep. I went to the next room and saw the same disturbances in the air. Same thing for the rooms that followed... something was amiss

Snake: 'Otacon, this whole thing stinks...' my tongue was accusing and venomous

Otacon: 'I know... a leak like that just doesn't fill, what is it probably five rooms now... maybe more.' he sounded as suspicious as me

Snake: 'Think it's a trap?'

Otacon: 'Dunno,'

Snake: 'Its completely odorless, if I didnt notice the vapors I?d be takein? a nice and long nap about now...'

Otacon: 'Yeah, your probably right. Watch your back, Snake' another beep as his face faded from the tiny monitor on my wrist. I looked over to one of the pipes along the wall

Snake: 'Propane...' I said in a composed voice looking at the small yellow sign.

Snake: 'Hmm...?No Smoking eh? I'll have to remember that when I'm leaving...'

The halls all came to an end with an airlock. The doors on my side opened with a swish and closed behind me. The contaminated air was sucked out by a vacuum device on all surfaces of the room. And then with another swish the front door opened.

Snake: 'Otacon, something is definitely fishy. The gas was propane...'

Otacon: 'How could you not smell it, they have to scent that stuff so that you can tell if there is a leak.'

Snake: 'Exactly what I was thinking. But that's not all'

Otacon: 'What else?'

Snake: 'Theres an airlock at the end of the hall and there is all sorts of biohazard suits along the walls. This is no accident.'

Otacon: 'That may be true, but right now you have to find the hostages.'

Snake: 'Right, the prodigy nuclear physicist and the computer expert. What a pair.' I joked for the moment for no particular reason but quickly regained an air of seriousness. Beep... the codec clicked off. The area was clear so I casually pressed onward. Twenty minutes passed by painfully slow. The lack of sentries made it all too evident that something was up. Just then the codec rang.

Snake: 'Snake here... what is it Otacon?'

Otacon: 'I checked some security tapes and satellite surveillance photos...' he was way too worried for comfort.

Snake: 'And?'

Otacon: 'There's records that Liquid has been running this little party. And apparently he is the one who authorized the building of that little gas trap you went through.'

Snake: 'I thought he died in Shadow Moses!' I was totally floored by the news

Otacon: 'Apparently not...'

Snake: 'But I killed him'

Otacon: 'Not good enough...'

Snake: 'I shot him in the head!'

Otacon: 'Hmm... that is a dilemma...'

Snake: 'There was hardly anything left of the head either, I shot it with a Desert Eagle. No way he could have survived!'

Otacon: 'This is so weird!'

Snake: 'I know... he should be dead and buried.'

Otacon: 'No, not that...'

Snake: 'What then? Theres more!?' my body shook with horror and anticipation

Otacon: 'Raven and Ocelot... even Mantis!'

Snake: 'They are all dead! This cannot be happening!' I became numb with terror

Otacon: 'Not only that but Vamp is over there with them.' the bad news just pilled on me

Snake: 'Well, he is still alive but why would he work with Fox Hound?'

Otacon: 'Snake, take it easy youve killed them before. You can do it again.' his confidence in me helped me put things back in perspective and I calmed down a little bit

Snake: 'Yeah, except for Vamp.' I was upset but still calm

Otacon: 'Youre right... but you can still incapacitate him'

Snake: 'Hmm... I hope so... Snake over and out'

Otacon: 'Wait Snake.' Otacon caught me just before I switched off

Snake: 'What?'

Otacon: 'Please be careful.' he was solemn

Snake: 'I will, dont worry...'

Otacon: 'OK... over and out' the same click and beep tone I have heard so many times before occurred.

Snake: 'DAMMIT!' I erupted as my fist crashed against the wall and I leaned against it breathing heavily

Snake: 'I dont know how the HELL this can be happening... DAMMIT!' I punched the wall and my back slid down it and I sat on the floor.

Snake: 'Keep it together man... keep your cool. Man I need a smoke' I reached into my belt pouch and pulled out my lighter and cigs. My hand trembled with anger as I slid a cigarette into my mouth and lit it. After a few drags and the smooth smoke filled my lungs I stood up and regained my composure. I drew my SOCOM from my side holster skrewed on the suppressor and c o c k e d it. I walked down the hall to finish my mission.

I opened a large rusted metal door with a loud squeak. I found myself in a dark room, it was unsettling how the black twisted around me. Then suddenly a voice burst from all directions

Voice: 'Snake! Glad you could join us! The party has just begun!' the English accent was familiar

Snake: 'LIQUID!!' I yelled at the top of my lungs trembling with anger. The light flashed on blinding me momentarily. But when the white pain died a huge silhouette of a giant stood before me.

Shadowed Man: 'We meet again Snake! The mighty Sioux warrior and the raven clash once again I see.' his Inuit accent was thick and unsettling

Snake: 'Enlighten me Raven. How in the name of all things holly did you guys come back?'

Raven: 'Through the magic of genomic science! They took our lifeless bodies and created clones.' his tone was gruff yet cool headed

Snake: 'But it takes years for a cloned child to mature! I should be looking at a six year old...'

Raven: 'But that is the beauty of it Snake... You are looking at a six year old!' his sandpaper lined throat let loose a rough and sinister laugh

Snake: 'How-?' my eyes widened with utter disbelief

Raven: 'We are running on vintage materials Snake just like you and your brother Liquid before us. Vamp and Ocelot assisted in the aging process and they artificially aged the cloned babies. It is funny, the same technology that was used to make you created us! We all even got upgraded. Allow me to demonstrate...' He picked up a brick which laid near a partially completed wall and crushed it into dust. My mouth gaped and my eyes widened with terror.

The door at the other side of the room with a mechanical hiss and a tall man walked out.

Raven: 'Ah just in time sir the show was about to begin!' Raven was enthusiastic

Man: 'We'll finally see the end of this epic story won't we?' said a cool voice with an English accent.

Snake: 'LIQUID!!!' I exploded with fear but immediately after I found myself in a incredible amount of pain picking myself up out of the ground. Raven punched me to the ground so hard I was embedded into the concrete.

Snake: 'Ugh... he wasn't lying about the improvements...' I said groggily as I hunched over. And then I found myself across the room lying on the floor with my face in a world of pain.

Raven: 'HA HA HA! HO, the Legendary Solid Snake beaten by a six year old dead man' I never thought I would live to see the day!' Raven was laughing triumphantly. I stood again slowly and painfully. But I remembered the gun, I snatched it out of the holster again and pointed it at Raven. But he seemed to not be scared no... he laughed!

Raven: 'GWAH HA HA HA! Snake we knew you'd bring guns into this! How stupid do you think we are? Ocelot had us all fitted with Fortune's little gizmo,' he patted a small device hooked onto his belt

Raven: 'Bullets wont touch us as you know.' I lowered my gun, it was hopeless there was no way that I could beat all these mutated circus freaks without weapons. Liquid produced a gun from his trench coat. There was a bang and then blackness