Disclaimer: The Metal Gear Solid franchise belongs to Hideo Kojima.
A/N: Just to clear up the timeline, this takes place after "A Quiet Exit" but before the true ending, so some spoilers if you haven't reached that point yet. Non-edited, so I happily take credit for any mistakes, if you notice any please let me know.
Chapter 1: Step by Step
I am Quiet. I am, the absence of words.
Two weeks later…
"Boss, your target is located in Qarya Sakhra EE village." Miller said over his radio "The cut-off that contacted us said that the man was offering some useful information in exchange for his safety."
Snake watched though his binoculars as several soviet soldiers patrolled the mass of buildings protruding from rocky ledges. Beside him, DD sat patiently, gray ears twitching hack and forth on alert.
"Apparently he was a high class weapons dealer for the soviets, but recently decided to add to his clients and started selling to the mujahidin on the side."
He couldn't help the small noise of disgust that escaped him.
"Smart, I know." Miller continued "Obviously, the soviets didn't like his new business plan when they caught wind of it, and are transporting him to the Yakho Oobo outpost later tonight for interrogation. Extract the target before the transport gets there, and its mission complete. Good luck Boss."
Putting his binoculars away, Snake reached over and scratched behind DD's ear.
"Ready boy?"
The dog gave a bark in assent, and they slowly began their descent toward the village, using boulders and large bushes as coverage from the few roaming spotlights, eventually reaching the first of many buildings that littered the area.
DD growled softly as they approached, letting him know that someone was inside. Creeping along the side, he snuck a glance through the window to spot a lone soiled huddle over what looked to be a broken radio at one of the small tables.
Silently, he pushed the metal door open, the soft groan of its hinges going unnoticed as he snuck up behind the unlucky solider. Grappling him from behind, Snake used one arm to immobilize the soviet, while the other brought a knife to his throat.
"Start talking" he commanded, putting slightly more pressure on the knife, "Where is the prisoner you're holding?"
"H…He's in that building, over there." The soldier swallowed roughly, pointing outside the window to a building which sported a communications tower on top.
"That's all I know, I swear."
Without another word, Snake put the man into a chokehold, cutting off his oxygen supply and leaving him unconscious after only a short struggle. Wood creaked underneath his weight as he made his way back outside, down a set of stairs, and to the cover of another building, DD hot on his heels.
The chatter of a small group reached his ears, and he crouched before looking around the corner. Three soviet soldiers armed with shields and helmets in addition to their usual gear were loitering around a burning trashcan, taking a break from patrol. Beyond them sat the entrance to the building where his target was located.
Snake readied his tranquilizer before lowering himself to his stomach.
"Stay" he ordered DD, and slowly began to crawl along the vey outskirts of the group until he was opposite from where he'd started. Setting himself into position, he sat up into a crouch, aimed, and fired. The first shot was a direct hit, putting one of the soldiers to sleep almost instantly, the other two gasping in shock when then man collapsed to the ground.
"Keep'em busy." Snake called
DD burst from his hiding place and charged at one of the men, sinking his teeth into his forearm with a growl. Before the remaining man had time to ready his weapon, Snake charged from behind, managing to spin him around and disarm him with a few quick strikes, before tossing him to the ground. He followed through, and soon the other solider lay on the floor stunned, the air knocked from his lungs.
"Good boy, DD." He petted the dog, who welcomed the praise with a soft yip and wagging tail. Glancing around, he settled for dragging the bodies behind a rocky alcove in order to hide them before continuing toward his target.
"Someone…help me…please…"
Approaching the building, Snake could just make out the pleas of someone being held prisoner inside.
"Boss!" Miller's voice once again came over the radio, "Intel just spotted the suspected transport vehicle in route to your position. You need to extract the target and get out of there ASAP."
"Right" Snake responded.
There was no sign from DD that any other soldiers were nearby, so he opened the door and entered the building. Withering on the ground was a middle aged man with a shaved head, dressed in a dirty blue jumpsuit, arms tied behind his back. Quickly, snake cut the ties and hoisted the man over his shoulders.
"Oh god, Thank you. I thought they were going to kill me." The man gasped.
Snake only gave an irritated grunt in response, but the man seemed to the message and silenced himself.
Using the same route they'd used to infiltrate the area, Snake and DD slowly made their way thought the buildings with the extra passenger. Luckily, no one had seemed to have noticed their missing comrades and they slipped out of the village and into the night without incident.
Snake made sure to clear the village area before securing the man in a Fulton and watching as he was lifted into the sky.
"Extraction Complete, target is confirmed on board. Excellent work Boss. Go ahead and call the chopper or exfiltrate on land."
The iDroid beeped as he designated a land zone, and minutes later, he and DD climbed aboard Pequod and watched out the window as they slowly ascended into the air.
"Departing" the pilot confirmed, and Snake slid the door of the chopper closed.
"Where to Boss?" the pilot called back Snake settled into his seat.
DD let out a large yawn before lying down, golden eye watching him intently. Well, that settled it then.
"Back to base, Pequod. We're done for today." Snake said.
"Roger that, returning to Mother Base." the pilot confirmed as the chopper banked slightly left, then leveled out.
The ride back to mother base was silent, and he made it a point to not think too deeply about that.
Just like normal, a small squad met him on the landing platform and they saluted him as he made his way past and to one of the portable showers. The cool water was a welcome relief after the extended amount of missions he completed in Afghanistan, and he emerged feeling refreshed, if not still tired.
As had become routine over the last two weeks, Snake made his way up the command platform to his quarters with DD trailing close behind, boots clanking heavily as he acknowledged the soldiers he passed with a small nod. Pushing through the door, he stepped into room and fell onto the bed with a sigh. DD squeezed himself into the space underneath as Snake pulled out his iDroid from his pocket and put in his headphones, attempting to relax as it cycled through various songs, but it wasn't until a soft, comforting humming reached his ears that sleep finally took him.
Sunlight streaming in through the window woke him. Groaning, he stretched-hearing several things pop in response-and glanced around. In the corner, DD was chewing happily on a bone, having apparently been awake long enough to go in search of breakfast. The dog glanced up, barked once happily in acknowledgement, and then went back eating. Snake let the dog be, climbing downstairs and making his way toward the common area for some early morning target practice.
"Morning Boss!" a soldier passing on guard duty called, as did several others who were passing by. Some asked him to train, and before he knew it a small group had gathered to practice CQC techniques. He hardly minded though, it was good training and better for morale if the men saw him being involved, plus it kept his mind off other things.
"Hey Boss," Miller's voice came through his iDroid just as the group was finally beginning to disperse "Ocelot says he got some interesting information from that arms dealer, something about a meeting between some higher-ups, I'll keep you posted with the details. In the meantime, a few more contracts have popped up, take a look at them when you get the chance. We're almost there Boss, step by step Diamond Dogs is growing to be bigger and better than it ever was before, pretty soon we'll be able to take down Cipher, permanently."
"Oh," he continued after a moment, reluctance coloring his tone, "by the way, I got a message from the old man. He wants to see you on the medical platform."