A/N: So, I know this situation could probably never happen but this is an idea I got while reading the novelization of Metal Gear Solid by Raymond Benson. I wrote it and spell checked it today so if it contains some spelling and/or grammar errors, I'm sorry. I'm my own editor here. The people reading Adjustment Periods right now will be happy to know that this story is a bit more upbeat! I don't write scenes like this often (with action and guns and gore) so it's not quite as gracefully worded as my other stuff but I like it anyway. What do you guys think of it?

Return the Favor

Johnny watched all six of his comrades gathered around the small hand held monitor positioned in center of them. It madhim sick to his stomach as they laughed, pointed, and mocked what was coming through on the screen.

The feed was live and of the poor, nervous scientist on the other side of the wall. He worked as efficiently as he could trembling at any little noise he heard, thinking it could be the Boss or any of his trusty FOXHOUND cohorts coming to get him to force him to do only God knows what.

"Hey, watch this." One of the guys said and fired a few rounds from his FAMAS into the side of the wall. They watched in sick amusement as the engineer on the monitor almost jump out of his lab coat and under his desk.

"I'm tired of this," the man holding the screen out for everyone said, "This is kid's stuff. We've been standing out here for hours guarding this 'precious asset' and we have no idea why. Marrero," he addressed the man to his nearest left, "Let's say we go in there say hello to our VIP in person?"

Johnny could tell Charlie Marrero was grinning at the idea even from under his balaclava.

"It's the courteous thing to do, Jenkins."

"Leave him alone," Johnny finally spoke up, "He's not doing anything but trying to work in this God-forsaken place just like us."

"Sasaki, you can come with us if you feel left out." Dylan Jenkins taunted him and his peanut gallery chuckled.

"I'd rather not."

"Oh well, you'll get to watch the show from out here, then." Jenkins handed off the monitor to one of the soldiers and started to the door with Marrero.

"Don't do this," Johnny warned once more as the door slid open. Jenkins looked back at him and smiled before they stepped over the thresh hold. The door snapped shut again and Johnny watched via the monitor as they appeared in view of the camera.

"Well, well, well," Marrero said, his voice almost knocking the engineer backwards out of his chair, "so you're the big deal."

The scientist began to propel the computer chair back as they moved closer to him.

"Wh-wh-what...what do you guys want?" He shuddered out in fear.

Jenkins looked around the lab, eyes landing on the anime posters the engineer had strategically spaced and hung on the walls.

"We just wanted to tell you how much we love your posters here, uh..."

"Otacon. You can call me Otacon." He filled in for him without thinking. He knew these guys didn't want to be his friend and that he had possibly just fueled to their fire by telling them his nickname.

"Is that so?," Jenkins inquired in faux amusement, "How very appropriate for an Otaku like yourself."

Usually Otacon was thrilled to share his love of Japanese anime and robotics with other people, but knew these weren't the guys to do it with. Marrero eyed one poster in particular, pointing to it with his loaded M4.

"Hey Otacon, how special is this one to you?"

"Please, don't touch that," he begged. They were all special to him. What kind of a question was that?

"Why? Can you summon one of the robots in these posters or something?"

"Please...just don't--"

Otacon felt presence of something being pointed at him from behind cut him off.

"Tell me, Otacon," Jenkins moved around to the front of him with a loaded Desert Eagle pointed at his chest. Otacon stopped breathing when the gun touched him. "Does an Otaku bleed the same way as everyone else?"

Outside, Johnny had seen enough on the screen. He quickly swiped his security card and went into the room.

"Jenkins! Marrero! Enough!"

Jenkins lowered his gun and holstered it back into his uniform. He smiled at his comrade.

"Johnny, I am so happy you decided to join us. Our friend Otacon here was just telling us a little about himself."

Otacon shrinked back into his chair at the thought of another one being there to torment him.

"You guys need to get out of here...now." Johnny seethed slowly, anger dripping from every syllable.

"Johnny...you know, you used to know how to have fun. Before you had to give up your comfy little office and title that made you think you were better than all of us."

Johnny ignored him. "You guys leave now, and I'll pretend like this never happened."

Jenkins scoffed coldly. He walked over to another one of the anime posters on the wall. A framed one. Otacon stiffened as he watched the soldier eye it in wicked curiosity. This one really was special. It had been given to him by his sister right before he had left home.

"We'll leave," he said, "but I want a souvenir first."

He hit the frame with a closed fist and watched the glass shatter over the computer terminals in front of it. As he reached up to grab the poster inside, he felt a thrust on his side in the form of a shove that knocked him slightly off balance. Otacon froze in place when Jenkins narrowed his eyes at him, his breathing getting heavier with the building anger.

"You really shouldn't have done that, dork."

Otacon backed away slowly until he was blocked by a computer terminal behind him. The anger in Jenkins' eyes reached the rest of his body in the form of a left hook. Otacon ducked and side stepped just in time and heard his fist crash into the side of the terminal's metal casing.

"Fuck!" Jenkins cursed aloud, his hand radiating ten different kinds of pain. He looked up at Otacon who couldn't move again. When the feeling did return to his legs, he began to make an escape to the other side of the room but was stopped by Jenkins' sudden leap for this lab coat collar. He yanked the scientist back to him, grabbed his arms, kicked his knees to a buckle, and slung him onto his back to the floor. Otacon hit the ground with a thud that sent his lungs into shock and bounced his glasses off his face. He immediately closed his eyes and put his arms over his face when the soldier sat on his midsection, hopelessly pinning him down.

"Move your damn arms!" Jenkins demanded as he furiously slapped them away but they continuously sprung back to cover his face. The soldier reached into his back holster for his Desert Eagle again but stopped at the sound and touch of a gun firmly resting on his temple.

"You touch him and I swear to God I'll introduce every bullet in this cartridge into your skull. You got it?"

Johnny emphasized the tip of the FAMAS a little harder into his head when Jenkins' hand refused to stop hovering around the butt of the Desert Eagle. Finally, he slowly raised his hands in a surrender and rolled his weight off of Otacon and stood up.

"Damnit, Johnny...we were just having a little fun. I wasn't going to shoot the poor bastard." Johnny ignored his attempt to make light of the situation.

"Go," he said. He quickly shifted his aim to Marrero and he jumped slightly, "The both of you."

Johnny alternated his aim between the both of them until they left the room. He looked down at Otacon trembling violently with his arms still tightly wrapped around his face.

"Hey," he called to him and reached down to gently move his arms. Otacon's whole body tensed at his touch.

"Please...don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you. The other guys are gone."

Otacon created a small opening between his arms to peer through them and cautiously took the hand Johnny offered him up.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked him when he was back on his feet.

"I think so," he responded. He walked a few feet and reached down to pick up his glasses.

"Those guys are just grown bullies. Too much testosterone build up from carrying guns for so long. Don't let 'em get to you."

The engineer slid his glasses back on his face. "It's okay. I'm used to it." He sat down and ran his hands through his brown hair, more to calm himself than to groom. "I've been dealing with guys like that my entire life. They've just never had guns before. Thank you for making them leave."

"No problem. I hate guys like that. They are the asshole stereotypes people think about when they think about military guys."

"Well, I'm just happy you're nothing like them."

"Nah, I'm too much of a technology geek to be that mean." He laughed at himself and looked at Otacon, "I'm even a bit of an Otaku myself."

Otacon allowed himself a small smile and then titled his head a bit. "Johnny...Johnny Sasaki?" The soldier unmasked himself revealing his sweaty face and disarrayed short, blond hair. "It is you! What are you doing toting around a gun? You used to be the head computer technician around here."

"When you have members of FOXHOUND telling you you're going to be a soldier, it's a lot smarter to just do as they say."

Both of their attentions snapped to the doorway when they heard a barrage of gunfire in the hallway accompanied by frantic yells of confusion and fright. The sounds of body parts leaving their owners with the sharp swoosh of a blade echoed stickily through to their side of the wall.

Johnny pointed his gun though he knew there was nothing he could from where he was.

"What the hell...it must be that ninja thing!"

"Ninja thing?" Otacon repeated, "What ninja thing?!"

The gunfire grew thinner as the body count increased. Soon, only two guns desperately rattled off streams of bullets but they reflected and ricocheted off of a rotating, steel blade. Another slice, another body mangled and tossed aside like a rag doll.

Choke. Gurgle. Thud. Silence.

"Shit," Johnny quickly changed the cartridge of his FAMAS to a full one.

"What's going on?" Otacon asked, the fear and trembling in his voice returning.

"There's someone—or rather something—out there."

"What are you going to do?"

"I want you to hide somewhere and try and get out of here. I'll hold him off."

"That thing sounds like it's deflecting bullets!" the scientist reminded him, "You'll get yourself killed!"

"I'll get out of here but I need you to do so first. Hurry, Otacon...we don't have a lot of time, here!"

"Wait," Otacon said suddenly and ran over to his desk. He madly tore through the papers and debris atop of it as Johnny listened to the ninja's slow and calculating steps get closer to them.

"What in hell are you doing?"

"The stealth camo! I have an extra unit you can use to get yourself out of here!"

Johnny groaned in frustration as he watched Otacon continue to throw and toss everything wildly about. "We don't have time for this. We--"

"Got it!" Otacon declared. "It's still a little busted. I was working on it...but it should still work long enough to get you out of here."

"Well, what about you?"

"I have one on me," he said and patted his upper pocket. He fidgeted nervously with the device in his hand until it beeped twice. He pressed a button and handed it to Johnny. Johnny quickly attached it to himself and blinked rapidly in and out of invisibility until he finally disappeared completely.

Johnny gasped audible, "I think this is the same thing the ninja is using."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Now, there's a door over there," he pointed to the back of the room, "It'll take you into the hallway on the other side of the building."

Otacon's shaking hands fingered the device in his own jacket pocket but his nerves wouldn't let him find the button. "Damnit!" He took it out of his coat but it slipped out of his hands and bounced off the ground.

"Come on, Otacon! We have to go now!" Johnny urged.

"Look, just go. I'll be right behind you." He picked up the unit off the floor and continued to try and steady his hands enough to find what he needed to to activate it. He looked back up and Johnny who hadn't moved. "Go!"

The soldier ran to door in the back and hesitated slightly before finally forcing himself to leave out of it. He trusted Otacon knew what he was doing.

Immediately afterwards, the opposite door at the front of the room opened and Otacon felt the presence of a tortured and troubled soul enter the room. The ninja flickered in and out of existence, getting closer with every blink the scientist took. A low, electronic hum emitted when the red senor in the center of his helmet lit up and the ninja's figure solidified. Otacon couldn't breathe again when he finally saw him for the first time and he could only move backwards as slowly as it was continuing to approach him. Even after he lost his balance and fell to the ground, he continued desperately to drag himself further away.

"Doctor Emmerich," the man's voice coursed through an electronic voice box of some kind. "Where is my friend?"

"What...what are you talking about?"

Otacon felt the tip of the man's blade poke at his Adam's apple the same time he saw another dark figure enter through the door with a SOCOM pointed out in front of him. The ninja felt the atmosphere shift with the third body in the room and turned around to greet the new arrival.

"Snake," he sounded satisfied to see who their visitor was, "I've been waiting for you...Snake."