"0 1, 6 8, 4 5 7, 3 2, 7 5, 6 4, 9 6, 3 5..." Sunny stood up on her box inside the Nomad's kitchen, singing in her odd way and making (you guessed it) eggs. Snake had been gone for a few weeks now, and Otacon was preparing to leave in search of him. Sunny's cooking had become decent, though it was still limited to eggs, almost entirely sunny side up. She had not yet worked up the courage to foray into other styles, and wouldn't feel ready for some time. Finishing her latest batch of eggs, she took them down into the belly of the carrier aircraft, seeking out someone to share them with. Even if they did turn out right, and even though that meant things would be all right, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Otacon had been pretty vague about where Snake had gone, and said he might not be back. Could he be… no. That's not possible. He couldn't…die just like that.

Finding the hold to be empty, Sunny sat down at her computers, preparing to 'dive the net.' That sure was a funny term for using internet. Otacon had used that expression, said it was from a Sci-Fi anime he liked. Something about Ghosts with Shells, or something. Just as she was considering what to do until Otacon returned (could be days), a transmission came through on the large monitor behind her. It was Otacon, looking troubled.

"Sunny?"

"Yes, Uncle Hal?"

"Do you remember how we were talking about you maybe living outside?"

"Yes. Can I?"

"Well, do you remember Colonel Campbell? He was on this monitor a few times before."

"I…think so."

"He may have a way you can spend some time…outside."

Campbell took center stage as Otacon moved aside, and Sunny tried her best to look official, saluting as best she could recall and standing at what she thought was attention.

"Thank you, Sunny, but you don't have to do that. That's only for military personnel.

"Oh…ok. Sorry."

"That's all right. Now, I heard you wanted to spend some time outside, is that right?"

"Yes, sir," Sunny said, trying to be respectful.

"My people and I have a plan that may allow you to live outside, if you're willing to do what it takes."

"Ok…"

"We're sending a vehicle to come get you, so wait where you are, all right?"

"Yes sir!"

Finally, the chance of a lifetime! The chance to see the outside world. Any place would be an amazing change from the Nomad, even if it had become her home over the years. Sunny ran up the stairs and packed up her things: her B&B and Frog action figures Snake had been so nice to collect, her PS3 system, and other various things all went into a large cardboard box, which she lugged out onto the tarmac where the Nomad still sat grounded. Sunny went back to her computers, which would sadly be left behind for now, and calculated, based on a trace of Campbell's transmission, how long it would take a vehicle sent for her would take to arrive. To her distress, she found that even with air travel, she was at least 14 hours out from their position.

At a loss for how to spend her time (she had long since seen everything on the internet Uncle Hal had allowed her to, and some he hadn't. Yuck.) she walked into the back half of the cargo hold, where the helicopter once stood. Ever since Uncle Hal had left, that half had been very empty looking, and made Sunny uneasy, as her home looked unfamiliar now. What caught her attention about that area was a number of drawers once hidden by the helicopter, now easily accessible. Well, she thought, if I'm going to leave, I'd better explore this home before I get another. She perused the drawers cautiously, but found mostly documents and file folders full of maps and personal information. The personal files interested Sunny, and looked through Otacon's for a while. She memorized his birthday, and promised herself to get him a gift the next time it came around.

After searching all the drawers, Sunny moved on to some interesting metal cabinets set into the wall of the aircraft. She saw no locks, and opened the first cabinet. It was lined, to her surprise, with nothing but cigarettes, lighters, and disposal tubes for the cigarettes. Sunny was sure Snake had quit, Uncle Hal had told her so; why would he keep these around? The next cabinet held an impressive assortment of weaponry, from a spare Operator and Mk. II pistol to the intimidating DSR-1 sniper rifle and Desert Eagle Magnum, and even some grenades. The drawers below contained a myriad of ammunition: .45 ACP, 5.56mm, 5.7mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, anesthetic .22, and the huge .50AE were all well represented. Sunny was taken aback at this. She thought Snake was just sneaking around. She never knew how many people he had to…kill.

The next container was a coffin-like box which had a complex lock on the joint. Sunny approached, and immediately a monitor flickered on, with Otacon delivering an almost whispered message.

"Sunny," he said faintly "I told you that I'd gone to assist Snake. I thought he may have died, but when our recon found him alive I just had to go help him."

"You mean that's not where you went?" Sunny asked, wondering why he would have lied.

"That's not it. I found Snake, and we traveled together. I helped him live a normal life, without all the conflict he's been through."

"That's good, but where's he now?"

"It's complicated, Sunny, but I think you should know the whole truth, so I'll tell you. He's passed away, Sunny."

"But, you said you would stay with him. How could you let him…die?"

"He was an old man, Sunny. You saw how sick he was. People sometimes die just because they're old and frail."

"But…"

"Sunny, this is tough on everyone, but I need you to be strong now more than ever, ok?"

"O-ok."

"Now, do you remember the call you got from me and Campbell?"

"Yes?"

"That was not me there, ok? Campbell's men captured Snake's body after we had it buried, and stole some FaceCamo from the Outer Haven wreckage. They're trying to lure you to them in order to silence you. You know Snake, and are one of their first round targets."

"Why would they want Snake's body? The fight is over, isn't it?"

"I'll tell you more later. For now, just remember that you have to disappear before Campbell's men get to you."

"How?"

"It's all in this box. I foresaw this problem, and made the necessary preparations. Go ahead and use the retinal scanner next to this screen"

Sunny leaned in close and let the fine beam identify her. The box unsealed itself with a hiss, and opened slowly. Inside, she saw a dark garment, which she hesitantly lifted and examined. It was almost identical to the one she had seen Snake wear when he was leaving on a mission.

"What is this thing, Uncle Hal? Why would I need this?"

"That's an OctoCamo suit, Sunny. I made this one especially for you, should things come to this."

"What if this hadn't happened? What would've happened to this suit?"

"Well, It would've made an interesting birthday present for you, wouldn't it?"

"I guess…"

"Alright, Sunny. I need you to put on the OctoCamo suit now. Go up to the kitchen, put it on, then come back here."

After some difficulty (just how does one put on an OctoCamo suit?) Sunny returned, looking very much like Solid Snake himself, except for being tiny, slight of build, blonde, and a girl.

"I'm back, Uncle Hal. How do I look?"

"Snake would be proud, Sunny. Now, go into the cabinet and get the Operator."

"The what?"

"Snake's favorite weapon was a .45 ACP pistol called the Operator. It's the handgun with the black barrel and the wooden grip. Do you see it there?"

"Yes. I've got it. Should I load it now?"

"Yes, but wait. How do you know how to load the Operator?"

"I needed a way to pass the time, so I looked up some information on gun usage. I won't have to kill anyone, will I, Uncle Hal?"

"Hopefully not, Sunny. If you need to engage anyone, you should use the Mk. II pistol. Go get it from the cabinet. It's the one with the very long barrel and wood grip."

Sunny and Otacon continued to brief on the upcoming mission for many hours, until she felt ready to burst from all the new information.

"Just one more thing, Sunny, and this is your most important instruction. Avoid unnecessary combat at all costs. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I wouldn't want to anyway. Is that what you told Snake as well?"

"I told him that before every mission we ran."

"So why does he need all these guns?"

"Sunny, there's a saying that goes, 'no plan survives contact with the enemy.'"

"Oh. I won't have to make contact with the enemy, will I?"

"I really hope not, Sunny."