May 5th, 2009

Manhattan, New York

The access hatch cracked open with a sheering screech of metal rubbing against metal. His steps could be heard as they echoed through the chambers below. It was remarkably quiet for all that had happened, even within the last fifteen minutes. He hoisted himself onto the surface of Arsenal Gear and stretched. He found his commanding officer standing with his back to him several meters away. He was staring up at the sky, his gaze following the white trail of smoke the extended from behind him to the upper reaches of the sky.

"Just in time." He said in a pleasant subdued voice.

"The launch was successful, sir." The officer said as he close the hatch behind him.

"I can see that." His commander said not averting his gaze from the sky.

The Great Khan as he was now known, stood 6 foot 5 inches from the ground, a hulking figure in his Tengu suit, even compared to Solidus. He wore the armour and utilized the host of equipment provided by Arsenal Gear's on board armoury. The only distinguishing mark from him and the rest of his soldiers was the Mark of Khan that was etched into the forehead of his helmet. His other distinguishing mark was the daisho of his late boss. Boss. He had always referred to him as boss.

His executive officer went by the name, Don. Dimitri Kurchatov, to his comrades, he like much of the Gurlukovich mercenaries had been exiles since the dismantlement of the Soviet Union. In 1992, instead of returning to civilian life, he decided to follow Colonel Sergei Gurlukovich as he took his army abroad searching for employment opportunities from whoever needed their type of service. Now, 17 years later. He found himself standing on top of a nuclear battle station, lodged in the middle of Manhattan, seemingly having to have successfully thwarted the American response to this blatant act of aggression. From the brink of poverty to the masters of a first world city; it seemed surreal.

They both stood in silence as did the rest of the city. They watched as the Hydrogen Purified Bomb sailed into the unbounded skies. They waited. The sky flashes white and for a moment, time stood still as the third offensive nuclear detonation in world history occurred. The US Air Force response had been too late. By the time the F-22's were in the air the bomb was already traveling too fast for them to intercept. All they could do was watch as the skies lit up then darken over New York.

"That oughta keep them busy for a while." The Great Khan joked.

"Without communications, the ground forces are effective blind. We should have no difficulty overwhelming their operations." Don reported. "And the Air Force doesn't have the means to take Arsenal Gear by itself. The city is ours."

"Not yet it isn't." The Great Khan said as he turned towards Don and unsheathed both his swords. "But it will be soon."

It started to rain.

Three days later.

A black Cadillac limousine cruised on the Hutchinson River Parkway as the rain pelted every inch of the car. It had been raining heavily and nonstop since the detonation of the Purified Hydrogen Bomb by the Sons of Liberty three days prior. The day had been overcast as it had been for the past week. But it wasn't the weather that had caused the unease in the diplomat's gut. It was the silence. There was a certain eeriness to driving along this particular highway and seeing no cars in any direction. As they passed the military checkpoints without being stopped he peaked out the windows of the limo the look upon the expressions on the National Guardsmen's faces. There wasn't a single smile.

Arthur Masterson, former Navy Captain, now a diplomat at the State Department, was a tired man. His heavy expression and inability to smile often betrayed his natural good looks and unusual charisma. He had a gaunt face with sharp eyes and slicked back hair. He wore his usual business suit and red tie. Upon his wrist sat his ten thousand dollar Rolex. He was a statesman through and through.

This was not an assignment he wanted. Dealing directly with what he perceived as a terrorist organization was not his idea of pleasant work. But given his status and his privileged security clearance he may have been the only one up for the job.

The limo came to a halt at the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge as the Arsenal Tengu guards who patrolled and maintained security of this vital checkpoint directed the envoy to step out of their cars. The driver, Arthur's two deputies, his secretary, and their security detailed all exited their vehicles. They began a pat down.

Arthur tried to get a read on the Tengus but couldn't peer past their orange-yellow glowing eyes. They said nothing, probably because most of them couldn't speak English. From what intelligence Langley managed to scrounge up, he knew that most of these guys were disaffected ex-Soviet types with no hope, no ideology, and no need for manners.

He looked around at the desolate city. If he hadn't known this was New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world, he would've mistaken it for a ghost town. No one dared leave their homes unless it was absolutely necessary. The occupation of the city after Arsenal Gear crashed into Manhattan was quick. It only took a few hours for the remainder of the Gurlukovich forces to regroup and start taking the island one block at a time. By the time the US military could mount any sort of counteroffensive, the island was firmly in the Khan's control. Attempts to retake the city were unsuccessful due to the effective combat enhancements offered by the next generation Tengu equipment, the restoration of partial functionality of GW under the Khan's command, and the effects of the EMP after their high altitude nuclear detonation.

Shortly after the inspections they were permitted to get back into their cars and continued into Manhattan. As they crossed the bridge they sat in complete silence with no words to describe the vast emptiness that stood before them. Manhattan, population: two million, and not a single person in sight. As they crossed the bridge Arthur scanned the distance for any signs of life; all he saw were a few Tengus patrolling the bridge and guarding checkpoints.

The trip had taken a whole day. The envoy passed through multiple checkpoints, performing the same pat downs as they had done on the bridge. At one point one of Arthur's deputies make an angry remark about the redundancies of their procedures but all he got was a rifle stock to the face. Their trip winded across backstreets of Brooklyn deliberately obscuring any view of Manhattan and Arsenal Gear. When they finally arrived at the UN, there were more Tengus there patrolling and watching the location than they had encountered throughout the rest of their journey.

Arthur and his entourage stepped into the building being flanked on both sides. They approached the reception desk. There stood a young twenty something woman dressed in professional attire sporting a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to United Nations Headquarters. The Great Khan has been expecting you." She greeted Arthur and his team with a smile.

"Keeping you busy I see." Arthur remarked.

"Yes, the Great Khan has made it his utmost priority to keep the New Y—Outer Heaven economy and workforce strong and ready." She said as she stumbled over her words. "If you'll follow your Tengu escorts, they will show you to the Khan."

They were led into a conference room. It was dark but when they entered the lights came on. At the back of the room, facing the window was a tall figure, whose apparel suggested that he was another Tengu. But there was something different about him Arthur surmised. He had two swords mounted at his side and no discernible firearm. His posture was different than that of the rest of the Tengus. His movements were less rigid, less formal. Beside him stood a young Russian boy, his head completely shaved. He too was adorned in the Tengu armour but he did not wear the helmet. Instead, he cradled his under his left arm. The eyes did not seem to glow. In his right hand held a P90 TR. His demeanour was that of a second in command, stern and aggressive.

"Please Ambassador, sit." The Great Khan said invitingly.

Arthur, his two deputies, and his secretary sat down. His security forces kept standing.

"Oh please, gentlemen, gentlemen. Are we here to talk or are we here to fight." The Great Khan remarked. Arthur's security tightened up. Don put his finger on the trigger of his gun. The Tengus sitting at the door raised their guns slightly also. "There's no need for this. Step outside. All of you. You too, Don."

Don, the Tengu guards and Arthur's security all exited the room.

"Now, where shall we begin, Arthur Masterson? May I call you Arthur?" The Khan asked politely.

"You may, and what may I call you?" Arthur asked of the ominous figure in front of him.

"You don't like my moniker? Not a student of history are we?" The Khan joked.

"As I recalled, Genghis Khan raped and pillaged his way across a continent. Not exactly what I call a shining beacon of democratic leadership." Arthur replied.

"Democracy, it's overrated." The Khan said as he sat down. "You're missing the big picture, Ambassador. Genghis Khan may have been a brutal tyrant. But think of his legacy. Think about what he built. He built a network of trade that spanned across said continent. He made himself and his people rich. He allowed freedom of religion, freedom of expression, self-governance; that is his legacy."

He paused for a moment. "Freedom comes at a price Ambassador."

"And you are willing to pay that price." Arthur rhetorically commented.

The Great Khan pulled out his two swords and laid them on the table between them. "These two swords belonged to late mentor. You knew him as George Sears. To us; he was Solidus. He named these two blades, Minshuto; Democrat and Kyowato; Republican. And isn't that just the most perfect description of your country today? Force to choose between a blade… and another blade?"

"And you offer them real freedom? Real democratic choice?" Arthur asked.

He paused for a moment. And then he smiled. Arthur couldn't see it through his helmet be he could tell that the Khan was slightly amused.

"If this was the Senate, you would win. If this was the House of Representatives, you would win. If this were some backwater county town hall… you would win. The Patriots always win; they've designed America to be that way." The Great Khan said as he stood up. "But we are no longer in America anymore… and I have GW."

Arthur stared intently at his face but could not penetrate the glow of his eyes.

"I find it hard to do business with a man who I can't stare in the eye and judge his intentions." Arthur said.

"Ha!" The Great Khan laughed. "Spoken like a true diplomat. I can tell I'm going to like you. Very well."

The Great Khan pressed down the little key at the back of the helmet that caused the pressure to release around this neck and the main oxygen line. He pulled up on the helmet prompting it to click and permanently break the seal. He dropped the helmet, whose orange-yellow eyes began to fade, onto the table along with his swords. His face was scarred; searing scar tissue covered his left side. It was still pink, it looked fresh. His hair on that side of his face had been burned off. He had dark brown hair, mid-length; if he had run a comb through it he could've passed off for a soldier or even a statesman. He had Turkic features both in skin tone and bone structure. His eyes burned red with an intensity that belied his demeanour.

"There, now you can tell the boys at Langley who you're dealing with." The Great Khan said in his usual devil may care voice.

"What happened to your face?" Arthur asked stoically.

The Khan paused for a moment, looked down, and smiled. "I believe you know him as Solid Snake. Muzzle flash, I was on the strike team that was sent to stop him and Raiden."

"Maybe we can make a deal." Arthur offered.

"No, Arthur we can't make a deal. And frankly I am insulted." The Great Khan interjected. "Do not think me one of those Afghani warlords you can seduce with the promise of revenge. I will take my own revenge."

"Then what do you want?" Arthur asked.

"We are here to negotiate a ceasefire between the United States of America and the newly formed nation state of Outer Heaven." The Khan said simply. "Although it is true that I do not have the manpower to further increase the physical territories of Outer Heaven, it has nevertheless become evident that without GW, you cannot effectively coordinate a counter-offensive against my army and Arsenal Gear."

"And what are your terms?" Arthur asked growing slightly impatient.

"Immediate ceasefire on both sides; you withdraw the remaining Second Fleet battle groups from the Upper Bay and I will stand down my troops and return the POW's." The Great Khan dictated. "We will then forge an economic treaty and the United States will sponsor Outer Heaven for NATO."

"That's not going to happen." Arthur replied simply. "And you know that's not going to happen."

The Great Khan smiled again. "Smart man."

He paused for a moment and turned towards the window and stared outside at the river.

"I want the location of the other AI's." He said simply.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Arthur replied bluntly and quickly.

"Arthur, Arthur. They said you were a man I could do business with." The Great Khan said as he spun around. "You think when we cleared out the FOXDIE virus from GW we didn't find what you were trying to erase? Do you think the Gurlukovich army is full of dimwitted country-boys from the steppes?"

Arthur sat silent.

"This is the single worst attack your country has ever suffered. The Big Shell Incident will go down in history as a day of infamy. Worse than Pearl Harbour, worse than 9/11. You have an occupying army holding your largest city and your navy, your army, and your air force are powerless to stop us. The third active nuclear bomb has been detonated over this city, whose namesake project gave birth to the technology." The Great Khan spoke with great joy at the irony. "Please Ambassador; do make this worse for yourself."

Arthur Masterson and his entourage exited the building with heavy heads and heavy hearts. Their Tengu guards escorted them back to their limos. Arthur ran through the scenarios in his mind. He had certainly underestimated this Great Khan. This second Solidus, truly, he was a worthy successor. In their negotiations, he had cornered Arthur with possible scenario, all of which with worse outcomes than what he was proposing. He could not accurately gauge the validity of the man's predictions. But with GW firmly in their hands, they could not take the risk.

Arthur turned around to look at the UN building one last time. On the stairway, Tengu security forces flanked both sides. From the main entrance, the Great Khan emerged, now with his helmet on again. He stood at the edge of the top step looking down at Arthur as he was about to climb back into his limo.

"Smile Ambassador," The Great Khan said in his familiar voice. "It's a wonderful world."

Arthur flashed a disingenuous and slightly sarcastic smile his way. He once again considered the absurdity of the scene he was witnessing. Truly, he thought to himself as watched the mass of black armoured future soldiers in front of him, war has changed.