Author's Note: An old Metal Gear character makes an appearance..
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Metal Gear EVA: "The Fourth Tale of Ocelot."
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/Five Days After Ocelot's Proposition/
/REX's Cave/
Yui Ikari and Gendo Ikari looked as Iti (in a mechanical loader mech, looking much like a blue-haired Ripley) wedged the MAGI chassis into place. With a hiss, the gigantic tower - looking like a trail of thick cables squirming from a metal box - descended into the ground, its electronics chilled with cryogenic equipment. "All done!"
The Ikaris had to admit; the Ree had been very efficient in creating 'REX's Cave'...though Nana with an arc welder was something that still chilled them to the bone.
Like architects on speed, the Ree had systematically dug out and implemented a new section of Terminal Dogma. Conveniently located under the Evangelion Graveyard (where the prototypes prior to the advent of the Synthesis system had been kept), the Cave consisted of three levels, split into various subsections where computerized equipment (connected to this MAGI unit) would manipulate machinery and tools to research and develop the augmentations for Project-E using data from Metal Gear. The proximity to the Graveyard was by design; easy access to corpses for testing out the augmentations. With the only connections with the rest of the base being life support and electricity, REX's Cave was utterly isolated for all practical purposes.
As for the raw materials (metallic alloys, fuel, chemicals) needed for R&D...NERV was a resource hog. Terminal Dogma was well-known for being the location of the most secret of research. No one would question what the materials were being used for.
All in all, an impressive construction job. In record time.
On one hand, Yui was very proud. On the other hand, she never wanted to give the Ree power tools ever again. EVER.
"Very impressive work!"
Everyone turned towards Ocelot. Under his arms was a large jar, covered in gray plastic. The gunslinger was looking around, appreciative of the job the Ree had done. "I see you kept your end of the bargain, Commander."
Commander Ikari stiffly nodded. Yui asked, "Is that the brain?"
"Indeed," remarked Ocelot as he unwrapped the plastic, revealing a human brain floating in a translucent solution. "Perfectly preserved and still alive."
Against all logic and reason, he handed the jar to the Ree.
Yui blanched. "Bwuh?"
Ocelot shrugged. "Part of the agreement for helping to build this place; when it came time to install the MAGI, they would handle the brain."
"...why?"
"They've never touched a human brain before. Everyone should have a thorough education on anatomy, don't you agree Doctor?"
"Pleeeee~eeeease?" asked the Ree in quadruple stereo.
Knowing a losing battle when she saw one, Yui groaned. "Fine. But I have to be the one to connect the brain with the Magi."
Happy to get that much, the Ree gleefully took the brain out and gently carried it over to the MAGI. After all, they had promised to be gentle for Mr. Ocelot.
Gendo stared. "I honestly don't know whether to be in awe of your cunning or your insanity."
"Part of the job description," replied Ocelot.
"You do realize that I will have to reveal your existence on a need-to-know basis with at least several of the senior staff here." Fuyutsuki and Dr. Akagi in particular. After that? It depended on circumstances.
Ocelot chuckled. "I have no need to warn you about such things. You'll tell who you need to tell; after all, you didn't become the Supreme Commander of NERV by being a fool."
The Commander did not reply.
After some gentle prodding on Yui's part (and hoping that the girls hadn't bruised the brain), she finally managed to place all of the proper neural connectors into the gray matter. After sliding the cover shut, the brain was submerged in a synthetic solution to keep it preserved. "Okay...activating the MAGI."
Click.
Power surged into the brain as it connected with the circuits of the MAGI mainframe. A different network...
A different body...
But the power...
The power...
An invisible wave slammed into Yui and the Ree as they were pushed back. Gendo's eyes widened at this event; Ocelot simply smirked. "MAGI-OMEGA: Cyber Mantis."
"Aaaah! To be aware again!"
The nearest monitors suddenly flickered, the voice echoing through their heads. Suddenly, appearing above them as an apparition, was a man clad in a thin black bodysuit, almost skeletal in design. Over his face was a large gas mask, its lenses tinted dark orange.
Gendo turned towards Ocelot. "Who is this?"
"Psycho Mantis, FOXHOUND."
The Ikaris paled. The Ree grinned widely.
"He was fatally wounded in Zanzibar by Solid Snake; almost to the point of death," explained the gunslinger. "When fleeing Zanzibar, he was my last living comrade. He nearly succumbed afterward, but emergency medical aid managed to save him...alas, he was reduced to a cripple, and physical weakness made his mind more susceptible to the world around him; for Mantis, a fate nearly worse than death." His time away from NERV had been spent preparing Mantis's brain for the transition. "So in effect, this was his last hope for sanctuary."
"You have kept your word Ocelot. Now I am once again at my peak!" The ghostly form of the former FOXHOUND operative stood tall, almost haughty. "I am Psycho Mantis! The most powerful practitioner of psychokinesis and telepathy in the world! Yes...this is true power! Behold!"
Nana blinked as she was lifted up into the air.
Then she giggled. "Wooo! Make it go faster!"
Psycho Mantis put her down. Nana couldn't help but pout.
"Still don't believe me? Very well...I can read your every thought! Let me look into your mind..." With a theatrical wave of his arms, Mantis pointed at the Ree.
Utter silence.
Then a girlish shriek as the apparition of Mantis disappeared, his voice still echoing in their minds. "What has been seen...cannot be unseen..."
Rei blinked. "Did we do somethin'?"
Yui simply facepalmed. "No girls...it's time for us to leave anyway. Time for Ocelot to do his work." At any rate, she needed to leave. If this 'Psycho Mantis' was truly a psychic, she had to get away from him. She knew too much.
Groaning, the eight Ree did as Little Mommy told. Gendo simply stared at Ocelot and MAGI-OMEGA before turning on his heel. He would have to look into this 'Psycho Mantis' later.
Finally, Ocelot was alone.
The gunslinger grinned as he went further into the labs, 'thinking out loud' as he went. So, Mantis...how much did you get out of the heads of the Ikaris?
Everything necessary regarding the Evangelions. Your prediction regarding how the MAGI would boost my abilities was spot-on.
It's not entirely unprecedented, given the cybernetic augmentations people use these days. The most important part was that they didn't know. In Mantis's old body, use of his psychic abilities on someone else would have had a visible physical effect, usually a headache of some sort. With the power of the MAGI backing him, Mantis had been able to slip in and out with no one the wiser. And how do you feel?
Wondrous! This mainframe is a much better shield than my old mask...and now I can multitask as efficiently as a supercomputer. I can simply ignore all ambient thoughts!
Ocelot grinned. A psychic of Mantis's caliber had always had difficulty with 'ambient thoughts': the mental chatter of nearby people leaking in with no difficulty. Hence the gas mask.
But I am never looking into the heads of those...'children' ever again.
And if things go as planned, you won't have to. Dr. Ikari has never dealt with a psychic before...and she cares for her children. She'll make sure to keep them away, from you AND me. Ocelot smirked as he walked over to the nearest computer terminal and uploaded the data on Project Metal Gear. Now with Dr. Ikari's expertise on the Evangelions and the data on Project Metal Gear...we can begin, Mantis.
It won't be long before we fulfill the wishes of Big Boss.
Indeed. Revolver Ocelot chuckled. It would only take a month or so to produce tangible results in terms of Evangelion weaponry based on Metal Gear's armaments; actual augmentations to the Evangelions themselves would take longer, but it mattered not.
When the time was right, he would quietly leak out a few tantalizing bits of information using the appropriate channels. It would undoubtedly catch the attention of the American President.
After that...it wouldn't be long until Solid Snake came to Tokyo-3.
"All according to plan," said the gunslinger.
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It was one month later that Ocelot produced his first weapon for Commander Ikari.
Based off of Metal Gear REX's laser: the Triple Heavy Maser.
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(And now back to Snake. Set between Chapters 5 and 6 of Nobody Dies.)
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Metal Gear EVA #0-3: "Suspicions"
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"You wanna run that by me again?"
"An Angel attacked the UN Fleet that was delivering Evangelion Unit-02."
Snake frowned. He was currently holed up beside an empty dumpster, hiding underneath a cardboard box. He had made it into Tokyo-3 earlier that day, and had been resting when Otacon had called. "Since no alarms have gone off, I take it they managed to kill it before it made landfall."
"Right in one. They Fleet will be making landfall within the hour." Otacon could be heard shuffling papers in the background. "The President saw to it that some friendly eyes would be there amongst the naval personnel to record any strange happenings, so we actually have some first-person accounts of what happened. I'm sending them to you now."
Snake grimaced as he pulled at his bandanna, shifting it over his left eye. Stitched into the back of the bandanna was a flexible screen that Otacon could relay images too; nanites inside the bandanna communicated with the Codec in his ear, providing a secure channel for the signal to go through.
Right now, Snake was seeing a brief video of the deck of the super-carrier Over the Rainbow. As the moments passed, there was a flash...and then Evangelion Unit-01 was there. "...teleportation?"
"Yes."
"How'd the Pilot pull that off?"
"That's the disturbing thing! Dr. Ikari of Project-E was there to oversee the transfer of Unit-02 to NERV-1. Lieutenant Colonel Misato Katsuragi, Operations Director of NERV-1, was also present. Along with her were three children." Images flashed of a brown-haired woman in a lab coat, a strikingly beautiful lady with dark purple hair, and three children. "According to eyewitness accounts, one of those children is the Pilot of Unit-01: the son of Dr. Ikari." More images; most were of a child getting into the Evangelion alongside a young girl with long red locks. "As far as we know, the Evangelions need human pilots to run, and can't be controlled remotely."
The implication was immediate. "That one can move on its own."
"Exactly."
That was...unsettling. What in the world was NERV up to?
"But there's more. I can only offer preliminary speculation, but I analyzed the footage of the weapons used by Unit-01 during the battle against the Angel." Images flashed of a gigantic laser and a massive sword. "Without an in-depth spectrographic analysis, I can only speculate, but the actual physical makeup of the weapon itself, the damage it wrought against the Angel, and ambient readings taken by satellite spectrometers...it's very similar to the laser I designed for REX."
Snake resisted the urge to growl, thoughts returning to Ocelot. "Similar isn't good enough. Close only counts in horse shoes and nukes."
"I know...what interests me more at the moment is the change in equipment that Unit-01 utilized on the fly. The materials seemed to phase in and out of existence; I'll need more data before I can draw any conclusions."
"Fine. I'll try and see if I can find my way into NERV. Let me know if you've got anything new."
"Gotcha!"
Moments later, Snake felt an unspeakably horrible sensation crawl over him. Acting on impulse, he flipped the box over, SOCOM pistol at the ready.
Nothing. The alley was empty.
"...hmph." A feeling similar to that on Mt. Mikuni. Was he being followed?
Gotta be more careful.
Snake holstered his SOCOM, pulling out the Ruger and stun knife before proceeding deeper into Tokyo-3.
Up above on the rooftop, Rei Ayanami looked down with a smile on her face. So that was Snake! He had been hiding in a cardboard box!
A box!
The thought made her giggle.
Oh well, enough of that. She'd play with him later. Right now, she had an appointment at the port; with a hop and a skip several dozen yards long, she burst off towards the sea.
She was finally going to meet Asuka!
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To be continued...
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Author's Notes: Hehehe.