Author's Note: Some sneaking!

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Metal Gear EVA #0-7: "Surveillance."

xx

"So the JSSDF loaned their own robot to NERV?"

"That's correct Snake."

"NERV's amassing quite an impressive collection."

"Let me assure you that I'm hearing nothing but complaints on my end. The military wants more concrete information."

Snake scowled. "Always impatient. It isn't like I can just walk right in; finding an entrance that's not monitored is tough as is." Fortunately, within the last couple of days, he had managed to procure a parachute from a military depot on the outskirts of Tokyo-3 (after all, given how many VTOLs were in use in battle scenarios with the Angels, such supplies were always needed), so it was a matter of waiting for the next time an Angel came. Then, while NERV was busy with the Angel, he would descend discreetly into the Geofront. Then it was just a matter of entering NERV itself.

The Colonel chuckled. "It's been a while since some of them have had their boots on the ground, so you'll have to forgive them. Just keep doing what you do best; as is, the information you've gathered already is troubling enough."

Possibly sentient Evangelions who were picky about their Pilots; a high probability of biological tissue being used in their construction. That the son of the Ikaris was one of the Pilots. Weapons that were suspiciously similar to REX's armaments. The existence of REEHOUND, consisting of the students of Revolver Ocelot.

"Not enough to satisfy them though. What they want is a smoking gun."

"Then let's not waste time. Good luck."

Snake grumbled as the connection was severed.

Colonel Roy Campbell. Co-founder of FOXHOUND, its former executive officer and chief tactician, and second-in-command. Only Big Boss had ranked higher.

Though their relationship had been nothing but professional, it was less than amiable at times. Campbell had been one of Big Boss's closest friends and confidants, so some of his discomfort was probably alienation from any associate of Big Boss's.

He could just imagine Colbert laughing at him and chalking it up to him having 'daddy issues'.

I wish you'd hurry up and give Otacon back, Wolf. It had been a few days since the defeat of Magnum Leopard; no contact with Otacon since. It was only because he knew Wolf and Otacon that he wasn't worried (after letting him rest, she had probably decided to ravish him). He'd give Otacon about...ten hours or so before he woke up.

Lucky dog.

In the meantime, he had managed to tail Pilot Ikari to his home: an apartment he shared with Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi and the red-haired girl.

It was dusk right now. He'd wait a few more hours before slipping in to bug the place.

xx

/Commander Ikari's Office/

Yui Ikari quietly looked over the various printouts detailing the specs of the 'Metal Gear Variant' equipment developed by Ocelot over the past several months.

The Triple Heavy Maser. Various components for the Type-B, Type-D, and Type-F systems. More durable armor for the Evangelions. A weaponized Mass Driver based off of REX's rail gun. Even, almost jokingly, a 'progressive revolver'.

Very useful. Very helpful.

STILL not worth the headaches he had brought. Even if his proposition would utterly ruin SEELE's own plans regarding Instrumentality.

"Do you think he knows about our own plans regarding Instrumentality?" asked the head of Project-E.

Her husband looked back at her with a steely gaze. "Possibly. But even so, nothing he's done has actively jeopardized our own plans."

"And this 'Solid Snake' he spoke of? Do you think he's already here in Tokyo-3?"

"Of that I have no doubt. That he's escaped detection thus far is impressive."

Yui frowned. She didn't quite know how to feel regarding what was, essentially, a 'planned revelation' of Metal Gear's presence in NERV. How Ocelot actually planned to turn such a situation against SEELE was impressive as is.

No...what had convinced the Ikaris to actually sign up with Ocelot was the old soldier's ace in the hole: that one of the Old Men was compromised, serving as Ocelot's insider on SEELE itself. Exactly how and why had not been revealed...but it had been no bluff. It certainly explained how Ocelot had known so much about SEELE's plans and their inner workings.

Any man with that kind of power was dangerous. Ocelot was extremely dangerous. So much so that she felt it was time to rein him in a little. "Do you think we can possibly get into contact with this 'Snake'? Give him a 'guiding' hand?"

Gendo let the possibilities circulate. "No. Not personally...but I know someone who can serve as a proxy for us."

xx

Solid Snake quietly pried open the ventilation shaft in the floor, slithering out without a sound into the living room of Katsuragi's Apartment. He had slipped on the OctoCamo Face; essentially a mask that covered his whole head, allowing him to become totally camouflaged with the rest of his suit. Too bad it itched so much; that, and he was uneasy with the prospect of letting 'total camouflage' being used so much. He'd get sloppy, make a misstep somewhere. Better to use it only when the occasion called for it.

Like now.

So he quietly went about bugging the apartment. Transmitters in places that were discreet...but not so much so that they would be found in a casual surveillance sweep. The philosophy of 'hiding in plain sight'.

Living room. Kitchen. Bathroom. Pilot Ikari's room.

To be honest, the kid looked scrawnier up close. The Pilot of Evangelion, hm?

The red-haired girl's room. She slept soundly, hugging a doll tightly.

He placed a transmitter right behind one of the doll's button eyes.

Minutes later, he's done bugging the girl's room. And that's when a freezer door opened. Blanching beneath his mask, Snake knelt down, seemingly melding into his surroundings.

That's when a penguin walked by, holding a can of beer in its hands as it waddled toward the bathroom.

...what.

He was too old for this crap.

Ten minutes later, the penguin was back in the freezer.

Snake advanced toward the last room: Katsuragi's.

Calling it 'slovenly' would have been a compliment. Needless to say, stepping lightly amidst the discarded cans and instant-food containers was not fun.

At least she snored loudly. Judging by the unmentionables that laid everywhere, she was someone who flaunted her sexuality without fear.

Or maybe she was just that sloppy.

Satisfied, Snake crept out of the room and returned to the living room. Quietly crawling into the hole in the floor, he slipped the vent cover back into place.

That had gone surprisingly well.

Almost too well.

Got a bad feeling about this.

xx

Okie-dokie, time to play!

Deep in Sheol, one of the simulation bodies activated.

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To be continued...

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Author's Notes: Hehehe.