This chapter caused me some confusion but with a clear mind, the confusion passed.

Oh! I'm so excited!

Attack!

Snake felt the cold breeze changed into a warm yet oily smell as the bay doors closed behind him. Chain, rusty black stairs led to a large glass pane that concave to the room beyond the loading bay door in front of him. The bay door seemed busted exposing the air of the opposite room.

His codecstarted ringing. The monitor exposed the same blond, bobcut hair woman who helped back with that tank, "Now, since you are now out of harm's way, let me greet you in more… pleasant tone. This is Nastasha Romenako. A pleasure to work with you, Solid Snake."

He humored the woman, "You're the nuclear specialist that the Colonel was talking about?"

"That's me," her strong Russian accent purred as she took a nip from her cigarette, "You can ask me all about nukes that you want. I'm also a military analyst, so I have an extensive knowledge of weapon systems as well. They asked me to participate in this operation as a supervisor from the Nuclear Emergency Search Team. I was happy to accept."

"We must not allow terrorists to get their hands on nuclear weapons of any kind" her tone twinkle a fury resolve in her eyes, "I hope I can help you to stop them."

"You're a tough lady," he had to smirk about this woman's determination.

"Those terrorists are serious about launching a nuclear weapon? The world cannot stand by idly and allow that to happen. And neither can I...," she released a heavy sigh to calm down as she rubbed her golden, boy cut hair, "Unfortunately, all I can do from here is provide you with information."

Nastashaseemed like a fighter, but even if she hated the fact of sitting around, she had no place here in this situation anyway, "Hopefully that'll be enough. Another soldier here wouldn't make a difference anyway. It's good to work with you, Nastasha."

"Same here, Snake," she gave him a cheeky grin before ending the transmission.

He decided to go up the stairwell to peek at the room ahead before blindingly crawling in. Skidded his fingers across the railings, Snake peered inside the glass pane. A total of two guards were in its vicinity. They both were wearing identical yellow environmental suits with their faces covered in gas masks. Looking down, he saw three missiles which were in the process of being loaded into long cardboards. One guard was walking aroundthem lazily. He noted long, stacked cardboard boxes covering half of the room's perimeter in front of the elevator. Veering his eyes up the second level of the room, he saw the elevator which will lead him different sectors of the building.

Jumping off the railing, he landed easily on his two feet as he crawled steadily inside the nuclear storage area. Before he could survey the area for any changes, his codec rung again with the Colonel's face pasted on the monitor.

"Be careful," the Colonel's voice was slow and caveat, "You must not use any weapons on that floor."

Naomi's face appeared in the monitor directly talking to the Colonel, "I already programmed his nanomachines so he won't be able to, Colonel."

"What," Snake was perplexed, "What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten? This is where they keep the nuclear warheads. Can't you see them?"

"Yeah," he noticed boxes and boxes stacked above and below each other, "there are a lot of boxes piled up here but are all of them warheads?"

He surveyed the cardboards with a sudden anxiety yet thrill.

"Yes, they are all dismantled warheads," the colonel shook his head at the recklessness.

"Totally careless," Snake mumbled.

"They work on a limited budget. They try to be up a pretty picture for the media but this is the grim reality of it."

"Yes," Naomi confirmed, "but the good news is that all their mechanisms have been removed."

"So, what's the problem?"

Nastasha took Naomi's place, "Plutonium. If you fire your gun and hit the warheads, plutonium will leak and that will be a serious problem. It's strange…" her eyes drifted off the codec screen as she finished her sentence, "that the guards are carrying weapons though."

"Head to the elevator, Snake," the Colonel commanded, "We have to make contact with Dr. Hal Emmerich."

A guard was in front of him checking the camera hanging in his front side. Snake took the distraction and started towards the stairway. Keeping an eye above, the guard blocking the elevator moved towards the stairs. Crouching, Snake slowly stepped on the first step watching the yellow-hooded patrol. Moving more upward, the man stopped at the corner and turned around back to the elevator passing it. Snake tip-toed big steps finally making it up the level. The guard had his back turned.

Snake skid his back against the russet wall until he hit the corner. The guard disappeared from his view as Snake pushed the elevator to come up. A chimed ringed and Snake slid inside and pushed the arrow down two times heading to the 2nd floor basement.

He heard a bump overhead. He looked at the ceiling of the elevator suspiciously. He aimed his SOCOM pistol. Nothing happened as the elevator's doors opened exposing a bluish interior with a clear, glass door in upper right hand corner. He walked backwards still aiming his automatic pistol at the elevator's bright ceiling until the doors closed.

Deciding to let it go, he turned around towards the clear, glass door. The second door opened up to reveal a yellow spurt of gas. To be safe, he breathed in. If that wasn't bad enough, he noticed a whole load of electricity sparking the floor.

"Nerve Gas…and now an electric floor…these guys are really desperate to see me dead," Snake sarcastically thought.

He ran back inside the small room breathing in and out, "I need a new strategy."

Snake turned his head right and noticed something that he never saw before he entered the room full of nerve gas, "Hmm…"

It was a Nikita launcher and from the look of it, the launcher was different than the one he used before he retired. Snake noticed a piece of paper underneath the rusty, black launcher. He pulled the paper from its spot and noticed some writing on it.

The note read:

"Be careful! You only have two chances to hit the switch board. Use it wisely!"

Snake discarded the note and tossed the launcher to his side. He grunted in reminisce, "Still as heavy as ever."

Going back inside the nerve gas filled hallway, he fired one of the missiles. On top of the launcher's cylinder, a targeting system activated. Guiding the missile swiftly yet delicately, the green screen illustrated traditional scientist tools of research and studies. He was surprised by the gun turrets when he heard plummets of bullets veering towards his missile. Trying to confuse the turrets, he zigzagged inside a room full of electricity components. A silver, humming machine attracted Snake's attention.

"That must be the control box."

The explosion disrupted the current as sparks of fire collided with the floor. Snake had to exit the room as quickly as possible. His air supply was very low.

"I wish I had a gas mask."

He laid the launcher down, "I have no choice but to leave it here."

Turning around, he went back inside ready to hold his breath again when he noticed the yellow gas getting filtered out of the room, "I guess I do have a stalker."

Since the only enemy he had to face here was gun turrets, Snake decided to walk unarmed for the time being.

As he passed one of the small offices on his left, he saw a pair goggles. He grabbed the goggles, "Night Vision Goggles…may come in handy."

Stepping back outside, he went straight towards the corner and peeked around. A gun turret was scanning above a door leading to Emmerich's lab. He tossed a chaff grenade to disrupt the turret. As the turret went haywire, Snake raced through the door.

He noticed on each of the walls there were holes blowing cool air against his body.

"Agrrh!"

Jerking his head straight forward, he heard sounds of screams and sickening crunches. His codec rung, "Snake!"

It was Meryl and she seemed to be in good shape, "What is it, Meryl?"

"I found the card keys."

"You did? Where did you get them?"

"Snake, don't get worked up on the details," Meryl smiled.

Snake grumbled, "Where are you?"

"Above you. I'm checking out the area."

"Don't get yourself killed. You should…"

Mumbled shots were heard on the other side of his codec making Meryl shout in surprise, "Damn they spotted…"

A bullet stroke the monitor causing the transmission to be cut abruptly.

"Meryl! What happened?"

Just white static noise answered his roar.

"Dammit! Why could you have stayed put, Meryl?"

"Snake," Colonel Campbell stared at his emotionless face, "What's happened?"

"Meryl told me she had the card keys…"

"Isn't that good news," Naomi interrupted.

"Yes…but Meryl's codec was cut off by weapons fire. I'm worried about her."

Naomi seemed astound, "You're worried…about Meryl?"

"No," the answer was slow and carried nothing of concern nor regret, "She is carrying the card keys as she says. If she dies, the card keys are in the terrorist's hands which means…mission failed."

Naomi coldly gave Snake a disgusted look, "What! You're more concern about an inanimate object than a living, breathing human being" she narrowed her eyes as her lips quiver, "You heartless jerk!"

"I'm here to stop these terrorists from launching a nuke. I'm not a babysitter" his voice was still calm yet a growl formed in his throat.

"Why don't you show any emotion?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"Ah! You show anger but you're incapable of feeling nothing more…" Naomi rubbed her hair as the Colonel took her place with a distressed look.

"Naomi…" he gently pushed her away from the codec, "Snake, stop these terrorists that's all I can say. If you contact with Meryl, just make sure she is okay," the colonel's light brown eyes drooped down.

"Okay…" was all Snake could say to his friend.

"You're incapable of feeling nothing more…"

Forcing the heated conversation of humanity far from his mind, he maintained his objective to find Dr. Emmerich. He noticed blood smeared on the window of the door security labeled three. He took his pistol out and stepped inside cautiously holding his SOCOM straight forward.

Bodies, which were limp and dislocated, were scattered against the ground. A sea of blood covered the white, silverish walls and ceiling. Walls were full of cracks. It took some strength to crack a wall with a fragile human body, but whoever massacred the soldiers seemed well equipped to do just that.

Also, the area's smell was rancor.

He gradually stepped over one body of a guard wearing a yellow, environment suit. His chest was sliced opened. He observed the dead bodies and noticed deep cuts around their whole bodies in a crisscross pattern.

"All the bodies here seemed to be cut by some type of blade."

He noticed his radar was jamming, "Could it be…?"

A flash of static caused him to pit his back against the wall. He slid against the wall until he crossed a corner.

One guard was stabbed in stomach by a blade. He was groaning in agony as he was held in mid-air by an invisible ghost. The cloaking camodeactivated exposing the brown mixed with silver exoskeleton. The ninja had blood dripping around him as the guard was cut in half viciously.

The sword circled around the ninja slashing the consoles of the door and disappeared inside the lab leading to Dr. Emmerich.

"Crap…"

Snake stepped over the blood spattered torso half of the soldier and entered the damaged door. He focused his attention on the whimpering scientist shaking his knees. The ninja was standing right in front of him with his sword deadly close to the petrified man's neck.

"Where is my friend," the ninja coldly waved his sword near the scientist.

"Stealth Camouflage? Who...are you," the scientist's whimpering made him stutter. He let out a yelp when the ninja jerked his sword closer to his face.

He decided to step in. That ninja was about to cut Dr. Emmerich when he shot his pistol at the ninja who deflected it back towards him.

He ducked as the bullet simmered past him with a streak of white smoke residue.

"Oh! What next?"

Ignoring his sniveling victim, the ninja turned his head slowly at Snake.

"Snake…"

He said in a dark yet familiar manner.

"Get away from that man!"

Snake's cold reply made the cyborg ninja chuckled and sigh, "Same as always."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm going to enjoy this…Snake…," the metallic voice seamed with joy, "You and I will battle to the death. Just like before."

A cry from the scientist behind the ninja stammered as he spoke timidly, "This is just like my Japanese animes."

"What is this? Revenge?"

"No, this is nothing so trivial as revenge. My battle with you…" The ninja flipped forward, "is the only way my soul can find rest."

Pointing the tip of his sword at Snake, the ninja stretched his left leg forward with his body bending down, "I will kill you or you will kill me…it makes no difference to me."

Snake watched as the scientist ran inside a locker whining.

"Fine," the ninja pointed at the locker, "He can watch from inside there."

"I need that man. Keep your hands off him," Snake made a bearing against the battle hungry warrior.

"Now! Make me feel it" the ninja twirled his sword with streams of silver, "Make me feel alive again."

With that said, Snake watched as the ninja jumped forward with his hoary sword aiming at his gut like a streak of silver. Rolling to his right, Snake shot at the ninja as rapid as his finger pulled the trigger.

All his bullets were cut with excellent precision, "Damn!"

"Snake!"

Master Miller yelled in his ear, "That ninja is toying with you! Give him what he wants!"

Shooting at the ninja again, Snake hid behind a cubicle wall. The ninja just stood there making no attempt to come after him. It's blood red light between his eyes radiant with intensity.

"Naomi! Is this ninja part of Foxhound?"

"No…"

Naomi seemed hesitate to speak, "The only members of Foxhound…"

"…are the ones you listed before, I know."

"Who is this guy anyway?"

The question was directed to anyone but Naomi answered with a murmur, "I thought you would have figured it out all ready."

Her eyes stared at him daringly.

"What do you mean," he really was getting sick and tired of Naomi's personality.

"Nothing…nothing."

Snake turned the corner of his hiding place when he noticed the ninja disappeared from his spot. He looked around the small area. He ambled near the locker where the lab rat hid when he also noticed a wet puddle soaked on the carpet floor.

He walked forward sensing that the ninja may have cloaked when he was distracted by his support crew. Snake heard strange noises and several voices talking at once.

A brute force of wind sweeped him off his feet as the ninja reappeared right in front of him. The ninja arched his sword as his body lunged at the grounded Snake in the air.

"Oh! Shi…"

Oh crap! Another cliffhanger *bangs her hand with a hammar* I'm getting just as bad as Shining Zephyr!

Naomi tests Snake again. Geez, let the man do his job!