Chapter 51

The Metal Gear took another step and everyone in the jeep saw how threatening the machine really was. The stripe of red light came from its eyes and the object on the top right, that looked like wing lit itself up. It was filled with bright lamps pointed at the area in front of the vehicle itself. The way the legs bent and moved seemed almost human.

"What the hell do you mean Phantom?" Snake roughed up his voice.

"Metal Gear Black was built for urban warfare, as you can see…" Phantom sighed.

"And!?" Snake almost shouted.

"Snake? I think we should move" Raiden saw the unit coming closer and the soldiers several feet beside it also headed their way, guns at the ready.

"Drive away!" Otacon quickly said as he felt the next step of Metal Gear.

"First, tell me why can't we do anything about the bomb?" Snake looked at Phantom beside him, but Phantom didn't have a chance to respond. A giant explosion like sound came from Metal Gear. It sounded like a tank cannon round.

"!" Snake had his hands on the mounted M240 machine gun, but the blast shook the entire jeep. The round hit just a few feet ahead of the jeep. Raiden pushed on the gas pedal and drove away towards the hangar area. The Metal Gear didn't stop the attack. Bullets from its minigun began to rip holes in the back of the jeep as it drove away.

"This isn't going well" Snake said. "Phantom what were you saying!!" Snake shouted through the noise of bullets wheezing by.

"Tiger made me use the DRS system, but not as a weapon. This Metal Gear was to be used as an attack vehicle on US soil, and it's practically impregnable. In case someone was able to deactivate the nuclear weapon would arm itself, however if someone tries to forcefully disarm the bomb once the unit has been activated they are going to be greeted with several high powered lasers"

Otacon turned to Phantom and asked. "So, you're saying one need to actually enter the Metal Gear to deactivate the bomb"

"Yes"

Raiden now turned the wheel towards the large gate.

"Are you getting away Snake!?" Tiger's voice was clearly audible.

Snake turned his head and saw the Metal Gear getting further and further away. "If we stop the Metal Gear then…"

"Yes, the bomb will go off" Phantom replied and then commit to silence.

Snake gave a dire sigh and thought of a plan, but nothing came to mind.

"Do I just keep driving?" Raiden asked as he cleared the main gate.

Snake and Otacon exchanged looks. The situation and subsequently the entire operation were on the brink of being over. Snake took his hand and rubbed his eyes. Damn…I can't think! What should I do?

"There could be a way!" The silence was broken by Phantom's words.


Tiger sat on the chair in front of the computer and with nothing but rage in his mind he did the final checks on Metal Gear.

"What now?" Marsh asked seeing as Tiger furiously typed on the keyboard.

"Now we do the only thing we can do!" With a final push of a button Tiger stood up and threw his overcoat to the ground, underneath it were his normal clothes and something out of place.

"It's a good thing I kept this on!!" Tiger reached for his large and thick belt, it was made of metal and there was a large button where the belt buckle should be. Once Tiger 

pressed it, a holographic light green display appeared right in front of him. There he could see a 3d rendering of what was going on outside, the grounds were visible and so was a jeep. Tiger raised his hands and began to touch the hologram, first he switched the speaker system on. After a loud feedback sound Tiger spoke. "You killed my master Solid Snake! You and he ruined my plan!" Ocelot came to his mind. First Snake and then him. "Now this Metal Gear Black will be you undoing!!" Tiger switched off the speakers and proceeded into activating the weapons.

"Tiger!" Marsh whispered. What happened?

The 3d hologram changed color, it became bright red. Tiger could see options, he quickly chose the small canon and fired. He missed the jeep by a just a few feet. "Damn!" He cursed and placed his right index finger over a circular shape on the tridimensional hologram and moved it up. The view of the grounds moved, he was getting closer to the jeep, but the jeep had also began to move. They're turning around and running! Tiger used his left hand and switched the speakers on again. "Are you getting away Snake!?" He shouted and seconds later he saw the jeep getting through the main gate outside. The flick of another holographic button changed the view and the color of the hologram again. With the x-ray vision activated Tiger could see a bright red spot through the fortress wall. Just need to get closer! Tiger continued to move the Metal Gear towards the wall and when the distance was right he fired the canon again.


"Stop the car Raiden!!" Snake said and got out of the mounted machine gun, he sat on the backseat and asked Phantom. "What way?"

"There's a cooling system for the entire Metal Gear and there's way to trigger a false overheat, but I need to get closer to the small computer terminal just above its legs" Phantom replied looking absently at the floor trying to remember exactly what was needed.

"And that helps us how?" Raiden asked while he turned to the left and stopped about ten feet from the side wall.

"It'll open the back panel, right?" Otacon said.

Phantom nodded. "Then someone has to go inside the back and deactivate the bomb, turn it into a paper weight."

"You mean input the wrong code three times" Snake replied. "Then we stop Metal Gear itself."

"I suggest you try and destroy the smaller radome, it serves as the uplink to the person controlling the unit. The larger radome is close to impossible to damage…" Phantom said.

"Why would you build something with such a vulnerable weak point?" Raiden asked.

"I like to think of it as a character flaw." Phantom said.

Snake raised his eyebrow and looked at Otacon, he was almost smiling. Snake then looked at Phantom and thought. Nerds! He remembered that Metal Gear Rex shared the same weak point. "Alright, then…"

A large explosion to the left side blew up most of the fortress wall and almost tipped the jeep on its side. The Metal Gear had ripped a massive hole in the wall with its canon, Snake shouted. "Drive!!"

Raiden accelerated, just a second later another canon round blew another hole in the side wall.

"We can't stay here circling the place forever!!" Raiden shouted through all the noise and sand that had flown up into the air.

"Wait a sec…" Snake got his hands on the machine gun and again another hole ripped apart the wall. Snake saw the Metal Gear through the hole and a few soldiers behind it. "Phantom! Can you do whatever you need to do alone?"

Phantom looked at Snake's eyes through his hazmat suit visor. Suddenly he felt more aware, is mind focused. Me? For several years Tiger had poisoned his mind, tales that Salil was betrayed by his brother, but Solid Snake seemed different. No, he's nothing like you said Tiger! Phantom nodded and accepted Snake's challenge. "Yes I can!!" If they knew they would stop me!!

"Get out of the car then! Raiden, we act as a diversion and wait until Phantom opens up the back panel!!" Snake shouted as Raiden turned to the right, now they were heading towards the backside of the fortress, but circling around the place wasn't going to help them for much longer.

Before Phantom left the jeep they escaped another canon round, a fresh hole appeared on the fortress wall. "Go! Use one of the holes to get behind Metal Gear!" Snake shouted and Phantom jumped from the jeep. He fumbled to the ground, but the sand would prevent any serious injury.

"Turn around!" Snake said.

Is this is plan, to divert Metal Gear's attention! Raiden thought as he turned the jeep around, they wheezed past Black Phantom then the fresh made hole and headed towards the main gate.


After several rounds fired Tiger was getting aggravated. "They don't stop moving, the telemetry is to slow!!"

Marsh was standing behind Tiger watching as he handled the holographic display with incredible speed. But Tiger still hadn't hit anything but the inside wall. There were almost half a dozen holes and still the bright red spot appeared on the x-ray visor of the hologram.

Before Tiger fired again he saw the jeep turning around, it was heading back towards the grounds, the soldiers that were in the main building were now near the gate. You think you can take me just because I missed!! "Come Snake, come!"

Marsh could see a strange look in Tiger's eyes and obsession, something was terribly wrong.

"Let's see…" Tiger searched the display for something, something new. "…ahh, yes!!" He pushed the holographic button and a new display appeared. As soon as the jeep got through the gate he fired.


"We got company!!" Raiden said seeing that the pathway inside was being guards by enemy soldiers.

I didn't come here for this! Otacon thought while crouching further down into the passenger seat.

Snake got the M240 ready and began firing, as soon as they cleared the gate everything went upside down.


Phantom got up fairly quick and saw rocks that used to belong to the fortress wall. He looked inside and saw the watchtower completely destroyed, the cabin part of the Iroquois was tilted to the side at its base. Tents were smashed to the ground and a few feet away from all this stood Metal Gear Black. Phantom sighed and began walking towards the hole in the wall, his mind began to go over the steps of what he needed to do to get the job done. I need to get the terminal open and then input the codes…after that… After Snake had asked him if he could do the job alone, the thought sprang to his mind that maybe faith had a hand in all this. It had to be me… Phantom proceeded past the hole in the wall and before he took another step inside he saw the Metal Gear firing missiles from its large back. The missiles flew up into the air a few feet before rushing towards the jeep that was near the gate. Enemy soldiers that were by the gate and the jeep disappeared from Phantom's view. The missile explosion created a cloud of sand around the area. Snake, Dr. Emmerich!! Did they die? Phantom stood still for just a few seconds before realizing it didn't matter. I'll do my part… Phantom started to run towards the Metal Gear which had its back to him. He ran across the crumbled tents and scraps of metal, probably from the Iroquois. Metal Gear was getting closer. Phantom could hear his breathing with crystal clarity while inside the hazmat suit. He saw the panel that hid the terminal. He looked to the side and jumped on top of some wooden crates and then on to a tent that wasn't entirely destroyed. He was now even with the Metal Gear Black's legs. Now!! Though not very athletic, Phantom was able to make the jump and get a hold of the legs frame to prevent falling, he only had one chance.


The stinger missiles hit the ground area just beside the jeep as it entered the grounds. "Damn this!!" Tiger cursed realizing he had missed.

"Tiger!! The soldiers!" Marsh placed one hand on Tiger's shoulder and pulled.

Tiger reacted violently. "They no longer matter!!" He almost shouted. "Snake and Ocelot are the only things important now!!"

"Ocelot! What are you talking about?" Marsh pulled Tiger's shoulder again, but a quick turn of Tiger's head and a glance at his eyes made Marsh back down.

Marsh swallowed dry, something had happened to Tiger, something he didn't quite understand.

Tiger was again focused on the display in front of him, he switched the vision to thermal. This way he could see through the cloud of sand. Still alive eh!! According to the thermal reading, three men were hiding behind what had to be the jeep. Wait… Tiger opened his eyes wide. One of them is missing… He thenproceeded to turn the Metal Gear left. Did they leave him behind!

It took only a few moments for Tiger to realize where the missing person was and who it was. A large thermometer icon appeared at the center of the display. I can't believe you…Phantom! How can you condemn yourself so easily?


Everything had gone perfectly so far, even after Metal Gear moved with him just over the legs, Phantom was able to open the terminal and caused the overheating, unfortunately his good luck was about to end. A mechanism that Phantom himself installed was activated as soon as he triggered the overheat alarm, the weapon that Phantom hadn't told about to Snake or Otacon. Three small holes placed around Metal Gear's torso just over the legs opened up and spat out fire. The fire jetted at an amazing speed and quantity. Soon Phantom was engulfed in the flames. His hazmat suit protected him enough until he jumped to the ground. Another person without a protective suit like his would've died instantly.

Suddenly a voice came on through the Metal Gear. "Phantom?" Tiger's voice was calm. "Phantom what are you doing…what's the reason for this…betrayal?" Metal Gear was turning, the fire still roared, burning tents and all that was around, Phantom began to feel a little hotter.

"Betrayal!!" Phantom screamed, he knew very well that Tiger could hear him. "You betrayed me first!! You killed them, you killed my children!!"

"…" Tiger kept silent and Phantom stood still watching as the Metal Gear turned to face him.

"I did what I had to do… you were…you were… too attached" Tiger spoke calmly.

"There's no excuse for what you did!" Phantom screamed again, he was starting to feel extremely hot and uncomfortable.

"The Unit, it was all that mattered!!" Tiger replied. "I'm sorry Phantom…" The Metal Gear took a step towards Phantom, the fire roared just inches away from his face, the hazmat suit was not protecting anything anymore. Phantom could see small wrinkles on his transparent visor and his small computer on his right hand exploded. So this is how I die? Back to the fire… Phantom took his right hand over his heart and stood still, while the flames devoured him.

Memories of the ballet recitals of her daughter Anna and Lego building with is adoptive son Marc came to his mind. "Don't worry…I'll be with you soon…" He said and closed his eyes.