04:10

Sea of Okhotsk Airspace

Northern Coastline over Iturup Island

The Blackfoot helicopter flew low as it followed the northern coastline of Iturup Island. Venom Snake sat at by the edge of the Blackfoot's open door and wielded the lightweight Gatling gun with steady hands.

Jets of mist shot skyward from the restless coast below and obscured Venom Snake's already limited vision. Hours before sunrise, only the moon cast faint light over the stark blackness of the island.

However, even in the midst of that darkness, the horned, one-eyed mercenary caught glimpses of the destruction that Natsuki - the Cupcake Writer - left in her wake.

Clearings in the thick deciduous forest that once housed remote Soviet outposts were set ablaze. Wooden watchtowers had been felled like uprooted trees during a hurricane while sandbag walls, concrete barriers and steel tank-traps alike were warped and pulverized as well.

{(140.85) - "Boss… if memory serves me correctly, Ocelot said that there were three Soviet outposts along the coast. A platoon of M48A MAGLOADER tanks would have had trouble taking those out… but that 'Cupcake Writer' just plowed through them like it was nothing!"}

Snake pressed on his earpiece and reminded,

"I know… but that means that Natsuki hasn't caught Ocelot and the Spider Lady - yet."

Before long, Snake spotted the headlights of the light jeep in the distance.

Snake brought out his Int Scope with one hand and zoomed in on the target. He found Ocelot behind the wheel of the jeep while Amy sat at the rear and wielded her curious crossbow.

Behind the jeep, however, Snake also saw trees falling left and right as the pink-haired force of nature followed behind in hot pursuit. Once they reached a clearing, they found Natsuki chasing the jeep on foot!

{(140.85) - "Natsuki can keep up with a jeep…!? On foot!? What kind of monster is she?"}

Snake grunted and turned over to the pilot and roared,

"Get us closer, Pequod!"

"Roger that, Boss!"

The Blackfoot helicopter descended towards the fleeing jeep and started picking up speed. It flew alongside the cliffside path.

Natsuki caught a glimpse of the descending helicopter in the corner of her eye, so she pushed herself to run even faster. Venom Snake got a bead on Natsuki and opened fire with the Gatling gun.

Snake unleashed an accurate hail of lead upon Natsuki. Even though the pink-haired girl tried to evade the shots, Snake managed to land a few dozen hits on her - a volley that could have cut a normal person in half.

However, Natsuki was unfazed and kept running after the jeep.

Snake looked over his shoulder again and cried,

"Pequod! Cover fire!"

"Roger that, Boss!"

With that, the Blackfoot helicopter turned around and trained its suite of weapons on Natsuki. Pequod then promptly barked,

"NVG on. Target acquired. Cover fire - in hot!"

Two pairs of laser-guided Air-to-Ground missiles shot from the hardpoints of the Blackfoot, tracing lines of light through the night sky. The first pair of missiles found their marks and struck Natsuki from behind, shrouding her in a veil of fire and shrapnel. The second pair followed suit and added to the inferno.

Pequod then trained his helicopter's machine gun and shot into the inferno. As he did, he fired a swarm of twelve unguided rockets as a coup de grace, adding fuel to the already hellish flame.

When the smoke cleared, the patch of forest was ablaze and the cliffside path was in ruins. However, the unfathomably durable Cupcake Writer was nowhere to be found - and neither was the jeep that Ocelot and the Spider Lady were riding.

{(140.85) - "Boss. I can't get through to Ocelot and the Spider Lady. They weren't caught in the volley were they?}

Snake pressed on his earpiece and replied,

"I don't see the remains of a wrecked jeep anywhere, Kaz."

{(140.85) - "They might have gotten into an accident while running away from Natsuki. The problem is…"}

"We can't seem to find Natsuki either, huh? At least not from this altitude."

{(140.85) - "Right. Boss - you'll need to find out what happened to Ocelot and the Spider Lady on foot and then neutralize the Cupcake Writer Natsuki as well."}

"Right…"

{(140.85) - "Pequod will search for the jeep from the sky with a searchlight. Once he finds them, we'll relay the information to you on your iDroid and he will provide you with fire support against Natsuki again."}

"Got it. I'll look for them."

{(140.85) - "Good. In order to land, go into the MAP of your iDROID menu and then select a LANDING ZONE near the strike zone. After that, press the Action Button to dismount from the helicopter like usual."}

"Hmm…"

{(140.85) - "Something wrong, Snake?"}

"Nothing, Kaz… let's just get going before Natsuki can do any more harm."

Venom Snake brought out his iDroid and started inputting the commands as instructed. Before he confirmed the order, however, he turned over to Pequod and asked,

"Pequod - can't you take me down the LZ now?"

"Sorry, Boss. The LZ order has to come through the system first. Protocol, you know."

"Hrgh…"

So, Snake confirmed the order and Pequod immediately acknowledged it. The helicopter descended further and brought Snake close to the charred landing zone.

"We've arrived at the LZ. Be careful down there, Boss!"

Snake pushed the Gatling door gun aside, hopped off the helicopter and then landed on the blackened cliffside path. With that, the Blackfoot helicopter took to the skies once more and began searching for the lost jeep.

[COMBAT] Close Quarters Combat - CQC (1 / 1)

Close Quarters Combat (CQC) is a complex system of fighting techniques that focused on enhancing flexibility during combat in order to adapt to the situation of a rapidly changing battlefield. This system was developed jointly by The Boss and Big Boss and continues to be refined to day by the Diamond Dogs combat teams, special forces and militaries around the world.

Many who have observed CQC have noted the similarity of the system to judo because of the high-profile throws involved. However, judo techniques only form a part of the system which includes strikes, the use of blunt or bladed weapons and even firearms.

Venom Snake will receive prompts whenever CQC can be used, whether for defensive or offensive purposes. Use the ACTION BUTTON to activate the CQC maneuver. These prompts occur in split seconds and can turn the tide of a battle instantly.

Dying flames crackled around Snake as he wielded his blue-tipped, non-lethal UN-ARC-NL assault rifle. He swept the pathway and the burning forest from left to right as he inched closer towards the blast zone.

The heavy boots of Snake's ceramic-armored Battle Dress left shallow impressions on the blackened earth until he stopped halfway through.

At the very center of the small crater, however, Snake found a peculiar object.

"A cassette tape?"

Snake picked up the cassette tape.

[Cassette Tape Acquired - "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (1982)]

As soon as he did, however, he heard the distinct cocking of a submachine gun in the brush. Wild bursts of Natsuki's PPS-43 submachine gun whizzed past Snake in the crater, forcing him to dodge and roll to the side.

Despite the heavy armor her wore, Snake still reflexively picked himself up from the roll in one smooth motion. He then pointed his assault rifle at the brush and pulled the trigger, shooting three-shot bursts. He hoped that he could pin Natsuki down in her position and then close the distance between them.

However, Natsuki simply responded by lobbing a grenade towards him.

Snake pulled back and took cover behind the trunk of a burnt tree. The grenade blast rocked the trunk and ash fell down upon Snake like snow.

While Snake was taking cover, he heard Natsuki's voice coming from the burning forest.

"You've got balls, Venom Snake. Coming back here after pissing me off and taking Yuri with you! Hehehe - but you should be thankful. I'm a big fan of yours - so I'm gonna let you die in battle."

Snake poked his head out of cover and then spotted Natsuki emerging from the brush. The raincoat that she wore was tattered and torn while the school blazer she wore underneath it was covered in soot. Her short, pink hair flew in the cold, evening breeze while her bright pink eyes reflected the forest fire behind her.

She was holding her PPS-43 submachinegun in one hand as well as a peculiar book in another. From what little Snake could see in his position, it looked similar to the Parfait Girls Vol. 1 that Amy helped Mother Base develop - but it was different.

That book also seemed to emit some sort of power that Snake sensed in his metallic horn. It was just like Yuri's disturbing aura - emanating from that book.

Natsuki's pink eyes then met with Venom Snake's and she wore a bright grin,

"Come out, Venom Snake! I'm going to beat the shit out of you!"

Author's Notes: Happy New Year, Venom Snake~! I'm afraid it's been... one year.

Hehe, I've always wanted to say that~

Though, I wish Sayori was here to hear it. I'm sure she would have thought it was cool...

We may have only been here a short while, but time moves faster in the real world. It's already the year 2020 - imagine that. But here you are, still stuck in 1984.

Where am I getting this info, you ask? Well - like I said - it's a secret hehe.

In any case, you picked a fight with Natsuki huh? It wasn't very nice of you to bring a helicopter into a gunfight like that. Natsuki really is a fan of yours. She's played the other games before, after all!

Other games, you ask?

Ufufufu~ well, that's a story for another time.

Anyways, you've kept me waiting long enough, Snake. Tell me how you fought Natsuki.

Okay?