"A Diamond is gonna forever shine over Mother Base and Diamond Dogs until the end of its days..."
Chapter 163: A Lost Diamond
For the last few hours since Big Boss landed in Afghanistan the sun on Mother Base continued to shin bright over the massive base and despite the Mercenaries continuing their duties there was a wolf and a few children playing on the third platform of the Command Center, Cub or she would like to call herself Sniper Wolf was hiding with one of the other child soldiers behind a large generator trying not to chuckle from the game they were playing.
The kids were playing hide and seek which was taught to them by a female Diamond Dog soldier and the kids absolutely loved the game, Ralph was counting up against a container as everyone went to hide and soon he finally counted to twenty and quickly turned rushing into the deepest parts of the platform to find his buddies.
Cub peeked around the corner of the large generator seeing a fellow child picking up a cardboard box and quickly hiding under it, she couldnt help but chuckle at him. It was then she saw Ralph in the distance coming towards the center of the platform and she quickly ducked back behind cover looking at her hiding buddy chuckling.
Her hiding buddy lifted his finger telling her to stay silent but he tried not to chuckle at the thought of being caught either, instead he motioned his hand telling her to follow him. The boy she was hiding with was called Malcom, the name was chosen for him by Ocelot after the kids went through inspection and registration and he was also second in command of Ralph to take over the boys.
Malcolm moved to the other side of the large generator Malcolm and Cub slowly moved hoping to find a better place to hide knowing full well this spot was compromised.
Soon the two came to a large cylinder and planted their backs against it, they peeked around it to see that Ralph didnt spot them. They were safe for now.
Cub leaned back into cover trying not to chuckle at the thought of being caught, looking around she saw another one of the boys hiding by a nearby container. Ever so quietly she rushed off towards the container and managed to get behind it before Ralph could turn and spot her.
The game went on for a few more minutes and Ralph managed to find three of the boys and was now after Malcolm and Cub, the two were now separate from each other. Malcolm was down in the lower levels of the platform while Cub remained in the center of the platform using all the cover she could.
Kneeling down behind cover Cub slowly peeked around the cornor seeing Ralph in the far distance and she couldn't help but chuckle, getting back behind cover she looked at her options and saw a ladder leading up to the higher level. Taking her chance she ran to the ladder and climbed.
-Combat Unit, Connecting Bridge-
Driving in a jeep high spirits after her chat with Wolf, Silent Butterfly decided to go and spend time with Cub. With her idroid in hand she checked over the map of mother base checking for her location, when kids were brought to Mother Base they all had microchips hidden in their clothes to keep an eye on them. Silent Butterfly decided to drive instead of using her abilities and to her honesty she absolutely missed driving and it was just a welcome change to what she was used to.
Driving towards the Command Centre soon her idroid beeped revealing Cub's location and thats when Silent Butterfly halted the jeep skidding to a stop as she looked at the idroid in horror. Cub was on a platform and she was climbing a tower under construction on the third command platform, fear instantly took over her and jumping right out of the jeep she used her abilities and sprinted as fast as she could down the connecting bridge praying that Cub and the other kids wasnt going to get hurt before she got there.
-Third Command Platform-
Cub climbed and climbed until she was at a great height over looking the entire third platform and she was at least fifty feet from the ground floor and she hid behind a small wooden box full of tools absolutely proud that she found the perfect hiding spot, no one would ever find her in this spot. However there was one child who knew she was there the entire time.
On top of the platform's crane the Floating Boy appeared on top of it with his breathing echoing through his mask, he slowly looked down at his target Ralph finally catching Malcom who decided to go back up to the main level. The Floating Boy watched patiently looking for an opportunity to strike and take out Ralph but he knew the boys would spot him if he tried anything while they were near him, but it was then he remembered Cub.
Slowly turning his attention to the tower under construction he remembered she was on her own, he knew Cub and Ralph were close and she was the perfect way to take them both out at the same time, at that point he knew exactly what to do.
Looking down at the crane he was on he saw it was carrying a large container full of materials, it was the perfect weapon to use. The Floating Boy slowly turned back to the tower nearby and slowly raised his arm towards the tower and suddenly vanished.
It was at that moment the controls of the crane activated.
Cub still kneeling down behind a wooden box waited in anticipation hoping tha Ralph would give up and she would win and thats when she heard machinery moving, frowning in confusion Cub slowly peeked over the box looking out to the distance and to her absolute horror she saw a container held by the nearby crane coming right at her position.
All Cub could do was let out a glass cracking scream as she got up and ran down the pathway behind her and suddenly the material container crashed right into the tower under construction destroy the very place Cub was hiding.
The thunderous crash echoed on the entire platform and Ralph stopped dead in his tracks looking back at the choas before with with his boys running up to hin as they pointed and screamed in panic.
Sounds of the crash echoed around the other platforms and Silent Butterfly who finally made it to the main Command Platform skidded to a stop as she looked on in horror to the third platform with many other soldiers looking on in shock.
"Inform Miller!". One soldier shouted to his comrades.
"Get Ocelot!" Another shouted again and as everyone ran to positions with some soldiers rushing across the bridge towards the chaos and in that entire few seconds Silent Butterfly was just froze on the spot as time slowed down.
She saw parts of the tower construction starting to fall as the crane pulled the container out of the tower pulling back away from it and fear gripped Silent Butterfly as she looked on. Soon anger took over and then determination, she wasnt losing another loved one.
"My little girl..." Silent Butterfly whispered and suddenly her markings appeared and she dashed faster then she ever did in her life to save Cub.
Back at the heart of the choas the child soldiers ran as fast as they could following Ralph to the ladder leading up the tower and they climbed up as fast as they could to save their friend. Their leader Ralph climbed up faster then the others wanting to save Cub from danger, as soon as he got to the top he rushed off without his boys wasting no time.
Ralph ran as fast as he could down every path and up every steps that came his way and all he could do was shout out Cub in his native tongue but there was no reply, he continued to climb and climb and soon he rushed down down the pathway to the destruction the crane left and in the corner of his eye to his right he looked down the other pathway and thats when he saw her.
Cub was laying knocked out under a pile plaster and metal, Ralph screamed for her as he began to ran but suddenly he heard machinery from behind him. Fear took over as he looked back and right there coming towards him was the same container held by the crane.
Ralph screamed seeing the threat coming his way and he just turned and ran down the path to Cub but the container crashed back into the tower and the sheer force of the hit knocked Ralph forward and he crashed to the ground hard, plaster and metal fell all around Ralph as he shook his head coming to his senses and he quickly looked back to see the crane beginning to pull the container out again, deep down he knew it was going to hit again.
Refusing to die here Ralph ignored the pain in his head and he staggered to his feet and towards the knocked out Cub and he began to pull the plaster and metal off his friend, soon he used all his strength and lifted the girl over his shoulders determined to get her out.
It was then he turned around seeing the path he came from was now destroyed and there was nothing but a drop to their deaths, the only way to survive was to go up. With all his strength Ralph turned around and ran towards a small flight of steps taking him to the next level and thats when he turned the corner going up another flight of steps and down a long narrow path leading him deeper into the tower's construction.
Alarms began to echo all over Mother Base as Ralph took any path he could take just determined to get further away from the danger, all he wanted was to get Cub to safety. Soon Ralph came down a path leading him to the outside path way of the tower and hitting the gaurd rail he looked down to see his boys were back outside shouting up to him, he shouted back down waving and getting their attention and suddenly he saw the boys shout and point to Ralphs left and suddened the entire tower rumbles followed by a thunderous explosion as the crane smacked the container back into the tower and causing more damage.
The tower was starting to shake as its supports were giving out but Ralph kept his balance and ran up the next flight of steps nearby, now close to the top of the tower he continued to run across the open area and towards another foot pass. He ran as fast as he could down the walk way but he suddenly stopped seeing the tower's massive radio tower come crashed down completely destroying the pathway before Ralph.
All Ralph could do was stagger back almost falling to the ground cursing in his own language, he was running out of options. Looking back he knew he couldnt head back down, looked back to the destroyed walkway he saw the other side of the platform he was on. With no choice he adjusted the still knocked out Cub on his shoulders and braced himself, screaming at the top of his lungs he sprinted to the destroyed walkway and with all his might he jumped right across the small gap and by luck he managed to land to the other side crashing to the ground with Cub falling off his shoulders.
He grunted in agony from the hard fall while Cub rolled a few feet away but the boy's will was strong and he quickly got back to his feet and rushed to Cub who was now laying on her back, his fears for her safety continued to grow as he knelt down placing his hand on her hair and then it was at that point he heard a chopper flying into view near the tower and he looked up to it flying past.
"Get to the helipad! We'll pick you up there!" The pilot's voice echoed on a microphone from the chopper and Ralph was able to understand thanks to his lessons, looking up to the last part of the tower he saw the helipad and he knew that was their exit.
With new hope Ralph picked up Cub placing her on his shoulders again and he ran fast to find the next set of stairs which would take him to the helipad.
Silent Butterfly rushed through the first and second platform of the Command Center and she skidded to a stop one more as the tower was in reach, more anger fuelled her knowing Cub was in there so she rushed forward and jumped high heading right to the tower.
Soaring through the air she then landed on to the second level at the top of the tower, using all her senses she listened for footsteps, cries and just anything and suddenly she heard Ralph's voice screaming in the distance.
She ran as fast as she could to the source of the sound and suddenly the tower was hit with a thunderous hit by the crane and Silent Butterfly crashed to the ground losing her balance, the damage from the crane finally hit its breaking point. The support beams of the tower began to crush under its own weight and the tower was beginning to fall apart.
Ralph had finally made it to the helipad on the height point of the tower and he finally saw the Diamond Dogs chopper finally come to him, he screamed and waved with one hand and soon the chopper finally came over the helipad and hovered few feet off the ground.
"COME ON!" A Diamond Dogs soldier shouted by the open side door and Ralph rushed forward jumping into the chopper with the soldier helping him with Cub on his shoulders.
The entire tower was seconds away from collapsing on itself but the chopper managed to pull away just as the helipad broke apart from the tower and crashed to the main platform grounds.
But the danger was far from over, the Floating Boy appeared once again above the crane he used to destroy the tower and taking a few deep breaths through his mask he raised his hand to the chopper about to pull away. He now had both targets in one spot, now it was time to finish the job.
The Floating Boy vanished once more and as soon as he did that the engines of the chopper blew out, its stabilizer and router malfunctioned and the chopper was sent spinning out of control just above the collapsing tower.
"MAYDAY WE LOST CONTROL!" The chopper's pilot shouted back to his fellow soldier who was trying to hold on to anything he could while Ralph was on the chopper's floor holding on to Cub for dear life screaming at the chaos.
Back on the collapsing Silent Butterfly jumped to the highest point of the tower feeling the entire thing about to collapses and thats when she watched in horror seeing the chopper spinning out of control with Cub inside.
Swallowing her fear Silent Butterfly took a few steps back and waited for the right moment to jump and in less of a second she find the perfect time, she suddenly ran and jumped right towards the chopper managed to grab the open side door of the chopper as the chopper span away from the tower and everyone on the ground floor from soldiers to children ran away from the danger of the tower and soon it all came crashing down leaving nothing but debris and smoke engulfing the entire platform.
The Diamond Dogs chopper was now smoking and on fire but Silent Butterfly managed to push herself from the side door and to the entrance of the chopper and her eyes quickly set on Ralph and Cub, they were her objective and she wasnt going to let them die.
She tried to force herself into the chopper but the speed of the spinning made it hard and all that could be heard was screams and alarms as the chopper was heading right to the main Support Platform. With all her might she reached in with her one hand getting Ralph's attention and he looked up to her seeing she was there to save them, without hesitation he used all his strength and pushed Cub across the floor of the chopper and Silent Butterfly reached down grabbing her and lifted her under her arm. All that was left was Ralph, Silent Butterfly screamed in Navajo telling him to come to her and she could only hope he knew what she meant.
The chopper was drawing closer to the Support Platform and time was running out but Ralph managed to crawl across the floor despite the chopper spinning fast and as he drew closer he got to his feet using one of the seats to support him and he slowly looked up to Silent Butterfly who called to him.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" The Pilot chopper shouted back and it was at that moment Ralph looked deep into the sniper's eyes.
"Save her.." Ralph spoke in English and the sniper's eyes widened in shock, all of a sudden Ralph ran forward and pushed Silent Butterfly off the chopper and sent her away flying down to the surface of the platform. Time just slowed down as Silent Butterfly with Cub in her arms watched on seeing the chopper spin away and towards the edge of the Support Platform. The one child soldier just sacrificed himself to save her and Cub and she never expected this horror of seeing this kind soul give everything up for Cub and her.
Reality kicked back into Silent Butterfly and she quickly brought Cub to her chest and held her tight, they were seconds from the ground and the sniper quickly turned her body and she hit the ground first crashing on top of a few wooden crates and everything went blank followed by a massive explosion nearby.
Everything fell silent and all that Silent Butterfly could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat giving off slow beats which echoed in her ears, she opened her eyes slightly and everything was blurred but in that moment she saw a blurry version of Cub slowly beginning to wake up on her chest. Slowly lifting her head out of the rubble around her Silent Butterfly's vision came clear for a second seeing Cub was still breathing and all Silent Buttefly could do was place her right hand on the head of the little girl.
"I got you...mommy's got you..." Silent Butterfly whispered in Navajo before lifting her head abit more to see the chopper had crashed on the upper level on the platform they were on, it was up in flames with no signs of life.
With her other free hand she reached out helplessly with a tear falling down her cheek. "Ralph...I'm sorry" She whispered then suddenly passed out among the rubble with Cub still on her chest and soon Diamond Dogs soldiers came running from around the platform to her and Cub's aid.
The third command platform was covered in destruction and the support platform was the sight of the crashed Diamond Dogs chopper which was just up in flames, chaos had returned to Diamond Dogs and standing behind the soldiers trying to get to Silent Butterfly and Cub was none other than the Floating Boy.
His breathing echoed through his mask, he failed to kill Cub but with Ralph now dead the rest of the Child Soldiers were leaderless. Eli's next plan could now go into effect.
Diamond Dogs had lost a true diamond, a diamond that will forever shine bright over Mother Base till its end of days.
"I didnt like the idea of Ralph just dying the way he did in Phantom Pain, I wanted him to die as a hero in my story. He gave his life to protect someone he cares about. This was hard to write both physically and mentally but I finally managed to do it. This was a sad chapter but we must move forward to the aftermath. More updates soon"
