Chapter Six
Torres sat alone in his cell, well, his barred off section of cave. It was cold, damp, and inhospitable for human life, just like The Gauntlet. Torres did his best to hold on, keeping himself distracted by replaying tunes on his guitar in his mind, remembering his interrogation resistance training, and, of course, thinking about those who he would be coming home to. Speaking of which, it seems Shadow Company got to one of them.
"He sang like a bird." Lerch stated, tossing the lifeless body of Luis, Torres' lover, into the cell. "Too bad it was misdirection. You got anything, Torres?"
"Specialist Micheal Torres, 14-198496, December First 1996." Torres responded with, doing his best to keep his tone neutral.
"I admire your gumption kid, you'd have a place here if you weren't our enemy, but we need everything you know." Roze spat. "Tell us." Torres repeated his trained response. The armored man stepped into the cell, pulling out a small silver handgun, signaling the others to leave. The man immediately set the gun down and took his helmet off.
"Don't bother going for the gun, it won't work." he stated. Torres could barely tell what he looked like, there was too much blood in his face from Roze and Lerch's 'Interrogations'. "But I can guarantee you one thing, you'll be seeing a lot of it soon. I already know everything, your friend's contact sang when I put Sodium Thiopental in her vaccinations. Said some really interesting stuff, including a little something called the Phantom Thieves. I know you don't know that Ryuji was a member, and I'm certain that name means nothing to you, but it means everything to me. Your friend is going to be here soon enough, and I will fight him. All I ask of you is that you take care of Roze and Lerch for me, I left a little something in your meal to help you. Think of it as a gift from your biological mother." The armored man put on his helmet and left, taking the silver handgun as he left. Roze seemed to find it funny.
"You know, that means he showed you his face, that means you will die, one way or another, maybe give up what you know." Roze laughed.
"Specialist Micheal Torres, 14-198496, December First 1996." Torres responded. He wasn't giving up, not with his friends on the line.
Ryuji stood in the locker room putting his gear on, reluctantly, albeit. Today his unit was to be split, Ghost, Gaz, and Roach would be leading a team into Makarov's safehouse in the Ukraine, while Price, Soap, and Ryuji would be in Kastovia, opting to attack an airplane graveyard that Minako was using as a base. it was bittersweet, returning to the wretched hellhole. Sure, he witnessed and caused death and destruction there, but it was almost like a home for him. It was, afterall, where all of this began for him. It was where he showed up as a man and left as a soldier, it was where he had his close encounter with Minako and Makarov, it was where he was reborn. But speaking of his encounter, something bothered him about it. Minako did something, he wasn't sure what, but it was almost like she teleported herself and Makarov away, and he could have sworn he saw what could have been a Persona standing behind the two as they disappeared.
Nah, that can't be it, you can't use Personas outside the metaverse, and how would she even have one? Ryuji thought to himself as he put his rig on over his camo.
"Hey, Skull, I made a promise, and I'm keeping good on it." Ryuji heard Ghost say. Ryuji turned to face Ghost, who held a mask in his hands as well as wearing one on his face. "We're going to two different countries, so I owe you a mask. Ain't as nice as mine, but you'll like it." Ghost gave Ryuji the mask. It was a simple neck gaiter and a pair of goggles. The neck gaiter bore the design of a lower jaw, while the goggles were plain black. Sure, it was the exact type of mask Ghost usually wore, but it was something for Ryuji, something for him.
"Thanks, Gh- Riley, I'll see you on the other side man." Ryuji stated, opting to call his comrade by first name.
"See you soon, Ryuji." Ghost reciprocated, holding Ryuji in a bro hug. Ryuji slipped his mask on as Ghost went to board his chopper with Roach.
"You good?" Price asked. Ryuji nodded.
"Yeah, I'm good." Ryuji stated, grabbing his M4A1 and a breaching shotgun. "Ready to take down Minako and finish this."
"Funny, thought we finished this yesterday." Price joked. Ryuji chuckled. They did honestly finish the war the day before, now they were just cleaning up the mess.
Ramirez stared in awe at the White House. It was completely occupied, every inch controlled by the Russians. It still had power, what was more impressive, and hopeful, was that the building had power. If the White House had power, it meant that they could possibly send a message out and get some relief. It was up to the rangers to lead the way, to end this invasion once and for all. Ramirez picked up his rifle, preparing to fight in the attack, only for Colonel Marshal to approach Ramirez, a solemn look on his face.
"Ramirez, you're the highest ranking member of Hunter 2-1 now." he began. "Foley got shot while doing recon and Dunn is in no condition to fight. Ramirez, you'll be leading these men into battle."
"Sir, I'll do what I can." Ramirez stated, racking his rifle. He was honestly terrified, but he couldn't show it, he had a job he needed to do, and he needed everything he could to do it. Stepping out of the storm shelter the Army was using as a base, Ramirez walked straight into battle, bullets flying as he stood over the battle.
"What are we gonna do!?" A soldier clearly suffering from shell shock pleaded as Ramirez opened fire on the enemies occupying the White House. Ramirez knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"We're going to fight, to our last dying breath." Ramirez stated. Ramirez stood up, rushing a press conference stage with a small team of soldiers. It was strange, the group ran through the sacred place, riddling the history filled walls with bullets to keep it alive. The group eventually made it to the oval office, a horrid discovery awaiting them.
"All units, Hammer Down is in effect. Repeat, Hammer Down is in effect. If you can hear this, you are in a hardened valuable structure. If you are still combat effective, light green flares to call off Hammer Down." A radio bled out. The privates Ramirez was leading stood in horror.
"Well? What are we waiting for!?" Ramirez yelled out. "We have probably two minutes to get there, and prove we're alive, let's go!" Ramirez led the team out, pushing further through until they got to the rooftop, igniting flares mere moments before the bombing.
"Countersign, countersign." the pilot of one jet yelled over the radio.
"Peeling off, great work Rangers." another called out. Ramirez looked out at the city, the sun peeking through the clouds as hundreds of green flares dotting the skyline illuminated the sky.
"What happens now?" one soldier asked, admiring the view of the city they had just saved.
"I don't know, but we're gonna be burning Moscow soon." another soldier stated.
"Hooah." Ramirez sighed, sitting down, taking in the moment. There was more to come, much more. But for now, it was time to rest.
The safehouse was a nightmare, the DSM took far longer to download the data than expected, and there was far more Inner Circle than anticipated. Gaz was taken down holding back the enemy at the safehouse so Roach and Ghost could get to the extraction point. Roach would make sure that this wouldn't be in vain. The ground exploded all around Roach as the two TF141 members ran to the extraction point, completely destroying Roach's leg. The two were barely able to make it to the chinook waiting for them. Shepherd himself stepped out to receive them.
"Did you get the DSM?" Shepherd asked.
"Yes sir." Ghost responded. Something was wrong, Roach could feel it. The coming events only confirmed this.
"Good, that's one less loose end." Shepherd stated, firing a single bullet from his rifle into Roach. Roach could barely breathe as he fell to the ground. The only word Ghost got out was a single "NO" before Shepherd shot Ghost directly in the forehead. Shepherd approached Roach, snagging the DSM out of his hands, the last of Roach's strength going to keep it away for a mere second. The last thing Roach heard before Shepherd's grunts disposed of his and Ghost's bodies was a message from Price and Skull.
"Shepherd's men are firing on us, do not trust Shepherd! Soap, Skull, get down!"
"Ghost, buddy, can you hear me?! Get out of there, turn your tail and run, get out of there! Ghost? Ghost do you read!? Ghost!" Skull's voice rang out as flames overcame Roach's body, darkness enveloping him.
Ryuji couldn't believe it, Shepherd betrayed them, for what? Power? Money? Revenge? What could that man possibly want that led him to do such a thing? Because of that bastard, Ghost, Roach, Gaz, everyone was gone. Ryuji could feel his rage coming over him.
"God fucking damnit…" Ryuji angrily mumbled as he slammed a magazine into his rifle.
"Nikolai's getting us out of here, he has a C130 waiting at the tarmac." Price stated. "Don't worry, Skull, we're going to get revenge soon enough." Soap added encouraging words to this, Ryuji responding with a nod. The team got up, rushing through waves of Shadow Company and Inner Circle to get to the C130, using the chaotic battle as a cover for their movement. Soon enough, they got to a jeep. Rook, another member of 141, drove them to the ramp of the cargo plane, where one of Nikolai's mercenaries was providing cover. Moments before they could reach it, Ryuji witnessed the unthinkable. Following the sound of glass shattering and booming explosion, Rook's head exploded. Turning to face the source of the sound, Ryuji saw it. Standing above a heavily armored Shadow Company member engulfed in dark red flames was a Persona. Ryuji couldn't believe it, it wasn't possible, it shouldn't be. Persona's could only be used in the Metaverse, not the real world, and how did Shadow Company have one?
"Skull!? What's wrong!?" Soap demanded as the jeep barely clambered into the C130.
"No… it can't be…" Ryuji murmured, still in shock at this revelation.
"I'm sorry, but it's true, Sakamato." The mercenary, the one Ryuji recognized from the oil platform, stated. "They have a Persona user."
"Persona? What the hell is that? Do you know something we don't?" Price demanded. A woman stepped into the cargo bay. She was wearing a heavy black trenchcoat, her blonde hair decorated with astrange golden headpiece.
"There is not enough time to explain now." the woman stated. "We're taking you to Iwatodai to resupply and explain everything. There is much that needs to be discussed."
"You're going to tell us what's happening now." Soap demanded. The women did not falter.
"I apologize, but that is not possible. This is for Sakamoto's ears only, and Agent Akechi's as well." The woman stated, motioning to the mercenary. It all flooded to Ryuji, he finally knew who the mercenary was, and he couldn't believe it at all. Goro Akechi was alive. Ryuji's head began pounding, he couldn't understand any of this, it was all so confusing, nothing made any sense.
"Rest, Sakamoto, you need it." Price stated, sitting Ryuji down in one of the seats on the plane. "We'll know all of this soon, just rest."
A/N: There we go, original stuff time! So yeah, it's getting real, Persona Users, Shadow Operatives, it's all coming together. There won't be much in the actual chapter, the next one is going to be focused on events between The Enemy Of My Enemy and Just Like Old Times. I'm sure you have questions, but they'll have to wait until next chapter, most, if not all, of the questions will be explained, don't worry. Until then, hope you enjoy and have a great day!