Hi all. Here again with the next chapter. To be honest, I didn't expect many people to see this story since this fanfic section is a little aged now. But after seeing some of the reviews, favorites, and alerts, I realized that there are in fact people interested in continuing to read this. All your support means a lot to me. So for all of you, I shall carry on! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own MGSV: The Phantom Pain or any of the characters.
Somewhere Over the Arabian Sea
Unknown Distance from Mother Base
Quiet jerked in her seat as an alarm blared from the cockpit, throwing her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at Big Boss, who had woken half an hour earlier but was similarly thrown off guard by the alarm. He swiftly made his way to the pilot in the cockpit, who seemed to go by the name "Pequod".
"Confirm, one bogey on our six, holding steady at point four miles," the pilot rattled off, looking intently at the radar before glancing at Big Boss. "It's tailing us." He flicked a couple of switches on the controls before responding to someone over his comm system. "Roger. We'll shake it off."
That being said, he yanked the control stick right, flying hard to starboard, and Quiet needed to grab hold of the nearby rails to keep from being sent tumbling backwards. Almost immediately, another alarm began blaring, and she recognized this one as a proximity alert. She could hear the incoming bogey, a fighter jet, approaching quickly, followed by the rattling of machine gun fire as it flew past, barely missing the cockpit.
Big Boss turned and went to the starboard window and she had to flatten herself against the wall to keep him from brushing against her. She knew that being discovered by him would bring an end to her infiltration attempt, though she still had not made up her mind as to whether or not to infect whatever base she landed in or to accept her capture as inevitable. Logically, she knew she should have decided long ago on the correct answer, but something was still fighting within her. Big Boss watched for a few more seconds before pulling open the door and Quiet's heart leapt into her throat. He's not thinking of taking on a fighter jet in the middle of the ocean with small arms fire, is he?
"Incoming!" Pequod yelled from the cockpit as she heard the resounding launch of a missile from the fighter jet outside. He flicked another switch and the chopper shook slightly as it ejected flares to draw the missile away from its original target. With a splash, the missile followed the flares and hit the ocean and the fighter jet roared above them as it shot past.
Quiet and Big Boss both watched as the fighter jet spun around, coming back around for another pass, and firing another missile. Once again, Pequod fired flares, but the missile did not stray from its path like the other one. Pequod cursed violently. "It's an LGM, hold on!" he warned as he began further evasive maneuvers, pushing the chopper as hard as he could. Quiet could tell that the missile would hit them, and she could also tell that the legendary soldier had reached the same conclusion at the same time as her.
Big Boss yanked the portside door open, bringing the chopper's side-mounted machine gun to bear with the flick of a switch. He was knocked off balance, though, as Pequod pushed the chopper to the brink of its capabilities, with the entire chopper shuddering in response. The famed soldier tried again to get back on his feet and grab hold of the gun as the missile closed in fast on the chopper, only to be sent backwards again. He tried one more time, grunting with exertion as he feebly reached for the gun, but the bucking from the chopper only served to knock him farther back.
I'm going to die burning in the middle of the ocean if we get shot down. The realization hit her suddenly and the thought gave her butterflies in her stomach. Cursing her rotten luck and hoping for the best, Quiet launched herself forward, grabbing the machine gun and decloaking as she opened fire on the incoming missile and fighter jet. The controls felt familiar to her and she remembered her experiences using such a weapon in the past. As her spray of bullets met the missile, it exploded just shy of the chopper and she let go of the triggers as the fighter jet flew by overhead.
It was only a temporary win, however, and she knew the pilot would be back for another pass. It occurred to her that the fighter jet was most likely sent by her own employer, Skull Face, possibly to end both Big Boss and his failure of an assassin. Quiet scoffed at the idea. Getting blown up in the middle of the ocean means a fun, burning bath in saltwater. No thanks.
Quiet glanced over at Big Boss, who was staring at her with either awe, surprise, suspicion, or some mix between the three. He didn't let his mind dwindle on it, though, and he got back to his feet, pushing her aside gently and taking the controls of machine gun. She stepped back to give him room. Not my kind of weapon anyways, she told him in her mind as she grabbed her customized sniper rifle from its place leaning at one corner of the chopper. To her surprise, it was still fully loaded. All the better for the both of us. Not that I would have needed to load more than one bullet, though.
She took her place next to Big Boss, giving him a slight nod before turning her attention back towards the fighter jet turning around for another pass. Crouching down, she wound up the rifle strap around her left arm, making sure it wasn't dangling where it could be caught on anything, before checking the rifle. The scope had been shifted a little off and she took a quick few seconds to wiggle it back into place as Big Boss opened fire again with the machine gun.
Quiet forced the calm back into her system, blocking everything else out as she brought the rifle up. The pilot was performing evasive maneuvers to avoid the spray of bullets coming in his direction but Quiet knew the real threat was in her hands and not Big Boss'. She rose up higher, watching the fighter jet ducking and weaving through the air. 1… The rattling of machine gun fire continued. 2… The fighter jet continued to weave through the air gracefully. 3… The chopper continued to shudder from both the machine gun fire and Pequod's ace piloting, but all time seemed to stop and Quiet pulled the trigger.
Big Boss stopped firing and together, the three of them watched the fighter jet approaching. It was no longer performing intricate, evasive maneuvers and was instead starting to droop downwards towards the ocean. Quiet felt a spike of satisfaction as the fighter jet passed underneath, a single bullet hole clean through the glass of the cockpit, followed by a blood splatter throughout the entire inside. She glanced over at Big Boss and they shared a quick look, him of barely-hidden shock and her of casual confidence. They turned and watched as the fighter jet crashed into the water just off their starboard side, sinking quickly into the ocean waves and disappearing from sight.
Quite honestly the most peaceful I've seen one crash, Quiet mused to herself, still rushing from the adrenaline of the skirmish. No explosions, no flames. Just silence. Big Boss turned to look at her with a look of grudging respect while she met his gaze with her own cold gaze, unwrapping the rifle strap from her arm and moving to the port side seats. Making sure to keep her finger away from the trigger, she reached down and gripped the bolt, emptying out the spent casing and the four other bullets from the magazine before her eyes flicked back to the legendary soldier, offering the rifle back to him. You're welcome, she said in her mind sarcastically, dripping with venom and disgust. You're lucky I needed to save you to save myself. He glanced down at the rifle, running his eyes over it, before glancing back at the her wrists where the handcuffs dangled from them.
Ugh, fine. Quiet gave him a small glare before phasing her hand back into the cuffs, turning away from Big Boss and quite literally giving him the cold shoulder. She knew he was watching her carefully but she refused to look back at him, choosing instead to fume over her lost opportunity to infiltrate Big Boss' base undetected and doing her best to ignore the fact that she had just saved the man whose death had been her life goal for the past few months. She liked to believe that she was just saving her own skin, but a certain voice in her head and in her heart told her it was something more, and that disgusted her. The voice was supposed to be dead and driven out long ago by years of unforgiving training and conditioning.
Quiet clenched a gloved hand into a fist. You're kidding yourself, she sneered in her mind. There is no voice. There is only Quiet, the unemotional assassin, and nothing more. She called upon her training, forcing her emotions out of her mind. They still remained at the edge of her thoughts, but it relieved her that she no longer had to think on them. Mind cleared at last, she crossed one leg casually as she sat back in the seat, avoiding Big Boss' eyes and waiting for them to arrive at their destination.
Mother Base, Seychelles Waters
Command Platform
Quiet looked up as Pequod flicked a series of switches on the upper control board. Through the cockpit window, she could see several oil rig platforms but it was only after a little more flying that it all came together and she realized each one was connected by long bridges to form a single, sprawling base. The size of it took her by surprise, but she made sure to keep her expression hidden from Big Boss. It wouldn't do her any good if he started to sense how powerless she felt when faced with the size of his operation. She leaned forward, taking in the sight. My god, what have I gotten myself into, she mused to herself. Although she had come in with a plan, the size of the base threw her off guard and she suddenly had doubts about how exactly she would take on an entire base swarming with soldiers on her own.
She turned her glance back to Big Boss for the first time, fighting to keep her worried thoughts from showing up in her expression. His eye met hers for a second, before he turned his attention out the starboard door as the sounds of another chopper began to overlap theirs. She followed his gaze, watching as a chopper pulled up alongside theirs. By his slightly concerned expression, she derived the feeling that such an escort was not a common occurrence. He glanced out the portside door, as the sounds of another chopper approached.
They wouldn't shoot their own boss out of the sky, would they? The question slightly amused and concerned her, though she had no idea whether or not to consider it seriously. As Quiet pondered the question, Big Boss turned back to the chopper on their starboard. He leaned forwards, then stopped in surprise. Quiet saw a flash of red light, before realizing at the same time as he did that it was a laser sight. With a start of surprise, she realized his own troops were training their weapons on him. Suddenly, she had sudden doubts about whether she would even be allowed to set foot on the base. Wonderful. We're still over an ocean.
She leaned forwards, glancing out the portside door, only to be confronted by the other chopper and a gunner aiming a side-mounted minigun. It appears I've picked the wrong side to look, she thought without humor as she studied the chopper intently. If she had to guess, the chopper seemed vulnerable at the rotors. A few sniper rounds to that should cause enough damage, she thought. Her finger almost itched to pull the trigger on her rifle to test her theory. Haven't downed a chopper in a while, she mused thoughtfully.
Quiet felt a presence on her left and an arm suddenly shot out in front of her. Her training reflexes recognized the movement as a threat and she instantly tensed up, ready for action. She glanced at Big Boss quickly as he pulled up in front of her, motioning for her to move back. He placed his body in front of her, cutting her off from the aim of the gunner. Is he...protecting me? Something in her heart twinged, something she hadn't felt for a long time. She kept a scowl on her face, trying hard to push away whatever she was feeling. Her alertness level stayed high, although she did allow herself to relax slightly. I don't need your protection, murderer.
They flew by several platforms full of troops, all dressed in the same uniform and aiming their weapons at the chopper. There were more than Quiet had initially anticipated and she knew there were too many for her to take out all at once. The chopper finally slowed to hover over the main landing platform, where another squad of soldiers stood staring up at them the chopper. This squad was dressed differently and Quiet assumed it was some sort of elite squad. Two other men stood with them, on of them seemingly dressed as a Western gunslinger and the other wearing a trenchcoat with a cane.
"No way she is setting foot on this base," she heard the trenchcoat man announce. As Big Boss continued to watch down below, Quiet moved back and sat down. There was no sense in getting involved and she was very interested to see the dynamic between Big Boss and a crippled man who seemed to be in charge of everything - even Big Boss himself. I wonder who's really in command here, she thought as Big Boss turned to her.
"Boss, she's with Cipher!" At that, Quiet looked back up to meet the legendary soldier's eyes. Once upon a time, the name meant something to her and she had felt pride at being a part of it. For the first time in her life, though, she wondered if she was still a part of the elite task force or if she was solely doing this for her own revenge. It was a chilling thought and she pushed it out of her mind, though it continued to bug her in the background.
Big Boss gave a small sigh, moving back to take his place at his usual seat in the back of the chopper. It seemed to Quiet that he was willing to wait out the standstill. If they're not going to let me down, I'll go to them, she decided as she stood up and walked over to the door. Nobody wants to play their cards? Fine. I'll play first. She gave one glance back to Big Boss before she simply walked off the chopper, plummeting downwards. I'll see you down there.
Quiet sensed rather than saw Big Boss start forwards, as if worried about her falling to her death. The fall was exhilarating as the wind rushed past her, but she felt no fear. She had learned long ago that her abilities allowed her to survive grisly injuries and she knew a little hard landing would barely shake her. She allowed herself to cloak, leaving the soldiers below to gape in disbelief as their target vanished into thin air.
With a heavy thud that shook the platform slightly, she landed in a crouch, decloaking and casually phasing out of the handcuffs. The fear in the eyes of the soldiers was incredibly clear and she basked in the feeling of being feared and respected again. She studied each and every one of them, making eye contact as they regained enough sense to approach her with weapons drawn. Their fear as they gripped their weapons tightly, aim wavering, fed her ego and confidence and she cloaked again, leaving them almost in a panic as they thought of the possibility of facing an invisible foe.
The man dressed as a cowboy stepped forward quickly, searching for her, and she almost snickered at how clueless he was. "Thermals," he called out, and the feeling was suddenly wiped away. Blast, he's good… Three soldiers broke off from the group, flipping thermal lenses down over their eyes before closing in on her position. Quiet glanced around, dread slowly filling her. They can see me. There was nowhere to run as they surrounded her before bringing their weapons to bear simultaneously. Grudgingly, she admitted her defeat and uncloaked. So much for that idea.
The rest of the soldiers quickly moved in to surround her, weapons trained. "Seize her," the cowboy commanded. Her throat itched and she knew this was the perfect chance to speak and infect each and every one of them. And yet, she couldn't. What if they all don't share English as their common language? The possibility burst into her mind and she eagerly took it, accepting and believing it to be the reason for her hesitation. She refused to believe it could be anything else.
"Fire," the crippled man commanded as he approached. Quiet focused her gaze at the cowboy. He seemed to be the more reasoning one and she doubted he would allow the crippled man to give the orders. One of the soldiers clicked the safety off his rifle and her assuption was proven correct when the cowboy pushed the rifle down, shooting a scowl to the crippled man. "Miller!"
So that's his name, Quiet thought as she labeled the crippled man with the name. She had no idea if it was a first name or surname, but it had no difference to her. It was just something to distinguish him by.
"She saved The Boss," the cowboy continued as Miller continued to limp closer.
"She was saving herself," Miller shot back as he bumped a soldier's aim back up to her. "Fire!"
"Put her in the cell," Big Boss said from the other side as he approached. She turned her gaze to him as he stepped into the circle, pushing down rifles and motioning to the rest of the soldiers to lower their aim. Miller tried to interject but Big Boss ignored him entirely, focusing instead on the cowboy. "Keep an eye on her."
The cowboy shot another look at Miller. "Right," he agreed, almost smugly as if he were a teenager who had just won a shouting match. "Take her away."
The soldiers motioned for her to move but she met each of their gazes carefully. Quiet knew how piercing her green eyes could be and she did everything in her ability to make each and every one of them completely uncomfortable and unsure of themselves.
"What are you waiting for?" the cowboy growled, motioning for her to turn around. "Move!"
You don't scare me, she shot back in her head and she turned her gaze to him. I don't take orders from you. He met her look with equal intensity, refusing to back down. A gloved hand fell on her left shoulder and she knew it was Big Boss. Reluctantly, she backed down, glancing at him for a long moment. She couldn't believe she was allowing herself to be bossed around but she accepted that with drawn guns and the attention focused solely on her, she had no chance of fighting her way out of custody.
I guess I'm your prisoner. For now. She turned and started walking slowly, accepting her fate. I'll cooperate for now but the moment I see an opening…each and every one of you dies a horrible death. With a mental sigh, she continued walking, making sure she made no sudden movements. Something told her it would be a long walk.
And that's a wrap! I know the cutscenes don't show much else other than the actions that are being displayed, so I wanted to add more thought and effort into them so that Quiet's personality and thinking could be fleshed out a bit more. Otherwise it's just like watching the cutscenes all over again in a text format and I figure if you wanted to do that, you would be watching the cutscenes instead of being on here and reading this. :)
Next comes my first real challenge in writing this...I need to write parts that aren't shown in the game. It's one thing to add more depth to things already shown. It's something else altogether to write something completely new with nothing to base it off of. I already has some ideas, so hopefully I can flesh it out well.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter should come within a few days.