Chapter Two

Section took a look at the photo Woods showed him. It was of two men, both wearing combat gear, hoisting up XM177s.

"See the ugly one? That's your father." Woods said with a laugh. "I'm the handsome one. After 'Nam, your dad was one dangerous SOB, had those numbers stuck in his head."

"Numbers?" Section heard Sakamoto mention from the hall as he entered the room.

"Yeah, the numbers programming." Woods explained. "Soviet brainwashing bullshit pioneered by this asshole Kravchenko. Guy put people on shitloads of drugs and electricity and implanted these numbers in their heads. Then, when those numbers are played back after a keyword, it activates orders given to them. Some fuckehead messed with Mason though, turned the programming against the Soviets. Reared its ugly head in Afghanistan while we hunted a lead on Menendez."

"What are you seeing, Woods?" Mason asked. His partner after shifting his gaze from the Buddah statue.

"Sand, sand, and more fucking sand." Woods stated.

"What about you, Iori?" Mason added.

"Chinese are inbound. Best call me Smith or something around them, Japan and China don't have the best relations." Iori stated. Unlike Woods or Mason, who lowered their headdresses, Iori kept his on. "Think we can trust them?"

"We can here, they're supporting the Mujahideen the same as the US." Woods stated, continuing as they moved to cover. "They know if Russia wins in Afghanistan, they'll be looking at China next."

"Noone likes the Russians." Mason commented.

"You know me, I don't like anyone." Woods stated.

"No, what about-" Mason began before being cut off.

"She was half my fucking age, no way I was touching that!" Woods spat.

"Didn't stop you before." Mason snidely remarked.

"Who the hell are you two talking about?" Iori asked as he worked on figuring out his AK74.

"Noone, just an old friend." Woods stated. It was clear to Mason that Woods still thought about Arisato. "Might want to keep your heads down." Mason and Iori did so as horses leapt overhead. Tian Zhao and his men immediately aimed their rifles at Mason, Woods, and Iori.

"You can take the mask off, Japanese, Hudson already explained the situation. Your people hurt mine in the past, but you were not with them, you are fine." he began. "Do you have the weapons?"

"We got the guns, now lower yours." Woods stated. The soldiers obliged, lowering their rifles to their sides. Mason saddled up on an empty horse, able to control it relatively well, alongside Woods, but Iori seemed to have some trouble. Woods guided the young man through riding a horse, just basic enough pointers that he could get around, and fight if absolutely necessary. It wasn't long before they reached Hudson and Mullah Rahmann.

"Rahmann, these are my two best soldiers and Junpei Iori, we took him on as a favor I owe an old friend." Hudson stated. Rahmann shot Hudson a dirty look.

"We need weapons, not soldiers." Rahmann spat.

"I feel so welcome." Iori stated with a hint of sarcasm. It sounded fairly forced, almost like he was trying to tell an American joke.

"This should be good." Woods chuckled as he stepped into the planning room. "Just so we're clear, we help you fight off the Russians, you give us what you have on Menendez."

"Our forces are here." Rahmann began, pointing at the map. The resulting discussion was a heated argument about how to position forces, with Woods trying to explain how to fend off the Soviets and Rahmann refusing to take Woods' advice. The ceiling above them shook, an explosion just occurred above them.

"The attack has begun." Zhao stated.

"Let's rock." Iori stated, grabbing his rifle.

"Read my fucking mind." Woods laughed. Mason, Woods, Hudson, Iori, and Zhang all rushed to their horses, riding through the valley to reach the passage the Soviets were to head through. They had to dismount there, but were able to fight on foot to reach a Muj weapons cache carrying American FIM-92 Stinger missiles. Mason slung one over his shoulder, as did the others, as they left, leaving a cratering charge behind to keep Russian armor out of the valley. Next came the choppers, lots and lots of choppers. Fortunately, the Muj were able to learn from example after witnessing Mason fire one at a Mi-28 and throw it away, leaving the helicopters as a non problem. What was a problem was the Russian force occupying an ammo cache. So, that's where the team went, destroying bridges, BTRs, and even the odd chopper to deal with the forces there.

"Mason, get back to the base, we have a problem." Hudson ordered.

"How big?" Mason added as he saddled back up.

"Come see for yourself." Hudson stated. The situation certainly was big, it was fucking massive. A huge double barreled Soviet tank approached with a massive infantry force.

"Russians are giving us one last display of brute force, let's give them one last display of courage!" Mason shouted. The Muj forces cheered, raising their rifles in the air. Mason rode head on at the tank, dodging explosions and gunfire as he got closer. An explosion cut a little to close, killing the horse. Mason desperately tried to pull himself out from under the horse, only escaping when Woods pulled him out.

"You ain't down yet man!" Woods stated, handing Mason a mortar shell. Mason leapt onto the tank, forcing open the hatch. Out of it came Kravchenko... That fucking bastard.

Ascension Mason could have sworn he heard. Dragovtich, Kravchencko, Stiener, all must die. Mason went to be almost mechanical as he began beating Kravchenko to a bloody pulp, not a single piece of him being unhit. He passed out shortly after, leaving Mason able to destroy the tank.

"What the fuck!?" Woods spat. "Of course that piece of shit is involved in all this!" Mason didn't respond, choosing instead to cover his eyes as the numbers began reappearing.

"So the numbers, they caused hallucinations?" Sakamoto asked.

"Don't know why you're so interested, but yeah." Woods responded. "Mason, he'd sometimes get this look, he'd tick, start scanning the room. Next thing you know, he's talking to the Russian. Fucking Reznov, good old Tricky Vic."

"Why are you so interested in The Numbers?" Section asked. "There something you aren't telling us?"

"Yeah, and there's a reason." Sakamoto stated. "But if you must know, Inner Circle found out how to use The Numbers, I want to find a way to get them out of my head. Sometimes, I'll see things, I wasn't sure if it was The Numbers until now."

"Unfortunately, there's no way to get rid of them one hundred percent. Mason and I had this friend, Adler. He was brainwashed by Perseus, possibly by Arisato as well." Woods explained. "Tried using this MK Ultra shit to flush the numbers out of his system, it worked. But sometimes, just like Mason, he'd get this look, start mumbling about how to destabilize a country, just weird bulshit that didn't make any sense. That's what they do to ya. Best I can recommend to you is to find some Dopamine Inhibitors, whatever those are. The rest is sheer willpower. I'll tell you, Mason had a fuck load of that to go around."

"Woods, maybe Iori or I should handle this." Hudson stated. Woods shook his head.

"Maybe you should stay the fuck out of my way, I got unfinished buisness with this fucker." Woods stated. Mason was barely able to pay attention, he was focused on silently loading and chambering his 1911. The rest was a blur as he tried to force himself not to shoot. It was an uphill climb, that is, until Kravchenko mentioned Arisato.

"She's alive, you know." Kravchenko stated. "She's been trying to counter my dealings with Menendez."

"Bull fucking shit, Adler shot her himself!" Woods spat.

"Haha, yes, he did do that, and she did die, but the Perseus at the time, he did something unnatural. Whatever it is, it brought her back to life, different, but alive." Kravchenko stated. "The CIA knows this, there's much they aren't telling you, Menedez even has men in the CIA. Everyone has a price."

"He's fuckign with us!" Hudson spat." Woods sighed, pulling out his own 1911, pulling the trigger on Kravchenko. The Mujahideen militants immediately aimed at the team.

"Ah goddamnit, this has to be the third time a gun has been pointed at me point blank…" Iori sighed. "Twice by people I trusted, twice as a kid, one resulted in my death for like a minute."

"Not the time, Iori." Hudson sighed.

"You have to be shitting me…" Woods groaned.

"Menendez told me you must suffer." Rahmaan stated as the Mujahideen militants choked the group out. "You will always be our true enemy." Rahmaan abandoned them in the desert, leaving them to die."

"So we're buried up to here in the desert, and who does your father think comes riding on a horse to save us!?" Woods asked.

"Tricky Vic." Section stated.

"Hah, see you're just like your old man." Woods laughed. "No, it wasn't him. If it was, wouldn't he have stuck around, maybe explained some shit? No, it was much more concerning, guess who showed up."

"Who?" Sakamoto asked.

"Minako fucking Arisato and a team of Perseus Spec-Ops boys." Woods laughed. "Fuckers fed us, gave us water, a bed, even fucking blew up a Muj supply cave to protect us, all without so much as a word. All we got from them was this." Woods pulled a box out from under his bed. Inside was a handgun, a knife, and a small necklace with a note. "This is a carbon fucking copy of the necklace a Perseus wears. Guess who was wearing the real thing?"

"Arisato." Section answered. A nod came from Woods.

"Yep, Iori didn't seem too surprised. Looking back, I think he or those employers of his knew."

A/N: So, Minako rescued Woods and the gang, and was working against Menendez in 86, wonder why? Not much to say right now, hope you enjoyed and have a great day!