Chapter Twelve: Radicals Abound
The cage bounced upwards, and retreated to the opposite side of the room as Ocelot and Rogue stopped before the 'specimen.'
He stood there, composed and calm. An intricate suit covered his entire body, and where there had once been a hole bore into his stomach, there was not a scratch, scathe, or scar. Untouched and ready for battle, the figure stood, its sword stretched out only inches from Rogue's chin. Between where its eyes would be was a large red circle that gleamed with a pulsating light. It shot a look to Ocelot and let out a cool, short laugh.
Ocelot was smiling as he watched it, but in an instant, the sword was upon him and his smile turned to a grim and nearly frightened scowl. From his holster he pulled a revolver and as he aimed it toward the man, the sword struck upward throwing the glimmering, shiny gun into the air. The sword swung again. Rogue jumped back, falling into the hall as Ocelot pulled himself away as coolly as he could, and worked his hand down for his other revolver.
But, when he raised it, the figure had gone. All that remained was a trail of crimson light following its gleaming red eye. Ocelot jumped into the hall to see Rogue regaining his balance and to see the man scurry off in the other direction, blood dripping from the blade it held in its one hand.
But, before it had reached the end of the hall, the three heard a beep and in an instant, doors in the man's direction opened and out stepped Solid Snake. He did not realize, until he turned to his right, that he had intruded on anything, but when he saw the man standing there before him, his sword touching the floor, and then Rogue and Revolver Ocelot not much further away than the man, his eyes grew large and a look is disbelief befell him.
"What the hell?!" Snake questioned. Everything had stopped. Ocelot's revolver was aimed at both Snake and the other man, Rogue was watching in awe, and the man that stood before them all cocked his head awkwardly at the sound of Snake's voice. "Frank?!"
It was. Frank Jaeger. The soldier of Zanzibar. The Ninja of Shadow Moses. The living miracle…He had died; was crushed beneath the overpowering weight of Metal Gear Rex. But, somehow, he was there. Standing before them. His glory returned. His menace beheld. He was alive.
He did not answer Snake, but looked at him so strangely instead, as if he could not see him. As if the voice had come out of the wind, or from the depths of his own mind. But, there was no doubt that Snake was standing there. The Ninja…he could not…remember him.
A shot rang out from behind the Ninja and in a movement quicker than the eye could tell, he was off his feet. The bullet that left Ocelot's revolver dodged Snake by less than an inch and they all waited for the outcome. There was a shatter against the wall behind Snake, and as they watched, the Ninja began to "move" through the air.
Not once did he touch the ground. He was…flying almost, but his movements were jerky and appeared most unordinary. This way and that, he went as Ocelot continued to unload his revolver into the air where the small bullets were doomed to hit nothing.
Then, the Ninja landed, crumpled almost into a ball on the floor. They all heard the empty clicks of Ocelot's revolver and the Ninja used the time to coolly jump up before Snake and look him in the eye. Closely, he watched, and listened to Snake's breathing. The memory of him was sitting on the edge of a knife. Push it one way and it would fall from his reach, and push it the other, something might react. But, there was another click as Ocelot reloaded his weapon and the Ninja bolted up and away, into the room at the end of the hall. He disappeared.
Snake stood there, unarmed and without any chances were he to go up against the two. Seeing Rogue, he was mesmerized. Was it Jack? Or…was it Jack? "Damn!" he proclaimed and jumped into the elevator as the doors closed behind him. Ocelot threw down his revolver, his face strangely happy as opposed to upset. Rogue looked up at him as they heard the elevator begin to move. Two floors it went, before they heard a beep.
"That," Rogue began, enraged, "was your 'specimen'?!" Ocelot's face quickly morphed, taking on a look of hate. His eyes were sharp, his lips curled, and his hands began to clench into fists.
"Damn them!" he cried. "The wrong body…damn!" Ocelot turned away from Rogue and stepped into the Operation Room. Rogue followed behind, still upset and enraged. The walls were stained with terribly dark blood. The sight was like one from a painting. The red was splashed crazily about the room, the glow of the lights shattered and refracted. It brought back memories…
"Ocelot! He killed three men!" Rogue pursued. "Three men! He did not even to try!" Ocelot did not move his eyes from the walls that he scanned so closely.
"They were unarmed," Ocelot said. "At least we know that it worked," he began to trail off as he moved over to where the octagonal cage sat in the corner of the room. Rogue followed, his rage still present.
"How?! How did he make it in here wearing that…suit?! That sword?! Where did he get them?! Ocelot! How did he have that weapon?!" Rogue was incessant, and Ocelot tried to ignore him but could not. He picked up the cage and set it in the suitcase before closing it tightly to hear the locks engage.
"You…suspect me," he said as he turned and walked past Rogue, out into the hallway, stopping by the door to claim his second revolver, which the Ninja had inconveniently knocked from his grasp. Rogue did not fail to trace his footsteps.
"Ocelot," he began, almost apologetically, "I do not…but HOW?! It was not coincidence!" Ocelot swiftly turned back to him, his revolver set in the soft area beneath Rogue's chin.
"What we do now," Ocelot said, "is for you to decide. I will prepare for Socrates' operation. When I am ready, I will contact you by radio." Ocelot said before dropping his gun and holstering it. He began to walk off toward the stairs as Rogue watched.
Quickly, he held his radio to his mouth and in it yelled, "Strengthen security! Three radicals are abound! Do not stop until all have been killed!" He looked at Ocelot. "What about our money?! They will not pay for HIM!" Ocelot continued to walk and as he did, he answered.
"Yes they will, my friend. Don't you worry," and he was gone.
The cage bounced upwards, and retreated to the opposite side of the room as Ocelot and Rogue stopped before the 'specimen.'
He stood there, composed and calm. An intricate suit covered his entire body, and where there had once been a hole bore into his stomach, there was not a scratch, scathe, or scar. Untouched and ready for battle, the figure stood, its sword stretched out only inches from Rogue's chin. Between where its eyes would be was a large red circle that gleamed with a pulsating light. It shot a look to Ocelot and let out a cool, short laugh.
Ocelot was smiling as he watched it, but in an instant, the sword was upon him and his smile turned to a grim and nearly frightened scowl. From his holster he pulled a revolver and as he aimed it toward the man, the sword struck upward throwing the glimmering, shiny gun into the air. The sword swung again. Rogue jumped back, falling into the hall as Ocelot pulled himself away as coolly as he could, and worked his hand down for his other revolver.
But, when he raised it, the figure had gone. All that remained was a trail of crimson light following its gleaming red eye. Ocelot jumped into the hall to see Rogue regaining his balance and to see the man scurry off in the other direction, blood dripping from the blade it held in its one hand.
But, before it had reached the end of the hall, the three heard a beep and in an instant, doors in the man's direction opened and out stepped Solid Snake. He did not realize, until he turned to his right, that he had intruded on anything, but when he saw the man standing there before him, his sword touching the floor, and then Rogue and Revolver Ocelot not much further away than the man, his eyes grew large and a look is disbelief befell him.
"What the hell?!" Snake questioned. Everything had stopped. Ocelot's revolver was aimed at both Snake and the other man, Rogue was watching in awe, and the man that stood before them all cocked his head awkwardly at the sound of Snake's voice. "Frank?!"
It was. Frank Jaeger. The soldier of Zanzibar. The Ninja of Shadow Moses. The living miracle…He had died; was crushed beneath the overpowering weight of Metal Gear Rex. But, somehow, he was there. Standing before them. His glory returned. His menace beheld. He was alive.
He did not answer Snake, but looked at him so strangely instead, as if he could not see him. As if the voice had come out of the wind, or from the depths of his own mind. But, there was no doubt that Snake was standing there. The Ninja…he could not…remember him.
A shot rang out from behind the Ninja and in a movement quicker than the eye could tell, he was off his feet. The bullet that left Ocelot's revolver dodged Snake by less than an inch and they all waited for the outcome. There was a shatter against the wall behind Snake, and as they watched, the Ninja began to "move" through the air.
Not once did he touch the ground. He was…flying almost, but his movements were jerky and appeared most unordinary. This way and that, he went as Ocelot continued to unload his revolver into the air where the small bullets were doomed to hit nothing.
Then, the Ninja landed, crumpled almost into a ball on the floor. They all heard the empty clicks of Ocelot's revolver and the Ninja used the time to coolly jump up before Snake and look him in the eye. Closely, he watched, and listened to Snake's breathing. The memory of him was sitting on the edge of a knife. Push it one way and it would fall from his reach, and push it the other, something might react. But, there was another click as Ocelot reloaded his weapon and the Ninja bolted up and away, into the room at the end of the hall. He disappeared.
Snake stood there, unarmed and without any chances were he to go up against the two. Seeing Rogue, he was mesmerized. Was it Jack? Or…was it Jack? "Damn!" he proclaimed and jumped into the elevator as the doors closed behind him. Ocelot threw down his revolver, his face strangely happy as opposed to upset. Rogue looked up at him as they heard the elevator begin to move. Two floors it went, before they heard a beep.
"That," Rogue began, enraged, "was your 'specimen'?!" Ocelot's face quickly morphed, taking on a look of hate. His eyes were sharp, his lips curled, and his hands began to clench into fists.
"Damn them!" he cried. "The wrong body…damn!" Ocelot turned away from Rogue and stepped into the Operation Room. Rogue followed behind, still upset and enraged. The walls were stained with terribly dark blood. The sight was like one from a painting. The red was splashed crazily about the room, the glow of the lights shattered and refracted. It brought back memories…
"Ocelot! He killed three men!" Rogue pursued. "Three men! He did not even to try!" Ocelot did not move his eyes from the walls that he scanned so closely.
"They were unarmed," Ocelot said. "At least we know that it worked," he began to trail off as he moved over to where the octagonal cage sat in the corner of the room. Rogue followed, his rage still present.
"How?! How did he make it in here wearing that…suit?! That sword?! Where did he get them?! Ocelot! How did he have that weapon?!" Rogue was incessant, and Ocelot tried to ignore him but could not. He picked up the cage and set it in the suitcase before closing it tightly to hear the locks engage.
"You…suspect me," he said as he turned and walked past Rogue, out into the hallway, stopping by the door to claim his second revolver, which the Ninja had inconveniently knocked from his grasp. Rogue did not fail to trace his footsteps.
"Ocelot," he began, almost apologetically, "I do not…but HOW?! It was not coincidence!" Ocelot swiftly turned back to him, his revolver set in the soft area beneath Rogue's chin.
"What we do now," Ocelot said, "is for you to decide. I will prepare for Socrates' operation. When I am ready, I will contact you by radio." Ocelot said before dropping his gun and holstering it. He began to walk off toward the stairs as Rogue watched.
Quickly, he held his radio to his mouth and in it yelled, "Strengthen security! Three radicals are abound! Do not stop until all have been killed!" He looked at Ocelot. "What about our money?! They will not pay for HIM!" Ocelot continued to walk and as he did, he answered.
"Yes they will, my friend. Don't you worry," and he was gone.