. I guess the hype DID burn out.

Forte: .

Beelzemon: What?

Forte: . MAKE THAT DAMN TAPE FROM HELL STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beelzemon: . Super Spy Guy. Your damn tape traumatized him. (Smacks Forte with the broadside of his shotgun.)

Forte: . I needed that.

(Forte grabs Beelzemon, and disembowels him by blasting his torso rapidly.)

Beelzemon: Ugh.. (Dies then comes back.) I am SO glad Snake loaned me a ration.

Forte: .

Chapter 4 - It's just not their day.

Meryl staggered around, firing blindly, trying to hit Firefly. He got the drop on her with his flashlight, and now there was trouble. She felt intense heat near her. As the heat died, her vision cleared. Firefly had his flamethrower pointed in her face.

"Shall I escort you to the prison, or shall I give you a new look? I hear the charred skull look is popular with Goths."

Meryl decided to be taken prisoner. She could escape then.

Dynamo loved every second of the fight. Snake was a great challenge, despite his radar was jammed. He was truly the Legend.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~."

Then a bullet whizzed by Dynamo's head. He turned, and hurled his yo- yo at Snake. The tazer effect knocked Snake out cold.

"The boss will want to talk to you. to the prison with ya."

Raiden was fairing much better, since Master's advice was dead on. Drago was bleeding now. Raiden threw one last grenade, hoping to kill Drago, but Drago used his tail to bat the bomb back at Raiden. The explosion threw Raiden into the churning water. Drago left to lick his wounds, not keeping an eye on him to make sure the Piranha finished him off.

"{Gasps} Gahh!!!! That nearly killed me!!!!!"

Raiden ate a ration, and let the sense of pleasure following the reliving of his pain sweep over him. Then he got out of the water, and checked his equipment. It was still there. Then he called Rose.

Rose?

JACK!!!! THANK GOD YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!!!

I was surprised myself.

Then Otacon took over.

Raiden, the signals from Snake and Meryl's nanomachines put them in the prison. They've been captured!

NO WAY!!!! SNAKE??? CAPTURED?????

It wouldn't be the first time.

Then Master came in.

Raiden, you're bleeding! Use your bandages. If you keep bleeding.

I know. I'll leave a blood trail.

True, but you're also putting yourself at greater risk of getting ill.

Raiden used a bandage.

Raiden, who's that? Otacon asked.

I'm an old friend of Snake's. I was hoping to surprise him. Master told him, Naomi told me about how things are here.

I think I remember you. Master, right? Otacon asked.

That's right.

Wait, I didn't tell you anything! Naomi interrupted.

Oh? Sorry. I forgot who was who, being out of touch for so long. It must've been Mei Ling.

Oh.

Raiden, do you see any tunnels anywhere? Otacon asked.

Raiden looked around.

Yeah, I see some tunnels that lead off from the main tunnel.

One of those leads directly to the prison. Find it, and free the others.

Raiden then started looking around. He equipped his Directional Microphone to pick up voices. He heard Snake and Meryl from the tunnel on his right. He went down it, and eventually came to a large grate cover with Snake and Meryl on the other side.

"That damn kid. I can't believe I let him catch me off guard."

"At least you weren't threatened to have your head reduced to ash."

Raiden knocked on the grate.

"Is this a bad time to save you?"

"Raiden?"

"Well?"

Snake then noted something Raiden didn't.

"Just HOW are you going to get us out?"

"Uh."

Then a voice shouted from down the tunnel, echoing on the steel walls of the way back to the waterways.

"SOMEONE DOWN THERE'S IN FOR A REAL SHOCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Then Dynamo charged up his gauntlets, and fired an electrical blast into the tunnel walls, sending an electrical surge straight for Raiden.

//////////////////

Short, sweet, and oh so sprinkled with cliffhanger.

Forte: .