TITLE: Otherside
PART: 1/8
SERIES: Philanthropy
PAIRING: Snake/Otacon
AUTHOR: Princess Co., Unltd.
RATING: R (language, sexual situations)
DISCLAIMERS: Metal Gear and all its characters belong to Konami. We're simply borrowing these characters for our own amusement. We're not making money or anything, so please, nobody sue. We don't have anything anyway.
NOTES: This is a fic for people who are very familiar with the Metal Gear Solid 2 storyline. Lots of spoilers and lots of left out explanations that are described in great detail in the game, but not especially important to this story.
SUMMARY: We all know Raiden's mission in the Big Shell...but what about Philanthropy...?
WARNINGS: This story depicts a male/male relationship (yaoi). If this offends you, don't read it.
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At the edge of a warehouse district somewhere in New York City sat a very nondescript four-story building. The drab exterior and dark windows cleverly disguised the elaborate and very alive interior of the new Philanthropy headquarters, just finished about six months ago. The roof was slightly domed, concealing a helipad and chopper in the supposed top floor. The third floor held ample and tasteful apartments, the living quarters of the Philanthropy core group. The second floor held workspaces and the infirmary. The first floor was simply storage, to maintain at first glance the appearance of a working warehouse.
Below the building, in a deep basement, VR training equipment had been set up. Deeper still, in a well-buried and very large sub-basement, was a shooting range and space for practical training exercises. Of course, with Otacon and Mei Ling in collaboration, the security system was nothing to be scoffed at. Hardly a spider could creep inside without being seen, heard, or felt by some mechanical sensor.
Inside the HQ, Philanthropy were working fast. Everyone had been very busy since the move, but haven't left the building much. Finally, after two years of laying low and several more months of planning, they were preparing for their first big mission, the opportunity they had been waiting for to get started again. That very day, two of their members would be infiltrating the offshore facility, Big Shell, and everything had to be ready.
In the living room of their apartment, Snake and Otacon were dozing on the couch, Otacon stretched out with his head in Snake's lap. A quiet knock sounded at their door, and Snake grinned slightly, not lifting his head from the back of the couch. He had come to recognize Mei Ling's rather light way of doing everything.
"It's open," he called, still grinning.
Mei Ling entered, jaw dropping in shock when she spotted them. "You're napping now?! Do you know what time it is?"
"Hmm?" Otacon mumbled, eyes fluttering open. He squinted at a clock and gasped, sitting up quickly. "Snake, why didn't you wake me?"
"Relax, you're not late," Snake assured, putting a calming hand on Otacon's shoulder. He turned a slightly annoyed glance at Mei Ling. "You just couldn't let him sleep an extra couple minutes, huh? He's been up most of the night worrying about today."
"Sorry," Mei Ling shrugged. "I just came to say goodbye and wish you luck."
Otacon gave her a smile. "Thanks. We appreciate it."
"I'll have my eye on you." Mei Ling smiled, winked, and started for the door.
"You better," Snake called after her. "You're our guardian angel." Mei Ling giggled at that, waved and left them alone.
Otacon sighed and looked at Snake. "We'd better get ready."
"We are ready," Snake countered, "and you won't be running late for another twenty minutes. Leave in fifteen, and you'll be right on time."
"I actually wanted to be a little early."
"So leave in ten." Snake smiled warmly and gently brushed Otacon's hair back. "We haven't said goodbye the right way yet."
Otacon returned the smile and wrapped his arms around Snake's chest with a sigh. "I'm still nervous," he admitted quietly. "Something still doesn't feel right."
"What can you have to be nervous about?" Snake asked, still brushing Otacon's hair. "You've got this thing timed down to the second, and you came up with more contingency plans than I've ever had for any mission before."
"I know. I know," Otacon mumbled, "but I still don't feel ready somehow."
"You're ready."
"Thanks, Snake." Otacon smiled, then heaved another sigh. "I guess it's time to go." He pulled slowly from Snake's arms, grabbed his laptop and stood facing the door for a minute before suddenly turning back to Snake. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a key card.
Snake took the card and eyed it closely. "This looks familiar."
"They're using my system," Otacon confirmed with a smirk. "A little updated, but pretty much the same."
"Updated how?"
"More sensitive proximity sensors," Otacon replied. "You don't have to deactivate stealth or even take the card out of your pocket. Just walk by a door and it'll open." He gestured to the card Snake held. "That's an all-access key."
"I like it," Snake grinned, then set the key down on the coffee table and went with Otacon to the door.
Otacon paused with his hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and turned to Snake. "See you in a few hours."
"You better believe it." Snake grasped Otacon's chin and kissed him long and slow, then pressed their foreheads together. "If you get nervous again, just remember I've still got you, no matter where you are."
"I love you, Snake," Otacon breathed, then put his arms around Snake and hugged him tightly.
Nodding gently, Snake pressed a kiss to his cheek and released him. "I guess you better go join the Navy."
Otacon laughed a little before turning serious again. "Be careful."
"I was just gonna tell you the same thing," Snake said quietly, smiling faintly.
Reluctantly, Otacon turned away from Snake and walked slowly out the door toward the elevator, glancing back over his shoulder constantly. He reached the end of the hall and hit the call button. The doors glided open and with one heavier sigh, he stepped inside and turned around. He watched Snake wave goodbye and waved back, a lump forming in his throat.
Snake stood in the hallway, watching until the numbers over the elevator dropped down to one, then went back inside to get his gear together. He was satisfied that he had put on a convincing show, unwilling to admit to anyone except himself that he was nervous about the mission too. Otacon hadn't been in the field on a mission since Shadow Moses, and then he hadn't even been an official part of the mission. This was different. He was deliberately putting himself into a dangerous situation for the cause and it bothered Snake more than he was willing to admit. Once they were both inside Big Shell and in close communication, he would feel better.
Knowing he was distracted, Snake went through his equipment and mental checklist once more before leaving, still with the distinct, nagging feeling that he had forgotten something.
*
Fifteen minutes later, Snake stood on a dock looking over the Hudson River, equipment bag at his feet, running through his mind exactly where Otacon was at that moment. He was most likely past checking in with the SEALs and the briefing and was probably nearly ready to board the helicopter. Snake resisted the urge to contact Otacon and turned his mind to the mission. His thoughts were interrupted when a stocky, grizzled-looking man approached him.
"Lookin' fer a boat?" the man asked in a thick New England accent.
Snake nodded once. "Are you the guy I talked to yesterday?"
"Depends," the man replied, eyeing Snake. "Who'r you?"
"Pliskin," Snake said after a moment's hesitation.
"Ya escapin' from New York, Mr. Pliskin?" The man guffawed and slapped his knee at his joke while Snake glowered. Eventually, he stopped laughing and grinned at Snake. "Sorry, ya probly hear them kinda jokes too often." Snake still made no reply, merely stared stonily at the man who cleared his throat quickly. "Well, I'm yer man."
"Good," Snake said gruffly. "Where's the boat?"
"Where's the cash?" the man countered.
Snake stared him down. "Show me the boat first." The man shrugged and led him to a rusty, dirty old fishing boat nearby. Snake stared at the thing floating in the river warily. "I'm surprised it's still floating."
"So she ain't so purty," the man replied, patting the side of the boat. "She'll get ya wherever yer goin'."
"It'll have to do," Snake muttered, shaking his head. He pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it over.
The man counted quickly and whistled. "This is more'n we talked about. You could buy 'er fer this much."
"Not interested." Snake climbed aboard the boat, followed by the man. "I'm buying more from you than a ride. I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut."
"What about?" the man prodded, looking confused. "You never told me nuthin'."
Snake aimed an intimidating glare at him. "And it'll stay that way, too."
"So," the man cleared his throat again and grinned at Snake, "where'm I takin' ya."
"Do you know where the Big Shell is?"
The man shrugged. "'Course, who doesn't?"
"Good," Snake nodded. "Take me toward it. I'll tell you when to stop."
"Whatever ya want," the man replied, shrugging again. He went up to the controls and started the motor. The noisy thing growled to life, coughing smoke. Snake was a bit concerned, but as the vessel's captain seemed at ease, he calmed down.
"So, what's the big secret?" the man called down to Snake over the noise.
Snake glowered up at him. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."
"Yer not comin' out here to drown yerself or nuthin', are ya?" the man asked.
"No."
"Why'd ya pay me all that money? Ya rich?" Snake didn't answer him, getting fed up with his questions. "What's so special out here anyways?" The man mused, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know! You must work fer the gov'ment. Some kinda spy or sumthin'. Am I right?"
Snake shook his head and looked out over the water. "I'm just a guy who wanted a ride."
"Well anyways, ya seem like the secret agent type," the man said with a shrug.
"Afraid I wouldn't know the type you mean. I've never met a secret agent," Snake replied and decided to change the subject. "Does this boat always make this much noise?"
"Sure does," the man nodded.
"That smoke can't be good either," Snake continued.
The man shrugged and patted the boat's wheel. "She don't hold 'er oil like she used to."
"Why don't you sell it?" Snake asked. "Then you can use whatever you get for it, plus what I gave you, and get yourself a new boat."
"That's somethin' to think about," the man nodded and went quiet.
Snake stood silently at the bow of the boat, still staring out over the water and once again running through the mission in his head. Eventually, he could just see the Big Shell coming into view. "This is good," he called over his shoulder. "You can stop here."
"But it's the middle-a nowhere!" the man gasped, but did as Snake asked and cut the engines.
"Not nowhere," Snake shook his head, kneeling to dig through his equipment bag. "This is exactly where I need to be." He started pulling on his flippers and oxygen rebreather.
The man climbed down from the upper deck and approached Snake, eyeing the diving gear. "Yer swimmin' in these waters?"
"Any reason I shouldn't?" Snake asked as he secured his bag.
"They ain't cleaned up that oil spill yet!" The man cried. "This here's contaminated!"
Snake nodded. "I know."
"I thought you warn't killin' yerself," the man said, eyes narrowing.
"I'm not. I have good equipment." Snake turned and stared out at the shadowy form of the Big Shell. "Frankly, I don't think the Big Shell's doing its job."
"So that's who you are," the man gasped with realization and Snake looked at him expectantly. "Yer a reporter! Yer gettin' dirt on Big Shell!"
Snake grinned, glad the man had taken the bait. "I paid you enough not to answer that, and I'm still counting on you to keep your mouth shut."
"Sure, no problem," the man assured. "Uh, how long'r you stayin' out here?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Snake said with a grin. "I've got a ride home with someone else."
Pulling the mask down over his face, Snake turned and dove into the water. Before going anywhere, he checked his watch, noting that Otacon should be in the air by now. He looked up through the murky water for a second, then started kicking toward the plant, surfacing several times to clear his mask's filter and look for the helicopters. Upon reaching the oil fence, he pulled out a large knife and slashed through the wire, the resheathed the knife and swam through. A few minutes later, he surfaced silently inside Strut A's deep-sea dock. He glanced around quickly, saw no one, and climbed out of the pool.
Working quickly, Snake pulled off his mask and flippers, then took off his bag and watch. He knelt at the edge of the pool, opened his pack and began pulling out his weapons and supplies, stashing them in various pockets and holsters. When he was finished, he wrapped the mask and flippers in a weighted net satchel and lowered them into the pool, letting them sink to the ocean bottom. Then, he checked his time once more, seeing that Otacon's helicopter should be setting down any moment, and put the watch away in another pocket.
Snake slung his bag, now holding only a stolen SEAL uniform and an M4 rifle, onto his back, stood and went cautiously toward the door. A loud splash suddenly echoed from where he came in and he swore to himself, then snuck through the door. He crept along the wall and paused, pressing back to peer around the corner. Seeing only a short corridor with a door at the end, Snake ducked back and took a deep, calming breath. Just as he was about to move on, he heard the door slide open and a shadow approaching quickly along the floor. He jumped out and quickly knocked out the guard and dove through the door.
Ducking quickly into an open space surrounded by crates, Snake looked around saw another guard patrolling before a large elevator. "Bingo," he whispered, smiling to himself. He heard the door slide open and pressed more tightly into his hiding place as the hall guard rushed into the room. He couldn't see either guard, but heard them clearly. He noted with slight surprise that both spoke Russian.
"There's an intruder," the hall guard reported.
"I didn't see anyone," the other replied, sounding confused.
"Then he must still be here." The first guard's voice quieted. "We can't let him escape or we're as good as dead. We'll corner him."
"Right," the other guard whispered back. "You head that way and I'll go this way."
Before the guards had finished speaking, Snake had inched out of his concealment, and positioned himself to ambush the hall guard. As the guard moved stealthily forward, Snake grabbed his gun and slammed his elbow into the man's face, knocking him out. He left that guard slumped against a forklift and moved to intercept the other. Moving around the central stacked crates, Snake met the guard coming the other way and quickly laid him out with a single punch to the jaw.
As soon both guards were out, Snake glanced around the room and spotted what he was looking for in the north corner, the node. He hurried to the machine, grumbling something about damned computers, and tried to recall what Otacon had told him.
After a second of thought, he remembered and cautiously placed his hand on the screen. Pain suddenly ripped through him and he bit back a shriek. It ended a moment later and he growled and kicked the node, then began navigating the menus. Eventually he found the right one and downloaded the maps of the Big Shell to his radar. He smiled as the radar display appeared in the corner of his vision, then gasped sharply as he realized one of the guards was awake and standing right behind him.
Ducking fast, Snake kicked out and caught the guard in the gut, then grabbed him and flung both of them into the elevator. He slammed the guard's head into the floor, knocking him out just as the elevator began its automatic ascent. He quickly kicked the guard off and turned away, sighing in relief. He didn't see the figure crouching behind a stack of boxes, head covered by a rebreather mask, staring up at him.
At the top of the strut, the elevator jerked to a stop and Snake moved off. Looking around, he saw two fenced areas surrounding the doors. He checked his radar for guards or cameras, but saw only a number of seagulls, so he went to the eastern fence and tried the gate. It was locked tight. With a grunt of annoyance, he moved to the opposite gate and swore outright when he saw it was locked as well.
Still grumbling, he unsheathed his knife again and knelt before the fence, cutting a hole large enough for him to squeeze through. He resheathed the knife and entered the section, sneaking through the door and down the steps. As he descended back into the strut, his Codec chirped. He answered it and was immediately greeted by a sight of a group of SEALs moving stealthily down a flight of metal stairs.
'Snake, are you there?' Otacon asked.
'Otacon!' Snake sighed in relief and glanced at his watch. 'Looks like everything's right on schedule.'
'Good. We just got clear of the chopper. Where are you?'
'The upper level of Strut A,' Snake replied, moving past the lone guard and out into the entry. He paused and crouched outside the door to the AB bridge, peeking around it to check the bridge. 'I'm about to head to B.'
'So I see,' Otacon grinned. 'We're moving down into Strut E right now and heading in your direction. I've gotta find a good time to discreetly disappear.'
Snake nodded. 'Keep me posted.'
'I will,' Otacon assured, pausing to sigh. 'I feel a lot better now that I can hear your voice again.'
'Me too,' Snake smiled. 'Oh, by the way, I think that other sneaking mission you heard about followed me in.'
'Followed you?!' Otacon gasped. 'Impossible!'
'Don't panic,' Snake soothed, regretting his choice of words. 'Maybe follow is the wrong word. I meant he came in right behind me.' He shook his head and sighed. 'The guy's a rookie, I'd bet my life.'
Otacon chuckled faintly. 'Well, don't do that, but try to find out exactly who he is anyway.'
'How am I supposed to do that?' Snake asked, a bit incredulously. 'I can guarantee a look at him, sure, but I need time to change before I can ask him any questions.'
'Relax. I didn't say right now,' Otacon sighed. 'It can wait 'til you're in a safe spot. Good luck.'
'See you soon.' As soon as Snake ended the call with Otacon, his Codec chirped again. This time, there was no visual when he answered, so he figured it was Mei Ling.
'Snake, it's me,' the analyst said, confirming Snake's thought. 'Glad to hear you both made it safely.'
Snake grinned. 'We do our best.'
'So you do,' Mei Ling chuckled, then turned serious. 'I just wanted to let you know, I've got you both on radar, and I'll be monitoring the mission now.'
'That's our girl.'
'One thing, though.' Mei Ling sounded regretful. 'I may not be able to talk too often. Naomi and Teresa are keeping me busy here too.'
'As long as you don't forget about us here,' Snake replied.
'I would never do that, Snake,' Mei Ling assured gently. 'I should call Otacon. Good luck.'
As soon as the transmission ended, Snake pulled out his M9, checked his radar and jumped out the door. He quickly dropped both guards and went on to Strut B. As he looked around, he suddenly heard what could only be SEALs moving over the bridge behind him. Cursing silently, Snake ran down the hall, looking for a place to hide. He spotted a row of lockers beside the door to the BC bridge and ducked into one.
He listened as the SEALs entered the strut and moved cautiously into the transformer room. Shortly, Snake began to hear some anomalous sounds, the zing of something cutting through the air, bodies falling, gunfire, and loud cries of alarm. A sinking feeling came over him as he realized what must have been going on. Taking the opportunity, Snake took off his pack, pulled out his disguise and started struggling to put it on in the confines of the locker.
Suddenly, his Codec rang and Otacon's worried voice sounded in his ear. 'Snake, what's happening in Strut B? Are you there yet?'
'I'm here,' Snake confirmed.
'Team Alpha is in trouble!'
'I know.' Snake shook his head. 'It's worse than you think. It's Vamp.'
'Dead Cell,' Otacon gasped. 'He's the one with the knives, right?'
'Yeah, that's him,' Snake growled.
'Are you safe?' Otacon asked, the worried tone increasing.
'I'm in a locker.'
'No wonder I can't see anything around you.'
Snake paused his struggles with the uniform and looked out through the grate. 'That better?'
'I still don't see what's going on,' Otacon muttered.
'Me neither.' Snake went back to pulling on his disguise. 'They're all around the corner or in the next room. Hold on.' He quietly opened the locker and crept out.
'Snake, what are you doing?!' Otacon cried. 'Get back under cover!'
'Relax, I just need a radio,' Snake said calmingly. He peered around the corner, seeing only a few dead SEALs in the blood-spattered hall. 'I think they're all in there now.' He glanced at the door to the transformer room and quickly went to the nearest body, taking his radio, then dashed back to the locker. He finished changing into the uniform, pulling the balaclava and headphones on last, then left the locker. He pulled out his M4 and stashed the bag in the end locker, locking it securely.
'We're heading through Strut C now,' Otacon said. 'We should be heading toward your position in a few min...'
'Shh. Wait a second,' Snake hissed, cutting him off. He listened hard for a moment. 'It's gotten quiet.' He pressed against the wall next to the door, trying to hear. He heard a faint voice, probably from a radio, but otherwise it was quiet. 'I think Vamp is still in there, probably reveling in the blood.'
Otacon shuddered. 'Ugh.'
'I might be able to...' Snake stopped, hearing two low voices. 'Damn. There's someone else in there. I'll bet it's that rookie.'
'Now's your chance to find out who he's working for,' Otacon spoke up, sounding nervous. 'There's something strange about this whole situation.'
'Right,' Snake agreed. 'I'm going in.' He cut off his Codec, checked his M4 quickly and charged through the door, spotting a very young-looking blonde man standing in the middle of a walkway. The rookie was looking around cautiously, M9 in hand, but didn't realize Vamp stood right behind him and was slowly reaching for him.
"Get down!!" Snake shouted and the kid hit the floor a split second before he pulled the trigger, but Vamp dodged every bullet and vanished. Snake stalked warily into the room, boots squelching on the blood-soaked floor. "Where is he?!"
Vamp suddenly jumped from the ceiling, knife flashing. He cut into Snake's arm, evoking a yell and sending the M4 flying. Before Snake knew what was happening, Vamp grabbed his head and slammed him hard against the wall, knocking off his headphones. Dazed and injured, all he could do was hang helplessly in Vamp's grip.
The terrorist leaned close to Snake's throat, intending to bite him, but paused and sniffed slightly. "Hmmm? Strange smell..." he mumbled to himself as Snake rolled his eyes and glowered. "You smell like S--!" Vamp dropped Snake and backed away a step. "Are you -- it has to be!"
"Shoot him!" Snake shouted, seeing the kid had grabbed his rifle. "What are you waiting for?!"
The rookie unfroze and started firing, but Vamp cut the bullets from the air with great flourish. The clip emptied, and just as Vamp looked like he would make a move, he stopped dead.
"Yeah, Queen?" Vamp said, speaking into a transmitter in his ear. He lowered his voice and kept talking, ignoring the other two men.
Snake took advantage of Vamp's distraction and slid a fresh clip across to the rookie. The young man snatched it up and professionally slammed it into the gun, but Vamp was faster. As soon as the kid had the gun ready and took aim again, no one was there. Hearing a sound behind him, he swung the barrel around, but never got a chance to fire. Like lightening, Vamp was gone. The rookie swung in confused circles, seeking an enemy that was no longer there. Snake began to move on the floor and he turned the gun on him.
"Hold on," Snake said quickly, "I'm not an enemy. Calm down." He shuffled over to a fence surrounding a group of transformers and sat up, leaning back heavily to catch his breath.
'What happened?!' Otacon cried in his ear. 'You cut me off! Is everything okay?'
'Yeah, fine,' Snake replied silently. 'Vamp got away though.'
Otacon heaved a sigh of relief. 'What about the other intruder?'
'I'm looking at him,' Snake said, looking up at the kid. Aloud he said, "My name is S..."
'No!' Otacon cut him off sharply.
Glancing down quickly, Snake began again. "My name is Pliskin. Iroquois Pliskin. Lieutenant Junior Grade." He sighed and yanked off his balaclava.
'That was close,' Otacon breathed.
'Tell me about it,' Snake muttered back, eyeing the stranger warily. 'Thanks for stopping me.'
"Are you a Navy SEAL?" the rookie demanded, studying Snake just as warily. Snake didn't answer, merely staring back at him. "How did you get in?"
"Fast rope descent from a Navy chopper," Snake replied, looking away again. As he did, he spotted a sea louse crawling from his uniform and shuddered faintly.
The rookie watched the sea louse crawl away and looked back at Snake, even more suspicious. "Have I seen you before?"
Snake looked the kid up and down, his head clear enough to notice his skull suit. "That suit -- are you FOXHOUND?"
"That's right," the kid confirmed, angry with himself for not only being seen but also recognized.
"FOXHOUND was disbanded," Snake said firmly.
'I guess no one told him that,' Otacon commented, seeing the look of surprise on the kid's face.
Snake bit back a smirk and continued his interrogation. "Where were you before FOXHOUND? Delta Force?"
"I was part of the Army's Force XXI trials..." the rookie replied.
"Force XXI?" Snake mumbled, half to Otacon. "That's about tactical IT deployment, right?"
'I'll look it up,' Otacon offered.
Snake gave a slight nod. "Any field experience?"
"No --" the kid mumbled hesitantly, "not really."
"So this is your first," Snake grumbled.
"I've had extensive training --" the rookie said quickly, "the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing."
Snake raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "Like what?"
"Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80, Advanced --"
"VR, huh?" Snake grunted, disappointed.
"But realistic in every way," the kid replied indignantly.
"A virtual grunt of the digital age. That's just great," Snake growled in disgust.
The rookie glared, becoming defensive. "That's far more effective than live exercises."
"You don't get injured in VR, do you?" Snake demanded, staring him down angrily. "Every year, a few soldiers die in field exercises."
"There's pain sensation in VR, and even a sense of reality and urgency," the rookie insisted, not willing to let it go. "The only difference is that it isn't actually happening."
"That's the way they want you to think, to remove you from the fear that goes with battle situations." Snake snorted bitterly. "War as a video game -- what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?"
The kid handed back Snake's M4 and stepped back to glare at him angrily. "So you're saying that VR training is some kind of mind control?" He suddenly looked away, putting a hand to his ear and turning his back to Snake. "The Alpha team from Navy SEAL 10 is dead --" he reported to someone, then glanced at Snake, who had just stood up, "no, a single survivor."
"The kid's wired with nanomachines," Snake mumbled, glancing at him over his shoulder.
'Really?' Otacon sounded confused. 'Maybe he is FOXHOUND.'
'If that's the case, who's controlling it now?' Snake wondered.
Otacon sighed. 'That's what we're gonna have to find out.'
'Where are you?' Snake asked, deciding to change the subject.
'Stopped in the kitchen while the team sweeps the rest of Strut C,' Otacon replied. 'I'm not sure when we'll be moving again...I noticed you were eyeing that guy awfully close.' He sounded slightly bitter.
'Well...?' Snake prompted.
'I saw what you were looking at,' Otacon grumbled.
'What?!' Snake cried, jaw dropping. 'I was just looking at the suit. I swear!'
'Hmf,' Otacon snorted. 'I asked you to check him out, not check him out.'
Snake sighed, shaking his head slightly. 'Otacon, I'd never look at someone else that way. I promise, okay?' As he spoke, he pulled out a bandage and started wrapping his arm, carefully not looking at the wound so Otacon wouldn't see it.
Once he finished, Snake bent and scooped up his headphones, settling them back over his ears. He then wandered down the stairs to look around and came across a Navy captain slumped near a node with half a handcuff on one wrist.
'Is that a...?' Otacon began, but cut himself off and looked up. 'Oh, hang on a sec. The SEALs came back.'
'Are you moving?' Snake asked.
'No, they found a section they didn't have access to and came back for a key.'
'Aw, shit!' Snake swore suddenly, wincing and trying not to smack himself in the forehead. 'That's what I forgot! Damn it!'
Otacon handed the SEALs a key and went back to Snake, hearing his outburst. 'What was that?'
'Uh...I kinda forgot the PAN key you gave me,' Snake mumbled sheepishly. 'Do you have a contingency plan for that, too?'
'Snake!' Otacon cried, then sighed heavily. 'All right, I'll see what I can do. Don't go anywhere until I get there.'
'Got it,' Snake nodded.
Just then, the rookie appeared behind him. "What's up?"
"Take a look," Snake directed, indicating the captain.
"What the hell...?" the kid mumbled, looking over his shoulder.
Snake stepped closer to the body. "A Navy captain..." He stopped, feeling lightheaded, and stumbled backward with a groan to sit heavily on the stairs.
"You all right?" the rookie asked.
"Give me a few minutes. Must've lost a few more pints than I thought." Snake pulled out a cigarette and started patting various pockets, looking for his lighter.
'What did you say?!' Otacon cried. 'Snake, are you hurt?'
'It's not that bad,' Snake assured. 'I'll be fine.'
'Are you sure?'
Snake glanced down at his bandaged arm. 'It's just a couple scratches. Don't worry about it.' He found his lighter and flicked it open.
'Snake, don't you dare light that cigarette,' Otacon ordered.
'Aw, c'mon, gimme a break.'
'You're supposed to be quitting.'
'Just one, okay?' Snake begged.
'Get rid of the rest.'
Snake's jaw dropped slightly. 'What?!'
'Remove the temptation,' Otacon said firmly. 'I'm serious.'
The kid stepped closer. "What was that man -- just now?"
"That bloodsucking freak?" Snake growled, finally lighting his cigarette. "That was Vamp..." With a sigh, he began to explain to the rookie all he knew about Dead Cell, with a few prompts from Otacon, eventually concluding, "...They were out of control -- and it all came to a head six months ago."
"What happened?" the kid asked.
"The unit was devastated," Snake continued. "There are only three left now -- and you just saw one of them."
"Why would they go after the Big Shell?" the rookie prodded.
"How should I know?" Snake cast the kid a glower. "I told you they were on the lunatic fringe."
The guy ignored the look. "What about their leader? He says he's Solid Snake."
Snake jumped on the opportunity to clear his name. "Snake died two years ago."
"You mean the incident that made this Big Shell necessary in the first place?"
"Right," Snake nodded. "And he was the one that sank that tanker." He bit back bile that rose in his throat at the words. He knew he had to say what everyone else had heard, no matter how hard it was.
"But he's a legend --"
'Another Meryl to deal with?' Otacon chuckled.
Snake rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Legends are usually bad news. There's not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen..."
"You're saying Snake is still alive and pulled another one?" the kid asked, sounding a little too hopeful.
"No, he's not involved in this one," Snake said firmly. "His body was positively ID'd two years ago."
The kid looked away, crushed. "Snake is dead..."
"And buried," Snake concluded. 'So please, let him rest.'
'Aww, my poor baby,' Otacon cooed in his ear. 'Listen, we're moving again. I'll be there in a little while.'
'I'll be waiting,' Snake said, putting out his cigarette.
The rookie finally turned back to Snake. "What about the other soldiers? I saw Russian equipment too."
"Former Soviet military. They're probably mercenaries. The Big Shell is too big for just Dead Cell members to hold down." Snake eyed the kid oddly. "You weren't briefed on any of this? And you came in alone to boot? Why?" The FOXHOUND just looked at him silently. "Can't tell me, huh? Fine with me..." He looked down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand and, with a great deal of willpower, offered them to the kid.
"I don't smoke."
"Keep it anyway," Snake insisted. "May come in handy." He sighed as the kid accepted the pack and stashed it away in a pouch.
'I'm proud of you,' Otacon smiled.
'You have no idea how hard that was,' Snake told him slowly. He then pulled out the Socom he had for his disguise and held it out. "Take this too."
The kid accepted gratefully and slid it into a holster, then seemed to think of something and reached into a pocket. "Here. Take this..." He held an electric razor out to Snake.
Snake took it and stared at it for a second, then gave him a strange look and put the razor away.
'Is that what I think it is?' Otacon asked, laughing. 'Maybe he's trying to tell you som --' He suddenly broke off and took a sharp breath. 'Oh no...'
The Codec cut out and Snake jumped, almost before the radio at his shoulder crackled to life. Both pairs of eyes were drawn to a dead SEAL, staring at the radio as a panicked voice came over the waves.
"Come in Alpha Zero! This is Bravo Zero, currently at the bridge between struts B and C. The president is --" A burst of gunfire sounded over the radio, making Snake flinch slightly. "Damn! I can't hit this thing! It's like some bad dream --" Snake's gaze unfocused as he listened to the sounds of battle, trying to keep himself calm, praying silently that Otacon was safe. "Alpha! Anyone! Come in, all Alpha! This is Bravo Zero!"
"Aren't you going to answer him!?" the kid cried.
Snake half-heartedly reached for his radio, quietly panicking as a loud scream erupted from it, then static, then silence. He slowly brought his hand down and stared at the floor. "The BC connecting bridge," he muttered.
"We need to get there," the kid stated, studying him closely. "Can you handle it?"
"I need a few more minutes," Snake replied, turning his head away when he saw the rookie's expression. He didn't care if the kid thought he was a coward; he was not moving until he heard from Otacon. "Remember my frequency -- it's 141.80."
"141.80," the kid repeated, nodding. "Got it."
"I've been briefed on this plant's layout. If you need information on the place or about Dead Cell, contact me." Snake gestured to his left ear, where his own Codec was implanted. "You're using nano communication, right?"
"Yeah, but I can patch into your frequency."
Snake smirked, amused despite his worry by how naive some people could be. As the kid started past him, he realized he'd forgotten something. "Hey -- what's your name?"
After a second's hesitation, the rookie looked down at him. "Raiden."
"Raiden?" Snake blinked. "Strange code name."
Raiden shrugged. "Makes up for the boring one my parents gave me."
"Maybe I'll find out someday," Snake muttered, giving Raiden a half-wave. He stared down at the floor and tried to contact his lover, becoming more worried by the second.
TBC
PART: 1/8
SERIES: Philanthropy
PAIRING: Snake/Otacon
AUTHOR: Princess Co., Unltd.
RATING: R (language, sexual situations)
DISCLAIMERS: Metal Gear and all its characters belong to Konami. We're simply borrowing these characters for our own amusement. We're not making money or anything, so please, nobody sue. We don't have anything anyway.
NOTES: This is a fic for people who are very familiar with the Metal Gear Solid 2 storyline. Lots of spoilers and lots of left out explanations that are described in great detail in the game, but not especially important to this story.
SUMMARY: We all know Raiden's mission in the Big Shell...but what about Philanthropy...?
WARNINGS: This story depicts a male/male relationship (yaoi). If this offends you, don't read it.
***************************************************************
At the edge of a warehouse district somewhere in New York City sat a very nondescript four-story building. The drab exterior and dark windows cleverly disguised the elaborate and very alive interior of the new Philanthropy headquarters, just finished about six months ago. The roof was slightly domed, concealing a helipad and chopper in the supposed top floor. The third floor held ample and tasteful apartments, the living quarters of the Philanthropy core group. The second floor held workspaces and the infirmary. The first floor was simply storage, to maintain at first glance the appearance of a working warehouse.
Below the building, in a deep basement, VR training equipment had been set up. Deeper still, in a well-buried and very large sub-basement, was a shooting range and space for practical training exercises. Of course, with Otacon and Mei Ling in collaboration, the security system was nothing to be scoffed at. Hardly a spider could creep inside without being seen, heard, or felt by some mechanical sensor.
Inside the HQ, Philanthropy were working fast. Everyone had been very busy since the move, but haven't left the building much. Finally, after two years of laying low and several more months of planning, they were preparing for their first big mission, the opportunity they had been waiting for to get started again. That very day, two of their members would be infiltrating the offshore facility, Big Shell, and everything had to be ready.
In the living room of their apartment, Snake and Otacon were dozing on the couch, Otacon stretched out with his head in Snake's lap. A quiet knock sounded at their door, and Snake grinned slightly, not lifting his head from the back of the couch. He had come to recognize Mei Ling's rather light way of doing everything.
"It's open," he called, still grinning.
Mei Ling entered, jaw dropping in shock when she spotted them. "You're napping now?! Do you know what time it is?"
"Hmm?" Otacon mumbled, eyes fluttering open. He squinted at a clock and gasped, sitting up quickly. "Snake, why didn't you wake me?"
"Relax, you're not late," Snake assured, putting a calming hand on Otacon's shoulder. He turned a slightly annoyed glance at Mei Ling. "You just couldn't let him sleep an extra couple minutes, huh? He's been up most of the night worrying about today."
"Sorry," Mei Ling shrugged. "I just came to say goodbye and wish you luck."
Otacon gave her a smile. "Thanks. We appreciate it."
"I'll have my eye on you." Mei Ling smiled, winked, and started for the door.
"You better," Snake called after her. "You're our guardian angel." Mei Ling giggled at that, waved and left them alone.
Otacon sighed and looked at Snake. "We'd better get ready."
"We are ready," Snake countered, "and you won't be running late for another twenty minutes. Leave in fifteen, and you'll be right on time."
"I actually wanted to be a little early."
"So leave in ten." Snake smiled warmly and gently brushed Otacon's hair back. "We haven't said goodbye the right way yet."
Otacon returned the smile and wrapped his arms around Snake's chest with a sigh. "I'm still nervous," he admitted quietly. "Something still doesn't feel right."
"What can you have to be nervous about?" Snake asked, still brushing Otacon's hair. "You've got this thing timed down to the second, and you came up with more contingency plans than I've ever had for any mission before."
"I know. I know," Otacon mumbled, "but I still don't feel ready somehow."
"You're ready."
"Thanks, Snake." Otacon smiled, then heaved another sigh. "I guess it's time to go." He pulled slowly from Snake's arms, grabbed his laptop and stood facing the door for a minute before suddenly turning back to Snake. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a key card.
Snake took the card and eyed it closely. "This looks familiar."
"They're using my system," Otacon confirmed with a smirk. "A little updated, but pretty much the same."
"Updated how?"
"More sensitive proximity sensors," Otacon replied. "You don't have to deactivate stealth or even take the card out of your pocket. Just walk by a door and it'll open." He gestured to the card Snake held. "That's an all-access key."
"I like it," Snake grinned, then set the key down on the coffee table and went with Otacon to the door.
Otacon paused with his hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and turned to Snake. "See you in a few hours."
"You better believe it." Snake grasped Otacon's chin and kissed him long and slow, then pressed their foreheads together. "If you get nervous again, just remember I've still got you, no matter where you are."
"I love you, Snake," Otacon breathed, then put his arms around Snake and hugged him tightly.
Nodding gently, Snake pressed a kiss to his cheek and released him. "I guess you better go join the Navy."
Otacon laughed a little before turning serious again. "Be careful."
"I was just gonna tell you the same thing," Snake said quietly, smiling faintly.
Reluctantly, Otacon turned away from Snake and walked slowly out the door toward the elevator, glancing back over his shoulder constantly. He reached the end of the hall and hit the call button. The doors glided open and with one heavier sigh, he stepped inside and turned around. He watched Snake wave goodbye and waved back, a lump forming in his throat.
Snake stood in the hallway, watching until the numbers over the elevator dropped down to one, then went back inside to get his gear together. He was satisfied that he had put on a convincing show, unwilling to admit to anyone except himself that he was nervous about the mission too. Otacon hadn't been in the field on a mission since Shadow Moses, and then he hadn't even been an official part of the mission. This was different. He was deliberately putting himself into a dangerous situation for the cause and it bothered Snake more than he was willing to admit. Once they were both inside Big Shell and in close communication, he would feel better.
Knowing he was distracted, Snake went through his equipment and mental checklist once more before leaving, still with the distinct, nagging feeling that he had forgotten something.
*
Fifteen minutes later, Snake stood on a dock looking over the Hudson River, equipment bag at his feet, running through his mind exactly where Otacon was at that moment. He was most likely past checking in with the SEALs and the briefing and was probably nearly ready to board the helicopter. Snake resisted the urge to contact Otacon and turned his mind to the mission. His thoughts were interrupted when a stocky, grizzled-looking man approached him.
"Lookin' fer a boat?" the man asked in a thick New England accent.
Snake nodded once. "Are you the guy I talked to yesterday?"
"Depends," the man replied, eyeing Snake. "Who'r you?"
"Pliskin," Snake said after a moment's hesitation.
"Ya escapin' from New York, Mr. Pliskin?" The man guffawed and slapped his knee at his joke while Snake glowered. Eventually, he stopped laughing and grinned at Snake. "Sorry, ya probly hear them kinda jokes too often." Snake still made no reply, merely stared stonily at the man who cleared his throat quickly. "Well, I'm yer man."
"Good," Snake said gruffly. "Where's the boat?"
"Where's the cash?" the man countered.
Snake stared him down. "Show me the boat first." The man shrugged and led him to a rusty, dirty old fishing boat nearby. Snake stared at the thing floating in the river warily. "I'm surprised it's still floating."
"So she ain't so purty," the man replied, patting the side of the boat. "She'll get ya wherever yer goin'."
"It'll have to do," Snake muttered, shaking his head. He pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it over.
The man counted quickly and whistled. "This is more'n we talked about. You could buy 'er fer this much."
"Not interested." Snake climbed aboard the boat, followed by the man. "I'm buying more from you than a ride. I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut."
"What about?" the man prodded, looking confused. "You never told me nuthin'."
Snake aimed an intimidating glare at him. "And it'll stay that way, too."
"So," the man cleared his throat again and grinned at Snake, "where'm I takin' ya."
"Do you know where the Big Shell is?"
The man shrugged. "'Course, who doesn't?"
"Good," Snake nodded. "Take me toward it. I'll tell you when to stop."
"Whatever ya want," the man replied, shrugging again. He went up to the controls and started the motor. The noisy thing growled to life, coughing smoke. Snake was a bit concerned, but as the vessel's captain seemed at ease, he calmed down.
"So, what's the big secret?" the man called down to Snake over the noise.
Snake glowered up at him. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."
"Yer not comin' out here to drown yerself or nuthin', are ya?" the man asked.
"No."
"Why'd ya pay me all that money? Ya rich?" Snake didn't answer him, getting fed up with his questions. "What's so special out here anyways?" The man mused, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know! You must work fer the gov'ment. Some kinda spy or sumthin'. Am I right?"
Snake shook his head and looked out over the water. "I'm just a guy who wanted a ride."
"Well anyways, ya seem like the secret agent type," the man said with a shrug.
"Afraid I wouldn't know the type you mean. I've never met a secret agent," Snake replied and decided to change the subject. "Does this boat always make this much noise?"
"Sure does," the man nodded.
"That smoke can't be good either," Snake continued.
The man shrugged and patted the boat's wheel. "She don't hold 'er oil like she used to."
"Why don't you sell it?" Snake asked. "Then you can use whatever you get for it, plus what I gave you, and get yourself a new boat."
"That's somethin' to think about," the man nodded and went quiet.
Snake stood silently at the bow of the boat, still staring out over the water and once again running through the mission in his head. Eventually, he could just see the Big Shell coming into view. "This is good," he called over his shoulder. "You can stop here."
"But it's the middle-a nowhere!" the man gasped, but did as Snake asked and cut the engines.
"Not nowhere," Snake shook his head, kneeling to dig through his equipment bag. "This is exactly where I need to be." He started pulling on his flippers and oxygen rebreather.
The man climbed down from the upper deck and approached Snake, eyeing the diving gear. "Yer swimmin' in these waters?"
"Any reason I shouldn't?" Snake asked as he secured his bag.
"They ain't cleaned up that oil spill yet!" The man cried. "This here's contaminated!"
Snake nodded. "I know."
"I thought you warn't killin' yerself," the man said, eyes narrowing.
"I'm not. I have good equipment." Snake turned and stared out at the shadowy form of the Big Shell. "Frankly, I don't think the Big Shell's doing its job."
"So that's who you are," the man gasped with realization and Snake looked at him expectantly. "Yer a reporter! Yer gettin' dirt on Big Shell!"
Snake grinned, glad the man had taken the bait. "I paid you enough not to answer that, and I'm still counting on you to keep your mouth shut."
"Sure, no problem," the man assured. "Uh, how long'r you stayin' out here?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Snake said with a grin. "I've got a ride home with someone else."
Pulling the mask down over his face, Snake turned and dove into the water. Before going anywhere, he checked his watch, noting that Otacon should be in the air by now. He looked up through the murky water for a second, then started kicking toward the plant, surfacing several times to clear his mask's filter and look for the helicopters. Upon reaching the oil fence, he pulled out a large knife and slashed through the wire, the resheathed the knife and swam through. A few minutes later, he surfaced silently inside Strut A's deep-sea dock. He glanced around quickly, saw no one, and climbed out of the pool.
Working quickly, Snake pulled off his mask and flippers, then took off his bag and watch. He knelt at the edge of the pool, opened his pack and began pulling out his weapons and supplies, stashing them in various pockets and holsters. When he was finished, he wrapped the mask and flippers in a weighted net satchel and lowered them into the pool, letting them sink to the ocean bottom. Then, he checked his time once more, seeing that Otacon's helicopter should be setting down any moment, and put the watch away in another pocket.
Snake slung his bag, now holding only a stolen SEAL uniform and an M4 rifle, onto his back, stood and went cautiously toward the door. A loud splash suddenly echoed from where he came in and he swore to himself, then snuck through the door. He crept along the wall and paused, pressing back to peer around the corner. Seeing only a short corridor with a door at the end, Snake ducked back and took a deep, calming breath. Just as he was about to move on, he heard the door slide open and a shadow approaching quickly along the floor. He jumped out and quickly knocked out the guard and dove through the door.
Ducking quickly into an open space surrounded by crates, Snake looked around saw another guard patrolling before a large elevator. "Bingo," he whispered, smiling to himself. He heard the door slide open and pressed more tightly into his hiding place as the hall guard rushed into the room. He couldn't see either guard, but heard them clearly. He noted with slight surprise that both spoke Russian.
"There's an intruder," the hall guard reported.
"I didn't see anyone," the other replied, sounding confused.
"Then he must still be here." The first guard's voice quieted. "We can't let him escape or we're as good as dead. We'll corner him."
"Right," the other guard whispered back. "You head that way and I'll go this way."
Before the guards had finished speaking, Snake had inched out of his concealment, and positioned himself to ambush the hall guard. As the guard moved stealthily forward, Snake grabbed his gun and slammed his elbow into the man's face, knocking him out. He left that guard slumped against a forklift and moved to intercept the other. Moving around the central stacked crates, Snake met the guard coming the other way and quickly laid him out with a single punch to the jaw.
As soon both guards were out, Snake glanced around the room and spotted what he was looking for in the north corner, the node. He hurried to the machine, grumbling something about damned computers, and tried to recall what Otacon had told him.
After a second of thought, he remembered and cautiously placed his hand on the screen. Pain suddenly ripped through him and he bit back a shriek. It ended a moment later and he growled and kicked the node, then began navigating the menus. Eventually he found the right one and downloaded the maps of the Big Shell to his radar. He smiled as the radar display appeared in the corner of his vision, then gasped sharply as he realized one of the guards was awake and standing right behind him.
Ducking fast, Snake kicked out and caught the guard in the gut, then grabbed him and flung both of them into the elevator. He slammed the guard's head into the floor, knocking him out just as the elevator began its automatic ascent. He quickly kicked the guard off and turned away, sighing in relief. He didn't see the figure crouching behind a stack of boxes, head covered by a rebreather mask, staring up at him.
At the top of the strut, the elevator jerked to a stop and Snake moved off. Looking around, he saw two fenced areas surrounding the doors. He checked his radar for guards or cameras, but saw only a number of seagulls, so he went to the eastern fence and tried the gate. It was locked tight. With a grunt of annoyance, he moved to the opposite gate and swore outright when he saw it was locked as well.
Still grumbling, he unsheathed his knife again and knelt before the fence, cutting a hole large enough for him to squeeze through. He resheathed the knife and entered the section, sneaking through the door and down the steps. As he descended back into the strut, his Codec chirped. He answered it and was immediately greeted by a sight of a group of SEALs moving stealthily down a flight of metal stairs.
'Snake, are you there?' Otacon asked.
'Otacon!' Snake sighed in relief and glanced at his watch. 'Looks like everything's right on schedule.'
'Good. We just got clear of the chopper. Where are you?'
'The upper level of Strut A,' Snake replied, moving past the lone guard and out into the entry. He paused and crouched outside the door to the AB bridge, peeking around it to check the bridge. 'I'm about to head to B.'
'So I see,' Otacon grinned. 'We're moving down into Strut E right now and heading in your direction. I've gotta find a good time to discreetly disappear.'
Snake nodded. 'Keep me posted.'
'I will,' Otacon assured, pausing to sigh. 'I feel a lot better now that I can hear your voice again.'
'Me too,' Snake smiled. 'Oh, by the way, I think that other sneaking mission you heard about followed me in.'
'Followed you?!' Otacon gasped. 'Impossible!'
'Don't panic,' Snake soothed, regretting his choice of words. 'Maybe follow is the wrong word. I meant he came in right behind me.' He shook his head and sighed. 'The guy's a rookie, I'd bet my life.'
Otacon chuckled faintly. 'Well, don't do that, but try to find out exactly who he is anyway.'
'How am I supposed to do that?' Snake asked, a bit incredulously. 'I can guarantee a look at him, sure, but I need time to change before I can ask him any questions.'
'Relax. I didn't say right now,' Otacon sighed. 'It can wait 'til you're in a safe spot. Good luck.'
'See you soon.' As soon as Snake ended the call with Otacon, his Codec chirped again. This time, there was no visual when he answered, so he figured it was Mei Ling.
'Snake, it's me,' the analyst said, confirming Snake's thought. 'Glad to hear you both made it safely.'
Snake grinned. 'We do our best.'
'So you do,' Mei Ling chuckled, then turned serious. 'I just wanted to let you know, I've got you both on radar, and I'll be monitoring the mission now.'
'That's our girl.'
'One thing, though.' Mei Ling sounded regretful. 'I may not be able to talk too often. Naomi and Teresa are keeping me busy here too.'
'As long as you don't forget about us here,' Snake replied.
'I would never do that, Snake,' Mei Ling assured gently. 'I should call Otacon. Good luck.'
As soon as the transmission ended, Snake pulled out his M9, checked his radar and jumped out the door. He quickly dropped both guards and went on to Strut B. As he looked around, he suddenly heard what could only be SEALs moving over the bridge behind him. Cursing silently, Snake ran down the hall, looking for a place to hide. He spotted a row of lockers beside the door to the BC bridge and ducked into one.
He listened as the SEALs entered the strut and moved cautiously into the transformer room. Shortly, Snake began to hear some anomalous sounds, the zing of something cutting through the air, bodies falling, gunfire, and loud cries of alarm. A sinking feeling came over him as he realized what must have been going on. Taking the opportunity, Snake took off his pack, pulled out his disguise and started struggling to put it on in the confines of the locker.
Suddenly, his Codec rang and Otacon's worried voice sounded in his ear. 'Snake, what's happening in Strut B? Are you there yet?'
'I'm here,' Snake confirmed.
'Team Alpha is in trouble!'
'I know.' Snake shook his head. 'It's worse than you think. It's Vamp.'
'Dead Cell,' Otacon gasped. 'He's the one with the knives, right?'
'Yeah, that's him,' Snake growled.
'Are you safe?' Otacon asked, the worried tone increasing.
'I'm in a locker.'
'No wonder I can't see anything around you.'
Snake paused his struggles with the uniform and looked out through the grate. 'That better?'
'I still don't see what's going on,' Otacon muttered.
'Me neither.' Snake went back to pulling on his disguise. 'They're all around the corner or in the next room. Hold on.' He quietly opened the locker and crept out.
'Snake, what are you doing?!' Otacon cried. 'Get back under cover!'
'Relax, I just need a radio,' Snake said calmingly. He peered around the corner, seeing only a few dead SEALs in the blood-spattered hall. 'I think they're all in there now.' He glanced at the door to the transformer room and quickly went to the nearest body, taking his radio, then dashed back to the locker. He finished changing into the uniform, pulling the balaclava and headphones on last, then left the locker. He pulled out his M4 and stashed the bag in the end locker, locking it securely.
'We're heading through Strut C now,' Otacon said. 'We should be heading toward your position in a few min...'
'Shh. Wait a second,' Snake hissed, cutting him off. He listened hard for a moment. 'It's gotten quiet.' He pressed against the wall next to the door, trying to hear. He heard a faint voice, probably from a radio, but otherwise it was quiet. 'I think Vamp is still in there, probably reveling in the blood.'
Otacon shuddered. 'Ugh.'
'I might be able to...' Snake stopped, hearing two low voices. 'Damn. There's someone else in there. I'll bet it's that rookie.'
'Now's your chance to find out who he's working for,' Otacon spoke up, sounding nervous. 'There's something strange about this whole situation.'
'Right,' Snake agreed. 'I'm going in.' He cut off his Codec, checked his M4 quickly and charged through the door, spotting a very young-looking blonde man standing in the middle of a walkway. The rookie was looking around cautiously, M9 in hand, but didn't realize Vamp stood right behind him and was slowly reaching for him.
"Get down!!" Snake shouted and the kid hit the floor a split second before he pulled the trigger, but Vamp dodged every bullet and vanished. Snake stalked warily into the room, boots squelching on the blood-soaked floor. "Where is he?!"
Vamp suddenly jumped from the ceiling, knife flashing. He cut into Snake's arm, evoking a yell and sending the M4 flying. Before Snake knew what was happening, Vamp grabbed his head and slammed him hard against the wall, knocking off his headphones. Dazed and injured, all he could do was hang helplessly in Vamp's grip.
The terrorist leaned close to Snake's throat, intending to bite him, but paused and sniffed slightly. "Hmmm? Strange smell..." he mumbled to himself as Snake rolled his eyes and glowered. "You smell like S--!" Vamp dropped Snake and backed away a step. "Are you -- it has to be!"
"Shoot him!" Snake shouted, seeing the kid had grabbed his rifle. "What are you waiting for?!"
The rookie unfroze and started firing, but Vamp cut the bullets from the air with great flourish. The clip emptied, and just as Vamp looked like he would make a move, he stopped dead.
"Yeah, Queen?" Vamp said, speaking into a transmitter in his ear. He lowered his voice and kept talking, ignoring the other two men.
Snake took advantage of Vamp's distraction and slid a fresh clip across to the rookie. The young man snatched it up and professionally slammed it into the gun, but Vamp was faster. As soon as the kid had the gun ready and took aim again, no one was there. Hearing a sound behind him, he swung the barrel around, but never got a chance to fire. Like lightening, Vamp was gone. The rookie swung in confused circles, seeking an enemy that was no longer there. Snake began to move on the floor and he turned the gun on him.
"Hold on," Snake said quickly, "I'm not an enemy. Calm down." He shuffled over to a fence surrounding a group of transformers and sat up, leaning back heavily to catch his breath.
'What happened?!' Otacon cried in his ear. 'You cut me off! Is everything okay?'
'Yeah, fine,' Snake replied silently. 'Vamp got away though.'
Otacon heaved a sigh of relief. 'What about the other intruder?'
'I'm looking at him,' Snake said, looking up at the kid. Aloud he said, "My name is S..."
'No!' Otacon cut him off sharply.
Glancing down quickly, Snake began again. "My name is Pliskin. Iroquois Pliskin. Lieutenant Junior Grade." He sighed and yanked off his balaclava.
'That was close,' Otacon breathed.
'Tell me about it,' Snake muttered back, eyeing the stranger warily. 'Thanks for stopping me.'
"Are you a Navy SEAL?" the rookie demanded, studying Snake just as warily. Snake didn't answer, merely staring back at him. "How did you get in?"
"Fast rope descent from a Navy chopper," Snake replied, looking away again. As he did, he spotted a sea louse crawling from his uniform and shuddered faintly.
The rookie watched the sea louse crawl away and looked back at Snake, even more suspicious. "Have I seen you before?"
Snake looked the kid up and down, his head clear enough to notice his skull suit. "That suit -- are you FOXHOUND?"
"That's right," the kid confirmed, angry with himself for not only being seen but also recognized.
"FOXHOUND was disbanded," Snake said firmly.
'I guess no one told him that,' Otacon commented, seeing the look of surprise on the kid's face.
Snake bit back a smirk and continued his interrogation. "Where were you before FOXHOUND? Delta Force?"
"I was part of the Army's Force XXI trials..." the rookie replied.
"Force XXI?" Snake mumbled, half to Otacon. "That's about tactical IT deployment, right?"
'I'll look it up,' Otacon offered.
Snake gave a slight nod. "Any field experience?"
"No --" the kid mumbled hesitantly, "not really."
"So this is your first," Snake grumbled.
"I've had extensive training --" the rookie said quickly, "the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing."
Snake raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "Like what?"
"Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80, Advanced --"
"VR, huh?" Snake grunted, disappointed.
"But realistic in every way," the kid replied indignantly.
"A virtual grunt of the digital age. That's just great," Snake growled in disgust.
The rookie glared, becoming defensive. "That's far more effective than live exercises."
"You don't get injured in VR, do you?" Snake demanded, staring him down angrily. "Every year, a few soldiers die in field exercises."
"There's pain sensation in VR, and even a sense of reality and urgency," the rookie insisted, not willing to let it go. "The only difference is that it isn't actually happening."
"That's the way they want you to think, to remove you from the fear that goes with battle situations." Snake snorted bitterly. "War as a video game -- what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?"
The kid handed back Snake's M4 and stepped back to glare at him angrily. "So you're saying that VR training is some kind of mind control?" He suddenly looked away, putting a hand to his ear and turning his back to Snake. "The Alpha team from Navy SEAL 10 is dead --" he reported to someone, then glanced at Snake, who had just stood up, "no, a single survivor."
"The kid's wired with nanomachines," Snake mumbled, glancing at him over his shoulder.
'Really?' Otacon sounded confused. 'Maybe he is FOXHOUND.'
'If that's the case, who's controlling it now?' Snake wondered.
Otacon sighed. 'That's what we're gonna have to find out.'
'Where are you?' Snake asked, deciding to change the subject.
'Stopped in the kitchen while the team sweeps the rest of Strut C,' Otacon replied. 'I'm not sure when we'll be moving again...I noticed you were eyeing that guy awfully close.' He sounded slightly bitter.
'Well...?' Snake prompted.
'I saw what you were looking at,' Otacon grumbled.
'What?!' Snake cried, jaw dropping. 'I was just looking at the suit. I swear!'
'Hmf,' Otacon snorted. 'I asked you to check him out, not check him out.'
Snake sighed, shaking his head slightly. 'Otacon, I'd never look at someone else that way. I promise, okay?' As he spoke, he pulled out a bandage and started wrapping his arm, carefully not looking at the wound so Otacon wouldn't see it.
Once he finished, Snake bent and scooped up his headphones, settling them back over his ears. He then wandered down the stairs to look around and came across a Navy captain slumped near a node with half a handcuff on one wrist.
'Is that a...?' Otacon began, but cut himself off and looked up. 'Oh, hang on a sec. The SEALs came back.'
'Are you moving?' Snake asked.
'No, they found a section they didn't have access to and came back for a key.'
'Aw, shit!' Snake swore suddenly, wincing and trying not to smack himself in the forehead. 'That's what I forgot! Damn it!'
Otacon handed the SEALs a key and went back to Snake, hearing his outburst. 'What was that?'
'Uh...I kinda forgot the PAN key you gave me,' Snake mumbled sheepishly. 'Do you have a contingency plan for that, too?'
'Snake!' Otacon cried, then sighed heavily. 'All right, I'll see what I can do. Don't go anywhere until I get there.'
'Got it,' Snake nodded.
Just then, the rookie appeared behind him. "What's up?"
"Take a look," Snake directed, indicating the captain.
"What the hell...?" the kid mumbled, looking over his shoulder.
Snake stepped closer to the body. "A Navy captain..." He stopped, feeling lightheaded, and stumbled backward with a groan to sit heavily on the stairs.
"You all right?" the rookie asked.
"Give me a few minutes. Must've lost a few more pints than I thought." Snake pulled out a cigarette and started patting various pockets, looking for his lighter.
'What did you say?!' Otacon cried. 'Snake, are you hurt?'
'It's not that bad,' Snake assured. 'I'll be fine.'
'Are you sure?'
Snake glanced down at his bandaged arm. 'It's just a couple scratches. Don't worry about it.' He found his lighter and flicked it open.
'Snake, don't you dare light that cigarette,' Otacon ordered.
'Aw, c'mon, gimme a break.'
'You're supposed to be quitting.'
'Just one, okay?' Snake begged.
'Get rid of the rest.'
Snake's jaw dropped slightly. 'What?!'
'Remove the temptation,' Otacon said firmly. 'I'm serious.'
The kid stepped closer. "What was that man -- just now?"
"That bloodsucking freak?" Snake growled, finally lighting his cigarette. "That was Vamp..." With a sigh, he began to explain to the rookie all he knew about Dead Cell, with a few prompts from Otacon, eventually concluding, "...They were out of control -- and it all came to a head six months ago."
"What happened?" the kid asked.
"The unit was devastated," Snake continued. "There are only three left now -- and you just saw one of them."
"Why would they go after the Big Shell?" the rookie prodded.
"How should I know?" Snake cast the kid a glower. "I told you they were on the lunatic fringe."
The guy ignored the look. "What about their leader? He says he's Solid Snake."
Snake jumped on the opportunity to clear his name. "Snake died two years ago."
"You mean the incident that made this Big Shell necessary in the first place?"
"Right," Snake nodded. "And he was the one that sank that tanker." He bit back bile that rose in his throat at the words. He knew he had to say what everyone else had heard, no matter how hard it was.
"But he's a legend --"
'Another Meryl to deal with?' Otacon chuckled.
Snake rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Legends are usually bad news. There's not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen..."
"You're saying Snake is still alive and pulled another one?" the kid asked, sounding a little too hopeful.
"No, he's not involved in this one," Snake said firmly. "His body was positively ID'd two years ago."
The kid looked away, crushed. "Snake is dead..."
"And buried," Snake concluded. 'So please, let him rest.'
'Aww, my poor baby,' Otacon cooed in his ear. 'Listen, we're moving again. I'll be there in a little while.'
'I'll be waiting,' Snake said, putting out his cigarette.
The rookie finally turned back to Snake. "What about the other soldiers? I saw Russian equipment too."
"Former Soviet military. They're probably mercenaries. The Big Shell is too big for just Dead Cell members to hold down." Snake eyed the kid oddly. "You weren't briefed on any of this? And you came in alone to boot? Why?" The FOXHOUND just looked at him silently. "Can't tell me, huh? Fine with me..." He looked down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand and, with a great deal of willpower, offered them to the kid.
"I don't smoke."
"Keep it anyway," Snake insisted. "May come in handy." He sighed as the kid accepted the pack and stashed it away in a pouch.
'I'm proud of you,' Otacon smiled.
'You have no idea how hard that was,' Snake told him slowly. He then pulled out the Socom he had for his disguise and held it out. "Take this too."
The kid accepted gratefully and slid it into a holster, then seemed to think of something and reached into a pocket. "Here. Take this..." He held an electric razor out to Snake.
Snake took it and stared at it for a second, then gave him a strange look and put the razor away.
'Is that what I think it is?' Otacon asked, laughing. 'Maybe he's trying to tell you som --' He suddenly broke off and took a sharp breath. 'Oh no...'
The Codec cut out and Snake jumped, almost before the radio at his shoulder crackled to life. Both pairs of eyes were drawn to a dead SEAL, staring at the radio as a panicked voice came over the waves.
"Come in Alpha Zero! This is Bravo Zero, currently at the bridge between struts B and C. The president is --" A burst of gunfire sounded over the radio, making Snake flinch slightly. "Damn! I can't hit this thing! It's like some bad dream --" Snake's gaze unfocused as he listened to the sounds of battle, trying to keep himself calm, praying silently that Otacon was safe. "Alpha! Anyone! Come in, all Alpha! This is Bravo Zero!"
"Aren't you going to answer him!?" the kid cried.
Snake half-heartedly reached for his radio, quietly panicking as a loud scream erupted from it, then static, then silence. He slowly brought his hand down and stared at the floor. "The BC connecting bridge," he muttered.
"We need to get there," the kid stated, studying him closely. "Can you handle it?"
"I need a few more minutes," Snake replied, turning his head away when he saw the rookie's expression. He didn't care if the kid thought he was a coward; he was not moving until he heard from Otacon. "Remember my frequency -- it's 141.80."
"141.80," the kid repeated, nodding. "Got it."
"I've been briefed on this plant's layout. If you need information on the place or about Dead Cell, contact me." Snake gestured to his left ear, where his own Codec was implanted. "You're using nano communication, right?"
"Yeah, but I can patch into your frequency."
Snake smirked, amused despite his worry by how naive some people could be. As the kid started past him, he realized he'd forgotten something. "Hey -- what's your name?"
After a second's hesitation, the rookie looked down at him. "Raiden."
"Raiden?" Snake blinked. "Strange code name."
Raiden shrugged. "Makes up for the boring one my parents gave me."
"Maybe I'll find out someday," Snake muttered, giving Raiden a half-wave. He stared down at the floor and tried to contact his lover, becoming more worried by the second.
TBC