Notes This is the first installment of my part of the MG alternate universe "Legacy." It was started by my friend Tsugi in "Operation Manta Ray" and will continue in "Arsenal Shadow" if she ever gets to it. "Crimson Waltz" takes place in the same timeframe as "AS," during the Big Shell incident in Sons of Liberty/Substance. The beginning is mostly the main OC character Shadow, but later Ocelot will play a big part in the plot as well as cameos by Snake, Otacon, Meryl, and Tsugi's character Manta.

I consider this story just a prequel to my better story "Echoes of Time" which takes place during MGS3. However, to understand what's going on there, I have to write this one. Oh, woe is me.

The only warnings I have is that there is a possibility of some sexual content, as is with most of my work. Don't like it, don't read it. I won't be offended.

Metal Gear : Legacy
Crimson Waltz

Shadow-Ocelot

Chapter One: The Hunter

Mireya Jameson weaved her way through the crowd. The rhythm of the music had bodies moving to its contagious beat. Oddly, she recognized this song. She had it at home somewhere. It was on some techno CD she had bought when she was looking to expand her horizons. Usually she didn't sway very far from her usual rock style. Some of the new stuff, mostly old stuff like Metallica. However, it was hard not to get caught up in the racy throb and she found herself moving along with the others.

Yet she didn't forget the real reason she was here. His name was Dr. Benjamin Crawford. He was a controversial figure on the biochemistry frontier. He also had a fondness for cheating on his wife. Mireya figured that this was one of the leading factors for her presence here. You see, under the quaint exterior Ben and Abby Crawford were super-geniuses working on leading biological research together. Abby had come to feel trapped by her husband's successes - - more Abby's than his really, but he always got the credit - - so she had looked Mireya up.

Naturally, Mrs. Crawford was not informed of Mireya's real name. In the kind of circles Mrs. Crawford rolled Mireya was known as Shadow, or Shadow Storm. There was an underworld beneath the civilization certain individuals had created. What was real to most people was just a smoke-screen to a bigger, scarier picture. The few led the world. The masses were sheep. Shadow had found that out the hard way long ago. It was the great inheritance of her mother, besides the codename that is.

The story digresses - - Mrs. Crawford basically didn't like her husband cramping her style. Those were the words that Shadow would use best to describe the situation. Abby wanted to get Ben out of the way so she could presented their nearly finished work as her own. Also, there was that little problem with Ben and those younger girls. Killing two birds with one stone, Mrs. Crawford put it, to coin an overly-used cliché phrase. Shadow had been paid quite a bit of money to off the old man. Frankly, she would have probably done it for free, but she needed the cash. Her last job had paid well, but there were expenses… so it went mostly for that.

Her job wasn't one with much security. Most of the clients she dealt with double-crossed her, or just refused to pay her. A couple years before she had remedied that problem. Anyone who thought they could get away with that kind of business soon became her next target - - free of charge. The word soon spread, and now only the serious customers came to her, with the hardest jobs. For there was word out on the street that Shadow wasn't like normal humans. Shadow was an enigma.

They would be half right. She wasn't normal. Not normal in that white-picket fence type way. She had special gifts, intuitions shall we call them, that aided her on her exploits. She had a inborn ability to sense people and their thoughts. It was mystical in a sense that she connected to the spiritual plane to do it.

She was able to switch her senses to the astral and find whoever she was looking for. She could search minds by visualizing the layout of their thoughts and wandering along the so-called "corridors." Some walls were nearly impenetrable, while others were easily broken down. Along with the thoughts, she could read others emotions by the differing denseness in the air around their bodies. Others called this ki/chi, or the aura, Mireya referred to it as just a life force.

Because of her abilities Shadow was able to do things normal people couldn't. It didn't make her any better than any other assassin, it just meant she cheated. She would admit it. Although she didn't ask for those gifts she had them, and used them against all who came against her or her objectives. She fought dirty, and woe be to the one she set her sights on…

XXX

When Shadow found him, Benjamin Crawford was amidst the stereotypical gaggle of young, skinny wanna-be models. Men. Shadow scoffed to herself. They're all the damned same. Immediately Shadow knew he had a jones for the red-head sitting beside him, worse than that he had a nice fantasy going about the red-head and the blond in the blue tube-top. Ack. This is the reason I don't have a boyfriend…

Shoving aside her deep disgust she put on her work face and strode forward, making sure two of her best assets were jutting out before her. They would be the first things Crawford would probably look at anyway. She didn't see why she should make the task of sizing her up even harder. It made her job much more simple if her targets thought she was just some mindless bimbo.

She had not the time or patience to act friendly to the other girls who looked like they were all members of the big-breasted-can't-wait-to-open-my-legs-for-anyone-with-a-penis league. She brushed past them all and walked straight up to Dr. Crawford. "You must be Ben Crawford!" She cried enthusiastically. "I've read about you in the New Science Times!" She pulled the magazine from the bag at her side and showed it to him.

He didn't even have one moment of suspicion. To him Shadow was just another pretty girl entranced by his super-scientist genius. What an egomaniac… "Yes. I'm Dr. Crawford, and you might be?" He inquired, forgetting about the red-head at his side and concentrating solely on Shadow. A flicker of displeasure ran through her when his eyes ran over her, although she showed no sign of it.

"I am so sorry," she giggled, playing the part of too-in-awe-to-think moron. "I'm Rei Harrison. I go to school near here. Chemist." She added the last bit to make her just a little more interesting than the airheads already surrounding him. Her ploy worked. She could see the fascinated gleam in the man's eyes. "I'd really like to talk with you - - about work, of course." She batted her plump eyelashes and smiled that smile.

The reaction was instantaneous. After doing it so often she knew it would work. Like most Crawford was a weak one, driven by that primordial impulse that controlled most men. Stick a pretty girl in front of their face and they were putty - - and they were too stupid to realize it. Just as she predicted he said, "Yes, of course. Ladies, if you'll excuse us." And the girls moaned their discontent as he stood and took Shadow's arm.

XXX

Instead of going out the front door Shadow led the oblivious scientist out one of the side-doors. It only took a familiar look of mischief in her crystal eyes to stop any objection. Apparently Crawford was always up - - literally and figuratively - - for such wayward activity.

As soon as they were outside in the dark, alone, his hands began their frenetic journey over her scantily clad body. She ignored it as best she could as she played her next moves through her mind. All she had to do was wait for the perfect timing. Then she could go home and wait to be paid.

Crawford was an amateur, with groping hands and slobbering kisses that always seemed to end with his lips stuck on her throat, like he was a confused vampire trying to suck her blood but forgetting exactly what to do. It was sad how many men had lost that magic touch when it came to seduction. Correction: men didn't know how to seduce anymore. It was a lost art. Now-a-days it was plant a few kisses to complete the illusion of romance then bang your prospect until you couldn't move. Then you went home and came back the next night to pick another target.

Love and sex in these modern times were a joke, and despite herself Shadow found herself laughing at many of her would-be lovers. Nothing spoiled the mood more than a misplaced giggle. Fortunately she was talented at keeping her own personal thoughts to herself while doing a job.

He pressed her against the building, his roaming digits pulling at her skirt. He didn't even notice when she reached into the bag still dangling off her shoulder and pulled out a small, cylindrical object. "Patience…" Shadow purred, leaning in to his ear. In a low whisper she dropped the bombshell. "Your wife has a message for you… your glory days are over."

Before Crawford had a chance to react she jammed the needle into his neck. She was confident, the needle was specially made to not even show a pin-prick. There would be no evidence of foul-play. The poison would work fast, spreading through his system and stopping his heart. After death the substance would dissolve, leaving no trace of it either.

Crawford slipped to the ground, writhing in agony. Shadow always wondered what it would be like to die. Was there a white light? Did God exist? If he did she was definitely going to Hell. Yet none of that mattered. Crawford was dead now, her job was complete. She walked away, leaving only the echoing click of her heels bouncing off the ally walls…

XXX

When Shadow got home she dialed out from her untraceable line; untraceable for the reason that even the best tracers could only hope to find her location. Their little machines would most likely register her as being somewhere in an obscure region in Serbia. Only once had someone been able to find her - - and he had hired her. She was still trying to figure that one out…

She only had to wait one ring for the called to answer. "Hello?"

"I see you didn't lose the phone yet." Shadow said quietly. She had given Mrs. Crawford one of those disposable phones so their records would be clean. Just in case.

"No." Abby said. "Is he dead?"

"As a doornail. He tried to screw me first."

"Sounds like Ben." Abby replied in disgust. She couldn't have as much disgust as Shadow was feeling. "Thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me, having him finally gone!"

Shadow smirked. "You'd be surprised." Freedom from burden… now that was a prospect.

XXX

There was a blinking box on Shadow's computer when she finally got around to checking her messages. It was from a undisclosed location. It was brief. Coffee table. "…the hell?" She asked aloud. What about the coffee table? She stood and walked into the living room. There sat the furniture piece in question, completely innocuous. She frowned, and was about to turn around when she saw something askew.

It was one of those manila envelopes. She picked it up and undid the clasp. There was a whole bundle of papers inside. Some seemed to be confidential records. "Who…" Then she saw the top paper. It was a regular printer sheet. Someone had written her a letter.

Mireya, or should I call you Shadow, I have a job for you. This job is not only in my best interest, but yours as well. This I shall not discuss at this time, but I would like to let you know it is of a most personal matter.

"Personal matter huh?" Shadow said aloud, intrigued by the strange message. But wait, there's more…

This man, whose picture I have included in this packet, is responsible for miseries beyond your comprehension.

"Somehow doubt that." Mireya had been the cause of quite a few miseries herself, and some of those miseries had been pretty damned bad. She paused and sifted through the papers. The picture was near the top.

He was an older gentleman, not quite distinguished. He looked like he had a certain amount of class, but not the nobility type class. His hair was silver-white, not gray like many older individuals, and sported a mustache. Yet this was not the first thing she noticed. His eyes were a brilliant ice-blue, like a light was shining behind two translucent sky-colored crystals. Fascinating. She could tell from just that trait that he was probably a heart-breaker when he was in his prime.

This will not be an easy job. You are very talented at what you do, but to complete this task you will have to be exceptionally careful. You must keep your wits about you at all times. I'm sure you will realize this once you read the information I have gathered for you. You must know this opponent, or you will be sure to fail.

Either this person didn't know who they were talking to, or this guy was really something. Mireya's record was nearly spotless. Any failures came from the fault of others (which was a reason she usually worked alone) or an unexpected turn of events.

I have enclosed a check for 5,000 dollars. The name given is not my own, but an alias, so don't bother looking for me.

Okay, so apparently this person did know how she operated. She habitually did check-ups on her clients. Just in case.

The $5,000 is just an incentive. After you have completed your task - - if you survive - - much more will be transferred into your account. Trust me, it will be more than enough to compensate any trouble you have. In fact, you may never have to work again…

This caught her attention. Not work again? Shadow liked the sound of that. She liked her job and all, but sometimes she just wanted to work on her own, find something else to do. The killing business was getting boring. Everyone wanted someone dead, but nothing interesting. There were no conspiracy hits or revenge killings anymore. Mrs. Crawford's case had been the most interesting she had had in over a year - - and that was no big deal. She'd had others just like it, give or take the wife bit.

If you are willing be at the given destination about a week from now. You'll know when. S.

"I'll know when?" She muttered, dropping the letter on the table. She hated it when orders were vague. What if she wasn't as smart as her client thought she was and couldn't figure it out? Naturally that wasn't so, but the assuming nature of many of her employers bugged her. "All right. All I have to do it wait…"

So, how did you like the first chapter? Not much, I know, but it should get better as we get to some action… This chapter was more or less an intro to Mireya. Speaking of, what's your opinion on her? I think she's a little flat right now. That will hopefully become remedied soon, too. Well, I better be off. I've got two huge papers due for my classes in the next week and I have written not a word of them.

Toodles. Shadow.

Reviews appreciated. Thanks.