Disclaimer: I, Tsugi, do not own all the characters and I used some exact scenes from the game Metal Gear Solid.

Metal Gear Solid: Operation MantaRay

Chapter 1

Solid Snake

Colonel Campbell instructs Snake at the very beginning of his missions.

"The nuclear weapons disposal facility of Shadow Moses Island in Alaska's Fox Archipelago was attacked and captured by Next-Generation Special Forces being led by member of FOX-HOUND. They're demanding that the government turn over the remains of Big Boss and they say that if their demands are not met within 24 hours, they'll launch a nuclear weapon.

"You'll have two mission objectives. First, you're to rescue DARPA chief, Donald Anderson and the President of ArmsTech, Kenneth Baker. Both are being held as hostages. Secondly, you're to investigate whether or not the terrorists have the ability to make a nuclear strike…and stop them if they do."

"What's the insertion method?" Snake asks. He really just wants to know what the hell is going on.

"We'll approach the disposal facility by sub."

"And then?" Submarines might be the most effective way but Snake is kind of annoyed at the idea.

"We'll launch a one-man SDV (swimmer delivery vehicle)." Campbell really enjoys giving orders. Being a colonel really suits him. "After the SDV gets as close as it can, dispose of it. From there on you'll have to swim."

Dammit, Snake thinks to himself, I hate swimming.

, Snake thinks to himself, .

The sub is launched in silence and Snake makes his way to Shadow Moses Island.

MantaRay

Campbell has to give the 25-year-old orders too. Joy. She hates to be given orders. God, even her dad doesn't order her around and he was once a colonel too. Rebecca Mayeson's father, Richard Mayeson, just happens to be best friends with Colonel Campbell. Boy-oh-boy. What a wonderful combination.

Her father does not want her to have anything to do with the military for fear of her getting seriously injured. She loves the thrill of being millimeters away from death, a very strange child she was.

She likes to be called Riki, short and sweet, just like her. Well, maybe just short. She picked the code name MantaRay because her father used StingRay. She did it in spite. She looks up to her father, but she does not like it when someone does not agree with her.

"MantaRay," Campbell says into the codec. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Roy," she replies.

"Manta, for the purpose of this mission, refer to me as Colonel Campbell."

"Yes, Master," Manta says and laughs.

"Seriously, Rebecca."

Manta flinched. She hated being called Rebecca, with a passion. She knows seriousness when she hears it. Especially with Roy.

"You have only one mission objective and since you have already been briefed, I'll go straight to that."

"Shoot."

"You are to follow Snake and make sure he does what he is supposed to."

"Woah, are you talking about the legendary Solid Snake?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"I'm supposed to check up on him? What's up with that?"

"We've been dropped a non-traceable anonymous tip that he is giving the enemy information."

"And you believe this…why?"

"Because I never trusted Snake."

"That's a load of bull hockey. You always talked about your most trusted friend, Solid Snake."

Campbell didn't say much to that one. He went on with what he was saying. "You need to report everything he does. Don't let him know of your presence."

"Why?"

"He'll know something's up if he sees you, he knows who you are."

"Then why send me?" she scoffs a little.

"You're the best we got left."

"Aww…thanks, Roy."

"Manta, call me Colonel."

"Gaw…What am I to do if I accidentally bump into him?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Say you are his partner and adlib the rest. Make it sound believable, though, you're good at that."

"Hey!" She hit his picture on the burst transmission. "Where's Snake now?" she asks.

"On his way to the DARPA chief, hurry up. Get going, your mission starts now."

MantaRay's sub was sent out exactly as Snake's was. She was to follow each and every one of his footsteps and report anything out of the ordinary, which could be considered Manta herself, but she promised herself that she would try to be as serious as possible.

Solid Snake

Campbell is still informing Snake about the mission and the terrorists. He has a lot to say…sometimes seems like he is droning. Snake pays attention, reluctantly, but he knows he needs to get the job done.

"High Tech Special Forces Unit FOX-HOUND. Your former unit…" Campbell continues. Memories hit Snake like a waterfall. "…and one that I was a commander of." Memories flood Campbell's mind, too. Mostly bad memories.

"So they're still around…" Snake implies, wishing deeply that they weren't.

"There are six members of FOX-HOUND involved in this terrorist activity. Psycho Mantis, with his powerful psychic abilities. Sniper Wolf, the beautiful and deadly sharpshooter. Decoy Octopus, master of disguise. Vulcan Raven, giant and shaman. And Revolver Ocelot, specialist in interrogation and a formidable gunfighter. And finally, in charge of them…FOX-HOUND's squad leader, Liquid Snake."

"Liquid Snake?" Solid Snake was a little confused…and a little worried.

"The man with the same code name as you." Campbell informed him…had he heard this name before? "The nuclear weapons disposal facility covers the whole island. I'll further instruct you by codec after you reach your target."

Snake's sub had landed…finally. He exited and asked, "Anyone going with me?"

"As usual, this is a one-man infiltration mission." Campbell was obviously covering up Manta as much as possible. This was a one-man mission…with one woman added into the mix.

"Weapons and equipment OSP (on-site procurement)?"

"Yes. This is a top-secret black op. Don't expect any official support." Hint-hint, Snake. Don't expect any.

Snake finally makes it to his target. He turns off his codec and heads for the surface. He breaks surface at the backside of the weapons disposal facility. He climbs the bank and checks out the guards, how many there are and the weapons they are carrying.

As he takes off his swimming fins, he hears a voice, oddly one he's heard before.

"Stay alert! He'll be through here…I know it. I'm going to swat down a couple of bothersome flies." An alarm blares and mechanical sounds begin. Snake calls Campbell on his codec.

"This is Snake. Colonel, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. What's the situation, Snake?"

"Looks like the elevator in the back is the only way up."

"Just as I expected. You'll have to take the elevator to the surface. But make sure nobody sees you. If you need to, contact me by codec. The frequency is 140.85. When we need to contact you the codec will beep. The codec's receiver directly stimulates the small bones of your ear. No one but you will be able to hear it."

"Got it. Okay, I'm ready to go." The codec clicks off and Snake heads for the elevator.

MantaRay

Campbell had just finished briefing Manta just as he did Snake. She noticed the name Psycho Mantis. "This won't cause a problem, will it…his code name and mine?" she asks.

"No…" Campbell hopes. "The two names are very similar, but are distinct."

"Okey-dokey." She is so much like a child, even if she is a genius. Since she was very young she was trained in CQC (close quarters combat) and weapons technology. Her father was once a colonel and, what you might call a military freak. Riki eventually came to like the idea of going into the military.

When Manta broke the surface, she saw Snake crawling under a large object, apparently to get on the other side. She was kind of scared of keeping close to him and not letting him notice her. She tried to follow him exactly but gave up on the idea. He moved too fast.

She ducked in a corner and she noticed a guard. She had been told that these soldiers in heavy white outfits were called Arctic Warfare Troops. They, like all the other Genome Soldiers, had virtually no battle experience but have been trained through VR (Virtual Reality). She planned to get rid of him but she had no weapons so she had to improvise.

Manta waited for the guard to pass her. The corner was dark so practically no one could see her. She quickly but quietly walked up behind the guard and put her arms around his neck. Before he could even make a sound, she snapped it into two.

She tossed the body into the water from which she came. It floated off very slowly but quickly was lost from sight. She then heard the alarms and knew that the elevator had come back down. She ran to the back of the room trying not to make any noise in the water puddles. When she made it to the elevator, it had already began to surface.

Chapter 2

Solid Snake

Snake had just fooled another guard. Heh. He loved how stupid these soldiers were. They would follow your snowy footprints for hours before noticing they were going in small circles.

He made it into the elevator. Small bouts of relief began to take him over. One part of mission complete, he thought to himself. Now to the DARPA chief. He took off his underwater mask and relaxed for a few seconds while the elevator reached the top.

When the elevator surfaced he got off of it and hid behind a large crate. He called the Colonel on codec. "It's Snake. I'm in front of the disposal facility." He was glad to know he could still do this much.

"Excellent, Snake," Campbell said. "Age hasn't slowed you down one bit." That's what you think, Snake thought.

"How's that Sneaking Suit working out?" A different voice, female. He wondered who it was. Then it hit him. Naomi.

"I'm nice and dry but it's a little hard to move."

"Bear with it. It's designed to prevent hypothermia. This is Alaska, ya know."

"Take it easy, I'm grateful. If it weren't for your suit and your shot, I would've turned into a popsicle out there."

"An anti-freezing peptide, Snake. All of the Genome Soldiers in this exercise are using it."

"I see. I'm relieved to hear that. Already tested, huh? By the way, how's the diversionary operation going?"

Campbell spoke this time. "Two F-16s just took off from Galena and are headed your way. The terrorist's radar should have already picked them up."

Snake looks around the corner of the huge box he's hiding behind. He sees a heliport and a few guards. "A Hind D?" he asks the Colonel. "What's a Russian gunship doing here?"

"I have no idea…but it looks like our little diversion got their attention. Now's your best chance to slip in unnoticed!" The Hind takes off from the heliport and Snake starts to feel a little tense. "There are only 18 hours left until their deadline. You've got to hurry!"

"Wow…" a new voice this time. Snake has never heard this one before. This voice is also female. "…he must be crazy to fly a Hind in this kind of weather."

"Who's that?" Snake asks.

"Oh sorry. I haven't introduced you two yet." Campbell apologized for the surprise. "This is Mei Ling. She was assigned to us as our visual and data processing specialist. She designed your codec as well as your Soliton radar system. Contact her if you have any questions about either of them."

The burst transmission switches over to Mei Ling. "Nice to meet you, Snake. It's an honor to speak to a living legend like yourself." Mei Ling notices that something must be wrong. She asks Snake about it.

"Nothing…" he said. "I just didn't expect a world-class designer of military technology to be so…cute."

Mei Ling giggles. "You're just flattering me…"

"No, I'm serious. Well, I know I won't be bored for the next 18 hours."

"C'mon…I can't believe I'm being hit on by the famous Solid Snake…But I'm surprised…You're very frank for a trained killer."

"Looks like we both have a lot to learn about each other."
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to learning about the man behind the legend…but first let me explain about your Soliton radar system."

As Snake was getting the "low down" on the radar system, Manta was getting closer to him.

MantaRay

The elevator surfaced and Manta was right behind Snake. She couldn't believe he didn't even notice. She heard him talking to himself and realized he was using the codec. She decided to listen in. She hid herself in another nearby corner. The corners were starting to get to her.

She set the frequency to Campbell's and heard whatever Snake heard. "First I want you to infiltrate the disposal site and look for the DARPA chief. Get whatever information you can from him about the terrorists. If he's alive that is…"

Manta heard a lady speaking. Mei Ling! They had been pretty good friends for a few years. Met in a Tech. class. They became almost instantly connected. She had to restrain herself from yelling, "Hey good looking." It was hard. Mei would have without a doubt known who she was. But she really wasn't supposed to be listening. Campbell, how dare you not tell me she's here, she thought. I'm gonna call her just as soon as this conversation is over.

Mei Ling continued, "Snake, your radar isn't affected by the weather, but if you're discovered by an enemy you won't be able to use it."

"Yes," Campbell interjected, "It gets jammed easily, I'm afraid."

"It's all made from currently existing technology. You won't be able to use it in an area with strong harmonic resonance, so be careful."
"We'll be monitoring your movements by radar…so contact us by codec anytime you want." Campbell told this to Snake for reassurance.

"Got it. I'll call if I'm feeling lonely."

"Seriously, Snake," Naomi said, "We're here to back you up, so call if you need some information or advice." Naomi Hunter. Manta knew her from before this mission, but that's all.

"I'm also in charge of your mission data," Mei Ling told Snake. "Contact me if you want to record your current status. My frequency is 140.96. It's a dedicated frequency for saving data. Don't forget it." Manta made a mental note to do exactly that, not forget it.

"Remember," Campbell said, "except for your binoculars you're naked. You need to arm yourself with whatever weapons you can find."

"I remember," Snake said, "First I'm stripped searched by Doctor Naomi here…and then all my weapons are taken away. Imagine yourself put in that position."

"Well," Naomi hinted, "if you make it back in one piece, maybe I'll let you do a strip search on me." Manta let out a disgusted sigh. She didn't think very much of the doctor.

"I'll hold you to that, Doctor," Snake laughed. Manta was still disgusted.

"By the way, sorry to disappoint you, but I did manage to smuggle out my smokes." Ha, take that, Naomi, Manta thought.

"How did you do that?"

"In my stomach." Yuck. Cool, but gross. Very gross. Go, Snake. "Thanks to the shot you gave me that suppressed my stomach acids." Again, yuck.

"Cigarettes?" Mei Ling questioned. "How are those going to help you?"

"You never know."
Snake went to a nearby hill and surveyed the surrounding area. "If you want to get in, there's the front door." Manta suspected the Colonel was putting in some sarcasm.

"I can't just knock on the door and ask them to let me in," Snake joked. Manta agreed with herself that Snake's subtle sense of humor was much better than that of the Colonel's. "There's one sentry on the right and one on the left. They're armed with 'five five sixers' and pineapples…" Snake moved to the opposite side of the fence.

"What about the air duct near the door?" Campbell asks. "There's one on the second floor, too."

"I can't see that one from here."

"I'll let you decide the best COA (course of action). I'm counting on you, Snake. We all are."

Manta told herself, Great…whichever way he chooses, I have to follow. He'll probably choose the most complicated. If I know men, and I do…he will.

Little did she know, that's exactly what he does.

Chapter 3

Solid Snake

Snake started for the heliport. He decided to check it out. There was a box in the center of the "H" painted in the middle. He couldn't make out the description on the side so he headed for it. The spotlights were going back and forth like laser pendulums. Snake studied the swings and waited for the perfect moment to run in between them.

After a few seconds, he started to run but hesitated. He went back to his original stance. He ran after two swings of the lights. Perfectly in between them, he grabbed the box, and jumped off the other side of the heliport. He opened the box to find 3 chaff grenades.

Snake ran to a nearby room across from the heliport. On the radar he noticed a yellow cone-shaped field of vision. He had no idea what it was. Mei Ling didn't go over that, he thought. He walked into the room and looked up to notice that the yellow light was a surveillance camera. He asked himself what was up with that.

He ran back out of the room and threw one of his chaff grenades. Chaff grenades disable electronics when the pin is pulled. He went back into the room and saw that the chaffs were working because the camera was not surveying at a normal pace. He picked up another box, which contained 3 stun grenades. He didn't think he would ever have to use these. I'm too quick, he thought to himself. Stun grenades let out such a bright light that they stunned the guards.

He quickly ran and made it out of the room before the chaff's effect wore off. He noticed a truck with an open back and climbed inside. Behind the box inside the truck he found a Socom pistol. Yes, he thought, a gun…finally. Now all I have to do is make it inside this stupid building.

Snake saw a set of stairs leading to the second floor of the outside of the building. He looked around and saw a guard on the ground floor, a guard on the second floor, and another camera. He stood in front of the truck and shot the guard on the ground floor twice. He went to the dead guard and dragged him behind the staircase, out of sight.

He threw another chaff grenade to momentarily jam the camera. He ran up the staircase and quickly hid in the nearest corner. He crouched down low and looked around the corner waiting for the second guard to show up.

When the guard was in sight, Snake took out his Socom and aimed at the guard's head. The guard didn't even notice the laser between his eyes. A less-than-silent shot was fired and the guard collapsed to the ground. Blood was oozing out of the bullet hole. Snake took no notice. He shoved the guard out of the way and headed for the air duct.

All he had to do was crawl through the air duct until he came to an opening into the building. He made his first turn when he heard two people talking. They were guards in the room under him. He only caught a few words, but got the general idea of the conversation. They were talking about the air ducts and how they were bombed for mice and would be closed soon. Damn. I've got to hurry.

After he turned another corner, he got a call from someone. He answered the call from frequency 141.80. Who the hell is that?

"Snake," an all too familiar voice said, "this is McDonell Miller. It's been a long time."

"Master?" Snake was more than a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I quit being a drill instructor, so I moved out here for some peace and quiet. I'm in retirement just like you. Once in a while I still help train the Alaskan Scouts."

"Passing on the skills to a new generation, huh?"

"Heh…Campbell told me about the situation here. I thought I might be of some use."

"There's no one I'd rather have in a foxhole than you."

"Well, I know lots about survival in a harsh environment. I've lived in Alaska longer than you, so call me if you have any questions about the flora or fauna out here."

Snake noticed the mice in the duct. "What about these…uh…vermin? Are they…lethal?"

"Heh…Snake? Losing your touch? Those are Alaskan field mice. Don't worry, they can't hurt you."

"I'm not worried."

"Yeah," Master noticed the small tinge of nervousness. "Wild field mice don't have a thick layer of fat, but they can still survive the bitter winters here without hibernating. They dig tunnels under the snow and that's where they stay warm."

"Survival specialists, huh? I should learn from them."

"But there's a dark side, too. Sometimes the males will kill and eat offspring that's not their own."

"To insure the survival of their own genes, right?"

"Yeah. Pretty brilliant program, huh? If there are mice, that means there must be an exit somewhere. Follow them."

"Okay, Master, I loved the Science lesson, but…"

"Go, find the DARPA chief."

The codec clicks off and Snake made his way to the inside of the building.

Manta Ray

God, he killed those two men. And without them even noticing him. He is a trained killer…a well…very well trained killer.

Manta was thinking about the slyness of this man. How great he was, she couldn't wait to see more of him in action. She went to the staircase and studied the pattern of the camera. She didn't have any chaff grenades, so she would have to improvise, again.

Damn him, she thought. Didn't even leave me any. Asshole.

She amused herself with the thought of blaming him for not leaving her any when he didn't even know she was there. Yet, anyway.

He will know that I'm here. I'll make sure of it. No way am I gonna pass up the chance to work with the legendary Solid Snake.

She just hoped to herself that he doesn't remember her. Granted, she has changed greatly in the last 10 years, but still, she couldn't recall if his memory was as good as his tactics.

She stuck her back as close to the staircase as she could. She knew that there was a blind spot directly under every camera. Daddy taught me this when I was 12. I remember, it was funny seeing him screw up so much.

She passed the camera with ease and went up the stairs. She didn't want to run, wanted to save her energy. She found the air duct and crawled into it. When she looked up, she was only inches away from Snake, or at least that was who she hoped it was.

She gasped but caught her breath. He apparently was talking on his codec again. He's really got to stop that if he wants to get anything done around here.

She waited for him to finish his conversation with Master, she guessed, and followed him when he began to crawl again. She must have followed his pattern almost perfectly because he didn't notice that anyone was directly behind him. I thought he was trained to notice things like me. I guess he's just so deeply in thought he doesn't realize or he just doesn't care.

She was kind of grossed out when she saw the mice but got over the fact because she knew she couldn't make any noise. She wasn't afraid of the mice, she just didn't want to imagine where they had been. I'm glad I'm not prissy. I'd never make it. Thank God for Dad and Roy.

Snake and Manta finally made it inside the building. They had to climb a ladder down and out of the duct. She had to wait for a while so that he was out of the range of seeing her. She really isn't a very patient person but she didn't want him to notice her so close to the beginning of the mission.