Auron vs. Big Boss:
Dead Men Walking
By Daredevil3181 and sephsblade
He
could almost feel the power growing as he stepped ever closer to the
top. The stairs seemed to almost go on forever, changing into a
spiral as he approached the top. The three winners of the previous
contests, now the hosts of this one brimmed with unrivalled
strength…
The message had been simple: "Come - I have something to show you". Much more effort had been spent on the messenger, though he was obviously just a hotel employee.
He thought back to the fear on the messenger's face. The site must have been disturbing - the room had been trashed, walls dented, cupboards ripped to shreds… Auron felt embarrassed. To lose his temper like that, just because he couldn't find his sword was unheard of for someone such as himself. Then again, Yuna's death still hurt - after finally being re-united with Tidus, to be taken from this world – it was too much sorrow, even for him. He was surprised no one else had complained about the noise.
Auron looked up to come face to face with an ornately decorated hallway. He was finally here. The door seemed simple, made of a polished and lacquered wood, with three symbols of gold magically attached to its outer surface. On the left side, there was a depiction of a meteor hurtling across space, and on the right lay a symbol of a planet. In the middle, separating the two, were three triangles making up a far larger triangle - the fabled Tri-Force, whose pieces were in the hands of Zelda, Link and…
Auron shoved open the door far harder then he meant too, the sound reverberating around the entrance hall. It too was simple. There were three doors with the full names of the champions to which they belonged to and some drab grey wallpaper.
The door to Sephiroth's room was already open. As he stepped through the threshold, he almost laughed at the sight. Paintings, murals, ancient artifacts of no real use - in trying to show his power, the silver-haired swordsman merely showed his weakness. The man himself seemed to be studying one of the more colorful paintings in the room, impossibly long sword at his side.
"You wanted to see me?" asked Auron in a gruff voice. Sephiroth didn't seem startled at the sudden intrusion upon his personal space. In fact, he was eerily calm, as he had been looking forward to Auron's arrival for the past ten minutes.
"Yes," Sephiroth replied. "But first…I have something to show you." Not bothering to wait for Auron to say any more, he grabbed a remote off his desk and pointed it toward a television monitor situated at the far corner of the suite. With a little flick of his wrist, a black and white picture quickly came into view.
A little puzzled as to why Sephiroth would be showing him an old television program or cheap movie, Auron was about to say something when he looked a little closer at the image displayed. It was HIS ROOM. Well, not the way he had left it now, as it currently looked as if a tornado had blown through, but the way it had been approximately twelve hours prior.
There were two figures rummaging through his stuff. Both of them were male and they appeared to be of an older age. It was dark in the room, which didn't help Auron in identifying the forms, but he could tell from the way they moved exactly who they were: Big Boss and Revolver Ocelot.
As they were methodically going through his things, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that any other contestant would have the audacity to go through his personal belongings. What right did they have? He was a respected warrior here and shouldn't be treated the same as some of the common trash that laughingly called themselves combatants.
Suddenly, the one that Auron took to be Big Boss made a motion to Ocelot, instructing him to stop searching. The old man brandished a huge item in his hand and clumsily swung it around in a mock attack. Ocelot dodged to the side and then wagged his finger at his accomplice. The two then placed everything exactly how they had found it and left the hotel room.
"Damn! They were the ones who broke into my room and stole my Masamune," huffed Auron, annoyance evident in his voice. He wasn't truly angry, but he wasn't happy with the situation either. "What do you propose to do about it, Mr. Contest Organizer?"
"I don't propose to do anything," Sephiroth snidely remarked. "What I will do, is give you back your sword." He then reached behind his desk and handed the weapon to the red-coated swordsman, hilt first.
Auron immediately grabbed it, with nary a thanks for its return. As soon as he touched the worn handle he felt a small chill go down his spine and then his vision started to swim. Gripping the back of a nearby chair for support, he steadied himself until the dizzy spell passed.
"Feeling alright?" Sephiroth wondered, not really caring what the answer would be.
"I'll live," Auron replied. He then smiled to himself at the absurdity of that last statement.
"Wonderful. I don't want anyone fainting on my new carpet. I just had these put in the other day. Anyways, I wouldn't worry about the security of your room and belongings any longer. We will be sure to be increase our safeguards. This type of behavior WON'T happen again and is completely out of line. You may leave now."
Auron was about to walk out of the suite when a rather interesting thought struck him.
"How exactly did you say you came by my Masamune again? Awfully convenient for you to just find it lying around somewhere, isn't it?"
"It was brought to me after one of my associates secured it from a common street peddler out in the city. He didn't want to part with it, but after a little 'persuasion' he soon saw things our way. It seems that the little thieves didn't even have enough common decency to keep a powerful weapon such as that in a secure area and return it after the match. Not only did they steal it, they also tried to sell it for some quick cash. Utterly disgusting."
"Sure," said Auron. He didn't wholly believe the silver-haired man, but he didn't have enough evidence to refute his claim either. At least he had his sword back, which was all that mattered.
"Now, don't you have a match to be getting to?" sneered Sephiroth, talking to Auron as if he was a little lost child.
"Don't you have a judging chair to be occupying?" shot back Auron, determined not to give the man any advantage. He then turned around and headed for the stairs, hoping to get as far away from Sephiroth as possible. Just being around that man made Auron's stomach turn.
As he lumbered out, he couldn't help but just feel a little bit…different. Not really so much physically bad, but something was definitely out of sorts. Auron tried to figure out what it might be, yet he had no luck in identifying the source of his malaise.
'Oh well, guess I'll worry about it later,' mused Auron. 'I have a match to win.'
Meanwhile, another set of eyes watched the swordsman's exit with extreme interest. Soon enough their owner made his own way down to the ground floor. He opted to use the elevator rather than enter into the moldy stairwell however.
"Excellent," Sephiroth whispered. "Now let us see just how far that enchantment will take him."
---
Ah, that had been sweet. The greatest warrior his world had ever known looked up at the arena, thinking more of his latest battle than the match that was ahead. Victory, even a belated victory, was oh so sweet.
He was dodging Snake easily, each evasion making the young rookie more and more frustrated. In the basement of Outer Heaven they fought, mano a mano, soldier to soldier. The metallic walls offered no place to hide, no place to run, as the two battled each other fiercely for the future of the world as they knew it.
"You need to learn to control your emotions more, Snake! You're supposed to be a FOXHOUND operative, not a common thug. You think you can stop my dream?"
The younger man was bleeding heavily, his left arm broken. There was still fire in his eyes, the fire of idealism that burned in Big Boss's own mind. It was a pity…It truly was.
Snake leapt, throwing all caution to the wind. Exactly what the mercenary leader was hoping for. He stepped the outstretched hands, grabbing Snake's neck out of thin air - and snapping the neck in an instant.
'Simulation: Outer Heaven finished. Record time. Save for further documentation?"
Big Boss waved with contempt at the bodiless voice. He'd remember this moment so well that he didn't need a paltry recording for it to live in on his memory…
Now he clenched his fist, marveling at the strength this old body now possessed. The power he'd been granted was even beyond his peak as Naked Snake. Sephiroth had truly granted him a strength that was worth more than its weight in gold…
Frowning slightly, he thought about his benefactor. True, the ends did justify the means - The Patriots knew it, he knew it, and everyone apart from his naïve 'son' knew it. But out of all the contenders, he'd trust Solid Snake with his life long before he even gave a glimmer of respect for the son of Jenova.
Still, the power was real - he'd felt little tiredness going blow for blow with Snake, albeit a young and inexperienced simulated Snake. His muscles stretched farther and lasted longer, the sweat no longer felt clammy, as it was instead exhilarating. He had the power to forge his dream once again, one of a soldier's heaven and the Patriot's hell…
And Auron was just one stepping stone on the way to victory here. Yes, he'd use the power for now. But Sephiroth wouldn't be able to use him, and Ocelot, with his links to the Patriots, wouldn't either. Big Boss was back - the man who had surpassed even the Boss was once again a force to be reckoned with.
---
"Are you sure this is the terrain you wish to fight in?" asked the chief technician. The requests only seemed to be getting weirder lately. This one even wanted live animals accompanying his terrain!
"Oh yes, most definitely," replied Big Boss. This would be the perfect environment for him. Although he knew the fight wouldn't take so long, he took pride in knowing that he could survive in a place such as the one he had chosen for weeks if need be.
"Fine, fine, let's just get this over with," Link said as he moved his had at the two combatants as if to say "shoo". He obviously wasn't into this match and was even more bored than usual. Others would kill to be in his shoes as a previous champion, but the Hylian youth merely rolled his eyes at the needless complexity of the whole thing.
The stadium's operator pressed a button on his control pad and the arena's underground terraforming machines immediately went to work. Lush green trees sprang up out of the ground and a small river cut through the center of the battleground. Auron wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that he heard the cries of a few animals coming from the inner reaches of the dense foliage.
'Time to start this, I suppose,' Auron thought. 'It's not an area I feel the most comfortable in, but I'll deal.'
"I'll start on the outer edge of this place," Auron indicated, not even allowing the judges to ask him for his request.
"And I guess that that means I'll start from within," Big Boss sighed, yet he was obviously pleased with his starting position. He could use all the cover he could get, as if his sneak suit and camouflage paint wasn't already enough.
Big Boss began to walk into the steamy setting, chuckling to himself. Before he got very far he turned and stared directly at Auron.
"Be careful. It's a jungle IN there," Big Boss said, and then he raced off into the center, with a speed and grace unfitting a man of his age. He moved as if he was a good 40 years younger and then some.
Auron's eyes tracked his opponent as best they could before he completely blended in with the jungle around him. Sighing to himself, Auron adjusted his sunglasses and gripped the worn hilt of his Masamune. He still felt like something was wrong, but he just couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was that was troubling him.
"Begin!" shouted the announcer, signaling the start of the match.
'Here goes nothing,' Auron told himself. He stepped tentatively into the jungle and was immediately greeted by a trio of hissing snakes. The swordsman basically ignored them until one of the vipers lunged at him. Auron moved to the side, effectively evading its bite, with a frown now on his face.
"Letting the animals do your dirty work now?" called out Auron, hoping that Big Boss could hear him and would come out into the open. He had no such luck, however, as the jungle was just as mysterious as ever. He took another step and was again assaulted by the three snakes, which were now firmly wrapped around a nearby tree.
'I don't have time for this,' Auron thought. He was beginning to get a little annoyed and wanted to finish his opponent off. He reared his sword arm back and in one swift motion brought it forward. The snakes' hissing was no more as their heads were effectively separated from their bodies. At this a weird aura around Auron's sword pulsed for the briefest of seconds. It too was apparently pleased with the animals' deaths.
---
'Back in the jungle, John. Doesn't this bring back memories?'
He moved through the plants like a ghost, avoiding all light and blending in like a chameleon. It was all coming back to him, how he'd survived before…Mines littered the area behind him, each placed where it would take a hawk to see them. More simple traps like wires and pitfalls were present too, everything placed where they could do the maximum amount of damage to Auron.
He smiled as he heard the first explosion. 'The first thing a warrior should know is his battleground, Swordsman - if you don't know that, you don't know anything.' Even so, he was surprised that there was no scream of pain.
He heard his opponent moving around, searching for him. Big Boss knelt down in the long grass, lying like a snake, as he saw a flash of grey hair…
He brought out his silenced pistol, firing one, two, three shots before moving, never staying in one place long enough for the swordsman to locate him. Even so, it took all of his skill to move quickly enough without being heard, as no matter how far away Auron was he somehow managed to be where Big Boss had just been only a split second before, bringing his blade crashing down with unbelievable force on anything that stood in his way.
Something had been nagging at Big Boss for some time, and he finally realized what it was - how did Auron get his sword back? If it wasn't the same one, it was its twin. If he needed further proof of Sephiroth's untrustworthiness, this was it…
He heard his enemy scream. Finally, one of the traps had done something. But it wasn't a scream of pain - what in the name of hellfire was "Dragon Fang" supposed to mean?
He felt his legs cave in as he fell to the ground, a huge shockwave rolling across the ground, making the very earth tremble. He heard explosions from far away and they only added to the force of the attack. He swiftly clambered up a nearby tree to avoid any follow up, scanning the area for his adversary.
He couldn't see his opponent, but he could see all the animals on the ground - each and every one dead. They lacked the resilience that Big Boss himself had. And the explosions were probably his precious mines going off.
The founder of FOXHOUND chuckled to himself. It seemed he'd made a rookie mistake as well - never underestimate your enemy.
---
Auron looked around at the devastation he'd caused. He was dimly aware that he was now wide open, the trees near him felled, making him an enticing target. Slowly, he walked back into the undergrowth, the vegetation acting as it was another foe to be destroyed. He felt cold fury seeping through him, his annoyance reaching a level that it had never reached before in both his mortal life and afterlife. It seemed as if the Chosen's death had affected him even more then he had thought.
But he had to defeat his foe. If need be who would kill Big Boss. It mattered little to him, as all he really wanted to do was kill Ganondorf. Not merely for revenge - Revenge was for the foolish and the young - but to stop him before he hurt anyone else. For the first time since losing Braska and Jecht, Auron was pissed off.
Bringing up his sword, he cut swathes through the jungle, producing more fallen trees, as the Masamune cut through them as if they were as insubstantial as air. If Big Boss was going to continue his cowardly guerrilla tactics, then Auron was going to destroy the cover he craved.
---
"Wow. Auron's really going at it, huh?"
Rikku stood up from her VIP seat, craning over the front wall to look down at the battle below and ignoring the cries of outrage from those sitting behind her. For the first time since the battle had begun, the spectators could actually see something happening down on the ground. Up until now screens had shown camera footage of the jungle, tracking down either Big Boss or Auron. But now with the swordsman's action, things were finally starting to heat up.
Even Tidus had started paying attention, even though he was still mourning the loss of Yuna. But this was not like Auron - true, it was a clever thing to do, but it seemed to be too rash and hasty for Tidus' old mentor.
He sighed. He should have realized in his grief that Auron had to be feeling pain as well. Even his old friend could feel sadness…
---
Big Boss was starting to feel tense. Auron was destroying the jungle, had destroyed most of his traps, and somehow had managed to avoid all of his shots without missing a beat, no matter how accurately the old mercenary fired. Things were starting to fall apart for him, and if he wanted to win, he'd have to act. And fast.
He pulled out a weapon he'd thought he'd never see again – one which boasted full auto fire, small recoil, and 5.56mm x 45 ammunition. Designed and developed for his mentor, it was the most deadly weapon in his arsenal - the Patriot. No matter what magic or witchcraft Auron possessed, there was no way in hell he could avoid slugs from this firearm.
Running through the jungle without even rustling the leaves, Big Boss found his prey. He couldn't help but marvel at his foe's strength as he kneeled down, aiming the gun. It had been a good fight, warrior against warrior - but it ended now.
Auron stopped suddenly, taking a step back and throwing Big Boss' aim off for a split second. And that split second was all that the warrior required in order to unleash his most powerful attack…
"Tornado."
The leader of Zanzibar Land threw himself to the ground, as the gentle breeze that had been playing through the arena turned into a cyclone, the wind uprooting trees and grass and threatening to pull up Big Boss as well. But that wasn't the end of it. Auron took out his jug of - of whatever he seemed to like to drink so much - and threw it into the twister. Somehow, this caused the entire thing to catch fire. It created an inferno which raged mere millimeters over the FOXHOUND founder's head, scorching the suit on his back.
And when it ended, there was nothing left except him and Auron, staring at each other face to face.
Big Boss' eyes narrowed. There was but one chance he had to win - to disarm his opponent. He doubted very much that the samurai was trained in Close Quarter Combat, and without his precious Masamune he would be a sitting duck for the Patriot's fire. And so he ran before Auron turned around, moving faster than he thought possible. Finally, he leapt, his hands reaching forward for the throat of his opponent.
Without even turning around, Auron's hand moved, grabbing Big Boss by the neck, while his other hand moved toward his sword faster than Big Boss thought possible.
He was dimly aware of being thrown to the ground, a bleeding stump where his left leg used to be. He shunted aside the pain, instead staring up at his foe. Rather than the invigorating energy that had coursed through his veins before, he felt tired now. His newfound strength was leaving him, no doubt exactly how that double-crossing Sephiroth had planned.
He'd expected it sooner, really - he wouldn't have been surprised if that traitor Ocelot, the Boss' true son, had already turned his back on his old comrade and found employment with the tournament host. But, at least he'd live. Auron was not the type to kill a man in cold blood, especially someone who had meant the best for the world like Big Boss had. He'd live until it was time to go back to his world, a world where he was already presumed de-
Auron raised his sword above his head, intent on finishing off his foe once and for all.
Big Boss licked his lips and desperately began to search for a way out of his predicament. "You've won, warrior. You don't need to take my life to prove that. I surrender."
Auron hesitated for a second, almost as if he was digesting his opponent's plea. Suddenly a flash of anger flickered across Auron's eyes and sword. This was so unlike the Auron Big Boss had seen before the battle - he was disappointed. He expected a far more controlled and experienced adversary and one who wouldn't let his emotions get the best of him.
"I don't think so," Auron said coldly. "I only spare the lives of people worth living. And in someone such as yourself, that's not the case. Farewell, you despicable man."
"Well, well. To fight again on the battlefield against a fellow warrior, was more then I had hoped for," Big Boss sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Go forward, warrior - listen to the blood and let rage guide you, it will only end up being your undoing." And with that Auron's sword came down on to Big Boss' exposed neck, separating his head from his shoulders and silencing the old man forever.
In the stands, Sephiroth smiled. People were shocked at this uncharacteristic behavior from the samurai and it couldn't have pleased him more. Everything he had planned for this match had worked. All his effort had not been in vain. Even the mighty Auron stood no chance against the machinations of the son of Jenova.
---
The match had been quite tense, but as people were filing out of the arena, they couldn't help but feel a little down. Whether it was the uncharacteristic actions of Auron or the sneaky hit and run tactics of Big Boss, the most recent battle just didn't feel right. One person in particular realized the gravity of the situation and was sitting on a bench just outside the stadium, reflecting on what she had just seen.
She failed to notice the green clad warrior behind her as he slowly inched his way ever closer. He was about to touch her on the shoulder when he was suddenly overcome with an intense power. His body glowed blue for a split second as the magical energy that assaulted him pushed him to his knees. When he arose once more, he appeared drained and was breathing heavily.
"Who's there?" asked Zelda, suddenly alerted to the presence behind her.
"It's just…me…Princess," Link answered, still panting a little. He was recovering some of the strength he had just lost, but he still looked a little out of sorts.
"Link, are you OK? You look like you've just run a marathon."
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Link said, putting on a smile to calm his long-time companion's fears. She didn't totally believe him, but she could tell it was pointless to press the issue any further. The Hylian man could be quite secretive at times.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this chat?" Zelda mused, preferring to get right down to the core of the meeting. Although they had been close, it wasn't every day that Link came around to talk to anyone about anything, much less her.
"It's about your match," Link began. "Unless you change your outlook on things here, you're going to lose."
"What do you mean?" Zelda shot, beginning to get defensive. "My outlook on these proceedings is just fine. I assess what is best for the common good and react accordingly."
"That's just the problem," explained Link. "This is a TOURNAMENT. It's one thing to go around and save Hyrule for the 'good of the people'. But to carry around those ideals in a place like this is just ludicrous."
"And what do you propose I do?" wondered Zelda, a little angry and intrigued at the same time.
"You've seen the way some of these monsters fight around here. If you want to have any chance at all of advancing you need to release your true potential. And the only way to do that is to fight for yourself and yourself alone. Don't be concerned with the wishes and desires of others. They'll only drag you down."
"Are you saying you want me to become selfish?" yelled Zelda. "Abandon the needs of the people?"
"For lack of better words, yes," Link sighed. "Look Zelda, I know this is all hard for you to process, but I'm doing this for your own good. I don't want you to go away anytime soon, but if you don't follow my advice that's exactly what will happen."
"What do you know?" Zelda huffed. "Sitting there in your big chair and watching all of these matches happen with feigned boredom. You're not fooling anyone, Little Kokiri!"
"Zelda, please, at least consi-"
"This conversation is over," the princess said coldly. Link had heard that tone before and just stopped what he was going to say. Once her mind was set there was no use arguing, as all it would accomplish would be to give him a sore throat.
Zelda locked eyes with Link one last time and then stormed off, presumably back to the hotel.
"Just think about what I said," Link called out. "At the very least give it a chance, as I'm only trying to help you out." Zelda merely "Hmphed" at this last statement.
'I tried, I really did,' thought Link. 'But at the very least her match isn't for another two days. Hopefully by then she'll have wisened up and understood what I've told her to be true. I need to start making a few plans and I'll need all the help I can get. I might get her soul if I had allowed things to continue as they were supposed to, but a soul is useless to me when I'd rather have a living body along to accompany it.' Looking down at the ground, Link merely stared at a few rocks while trying to plot out his next move. Whatever happened, he knew he was going to be very busy over these next few days.
