Chapter 11

Raiden stepped out of the elevator and watched his step because of the dead bodies. The room was full. Raiden could see the gigantic black man and the oriental woman talking to another soldier. He looked around trying to find Meryl, she should be nearby, but she was in disguise.

After a few minutes a soldier said. "Alright men you are here to provide backup to Steiner if he needs it." The soldier pointed to the gigantic black man. "He'll go in and stop the intruder and if something goes wrong we go in, everyone got it?"

"Yes, sir." The soldiers replied in unison

Raiden noticed that one soldier was with his head bowed as if trying not to attract attention. Raiden had a hunch. He moved closer and whispered "Meryl." Raiden thought that even if that wasn't Meryl he could give some kind of excuse but it wasn't necessary, it was her.

"We can't talk here." Meryl replied in a low voice.

Steiner headed towards the dormitories and the soldiers followed behind.

"Why?" Raiden whispered again

Meryl stretched her hand out and pointed to Steiner

"Because he might hear us." Meryl whispered back.

Raiden wondered how that man could hear their conversation from several feet away.

A soldier tapped Raiden on the back

"We've go to move, close up the formation."

Raiden nodded as did Meryl. They followed behind the rest of the soldiers and approached the dormitory doors. Steiner went into a door that said "Dormitory F" and the soldiers followed behind. Raiden and Meryl went, in the back of the formation, into the room. Raiden didn't know if Snake was still in here, but he wasn't going to stand there and wait. He signalled Meryl, both left the formation and headed for the showers where Steiner was.

"Hey, get back on formation you two." Said a soldier standing beside Steiner.

"Shut up." Steiner said with a very deep and very rough voice that certainly belonged to is enormous body.

Steiner then pressed his ear near a vent shaft that had been blown away. He kept that position for a few seconds and then turned around.

"They're in the floor below." With a sudden movement he waved his hand and rested it on top of Meryl's shoulder. Raiden looked straight into Steiner's eyes as if trying to discern if he knew they were intruders, but the shades clouded his emotions.

Meryl flinched but Steiner made no case of it, instead he said. "You'll guide me to the floor below."

Meryl gave Raiden a quick frightened look, but she had to obey. T

The soldiers opened up the way to let Steiner pass, led by Meryl. As they left the dormitory, Raiden saw the oriental woman standing there perfectly still looking straight into his eyes. Raiden looked away. This woman made Raiden feel somewhat uncomfortable.

As Steiner and Meryl got to the elevator he handed Meryl a little square key.

"Floor -1" Steiner said.

Meryl obeyed, she gave Raiden a last look and the doors closed.

Snake saw a gigantic black man with his hand on a soldier's shoulder. Snake tighten the grip of his SOCOM and he could see that Naomi was scared. Snake pointed his SOCOM to the elevator.

Meryl and Steiner walked out of the elevator. Meryl saw that this floor was some sort of recreational room, opposite her stood a few sofas. One had been turned over and someone was behind it.

"Give yourself up, and I won't kill you." Steiner said in a deep rough voice.

Snake responded. "Go to hell." Snake still had some grenades and he would use them if he had to.

At that moment Meryl froze, she knew that voice and couldn't believe her ears.

"SNAKE!" Meryl shouted.

Snake questioned himself if he wasn't imagining things, first Naomi and now Meryl.

"Meryl?" Snake said in a loud voice.

"Yes it's me...ahhhh" Meryl screamed as Steiner pushed her down.

"So your name is Snake, interesting." Steiner let go of Meryl's shoulder, she grasped it in pain. "It seems you two know each other."

Snake took aim at the gigantic man. Steiner grabbed Meryl by the head, like a doll.

"Are you Solid Snake?" Steiner asked as he threw Meryl hard to the right. She flew a couple of feet and landed on the ground with a hard thud. "Maybe this fight will be entertaining."

Snake looked at Meryl. She was unconscious but still alive.

He took aim and shot at Steiner, but he however was incredibly fast and moved to left avoiding the bullet.

"What the hell?" Snake said in disbelief.

"You cannot hit me with that weapon." Steiner began running towards Naomi, he could hear her sobbing.

Snake shot a few more rounds, but missed, somehow Steiner dodged his bullets.

Steiner got dangerously close to Naomi "I'll take her with me." Steiner said as he bowed to pick her up.

"SNAKE HELP ME!" Naomi cried out

Steiner rested Naomi on his shoulder and prevented Snake from taking the shot, if Steiner dodged again he might shoot Naomi.

"If you want to fight me, follow me." Steiner headed for a door opposite Snake.

Snake was still pointing his weapon at him as Steiner entered the room. He didn't had the time to investigate the room before and now he could be walking into a trap. He had to risk it. He headed for the door and opened it; it was pitch black, just like the bathroom. And it wasn't your average dark room even the light from the lobby couldn't enter it.

"I have the Doctor." Steiner said through the radio while covering Naomi's mouth.

"Good I'll pick her up right now." The voice on the other side was Shadow.

Snake walked a bit more into the room. He rapidly searched his equipment for the SOCOM's flashlight accessory, a small flashlight that could be attached to the gun. He found it but it was useless for the light didn't do any difference. Snake heard the elevator and the doors were opening. Snake saw only a slight shadow on the floor passing by Meryl, still unconscious, and entering the room Snake was in. Snake thought he was seeing things and yet a few seconds later he saw it again going in the opposite direction into the elevator. As the elevator doors closed a voice came from behind Snake deep inside the room.

"This is my world Snake, the world of darkness."

The door behind Snake closed, he was now in complete darkness even the Soliton radar had ceased to function and the voice kept talking.

"Shadow told me about you, one of the greatest soldiers of our time."

Snake looked left and right but only saw black.

"You'll fall before me Snake. I'm a victim of genetics like you but unlike you I accepted the power I was given, supreme strength in exchange for my sight."

Snake became puzzled but curious.

"I will live forever in darkness, but I'll be the strongest man alive." Steiner shouted and laughed in his deep voice.

Snake had seen strange things, but this man was on the top, he was blind but he dodged bullets and saw Naomi behind the sofa. Then it hit him, he was blind but not deaf and somehow he heard things much better than your average person. Snake reached for his stun grenades. He pulled the pin of one and threw it a few feet to the front, for a few seconds Snake saw an empty room and then a loud bang.

"Ahhhh." Steiner screamed out loud

Snake turned in the direction of the sound and shot. Silence sat in for a few seconds, then laughter.

"You may have found my weak point." Steiner said "But you won't kill me with that"

Snake knew it to be true. He had just wasted a stun grenade.

"My name's Steiner, remember it Snake."

Snake heard something getting near him, then an enormous pain. He had been punched in the face. The punch was so hard that threw Snake back into the wall.

Steiner laughed again "Prepare to die Snake"

Snake got up. He had to think of something fast. So he reached for another grenade, but didn't have time. Steiner threw another punch and this was even harder than the last one, Snake fell flat on the ground. His eyes were closed as something grabbed him by the neck. The force was unbelievable. He opened his eyes, but it was no use he couldn't make out anything. He groped and sensed Steiner's hands on his neck. He had to do something or he would die.

"I thought this would be more challenging." Steiner said.

He began laughing and then the sound of bone cracking invaded the room. "SNAP".