Chapter 21

The soldier's flashlight grew nearer to Otacon. He had a plan but he wasn't sure it would work. The light got nearer. He held tight is own flashlight and got ready.

This is it.

He jumped out behind the boxes and pointed his flashlight directly into the soldier's eyes.

"What the hell…"

Otacon pushed him and the soldier fell to the ground. Otacon ran to the door.

"Hey Truman are you ok?" the soldier outside in the corridor asked.

Otacon had to time this perfectly. The soldier on the ground was already getting up.

The door began to open. Otacon concentrated and with all his strength pushed the door back. The other soldier fell to the ground. Otacon ran out of the room. He was in a very long corridor about 50 feet wide, the ceiling was covered with pipes and small lamps lit up the corridor. He didn't know where to go but he had to hurry. He went right running. He was looking behind as he ran seeing if the soldiers were already up. After a few feet he saw an interesting looking door. "Computer Room 2" said a sign above the door. He entered it. He could see a lot of state of the art supercomputers. He waited to hear if the guards passed by the door. They did.

"Do you think he's in here?"

"No, forget that place he probably went towards the secure area.

The soldiers walked away. Otacon gave a sigh of relief. He started investigating the computers. He had never seen anything like this. Somehow these supercomputers were made of a technology that Otacon had never seen before. Otacon guessed that the Patriots made this technology and decided when to release it to the general public. Otacon found a terminal and with his curiosity began pushing keys on the keyboard.

Interesting.

Otacon found several data about nuclear tests and vehicle tests, but something caught more of his attention. A simulation file named MGR. He opened it and there it was on the screen, the data of Metal Gear Ray during the Big Shell incident two years ago. He then found something worse, documentation of the Metal Gear Ray being brought to this facility.

I have to find Snake.

Shadow looked up to the security monitor waiting to see the elevator doors open.

"How long will it take her to finish?" Vamp asked.

"Not much I think. Ha, here she is."

Naomi was being grabbed by two soldiers. It took a few minutes for them to arrive where Shadow and Vamp were. The door opened.

"Sir here's the prisoner."

"Very well, now wait outside." Vamp grabbed Naomi and sat her in front of a computer as the soldiers left the room.

"Now finish the job!" Shadow ordered "There's no one to help you anymore, Snake is going to die."

"This goes against nature." Naomi pleaded

"I don't care. We need all the information we can get. Now FINISH THE JOB!"

Naomi turned her head to the computer screen and began pushing keys.

Shadow began laughing.

Snake wondered if the reflection in the knife would help him. His SOCOM was to his left. Lyla was near.

"Look at me Snake and it will all be over." Lyla's voice was sweet but with no emotion.

Snake had to move or he wouldn't be alive for much more time. He jumped into a roll in the direction of his SOCOM. He grabbed it as he got up. He used the reflection on the knife to see where Lyla was.

I've got to shoot her in the head.

Snake had no way of knowing where the shot would hit but this was his only chance. Snake tried to remember how many bullets he had.

Seven.

"Your gun will not help you. You have to look at me to shoot."

Snake moved the knife a little bit to get Lyla's head centered perfect in the knife's reflection. He shot.

"Missed, Snake."

Snake heard the bullet hitting the wall. Lyla got closer to him. Snake shot again.

"You want to ruin my suit?"

He had missed again. This time he took careful aim and shot again. The bullet hit the wall again.

Damn. I thought that was it.

"Do you really think my head would be unprotected? This silver bandana protects me from anything that may hurt my head."

What?

Snake couldn't believe it. Then it came to his mind, that gadget that Ocelot was using on top of Arsenal Gear. It prevented him from being hit by bullets.

There's no way to kill her.

Snake didn't know what to do. He had found someone he couldn't defeat.

"Come on Snake look at me. I want to see more of your past."

Snake shot a few more rounds but they had no effect.

"Your past is full of suffering, I want to see more." Lyla was getting very near.

Snake was ready to fire his last rounds when a kick to the stomach made him release the grip on his SOCOM, then another kick, this one to the chest. Snake fell down and opened his eyes. Lyla was over him.

"Are you ready to die Snake?"

Snake was defeated, Lyla's kick were incredibly strong. Lyla bowed down in front of Snake, her nose almost touched Snake's nose.

"Goodbye Solid Snake."

This is it. This is the end for me.

Snake clenched his fists to hold the pain. That was when he noticed that he still had the knife in his left hand. Like instinct he moved his arm towards Lyla.

There's no point to try and stab her, that suit would stop it.

Snake had a different idea.

Lyla was looking deep into Snake's eyes, she began opening them more.

This is it.

Then with a swift movement Snake plunged the knife into Lyla's head. The knife broke and Lyla got up. Sparks were coming from the silver bandana. Snake had hit the bandana in the side.

"What have you done Snake!" Lyla was screaming.

Snake could see his SOCOM on the ground to the right. While on the ground he kicked Lyla. She was pushed backwards. Snake had time to pick up his SOCOM. Lyla was off balance.

Snake had grabbed the SOCOM. He pointed it straight to Lyla's head.

"Your past ends here!" Snake shot.

Lyla fell to the ground, dead.

Snake sighed.

"Snake!" Raiden was with his hand on his shoulder wound.

Snake dropped the knife handle and went near Raiden.

"Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"We've got to move then. We've have to catch up to the others."

Raiden got up and grabbed Steiner's gun. He took out the rest of the soldier's uniform. He ripped the uniform to make a bandage for his wound.

"I'm ready."

They began running towards the elevator. Snake looked at Raiden and asked.

"What did she mean by that?"

"Who?"

"Lyla. She told me if I knew why you're here."

Raiden didn't answer. Snake suspected something was wrong.

"Are you hiding something for me?"

Before Raiden could answer they stopped, in front of them stood Ocelot, Meryl and Rose with the child in her arms. Ocelot was in the middle of the corridor swirling one of his Colts with his finger. Meryl was on his left side hugging the wall and Rose was on the other side on the ground calming the child.

"It seems like a reunion doesn't it?" Ocelot was grinning.

Raiden and Snake took aim.

"You don't want to do that." Ocelot pointed to his belt, the same gadget that deflected bullets. "You may hit one of them." Ocelot pointed to Meryl and Rose with his colt.

"What do you want?" Snake asked.

"Soon you'll know. Right now I just want to make sure you go the right way."

"What do you mean?" Raiden asked

"I want you to go to Floor -4 and take him to me."

Snake knew of who he was talking about.

"Take this." Ocelot threw to the ground some kind of card. "That will get you in Floor -4. After you've got him take him to me on Floor 0, I'll leave the door open."

"Why would I do all of that?" Snake asked.

Ocelot smiled. He walked left and grabbed Meryl. He pointed his Colt to her face. "Because if you don't I'll kill her."

"Damn you?" Snake asked

"Soon you'll now everything Snake. Now hurry up." Ocelot began walking backwards firmly grabbing Meryl.

Raiden kneeled before Rose.

"Are you ok?"

Rose nodded.

"Just one more thing Snake." Ocelot was smiling again "Seeing as I don't need you anymore." Ocelot looked in the direction of Raiden "I'll tell Snake the truth. Raiden has been working for me."

"Damn you Ocelot." Raiden was furious.

"What?" Snake couldn't believe it.