Chapter 25

Raiden and Vamp stared at each other for a couple of seconds. Vamp stretched out his hand. He was holding Raiden's HF Blade.

"I believe this is yours." Vamp threw the HF Blade to Raiden.

"Why the uncharacteristic generosity?" Raiden asked as he grabbed it.

"Since I found you here my plans changed."

"What plans?"

"I was there Raiden, when you gave the final blow to Solidus, I was there."

"What?"

"I saw everything. I discovered what Ocelot had done to my Queen."

Raiden had heard Vamp call someone that name in the past.

Fortune.

"He had killed her." Vamp continued. "These past two years, I spent them trying to get my way into one of the Patriots organizations, it wasn't easy, I had to make a lot of sacrifices and betray other people to get to where I am now." Vamp smiled. "But now I'm ready for my revenge."

"Revenge?" Raiden was puzzled

"Yes, I'm not a pawn of the Patriots, I'm their worst nightmare. I'm here to destroy them from the inside. But…" Vamp pointed at Raiden "when I saw you here I put those plans on hold, I needed to fight you again."

"Why?" Raiden put the HF Blade on his back.

"Because of your nature, you're a natural killer like me, raised up to kill."

"I'm nothing like you."

Vamp laughed. "Yes you are."

Raiden remembered when Vamp stabbed Emma Emmerich two years ago.

"You're a sick bastard, you killed Emma."

"The girl would have been killed by the Patriots sooner or later. I made her a favour."

"That's it." Raiden took out the HF Blade with his right hand, in the left he had Steiner's gun. "This time you'll stay dead!"

"I already died twice." Since the Dolph family had all died Vamp died with them. He readied himself. "As soon as I'm finished with you I'll start destroying the Patriots!"

"I never thought it could be you Vamp." Shadow's voice was coming from the speakers across the corridor. "You've betrayed me, I took you in. I trusted you! You were going to take Ocelot's place by my side. Not anymore. If you come back alive I'll kill you myself."

After a few seconds of silence laughter was coming from the speakers. Raiden knew that laughter.

Ocelot.

"You shouldn't have betrayed us Vamp."

"You set me up." Vamp didn't look surprised. "No matter, I'll kill you too. I'll avenge them both."

Ocelot laughed again. "Goodbye." The speakers went silent.

Vamp grabbed his daggers with his right hand and looked at Raiden.

"Show me what you've got!" He yelled out.

Ocelot remained in front of the computer screen for a few minutes. Meryl wondered what he could be seeing. Then she saw Ocelot reaching for his radio.

"Shadow this is Ocelot."

"What is it?"

"I think you need to see something, tune in video bank eleven."

"What is this?" Shadow asked puzzled

Ocelot's computer screen was showing Vamp and Raiden face to face.

"I installed this camera to watch over Vamp." He hoped that what Vamp said would surpass the suspicion that Shadow had over Ocelot.

Ocelot could hear Vamp talking. He was spilling out everything. Ocelot had been right. Vamp was digging his own grave. Ocelot knew the real reasons why he had come to the Patriots. He wanted revenge pure and simple. But unlike Ocelot, Vamp had no plans, no schemes to help him. He was blind. He wanted to avenge Commander Scott Dolph and Fortune, nothing more. Ocelot grinned in silence as Shadow listened to Vamp's confession. Once it was over, Shadow's voice could be heard in the entire base.

"I never thought it could be you Vamp. You've betrayed me, I took you in. I trusted you! You were going to take Ocelot's place by my side. Not anymore. If you come back alive I'll kill you myself."

Ocelot began laughing, he couldn't contain himself. His plan had worked perfectly. He then reached for his radio.

"You shouldn't have betrayed us Vamp." Ocelot's voice could be heard through the speakers.

Vamp replied. "You set me up. No matter, I'll kill you too. I'll avenge them both."

Ocelot laughed again. "Goodbye." He turned off the radio.

Now, hurry up Snake.

Shadow was furious, Vamp was the traitor. A few beeps on Naomi's computer made him think in something else. He got near Naomi.

"Is it done?" Shadow had had enough. This little experiment had taken a toll in the facility. They had several intruders and a traitor.

"Yes…it's done." Naomi was depressed.

"Good."

"Sir?" Shadow's radio came on.

"Yes what is it?"

"I have the soldiers ready. We are at the Floor -4 elevator like you said."

Shadow had an idea.

"Stay there. Don't let anyone use that elevator, shoot on sight."

"Very well sir."

Shadow went over to a computer and accessed the security options.

No one will leave this place.

He turned on the lockdown safety measure. The exits were blocked there was no way out of the facility now. The elevator wouldn't go to the top floor and the box carrying elevator would stop functioning. They were completely isolated.

The intruders will die down here.

He faced Naomi again.

"How much more time?"

"Five minutes or less." She said unwillingly.

"Good…" as he was talking Shadow noticed someone in the security camera, this one was pointed to the outside of the lab doors.

Solid Snake.

"Don't leave this place Doctor I'll be right back." Shadow left the room.

Naomi watched the security camera. Snake opened the door slowly.

Be careful Snake.

Naomi looked at the other side of the glass. The metal coffin would open soon.

Vamp ran straight to Raiden. Raiden was ready. Vamp was coming with incredible speed. He threw a few daggers at Raiden. Raiden let go of his gun and grabbed the HF Blade with both hands, he was able deflect the daggers with it. Vamp jumped over Raiden into the wall behind.

"Very impressive." Somehow Vamp could hold himself to the vertical wall without falling.
Raiden turned around quickly, and held the HF Blade in a defence position.

"I've trained." Raiden wasn't surprised with Vamp's moves.

Vamp remembered when he first met Raiden.

"Human muscles are quite eloquent. They speak-out clearly what the person's next movement will be. They even tell me which way a gun will be pointed before the trigger is pulled. But your muscles -- they're different. This should be fun...well worth the wait."

He had become obsessed with Raiden. Now that Ocelot had set up Vamp this was all he had. "I too have learned a few new moves." Vamp took out his knife and held in front of his eyes. The knife was about 7 inches long.

Raiden was puzzled.

What the hell?

Vamp muttered something that Raiden couldn't hear. Suddenly Raiden a saw a bright light emanating from the blade of the knife, the light was so intense Raiden had to close his eyes.

A distraction!

Raiden remained in the defence position and opened his eyes.

"I can't see!" Raiden was blind. He was blind because of the bright light. Raiden felt a kick in his wound and fell to the ground. The HF Blade was still in his hands.

"This time I won't give you a chance." Raiden heard Vamp, he was close to him. "Now die."

Raiden wasn't giving up that soon.

Snake was running, he couldn't see Raiden or Vamp behind them anymore.

Where are you Naomi?

The corridors were very wide and with very few doors. After a few seconds he heard a voice coming through the speakers.

"I never thought it could be you Vamp. You've betrayed me, I took you in. I trusted you! You were going to take Ocelot's place by my side. Not anymore. If you come back alive I'll kill you myself."

Snake took the information in. Somehow Vamp had managed to gain the trust of the man that ran this place to the point he was going to take Ocelot's place. Snake forgot all that. He had to find Naomi. Then a new voice came on the speakers, a laughter that Snake knew.

Ocelot.

"You shouldn't have betrayed us Vamp" Snake heard Ocelot's voice echoing through the base. He knew Ocelot had something going on. Snake suddenly stopped when he saw a camera over a door. He wasn't going to play it safe. He got near the room. The camera had picked up his image for sure. The door had words written "Laboratories".

This is it.

He entered slowly. He could see a very big laboratory filled with medical and chemistry equipment. A door opened on the other side of the laboratory. Someone was coming. Snake got ready with his machine gun. An old man walked in and shut the door behind him.

"Hello Solid Snake. I never thought you would get here alive."

Snake knew the man. It was the same man that was in the lab with Naomi on Floor 2.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shadow Fox."

Ocelot got up the chair and went near a window. Meryl could see Raiden fighting someone on the computer screen.

Ocelot got near the window in the control tower. Through the window he could see a massive object being covered in some kind of cloth. The he began shaking and took his hands to his head.

"Not again Ocelot!"

It's wasn't Ocelot's voice. Meryl knew that voice belonged to another person.

"Liquid Snake?" Meryl was puzzled.

Ocelot was fighting with himself. He was twisting and turning. Meryl didn't know what was going on.

Ocelot could see his reflection in the window.

"Out…get out of my mind! Liquid..." it was Ocelot's voice.

"This is my body now Ocelot."

Meryl was baffled by what was happening. Ocelot was changing voices. One second it Ocelot the other it was Liquid.

"Nooo Liquid, noooo."

"You have no chance Ocelot, give it up."

Ocelot began banging his head into the window glass.

"What the…" Meryl was frightened.

The glass window broke. Ocelot turned slowly. His face was normal, like nothing had happened. Ocelot went and sat down in front of the computer.

Meryl was flabbergasted.

My god!