Chapter 32

Raiden stood by the laboratory door waiting for Otacon to open it.

"Can you do something Otacon?"

"I'm checking the system now." Raiden could hear Otacon pushing keys on a keyboard through the CODEC.

"It's seems someone activated the fire alarm in that room and overrode the door opening system."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that the room is probably flooding with water."

"Can't you stop it?"

"I can't stop the flooding, and I don't know if I can open the doors?"

"Otacon are you there?" Raiden could hear Snake's voice on his CODEC

"Snake is that you?" Otacon responded

"Yes it's me." Snake seemed to be in a hurry to speak. "There's water in the room. I don't have much time…you have to do something to get me out of here."

"Snake I'm right outside the door. Is there something I can do?" Raiden spoke out.

"Hurry up…Otacon!" Snake's response was short. Raiden thought the water had already covered his head.

"This isn't easy. The fire system in that room has been override…"

Otacon was getting on Raiden's nerves.

"Cut to the chase Otacon!"

"I'm doing the best I can Raiden!"

"Do better!" Raiden was angry. Otacon was working far too slow for the situation.

After a few more seconds of hearing Otacon pushing keys, he said. "Damn I can't do it, it's impossible to reverse it!" Otacon had no idea of what to do.

Raiden felt desperate. "I'll try doing something from the outside." Raiden shot the lock but it accomplished nothing, the bullet didn't even made a scratch on the door.

Damn.

Raiden backed up and tried slamming on the door with his good shoulder. It wouldn't move. Then he heard thuds on the wall. Snake was on the other side.

"I'm here Snake…" Raiden didn't know what to do, but to tell Snake he was right there. He felt helpless.

He saw dents appearing on the door near the lock, he guessed that Snake was shooting at it.

It won't work!

Raiden felt more desperate.

After that he didn't hear anything else, he got near the door and pressed his ear against it, he couldn't hear anything.

"Snake? Snake?" Raiden yelled out.

"Snake? Snaaaaaaaaake?" Otacon too was yelling.

Raiden threw the weapon down and tried opening the door with his hands, but it was of no use.

Dammit!

Snake was going to die. Raiden let go of the handle and fell to his knees and closed his eyes.

I'm sorry Snake, I failed you.

Raiden had been unable to open the door and Snake would inevitably drown. He remembered the time he had with Snake, it hadn't been that much but it had been enough to change his life. He remembered especially something Snake had said to him.

"Decide for myself...?"

"And whatever you choose will be you."

"I don't know if I can..."

"I know you didn't have much in terms of choices this time. But everything you felt, thought about during this mission is yours. And what you decide to do with them is your choice..."

"You mean start over?"

"Yeah, a clean slate. A new name, new memories. Choose your own legacy. It's for you to decide. It's up to you."

Raiden opened his eyes and looked at the door, he was determined.

It's up to me.

Raiden got up. This was his time to prove himself. He quickly grabbed what was left of the HF blade with both hands. With all of his strength and fury he yelled out as he plunged the blade into the lock on the door. "AHHHHHHH" The noise of the blade hitting the lock echoed through the corridor. It hit the lock with incredible strength. Blood came rushing out from Raiden's wounds. He hit several times near the lock. He then let go of the blade and exhausted tried to pull the door open.

I have to do this. I have to!

He tried to pull with all his strength and the door budge a little bit. Some water was jetting out near the lock where Raiden had made the hits with the blade.

C'mon.

After a few seconds of pulling the door budge even more, Raiden's hand and shoulder started to hurt even more because of the strength he was making.

He clenched his teeth and made one last effort to pull the door.

The door opened wide and the water rushed out in an instant, Raiden fell due to the speed of the water and was pushed to the right. A body was instantly thrown out from the room.

Snake's body was also thrown out of the room into the wall opposite the laboratory door. He was motionless.

Raiden got up and looked at both Snake and Shadow. Shadow was almost naked. Holes on his arms, chest and legs were dripping blood. Raiden got near Snake's body.

Snake was face up with his eyes opened. He focused them and realized that the bright white light was in fact a lamp on the ceiling.

"Snake are you ok?" Raiden asked. Otacon also heard it as he was still on the CODEC.

Snake got up and coughed a little bit of water.

"Is Snake ok?" Otacon asked.

"I'm fine Otacon…" Snake responded on his CODEC as he coughed up the last bits of water. "…thanks to Raiden." He put his hand on Raiden's good shoulder and nodded.

Meryl was able to get to Floor 0 without attracting too much attention. As she headed for the elevator she had the feeling she was being watched.

Ocelot stood in the control room in the hangar tower watching Naomi and Big Boss with a small grin on his face.

Ocelot's radio came to life.

"Sir I've found the woman. She's near the elevator."

"Good, get her up here at once. I won't let anything disturb my plan, not when I'm this close."

"Very well sir." The radio went silent.

Meryl stooped walking towards the elevator when she thought she had just heard voices. She turned left and right, searching for someone.

"Is somebody there?" There was no one on sight.

The she heard it again, behind her, this time very clearly.

"Very well sir."

"Who's there?" Meryl was apprehensive.

"You're coming with us."

Something or someone was grabbing Meryl's arms.

"What the hell…"

Two men appeared, one grabbing her left arm the other the right one. There were two of the hangar soldiers as they didn't wear balaclavas. They had to have some kind of device that rendered them invisible.

"Let me go!" Meryl fought but she wasn't near as strong as the soldiers. They took her back to the tower in the hangar. Once there the soldiers threw her to another chair and Ocelot began.

"I told you I needed Snake alive didn't I, that's why I need those soldiers there, to make sure he gets here in one piece." Ocelot then turned to the soldiers. "Return to your positions and get a soldier to stay here and guard her."

Meryl knew she wouldn't have another chance to get away.

"Yes sir." The soldiers went out the door and soon after that a new soldier entered and pointed his gun to Meryl.

"Very good." Ocelot turned to the monitor and smiled.

So you found him brother…what will you do now?

Raiden nodded back at Snake.

"The system is back to normal, it must have gone back to normal when Raiden pulled the door open." Otacon said as the air vents opened up again and the air began to flow normally in the room where Snake had fought Shadow.

Snake looked at Raiden.

"We have to go in and get him."

"Who?" Raiden remembered that Ocelot ordered Snake to get him, but Raiden didn't know who 'him' was.

Snake didn't respond, instead he entered the laboratory again. There was still a lot of water on the ground. Raiden followed Snake to another door on the end of the laboratory.

Snake tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Can you open the other door on the laboratory Otacon?" Snake's only thought was on what was behind the door.

"Yeah I think so, hold on."

"Who are we getting Snake?" Raiden asked again.

"Someone that was supposed to be dead." Snake sounded like he was hypnotized. He only had one thing in his mind.

"I'm opening it now…" Otacon said.

The door began to open and as it did both Snake and Raiden noticed someone was just on the other side. Raiden went for his gun, but Snake raised his arm and Raiden halted his movements, it was Naomi.

"Snake, it's you…" Naomi was surprised to see him again. She then bowed her head and moved to the side, and as she die Snake saw him. He was seated in a wheelchair, an old man. His naked body was covered in a lab coat. Snake was about to face his past, again. Big Boss!