Chapter 38

As Snake turned off the CODEC Otacon examined the area to find a suitable landing spot. He made his way down just behind the abandoned factory opposite the big opening on the ground.

"Are we going down?" Rose asked as she reopened the cockpit door.

"Yes I have to refuel. Are you okay?" Otacon had heard few noises when the soldier opened the side door.

"I'm fine and so is the child." Rose had felt a bit powerful when she kicked the soldier in the face.

"Good." Otacon was about to land the Kamov when his CODEC sounded.

"Otacon are you there?"

Mei Ling's voice was different, like she was angry. "What is it?" Otacon got worried. "Is it the file transfer?"

Silence from Mei Ling's side.

"Mei, are you there?"

"I can't believe you didn't trust me." Mei Ling sounded like she was being deceived.

"What do you mean?" Otacon had no idea what she was talking about.

"You and Snake, you were checking me out!"

Otacon closed his eyes as if he had done something very bad. "You weren't supposed to see that." Before they had contacted Mei Ling. Otacon opened the file he had been compiling about her and forgot to close it.

"How could you, after all we did together in Shadow Moses and Philanthropy…"

Otacon could hear her almost close to tears. "I'm sorry Mei."

"…Why?" She spoke between sobs.

"Well after the Big Shell we didn't trust anyone we had doubts…"

"Doubts?" Otacon was fiercely interrupted. "After what I did in Shadow Moses I can't believe it." Mei Ling cried.

Otacon didn't now what to say.

"You're becoming like them, always controlling those you think are not trustworthy, like the Patriots."

Mei Ling's remark hit Otacon like a sharp knife. The Kamov came to a halt. Otacon was at a loss for words. "I'm…I'm…sorry…Mei…." He was now having doubts if what he and Snake were doing had been right. They had shut themselves from the world, from their friends. And now here they were depending on others. "You're right Mei."

An awkward silence set in.

"I'm going to refuel the Kamov, so I'll disconnect." As Otacon was turning off the CODEC he heard Mei Ling.

"I'll be here."

Otacon stepped out of the cockpit into the cargo room. There he grabbed some fuel canisters.

"Can you help me with these?" He asked Rose.

"Sure."

As he refuelled the Kamov with Rose's help Mei Ling's words still echoed in his head. He couldn't help but wonder in what would become of him if he and Snakekept going like this.

The elevator was nearing Floor 0 and the two soldiers with the stealth devices got ready.

"Remember if you need to shoot don't shoot to kill."

"Yes." The other soldier complied.

The elevator stopped and the soldiers got ready, they knew they couldn't be seen and that gave them a very big advantage. The doors opened and immediately two large cylinders were thrown to the ground from the elevator.

"What is that?" The soldiers stared at the sight. "Fire extinguishers!"

Two shots came from the elevator even before the doors were completely opened, they hit the fire extinguishers and the contents jetted out all over the lobby of Floor 0.

Snake and Raiden went in to the cloud of chemical powder that came from the fire extinguishers.

"Damn I can't see a thing!" A soldier blurted out while waving his arms in the hope to dissipate the powder from his sight, but it was too late.

Raiden had used the butt of his gun and knocked out the soldier. He was now visible because of the powder that rested on him. "One down Snake."

Snake heard Raiden between the clouds of chemical powder and looked for anymore soldiers. He had to hurry for the powder was dissipating fast. Where are you?

"Stop it right there Snake." Someone was behind him.

Snake didn't hesitate and made a guess from the soldier's voice, on where he was. He quickly turned and with his right arm, with the SOCOM in his hand, swerved the soldier's gun. As he did so he got his left hand ready and punched him. The soldier was almost unconscious when Snake kicked him putting an end to that fight.

"I can't see anymore, but the powder is disappearing." Raiden said as he left the cloud of chemical powder and advanced further down the lobby.

"Let's hope there are no more." Snake had his SOCOM pointed watching for anything that seemed off. "I think we're safe." Snake holstered his gun and made a hand gesture to Naomi indicating her it was safe to leave the elevator.

Raiden joined with them by the elevator door. "Now what?"

"Now we end this." Snake wanted Meryl back. He even amazed himself. He was caring about someone else's life. "Let's go." Snake turned and faced the enormous door that stood opposite the elevator, once it read "Official Personnel Only" now it was completely open. All of a sudden something grabbed his arm.

"… Not yet…" Big Boss spoke with clarity and awareness. "There are still…things you need…to know."

Snake was in that instant brought again to his past. The story between these two wasn't over yet and although Snake had a desire to know more about Big Boss the urgency to get Meryl lingered in his mind. "We already took to much time to get here."

"Zanzibar Land…I have to tell you about that." Big Boss tightened the grip in Snake's arm.

Snake couldn't help but wonder why it was so important for Big Boss to tell Snake these things. It won't matter. Snake knew it wouldn't change anything. Why was Big Boss alive? That was the question he hoped Ocelot would answer. "I don't want to hear it." He pulled his arm from Big Boss's grip and headed for the door.

Naomi and Raiden didn't say a word.

"It was the Patriots…that send you in to kill me…" Big Boss tried his best to speak louder.

Snake stopped dead on his tracks. He turned slowly and glanced over to the man in the wheelchair. Was Big Boss lying?

"It's true Snake…they send you in…they controlled you."

Snake turned again to the door. He had never experienced this type of emotions. He wanted to believe in him, but how could he? He was the one that ruined his life.

"Your…ultimate goal in that mission… was to kill me"

"Shut up." Snake interrupted Big Boss with a calm voice. "I told you I don't want to hear it."

Big Boss stared at him and talked again this time more serenely. "In 1964…I killed…the most important person in my life…" He sounded different, like he was remembering the past and talking as he saw it. "She was called….The Boss."

Snake turned his head again this time slower.

"She was my…mentor…and I was sent…to kill her." Big Boss good eye was watery.

Snake was bewildered. Who's this man? He can't be the one I fought twelve years ago.

"Ordered…by the Patriots." Big Boss paused and almost let out a tear. "She was the only that mattered to me…and I killed her…"

Silence sat in. Raiden and Naomi had kept silent as they watched the scene unfold.

"I soon found…that her mission was to make sure…I'd kill her…she sacrificed herself for her country." Big Boss coughed, if he talked for too long he would cough indefinitely. "I tried to remain loyal…but the Philosophers…they were too deceitful."

Snake watched as Big Boss sounded more inconsistent. He started to look at the ceiling and talking at the same time.

"I had to do….something about it…so I…"

"Naomi what's wrong with him?" Snake asked as Big Boss continued to talk as if not knowing anyone was there with him.

"…Outer Heaven…it was the only way…and Zanzibar Land…"

"I don't know Snake." Naomi got beside the wheelchair and checked his pulse. "I think – I think he's in shock."

"…with Metal Gear I could…I could…" Big Boss kept rambling.

"Can you give him something Naomi?" Raiden jumped into the conversation.

Naomi was already going through the pockets of her lab coat that covered Big Boss. "I think so."

Snake got closer to Naomi and Big Boss.

"…make the world whole again…"

"I've got it." Naomi pulled out a small syringe from the lab coat's right pocket.

Snake was just a few inches away from both.

"…but I couldn't…" Big Boss was still babbling.

Naomi got the syringe ready and moved it closer to Big Boss's arm when his right arm grabbed Naomi's hand.

"…Don't…" Big Boss's eye was opened wide staring at Naomi.

She hesitated but then lowered the syringe and Big Boss let go of her hand. Naomi was again surprised at how rapidly he was recovering.

Big Boss then surveyed Snake and in his mind thought of what he should say. A memory came to his mind. He was surrounded by white flowers and a woman dressed in a white and silvery suit stood before him.

I raised you. I loved you. I've given you weapons, taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge." The woman spoke clearly. "There is nothing more for me to give you. All that's left for you to take is my life, by your own hand. One must die and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny... The one who survives will inherit the title of Boss. And the one who inherits the title of Boss will face an existence of endless battle.

He had never had the opportunity to tell Snake what he really wanted, what he really meant. He now had a second chance.

"I want you to go and check out if everything goes as planned." Ocelot spoke directly at the soldier.

"Very well Shalashaska." The soldier nodded and headed for Floor 0.

Ocelot grabbed his radio. "What's your status?"

"We're arriving at the hangar now sir." Two jeeps came rushing in through the massive hangar door.

"Good, take position and guard the prototype." Ocelot turned the radio off and watched as the two jeeps pulling the Metal Gear neared the hangar door closely followed by the other two jeeps. Ocelot walked a couple of steps towards the hangar door, his spurs echoed in the massive empty space. His plan was close to completion. Soon Snake would know the whole truth. What will he think of it? Is he going to believe it? Somehow Ocelot didn't think so. It seemed too absurd that he had done all of this for such a trivial thing. I don't care. I have the right!

"Sir! We have a problem." The radio spat out getting both Meryl and Ocelot's attention.

Ocelot's worry was that they had harmed Snake or Big Boss.

"What happened?" Ocelot's tone of voice altered.

"I hid behind the door on Floor 0 and waited for them to arrive. They used the chemical powder in fire…"

"Are they hurt?" Ocelot interrupted with his voice back to normal.

"No sir…I don't think they are."

The response relieved both Ocelot and Meryl.

"Good. Get up here."

"But what about…."

"Just get here." Ocelot ordered as if starting to lose his patience.

"Right away." The soldier replied.

"It seems that, like in many situations in the past, I misjudged Snake." Ocelot spoke directly to Meryl.

She gave him a look of disgust. "Snake's going to…"

"Not this time…this time I've got the upper hand." Ocelot interrupted her whilst the soldier came running towards him.

"Sir, I…"

"Are they coming up?" Ocelot interrupted.

"No, when I left they were talking to a man in a wheelchair."

Ocelot narrowed his eyes and with unbelievable speed grabbed one of his Colts and shot directly into the soldier's head. It happened in a fraction of a second that Meryl only noticed when the soldier fell to the ground. The soldier that had been guarding her cringed for a second at the sight.

Ocelot had a revengeful look in his eyes. What are you doing Snake? He quickly grabbed the radio and tuned it to a frequency. "Snake, you're smart enough to get past the soldiers but I still have Meryl with me."

His voice, Meryl guessed, could be heard in the entire facility.

"Hurry Snake, we're very close" Ocelot quickly turned the radio off and smashed it to the ground. He still had his own radio on his waist. "I don't think you'll need that when you're dead." Ocelot put it bluntly to Meryl as his patience was running thin.

Meryl was starting to sweat, although she didn't fear much, Ocelot gave her the creeps. Especially now that he seemed different for what she had seen at Shadow Moses.

Ocelot took his time reloading his Colt Single Action Army. He did it with a pride in his eyes and with the hope that he would use them in the near future.

Noises came from near the rusty old iron stairs the lead to Floor 0, two silhouettes appeared pulling a wheelchair with a man on it. As they came into view Ocelot grinned. Snake and Raiden were helping the wheelchair up the stairs and Naomi brought the rear.

"At last…" Ocelot spoke out loud as they were about 40 feet apart.