Chapter 41

Snake noticed that the gun wasn't pointing at him. As the noise from the shot faded another noise could be heard, the noise of wheels moving. Snake whipped his head around and saw Raiden Naomi and Meryl looking at the same thing as him. Big Boss chair was moving backwards, his head was bowed down, almost between his legs. Naomi ran to him and held his head. Snake rushed over too.

"He's bleeding badly." Naomi yelled.

Snake could see it as blood was coming from a small hole in his chest. "Damn you!" Snake turned around quickly to Liquid. "Why did you do it? He wasn't a threat." Snake was surprised by his own reaction, he wanted more than anyone to believe what Big Boss had said to him before.

"What's this brother – sympathy?" Liquid sounded incredulous. "I thought you hated him."

Snake wouldn't answer.

Big Boss was looking over to Naomi, he knew he had been shot but the pain wasn't that much.

"…You…Naomi…" Big Boss recognized her when she was holding the syringe in Floor 0, but decided not to tell her.

Naomi was taken aback, but didn't stop making pressure on his wound. "You remember me?" Naomi was instantly brought to the time when she met Big Boss. He was a tall man with an inherent respect.

"…I'm…sorry about…Frank..." Big Boss was making peace with all his ghosts.

Naomi was on verge of tears, she held Big Boss's hand to ease the pain and to reassure him that although she would never forgive him she understood why Gray Fox stayed by Big Boss's side. Gray Fox had to obey his commander.

Snake eyed the situation and although his feelings towards Big Boss would never change he realised that maybe he was good once and that perhaps that was worth remembering and keeping alive.

"How very touching, but I don't have time for this." Liquid started reloading both his guns.

"Raiden." Snake called him out and once their eyes met Snake nodded. Snake got his gun ready and started shooting at the soldiers. Raiden followed. A few of them fell instantly while others tried to shoot back.

Snake's and Raiden's aim was perfect as all the soldiers fell to the ground dead.

Liquid watched stock-still, smirking as he took his time reloading his Colts.

After the soldiers massacre Snake and Raiden mimicked Liquid in reloading their guns.

"I didn't need them anymore." Liquid said looking at the soldiers dead bodies spread across the floor. He finished reloading one Colt and holstered it. "I just need to kill one more person and then I'm off." Liquid started reloading the second Colt.

Once Snake and Raiden finished reloading their weapons they pointed them at Liquid, knowing full well they wouldn't do anything.

"Raiden get Meryl and Naomi out of here." Snake talked with decisiveness in his eyes.

Raiden wouldn't go against it. "Alright Snake…"

"No." Meryl interrupted. "I almost lost you once, not again."

Snake whipped his head around and saw Meryl looking heart-rending at him.

"I guess one is enough." Liquid had just put one bullet in his Colt and pointed it.

"Snake look out." Raiden noticed Liquid was pointing at Snake.

As Snake turned his head around again, to face Liquid, he cocked the Colt. "Goodbye brother." Liquid pulled the trigger as they looked at each other in the eyes.

Raiden started running towards Snake, but as the shot broke from the Colt Raiden could only see Snake falling to the ground. "Snaaaaaaake!" He yelled out.

Meryl yelled out too in disbelief and made her way close to him.

Snake fell backwards beside Big Boss's wheelchair, dropping his machine gun. Naomi now in tears quickly turned his attention to him.

Big Boss was still holding on to life.

The sound of his body hitting the ground was heard across the entire hangar, like everything had ceased to work for that split second.

Naomi got by his side and observed him. He had been shot near the heart and blood was pouring out. "Snake can you hear me? Look at me Snake." Naomi was pleading him.

Snake was obviously in shock, closing and opening his eyes, unable to focus. He heard as Naomi tried to maintain him awake. Meryl quickly rushed by his side. "Snake please don't…" She was sobbing.

Raiden faced Liquid and yelled out. "You bastard!" He was enraged. His best friend was vanishing in front of him, the same man that once saved his life, not from death but the clutches of the Patriots, was now dying. Raiden gripped his gun tight, aimed and shot directly towards Liquid's head. The bullets moved away from his head and hit nothing but air. "Damn!" Raiden yelled out again as blood dripped from the cut on his left hand.

Liquid eyed Snake as the bullets passed by him. His brother was disappearing. Soon he would be the one and only Snake.

Raiden emptied the clip without hitting anything. He aimed his gun down and prepared himself to what would happen. Snake. He walked over near Naomi and Meryl that stood beside Snake's body.

Snake was starting to feel woozy. He wanted to sleep more than anything.

"I guess this is goodbye brother…since the facility has been in lockdown reinforcements will soon arrive and I can't be here." Liquid turned over to the massive hangar door and started walking. "Now I will destroy them – I'll use their weapon against them I'll show the people what this country can be." Liquid was staring at the Metal Gear Ray, ready to move to the surface.

Raiden watched as Meryl grabbed Snake's hand and Naomi tried to make him stay awake and alive.

"I had to change it you know." Liquid was still speaking paying no attention to the fact Snake was slipping out of existence. "The Ray was intended not to carry a person, but something else. It was designed to carry the Patriots consciousness whatever that means. " No one was paying attention to what he was saying.

Big Boss's head was feeling heavy he looked over at Snake's face that was lying a few inches away from him. He knew that Snake was also fading away. "…Snake…" Big Boss's speech was highly compromised by the blood that started to appear in his mouth.

Raiden, Meryl and Naomi didn't seem to notice that Big Boss was trying to speak, but Snake even with the agonizing urge to fall asleep heard him.

"…Do…you...kno…why….chose you." Big Boss coughed blood to the ground. "…because you….were….weaker…because…you had…to prove…yourself."

Snake was almost falling asleep, his eyes were blinking slower and Big Boss's word didn't comfort him one bit.

"…Snake…" Big Boss was calling out to him, ordering him to stay awake. "…I chose you….becau…you…had…will." Big Boss's eye patch slipped from his head and dropped to the ground. "…will…is…everything…" Big Boss's gathered his strengths and threw his head back in order sit upright on the chair. He wanted to face his end with his head high. "…goodbye …" As Big Boss closed his good eye and faded away he saw her, a beautiful blond woman wearing a silvery combat suit right before him. The woman stretched out her hand. Let's go Jack. "…Yes…Boss…" Big Boss's gave his last breath and his eye closed.

Snake had heard Big Boss's every word. He couldn't die like this he still had things to do, foes he needed to stop, friends he needed to help and people he wanted to love. Big Boss' last words echoed in his mind. "…will…is…everything" Snake's eyes opened wide and recognized Meryl. He was feeling better.

Meryl looked over at Naomi. "Can you take it out?"

Naomi was using her own hands to take out the bullet from Snake. "I think so. Get me the syringe in my right pocket." She had never used the syringe on Big Boss and had kept it on her lab coat. "Snake this is a powerful chemical that was supposed to help Big Boss's rehabilitation, but I think I can use it on you." Meryl handed her the syringe and she hastily jammed it into Snake's arm. Everyone hoped that worked.

Liquid was still moving towards the Metal Gear Ray, ignoring the others. No one would stop him now. All of a sudden something grabbed his shoulder.

"It's not over yet!" Vamp was standing right behind him. He was white as a sheet because of all the blood that was coming from his body. Small drops of blood could be seen falling to the ground with each step he took.

As Liquid turned to face him he waved his knife and made a cut across the front of Liquid's chest, ripping his suit.

"Damn you." Liquid kicked him and Vamp fell to the ground on his back. "Why won't you die?" Liquid yelled out while ripping the rest of his suit from his body with is hand.

Raiden turned his head as he heard Liquid screaming. He's still alive. Raiden could see Vamp on the ground.

Vamp was getting up, his vision was blurred and as he got up his legs seemed jerky.

Liquid was grinning at him. "Look at you. You can't even stand up right." Liquid grabbed one of his Colts.

Vamp however grabbed his knife by the blade and threw it towards Liquid as he was about to shoot. The knife hit the device on his Liquid's belt rendering it useless.

"What!" Liquid looked at the gizmo only to see sparks flying from it.

Vamp collapsed on the floor with weakness.

Raiden noticed and quickly started running towards Liquid.

"Raiden stop." Snake was able to sit upright. "He's mine."

Meryl was feeling happier then ever. Naomi sighed with relief and Raiden nodded.

"Help me up." Snake asked and Naomi and Meryl obeyed him. One in each side helped him up.

Liquid got to the platform on where the Ray was standing. He quickly reached Ray's head and swiftly pressed a small button right on the top. The cockpit door opened and he jumped in. "This is it…now the whole world will know who's speaking the truth." The cockpit was very small, with four screens spread out on front of the driver's seat, and it had no protection for the driver like the Marine Ray had.

"Can you move Snake?" Naomi asked sounding worried.

"Yes, I'm fine." Snake bent down to pick up his weapon without any help. As he got up he eyed the wheelchair. Big Boss's face was serene it was almost like he needed this additional time that was given to him. Doubts surfaced in Snake's mind. Did he really help me? Or was it just Naomi expertise? For the past twelve years Big Boss's had always remained as Snake worst enemy, but now it was different Big Boss, facing imminent death, still had the strength to talk to Snake and tell him why he had chosen him. He chose Snake not because he was the strongest but the weakest. The only thing that made Snake stronger than his enemies was his will. Will…is…everything. Big Boss would always be his enemy but somehow he started believing that he wasn't always this evil. Maybe we wasn't even evil maybe he was fighting for the same freedom Snake is fighting right now. He was enlightened that maybe after all this time; after all the fight and after all the blood shed they weren't all that different. It was a shocking thought, a thought that Snake shook from his head as soon as he caught a glimpse of Metal gear Ray.

Naomi, Raiden and Meryl were all staring at the wheelchair and the body that sat on it. Naomi couldn't ask more from Big Boss than his repent towards Gray Fox. The memory of her brother would now rest in peace.

"Here Snake." Naomi broke the silence while she ripped her lab coat and took out a strand a cloth from it. "Take this and wrap it around your chest. It'll keep pressure on the wound." She handed the cloth to Snake and Meryl helped him.

Liquid started the platform, from within Ray's cockpit, where the Ray was standing. It made a rustling sound like a big engine starting.

Raiden turned his head over to where the Ray was and saw the platform moving, despite not having wheels.

"What the hell?" He whipped his head around to Snake. "He's getting away!"

Snake took notice and started moving. "Let's go then."

They all started to run towards the platform, but it was moving too fast for them to catch up with it. The tunnel started to appear closer, the walls were white and it was populated by very bright lights. Only the black road without any markings and about 80 feet wide seemed a bit used. As they reached the entrance of the tunnel Snake saw the tracks on the floor. "Magnetic tracks." That was why the platform was moving so fast.

"Snake we can take these." Raiden was beside a jeep. It was an ordinary jeep, painted black and with four seats.

"Alright." Snake turned to Meryl and Naomi. "Meryl you take Naomi and get to the surface, but take your time."

"Snake your wound it's still too…" Naomi was definitely worried about Snake's condition. She would never forgive herself for having injected the FOXDIE virus to a man that had done so much for her.

"It's fine Naomi…"

Raiden got by the wheel of the jeep and started it. The noise resonated through the tunnel.

Liquid who was several feet away heard it. "What?" He pressed a few buttons in the Ray's cockpit and the image of Snake, Raiden Meryl and Naomi could be seen on a small screen. "Damn you Snake!"

Snake made his way to the back of the jeep but a hand stopped him. "Snake." Meryl was getting close to him. "Please don't die." She grabbed Snake's arm and wrapped it around herself.

"I won't…" Snake tighten the grip on his arm. It felt good to have someone he liked, someone he cared about.

"Snake!" Raiden didn't want to be the killjoy but the Ray was almost out of sight as the tunnel curved up and to the left.

Snake took his arm from around Meryl and got up onto the jeep.

Meryl was close to tears, but she didn't turn her head to Snake.

"Let's go Raiden." Snake got his machine gun ready to fire as Raiden pressed the accelerator pedal like his life depended on it.

"We'll take that one." Meryl wiped her eyes and pointed to the one of the other jeeps. Naomi followed her.

"He's fast." Raiden yelled out as the Ray came into view. The jeeps speedometer dial was dead on 60 mph.

"I hope I can shoot at that thing."

"Snaaaaake." Liquid was shouting through the Ray's speakers. "You won't do any damage with that thing." Liquid laughed in Ray's cockpit.

"Get beside it." Snake yelled out to Raiden. He had to stop it before it got outside. Otacon! He had almost forgotten about his partner.

"Raiden call Otacon and tell him to stay away from the tunnel in case we can't stop it." The jeep was to the left of the wide road just beside the Ray and Snake was ready to fire.

Raiden obeyed and quickly called Otacon on the CODEC.

"What is it Mei?" Otacon responded.

Raiden ignored it. "Otacon shut up and listen, where are you now?"

"I'm just outside…" Otacon seemed stunned.

"He's coming out, be careful and stay away from the tunnel entrance."

"What do you mean, who's coming out and where the hell is Snake?" Raiden knew Snake would normally call Otacon, but he was occupied.

The Ray let out an incredible noise as its massive black shimmering head turned and faced the jeep.

"Raiden – what exactly is coming up?" Otacon asked frightened through the CODEC.