DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY TITLE IN THE METAL GEAR FRANCHISE IN WHOLE OR IN PART. ALL CHARACTERS, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. THIS FICTION IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH KONAMI OR ANYONE WITHIN KONAMI. THIS FICTION IS NOT FOR PROFIT OR PERSONAL GAIN, AND MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED IN ANY FORM. THIS IS A FICTION CREATED BY NOTHING MORE BY A SUPPORTER OF THE SERIES (A "FAN FICTION," IF YOU WILL) AND WAS CREATED SIMPLY TO PROMOTE THE METAL GEAR FRANCHISE.
Snake picked up the TMP the man had dropped and pocketed it, as well as ammo for the new weapon. Moving on, Snake walked forward into the main area of the base...
Snake walked on into the main, general area of the outpost for a while, lasting about twenty minutes. It seems Zidel had hired a small mercenary group, because there were a few sentries patrolling the perimeter. The sentries were easy to evade, even easier than most he had encountered, but they still posed a threat.
After twenty minutes, Snake heard a ringing sensation in his ear. He placed two fingers underneath his ear and pressed slightly. "This is Snake." Then the same, strongly familiar voice came through into Snake's head. "Snake, there's information to be revealed beneath the air lock in the B2 loading chamber." Snake looked puzzled. "Be there and you'll find love and worry." A metallic static noise indicated that the entity was no longer in contact with Snake. Snake called Otacon soon after.
"Otacon, this is Snake. I got another strange call. Do you think it's...?" Snake began. "It could be anything. Keep your guard up," Otacon said. Snake turned off his codec and moved ahead, toward the cargo elevator. Soon, Snake found it.
Snake stood in front of it and pressed the button to call the elevator. After a four-second delay, Snake walked forward into the elevator, pressing the "B2" button.
After a little while, the elevator doors flew open. Snake, at the ready, had drawn his USP and walked forward. Just then, Snake heard a light tap of metal in the next room. Snake walked ahead, slightly opening the door. To his surprise, Meryl was standing there in the middle of what appeared to be a testing room. She was reloading a USP, in urban camo clothing.
This was just too much for Snake. Why was Meryl here? How did she get here? Who told her to come here? Overwhelmed, and without thinking, Snake practically screamed, "Meryl! What are you doing here?" Meryl lookede very startled at first, almost aiming at Snake with her USP, and saying, "Oh...you scared me." Snake cut right to the point. "Why are you here?" "I was sent here by Otacon, did he not tell you?" Snake had a few choice words for Otacon. "No, he didn't. You need to leave," Snake finished bluntly. "I was just trying to help...I love you, you know." Snake always loved to hear those words from her voice. "I love you too," Snake said, "but I can't let you get hurt." "Hey, just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm defenseless." Snake knew his all too well. "I know..." Just then, however, Snake heard a loud bang from the ceiling. Snake drew his USP. Snake glanced up without moving his head to see a large hole, looking as if it were cut by a very sharp blade. Just when Snake looked back to Meryl, he found that a slender, muscular, exoskeleton-bearing figure was holding a large Japanese katana to the soft flesh of Meryl's neck. A voice that was now confirmed to be the entity's said, "Snake, it's been a while." The strange being could only be Gray Fox. But how could he still be alive...? But then, the ninja placed a finger on its mask and pressed down on the plate. The steel illusion disappeared and showed a glass veil that revealed the being's face. Sadly, it was not Frank Jaegar's. It was some woman he had never seen before.
"So, Liquid Snake...we meet again," the mysterious woman said. "Again?" Snake replied. "You do not remember me? I joined with you before that Big Shell incident. I was sent to find your remains. You don't remember me?" Snake was very confused. Liquid? What was going on? What did she want with Liquid? "Sorry, but I'm not Liquid." Snake cocked his USP. "Let her go." Snake almost cried because he feared for Meryl so much. Snake nodded to Meryl. "Oh, her? Fine..." She lowered her blade and pushed her forward. Just as Snake caught Meryl in his arms as she flew toward him, the ninja apparently left, because when Snake looked back to her location, she was nowhere in sight. Snake grasped Meryl tightly, closing his eyes. Finally, after a while, he let her go. "Follow me," Snake said. "Alright," came from a still-shaken Meryl.
Snake walked on, unsure about everything...Troubled Hand, Meryl, that mysterious woman...it was all too much.
Snake then called the frequency of the mysterious call. Not surprisingly, there was no immediate answer. But, a few minutes after Snake had called, an entity said "You have found me; I am worry, I am forgotten. But search deeper, and you'll find the true meaning of everything." The call was cut at that point.
Snake then walked up to the elevator and, when inside, he pushed the button leading to the first floor. As they were waiting, the elevator stopped dead. Then, the escape hatch at the elevator ceiling opened. Snake drew his USP and pointed it at the entity, the best he could in a very dark elevator interior. Snake's and Meryl's USPs laser sighting met with a man's scarred face.
It was Troubled Hand. And he had dual TMPs aimed at both Snake and Meryl.