Plant Chapter, Futility

After defusing the last bomb at the base of Strut A, Raiden contacted his commander via Codec.

"Colonel, I've neutralized the bomb," Raiden said.

"Good work, Raiden," Campbell congratulated Raiden. "It was a great loss for everyone."

"Yes, it was. Colonel, any damage report from the explosion?"

"Seems that the duct for diverting the contaminated sea water was destroyed. And the Shell Two Core is flooding. The explosion's ignited the oil slick on the surface of the water."

"What about the toxins?" Raiden asked.

"The chemicals stayed in containment. There's no immediate danger."

"Is the Big Shell stable?"

"Shell One was unaffected. The price was high, but the threat of the bomb is over for now."

"What's the next objective?"

"Rescue the President. Get back to the upper level."

"Roger that," Raiden said as he cut the connection.

Raiden walked around the pool and headed back to the freight elevator. Raiden was about to enter the elevator room when he received a Codec call from Colonel Campbell.

"Raiden, the terrorists have retaliated for out bomb neutralization," Campbell said.

"What?"

"A hostage was killed – shot in the head. They shot one of them on the roof, just to make sure we saw it. One of our satellites caught it, clear as day," the colonel informed Raiden.

"Damn!"
"They announced that they would kill one every hour from now on."

"What are my orders? What should I do?" Raiden asked.

"Stay with your mission objective. Rescue the President."

"What about the other hostages?"

"President Johnson is your first priority," Campbell said.

"Priority my ass! They're all in danger!" Raiden exclaimed.

"Jack, be reasonable," Rose entered the conversation. "I know what you're feeling, but you can't save them all."

"No, not by myself," Raiden admitted.

"Are you expecting that Pliskin to come through?" Campbell said.

"Well…"

"Looks like he's turned his radio off, too," the colonel observed.

"I can't complete this mission by myself," Raiden said.

"That man was not included in the simulation. He is not a factor in this mission."

"What do you mean by that, Colonel?" Raiden asked.

"Your mission must remain a solo effort."

"What about the SEALs? No second attempt?"

"They haven't even got to planning that," Campbell said. "All we can do is wait. In the meantime, you're our only hope."

"…I understand."

"Raiden, go and rescue the President. You can start off by getting to the upper level of Strut A," Campbell said as he cut the connection.

As Raiden entered the room that contained the elevator, he heard the elevator's gate open. Raiden took cover behind a large crate near to the door through which he entered. Fortune, wielding her enormous railgun, stepped off of the elevator. She waited for the elevator gate behind her to close. As she waited, a large mass of sea lice congregated in the area in front of the dark-colored woman. The gate closed, and Fortune began to walk forward through the sea lice. As she took her steps, the sea lice pulled away from her path. Seemingly aware of Raiden's presence, she began to speak.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you were alive after all," Fortune said. She raised her large weapon and began charging it. Blue sparks began to emanate from the tip of the barrel. "I knew this moment would come." Fortune aimed the railgun directly at the crate Raiden was hiding behind. "Show yourself and finish me – Like you finished off my father! Otherwise, you'll be the one to die!" Raiden saw Fortune's hand move for her weapon's trigger.

"Oh, crap!" Raiden said. Fortune fired her immense weapon, and Raiden dove behind another crate. As he came out from behind his cover, Fortune caught a glimpse of Raiden's pale face and platinum-blond hair. Raiden came out of his roll with his SOCOM pistol at the ready, leaning out from behind a new stack of metal crates. He paid no attention to the place where he was hiding seconds ago, which was completely decimated from Fortune's railgun.

"That's not him?" Fortune said to herself, disappointedly. "This could be interesting." Fortune began to speak to Raiden. "You've seen the fires of hell, haven't you? Maybe you can give me death? My name is Fortune, lucky in war and nothing else." Fortune raised her railgun to her shoulder as the elevator behind her rose. "And without a death to call my own. Hurry, kill me, please!" Fortune said, pleadingly.

Raiden crouched behind a large metal crate. Between the crate he was hiding behind and Fortune was another stack of boxes. Fortune fired at them, completely destroying them. Raiden jumped out from behind the box and fired his pistol at her. The bullet swerved around Fortune. Raiden returned behind the crate. Fortune fired at an oil drum near Raiden, and the oil began to pour out. Raiden quickly leaped to another hiding position as the oil caught fire. A dense metal crate was Raiden's saving grace this time. Fortune fired her railgun at the box, penetrating it. She fired again, and penetrated the contents of the large crate. Raiden moved to the other side of the crate as Fortune fired once more, creating a large hole straight through the crate. Raiden jumped out again and fired three rounds at Fortune. Each strayed from its target unnaturally. Raiden retreated behind the crate, narrowly missing a shot from Fortune's railgun. Becoming more annoyed, Fortune began firing at anything and everything, bringing pipes, lighting, and sections of the ceiling down.

Raiden heard his Codec beep, so he found cover behind a crate and hid.

"Raiden, Fatman just contacted us directly," Campbell said.

"Fatman called us?" Raiden said.

"Yes. Looks like he placed a bomb on the heliport. He specifically asked for you, Raiden."

"What?"

"He killed off Peter, now he's after you," the colonel said.

"Why me?" Asked Raiden.

"How should I know?"

"Look, this is really not a good time for this. The countdown's already begun, Raiden!"

"Great. How much time do I have left?"

"500 seconds," Campbell said.

"So, he's planning on taking this place out."
"It looks like he has a different agenda from that of Dead Cell," Colonel Campbell noted.

"What about backup?"

"None. There's no time."

"What kind of explosives is it?" Raiden asked.

"He didn't say." Campbell cut the connection.

The elevator behind Fortune lowered, then opened its gate. Vamp stepped out of the elevator and walked to Fortune's left, a step behind her.

"I'll take over, Queen," Vamp said.

"What is it?" Fortune asked, still aiming her railgun at Raiden's piece of cover.

"It seems out friend Fatman is out of control," Vamp replied.

"He'll actually try to destroy this place?" Fortune asked.

"Yes. This could unravel everything we've planned."

"But why would he do such a thing?" Fortune inquired.

"Who knows? He's nothing more than a stereotypical mad bomber now." Vamp said, while Raiden was listening in. "He's completely lost sight of our ideals. And with it…his loyalty to Commander Jackson."

"All right. I'll take care of the wayward soul." Fortune said. She deactivated the railgun, and let it hang from its sling around her. "It wasn't him," she said, changing the subject of the conversation.

"Unfortunate," Vamp said.

"I expected more of this one, really."

"But he couldn't kill you, I see."

"Completely useless," Fortune concluded.

"The he's all mine," Vamp said, as he stepped forward, in front of Fortune.

"Later, Vamp?" Fortune said affectionately. She turned around to enter the elevator.

Raiden seized the opportunity presented to him, and he jumped out from behind the pile of rubble he was hiding behind. He quickly raised his pistol, aimed at Fortune, and fired twice. Fortune immediately turned around, her eyes wide. The bullets closed in on Fortune, but their flight paths veered to the right of Fortune, and instead made contact with Vamp's forehead and stomach. Vamp's mouth hung open, and he began to fall backwards. Fortune quickly rushed to Vamp and caught him, bringing him to the ground gently. Vamp's head hung back limply. The entry wound on his forehead was centered just above his nose. Fortune looked at Raiden, as he fired off several more shots from his pistol. As soon as she saw the rounds veer off of their course, she looked back at Vamp. Raiden took cover behind rubble again, and cursed to himself.

"Vamp?" Fortune said as she placed her hand on his face. "Are you gone?" Vamp did not move. "No…" Fortune said, as she began to sob. "No, that death was meant for me. Why am I the only one that can't die!" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Alone again…Cheated out of death again…How long will you force me to live! How much longer, Dad? You've punished me enough."

Raiden stood up and moved toward Fortune with his pistol aimed at her. He walked behind her and placed the barrel of his handgun inches away from the back of Fortune's head. "I thought you could give me peace," Fortune sobbed. "But you couldn't kill me, either." Raiden moved away from Fortune and Vamp, and entered the elevator. The gate shut, and the platform rose. As soon as he could no longer see the pair, he holstered his pistol and relaxed for a moment.

Fortune mourned loudly. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and landed on Vamp's face. "There's no need for sorrow, Queen," Vamp said. Astonished, Fortune looked down at Vamp as he opened his eyes and began to breathe again. Vamp raised his head to look at Fortune in the eyes. "I died once already."

"Vamp?" Fortune said.

"I can't die twice," Vamp said.