With Fatman defeated and the threat of explosives gone, Raiden approached the stairwell leading down from the Strut E helipad. When he was no more then twenty feet from the staircase, a figure leaped out from behind a stack of crates, performing an aerial cartwheel, then landing in a crouched position between Raiden and the stairwell. Raiden immediately had his pistol drawn and aimed at the stranger. Now that the person was in broad daylight, Raiden could get a good look at how he was dressed.

He wore what looked to be an exoskeleton – a cybernetic suit which gave the wearer increased strength and agility, in addition to heightened reflexes. Its color was predominantly grey, with sections of white along the sides of the thighs and forearms, and red composing the neck, shoulders, and some of the biceps. Fitted with the exoskeleton was a full white helmet, including an opaque faceplate – cameras fed a screen on the inside of the faceplate video. On his back, he wore a sheathed katana. This must have been the ninja Olga was talking about earlier.

"You passed with flying colors," Said the stranger, with his voice filtered to maintain anonymity.

"Identify yourself!" demanded Raiden. The exoskeleton-clad stranger reached behind his head and drew his katana, holding it out to Raiden in a menacing fashion.

"I'm like you…I have no name."

"Are you Mr. X?" Raiden asked, recognizing the voice.

"Hm. If you like," Responded the ninja, sheathing his sword, "But come, let's get out of the open. Follow me." Mr. X walked down the staircase, leading Raiden to a solitary alcove on the other side of the strut.

"Are you with FOXHOUND, too?" Raiden asked.

"Neither enemy nor friend," Mr. X paused. "Just a messenger from the

La-li-lu­­­­­­-le-­lo." Mr. X tapped the base of his neck, indicating to Raiden to switch to codec communication.

"This is safer, I think," the ninja said.

"Safe from what?" Raiden asked.

"Eavesdropping, of course," the ninja answered.

"All right. Why did you contact me?"

"I've been ordered to give you back-up, including the relaying of necessary intel," the ninja said.

"Ordered by whom?" Raiden asked. The ninja remained silent. "Why won't you identify yourself?"

"There is no need for you to know," the ninja responded.

"I'll decide whether I need to know," Raiden said.

"You are not yet trusted to make such decisions," the ninja quickly said matter-of-factly. "I'll tell you something you do need to know, instead: the current location of the President."

"What!"

"Or rather, the person who knows the current location of the President," the ninja clarified.

"Who is it?" Raiden asked.

"A Secret Service agent named Ames, currently being held with the other hostages."

"Secret Service, huh."

"The head of the President's security detail." the ninja explained, "Ames has been fitted with the same type of VIP nanomachine system as the President. If you're within range, you should be able to communicate."

"Why are you telling me this?" Raiden inquired.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" the ninja said, slightly annoyed.

"There's no reason for me to believe any of this. You understand that?"

"Of course. But you also have no choice but to believe. Do you have any other leads?" the ninja asked. Raiden had no reply..

"Where are those hostages?" Raiden asked. The ninja gave a low chuckle.

"The hostages are being held in the conference hall – B1 conference hall in the Shell 1 core. You'll find Ames there." The ninja informed Raiden.

"What does he look like?"

"We don't know if it is indeed a 'he'. I've never met this person either." The ninja admitted.

"How am I supposed to look for someone without even a description?"

"Use your ears," the ninja hinted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raiden asked, puzzled.

"Ames has a pacemaker. You'll be able to hear the machine sound in the heartbeat." The ninja said.

"You expect me to walk up to these hostages and listen to every one of their heartbeats?" Raiden said.

"The sound is too minute to detect unamplified. You'd be captured immediately."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Raiden asked.

"Use the directional microphone." The ninja said, as he handed Raiden a set of headphones and a device whose basic shape resembled a large pistol. "Take this, too." The ninja gave Raiden a security card. "This security card will unlock all level two security doors, including the one into the core. It's called a PAN card. It works together with your body's own electronic field. And watch yourself. The core is more heavily guarded than any other section of the Big Shell. You'll get nowhere dressed like that." Raiden looked down at his Skull Suit. "Try this instead." The ninja tossed Raiden a uniform similar to that of the Russian militia's.

"One of the terrorists'?" Asked Raiden.

"The surveillance camera in the core won't let you get in the elevator without the right uniform." The ninja explained.

"You want me to disguise myself?" Raiden asked, childishly.

"Men assigned to the core and those on perimeter duty are given different colors to wear. Your new outfit will work only in some areas, and not others." The ninja continued, "The uniform alone won't fool them either."

"You're talking about weapons." Raiden followed.

"Right. You need an AK."

"But I saw them carrying an AN-94," Raiden protested.

"All men assigned to the core section carry AK's," the ninja explained.

"So, without an AK-74u, someone will see through me really quick," Raiden thought aloud.

"You can take care of the weapon issue yourself. One other thing –"

"There's more?" Raiden interrupted.

"You'll also have to pass a retinal scan to get into the conference hall," the ninja said.

"Biometrics. Crap," Raiden cursed.

"Nothing but the real thing will suffice. Deception is not an option here." The ninja said, "I suggest you hurry. They have the nuke on their side."

"The nuke? They have a nuclear weapon with them?" Raiden asked, astonished.

"You didn't find their continuing presence here unusual? Even with the President as hostage, this is an island, and they have no visible means of escape."

"Even if they do have a nuke, the warhead is no good without an access code." Raiden explained to the ninja the inner workings of nuclear fail-safe plans, "The security lockout can't be bypassed."

"They don't need to." The ninja replied. "They have the code. You saw it too, I believe. They Navy man with half a handcuff." Raiden thought back to Strut B, when he first met Pliskin. "The other half of it is on the football, of the Black Case if you like. The nuclear button. And now they have it."

"Why did they have to bring the football along? To a decontamination plant, of all places," asked Raiden.

"But they did have to. Because, after all, the Big Shell is the farthest thing from a cleanup plant there is." The ninja revealed.

"What?" Raiden exclaimed.

"Dead Cell didn't have to bring a nuke along with them. It was right here to begin with. Nothing in this affair is what it seems," The ninja added.

"A cover-up? But why? For what?" Raiden asked hurriedly.

"For Metal Gear, that is housed here."

"Metal Gear?" Raiden said, shocked.

"The very same. Bi-pedal nuke-capable vehicle of Shadow Moses infamy. This place is the R&D center for its newest incarnation." The ninja said.

"What the hell is going on?" Raiden asked, confused. The ninja laughed.

"Better ask Ames the rest," The ninja said, as he handed Riaden a cell phone.

"What's this for?" Asked Raiden.

"You might be glad you have it," The ninja said. Raiden looked down at the cell phone in his hand.

"What do I need a cell phone for?" Raiden asked. He looked up, and the ninja was gone. He looked around his surroundings, but he found no trace of the ninja. Raiden called Colonel Campbell on the codec. "Colonel, who was that man just now?"

"He's not one of ours," Campbell confirmed. "No, we have no one like that in our unit."

"He said that the Big Shell is housing a new model of Metal Gear," Raiden said.

"First I've heard of it."

"Colonel, what are you not telling me?" Raiden asked.

"I've been completely open with you, Raiden. I've told you everything."

"Is that everything you know, or everything I need to know?"

"Snap out of it, Raiden!" The Colonel commanded. "I'll have the Metal Gear rumor looked into. You need to make contact with this Ames."

"So you believe that ninja?" Raiden asked.

"Since we have no leads on the President's current location, we have no other alternatives." Colonel Campbell said. "Right now, collect as much data as you can, including anything on Metal Gear."

"Are those my orders?" Raiden asked.

"Yes, they are. Disguise yourself as an enemy soldier and infiltrate the Shell 1 core."

"Understood," Raiden said as he cut the connection with the Colonel.