Noir: Metal Gears of MemoryMetal Gears of Liberty, a noir fanfic

A/N: Chloooooooee! Wrrrrryyy?

I must be a sorry state, no? Feeling sorry for a character I haven't even officially met. I suppose that just goes to show you how good some fanfictions can be. I still think that thatfan's technique could still improve, but it's not like he's an eye bleeder, either. He's just good.

I tend to do these plot crossovers, no? Noir seems quite good for Metal Gear Solid in some ways, but I still have to figure out the kinks while I combine the plots. This is just a screen test. I haven't replaced all the characters yet, so I just use the original Metal Gear characters as templates for the ones I haven't replaced yet.

For Sheo Darren. I recall he liked Kirika. I like Chloe though. I have this thing for pitying dead characters and wishing they lived.

Person With Many Aliases Presents:

"Noir: Metal Gears of Memory / Metal Gears of Liberty"

Noir Series property of Bee Train

Metal Gear Series property of Kojima Productions

Involving: Many unnecessary crossovers. (Further Copyrights at bottom of story)

And Author's commentary, like a DVD.

SCREEN TEST VERSION

Oh yes, before we start, since I was forewarned in a previous installment, I should note that this story is supposedly complete and utter crap, even though I haven't even started writing it yet. Yes, all stories involving much crossovers are EXTREMELY campy, even though I don't know what the word means. You have been warned of the possibility of reading a crappy story! Oh no! Think of the odds!

Unspecified, Alaska:

The snow howled in the darkness, throwing pounds of snow every which way in the storm. Much of it slammed against the lodge, which despite its remote location, still showed how rich its owner was. Off to one side of the snow swept nearly-mansion, a gun range existed.

A Beretta barked rounds off there in the open freezing air. The gunner, slim as she was, failed to notice the cold, bundled as she was in thick clothes. Little things like that always confused her.

Why did the cold never bother her?

Why on earth, as far back as she could remember, was she able to keep consistently putting bull's-eyes into the target, when she could remember nothing else?

Who was she anyways?

Seeing her daily practice finished, she headed back into the lodge. Pulling off her thick hood, she sighed quietly at the release of her sweat streaked black hair into fresh air. Seating herself against the giant plus seats that took up the sitting room, she spent the time staring into the fire, contemplating.

Despite living here for the past several months, it still felt to the girl that she really only owned three things in the complex.

"Kirika Yuumura", the Beretta and the Watch.

She had simply woke up in a bedroom of the lodge one day. She found the gun and the watch, and a military uniform that was marked "K. Yuumura". Kirika still vividly remembered her first days, scouring through the lodge in search of clues to fill in that giant gaping hole that could explain who she was, why she was here, and how she knew how to kill a man in an average living room in about 1,213 different ways, including the use of the room itself.

She once found a room full of newspaper clippings, telling of the life of a "Major Kirika Yuumura", her exploits and military ventures, all the way to her retirement. She was also told once by a man, how she had just recently recovered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which was why her memory was so fuzzy.

It made sense, but… somehow it still didn't add up. Kirika in the end always felt like she was a stranger in this home in Alaska.

Kirika's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a jeep not her own stopping outside the lodge. The major was immediately out of site with her favored gun.

Whoever it was, he seemed quite seemed use to the concept of making himself at home, as he easily walked through the front door and shook the snow off his coat and adjusted the beret on his head.

"Kirika, you here?" he called out.

Soon enough, the girl in question appeared out of the shadows. "Colonel." She quietly answered.

Roy Campbell. The man who was supposedly her superior, and the one who told her of her condition. He seemed to recognize her as the major character she was supposed to play. In the end, though, Kirika felt that the only reason she could trust him was because of instinct, not because of a past self she didn't know. As for the man, even though he had plenty of years to go, his face still showed the wear of time.

"Ah, Yuumura, good to see you again."

"Why are you here?"

"About that… perhaps we should talk about this further in. Perhaps over that wonderful tea you make?" Colonel Cambell chuckled. Kirikia merely nodded.

Having founded themselves seated, Campbell finally spoke up again. "The thing is… we need your help, Kirika. The US government needs your help."

"But I'm… retired?"

"I know, but you're the only one who can do this. You're the only one with the skills and technique necessary to accomplish this mission."

"What happened?"

"Do you know of Shadow Moses? It's a nuclear weapons disposal facility on an archipelago here in Alaska. In the last twenty four hours, terrorists have seized the facility, and they're demanding money, or they'll strike with a nuclear weapon within the next 24 hours. Kirika, you're the only one we can get there in time to diffuse the situation."

Something inside the girl told her that she had no reason going after the job is she didn't even know if she was affiliated with the US government. On the other hand, she couldn't simply sit by and watch people die because she had memory problems…

"I'll help."

"Thank you Major, you have no idea how much the government is in your debt."

Kirika already knew that.

Revolver Ocelot Scene (Includes Baker for the moment, until I find a way to remove him from the plot)

"N-no! Don't touch –don't touch it!" The bleeding man gasped quickly. Kirika's gloved hand immediately jumped away from the wires that had entangled the arms dealer's body to the column behind him, wires that continued to also to wind around the four supporting pillars around the man as well. Following the trail of the cables, she noticed that they all at one point or another intersected a blinking transmitter that was near a sizable block of C4.

This complicated things immensely.

It didn't stop Kirika, though, as she merely turned a determined gaze to the captive, "Don't worry. I'll get you out."

While she rummaged through the countless pockets on her issues heavy cargo pants and vest, she heard something faintly out of the way.

Click.

Eyes widening with shock, the girl dove out of the open air and behind a column, narrowly dodging a bullet that raced past and impacted the stonewall behind her. The force of the projectile passing between the wires was enough for them to strain dangerously, obviously ready for any excuse to snap and blow the entire place.

As Kirika withdrew her aged and well-worn suppressed handgun, she quickly peered over past her cover to see her opponent.

A man in a long red coat with a blonde Mohawk leaned against the pillar on the other side of the chamber, casually flipping his silver gun around his finger by the trigger guard.

"You're pretty good!" He grinned in a deceptively welcoming manner, "It usually takes a normal person much longer to realize what those wires are for."

Kirika kept her gun trained on the man, "Are you with the terrorists?"

The gunslinger smirked, "That's right." With a flurry of pistol swings of his large weapon, he introduced himself, "Special Operations: Vash… the Stampede."

One of the ringleaders of the takeover…Kirika noted.

"We've been quite anxious to meet you, Major Yuumura. Such a celebrated soldier! The boss had been quite keen on meeting the warrior a fraction of his age, yet so much better, you know."

The celebrated soldier's eyes narrowed at that. They were expecting me…this is going to be a trouble.

"But before the boss sees you, I want to make sure you're actually worth all the TALK-" Vash's gun immediately spun into his grip, while Kirika quickly straightened her arms to prepare to fire-

Nothing. Vash just pointed his gun.

With another fake grin, the man raised his gun, "Jittery, aren't you?" with a subtle finger motion, the gun swung forward, a spring extractor flinging shell casings free, while he brought another six into the chamber. "Forty-Five Long Colt Angel Arm. Six Shots."

Vash snapped the gun's frame back into place, then holstered it, obviously unafraid of the Beretta pointed at his forehead "Bet I won't need more than that to finish you."

Yuumura said nothing the entire time. Vash pointed a finger at her weapon, "Lower your weapon, Major. This duel is on even ground."

"…as you wish." Kirika quietly retorted, while hesitantly lowering her gun, always careful.

Vash smiled again, while bringing a pair of orange tinted sunglasses over his eyes, "Good! Now I can show you why I'm known as the "Human Typhoon."

Silence. Fingers tensed above the handles of their guns.

Vash swung back first, red cloth spinning around him, grinning. Kirika followed the motions.

"DRAW!"

I note how excessively stupid I am for using Vash. He doesn't really seem to fight the whole "torture is the ultimate expression" thing, does he? I needed a Six-Shooter, though. I had my own character, but that would be redundant in his use.

Vash and Kirika both rolled away at the same time, hiding behind two pillars that were just across from each other, reloading.

"You're pretty good, Major!" Vash panted with a grin, while letting his gun flip open, shells spilling everywhere.

Kirika patiently listened while she pushed another magazine into her gun.

"Looks like I'm wrong about getting you in six shots, but I'm just getting warmed up…" Vash continued to spin his gun, and Kirika meanwhile listened intently, waiting for the moment the noise would stop. At that instant he would come out to attack, and she would be waiting.

Flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-click

The two dove out at the same time, ready to fire-

Slivers of light flew into Vash's arm.

"Huh-?" Was the Stampede's shocked reaction before shouting in pain and dropping his weapon, a trio of daggers planted deeply into a suddenly mangled gun arm.

Something blurred out of Kirika's vision, "What…?"

The shape flew and flipped between the cables imprisoning Baker, the sliver of light visible, while cables snapped and wires were cleaved. Soon stone and steel was pierced behind Vash, who turned around in frustrated horror as he watched a supporting pillar suddenly begin to pitch and tilt, and then fall towards him. The terrorist managed to jump away in time to avoid the pillar whilst being thrown away by the following explosion of triggered C4.

Kirika herself managed to cover herself from the blast, before quickly raising her weapon and assessing the situation. Baker was alive, miraculously, as the cables holding him fell away from him in time for him to fall forward and let the explosion burn above him. Vash was sprawled on the ground, unarmed and injured.

And then there was the final figure, who finally dropped to the ground on her feet, green cloak billowing around her, short dark-red hair covering her eyes.

Vash was obviously familiar with the girl, with his shocked expression, and vice versa as the lithe form quickly pulled out an array of throwing blades into her hands and aimed at the gunslinger. Vash leapt forward for his weapon that lay on the floor, picking it up with his still usable left hand, before rolling to a stop with the gun pointed at the cloaked figure.

"You… You're supposed to be dead. She killed you!" Vash shouted. The one with the knives made no motion at the words, though. She merely gave a guarded look while the gunslinger backed towards a hole in the wall made in the explosions. Vash shouted over to Kirika who was still hidden.

"Looks like you got lucky, Major! You pass this time! We'll meet again!" With that, the Humanoid Typhoon slipped through the opening and escaped.

Since the new character didn't seem to make a motion to pursue, Kirika decided this was a good opportunity to figure some things out. Emerging from her cover, she aimed her gun at the back of the other girl's head.

"Who are you?" Was the quiet but still no less serious question directed at the knife-user. The girl turned around, the collar of the cloak high enough to hide the face, but the eyes still gave away much. Something between haunted, friendly and… hurt?

"You don't remember me, Kirika?"

The question boggled the major's mind, "What? We never met."

"I see… perhaps you remember… this?"

The cloaked-form suddenly blurred out of view, much to Kirika's amazement. A sound of grating rock behind her forced her to turn around with her gun pointed, while she watched the support pillar behind her fall away, while the masked girl with a knife in her hand stood behind it.

The crashing column initiated combat.

Kirika dashed to the side, firing several times at the dark green shape. Most of them merely flew through the expanses of cloth, revealing a slimmer form than expected. The cloaked girl copied Kirika's movements, dashing to the side as well, while flicking her hand, several blades flying forward.

Most of them went wide, letting the amnesiac soldier weave through the knives easily and return fire. The cloaked girl jumped above the rounds, and in fact continued climbing in height, until she was crouched on the steel girders that provided support for the ceiling. Crawling along the poles, the girl's knife scratched through steel and stone at various places, until an entire portion of the ceiling collapsed towards Kirika. The Major jumped away easily enough from the falling debris, but girl in green came falling out of the dust towards her, a large combat knife withdrawn and plunging towards her.

Kirika ducked under the first swing, and grabbed the girl's wrist on the second time, using it for balance while she lashed out with a foot into the covered face, causing her mysterious assailant to stagger back, before the girl twisted around again in a large ripple of cloth to swing into Kirika's neck. Bringing her arm to the side of her head, Kirika stopped the motion before it ended in her neck. The cloaked girl's other arm already had a small needle to continue the assault, but by then, Kirika had lowered her forearm, which held her Beretta.

Movement stopped. Kirika's gun was pointed at the girl's face, while her own needle was at Kirika's neck.

The two of them stared at each other.

The cloaked girl stepped back first, that same haunted/friendly/hurt (?) look on her face.

"You still don't remember?" She asked.

"Why did you attack me?" Kirika immediately questioned.

"So you don't remember that night any more…" The cloaked girl muttered into a corner of her high collar. She looked back at Kirika with a confusingly hopeful look, "Don't worry, Kirika. I'm sure you'll remember soon. Then everything will be like it used to be."

Before the Major could as what that meant, the girl was already disappearing into a blur of green, sliding amongst the ruins and out the hole in the wall.

That girl…she knows my past? But am I not a soldier? But then…why do I know her from somewhere?

Unlike Hideo Kojima, or Bee Train, I have no intent of letting total bad-asses have their death. I'm awesome like that. I haven't figured out who would take the place of Otacon, or who would be stupid enough to let him or herself get shot at the Communication tower. So we skip those parts, and the bit with the M1 tank, and move on too…

Interrogation Scene:

The combination of loud machine sounds and the sudden rotating of Kirika's bound position to vertical roused her from unconsciousness.

"…Welco…back to…. Land… the living, sister." A smart-assed voice called out, calling to attention the amnesiac girl's slowly clearing vision.

She was stripped of all her gear, leaving only her only clad blue tank top and shorts to the view of her audience. She was in some sort of… high-tech sterile torture chamber, a far cry from the darkly lit, misery filled rooms of the dark ages. To Kirika's right was Vash by a computer terminal, his useless right arm bound in bandaging that sported red everywhere. To the left was the sniper woman in the black suit that had captured her with use of a mere archaic musket.

And before her with crossed arms, and a trench coat over a bared torso was the leader of the terrorists.

Liquid.

"It's been quite a long time since I ever laid eyes on one of my siblings. Alive, anyways." The English man noted, "Then again, for somebody like you, it wouldn't be hard to believe that you would be one of the last surviving of Altena's "Inner Trees."

A ring tone interrupted Liquid's monologue, which came from a small cell phone he had on him.

"It's me… really? Then what? …Damn… All right, Allen. I'll be there soon." Taking the phone off his ear, Liquid sighed before speaking to the other two.

"The Americans refuse to negotiate."

"So there's going to be fireworks after all?" The sniper woman excitedly asked with clasped hands. Liquid didn't respond to that.

"Is this going to hitch up our plan, boss?" Vash questioned.

"Not at all. This doesn't change a thing." Liquid walked forward to Kirika a moment, as if inspecting her, "I've got to handle launch preparations. You're in charge, Typhoon."

Vash turned to the black sniper, "Staying for the show, Rip?"

The sniper, Rip van Winkle snorted while she readjusted her round glasses, "I've better things to do." With that, she hefted her musket over her shoulders and walked out the sliding door, reciting.

"Beasts of the Forests, beasts of the Pasture, those who race the Sky, the cry of victory will be mine…"

With the absence of the sniper, Vash called up another pressing matter. "Boss, what about that cloaked girl?"

Kirika, captive as she was, still made sure to make use of her ears as Liquid spoke.

"She's killed twelve men already. Whoever she is, she's obviously some sort of lunatic…"

"Nearly took off my good arm completely. How did she manage to get so deep inside here?" Vash muttered, eyeing his ruined right arm.

"I have my suspicions… but at this rate, we're short handed, so get this torture show of yours over and done with!"

Vash smirked as he raised his orange shades over his eyes again, "Torture? I prefer 'interrogation'."

Liquid chuckled at that, "Very well. See you later, sister."

With that, Liquid left, leaving Vash and Kirika alone. "Finally, just to two of us. How are you feeling?"

Kirika merely turned her head to the side, unresponsive.

"Not much for words, huh? That's alright, one of the nice things about that bed your on… it tends to make people more talkative."

"Where are my things?" Kirka bluntly put it.

"Don't worry. Your precious gun and watch is safe." Vash answered, jerking his head to a steel box in a corner of the room.

Vash continued to talk, as he paced, "Those old Soldiers must have a lot of faith to call up you of all people. Someone must have a lot of faith in your skills, huh, assassin?"

Assassin? What? "Is Metal Gear really equipped with a nuclear weapon?"

"Who knows? Perhaps that Campbell of yours would know… speaking of which, Baker gave you a cardkey of some sort, is that right?"

No answer. Vash took it as a Yes.

"Is that the only one? Where are the other two? What's the trick?"

No answer. Either Kirika really didn't know, or she wasn't going to talk about it.

"Very well then, I guess I'll do this the hard way." Vash smirked, while his right hand instinctively moved for his gun. "We're going to –ugh!"

Vash swore as his hand fumbled and dropped the gun in front of Kirika. There was a humiliating moment of quiet as Kirika merely watched, until Vash grabbed his gun with the left and pointed it at the amnesiac.

"We're going to play a game, Major. When you can't take the pain anymore, just say so. But if you give up, you lose… and I'm sure Altena would be very disappointed in that fact."

With that, Vash turned on the electricity.

Well, if I did it Out Of Character, maybe Vash would look like a worthy enough Ocelot, but that's breaking the rules. I suddenly realized that the Torture Game wouldn't be as fun, if there's no Meryl to gamble for. Bah.

And I assume somewhere along the way, Kirika, despite her diminutive body size, manages to hoist around a Stinger missile launcher. Dunno. Anime Physics or something.

Vulcan Raven Scene:

Kirika got off the diagonal cargo elevator into the underground warehouse. Even this deep underground, the place was still could enough to see mist float above the ground.

Only a little further. Another elevator, and Kirika would be in the hold of the Metal Gear itself.

Kirika noticed a misshapen figure seated on one of the steel containers ahead of her. The figure turned slightly to notice her, with a thick bearded grin of delight.

"Welcome, Regular!"

The man stood up, a hulking giant of muscle, straps of ammunition wrapped around his bare chest, while one hand grasped a large machine gun, the other holding the chain feeding the weapon.

"This is the end of the road for you, Regular!"

Kirika suddenly recognized the thick European accent from another part of the mission, "You're that man in the Tank."

"Indeed!"

"You seem… too large for that."

The man laughed loudly at the comment before looking back down at Kirika. "I dislike using vehicles, true! I am most powerful, with this weapon I my hands!" With that, the man leapt from his perch, landing heavily with the tinkle of copper bullets surrounding him.

"I am Sergeant of this Rebel army! Known as 'Fearsome Army of Trillion', and 'The Man Who Has Conquered the Stairway of Dead Bodies'! Allen O'Neil!"

"Oh."

"Face me, Regular! Fear me! I shall rip you to shreds like all those in the past!" Allen roared, raising a fist. Suddenly, he reached for the corner of a smaller crate near him, and in an amazing display of strength, Allen hurled the steel box towards Kirika. For the girl's part it was an easy enough matter to roll under the flying steel, but as she stopped on her knees, she found Allen's machine gun already bearing down on her.

"YOU HOLD YO' MOMMY!"

Gritting her teeth, Kirika managed to leap out of the way, and behind another container while the sounds of bullets erupted. Kirika ran around the perimeter of the chamber, as (apparently) amour piercing rounds ripped through the metal around her.

Eventually a stray round hit a barrel of volatile material, creating a large, smoky explosion with enough force to make the machine gun toting terrorist momentarily cease fire, while he covered his face from the flying dust. As the smoke cleared, the Major was already leaping through the black clouds, Beretta in hand.

Allen grinned as he raised his machine gun. "You will not succeed, Regular!"

And once more, commence in game fighting scene. Of course in a real story, I'd actually write that bit out. Does anyone actually know who Allen is? He's cool. I wonder if switching him out for Fangorum would make it a more interesting cast. There is only so much difference between muscle-bound, machine gun toters, you know.

Allen panted while blood and bullet wounds painted his body. Staggering a bit, the Fearsome Army of Trillion fell and leaned his back against the wall of the warehouse, gun still in hand, but obviously out of fight.

As he watched Kirika approach, he couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. "It… appears finally that stepped over me on the stairway of dead bodies."

The girl remained silent in the man's final moments. A sudden burst of energy suddenly awakened the man, as he glared at the girl with ferocity. "Regular! Kirika! I will watch you from another place! Understand?"

Reaching into his pocket, Allen threw a bloody plastic card to the floor. "This card will take you to Liquid."

Holding the card in her hand, Kirka looked at it silently for several moments before looking back up at the bloody warrior. "…Why?"

"I am a warrior…even I have my time to die. But you are different… you… and my leader… and the cloaked girl…"

"You know her?"

"No… but my instincts… they tell me the same for each of you… you are not warriors… you are weapons… you must always kill, never ceasing… you must fight Liquid."

"I see…" Somehow, the words made perfect sense to Kirika. Somehow the three of them, Liquid, herself, and the girl were all connected… but what was she missing?

"Kirika… I'll see you in Hell." Allen finally uttered, as his final breath escaped him. With a lurch, the warm corpse fell to the ground on his face in front of Kirika, who could only stare. Soon enough, the Major turned around and walked towards the next elevator.

All the Ringleaders were dead, except Liquid. Now it was time to face him… and possibly the missing past.

REX Awakening Scene:

Kirika dashed out the control room, just in time to see Liquid walk down the steel gangway to the activated Metal Gear.

"Liquid! Stop!"

"Come at last, finally? Oh, point a gun at me? Go ahead, shoot, save the day like you were told to do."

"…What?"

"Of course, dear sister. Following orders, with no questions asked? You're not even worthy to be called one of Altena's saplings, just another pawn!"

"Who is Altena! What are you talking about?" Kirika hissed. Things seemed to be falling in place, a past life starting to become clear…

"Who ordered you? Some representative of a government? 'Stop the Terrorists? Save the Hostages?' That isn't the real reason you're here, so-called retired Major!"

"What?"

"You're just here to kill me, before I become any more threatening to our benefactors!"

"Our?"

"Yes! Did you really think you were part of the US Government? We're all members of those Soldiers, and Altena! Why else do you think I have a nuke pointed at some place at the French-Spanish border? That place is Altena's headquarters, the one who raised us to become Noir!"

"Noir?" Kirika tested the word.

Memories surged back into her.

Blood. Shell Casings. Mediterranean family murdered. A cry for protection. So many dead…

A cloaked girl on the floor, slugs planted in her body, a face torn between, shock, forgiveness, and grief.

"…I don't hate you…Kirika…we have to do this…to see who will become-"

"Noir." Kirka muttered once more. Liquid chuckled as he leapt from the metal gantry to the top of REX's body.

"That's right, 'the name of an Ancient Fate, the god who governs death, to the grave its black sword sends the weak-hearted babes'. Of all the people in the world, there are only four of us left who are worthy of the title of Noir. You, me, Chloe, and one other."

"Chloe..?" Kirika wondered. Something kept nagging at the back of her head.

"How weak has your memory gotten, sister?" Liquid snorted, "You can't even remember Chloe? The girl was practically your other half! The soul mate you betrayed! The one who still continues to protect you, even now!"

"…What?"

"No matter, in the end, you're Altena's favorite, and in turn all the Soldats, while I am left in the shadows! Even that Corsican bitch is considered to have more potential than me! Even after I furthered Their cause, they still favor you! You, who they had left, to rot in Alaska for several months! But no more… with REX, Altena will recognize me as Noir, or they will all suffer the consequences…"

"You're willing to fire a nuke to gain attention from our supposed leaders? You're insane." Was the quiet retort.

"If you ask me, I think being insane is better than being an amnesiac pawn like yourself, sister." Liquid snorted as he fell off the side of the hulking machine, to hang off the side of the opening cockpit. "Unlike you and your so-called post-trauma, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to become what Altena raised us to be."

Kirika fired at Liquid as he slid into the cockpit of the machine, narrowly missing the man as the round sparked off the back of a control panel. "You've missed your last chance! You'll regret that forever!"

Slamming his hands into the controls, the cockpit slid shut, enclosing the last of Altena's saplings inside its confines.

Not long after, the top of the room slid open, while the pad underneath the hulking nuclear tank began to lift, tossing Kirika about on her feet.

The speakers bellowed with Liquid's triumphant voice, "Kirika! Come! Bow and Sacrifice yourself to this historic weapon! Consider it an Honor! A gift, from your brother! Witness as I surpass you, and become the embodiment of Noir with this weapon!"

Kirika barely had time to leap from the gantry to the rising platform before she was flattened between it and the wall. Now, all the assassin could do was watch the two of them rise together, amidst the falling debris, towards destiny.

It's moving! I have to stop it!

Some Stinger missiles to the Radar Dish later:

Kirika lowered her launcher at the side of the subsequent explosions that peppered REX's Radome. If it worked, it would be blind, rendering it useless, unless Liquid actually wanted to expose himself to attack.

"Did it work…?" Yuumura quietly asked to herself.

To no avail. The dish moved and jerked, continuing to read Kirika's location. Moving forward, Liquid's voice sneered.

"Nice try, Yuumura! DIE!"

With that, one of the Metal Gear's steel legs rose above the girl, ready the crush the girl into the ground like so much pulp. It fell with frightening speed, even someone of Kirika's skill couldn't react more than raise her arms above her head.

A cloaked blur.

Kirika was tackled out of the way, just as REX's foot smashed into the ground. As the two forms rolled to their feet, Kirika was the first to realize who saved her, words coming out by mere awakened instinct.

"…Chloe!"

"It's good of you to recognize me again, Kirika. Go! I'll cover you!"

"So you finally reveal yourself, Chloe! I'll finish was your dear other half failed to complete!" Liquid's voice shouted, as the Metal Gear's rose again to crush Chloe this time. With amazing agility, the green form practically flew narrowly above the ground, away from the crashing foot. Landing back on her feet, Chloe leapt once more, higher into the air, while drawing a long thick blade from her mantle. Two large machine gun's on either side of the Metal Gear's body opened fire at the air born girl. Chloe managed to knock away all the rounds flying towards her body, before flicking the blade open into a giant shuriken. Flinging it with true accuracy, the large steel star embedded itself into REX's radar dish, causing more explosions, but still not enough to render electronic blindness. REX's two machine guns continued to chase after Chloe's falling form. Falling to the floor, the girl rolled along it until, a stray round exploded ahead of her with enough force to toss her upwards. Using this opportunity, Chloe's other arm came to bear, hand wrapped uncharacteristically around a large cannon.

Firing several times, the heavy slugs smashed into the radar as well, causing more explosions. This time it seemed to work, as the Metal Gear staggered back, machine guns firing wildly around Chloe, who quickly slipped away. The girl easily found Kirika, hiding from REX behind a steel crate off to the side of the battle field.

"Chloe… why are you helping me?" The perplexed Kirika could only ask.

"Because… you're Kirka Yuumura." Was the only answer Chloe could find.

"But, I killed you! I betrayed you, because I had to become Noir."

"Noir is part of our lives, Kirika. Nothing could have stopped us. Not then. I still haven't forgotten the promise we made to each other. No matter what happens, the two of us are going to look after each other. I may have 'died' once, but I won't let that stop me from protecting you, Kirika. No matter what.

"Chloe…"

"THERE YOU ARE!" Liquid shouted, as the damaged Radome noticed the two girls' voices from behind the cover. Machine gun fire soon exploded around the two of them, though neither moved just yet.

"We're just about of time, Kirika." Chloe sighed, "Only you can stop this thing, but I can at least help you this way: I'll expose Liquid for you!"

"Chloe, wait-"

Chloe didn't, as she flew over the top of the container, machine gun fire trailing her. Agilely darting between the streams of fire, Chloe continued to dodge, waiting whatever opportunity she could to return fire. Running up the side of the wall to avoid a salvo, Chloe twisted around and rushed towards REX's, bravely ignoring whatever rounds ripped through her cloak and body, until she got close enough the slide on her back, firing several times up at the underbody of the robot. At that the Metal Gear reared back, ready to lunge it's front towards Chloe on the ground.

With a display of strength, Chloe managed to flip upwards into the air, narrowly dodging the hammer blow. However, this exposed Chloe to the array of missile launchers that ran down the top of REX's body. With a burst of smoke, several of them left REX's body, headed towards the comparatively diminutive knife-fighter.

Chloe fired several times at the oncoming projectiles, detonating them but still too close, and Kirika on the ground looked in horror as her friend was absorbed in a ball of flame and smoke. Moments later, a charred girl flew through the air, and fell on her back on the ledge on the wall. Pulling herself to her knees, Chloe gasped, blood pouring everywhere, and tried to blink what she could from her left eye as she glared at the approaching Metal Gear. Chloe raised her weapon slowly, tired. But before she could aim, REX was already upon her crushing her small body between the wall and itself in a spray of blood.

Chloe cried out in pain, but her bodysuit seemed to be stronger than it appeared, as it was all there was that kept from being completely crushed.

"You're good! But now even I have surpassed the likes of you! Altena! Can you hear me? You're precious pet is on the verge of death! How much longer do you think your exoskeleton can hold out, Chloe? Kirika, are you just going to sit by and watch her die?"

With a growl, Chloe rose with energy, glaring at the machine while raising her cannon, and fired several times point-blank into the radar dish. "Long enough to survive this! Long enough to let Kirika beat you!"

Chloe kept firing into the dish until it her weapon was empty, letting explosions rip through the machinery, until the whole machinery finally bent and collapsed under its own weight.

Kirika watched amazed, "She destroyed the radome…"

With a satisfied sigh, Chloe closed her eyes, her body slumping to the ground as Metal Gear REX backed away, momentarily confused at it's blindness. Soon enough, the lower 'jaw' of the machine slid open, revealing Liquid in his seat. "Impressive, but it won't change a thing! I'll deal with you later…"

Liquid turned the steel behemoth back to face Kirka, "Now that that little display is over with, it's time to finish this! DIE!"

Kirka pops a few more Stingers into Liquid's cockpit:

"KIRIKA! I'll kill you!" Liquid screamed amongst the sparking panels, and explosions rippling across the delicate machinery behind the armor of the robot. As for the girl, she merely kept her Stinger ready while she calmly observed REX drunkenly unbalance itself. Unfortunately, she was still caught off-guard in the final explosion, launching her off her feet, and slamming the back of her head against the side of the wall, while the Metal Gear caught fire and burned away, crashing against the same wall beside her.

As Kirika moaned and saw her vision falter, the last thing she saw was a figure emerging from the flames, approaching her.

Her head lolled to the side into unconsciousness before she could do something.

Final Duel on top of REX Scene:

"Sleeping late as usual, eh, Yuumura?" Liquid's voice taunted, rousing the girl out of her sleep.

"You're… alive?"

"I won't die, not while you still live!"

"Your revolution has failed."

"Heh, just because you destroyed Metal Gear, doesn't mean I can't pick a bone with Altena."

"I will stop you." Kirika said, lunging forward slightly, only to notice her wrists were bound, and she couldn't recognize where she was. Somewhere still in REX's hanger, for sure. Liquid had apparently stripped her of her gear and vest, leaving chest only covered with the tank top again.

"I'm sure that's what Altena would want, along with her little gang. She created us to be that way after all."

That stunned Kirika momentarily, "Created?"

"Yes. Noir. The codename for the very best assassin Altena can offer to the world. She's been making assassins for the rest of those Soldiers as long as she lived. Living in that Manor Forgotten By Time, she would raise dozens of orphans there. She trained all of us in the various ways to kill people, but only the best and most experienced would assume the title of Noir. So how to do so, and where to get that experience? That's where our genius mother came up with 'Phase 2'."

"Phase 2?"

"Yes, using methods even unknown to me, she would repress all the children's early memories of their time at her Manor, but not their training, and set them out into the world in various jobs. For example, I was put in military unit. Chloe became an assassin; the Corsican is still a private investigator I hear, and finally you, a celebrated war hero. Of course, we would eventually remember our former duties, but until then due to our subconscious conditioning, and a bit of manipulation on Altena's part on world affairs, we would all come into contact with each other one way or another. And we would fight each other to the death, until the very best and most experienced would survive. As Noir."

"That's sick."

"Perhaps, but that's how she's always done it. 'Love kills, perhaps Hate saves?', that's what she always said. That's why she liked to pit people with strong emotional ties against each other. Of course, then you came along, Kirika. You were beyond excellent, you were beyond prodigious. You were simply demonic."

"What?"

"You weren't even ten when you murdered your first. And since then, you had killed nearly each and every one of Altena's Inner Trees in this generation. It practically became a race for survival from you. In the end, the four of us survived. You still don't remember why you suddenly stopped the bloodshed?"

"…Chloe…"

"That's right. Chloe, your soul mate, was your last kill! Of course, I assume that as she lay dying on the ground, you remembered exactly whose blood soaked your hands. Not a mere assassin, but your other half. The same girl you grew up with at the Manor. I can imagine the stress that would develop on the mind."

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I forgot again."

"Exactly, which brings us up to now, the final duel to see who will reign supreme as Noir."

"How do you know all this?"

"Unlike you, I was among the first of our group to remember my true origins. That's why I always used my unit to assist Them above anything else. But enough talk, look behind you."

Kirika did, and realized where she was.

Liquid had carried her all the way to the top of the ruins of Metal Gear REX. On another section of the machine lay Chloe, unconscious and bleeding, with a suspicious box lying near her.

"Chloe! Is she alive?"

Liquid shrugged, "I'm not sure… she did lose a lot of blood on the way up. Stupid girl. Still pining over her murderer, who doesn't even have a name!"

"I have a name!" Kirka growled.

"No! We have no past! No future! We're only tools refined by Altena, to be used! To be discarded! That is all!"

There was a tense silence as the two of them glared at each other, before Liquid continued. "Time to finish this." Walking behind Kirika, he pulled of the bindings on her wrists. "I shall nullify you… and regain my birthright." With a leap, Liquid landed by Chloe and the box's side, where he picked up a trigger attached to its side.

"See this, sister? This is our time limit. When this goes, the two of us, Metal Gear, and everything else within the radius of the nuclear weapon will cease to exist. If you win, you still might be able to save dear Chloe, and you can embrace happily one more time… before the end."

Kirika kept cool even then, squaring off against the man while he quickly activated the timer and threw it away. Leaping back onto the main body of Metal Gear, Liquid gave one more warning.

"If you cross this line, you lose, Yuumura. Even at this height if you fall, you'll be sure to count on your death."

There was the silence as the two stood, staring at each other.

Liquid raised his fists, "Have at you, Kirika!"

Kirika was only happy to respond to that.

Chloe, I won't let you die again!

That's the last of the scenes I envisioned in this part. As you can see, Chloe also plays the part of Meryl at the end, thus ensuring a happy ending, as Meryl lives… if you did get the good ending, anyways. There's not really anything for FOXDIE in this story, so I'm not sure how Liquid will really die. I assume it goes something like Kirka kicks the snow or something to distract Liquid and at the same time take a round or two, while Chloe sticks a fork into Liquid's neck. Shrug. Maybe a final moralistic message about how the two of them won't be controlled by Altena anymore?

Ocelot's Phone call:

"…Yes sir, they're all dead. The two of them performed quite admirably…"

"No, sir. I do not believe Liquid knew of my real identity…"

"Yes sir, Liquid is dead, the threat to our organization is over…"

"No sir…"

"No sir, I couldn't even possibly imagine it…"

"Yes sir, Liquid was never even considered a candidate for Noir, which is why his poem was inaccurate…"

"Yes, he was just being trained up to be the final test to see if they were worthy. Altena should be officially recognizing them as Noir soon enough…"

"Yes sir, Noir traditionally came in teams of two. That's the part of Liquid's poem that is wrong…"

"Yes sir, I shall continue my surveillance of the two new ones…"

"Do not worry sir… if worst comes to worse, we can always make another Noir… after all, there is the Daughter of Corsica…"

"Yes sir…"

"Very well. Good bye, and to the health of Soldats… Campbell…"

Dun Dun Dun! And with that, we start Noir: Metal Gears of Liberty. Of course, chronologically, by the time this part of the series occurs, I assume that Noir has by now become completely renegade of Soldats' orders, which necessitates the mysterious… whatever that calls them to arrive on the Tanker. I assume it's an assassination job, otherwise there's no point to having a Noir/Metal Gear Crossover. And no, there is no "Liquid lives on in an arm" thing.

Tanker, Olga Scene:

Men with Chinese gear took over the deck of the ship not soon after Kirika had landed. Apparently there was more to the ship than it first appeared. When Kirika finally made it to the control room, everybody was dead there too. Somebody had also just left the room into outside deck, perhaps Kirika could get a few answers from there.

Quietly escaping into the rushing rain, Kirka balled up against the side of an outdoor locker, quietly watching. A woman was speaking through the radio. She wore black baggy pants that were taped tighter at the shins, two blades sheathed behind her back, a gun tucked into the waist of her pants, a short hair tied back into a messy pony tail. Her eyes were covered with a cap, but the accent obviously made her Asian.

"…Typhoon has landed. I'm on my way to the cargo holds, report yours status." The radio crackled to the woman.

"Control room, communications, and the engine room are under our control. All entry and exit points to the tanker holds secured, and the infrared sensors are in place and operational."

"Good. Are the explosives planted?"

Kirika watched as the woman passed the radio from one hand to the other to waste time. Obviously the explosives didn't sit well with her. "…Yes, they're all planted."

"Listen, once we got what we came for, this ship will be sunk."

"And the vehicle's pilot?"

"He's the only one with the necessary training. Only he can do it."

"And you can really trust him?" The woman asked, obviously throwing doubt onto their pilot. The voice didn't respond for a time.

"…Your part of the mission is done. You are to leave at once."

"No! I'm part of the mission like the rest of you!"

"I can see the moon even from here… pale as death…you know this is a bad omen. You swore to me that you would leave this job and this clan once this mission is over. Do not worry, this is America after all, 'Country of Liberty'."

"No, I can't just leave right now! I've been part of this group too long, I don't belong anywhere else…Rikimaru, I want to stay."

The radio crackled with authority just then, "You do not have a choice in this matter, Ayame! You are carrying our child!"

Ayame sighed as she felt her still flat belly.

"You will be on that helicopter out of here, now!"

The link cut off before Ayame could reply, making her merely stare at it scathingly for a few moments before looking up at the helicopter that was hovering around the perimeter of the ship. To it, she fiercely waved at it. Waved at it to leave.

The helicopter seemed to understand, and flew away to another portion of the ship, leaving the woman alone in the rain.

Well, nearly alone. Kirika rushed out from behind the locker to point her gun at Ayame, "Freeze. Hands over your head."

On Ayame's part, she easily complied, raising her hands.

"Throw your gun over board."

With a flick of wrist, Ayame tossed her pistol over the side of the deck as well.

"Remove your hat."

"Why point your gun at me? I can tell: we're all from the same great nation." Ayame quipped as she pulled of her cap, showing off her dark eyes.

"Who are you?" Kirika simply asked.

"Shadows in red. Wandering wraths of heaven." Was the not so simple answer, while Ayame let the cap get carried away in the wind. At a step, Kirika moved forward, threatening with her gun.

"I said 'don't move'."

"Tch, picky aren't we?"

"We're the same, that's why I won't take chances… your blades. Throw them overboard as well."

Ayame's eyes narrowed at the demand, but nether the less, moved her right hand to the short sword on the same side, and began to lower it on the ground, handle first…

Kirika's instincts told her something was up. "No, I said to toss it overboard. Keep that above your head. Turn around."

"I can see you're experienced in matters like these." Ayame couldn't help but let a corner of her mouth grin.

Just then the ship crashed into a particularly high wave, throwing Kirika's aim off for a second. Ayame looked around her.

"The rain's stopped…" With a smirk she turned back to the one holding her at gunpoint. "New York's a nice city, right? Once you look past all its fine citizens!" At the last word, Ayame dipped the handle of her blade in the hand downwards again, pointing it at Kirika.

The assassin ducked away in time to let a bullet ping harmlessly against the wall behind her. As Yuumura hid, Ayame dropped her blade, favoring the gun that was attached to the belt behind her back over her abandoned weapon, and ducked behind a pile of tarp covered crates on the other side of the deck.

"That blade is Japanese… interesting trick." Kirika commented over her cover.

Ayame smirked. "The Azuma ninja always had a Plan B. In the past, it was caltrops to cover escape. Today, we can hide guns in everything! I'll have to admit, that you're probably the first to avoid that shot of mine… but there's no such thing as getting lucky twice in battle!"

Tanker, Ocelot Betrayal Scene:

Kirika merely marveled in horror at the new machine, while hiding behind some large steel crates.

The African American commander had just finished his speech on the purpose of Metal Gear RAY, and the troops responded in a stiff salute.

Someone applauded lightly, but no one in the crowd moved. Several of them were obviously trying to look out from the corner of their eyes to see who was making the noise.

"Wow. Pretty good speech." A hearty voice complimented next, as a red coated figure emerged from behind one of RAY's dormant legs, clapping as he went. "The silver tongue! I guess it is the mark of a good officer… and of a good liar. Americans really are too in love with their own voice to even speak the truth!" The man grinned from behind his orange sunglasses as if he were merely passing on a little gossip.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" The commander demanded, while several marines form the audience moved forwards to point their rifles at the new intruder.

"The Humanoid Typhoon… also called 'Vash the Stampede'!"

Kirika's eyes widened from the words, Vash! He's still alive?

The marine's began to move forward, but the commander, Dolph, stopped them with an arm. "What do you want, 'Vash'?"

"Why, this pretty looking machine!"

"What are you planning to do, steal this?"

"Steal? I guess one word or another works. Some people would like to call it 'returned', but that's not my concern."

As this was all occurring, Kirika had been making her way unseen to get as close as she could to the commotion, weaving between crates and other pieces of cover. As the show down happened, another hand suddenly reached from behind commander Dolph, throwing him back into a strong grip, while another hand held a sword to his neck The sword belonged to a white-haired man, wearing a rather modern ninja get-up, complete with a mask to cover his mouth, while fearsome eyes, one of them scarred, stared down the marines.

"Nobody move, understand!" Vash shouted to the men, while they watched the ninja drag their commander away from them, to the edge of the platform.

That must be Rikimaru…Kirika mused as she watched. She couldn't do anything without being scene at this rate. As Vash stood by Rikimaru and his captive, the man in red rose his right arm, fingers curled over a radio trigger.

"See this? This ship has enough SEMTEX on it to blow it out of the water, at the touch of this button!"

The marines immediately started to slowly back away from the trio.

"That's right, no one has to die needlessly." Vash calmly said, while ropes appeared from above, with more of the Rikkimaru's men rappelling down, pointing their own guns at the suddenly outmatched marines. Several more began running amongst the cables and tubes securing the dormant RAY to the ground.

"Hurry up, we don't have much more time!" Vash shouted along with other orders.

"What do you intend to do with RAY? Sell it on the streets?" Dolph mockingly asked his captor.

Rikkimaru hissed, "Silence! You Americans. Ever since Japan lost the second World War we've been doing nothing but farm out our very souls to you. Nothing more than a little American outpost! Land, friends, dignity! All sold out to the highest bidder! America and their money! Even the technology that inspired this marvel is Japanese! I will return the glory to Japan, that has since been marketed out to you! RAY is the key!"

Vash chuckled at that. Rikkimaru glared back.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. But I have no intent of letting this fine weapon get 'returned' to the Japanese." Vash shrugged as he walked forwards, away from the ninja leader, much to an ensuing confusion amongst the group. "This Metal Gear is now property… of Soldats."

"Soldats! It's real?" Dolph muttered, surprised

Rikimaru momentarily throttled him in frustration. "Vash! When did you sell us out?"

"From the beginning. I never cared about your ideals, Riki, just the firepower your men had. The destination of the future is always blank, free from flimsy details like national pride, and honor! Only the Soldats understand that."

Rikimaru made some strangled noises of pure malice at Vash, but the sudden-traitor didn't care.

"Metal Gear only has room for one! Rikimaru… this ship can be you and your wife's grave!"

"VASH!" Rikimaru screamed in vengeance, before shoving Dolph forward, twisting his sword backwards, so the handle pointed towards the Humanoid Typhoon-

Rikimaru fell to his knees, six holes planted in his chest.

Vash sneered as he dropped his empty silver gun from his hand. "Looks like you can join the rest of your beloved dead clan, Riki."

"…Scum…"

At the sight of their dead leader, the rest of Rikkumaru's men on Vash's raised their guns, ready to avenge.

Vash by that time had already drawn his second revolver, black this time, firing unloading in several directions in a blink of an eye, dropping all his attackers in an instant.

Everyone watched amazed, while the Stampede simply spun his pistol a few times and re-holstered it, pulling out the detonator again. "Show's over! You wanna live? Better start running. We're still in the lower New York harbor, so if you swim for your lives, you might just make it!"

With that as the last warning, Vash carried out his threat, and activated the bombs. Explosions rocked the ship, detonating even around them in the same room. Men screamed and flew, and water began to gush in.

While men were shooting and missing Vash, who was on the gantry to RAY's cockpit, they failed to notice the girl who was wading through the thigh-high water. Pointing her gun up at her old adversary, Kirika shouted for his attention.

"Vash!"

"Oh, Yuumura! You finally show yourself." Vash cheerfully said with a two-finger salute.

"What's going? Who are Soldats?"

"Really? You mean Liquid didn't tell you the whole story? Then again, he always was an idiot, doing nothing but talk of Altena… Soldats is displeased with your turning your back on them. Noir is supposed to kill for them after all."

"What?"

"Stop saying that already. Either way, in the name of the Patriots, I shall drown you along with this ship, and take this machine. Two birds with one stone!"

Kirika fired what she could, but Vash had already leapt into the open hatch of RAY. Sliding comfortably into the seat, machinery closed in around Vash, activating. Soon enough, the entire machine, much more lithe than bulky REX, rose from it's dormant state. RAY's glowing blue scanners stared down at the girl.

"Farewell, black maiden!" Vash's voice called out through the speakers, while the robot's stubby foot rose above Kirika.

This seemed vaguely familiar. But Chloe was back at home base, darn it.

Kirika leapt away, but the force of the falling foot was enough to knock her against the side of the wall, leaving her stunned on a crate that was slowly being submerged by the rising water.

The Metal Gear, for the most part, ignored the hail of rifle fire and grenades that rained down on its thick armor, while it plunged its head section into the waters, sucking in vast quantities into its head. Rising up, the machine reared back before lunging forward towards the steel wall of the cargo hold, its head splitting open to reveal a unique cannon. From it, the water RAY absorbed was fired out in a tightly concentrated stream, the pressure and density enough to slice through the steel easily, splitting the wall in half, and letting the entirety of the New York Harbor in.

Kirika woke up in time to get washed away.

Amongst the waves, the two halves of the tanker floundered in its last moments. Two figures emerged into the icy waves at the same time. One was Kirika whose head burst out of the water with a few hacking coughs to get the water out of her body. The other was Metal Gear RAY, who leapt out of the water and balanced, perfectly poised, on the floating wreckage of the tanker.

Vash watched Kirika float in the water, completely at her mercy. The communicator next to him buzzed with talk. "Yes, sir. Everything is going according to plan."

With that, RAY back flipped into the waters, leaving Kirika alone, to her confusion.

Under water, RAY silently propelled itself through the depths.

"Yes sir, I have photographic evidence of Noir's existence, they can't move against us now. Altena will be displeased, but I'm sure she'll understand. Yes, we may proceed with the initiation of the new Noir now. I'll be in touch, Campbell."

Metal Gear RAY and Vash the Stampede disappeared off the face of the earth.

And a few years would pass after that. Mireille Bouquet, who still doesn't know her own past (The time between her parents' death and her last memories seem strangely… blank, curious), has continued acting as a high-class private investigator. Eventually her skills get her up to the point of prestige where she's asked to be one of the American President's bodyguards. Unfortunately, her first assignment goes to hell. While looking after the President while he tours Big Shell, the oil-clean up facility working on the site of the tanker spill two years ago, caused by Noir, she ends up in a hostage situation where terrorists take over the facility. Separated from the President, and alone but not captured, she can only do two things now. Stop the terrorists, and rescue the President.

Vamp Scene:

Mireille swore at the sound of the Seal Team being massacred through the radio. They had the President! She had to get to them! From what she heard they were in Strut B, in the same Shell complex as her. She hurried through. Opening the next door, she instinctively scrunched her face.

Mutilated corpses of men laid everywhere, blood spilled across the walls and floor. Gathering her wits, the Corsican continued on, her Walther P99 always up. She was on an exposed and raised section of the room, below her some sort of engineering room. There, the three last survivors of the Seal team cautiously moved down the room.

From the shadows in the ceiling, bayonets flew. One of them ripped right through the face of the leading Seal, dropping him to the floor dead with a scream.

"Shit!"

Gunfire. The Seals fired their guns up into the ceiling at any movement.

"Where is he?"

"I can't hit him!"

The moving figure suddenly fell in front of the Seal in the back and dashed away, leaving the man dead with his midsection split in two. "Aggh!"

Alone, the last Seal screamed in horror, while unloading everything he could in a random spray at the ceiling, ignoring the calls from the radio.

From behind a door, Mireille heard the gunfire. As for the Seal, he continued firing, while a figure standing the rafters watched amused. With a leap, the form fell to the ground in front of the terrified Seal.

"Oh no! No!"

The man peered through his glasses with green eyes, and a maniacal grin. Standing up, he brushed off his gray trench coat, letting the golden cross hanging of his neck glow in the dim light.

"Oh if anyone does not love the Lord, Jesus Christ, let him stand accused, Oh lord, yes, AMEN!" The killer raised one of his bayonets at, "Do you repent, worshipper of a false god?"

"AGGH!" was the only reply, along with the rest of the magazine of bullets from his gun. Raising his blades, the man rushed forwards, ignoring the bullets that ripped through his body, until he was face to face. With a few fanciful slashes, he ripped through the man's chest, and slashed his arms before appearing behind the Seal, grabbing his neck. With his blade held backwards, he easily finally slashed through the man's throat last, letting a spray of blood into the air.

He gloried in it, "Amen…"

On the other side of room, Mireille had cautiously entered through the door, still above the action. Trying to see through the blood and smoke, she finally made it to balcony. Looking down, she finally saw a real horror.

A Seal's body was pinned to the wall like a pincushion, bayonets stabbed through his torso and multiple points. Before him, the man in the trench coat hissed and snickered while he rubbed to more of his blades together.

"AMEN!" With a double swipe, the Seal's head flew off in a stream of blood.

Mireille did all she could to keep herself from puking.

"Ohhh, what is this?" the man's voice called up to her. Gasping she stood up, gun pointed at his head. "Who are you?"

"God has no room in his Kingdom for harlots and whores of Babylon!" The man proclaimed quite defiantly, before two more blades slid out of his sleeves into his gloved hands. "Return to Satan, your lot!"

He disappeared.

Before the Bouquet could even blink she already felt something behind her, lunging for her neck-

"Get down!"

Mireille did so with no questions asked, and as she dropped she felt the heat of automatic fire race above her. As her savior stopped firing, she turned back to see the presence gone. She looked back towards the open door.

It was another Seal, though it was apparently a more feminine form, and much smaller. Still, the Seal girl carried the rifle with great expertise, and stealthily moved along the upper level, scanning for the presence of that blade-using preacher. Suddenly, the girl pointed up, but too late, the man fell to the ground already, slashing at her good arm, spraying blood and causing her to drop towards Mireille. For the Seal's part, she grabbed the arm the preacher was using to grab her masked head, and launched a practiced foot into his face, but it didn't seem to affect him at all, as he retaliated by slamming her into the wall and holding her there. Mireille had already grabbed the automatic rifle on the ground and pointed it at the figure in the trench coat, but she couldn't risk hitting the Seal.

The preacher took in a whiff of the Seal's scent, "A unique scent for an ignorant sheep like yourself… but it does smell like…no, this is the same smell!" The shocked killer dropped the girl to the ground, "I didn't think to see killers like you!"

"Shoot him!" The Seal merely shouted at Mireille, who, roused at the words, unloaded the entire magazine into the man, who merely shook with the impact, but was unaffected, even when several bullets went into his chest.

"What the-" She could only mutter, as the trigger suddenly fired on empty.

"Ha!" The man laughed and pulled out another blade, and began to head to Mireille.

"Anderson?" A voice on his radio interrupted, stopping him.

"Yes, dear?"

The Seal slid a new magazine across the ground towards Mireille-

"You done cleaning up?"

"Yes, but wait till I tell you who I found…"

-who easily reached out for the fresh ammo-

"Something interesting?"

"I tell you when I'm there, where are you?"

"The central unit, with the president."

-and slapped it into her rifle-

"Be right there."

-pulled back on the slide and pointed it at the man, who was no longer there. Mireille pointed her gun at the ceiling after some escaping blurs, but he had already left.

Mireille turned back to the Seal, who was sliding herself to sit against the wall with her good arm. "I guess since you saved my life, I won't shoot you. Your name would be a nice substitute, though."

The Seal girl looked up at the bodyguard for a second, before tending to her wound, "My name is K… My name is Erika Yuumchika. I'm a lieutenant from Seal Team 10." She quietly responded, before pulling the mask off her head, revealing short, sweat-streaked black hair and a Japanese face to go with the name.

"Funny, I you came in late, where did you come from?"

"I stayed behind to secure the helipad when I heard the attack over the radio. Who are you?"

"Mireille Bouquet, I'm one of the bodyguards for the president."

There was a silence, as Erika took in the information. "I see…"

Mireille handed back the Seal her gun at that. "Anyways, any idea about that psycho evangelist with the knife tricks?"

"He's Alexander Anderson, a wizard with knives, and too many aliases to remember."

"How does he manage to take those bullets without even flinching?"

"That, I don't know."

Unfortunately, I don't know who could fit the role of Fortune, so I skip that bit. There aren't too many characters I know that have the whole mentality of "I am chick with a giant gun and Uber shield and can't die, life sucks". Maybe Dizzy from Guilty Gear, but the whole wing things with the laser guns, makes it too unrealistic. I'll figure it out.

Helipad Sequences (Olga Redux, Fatman, Mr. X ninja):

Mireille silently crept her way up the stairway to the helipad on the tower, but stopped under the cover of the last set when she heard a conversation between an Asian woman and a radio.

"I've taken care of the helicopters. How are things on your part?"

"Strange. I saw some girl recently. Used knives, and was dressed in a cloak. Sort of like a ninja."

"Ninja?"

"I can't really think of another word. She had an exoskeleton under the cloak. She had a high collar, I couldn't see the face."

"What?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"Ayame, you're positive it wasn't just a Tengu?"

"Don't be stupid! I know the difference. Her gear was completely different."

"Alright, I'll intensify patrols. Anything else?"

"Actually, one more thing, though I'm not sure if I want to believe it."

"What?"

"That girl from Noir is here."

"You're positive! She died two years ago, though!"

"I recognize her face. It was definitely her. She was on the connecting bridge to Shell 2."

"Hmm…"

"What you find a dead girl living more believable than a ninja?"

"Given Noir's notoriety, I would. Alright, we'll set a trap at the connecting bridge."

"Over and out then."

The moment Ayame put her radio away; the Corsican emerged from her cover to point her gun at the woman. "Freeze! You must be with the terrorists."

"And?"

Mireille noticed the handgun idly hanging off one of Ayame's fingers. "Drop the gun!"

"Heh, I'm not giving out repeat performances. Later."

Before Mireille could react, the terrorist side flipped over the railing of the staircase and out of view. Mireille leapt up the stairs to get a better view of where she fell, but there was no trace of Ayame.

Mireille walked around the helipad that was divided up into passages by the steel containers that were placed there.

"So you're the one, Yeah?" A male voice taunted around Mireille, forcing her to raise her gun.

Where is he? He must be another one Erika warned me about.

"Right on time! Yeah! Punctual people are good, Yeah."

Mireille noticed the entire place was beating to the mechanical tick of a timer. Damn! This entire place is rigged!

"Like the sound, Yeah? The sound of life! The sound of art, Yeah!"

Something on wheels rattled past the Corsican's back, but she couldn't catch what it was. Eventually a man on roller blades slid to a stop in front of her, holding a fancy glass drink in one hand. He was blond with an amazing amount of hair. Most of it was tied back into a ponytail behind him, but a large bang still covered a part of his face. His entire body was covered in a large black coat that was emblazoned with red clouds.

"My name is Deidara. Artist by trade, Yeah." He grinned.

"Artist? More like mad bomber." Mireille snorted.

"Bombs? Just art? Art? Is an expression of time and humanity! Baroque, Neo-Classicism, Renaissance! All just passing styles! Just an expression of a fleeting moment, captured in time before it goes out of style! Bombs are the same. It is the expression of life with every moment, and goes out with as much beauty too! Yeah! Now good lady, stay still! Exhibition's about to start, and I'm happy to show you some of my greater works, Yeah…"

And some more fighting. Maybe Deidara's coat is bulletproof? Heh.

Deidara slumped against one of the crates, watching his coat darken and soak in front of the approaching Corsican. "Aww… I guess you don't like my works, Yeah?"

"Your show's over!"

"Not yet. I still got to show my greatest piece… 'Number Eighteen', Yeah." With that Mireille watched in shock as the bomber raised his hand, a small trigger having just been activated in his hand.

"What did you do!" Mireille threatened, sticking the gun into Deidara's face as she pulled the detonator away.

Hazy, the man stared at his own hand, "These hands… so beautiful… crafting so much perfection…Yeah…"

"Tell me! What did you do!"

"I activated Number Eighteen. The most powerful piece for this entire place… Yeah."

"What?" Mireille stared in horror at the device in her hands. Thinking fast, she tossed the detonator to the ground, and aimed her gun at it. Deidara interrupted."

"No use, Yeah… Can't turn off like that, Yeah."

"Where is it!"

"Don't worry… all exhibition pieces should be kept in the same place… it's quite close… Yeah…"

With that, Deidara's head slumped. He was dead.

Don't worry (you probably didn't anyways) Mireille got the bomb.

As Mireille walked towards the stairway that led off the helipad, a figure back flipped into view in front of Mirelle, who was caught off guard.

It was a woman in an Exoskeleton, covered over with a large green cloak. The messy dark bangs covered the woman's eyes, while the high collar of the cloak covered the mouth from view.

"You took care of Deidara. Good work."

Mireille narrowed her eyes, "And who are you?"

"Hmph. Just a messenger from the old Soldiers."

Screen Test End

Other Copyrights, in order of appearance:

Trigun series property of Yashiro Nightow

Hellsing series property of Kohta Hirano

Metal Slug series property of SNK-Playmore

Tenchu series property of K2/From Software